Tuesday, February 11, 2020

11 February - Blogs I'm Following - 3 of 5

10 pm MST

Does ‘Gravitational Pull’ Allow Brooms to Stand on End on Certain Days?

David Mikkelson at Snopes.com - 11 hours ago
Whether it's an egg or a #broomtrick, the real explanation is far less exciting.

Feds Back Away from Roger Stone Sentencing Proposal

AP News at Snopes.com - 11 hours ago
President Trump tweeted that it was “a very horrible and unfair situation” after the the Justice Department recommended Roger Stone get seven to nine years in prison.

US Space Force General: A Second Russian Satellite Is Now Shadowing A U.S. Spy Satellite

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
FILE: Gen. John "Jay" Raymond, the commander of Air Force Space Command and the Joint Force Space Component Command. (Clayton Wear/Air Force) *Time:* *Exclusive: Strange Russian Spacecraft Shadowing U.S. Spy Satellite, General Says* A pair of Russian satellites are tailing a multibillion-dollar U.S. spy satellite hundreds of miles above the Earth’s surface, a top U.S. military commander tells TIME, underscoring a growing threat to America’s dominance in space-based espionage and a potentially costly new chapter in Washington’s decades-long competition with Moscow. Gen. John “Jay” ... more »

Women in Arab countries find themselves torn between opportunity and tradition

Alainna Liloia, Ph.D. Student, University of Arizona at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 11 hours ago
In countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain, it's now official policy that women should go to college and work outside the home. But cultural pressure to marry and have kids remains strong.

Hundreds of county jails detained immigrants for ICE

Ian Peacock, Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 11 hours ago
Between 1983 and 2013, the number of immigrants detained in rural county jails has increased.

'Stolen' elections open wounds that may never heal

Sarah Burns, Associate Professor of Political Science, Rochester Institute of Technology at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 11 hours ago
When the electoral process was helped along by practices that either were or appeared to be underhanded, the resulting wounds took a long time to heal – and may not ever have healed.

The opioid crisis is a big issue in New Hampshire – 5 questions answered on what voters want the candidates to do

Amanda Latimore, Assistant Scientist, Johns Hopkins University at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 11 hours ago
In 2016, drug misuse was cited as the top concern among New Hampshire voters. What remedies are the Democratic primary contenders putting forward to combat the opioid crisis?

Baghdad carpeted in white – Only its second snowfall in a century

Robert at Ice Age Now - 11 hours ago
“Ultra-rare snowfall carpets Baghdad … Iraqis young and old said it was the first time they had ever seen snow falling in Baghdad.” The last recorded snowfall in the city was in 2008, but it was quick and mostly slushy. Prior to that, it had been a century since Baghdad saw any flakes. Snow also ... Read more Baghdad carpeted in white – Only its second snowfall in a century The post Baghdad carpeted in white – Only its second snowfall in a century appeared first on Ice Age Now.

Hollywood Goes Full Blacklist and Fails to Grasp the Irony

Larry C. Johnson at 11 hours ago
[image: undefined] In the wake of the latest Hollywood buffoonery displayed at the Oscars, I think it is time for the American public to denounce in the strongest possible terms the rampant hypocrisy of sanctimonious cretins who make their living pretending to be someone other than themselves. Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix and Barbara Streisand pop to mind as representative examples. All three are eager to lecture the American public on the need for equality and non-discrimination. Yet, not one of the recipients of the Oscar gift bags worth $225,000 spoke out against that extraordinary... more »

US Lies and Deaths in Afghanistan

Jacob G. Hornberger at 11 hours ago
[image: undefined] Last December the Washington Post published secret Pentagon documents showing the official lies that have undergirded the US war on Afghanistan for the past 18 years. The opening paragraph of the article puts the matter bluntly: “A confidential trove of government documents obtained by The Washington Post reveals that senior US officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign, making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable.” I can’t help but wonder whet... more »

Remorse and the College Admission Scandal’s Stiffest Penalty To Date

Emil Guillermo at Diverse - 11 hours ago
Douglas Hodge, is the former CEO of Pimco, a company you might know about if you pay attention to your workplace retirement funds. PIMCO is one of the cornerstone investments on the bond side, in other words, the safety play. You make your risky bets on the equity mutual funds. Bonds are like the sure thing. So of course you’d figure to see a guy like Hodge caught in the college admissions scandal.

New National Counterintelligence Strategy Outlines Biggest Threats To The US

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center William Evanina speaks during the Reuters Cybersecurity Summit in Washington, Oct. 31, 2017. *Daily Mail:* *Hacktivists and anti-secrecy groups like Anonymous and WikiLeaks 'pose as big a threat to the US as traditional espionage from ISIS, Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah', government report reveals* * The National Counterintelligence Strategy outlines biggest threats to the US * Previous editions of the report singled out Russia, China, Iran and North Korea * This year's report lists ideologically motivated entities ... more »

In 2015 Audio, Bloomberg Advocates Targeting Minorities

AP News at Snopes.com - 11 hours ago
Billionaire and former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg made the comments as part of an overall defense of his support for the controversial “stop and frisk” policing tactic.

