Saturday, December 28, 2019

28 December - Blogs I'm Following - 3 of 5

10 pm MST

Are Growing China - Russia Ties Due To The U.S.?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
*SCMP: **China and Russia forge deeper ties thanks to their common enemy: the United States* * Inauguration of a new US$55 billion gas pipeline this week helps cement increasingly close Beijing-Moscow ties that are moving beyond economics into security * Many observers say the two countries’ growing security cooperation may evolve into something closer to a military alliance On Monday, Russia turned on the taps on for a US$55 billion pipeline that will pump natural gas to the energy-hungry Chinese market – the latest step in the “new era” of increasingly close ties between the... more »

Climate Fraud Could Crush Australia’s Economy

tonyheller at Real Climate Science - 11 hours ago
The climate fear mongering being pushed by the press in Australia is off scale. Latest being that the five day Boxing Day cricket test match (Australia’s biggest sporting event according to MP Craig Kelley) is going to get too hot. … Continue reading →

Q&A Why So Many Climate Skeptics

Ron Clutz at Science Matters - 11 hours ago
An extensive and documented reply is given at Quora from John Walker, former Laboratory Medical Director/Pathologist (1984-2011). Excerpts in italics with my bolds.(red text is link) Perhaps you really mean “Why are there so many catastrophic anthropogenic CO2 global warming (CAGW) skeptics?” There are very few individuals who are skeptical that the climate changes. But […]

Breaking: Turkish-backed Libyan forces launch counter-offensive in southern Tripoli

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:40 P.M.) – The Turkey-based Anatolia News Agency announced moments ago that the Government of National Accord (GNA) forces launched a counter-attack against the Benghazi-based Libyan National Army (LNA) in southern Tripoli. According to the agency, and in a statement quoted by the GNA, its forces launched a counter-attack at the Ramlah axis […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Jihadist counter-offensive in southeast Idlib ends in heavy losses

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:30 P.M.) – The jihadist counter-offensive that was launched in southeastern Idlib this afternoon has been repelled by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). Led by Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), the jihadist rebels began the counter-offensive with three suicide attacks on the Syrian Arab Army’s defenses west of Jarjanaz. Following the suicide attacks, the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Turkey to likely purchase another batch of S-400s from Russia

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
Russia hopes that Turkey will purchase another batch of air defense systems S-400, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov told the round-the-clock television news channel Rossiya-24 in an interview. “It is very likely they will use this option and keep working with us. We do hope for this,” he said. “As far as arms export is […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Russian Air Force resumes strikes over Idlib

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:45 P.M.) – The Russian Air Force resumed their airstrikes over the Idlib Governorate this week after grounding their warplanes due to poor weather conditions. According to reports from Idlib, the Russian Air Force targeted a number of towns and villages controlled by Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) in the southern part of the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Jihadist forces turn the tables in southeast Idlib to attempt to capture key town

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:30 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) attempt to retake some points near Jarjanaz has failed, as the jihadist rebels in the area have now gone on the offensive. According to reports from the front, the jihadist rebels of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) are attempting to capture the strategic town of Jarjanaz, […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Iran calls on all uninvited foreign forces to leave Syria

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:00 P.M.) – Ali Akbar Velayati, advisor to the leader of the Iranian Islamic Revolution for International Affairs, stated that his country opposes foreign interference in the region. During his meeting on Saturday with the the Syrian ambassador to Tehran, and a delegation of sheikhs and leaders of the Syrian tribes, Velayati said, […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Syrian Army launches powerful attack in southeastern Idlib

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:40 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has resumed their offensive in southeastern Idlib this afternoon after taking a brief hiatus. Led by the 25th Special Mission Forces Division (formerly Tiger Forces), the Syrian Arab Army is storming the areas their troops lost near the key town of Jarjanaz in southeastern Idlib. […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

ISIS claims attack on US base in eastern Syria

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:15 P.M.) – The Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) claimed an attack on the U.S. base in the eastern countryside of the Deir Ezzor Governorate on Friday. According to the Islamic State’s statement on their official channel, Al-Amaq, their terrorists fired eight Katyusha rockets at the U.S. base that is located around the Al-‘Umar Oil […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Iran, China, Russia kickoff military drills: video

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) released footage of the Russian, Chinese and Iranian Navies performing joint maritime maneuvers at the Oman Gulf in the Indian Ocean on Friday. A Russian ship arriving at the Port of Shahid Beheshti in Chabahar being welcomed by the sound of trumpets and marines waving Iran flags, can […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

US military strengthens defenses at Iraqi bases after latest rocket attack

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:40 P.M.) – A security source in the Al-Anbar Governorate revealed on Saturday that the American forces have taken unprecedented measures against the backdrop of a plot to target the Ain al-Assad Base. The source said to Iraq’s Al-Sumaria News, “The American forces took unprecedented precautionary measures at the Al-Assad Base in the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Syria plans to sue US over stolen oil and violating sovereignty: video

