2:47pm MDST
(U.S Strikes Iraq) Psychopaths Uncloaked, US Corps Drool Over New African Investments, $16B Insufficient Bank Fraud Settlement (Come To Local Market for Jailbird Ringleader!)
I've said it before and I'll say it again. They've all got to go. Why
Airstrikes in Iraq Are a MistakeThis is a slippery slope if those words
have any meaning left. Airstrikes are in part to protect American advisors
sent earlier to Erbil to support Kurds there because Iraqi central
government won’t. The U.S. is assuming the role of the de facto Iraqi Air
Force. What happens next week,
Cops Execute Yet Another Dog in Front of Owner
One of the more disturbing elements of the rise of the locked and loaded
American police state is the ongoing killing of pets in front of their
owners. With the militarizing of law enforcement and the impunity with
which police now are allowed to operate, the death toll of dogs continues
to mount. Family pets are being gunned down by government goons coated in
black Kevlar so frequently that the practice has actually been given a
formal name: "puppycide".
Hulking cops adorned with heavy body armor are more frequently turning
their firepower on hapless four-legged targets. It is qu... more »
Shields and Brooks on Iraq reluctance, Nixon’s legacy
Shields and Brooks on Iraq reluctance, Nixon’s legacy. Source: PBS
NewsHour. Date Published: August 8, 2014.
US Military Web site for Northern Morocco
Now.... this is interesting! American Kabuki/Bill's article today is dead
on the money (and funny as hell to boot!). As a little lead in to this
article I'll copy the conversation I just posted in my skype ONE room:|
d.breakingthesilence: well darlins- here's the day so far:
-military convoy goes down the highway just after midnight- in sets of
three- two military trucks "escorting" a pristine white 18 wheelers
transport trucks. several sets of three go by.
-6:15 am heather see's a huge military convoy- with military and white
trucks mixed.
-6:45 am- several more sets of three t... more »
PUTIN'S PROBLEM
From the Vineyard of the Saker:
Who is Mr. Putin? by Mikhail Khazin (MUST SEE!)
There is a lot of nonsense and garbage floating around on the Internet
about the personality of Vladimir Putin, mostly written folks who not only
know nothing about him, but who don't even understand the basics about how
the Russian state works. Today, I want to share with you a video
(especially translated or this purpose by the Russian Team) in which the
renowned Russian economic Mikhail Khazin shares his view of Putin and of
Putin's current position vis-à-vis the hostile and russophobic West. I ... more »
Russia & China , BRICS news ( August 9 , 2014 ) -- De-Dollarization Accelerates - China/Russia Complete Currency Swap Agreement ....... First BRICS Bank, Now BRICS Food Bank ....... Turkish list of food suppliers to Russia to be ready soon -- Mutual partnership is creating highly favourable conditions for the Turkish economy, ensuring stability of food manufacturing, the Russian veterinary watchdog said........
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-08-09/de-dollarization-accelerates-chinarussia-complete-currency-swap-agreement
De-Dollarization Accelerates - China/Russia Complete Currency Swap Agreement
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 08/09/2014 14:21 -0400
- BRICs
- Central Banks
- China
- Hong Kong
- India
- Newspaper
- Renminbi
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Vladimir Putin
- Yuan
inShare3
*The last 3 months have seen Russia's "de-dollarization" plans accelerate.* First
Gazprom clients shift to Euros and Renminbi, the... more »
We are all Hamas
BBC News 24 has been treating viewers to an ongoing all-afternoon account
of today’s protest in London.
Tens of thousands of people were marching. There was a veritable sea of
Palestinian flags. We are all Hamas now. Banners with “victory to the
intifada.”
“Stop the War Coalition, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Campaign for
Nuclear Disarmament, Friends of Al Aqsa, British Muslim Initiative, Muslim
Association of Britain, Palestinian Forum in Britain."
It was a quiet, peaceful protest according to several of the participants,
apart from the hysterical individuals who screeched ill-i... more »
Bleeding chunks from the 'Spectator'
It's time for another digest from the *Spectator *(an intermittent *Is the
BBC biased?* feature that falls under our '...and other matters' remit.)
Here are some choice extracts from this week's edition:
*David Frum: Diary*
A quiet rural county in a peaceable dominion may seem a planet removed from
the violence of the Middle East. But my wife and I wake up before six to
read about the latest rocket attack upon Israel from Gaza. Our eldest
daughter, Miranda, travelled to Tel Aviv in search of adventure early last
year. She was recruited by a local modelling agency, and her face no... more »
August interlude: What we pondered in southernmost Maine!
*SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2014*
*Bringing Rick Perlstein back home:* After even the briefest of sojourns,
it’s hard to return to the mundane topics which form our public discourse.
In Maine, we pondered two different claims—the claim that “my current state
of consciousness...is just a feature of my brain at the present time” and a
second claim by Rick Perlstein concerning the film, The Exorcist.
Below, we highlight Perlstein’s claim. It’s featured in his suddenly
semi-controversial new book:
PERLSTEIN (page 206): The Exorcist opened in twenty-six theaters. As word
of mouth spread, the s... more »
Tim Whewell on 'From Our Own Correpondent'
Tim Whewell's report on this morning's From Our Own Correspondent bears
transcribing in full. It's the sort of report which shows what the BBC *can*
do - something it's important for blogs like this to point out from time to
time (as we do).