More US Firms Are Boosting Faith-Based Support for Employees

AP News at Snopes.com - 11 hours ago
More than 20% of the Fortune 100 have established faith-based employee resource groups, and there’s a high-powered conference taking place this week in Washington aimed at expanding those ranks.

Oil From Federal Lands Tops 1B Barrels as Trump Eases Rules

AP News at Snopes.com - 11 hours ago
Oil production from U.S.- managed lands and waters topped a record 1 billion barrels last year, as technological advances helped drive development in new areas and the Trump administration eases rules on the industry..

THE RATIONAL ANIMAL'S FICTIONS: Professor Matteson's peculiar remark!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 11 hours ago
*TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020 #Punditrysopeculiar:* "De gustibus non est disputandum!" We believe Abraham Lincoln said that. We thought of Lincoln's famous remark on Monday evening, January 6, 2020. Shortly after 10 PM Eastern, Rachel was performing her "throw" to Lawrence. Candidate Castro had dropped out of the White House race, and he'd now endorsed Candidate Warren. As the pair of cable friends chatted, Lawrence offered explosive remarks, with Rachel voicing agreement: LAWRENCE (1/6/20): The one thing I was not surprised by was this particular endorsement, because knowing that... more »

Iran’s IRGC accuses US of covering up losses in Iraq

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
Washington is intentionally hiding the fact that US troops died during Iran’s attack on its military in Iraq, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman Ramezan Sharif said on Tuesday. “The word dead in the US lexicon has been changed with traumatic brain injury and they conceal their damages and tolls of our attack against Ein […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Syrian Army strikes Turkish troops again as they score new advance

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:20 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has reportedly struck the Turkish military again this week while responding to heavy artillery from the militants entrenched with the latter. READ ALSO: Turkey Vows to Respond With Force After Syrian Army Captures Saraqib According to the latest report from Idlib, the Syrian Arab Army […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Syrian Army, Turkish military trade strikes in Idlib: video

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:30 P.M.) – The Turkish-backed militants and the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) continued to battle over the area surrounding Saraqib on Monday. READ ALSO: Russian Su-35 allegedly intercepts Turkish F-16 in northern Syria – Sohu The town was recently recaptured by government forces after over seven years in militant hands. On the ground, […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Jihadist counter-offensive in Idlib is stopped dead in its tracks by the Syrian Army

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:30 P.M.) – The jihadist advance towards the strategic city of Saraqib was stifled by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) this afternoon, following a fierce battle at the town of Nayrab. READ ALSO: Syrian Army Captures 2 Towns in Eastern Idlib Despite Reports of Jihadist Counter-Offensive In typical fashion, Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Syrian gov’t will ‘pay a heavy price’ for killing Turkish soldiers in Idlib: Erdogan

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 11 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:40 P.M.) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a press conference on Tuesday that the Syrian government will “pay a heavy price” for its attack on Turkish soldiers in Idlib. READ ALSO: Video Footage of Syrian Army Capturing New Points Along Aleppo-Damascus Highway On the attack against the Turkish soldiers, Erdogan […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Pentagon Admit: Now 109 US Troops Suffered ‘Brain Injuries’ in Iran Missile Strike

21wire at 21st Century Wire - 11 hours ago
*21WIRE* | From the beginning of its standoff with Iran, every public claim the U.S. had made has turned out to be false.

Paula Jean Swearengin-- A Coal Miner’s Daughter, Granddaughter, Niece And Stepdaughter

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
West Virginia was the ultimate blue state starting with FDR's first election in 1932. Two years earlier, the Democratic Party won the state House and held it, uninterrupted from 1930 to 2012. The state's voters even went for Adlai Stevenson against Eisenhower in 1952, for Hubert Humphrey against Nixon in 1968, for Jimmy Carter against Reagan in 1980 and for Michael Dukakis against George H.W. Bush in 1988. The last time a Democratic president candidate won in West Virginia, though was in when Bill Clinton beat Bob Dole in 1996. The state suddenly turned so red after that that Hill... more »

Are the liberal internationalists wrong? On “being nice” and US foreign policy

Peter Henne at Duck of Minerva - 12 hours ago
I got an alert from the Foreign Policy app on my phone the other day: Tunisia had fired its UN ambassador after he opposed Trump’s Israel-Palestine “peace plan.” Tunisian foreign policy doesn’t usually make waves, but this caught my attention. It’s a sign that, while Arab states aren’t enthused about this plan, they are unlikely […]

Behind Private Equity's Veneer

Leo Kolivakis at Pension Pulse - 12 hours ago
Amy Whyte of Institutional Investors reports on why co-investment funds are outperforming in private equity: Co-investing is becoming more popular — and with good reason, according to new research from private markets firm Capital Dynamics. *Citing a recent academic study and its own analysis of Preqin data, the multi-manager firm found that co-investment funds have outperformed single-sponsor private equity funds on a net basis over the last two decades.* *For funds launched between 1998 and 2016, 60 percent of co-investment funds delivered a higher net internal rate of return co... more »