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
Adviser to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Bouthaina Shaaban, said that the Syrian government is considering filing a lawsuit against the United States of America due to “stealing Syrian oil and violating Syrian sovereignty.” Shaaban made the remarks during an interview with Al-Mayadeen channel in Damascus on Friday. “The government of the Syrian Arab Republic is […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

ISIS terrorists execute 11 Nigerian Christians in revenge for Baghdadi’s killing

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
The terrorist group Daesh announced that it had killed 11 Christians in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State one day after Christmas as an act of revenge for the death of Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Footage of the executions, which was published by Amaq, a propaganda outlet linked to Daesh, shows 11 blindfolded men being lined […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

The Decay of the World Order As We Know It | A World on the Brink

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 11 hours ago
Real Vision Finance A World on The Brink begins with Episode One, where host Dee Smith examines the complex world we live in and looks at how we got to where we are today. In trying to gain an understanding, we delve back through history to the 300-year-old Westphalian Order and then move forward to …

Afghan Papers Revealed

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 11 hours ago
RT America The Washington Post recently did something shocking… journalism. They received documents through FOIA requests that proved that the US government was actively lying about the Afghanistan war. These lies were an open secret and now they’re proven. Lee opens the show this week by reviewing the revelations from the FOIA releases. We now …

MSM Silence on OPCW Douma Scandal ‘Ridiculous’, Says Journalist Gagged by Newsweek After Latest Leak

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 11 hours ago
MSM Silence on OPCW Douma Scandal ‘Ridiculous’, Says Journalist Gagged by Newsweek After Latest Leak by https://www.rt.com/ The refusal of almost every Western media outlet to cover the leaks implicating the chemical weapons watchdog of doctoring its Syria report has become ridiculous, says a journalist who was barred from reporting it by Newsweek. – “These …

Wikileaks Bombshell: UN Agency FAKED Douma ‘Gas Attack’ Report

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 11 hours ago
RonPaulLibertyReport New documents released by Wikileaks confirm that within the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons there was a massive push to alter the findings of the “Fact Finding Mission” sent to Douma, Syria to investigate an alleged gas attack last year. Now 20 inspectors have claimed that their conclusions were left out of …

China's South China Sea Bases May Be More Trouble Than They Are Worth

Robert Farley at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Robert Farley* *Security, * More territory to defend. *Key point: *The islands of the SCS have some military relevance, but are more important as a political claim to waterways and undersea resources. China has built some islands in the South China Sea. Can it protect them? During World War II Japan found that control of islands offered some strategic advantages, but not enough to force the United States to reduce each island individually. Moreover, over time the islands became a strategic liability, as Japan struggled to keep them supplied with food, fuel and equipment. The is... more »

In 2010, The Navy Surfaced 3 Nuclear Submarines To Scare China

David Axe at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*David Axe* *Security, Asia* Submarines are good for more than defense. *Key point: *America’s intent in the aftermath of the Chinese tests was to signal U.S. strength with just the right amount and kind of potential force. Nuclear powers rarely go to war with each other, but that doesn’t mean they don’t *threaten* to do so. Indeed, military posturing is an integral part of what Forrest Morgan, an analyst for the RAND Corporation, called “crisis stability.” In other words, “building and posturing forces in ways that allow a state, if confronted, to avoid war without backing down... more »

Some Really Strange Guns Are Showing Up in Syria (And No One Knows from Where)

Charlie Gao at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Charlie Gao* *Security, * How made them? Who supplied them? Lots of questions. The battlefields of Syria see handguns from every corner of the globe. The massive demand created by the war has led Ukrainian, Russian, Turkish, and Chinese manufacturers to pump new production handguns into the region. While the deliveries of these pistols can be overt, sometimes efforts are taken to hide the origin of these pistols. An interesting example of this is the “Delta Defense Group” pistols that have recently shown up in Syria. No known firearms manufacturer utilizes the “Delta Defense G... more »

These 5 Military Rifles Have No Equal On Planet Earth

Charlie Gao at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Charlie Gao* *Security, * The best of the best. *Key point: *Infantry rifles remain critical to combat operations. While tanks, planes and artillery may have a larger effect on the battlefield, the infantryman’s individual rifle is still a critical part of any military. Here are five “families” of weapons that may be considered to be the best in the world, and why. *1. M16/M4/AR-10 family* Eugene Stoner’s original design for a rifle remains one of the most common and fielded designs around the world. Both in their original caliber of 7.62x51mm NATO and in the smaller 5.56x45mm... more »

Could North Korea Become the Next Oil and Gas Mega Producer?