It follows the story of 36 year-old Narakorn Kittiyangkul, the Thai
national killed by a Hamas mortar attack during the present conflict, and
features Roni Keidar, who (along with her husband) runs a communal farm in
Netiv Haasara, right on the Gazan border:
It's often the footnotes that are most intriguing.
And there's a footnote to the Gaz... more »
The Emperor's rage: Obama: Long Term Iraq Strikes!!
When I saw this headline I was not surprised and yet I feel infuriated!
*Obama warns of LONG TERM Iraq airstrikes.*
The airstrikes are going to last months! How many months? A years worth of
months? Two years worth of months? How many months?
-Laying the groundwork for an extended airstrike campaign- *President Obama
said Saturday that the strikes that began the day before could continue for
months *
*“I don’t think we’re going to solve this problem in weeks” claims Obomba*
* “This is going to be a long-term project.”*
*Quoting the mass murderer *
Mr. Obama had suggested that* wide... more »
Untitled
*Saints RB Mark Ingram Serves Up Slices of “Humble Pie” ~Barry Hirstius,
Who Dat Dish*
*Observation Deck: New Orleans Saints ~Mike Triplett, ESPN*
*With Brees on sideline, McCown, Griffin show stuff ~Nick Underhill, The
New Orleans Advocate *
*Ex-prosecutor Perricone says he doesn't remember online comments ~David
Hammer, WWLTV *
*Richard Campanella Cityscapes: Anniversary Of An Epidemic ~Eve Troeh, WWNO*
GMO Golden Rice: The Scourge of Asia
Ulson Gunnar
Asia’s dependency on rice cultivation for both subsidence and income is
intuitively understood. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the
United Nations (FAO) estimates the agricultural population of lowland rice
cultivation in Asia to be over 470 million - larger than the entire
population of the United States. Improvements in rice cultivation would
stand to lift hundreds of millions from debt and poverty. Conversely, the
disruption of rice cultivation would threaten to mire hundreds of millions
in deeper debt, inescapable destitution, and all of the negative
s... more »
Breaking The Set - Abby Martin - George Galloway Solutions on ISIS Crisis & Gaza Massacre
RT > Breaking The Set > Abby Martin features an interview with UK
politician George Galloway, discussing the violence in Gaza and the latest
airstrikes the US military has launched against Islamic militants in Iraq.
Looking forward to the premier of Galloway's forthcoming documentary called THE
KILLING OF TONY BLAIR.
John Baird thinks that it is Palestinians' fault that they are being butchered by Israel
John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs, blames Palestinians that they are
being butchered by Israel. He is a bigger jackass than his boss Stephen
Harper who holds similar views.
*Tories Release Pro-Israel Ad Amid War In Gaza, But They Don't Want
Everyone To See It*
Other parties don't have much different views including Justin Trudeau.
Read more here.
John Kerry to Starving Africans: ‘Don’t Build New Farms, Just Plant More GMO’
Melissa Melton
*“You better eat everything on your plate, dear. There are children
starving in Africa.”*
How many kids in first world countries have likely heard their mom utter
that phrase at the dinner table at least once? It may be an overused image,
but that doesn’t make it any less valid. There really are lots of starving
children in Africa.
Well, this week Secretary of State John Kerry took to the podium at the
U.S.—Africa Leaders Summit to say that Africans shouldn’t build more farms
because that would contribute to man-made global warming through a process
that “releases... more »
In Hawaii, Today's The Day… Two Moments Of Truth For Progressives
Today is primary day in Hawaii. Iselle hit Friday but had lost some
ferocity and came in as a tropic storm. With the exception of the polling
sites at Hawaii Paradise Community Center and Keone-opoko Elementray School
on the Big Island, all polling sites will be open from 7AM 'til 6 PM.
Hurricane Julio is also weakening slightly but may hit the Big Island
tomorrow. The rare twin storms shouldn't hold down turnout in the election.
And today's contests couldn't be clearer. The Senate race features two
well-known politicians, one progressive (Senator Brian Schatz) and one from
the R... more »
Eric Posner and Glen Weyl on Piketty
In *The New Republic*. A tidbit:
Only very extreme scenarios, where every wealthy individual *does all of
the following at the same time* can lead to the sort of explosive
inequality dynamics Piketty fears:
1. Marries someone at least as wealthy or bequeaths all wealth to one
child.
2. Consumes very little.
3. Avoids paying most taxes.
4. Contributes little to charity or politics.
5. Invests optimally while avoiding Bernie Madoff and his ilk.
And it is hard to imagine why anyone would care about the existence of such
an inbred, self-denying, and politically-remove... more »
METRO | Sunshine Williams : Austin’s illustrious mayor likes them ‘bad boys’
Hizzoner fetes ex-Louisiana governor and ex-con Edwin Edwards, who joins
the rarefied company of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and noted doper Lance
Armstrong. By Sunshine Williams | The Rag Blog | August 9, 2014 AUSTIN —
Mayor Lee Leffingwell is … finish reading *METRO* | Sunshine Williams :
Austin’s illustrious mayor likes them ‘bad boys’
Australian Proposal Would Require Suspicionless Domestic Spying by ISPs
Nadia Kayyali and Jeremy Malcolm
*Electronic Frontier Foundation*
The Australian government announced new anti-terrorism measures this week,
in response to the alleged involvement of Australian citizens with
extremist groups in countries including Syria and Iraq. Quietly omitted
from the briefing at which those changes were announced, but separately
leaked to the press this week, were the government's plans to introduce mandatory
data retention requirements for Australian Internet Service Providers
(ISPs).