Intellectual Property Raises Costs of Living

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb 11 (IPS) - Many medicines and medical tests are unaffordable to most of humanity owing to the ability of typically transnational pharmaceutical giants to abuse their monopoly powers, enforced by intellectual property laws, to set prices to maximize profits over the long-term. Read the full story, “Intellectual Property Raises Costs of Living”, on globalissues.org →

‘Call a Crackhead’? Georgia Cop Busted for Possession of Meth

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 12 hours ago
[image: crackhead]What happens when the oft-used police slogan of "if you don't like the police? Call a crackhead," actually ends up backfiring? It just did.

Instead of Calling 911, State Rep, Police Chief Covered Up Friend’s Hit and Run as Victim Died in a Ditch

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 12 hours ago
[image: calling]Instead of calling EMS, a Police Chief and State Congressman conspired to cover for their friend who just plowed down a man on a bicycle.

A few thoughts on a rainy Tuesday

Keith at musingsofanoldfart - 12 hours ago
It seems like we cannot escape the rain, but at least it is better than ice and snow. Take care and drive safely. Here are a couple of thoughts on this rainy Tuesday. In the first Harry Potter movie, one … Continue reading →

Portuguese Ship Re-enacting First World Round Trip in History Will Sail Through Rio

Xiu Ying at The Rio Times - 12 hours ago
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The Sagres school-ship, the main cadet training vessel of the Portuguese Navy, is coming to Rio de Janeiro. The vessel, which will be sailing through the city from February 10th to 15th, is replicating the odyssey of the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, who made the world's first circumnavigation trip, which […] The post Portuguese Ship Re-enacting First World Round Trip in History Will Sail Through Rio appeared first on The Rio Times.

Hypocrisy's Hopeful Oath

Alfred Lehmberg at alienviews - 12 hours ago
Hypocrisy's Hopeful Oath by Alfred Lehmberg I can *understand *the very real need for "something like" *culture**... *...something "along the lines" of *religion*. For *Framework *hopefully constructive. For *Edifice *perhaps efficacious. For *Consistency *possibly satisfying. For *Prediction *ideally satisfactory... For a *Security*, reader, preferably built upon that strength *not* provoking a resultant aggregate weakness in society... I also understand the need to keep the *latter* out of the State's business and that there is individual peril to be presumed considering the *f... more »

AG Barr Confirms: DOJ Looking at Giuliani’s Ukraine Info

Luis Miguel at rss - 12 hours ago
[image: ag-barr-confirms-doj-looking-at-giuliani-s-ukraine-info] Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department is in the process of verifying information provided by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani about Ukraine.

Long Before Trump, We Were a Divided People

Patrick J. Buchanan at rss - 12 hours ago
[image: long-before-trump-we-were-a-divided-people] We were divided long before Trump got here, and we will remain so long after he departs.

The Door Is Open for the Crucial Trump-Putin-Xi Summit

adam at LaRouchePAC Feed - 12 hours ago
The huge disparity between President Donald Trump’s view of China and that of his Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, can only remind one of what President Trump said about his former National Security Adviser John Bolton—if he hadn’t fired him, Trump said, we’d be in World War Six by now. Pompeo has been touring Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Ibero-America, ranting that these nations must not allow China’s Belt and Road development projects into their nations—clearly implying that the U.S. will punish them if they do—as the U.S. is threatening sanctions against even our closest a... more »

What If the US Banned Fracking?

Ron Clutz at Science Matters - 12 hours ago
Other posts have addressed the murky science underneath the claim that burning fossil fuels makes the earth warmer, and the alarmist claims that a warmer world is more dangerous than a colder one. This post takes up the issue that even if rising human CO2 emission were causing dangerous warming, what are the likely consequences […]

When civilized methods fail, the law of the jungle takes over

Peter at Bayou Renaissance Man - 12 hours ago
Adam Piggott points out that President Duterte of the Philippines may be a disaster from a modern, liberal, human-rights perspective, but he's very popular among his people *for precisely the same reason*. Duterte has been in office for roughly the same time as Trump has been president, but we can call Duterte the forgotten man. When he first gained power the western press was all over him, how he was a horrible individual who was guilty of “human rights” abuses, blah blah blah, you know the drill. This went on for some time until suddenly it didn’t. From rather a lot of coverage t... more »

RSBN Trump Rally Manchester, NH.

E.M.Smith at Musings from the Chiefio - 12 hours ago
RSBN Live Coverage of the Trump Rally in Manchester New Hampshire Continue reading →

Accords UE-Vietnam : 68 organisations de la société civile appellent à ne pas ratifier ces nouveaux accords de commerce et d'investissement

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
11-Feb-2020 Les organisations européennes soussignées appellent les membres du Parlement européen à ne pas ratifier les accords de libre-échange et d'investissement entre l'Union européenne et le Vietnam.