Anthony Fensom at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Anthony Fensom* *Security, Asia* Not good news for Japan and South Korea. *Key Point: *Imagine Kim as an energy tycoon? The “hermit kingdom” of North Korea has struggled to feed its own people in recent years, let alone sustain its energy needs. Yet with reports emerging of the hard-line Communist state’s potential oil and gas resources, South Korea and other U.S. allies in the region may soon face a far more capable military adversary. Writing in the petroleum geoscience publication *GEOExPro*, exploration consultant Mike Rego suggests that the secretive Asian state offers “g... more »

Thousands of Koalas Feared Dead in Australia Wildfires

AP News at Snopes.com - 11 hours ago
Thousands of koalas are feared to have died in a wildfire-ravaged area north of Sydney, further diminishing Australia’s iconic marsupial.

Truck Bomb in Somali Capital Kills at Least 78 at Rush Hour

AP News at Snopes.com - 11 hours ago
A truck bomb exploded at a busy security checkpoint in Somalia’s capital, killing at least 78 people including many students.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 28

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 11 hours ago
1929 Fmr Iraq High Comm Dobbs said if Iraq moved forward in its own dysfunctional way and was better off than it was under Ottomans England would have succeeded 1998 US began attacks upon Iraqi air defense system in north as part of no fly zones 1998 Italian paper claimed Saddam and bin Laden made pact to act against US and Iraq offered Saddam safe haven False story 2001 Gen Franks presented Bush with latest version of Iraq war plan Included 7 lines of operation that could be used independently or in conjunction and 9 parts of Iraq that could be targeted Franks wanted to start b... more »

Virginia Governor Increasing Corrections Budget

Uriel at 'Nox & Friends - 11 hours ago
Guns & Gadgets Virginia Governor Increasing Corrections Budget To Jail Gun Owners December 26, 2019 . Virginia ALERT: Governor Preparing for Patriot Arrests American Joe Show December 26, 2019 . Keeping people aware of what is happening in Virginia….. –Uriel–

China's Space Program Back On Track With Successful Rocket Launch

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
*Daily Mail:* *China launches a test of the 'world's most powerful rocket' as part of its planned mission to send a probe and rover to Mars in 2020* * China is one of four countries that are planning to send missions to Mars in 2020 * The others are the USA, a joint Europe/Russia mission and a UAE orbiting probe * The launch is a test of 'key technologies' that will help China's space ambitions * China also plans to launch the first parts of its new space station in the next year China has launched one of the world's most powerful rockets in a major step towards its planned mis... more »

Funding the Chinese Military

LL at Virtual Mirage - 11 hours ago
Just a note on the Chinese People's Liberation Army (and the People's Liberation Army's Navy) and how they are funded. All Chinese military services including the Chinese Coast Guard, which are essentially pirates, are expected to be self-funded to the extent possible. Some of this blog's readers know this, but other's may not and I want to bring you up to speed. The same is true of the Public Security Bureau. The People's Liberation Army is expected to be self-sufficient apart from the national budget. It is heavily invested in tourism related industries in China and has vast hotel... more »

Both The Public And The House Want Marrijuana Legalization— But Moscow Mitch Has Prohibited It

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
Mitch McConnell, with apprarent support from most Republicans, shut down bipartisan marijuana normalization bills this year. Several pieces of legislation passed the House as part of the must-pass spending bills. The most important of the riders would have allowed legal marijuana businesses to access banking services in the 10 states (11 next year when Illinois’ legalization law goes into effect) where marijuana is fully legal, allowing them to operate as normal businesses. Moscow Mitch found that unacceptable and won’t even permit a Senate debate. Another crucial law McConnell-- ... more »

"Poof!"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
"Some people center the universe around themselves; while making other people nothing but decorations to their existence. "I will do this and then I will do that and then people will think this about me and then people will think that about me, and then I will add that person to my life when the convenient time arrives, and this person over here would make a very convenient addition as well..." They build their own thrones for themselves, and add decorations all around their thrones. The problem with that is: it does not bring happiness. A throne must be built *for* you; it must no... more »

Musical Interlude: Yanni, “If I Could Tell You”

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
Yanni, “If I Could Tell You”

The Daily "Near You?"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
Bogotá, Distrito Especial, Colombia. Thanks for stopping by!

"The Peculiar Impression..."

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
"Why do human beings have the peculiar impression that belief is the same as truth?" "Because sometimes the truth hurts. Sometimes we need to believe in a better truth." "What better truth can there be than truth?" - Gene Brewer "The stories you believe to be true are the ones your life will become." - Eric Michael Leventhal

¿Se puede negociar un acuerdo comercial en once meses?

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
28-Dec-2019 Los británicos insisten en no prolongar más allá del 31 de diciembre de 2020 el período de transición para pactar las futuras relaciones con la UE, pero los tratados con Canadá o Mercosur demuestran que estos complejos procesos pueden durar años.