These changes are causing an outcry from privacy advocates and political ... more »
What's Troubling about Nel Noddings' Interview at Chalkface
I listened to Shaun Johnson's interview with Nel Noddings, and it was
obvious that both interviewer and interviewee were prepared for different
interviews. After spending a good chunk of time before the interview
making a case for his continuing the show in the absence of former
co-anchor, Tim Slekar, Shaun sort of got into an introduction to Nel
Noddings that encouraged listeners to get one of her books (no titles
mentioned) and to read "a couple of chapters."
In fact, I wish Shaun had read a couple of chapters before the interview,
for what followed was a wobbly unfocused compla... more »
Afghanistan Election Update ( August 9 , 2014 ) ...... Rough Agreement Outline on Unity Government - both parties agree to accept the results of the audit, and both agree to share power whoever is the winner....... US deadline of September 5 ( to determine whether a full withdrawal of US troops would need to occur ) driving much of the rush to resolve the Afghanistan political uncertainty.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/southasia/2014/08/afghan-presidential-candidates-unity-government-20148811455553354.html
Afghan poll rivals sign unity government deal
Feuding presidential candidates sign US-brokered deal to cooperate on the
formation of a national unity government.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2014 08:20
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Afghanistan's feuding presidential candidates have signed a deal to work on
the formation of a national unity government, as an audit attempts to
decide the winner of the cou... more »
Opening Up To Uncertainty by Roxana Jones
Source:
*https://plus.google.com/u/0/+RoxanaJones/posts*
Editor's Note
For those who are not regular readers of this blog .... Saturday is spend
the time with family, do chores, play some golf, and catch up on what needs
to be done. Unfortunately .... blogging tales a 12 - 16 hour hiatus. But
blogging though will return later tonight.
Saturday Interview: Lily Jayne Summers
Lily Jayne Summers is a founder and editor of The Columnist, a cross-party
e-zine that blogs on current affairs and entertainment news. Lily is also a
member of the Labour Party in Stoke-on-Trent North, and has been known to tweet
compulsively.
- Why do you blog?
Because, it's a way for me to express my political views and to challenge
other people's notions or assumptions about an opinion or a political
debate. Quite frankly, blogging is the best way to express yourself and the
best way to be engage in politics. The only way to engage properly is to
put your opinions across vigo... more »
Update: The Engineered Destruction and Political Fragmentation of Iraq. Towards the Creation of a US Sponsored Islamist Caliphate
The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham: An instrument of the Western
Military Alliance
*Prof Michel Chossudovsky*
*First published by Global Research on June 14, 2014.*
*Update, August 9, 2014*
*President Barack Obama has initiated a series of US bombing raids in Iraq
allegedly directed towards the rebel army of the Islamic State (IS).*
*The Islamic State terrorists are portrayed as an enemy of America and the
Western world. Amply documented, the Islamic State is a creation of Western
intelligence, supported by the CIA and Israel’s Mossad and financed by
Saudi Arabia and Qatar... more »
What a load of bollocks.... Magharebia.com... US Military Web site for Northern Morocco
*"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: *
*'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" *
*- President Ronald Reagan*
By American Kabuki
*There's a very curious web site about the Rif mountain region which
encompasses Northern Morocco, Tunisa and Algeria. Its very well written
with very professional graphics and web site. And its run by US Miiltary's
African Command out of Germany (plainly stated in the ABOUT page on the
site). The web server is a cloud based service and the DNS server is in
San Diego. But there's been a very interesting trend lat... more »
Fukushima Updates ( August 9 , 2014 ) Inevitable that Tepco would finally admit they will dump highly contaminated water directly into the Pacific Ocean...... Also inevitable that no matter how often Tepco and Japan lie about the dire state of affairs , they eventually will have to come clean and discuss the brutal truths - Japan is a dead nation walking and the rest of the planet is screwed ( think food chain clusterfark , water / air contamination which will be ongoing for centuries. )
Inevitability......
http://enenews.com/shock-water-fukushima-reactors-be-dumped-ocean-attempts-deal-problem-failed-officials-better-allowing-contamination-spill-directly-ocean-like-video
‘Shock’:
Water underneath Fukushima reactors to be dumped in ocean —
Attempts to deal with problem have ‘failed’ — Officials: It’s better
than
radioactive substances just “spilling directly into the ocean” like it
is
now
AFP, Aug. 7, 2014 (*emphasis added*): *Tepco ‘running out of space’ for
tainted water* — [Tepco] on Thursday unveiled a plan to dump scrubbed
water
directly into the ocean,... more »
Common Core Inspires New Tests to Further Segregate Children Based on Class
In Tennessee, they call it "personalized learning time" made possible by a
"skills-based universal screener" administered three times a year (on top
of all the other testing).
In Dickson County, all the "screened" children are dumped into a Power
Learning Block (PLB) once a day based on their scores screening results.
In Cell Power Block 1 we have the black birds, whose low scores mean 45
minutes of intervention each day with other black birds. In Block 2 we
have the Brown Birds, who get a half hour of remediation every day. And in
Block 3, we have the white red birds who get 15 ... more »
Obama Warns of 'Long-Term Project' in Iraq
U.S. air missions and aid deliveries to Iraq will continue as long as
needed, but U.S. airstrikes have already destroyed weapons the militant
Islamist rebels could have used to launch new attacks, President Barack
Obama said Saturday.