EU-Vietnam: 68 Civil Society Organisations urge MEPs not to ratify the new trade and investment agreements

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
11-Feb-2020 The undersigned organisations from Europe (1) call on the Members of the European Parliament not to ratify the free trade and investment agreements between the European Union and Vietnam.

Member states ‘in the dark' over Commission's talks with the US

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
11-Feb-2020 A group of EU member states are unhappy about the lack of information from the European Commission on the trade talks with the US and have expressed their “nervousness” about what could be in the deal.

Poulet chloré et bœuf aux hormones : Bientôt au menu des consommateurs européens ?

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
11-Feb-2020 Depuis plusieurs mois Donald Trump se montre offensif sur le terrain des relations commerciales.

Odebrecht ofrece a Perú renunciar a arbitraje CIADI si se retoma Gasoducto

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
11-Feb-2020 Odebrecht ofrece la suspensión del procedimiento de arbitraje si se garantiza el reinicio del proyecto Gasoducto Sur Peruano por otro inversionista privado, sin costos para el Estado.

Vietnam looks to burnish human rights image before EU trade vote

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
11-Feb-2020 The European Commission, which is responsible for negotiating the EU's free trade deals, recognises Vietnam's human rights record as a cause for concern. It stresses, however, that the deal will provide a platform to address such issues.

US-India likely to finalize trade, defence deal during Trump visit

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
11-Feb-2020 After signing a trade deal with China, the US is likely to finalize a trade agreement and a defence deal with India during the visit of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump later this month.

A Bachelor Degree in Science

With the current lack of scientists, many folks would agree that a Bachelor Degree in Science is very much needed. Why? Well, there are lots of reasons. First of all is needed to start a career within this discipline. Imagine how you will feel once you complete your Master’s Degree and you’re still not able to function as engineer or a doctor? It would be catastrophic! bachelorarbeit schreiben lassen legal You stay at home and play with your children. Moreover, a Bachelor Degree in Science can be helpful in any part of life. An opportunity to acquire work in any field is given by th... more »

Tweets For Today

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
Coronavirus could infect SIXTY PER CENT per cent of the global population, top medical official warns https://t.co/DdMnio4SDs — Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) February 11, 2020 Killer coronavirus outbreak poses a 'very grave threat for the rest of the world' https://t.co/bQhZypyzws — Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) February 11, 2020 Syrian rebels shoot down a government helicopter in Idlib province, the last rebel bastion in the country's northwest, where Syrian troops are advancing, killing the two crew members on board in a fiery crash. https://t.co/kwnny4pvJx — The Associat... more »

School Choice Funding Case Heard by SCOTUS may have major outcome for states

Uriel at 'Nox & Friends - 12 hours ago
Little-Known Supreme Court Case May Have Outsize Impact on School Choice Liberty Planet sent out an article today that many parents should have on their scope. The problem was introduced by President Trump during his SOTU when the young girl and her mother were acknowledged. With all of the impeachment frenzy people missed this case, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue quietly was argued before the Justices of the Supreme Court on January 20, 2020. The opinion has yet to be released and may not be out before this current school year ends. However, just like the introduction by... more »

Ice, ice, baby

Joe Bastardi at CFACT - 12 hours ago
This being an election year, the weaponization of climate and weather, and especially arctic sea ice, will reach a fever pitch. The post Ice, ice, baby appeared first on CFACT.

New doc & THIRD whistleblower hit OPCW for throwing dirt at leakers claiming Douma account was fabricated — report

barovsky at The New Dark Age - 12 hours ago
A third whistle-blower has come forward to corroborate the previous complaints that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) tried to suppress evidence-gathering in the Douma probe, a report says.

Israel bans Palestinian exports in cruel and merciless ‘final nail’ policy

barovsky at The New Dark Age - 12 hours ago
It appears that for Israel, that cutting off the supply of clean drinking water is not enough. It is not enough that water-borne diseases are spiking or that health and emergency services are breaking down. It is not enough that fresh food is unavailable because of a lack of refrigeration as electricity is only available for 2-4 hours per day. It is not enough that the United Nations has declared Gaza ‘unliveable.’ Somehow, it is not enough that the 13-year blockade by Israel of Gaza has caused a systemic societal wide collapse to reach that point.

HuffPost UK editor works with gov’t censorship program while smearing anti-war scholars as tools of Russia

barovsky at The New Dark Age - 12 hours ago
The Huffington Post has relied on Western government officials and organizations funded by Western governments to viciously smear anti-war academics as “useful idiots” of Russia, claiming they are being “used” by the Kremlin. Ironically, HuffPost UK has done this while its own editor-in-chief actively collaborates with the British Ministry of Defense in a program that censors journalism on behalf of “UK military and intelligence operations,” in order to protect “national security” interests.