Tratados Internacionales y Nueva Constitución: cambiar un problema por otro

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
28-Dec-2019 Lamentablemente y frente a un proyecto que no recoge de manera técnicamente meticulosa este asunto, el panorama actual parece ser uno que podría reemplazar un problema no resuelto por uno peor.

Fernández avala acuerdo Mercosur-UE "en la medida que no afecte a industria argentina"

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
28-Dec-2019 "Nosotros vamos a hacer del Mercosur lo que el Mercosur es, nuestro espacio común de donde vamos a enfrentar la globalización, que es un hecho irreversible y debemos asumirlo con inteligencia. Si la globalización mata la industria, esa es una mala decisión", advirtió.

"On the Edge of the Precipice"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
*On the Edge of the Precipice (Intro)* by Brian Maher "Over 10 years have elapsed since the last financial crisis. That near-calamity was fueled largely by subprime mortgage debt. But no two financial crises are identical twins. They are just enough different to give a false confidence that “it’s different this time.” But of course… it never is. Today former Wall Street insider Nomi Prins shows you the likely origin of the next financial crisis - and a different type of debt likely at the heart of it. If not mortgage debt… then what is it? Read on..." ○ *"On the Edge of the Precipic... more »

"Economic Market Snapshot 12/28/19"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
*Updated frequently as available.* ◆ *MarketWatch Market Summary, Live Updates* - https://www.marketwatch.com/tools/marketsummary *CNN Market Data:* - http://money.cnn.com/data/markets/ *CNN Fear And Greed Index:* - http://money.cnn.com/data/fear-and-greed/ ◆ *Buffett Indicator: Where Are We with Market Valuations?* "As of 12/28/19 (updates daily): The Stock Market is Significantly Overvalued. Based on historical ratio of total market cap over GDP (currently at 152.5%), it is likely to return -2.9% a year from this level of valuation, including dividends. As of today, the Total Market... more »

"We Paid The Price In Full..."

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
"We who have been hunted through the rapids of life, torn from our former roots, always driven to the end and obliged to begin again, victims and yet also the willing servants of unknown mysterious powers, we for whom comfort has become an old legend and security, a childish dream, have felt tension from pole to pole of our being, the terror of something always new in every fibre. Every hour of our years was linked to the fate of the world. In sorrow and in joy we have lived through time and history far beyond our own small lives, while they knew nothing beyond themselves. Every one... more »

Japan To Deploy Destroyer And P3C Planes To The Middle East

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
*Asia Times:* *Japan to send destroyer, P3C planes to Gulf area* Self-Defense Forces will patrol in high seas in the Gulf of Oman, northern Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden Japan will send a military vessel and two patrol planes to help protect waterways in the Middle East but will not join a US-led coalition in the region, the government said Friday. The move comes after attacks this year on tankers in the Gulf including a Japanese tanker, as well as on Saudi Arabian oil installations. Washington, other Western states and Saudi Arabia blame the attacks on Tehran, which denies an... more »

Final day of radiation

Norma at Collecting My Thoughts - 12 hours ago
Phil's final day of radiation was yesterday. It was a shock for me to see this photo. I'd never been to the Zangmeister Center where he had the procedure. Seizures on October 1, 2019, were the first warning something was wrong. We had just that Saturday gone to our old neighborhood for lunch. So how could he be sick three days later? Glioblastoma stage 4. Surgery a week later, followed by radiation and chemo with 13 bottles of pills lined up and all his notes to ask his doctors and write down their instructions. His family, his many friends (I'm not sure I even know that many peo... more »

The stories behind cannabis companies and their partnerships with mainstream businesses

Omar Sacirbey at Marijuana Business Daily - 12 hours ago
(This is an abridged version of a story that appears in the November-December issue of Marijuana Business Magazine.) An unthinkable collaboration not long ago, more and more marijuana businesses and mainstream companies are joining forces on products such as sleep-inducing CBD gummies, infused beverages and pharmaceutical-grade medications. This melding of unlikely bedfellows is a sign that […] The stories behind cannabis companies and their partnerships with mainstream businesses is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepre... more »

Erdogan Stirs the Pot…Again

Steve Brown at The Duran - 12 hours ago
Of the two major factions -- GNA and LNA -- the GNA is supported by Turkey and Qatar. The LNA is supported by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France, Belgium, and the United Arab Emirates. More The post Erdogan Stirs the Pot…Again appeared first on The Duran.

Boris sets December 2020 hard deadline for EU trade deal. EU “very worried” (Video)

Alex Christoforou at The Duran - 12 hours ago
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 416. More The post Boris sets December 2020 hard deadline for EU trade deal. EU “very worried” (Video) appeared first on The Duran.