Saying fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham had advanced on
the strategic northern city of Erbil more rapidly than the U.S. had
expected, Obama said in a nationally televised news conference from the
South Lawn of the White House: "I don't think we're going to solve this
problem in weeks. This is going to be a long-term project." Re... more »
"It is my opinion that the irresponsibility and recklessness of the Obama regime is without precedent. Never before has the United States government or the government of any nuclear power gone to such great efforts to convince another nuclear power that that power was being set up for attack. It is difficult to imagine a more provocative act that more endangers life on earth. Indeed, the White House Fool has doubled up, convincing both Russia and China that Washington is planning a preemptive first strike on both. Republicans want to sue or to impeach Obama over relatively inconsequential issues, such as ObamaCare. Why don’t Republicans want to impeach Obama over such a critical issue as subjecting the world to the risk of nuclear armageddon? The answer is that the Republicans are as crazed as the Democrats." "Wherever one looks in American politics one sees crazed people, psychopaths and sociopaths who should not be in political office." -- Paul Craig Roberts
------------------------------
*Washington Threatens The World — Paul Craig Roberts*
------------------------------
August 8, 2014 | Original Here Go
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*Washington Threatens The World*
Paul Craig Roberts
The consequence of Washington’s reckless and irresponsible political and
military interventions in Iraq, Libya, and Syria has been to unleash evil.
The various sects that lived in peace under the rule of Saddam Hussein,
Gaddafi, and Assad are butchering one another, and a new group... more »
Dogma Is the Deeper Problem Today
Steven Goddard has a post on "1950 scientific consensus", which included
the belief that "continents don't move". My response:
*The continents were moved by design, at least into their present shapes
and distribution. The design is so exact (the probability is one in a
million million that they were placed by chance), and the supposed
continental movements today so small, that it would take several hundred
thousand years for them to move away from the designed placement (and that
placement is but one small aspect of the design, which encompasses both the
terrestrial and celestial sp... more »
ARE WE READY TO PAY FOR ANOTHER WAR IN IRAQ?
Elite donors of American allies in the Persian Gulf region have poured an
immense amount of resources into rebel groups like IS in efforts to advance
on three general goals: opposing Iran, its ally Bashar Assad and his
government in Syria, and fomenting the Sunni-Shia divides in the region.
Libertarians Saving Us All From "Collectivism"
So, yesterday i was watching this Youtube video where Senator Elizabeth
Warren grills the Federal Reserve Board Chair about the failure of these
trillion dollar Wall Street banks to make the "living wills" that their
legislatively obligated to do, in order to prevent even bigger messes than
happened after Lehman Brothers bankruptcy.
But in the comments, there were the usual right-wing fuck-faces, attempting
to belittle the brilliant Warren with the sort of stupid tripe that these
imbeciles are infamous for. But then, one of the "grown-up" right-wingers
piped-up with this gem:
The o... more »
The Secret To True Love . Author Unknown
Source:
*https://plus.google.com/u/0/100089295954896252788/posts*
The World You See It Is Just A Movie In Your Mind - A Poem by Jack Kerouac
The world you see is just a movie in your mind.
*Rocks dont see it.*
*Bless and sit down.*
*Forgive and forget.*
*Practice kindness all day to everybody*
*and you will realize you're already*
*in heaven now.*
*That's the story.*
*That's the message.*
*Nobody understands it,*
*nobody listens, they're*
*all running around like chickens with heads cut*
*off. *
*I will try to teach it but it will*
*be in vain, s'why I'll*
*end up in a shack*
*praying and being*
*cool and singing*
*by my woodstove*
*making pancakes.*
*Jack Kerouac*
*Source:*... more »
Is "Trickle Up" Back?
On Thursday, Paul Krugman wrote that evidence is mounting to support the
notion that inequality can sabotage a market economy. There will always be
some inequality in market economies. But gross inequality is a drag on
economic growth:
It’s true that market economies need a certain amount of inequality to
function. But American inequality has become so extreme that it’s
inflicting a lot of economic damage. And this, in turn, implies that
redistribution — that is, taxing the rich and helping the poor — may well
raise, not lower, the economy’s growth rate.
Neo-Conservatives, of c... more »
Ominous for Lebanon- Saad Harriri, son of Rafik, returns
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, considered Lebanon’s most influential (?)
Sunni Muslim politician,* returned unexpectedly* to Lebanon on Friday
after three years of self-imposed exile. *Mr. Hariri’s return is being seen
as a bid to reassert his leadership* over Lebanon’s Sunni community amid
growing concern that many Sunnis are being radicalized by the war in Syria.
Mr. Hariri, above, left Lebanon in 2011 after his government was toppled by
a coalition that included the Shiite militia Hezbollah. *He has split his
time between Paris and Saudi Arabia, citing concerns for his safe... more »
Right-Wingers Squeal Like Pigs Over New Book On Saint Ronald Reagan
I have to admit that I was hesitant to buy the latest installment in Rick
Perlstein's outstanding series on the rise of the modern American
right-wing at first. The book entitled "The Invisible Bridge" was pretty
pricey for an e-book at 19.99 (Amazon.com) but after hearing the
caterwauling of the poor, poor, perpetually persecuted pack of professional
victims of movement conservatism I ponied up immediately. There is never a
better endorsement than that of the 'conservative' outrage machine, I would
hope that I was not the only one that was influenced to shell out the dough
for th... more »
The Islamic State: Battle for Iraq (Vice News Series)
The Islamic State, a hardline Sunni jihadist group that formerly had ties
to al Qaeda, has conquered large swathes of Iraq and Syria. Previously
known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the group has
announced their intention to reestablish the caliphate and declared their
leader, the shadowy Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as the caliph.