Italy Tries to Kick Out Their Right-Wing Extremist from the ‘Gladiator Cloister’

barovsky at The New Dark Age - 12 hours ago
This author, along with a few others, has been warning for some time that the former Trump’s top advisor had crossed all lines, and began directly interfering in the internal affairs of the European Union, by promoting and amalgamizing dangerous extreme right-wing alliances of all natures; political, philosophical and religious. The monastery was supposed to offer “classes”, which Bannon described as “the kind of underpinnings of the Judeo-Christian West”.

The climate and the fat tail risk

barovsky at The New Dark Age - 12 hours ago
Last month at the gathering of the great but not good, the rich and infamous, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, US Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, formerly a hedge fund manager, was asked whether he agreed that calls by teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg for public and private-sector divestment from fossil fuel companies would threaten US growth. He said it would and Mnuchin jibed: “Is she the chief economist? Who is she, I’m confused… After she goes and studies economics in college she can come back and explain that to us.” Thunberg retorted: “My gap year ends in Aug... more »

Circle of Mamas says "Dear Provaxxers, I Have Some Questions…"

Age of Autism at AGE OF AUTISM - 13 hours ago
Note: This is an excellent blog post from Circle of Mamas. ### Dear Provaxxers, I have some questions. ⁣ ⁣ If vaccines are so amazing, why would mothers go out on a limb to tell their story with nothing to... more »

How Trump’s “Peace” Plan Will Redraw Israel’s Borders to Exclude to Non-Jews

Miko Peled at MintPress News - 13 hours ago
Trump's new Middle East "Peace" Plan will redraw Israeli borders to exclude towns with large populations of Arab citizens, an attempt, writes Miko Peled, to force them down the totem pole to a place where their rights will be even more limited. The post How Trump’s “Peace” Plan Will Redraw Israel’s Borders to Exclude to Non-Jews appeared first on MintPress News.

Democrats spend all their time trying to gain power but can't pass a budget

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 13 hours ago
One of the primary jobs of the House of representatives is to pass a budget for the Federal Government. The Democrats who run the House have announced that they won't have time to do that this year. They did have time to spend 130 days trying to undo the 2016 election so that they could get more power. Clearly Democrat politicians have one and only one objective; to get more power over you. They don't care about you only about themselves.

Another nail in globalist coffin? Sinn Fein scores big win in Ireland (Video)

Alex Christoforou at The Duran - 13 hours ago
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 465. More The post Another nail in globalist coffin? Sinn Fein scores big win in Ireland (Video) appeared first on The Duran.

Irish election result is a victory for Nationalism

InfoBrics at The Duran - 13 hours ago
The win of Sinn Fein brings us one step closer to Irish reunification... More The post Irish election result is a victory for Nationalism appeared first on The Duran.

"Simplicity is the Remedy for Our Personal, Social and Ecological Maladies"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
*"Simplicity is the Remedy for Our Personal,* * Social and Ecological Maladies"* by Sofo Archon "The German-British economist E. F. Schumacher said that any fool can make things complicated, but it requires a genius to make things simple. Is humanity, then, totally foolish? Think of how complicated we’ve made our lives. For example, most of us spend half of our waking time working hard doing things we don’t enjoy, just so that we can make enough money, and when we have some free time in our hands, we spend both our money and time shopping, buying products we don’t really need, many... more »

'It's very unfair': The trapped Aussies who missed the evacuation flights out of Wuhan

Bang Xiao And Neelima Choahan at Just In - 13 hours ago
Several Australian families are still stranded in Wuhan, but the Government has told them there are no plans for any more evacuation flights out of the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

Trudeau runs Gestapo that secretly bullies, go after the neck of opposition

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 13 hours ago
Peter F. sent me a totally shocking video with 470,000 views (and 99% upvotes) that was published by Rebel News Network, the main Canadian right-wing TV platform, on January 29th: HIDDEN CAMERA: Police interrogated me about my Justin Trudeau book. They didn’t know I videotaped it Ezra Levant published a book on Trudeau's corruption during the October 2019 elections in which Trudeau got 40%. The book made it to #2 at Amazon. He was summoned to the capital, Ottawa, because of some complaint related to the book. The 26-minute-long video shows that the cops, apparently highly paid cops ... more »

Musical Interlude: Paul Barton, "Beethoven 'Moonlight Sonata' for Old Elephant"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
*Paul Barton, "Beethoven 'Moonlight Sonata' for Old Elephant"* "Mongkol is a 61-year-old former logging elephant. His captive-held life was spent hauling trees in the Thai forest. His body shape is deformed through hard labor, he lost his right eye and tusk in this brutal logging practice. Mongkol was rescued and brought to Elephants World to spend the rest of his days relaxing peacefully in freedom by the River Kwai. I discovered Mongkol is an extremely gentle, sensitive elephant who enjoys music, especially this slow movement by Beethoven which I play to him occasionally in the da... more »

Guilty Plea to Federal Charges in Black Church Burnings

AP News at Snopes.com - 13 hours ago
The aspiring ‘black metal’ musician who was arrested in a series of fires set at African American churches in Louisiana last spring pleaded guilty to federal and state criminal charges.