Raping With Impunity: UN Leaders Ignore Rape, Sex Crimes of “Peacekeepers” in Haiti Again

William F. Jasper at rss - 13 hours ago
[image: raping-with-impunity-un-leaders-ignore-rape-sex-crimes-of-peacekeepers-in-haiti-again] “We’re from the UN; we’re here to help you” — and rape, rob, torture, and slaughter you.

Swimming in Feces, Trash, and Needles, San Franciscans Vow to Banish Disposable Cups

Selwyn Duke at rss - 13 hours ago
[image: swimming-in-feces-trash-and-needles-san-franciscans-vow-to-banish-disposable-cups] It’s a bit like a general vowing to go off to fight some ghost army on the other side of the Earth while his own land is being overrun by barbarians. San Francisco, known for aggressive vagrants and streets littered with fecal matter, hypodermic needles, and trash, is thinking globally and acting loco: Ignoring its real problems, many of its residents and politicians have resolved to banish paper to-go cups.

Pro-Second Amendment Billboards Pop-Up in Virginia as More Counties Declare Themselves “Sanctuaries”

Raven Clabough at rss - 13 hours ago
[image: pro-second-amendment-billboards-pop-up-in-virginia-as-more-counties-declare-themselves-sanctuaries] Virginians are campaigning hard against the onslaught of anti-Second Amendment measures expected to be rolled out by the incoming Democratic-controlled state legislature with pro-Second Amendment billboards throughout the Commonwealth, the *The* *Daily Wire* reports. The billboards began popping up in the same week two more Virginia counties have declared themselves pro-Second Amendment “sanctuaries,” bringing the total number of sanctuary counties to 87 of the Commonwealth’s ... more »

"40 Quotes From Ram Dass to Re-Awaken Your Heart"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
Ram Dass (April 6, 1931 – December 22, 2019) *"40 Quotes From Ram Dass to Re-Awaken Your Heart"* by Sofo Archon "Last Monday, a man who dedicated nearly his entire life to spreading love and peace to our world died at the age of 88. This man is Ram Dass (born Richard Albert), a former Harvard professor, clinical psychologist, psychedelic research pioneer, best-selling author and spiritual teacher. In his memory, I’d like to share with you some of his most profound and heart-expanding quotes. Without further ado, here they are: “Treat everyone you meet like God in drag.” “We’re fasc... more »

The F-35 Is Transforming America's Air Force (And Making It Far Deadlier)

Kris Osborn at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Kris Osborn* *Security, * The F-35 ‘redefines’ how you go to war with a platform. *Key point: *Faster processing of information, empowering better pilot decisions, it naturally stands to reason, makes a big difference when it comes to the OODA loop. As 60 enemy fighters closed in on a US Air Force 4th Generation fighter aircraft, blinding the jet with electronic warfare attacks, an experienced pilot faced unseen life-threatening attackers closing in -- during an air-combat Red Flag exercise closely replicating actual warfare scenarios. Yet, in a life-saving flash, the endangere... more »

North Korea Could Have 100 Nuclear Warheads (And Soon)

David Axe at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*David Axe* *Security, Asia* What can America do? *Key point: *President Trump's denuclearization effort is not going well. By 2020 North Korea could possess as many as 100 nuclear warheads. That's the startling conclusion of a January 2019 report from RAND, a California think tank with close ties to the U.S. military. "North Korean provocations and threats have created an unstable environment on the Korean Peninsula," RAND's report explains. "North Korea’s ongoing development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles increases the possibility of their use against regional state... more »

"Teach Them..."

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
"Teach them a spider does not spin a web. Spiders spin meaning. Cut one strand and the web holds. Cut many, the web falls. With the web's fall, so too falls the spider. Break the web. Break the spider. So breaks the circle of life." - Frederic M. Perrin

"Shattering the Overton Window"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
*"Shattering the Overton Window"* Aim your rocks at glass houses. by Robert Gore "The Overton window is the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time. It is also known as the window of discourse. The term is named after Joseph P. Overton, who stated that an idea’s political viability depends mainly on whether it falls within this range, rather than on politicians’ individual preferences. According to Overton, the window frames the range of policies that a politician can recommend without appearing too extreme to gain or keep public offic... more »

Happy New Year 2020

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 13 hours ago
*Wishing all a very Happy New Year 2020.* *My very best wishes to all,* *Mike* *Note: This will be my last post of 2019. I wish to thank all the regular visitors to my blog as well as those who drop by for a visit from time to time as well as those who have just discovered it. Many thanks for stopping by to visit, reading my posts and commenting. Next year will be my tenth year of blogging. I hope to release more of my insights, poems, quotations, discourses, guest posts and other things of interest to myself and others. I truly wish that you have taken some comfor... more »

Thought for Today

Hardnox at 'Nox & Friends - 13 hours ago
Sent in by BigBurly and we thank him.