Flush with cash and US weapons seized during recent advances in Iraq, the
Islamic State’s expansion shows no sign of slowing down. In the first week
of August alone, Islamic State fighters have taken over new areas in
northern Iraq, encroaching ... more »
Two Ohio Democrats With Very Different Views Of Health Care Reform-- Michael Wager And Jennifer Garrison
Yesterday we looked at what happened when a real Democrat, Michael Wager,
was confronted with idiotic Republican assertions about health care reform.
Conservative Republicans in Ohio and across the country opposed Social
Security, opposed Medicare, opposed Medicaid and now oppose the Affordable
Care Act, all as a matter of course. It's the nature of who and what they
are. Wager, the progressive Democrat running in the northeast corner of the
state east of Cleveland, doesn't share that nature. He pushed back, talked
about how he thinks the Affordable Care Act doesn't go far enough b... more »
ERAPSCO to supply sonobuoys to US Navy
[image: Sonobuoys]ERAPSCO, a joint venture between Sparton and Ultra
Electronics' (ULE) subsidiary USSI, has been awarded a contract to supply
sonobuoys to the US Navy.
The production subcontracts, worth $90.5m and $75.5m, will be awarded by
ERAPSCO to Sparton DeLeon Springs and Ultra Electronics USSI, respectively.
Sparton president and chief executive officer Cary Wood said: "We are
firmly committed to development of innovative technology and to providing
the US Navy with the highest quality products that help further its
mission."
Read more
Why Is Obama Bombing Iraq, Really?
By Juan Cole
*This post originally ran on Juan Cole’s Web page.*
Al-Zaman reports that a U.S. drone hit mortar emplacements and F-18s
struck artillery arrays and armored vehicles deployed by the so-called
“Islamic State” (IS) in Kuwair east of Mosul on the way to the Kurdistan
capital of Irbil, and near a major dam, some ares of which are controlled
by the IS fighters.
Also on Friday, the Naqshbandi Army denied any involvement in a push on
the Kurdistan capital of Irbil, denouncing it as racist. The Naqshbandi
Sufi order is important... more »
Untitled
*UK: Teacher jailed for hitting a seven-year-old boy when he made mistakes
during reading lessons at mosque*
*Beating is normal in madrassas*
A teacher has been jailed for hitting a young boy when he made mistakes
during reading lessons at a mosque.
Arfaq Hussain, 36, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, used his knuckles to rap
the seven-year-old around the knee in what the judge described as
'unforgiveable conduct'.
The offence came to light in December 2012 when another pupil told a
teacher that he did not want to do PE classes at the Jame Masjid Mosque in
Batley, West Yorkshire, bec... more »
Obama & Airstrikes to Protect Iraqi Kurds: 1991 Deja Vu all Over Again
By Juan Cole
Everett Collection / Shutterstock.com
*This post originally ran on Juan Cole’s Web page.*
During the Gulf War in early 1991, then-president George H. W. Bush called
on Iraqis to rise up against Saddam Hussein and the Baath Party.
In the Kurdish north and in the Shiite South, hundreds of thousands heeded
his call. But after the short war was over in March, Bush appears to have
completely lost interest in the Kurds and Shiites who rose up and now were
in danger of being massacred by the Baath army. Gen. H. Norman ... more »
Russia and China planning to dump the US dollar
The Russian and Chinese central banks have agreed a draft currency swap
agreement, which will allow them to increase trade in domestic currencies
and cut the dependence on the US dollar in bilateral payments.
“*The draft document between the Central Bank of Russia and the People’s
Bank of China on national currency swaps has been agreed by the parties*,”
and is at the stage of formal approval procedures, ITAR-TASS quotes the
Russian regulator’s office on Thursday.
The Russian Central Bank is not giving precise details on the size of the
currency swaps, nor when it will be launched.... more »
Better late than never
Two long awaited pieces have appeared in the press. Belated but welcome.
The Guardian piece is all the more remarkable because it’s in the actual
Guardian. Next we’ll be hearing something like this on Channel 4. (Only
joking)
It’s still written with the ever present caveat - ‘I’m no fan of Israel,
but’. Nevertheless there’s some tacit acknowledgment that antisemitism is
behind a great deal of the tidal wave of knee-jerk Israel-bashing despite
all those cries of “anti-Israel-ism is different from antisemitism.”
It asks itself whether boycotting artistic ventures linked with Israel... more »
There the evil thing
Compared to the Koch brothers Mr Burns from the Simpsons is a progressive.
The power, wealth and influence of these gentlemen is frightening.
Ebola reaches UK: Briton feared to have caught virus after travelling in West Africa
*A BRITON is feared to have caught the deadly Ebola virus after travelling
in the West African region where it has claimed more than 800 lives.*
It is now feared that Ebola has reached the UK [GETTY]
Health chiefs in Wales said yesterday that the condition of the suspected
victim is being "closely monitored".
Officials confirmed that the unnamed patient from Cardiff, South Wales,
contacted them after feeling ill on their return to British soil.