US Says Chinese Military Stole Masses of Americans’ Data

AP News at Snopes.com - 13 hours ago
Four members of the Chinese military have been charged with breaking into the computer networks of the Equifax credit reporting agency and stealing the personal information of tens of millions of Americans.

Nearly 200 Evacuees to Leave Coronavirus Quarantine in US

AP News at Snopes.com - 13 hours ago
Nearly 200 evacuees prepared to end their two-week quarantine at a Southern California military base where they have been living since flying out of China during a deadly viral outbreak.

On The Subjectivity Of Culture

Unknown at The Verma Report - 13 hours ago
A nation’s culture consists of those elements from its past which explain its future. But this implies that the element of subjectivity is intrinsic to the idea of culture. By focusing on the negative or the positive elements in a nation’s past one can develop all kinds of models of its culture and explanations for its future. As culture has implications for a nation’s future, it’s natural that the intellectuals and the politicians would want to weaponize it. In most democracies, the contest between the two models of culture—positive and negative—determines the nature of politics.

The Unserious Lust For Originality

Unknown at The Verma Report - 13 hours ago
The unserious man searches for ways of demonstrating that he is an original thinker, but his work is trite, full of falsehoods, and uninspiring; the serious man never seeks to broadcast his originality, but his work inspires because of its imaginativeness, clarity, and passionate pursuit of truth.

The Legal Limits on Trump’s Reprisals Against Impeachment Witnesses

sanderson at Lawfare - 13 hours ago
Jennifer Williams (left), an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (right) are sworn in before testifying in the impeachment inquiry. (CSPAN) This past Friday, Feb. 7, just days after his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial, President Trump launched what some fear may become a campaign of reprisal against those federal employees who testified against him in the House’s impeachment proceedings. Late in the afternoon, the White House ended the National Security Council (NSC) details of impeachment witness Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and his brother L... more »

WATCH: Cop Suspended for Choking Child, Lifting Him Off the Ground BY HIS NECK

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 13 hours ago
[image: school]An school cop was immediately suspended this week after video showed him choking a child so hard, he lifted him off the ground.

Duterte Scraps Visiting Forces Agreement with U.S. in spite of Trump Trying to Save it

Geopolitics101 at Covert Geopolitics - 13 hours ago
True to his word and to his own government’s independent foreign policy, the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has reiterated one more time that he will move for the scrapping of the grossly one-sided Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States, in spite of the desire from the Donald Trump administration to save it. Despite Trump’s … Continue reading Duterte Scraps Visiting Forces Agreement with U.S. in spite of Trump Trying to Save it →

Eckhart Tolle, “Forgive Your Enemies Joke”

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
Eckhart Tolle, “Forgive Your Enemies Joke”

Trump goes after Democrats who want to protect criminal illegal aliens

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 13 hours ago
What the #FakeNews media and Democrats are desperate to hide from you is that sanctuary cities/states/laws only protect illegal aliens who commit crimes in the US.b If an illegal alien sneaks into the US but is never arrested for another crime they aren't protected by the sanctuary movement. That's because what the sanctuaries do is refuse to tell ICE when they're about to release an illegal alien that's in jail for some crime like DUI or assault. But if an illegal alien never commits new non-immigration related crimes in the US they won't be in jail. The real question is why Demo... more »

The Mideast’s Place In Russia’s Greater Eurasian Partnership

Andrew KORYBKO at OrientalReview.org - 13 hours ago
Russia’s Greater Eurasian Partnership envisages the supercontinent peacefully coming together in the shared interests of peace, stability, and development, brought about by Moscow’s “balancing” strategy in recent years which was first practiced in the Mideast region, one of the most important areas of the world for the success of this […]

D-Day For Arctic Alarmists

tonyheller at Real Climate Science - 14 hours ago
Arctic sea ice extent is “normal,” growing quickly and higher than the 2001-2010 average. Extent is third highest in the past 15 years. Charctic Interactive Sea Ice Graph | Arctic Sea Ice News and Analysis

Is the province fixing what isn’t broken in plan to consolidate cancer care?

Erica Butler at Halifax Examiner - 14 hours ago
News 1. Underreporting leads to a lack of honest discussion about suicide “Each day at least 10 people die of suicide in Canada,” writes Evelyn White in the Halifax Examiner, “leaving behind seven to 10 so-called “suicide survivors.” And yet, the shame and stigma surrounding the taking of one’s own life has led to a […]

Underreporting leads to a lack of honest discussion about suicide

Evelyn C. White at Halifax Examiner - 14 hours ago
Each day at least 10 people die of suicide in Canada, leaving behind seven to 10 so-called “suicide survivors.” And yet, the shame and stigma surrounding the taking of one’s own life has led to a troubling (and decidedly counterproductive) underreporting and lack of honest discussion about the problem. It’s a safe bet that many […]

Yet More Finance Profiteering: Green Bonds

Yves Smith at naked capitalism - 14 hours ago
Count on Wall Street to find a profit angle in actual or pending disaster. Green bonds are becoming a hot idea.