Piers Morgan: “Liberals have Become Unbearable”

Hardnox at 'Nox & Friends - 13 hours ago
Sent in by Laurie and we thank her. Surprisingly, Morgan, a self-proclaimed liberal, has had an epiphany. Mind you, he was part and parcel of the media that fostered this Leftist idiocy. To his credit, he has seen the error of his ways and is vocal about it. I don’t care for his use of “populism” as if its a dirty word. People are proud of their countries and have experienced huge changes to their detriment and are fed up with it. They want Lefty policies to end and are finally voting to correct it. It’s Conservatism that is winning. … Continue reading →

Cops Give DUIs to People Not Even Driving a Car, Including People Using Uber

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 13 hours ago
[image: DUI, DUIs]Even if you call an Uber to pick you up after you've been drinking, and NOT driving, police will reportedly still arrest you for DUI if they so choose.

Judge Acquits Cop Despite Horrifying Video of Him Trying to Beat Handcuffed 16yo Boy to Death

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 13 hours ago
[image: handcuffed]A West Virginia cop was headed to trial after horrifying video captured him savagely beating a tiny 16-year-old handcuffed but a judge just made sure that wouldn't happen.

"Is It A Wolf, Coyote, Dog, or Coywolf?"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
*"Is It A Wolf, Coyote, Dog, or Coywolf?"* Coywolves are Taking Over Eastern North America by Marissa Fessenden "People living in Eastern Canada and U.S. are probably familiar with the smart, adaptable wild canine that lives in their forests, neighborhood parks and even cities. What they may not know is that eastern coyotes aren’t true coyotes at all. They might better be known as hybrids, or coywolves. Coywolves only emerged over the last century or so and have since spread successfully over much of eastern North America, reports Zachary Davies Boren for The Independent. As defore... more »

"The Trick..."

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
"The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same." - Carlos Castaneda

Somali Suicide Truck Bomb Attack In Mogadishu Kills 90

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*Daily Mail:* *Suicide bomber kills more than 90 people including foreigners in attack on checkpoint in Mogadishu* * WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT * A 'devastating' blast ripped through a security checkpoint close to a taxation office in Mogadishu today * Mogadishu Mayor said at least 90 civilians, including students and two Turkish nationals, had been injured * The founder of a Mogadishu ambulance service counted the death toll at 76 and said it was likely to rise * In early December militants sparked a seven-hour gunfight when they stormed an upmarket hotel in the city An explosi... more »

Climate Tricks 90, Forecast in 2004 of apocalypse by 2020

Bienvenido Oplas Jr at Government and Taxes - 14 hours ago
February 2004, climate alarmism at the Pentagon painted catastrophe by year 2020, that's next week, wow. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2004/feb/22/usnews.theobserver Remember also in June 1989 or 30 1/2 years ago, that the US Pentagon has declared warming catastrophe by 2000 or 19 years ago. https://www.apnews.com/bd45c372caf118ec99964ea547880cd0? No catastrophe, no cry baby, life goes on. Many governments and the UN remain hopelessly dishonest and invent all types of alarmism whether there is less rain or more rain, less snow or more snow, less storms and more storms. Sha... more »

Weekend reads: How to be a statistical detective; a $5.5 million settlement over hidden grants; 15 studies that challenged medical dogma

Ivan Oransky at Retraction Watch - 14 hours ago
Before we present this week’s Weekend Reads — the last of 2019! — 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 what happened … Continue reading Weekend reads: How to be a statistical detective; a $5.5 million settlement over hidden grants; 15 studies that challenged medical dogma

NSW volunteer firefighters will get up to $6,000 compensation, PM says

Jade Macmillan at Just In - 14 hours ago
The Federal Government payment will be available to NSW Rural Fire Service volunteers who are self-employed or working for small or medium-sized businesses and who have been called out for more than 10 days this fire season.

Duterte Plays Hard Ball vs Local Oligarchs and US Deep State

Geopolitics101 at Covert Geopolitics - 14 hours ago
There is a component of the Western Deep State in every corner of the world, just like there’s a US military base in most of them. In Philippines’ case, it has them all, i.e. military bases in spite of the non-extension of the 1947 Military Bases Agreement in 1991, oligarchy controlling what were once government … Continue reading Duterte Plays Hard Ball vs Local Oligarchs and US Deep State →

IF YOUR IMUS OBITUARY SUGGESTS THAT HE STEPPED OVER THE LINE ONLY ONCE, YOU GOT IT WRONG

Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog - 14 hours ago
I'm back. Thank you again, Yastreblyansky, Tom, and Crank, for very smart blogging while I was away. I returned to obituaries of a man who's been the subject of many posts here over the years. If you're going to write an obituary of Don Imus, do a better job than AP did: Disc jockey Don Imus, whose career was made and then undone by his acid tongue during a decades-long rise to radio stardom and an abrupt public plunge after a nationally broadcast racial slur, has died. He was 79.... Imus survived drug and alcohol woes, a raunchy appearance before President Clinton and several fir... more »