They were effectively quarantined in their own home and would speak to
doctors on a daily basi... more »
Email Giants Unite to Thwart Government Snooping
By now it is painfully apparent that there will be *no* legitimate
government oversight of the NSA Stasi. There are now over a years worth of
stories based on the documents procured by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden
that show the culture of contempt towards the privacy of law-abiding
Americans that exists at the agency. Rather than engage in working to
implement serious reforms that limit NSA programs to their stated purpose
of tracking of suspected terrorists, there are only attempts to further
erect a firewall around the NSA. Choosing to engage in demagoguery and
obfuscation... more »
Britain considers airstrikes on Iraq-pushing R2P as the selling point
So much for the US alone. So much for limited time. So much for limited
area.
*Boiling frogs*
*Britain considers air strikes to avert genocide in Iraq*
-Britain could join America in launching military strikes
-US forces began raids against fighters in northern Iraq on Friday after
Barack Obama pledged to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.
- But it is understood British forces could also take part in attacks if
the situation in Iraq deteriorates
*Who decides if the situation is deteriorating? The perpetual war mongers?
The mass killing machine? *
- It is understood that there has... more »
Jeffrey Smith Challenges Neil deGrasse Tyson on GMOs
Heather Callaghan
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson made waves last week with a video and
Facebook letter aimed at critics of genetically modified organisms in food.
His argument spun the idea that the process to achieve a GMO is exactly the
same as traditional agricultural techniques.
There were writers who called him out on enmeshing genetically engineered
organisms (transgenics) in crops with traditional practices of selective
breeding. In "round three" of Tyson's statements he continues the
enmeshment. Jeffrey Smith, founder of Institute for Responsible
Technology, has challe... more »
US-Led Airstrikes Begin Against ISIS Militants in Iraq
Written by Nick Bernabe, *Social Media Manager of Free and Equal, March
Against Monsanto and Founder of The Anti-Media.*
ISIS, now known as IS or the Islamic State, has been sweeping across wide
swaths of Iraq and Syria; reportedly slaughtering civilians, Shi’ite
Muslims, and other non-Sunni people living in occupied areas. The latest in
this string of violence includes up to 40,000 people trapped on Mount Sinjar,
surrounded by IS militants, facing death by execution or dehydration.
While the rise of the Islamic State has been blamed on al-Maliki’s
S... more »
Peoples Climate March
Peoples Climate March
FREE SPIRIT
[image: ANATOLI "TONY" KOPITCH 1948-2008]
*FREE SPIRIT*
My lifestyle, to some, is ever so strange.
Something, they say, I should re-arrange.
A "free spirit" they call me, because, I AM me.
Yet, I amaze them with the things that I see.
THEY live a life of deadlines and hurry,
Being on time, is their greatest worry.
This one has ulcers, that one's a wreck!
How can I sit there and say "what the heck?"
I have this feeling, one that I trust,
I will arrive, if, be there I must.
So much can happen in the blink of an eye.
That's all it takes... for someone to die!
THEY fret and they wor... more »
Free Planet - scum wages - corporate hand me downs
*is there really anything else needs adding?*
GMO Golden Rice: The Scourge of Asia
[image: 6546456]*August 9, 2014* (Ulson Gunnar - NEO) - Asia’s dependency
on rice cultivation for both subsidence and income is intuitively
understood. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) estimates the agricultural population of lowland rice cultivation in
Asia to be over 470 million - larger than the entire population of the
United States. Improvements in rice cultivation would stand to lift
hundreds of millions from debt and poverty. Conversely, the disruption of
rice cultivation would threaten to mire hundreds of millions in deeper
debt, inescapable... more »
Andrew Bolt on Gaza
The Bolt Report - Gaza: http://youtu.be/e8GkE1EY_QA
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Suggests Resuming MiG-31 Interceptor Aircraft Production
[image: MiG-31 Foxhound]The production of MiG-31 interceptor aircraft
should resume, as they could prove effective for another 15 years, Russian
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Friday.
“The aircraft had no rivals. That was the opinion of the
Military-Industrial Commission, the Defense Ministry, the industry on the
whole and even the State Duma, which used to hold special hearings on the
subject of the interceptor.
The production should be revived, as the jet is being upgraded.
Read more
Northrop Grumman to Highlight Key Capabilities at the 17th Annual Space and Missile Defense Symposium
[image: HAMMR]Northrop Grumman Corporation is highlighting its space and
missile defense capabilities during the 17 th Annual Space and Missile
Defense Symposium to be held here Aug. 11-14 at the Von Braun Center.
The symposium's 2014 theme is "Space and Missile Defense: Foundational to
U.S. Strategy Today and in the Future." Northrop Grumman is this year's
Titanium sponsor and will host the Salute to the Warfighter event Aug. 13
at 5 p.m. in Booth #601.
"This year's symposium will address homeland, regional and partner nation
missile defense and space and missile defense technology... more »
MH17 unlikely shot down by fighter jets: Hishammuddin
[image: SA-17 Grizzly - BUK-M1-2]Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin
Hussein today denied reports in the social media that Malaysia Airlines
(MAS) flight MH17 was shot down by fighter jets.
He said intelligence and evidence gathered from the fragments of the
ill-fated aircraft clearly showed it was shot down by missiles that were
launched to the air from the ground.
"Based on military intelligence and evidence from a portion of fragments
found, it is not likely the bullets were used from air to air but from
surface to air.
Read more
Seattle's Foss Maritime tug tows famed USS Constellation aircraft carrier to scrapyard
The famed aircraft carrier USS Constellation set forth on its last voyage
Friday, but this time towed by the ocean-going tugboat Corbin Foss.