"What Was Important..."

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
"Ruthlessness, charm, focus, mental toughness, fearlessness, mindfulness (living in the moment), and action. Who wouldn't, at certain points in their lives, benefit from kicking one or two of them up a notch? What was important was being able to turn them back down." - Kevin Dutton

"Here We Are..."

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
"Here we are, trapped in the amber of the moment. There is no why." - Kurt Vonnegut

"China's Fatal Dilemma"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
*"China's Fatal Dilemma"* by Charles Hugh Smith "China faces an inescapably fatal dilemma: to save its economy from collapse, China's leadership must end the quarantines soon and declare China "safe for travel and open for business" to the rest of the world. But since 5+ million people left Wuhan to go home for New Years, dispersing throughout China, the virus has likely spread to small cities, towns and remote villages with few if any coronavirus test kits and few medical facilities to administer the tests multiple times to confirm the diagnosis. (It can take multiple tests to con... more »

Republican Susan Collins is getting death threats for voting to acquit Trump

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 14 hours ago
Collins, her family, and her staff have received threatening phone calls after she voted to support the truth and acquit Trump. Whenever some loon threatens a Democrat like that it generates a huge amount of coverage about how evil all conservatives and Republicans are. When it's a Republican who's threatened however it seems to go unnoticed. While the #FakeNewsmedia constantly tries to portray Republican's as violent it's the Democrats who are the party of hate and violence today just as they've always been. Founding the KKK and fighting the Civil War to keep slavery legal are de... more »

Trump AG Barr’s Troubling Record: Recommended Iran-Contra Pardons; Blocked BCCI Indictment; Refused To Appoint Special Counsel For Iraqgate; Shared Memo On Obstruction With Trump Lawyers

miningawareness at Mining Awareness + - 14 hours ago
Originally posted on Mining Awareness + : “Mr. Barr’s record presents a troubling parallel for the situation presented in the Mueller investigation. As…

The Best That Money Can Buy

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 14 hours ago
Mike Bloomberg may be able to buy the presidency. And, Robert Reich writes, that possibility should really bother Americans: Bloomberg has a chance of winning the presidency because his net worth is more than $60bn. The yearly return on $60bn is at least $2bn – which is what Bloomberg says he’ll pour into buying the highest office in the land. It’s hardly a sacrifice for him, but it’s a huge sacrifice for American democracy. Encouraged by the murky outcome from the Iowa caucuses and the notable lack of enthusiasm for Joe Biden, Bloomberg has decided to double his spending on TV c... more »

Editor's Note

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
Darn! Stuck in meetings this morning. Blogging will return in the next hour or two.

Untitled

Jenna Orkin at From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog - 14 hours ago
From Jenna Orkin A rural Kansas county enacted a law that sends people to jail if they fail to appear in court over unpaid medical bills. Meg Oliver reports. Trump’s New Budget Goes After Social Safety Net Programs In the third week, keeping some of these acute patients alive might require extraordinary intervention. For this group, the death rate seems to be 4 per cent to 5 per cent, Dr Peng said. After working his 12-hour daytime shifts, the doctor spends his evenings researching the disease and has summarised his observations in a thesis. The doctors and nurses at his hospital are ... more »

A Heliophysics Gateway to Deep Space

Paul Gilster at Centauri Dreams - 14 hours ago
Are missions to the Sun particularly relevant to our interstellar ambitions? At the current state of our technology, the answer is yes. Consider Solar Cruiser, which is the planned NASA mission using a solar sail that could maintain non-Keplerian orbits, allowing it to investigate the Sun’s high latitudes. And throw in the European Space Agency-led […]

Idlib's Fake News: Erdogan & Putin Set To Talk. Zone For Refugees Is Likely Outcome

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 14 hours ago
*What is and has been occurring in the general locale of Idlib province Syria requires a near herculean effort to sort out.* *Below is fake news and a fake news headline:* - *Turkish forces 'neutralise' 101 Syrian troops in retaliation * *"Turkish troops “neutralised” 101 Syrian soldiers, Ankara said, in retaliation for the regime killing at least five Turkish soldiers and wounding five more in an attack in Idlib province on Monday" * *There was no information on Syrian troop casualties yesterday and I've still not found any today. If you have some, leave it?* *What was actual... more »

"How It Really Is"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago

Tuesday Morning Links

Unknown at Accidental Deliberations - 14 hours ago
This and that for your Tuesday reading. - Fiona Harvey writes about the perfect storm of environmental crises leaving us at risk of societal collapse. And Tim Flannery calls out the deception and denial from Australia's government after it has contributed to setting its own country ablaze. - Mark Olalde and Ryan Menezes report on California's old and abandoned wells - signalling that the problem of the public being forced to foot the bill for the exploitation of oil resources goes far beyond Alberta. - Steve Lambert notes that Scott Moe's scheme to ship oil through Manitoba has ... more »