"Fukushima Update 12/28/19: 20,775.45 Hiroshima Bombs Today, More Tomorrow"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
*"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”* - Shiva ◆ *Updated Dec. 28, 2019: Fukushima Equals 20,775.45 Hiroshima Bombs Today, More Tomorrow; There is No Place On Earth to Escape the Rad: *The 3 melted-through cores of the destroyed reactors, now melted together into a single "corium" totaling over *600 tons*, at Fukushima *daily* release the radioactive equivalent of 6.45 Hiroshima bombs directly into the atmosphere and the Pacific Ocean. As of Dec. 28, 2019 - 3,221 days since the disaster began - this equals the detonation of *20,775.45 *Hiroshima atomic bombs and it is s... more »

Will The CIA Hand Over Former Director John Brennan’s Communications To The US Justice Department?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
U.S. President Donald Trump stands with the new CIA Director Gina Haspel during her swearing-in ceremony at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Virginia, U.S. May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque *Politico: **Intel probe puts CIA’s Haspel in a bind* The review led by U.S. Attorney John Durham is making life uncomfortable for America’s cautious spy chief. The prosecutor appointed by Attorney General Bill Barr to examine the origins of the Russia investigation is focusing much of his attention on the CIA, placing the agency’s director, Gina Haspel, at the... more »

Naval Expert Who Served on a Battleship Told Us Why They Can't Make a Comeback

James Holmes at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*James Holmes* *Security, * From a sailor who served on one. *Key point: *A youthful fleet will provide fewer opportunities to acculturate through vintage ships. What was it like serving in USS *Wisconsin*, the *Iowa*-class battleship that now adorns the Norfolk, Virginia riverside as a maritime museum? Well, it was life-changing for this junior officer in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I will never forget cruising across the Singing River in Pascagoula, Mississippi in my fire-engine red Honda CRX, and seeing the familiar shape of a battleship’s bow—familiar from old *Victory a... more »

The AR-500 Might Just Be the Most Powerful Rifle on the Planet

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, Americas* It's not even close. *Key point:* Unlike the ubiquitous AR-15, recoil, weight and cost per round will limit the weapon’s popularity. The endless adaptive nature of the AR-15 rifle platform has made it one of the most modifiable weapons in history. From buttstocks to barrels, the rifle can be customized in a variety of ways to improve power, functionality and appearance. One major innovation in the field of power is the AR-500. The AR-500 fires a modified .500 Smith & Wesson bullet, the .500 Auto Max, resulting in a rifle that manufacturer Bi... more »

Nazi Germany Didn't Create the 'Blitzkrieg'

Michael Peck at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Michael Peck* *Security, Europe* Plan 1919 would have amassed an astonishing 5,000 tanks for a sledgehammer assault to crush the German army on the Western Front of World War I. *Key point: *The great irony, of course, is that Plan 1919 did see the light of day. Except that it was the Germans who implemented it. Blitzkrieg is usually thought of as a German invention in World War II. But had Imperial Germany not been defeated in November 1918, the first victims of mechanized warfare might have been the Germans themselves in World War I. Plan 1919 would have amassed an astonishing... more »

Another Nation Almost Built A Mach 3 'SR-71 Spy Plane' (Not Russia)

Michael Peck at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Michael Peck* *Security, Europe* Whether Britain should have completed its machine, and would it have been worth the cost, is an argument that most likely will never be settled. *Key point: *The Avro 730 had much in common with the American Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and predated it by a year or two. Had history turned out differently, the first Mach 3 spy plane of the Cold War might have been British rather than American. The U.S. Air Force first deployed the legendary SR-71 Blackbird in January 1966. Yet Britain had plans for a high-altitude, supersonic reconnaissance aircraft ... more »

Supersonic Waste: The Story of the F-103 Mach 3 Ramjet Fighter

Michael Peck at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Michael Peck* *Security, * Good thing it didn't happen. *Key point: *Had the U.S. Air Force actually fielded an F-103, it would probably have been a supersonic waste. Before the advent of ICBMs in the 1950s, the horsemen of the nuclear apocalypse would have trampled Washington and Moscow in the form of high-altitude bombers. Existing U.S. fighters such as the F-86 Sabre were seen as too slow to meet this threat. So in 1949, the U.S. Air Force put out a request for a high-altitude supersonic interceptor that could intercept and destroy high-flying Soviet nuclear bombers before ... more »