The 1,008-foot Constellation’s 16,000-mile journey from Bremerton will take
the carrier around the southern tip of South America to Brownsville, Texas,
where it is set to be scrapped. The Corbin Foss tug is owned and operated
by Seattle-based Foss Maritime.
The Foss tug will take the long route to Texas around the bottom of South
American and around what is called “Cape Horn” by mariners, and not through
the Panama Canal, because the aircraft... more »
Japanese defense ministry mulls introducing ground-based SM-3 interceptor missiles
[image: SM-3 launch]The Defense Ministry is considering introducing a new
ground-based type of interceptor missile that the United States is
developing, in an effort to bolster Japan's ballistic missile defense
system, ministry sources said.
The ministry intends to introduce new ground-based SM-3 missiles, in
addition to the sea-based SM-3s that the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF)
already possesses, to enhance Tokyo's readiness to intercept ballistic
missiles heading toward Japan.
The ministry is expected to allocate tens of millions of yen from the
fiscal 2015 state budget for... more »
US plan to fire from Australian ships
[image: Hobart class AWD]Australian and US foreign and defence ministers
will start negotiations next week which could lead to American commanders
being able to fire missiles directly from Australian ships.
This would happen as part of an integrated effort on defence against
ballistic missiles, which will be discussed in full at Tuesday’s Australia
US Ministerial (AUSMIN) talks in Sydney.
In 2016 the first of three Australian air warfare destroyers, HMAS Hobart,
will come into service. The three will be fitted with the powerful Aegis
missile defence system.
Read more
More than 100 aircraft, 8 ships ready for Iraq air campaign
[image: E-2C Hawkeye]The U.S. has a massive force of ships and aircraft in
the Persian Gulf for the air campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq.
The first airstrikes against the Islamic State were carried out by two
aircraft from the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush, which is in the
Persian Gulf along with the amphibious assault ship Bataan; the amphibious
dock landing ship Gunston Hall; the cruiser Philippine Sea; and the
destroyers Arleigh Burke, O’Kane and Roosevelt, according to the Defense
Department.
The amphibious transport dock Mesa Verde is elsewhere in the region,
acc... more »
Hyundai Heavy Industries launches South Korean Navy submarines
[image: Yun Bong Gil Ham]Hyundai Heavy Industries has launched a new
214-class submarine, to be equipped with locally produced cruise missiles,
for the South Korean Navy.
The vessel is the Yun Bong Gil Ham, which weighs 1,800 tons, is 214 feet
long, and has a top speed of 20 knots.
The ship is the fifth 214-class submarine of the country's navy.
Read more
Russia Navy to receive new submarine for Black Sea Fleet
[image: Project 636.5 Varshavyanka class SSK]Project 636.5 Varshavyanka
head diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk produced for Russian Black Sea
Fleet will be handed over to the country’s Navy on August 28, a
high-ranking source in the military and industrial sector told ITAR-TASS on
Friday.
“A festive St. Andrew naval flag-hoisting ceremony will be held abroad
Novorossiysk at the Admiralty Wharfs in the city of St. Petersburg on
August 28,” the high-placed military source said.
He recalled that this submarine would be put on trials at Northern Fleet’s
deep-water ranges after it ... more »
Australia extends Collins-class submarines maintenance contract with ASC
[image: Collins class SSK]ASC has been awarded a contract extension to
provide maintenance on the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) Collins-class
submarine fleet.
The company will continue to perform all maintenance work at its
headquarters in Osborne, Adelaide, South Australia, and Henderson, Western
Australia.
ASC interim chief executive officer Stuart Whiley said: "This new contract
recognises the significant improvement in performance and availability of
the submarine fleet.
Read more
Biking Lanyu
This week I went to Lanyu for the first time, to enjoy one of the best
experiences Taiwan has to offer with one of my closest friends, Drew
Kerslake, and his lovely family. I have long wanted to go. Traveling with
Drew was special because he's been on the island many times and first
started coming in the 1990s, meaning that people there know him, and he
knows many things about Lanyu that few outsiders know. What a wonderful
introduction! Already planning my next trip.... Click on READ MORE (image
intensive, may be a few minutes loading up).
*ROUTE NOTES*: Don't be silly, there are... more »
Tesla wants $500 million for its Gigafactory
Leigh McIlvaine (@Leigh M.) of Good Jobs First alerted me to this article
on what Tesla Motors wants in incentives to land its $5 billion
Gigafactory: $500 million. This massive 6500 worker facility will produce
the next generation of batteries in order to introduce a less expensive
line of cars in 2017, the Tesla Model 3. This would be a more affordable
vehicle than the widely praised Model S, which starts at $69,900.
I'm not joking about the praise: *Consumer Reports*, my go-to source for
product testing due to the fact that it does not accept ads and thus has
complete independenc... more »
After Iraq Is Afghanistan Next?
The view is shown from a turret of a mine-resistant, ambush-protected
vehicle making its way back to Camp Leatherneck after a combat logistics
patrol in Afghanistan's Helmand province, July 14, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps
photo by Cpl. Alex Roberts
*Is Afghanistan Is Going the Way of Iraq? -- Joshua Keating, Slate *
The killing of Maj. Gen. Harold Greene by an Afghan soldier on Tuesday
doesn’t just mark the first killing of a U.S. general in a war zone since
Vietnam. It’s also a disturbing example of a problem that coalition forces
had seemed to be getting under control: so-called insi... more »
Musical Interlude: Chuck Wild, Liquid Mind: “VI Spirit - Through My Eyes (Nebulae)”
Chuck Wild, Liquid Mind: “VI Spirit - Through My Eyes (Nebulae)”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HTgHuUuDQg&playnext=1&list=PLCC1D
"If You Caught A Glimpse..."