Bloomberg tells the truth so he's declared a racist

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 14 hours ago
A recording has appeared of billionaire Mike Bloomberg who bought his way into the Democrat debates telling the truth about big city murders so now he's being labeled a racist. He said: *"Ninety-five percent of murders- murderers and murder victims fit one M.O. You can just take a description, Xerox it, and pass it out to all the cops," he said. "They are male, minorities, 16-25. That's true in New York, that's true in virtually every city (inaudible). And that's where the real crime is. You've got to get the guns out of the hands of people that are getting killed."* He's right. ... more »

OLC on Presidential Power, According to Trump’s Impeachment Defense

cbutash at Lawfare - 14 hours ago
The Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, DC, 2014 (Tony Webster/https://flic.kr/p/nPKivg/CC BY 2.0/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) It’s over. Last week, the Senate officially acquitted President Trump of all charges. While new revelations about Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy likely will emerge over the coming months (like in former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s upcoming book), the legal debate over when impeachment is appropriate will subside until this country is faced with another potential impeachm... more »

"Coronavirus Update AM 2/11/20"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
*"Coronavirus Update 2/11/20"* • FEB 11, 2020 2:21 PM: "CDC Admits Coronavirus Patient Accidentally Released Because Of 'Lab Mix-Up'; Bullard Says Virus Still 'Tail Risk' For Markets" • FEB 11, 2020 8:14 AM: "13th US Virus Case Confirmed In San Diego; China Fires 2 Top Health Officials Over Botched Response" • FEB 11, 2020 6:04 AM: "Hong Kong Coronavirus Expert Warns Outbreak Could Infect "Between 60%-80%" Of Humanity, Causing 51 Million Deaths" • FEB 10, 2020 2:30 PM: "China Death Count Tops 1,000 As Masked President Xi Warns 'Prepare For Long & Grim' Virus Battle" • February 11,... more »

Picture Of The Day

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
Workers operate a vehicle to carry out disinfection in Jianghan district, following an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province, China February 10, 2020. China Daily via REUTERS *WNU Editor:* The above picture is from this photo-gallery .... *Inside Wuhan, epicenter of China's coronavirus outbreak* (Reuters).

Ciara Floods Blamed On Climate Change–Facts Say Otherwise

Paul Homewood at NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT - 14 hours ago
By Paul Homewood https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7990603/Flood-hit-Yorkshire-residents-slam-30m-defences-make-NO-DIFFERENCE.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 Hebden Bridge and other towns in the Calder Valley have been hit by flooding again, and inevitably the finger has been pointed at “climate change” On Look North last night I watched BBC weatherman Paul Hudson reeling off the usual claim that warmer air can hold more moisture, blah blah. According […]

How do Bernie & Buttigieg stand on Israel-Palestine?

contact@ifamericansknew.org at If Americans Knew Blog - 14 hours ago
One supports Palestinian human rights. One says he’d keep the $10 million per day flowing to Israel no matter what it does. Which is which? Spoiler alert: 18 pro-Israel billionaires have donated to Buttigieg… by Kathryn Shihadah and Alison Weir For over 70 years, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been the core issue of the Middle… The post How do Bernie & Buttigieg stand on Israel-Palestine? appeared first on If Americans Knew Blog.

Trump and DeVos Abandon Charter Schools

Peter Greene at CURMUDGUCATION - 15 hours ago
Surprise! Never mind Sanders or Warren. Just like that, the charter supporters have found themselves abandoned by the Trump administration. The Trump budget axes federal support for charter schools, rolling the federal money for charters into a big fat all-purpose block grant, a big chunk of money retrieved from various programs that have been deemed redundant and ineffective. States will now get a big pile of money that they can spend on a loosely defined bunch of Education Stuff. If they want to spend some of that on charter schools, they can. But by combining the various program ... more »

"Economic Market Snapshot AM 2/11/20"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
*2/11/20, Updated frequently as available.* ◆ Gregory Mannarino, AM 2/11/20 “Overnight the FED Pumps Not One, But Two, Capital Injections IntoThe Markets” - https://www.traderschoice.net/ ◆ *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 2/11/20* (updates daily): The Stock Market is Significantly Overvalued. Based on historical ratio of total marke... more »

For Valentine's Day, Generation Z Wants Casual Hookups

The Conversation at Science 2.0 blogs - 15 hours ago
As we lick our Valentine card envelopes and slip into something more comfortable, it’s a good time to ponder our sexual relationships. read more

The Lack Of A Corporate Parent Will Doom Golden Rice, Say Critics

Hank Campbell at Science 2.0 blogs - 15 hours ago
In the early days of the environmental war on agriculture, activists claimed they were not against the science itself, they were anti-*corporate*. They didn't want a company in charge of the food supply. The argument resonated with a lot of people, including university scholars, so when the opportunity to solve the vitamin A deficiency issue in the developing world became available with genetic engineering, it was an independent group of scholars that developed a GMO rice with higher levels of beta-carotene. They made this Golden Rice available for free. read more

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