5 Places World War III Could Start in 2020

Robert Farley at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Robert Farley* *Security, World* Korea, the Middle East and much more. As the United States enters an election year, prospects for global stability remain uncertain. President Trump’s foreign policy stood at odds with those of his predecessor, and will likely a central point of contestation in the election. At this point, several crises might emerge that would not only turn the election, but potentially bring about a wider global conflict. Here are the five most likely flashpoints for world war in 2020 (See my World War III lists from back in 2017, 2018 and 2019). None are ... more »

Our Work Is Cut Out for Us

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 14 hours ago
In the wake of the last election, Canadians feel more divided than unified. So, in the new year, national unity will be a theme we're going to hear a lot about. Susan Delacourt writes that, traditionally, there are three threads which bind Canadians together -- symbols, values and policies: Of the three, values are the most knotted thread. Take, for instance, this idea that Canada is a country open to newcomers. Quebec’s new secularism law, banning outward displays of religion in public places, is a case in point. While Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada didn’t do all that ... more »

BWorld 398, Culion in Christmas

Bienvenido Oplas Jr at Government and Taxes - 14 hours ago
* My column in BusinessWorld last December 26, 2019. Imagine these four cases of emotional hardships and social stigma in one island in the Philippines in the late 1930s. One, an unwed mother who got pregnant — she wished that the life in her tummy be aborted, or that she would get a miscarriage, but the baby was born safely. Motherly love takes over but she cannot touch her daughter until it is a toddler, though she can see the child daily. Then the child is brought to Manila to live a “normal life” without her permission and she can only scream and cry in deep sadness. Two, a si... more »

Saturday snippet - deterring a thief in Haiti

Peter at Bayou Renaissance Man - 14 hours ago
Max Hardberger has written several books inspired by his time at sea, first as a marine captain, and later as a well-known recovery expert, "stealing back" ships and other big-capital items that had been stolen from their owners. In his book "Freighter Captain" (officially a novel, but which is obviously and unashamedly highly autobiographical), he describes several months in command of an old, ramshackle tramp steamer trading between the USA and Haiti. Theft was a perennial problem in Haiti, with light-fingered visitors coming aboard in the dead of night from canoes or small b... more »

Sage Advice - A Sufi Proverb

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 14 hours ago
*Truth*

Look To The Stars - A Quotation by M.N. Hopkins

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 14 hours ago
*To read more of my quotations, please click on the link below:* *Quotations by M.N. Hopkins* *or visit:* *Pinterest*

Germany And The Great Economic Depression (I)

Vladislav B. SOTIROVIĆ at OrientalReview.org - 15 hours ago
The article deals with the Great Economic Depression of 1929-1933 and its negative consequences on the economy of the German Weimar Republic. The aim of the article is to present the main causes and consequences of the global economic and financial crises known as the Great Economic Depression and to […]

Warsaw summoned Russian ambassador

Serban V.C. Enache at The Duran - 15 hours ago
The Polish minister for Foreign Affairs issued an emergency summons to the Russian ambassador on Friday to firmly protest the “historical insinuations” made by Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he accused Poland of having established an agreement with Hitler prior to the war’s start, and that the country acted in an anti-semitic fashion during […] More The post Warsaw summoned Russian ambassador appeared first on The Duran.

Untitled

Jenna Orkin at From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog - 15 hours ago
From Jenna Orkin China’s electrifying idea to stop African swine fever: a high-voltage pigsty With 67% of the Vote, California Young Democrats Endorse Bernie Sanders for President Cattle have stopped breeding, koalas die of thirst: A vet's hellish diary of climate change19,200 gallons of liquid from San Onofre being released into ocean in routine process Chinese company approved to run water mining operation in drought-stricken Queensland Information teleported between two computer chips for the first time TECH NEWS Facebook says a pro-Trump media outlet used artificial intelligence... more »

Charles Moore v Nick Robinson ('Today', 28 December: Transcript)

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 15 hours ago
*Nick Robinson*: Now, your focus of this guest editorship, in many ways, seems to have been things you think the BBC either doesn't cover properly or doesn't cover at all because of what you described earlier in a conversation of the BBC acting as a sort of nationaliser of the culture? *Charles Moore*: Yes. When I came into the building this morning, you have a statue of George Orwell just outside, and he speaks about the importance of the liberty to tell people what they don't want to hear, and I feel that the BBC doesn't want to hear a lot of things which the wider population keep... more »

Sunni Islamists butcher at least 90 in Somalia after a brutal car bomb explodes

Lee Jay at Modern Tokyo Times - 15 hours ago
Sunni Islamists butcher at least 90 in Somalia after a brutal car bomb explodes Boutros Hussein and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Ordinary people were preparing for work during the rush hour period in the morning when Sunni Islamists decided to slaughter innocents in Somalia. It is known that at least 90 people perished […]

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