"If you caught a glimpse of your own death,
would that knowledge change the way you live the rest of your life?"
- Paco Ahlgren, "Discipline"
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Barred spiral galaxy NGC 1365 is truly a majestic island universe some
200,000 light-years across. Located a mere 60 million light-years away
toward the chemical constellation Fornax, NGC 1365 is a dominant member of
the well-studied Fornax galaxy cluster.
*Click image for larger size.*
This sharp color image shows intense star forming regions at the ends of
the bar and along the spiral arms, and details of dust lanes cutting across
the galaxy's bright core. At the core lies a supermassive black hole.
Astronomers think NGC 1365's prominent bar plays a crucial role in the
galaxy's e... more »
"Even Darkness Must Pass..."
Sam: "It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo, the ones that really
mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't
want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the
world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the
end it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new
day will come, and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer. Those
were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you
were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I
know... more »
The Poet: Theodore Roethke, "The Waking"
*"The Waking"*
"I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.
We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.
Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me, so take the lively ... more »
"Remain True..."
"Remain true to yourself, but move ever upward toward greater consciousness
and greater love! At the summit you will find yourselves united with all
those who, from every direction, have made the same ascent. For everything
that rises must converge."
- Teilhard de Chardin
Chet Raymo, "Six Impossible Things"
*"Six Impossible Things"*
by Chet Raymo
"It is morning. Early morning. I am sitting at my desk with my laptop open
before me. The shelves are lined with books. At my elbow, the big glass
windows looking out to Dingle Bay. On the sill, morning glories and
tomatoes. At my other elbow, a mug of coffee. In an hour or two I'll have
breakfast. This is my White Queen time. "But one can't believe impossible
things," cries Alice, in frustration. "Why sometimes I've believed as many
as six impossible things before breakfast," replies the White Queen smugly.
If I can believe six impossible t... more »
Friday Nerd Blogging: Stata and Death
Fun post that sorts the patterns of life and death in Westeros and beyond.
I am sure that some multivariate analysis is likely, but was not
presented in the post.
How nice to have a straight person point out that "marriage is for procreation" isn't just legal but religious BS
*Sorry, Frank, that's just some silly old myth about love having anything
to do with marriage. Now, Peg and Al Bundy, they were a bona fide married
couple, because they were, of course, Married -- With Children. Of course,
once they stopped procreating, however grateful the world would have reason
to be, Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Paul Niemeyer probably
would have had to blow the whistle on them. Not that Al would have
objected.*
*"In contrast to 'traditional marriage,' [Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of
Appeals Judge Paul] Niemeyer said, same-sex marriage ignores 'the... more »
After Today's U.S. Air Strikes In Iraq, ISIS Is Now Calling On Jihadists To Attack US Interests Worldwide
*ISIS Threatens America: ‘We Will Raise The Flag Of Allah In The White
House’ -- Daily Caller*
The terror group President Barack Obama threatened to strike in Iraq
Thursday evening is itself threatening to strike the American homeland.
“I say to America that the Islamic Caliphate has been established,” Abu
Mosa, a spokesman for the terror group known as the Islamic State in Iraq
and Syria (ISIS), told VICE Media in a video interview posted online
Thursday. “Don’t be cowards and attack us with drones. Instead send your
soldiers, the ones we humiliated in Iraq.”
“We will humiliate ... more »
The Pingtung 172
On Monday the 4th of Aug I went down from Fangliao to Kenting in the
morning to wait for Drew (post above this one). We were heading to Lanyu
from Houbihu port in Kenting the next day, but in the meantime I wondered
what could be done with the afternoon? Drew had the perfect answer: the
Pingtung 172. Click on READ MORE....
*ROUTE NOTES*: The Pingtung 172 starts from the 199 just before the
switchbacks. There's a sign for an archaeological site, turn right. The
road runs southeast for about 15 kms until it hits the tiny hamlet of
Fenshuiling, where you can get snacks and water. It ... more »
"The Struggle..."
"Life is given for wisdom, and yet we are not wise;
for goodness, and we are not good;
for overcoming evil, and evil remains;
for patience and sympathy and love,
and yet we are fretful and hard and weak and selfish.
We are keyed not to attainment, but to the struggle toward it."
- T. T. Munger
◆
And ...
Monty Python, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBiLNN1NhQ
Health: "Stop Stress From Killing You"
"Stop Stress From Killing You"
by Elizabeth Walling
"What is stress? Physiologically, stress could be considered any event that
triggers a marked response by the adrenal glands. In basic terms, this
response is the release of cortisol. It's the body's natural reaction to
any stressor. For occasional stressors, cortisol can provide a burst of
benefits like increased energy, heightened reflexes and a higher threshold
for pain. However, when stress is chronic, as it often is in modern
society, cortisol levels can remain unnaturally high and lead to damaging
effects, which include:
• P... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
NJ Guv Kris Krispy's hard-headed fiscal realism wows the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities -- or maybe not so much
*Garden State voters love Governor Krispy for his unflinching fiscal
realism.*
*"The Center says New Jersey could get on track if the governor and
legislature produced forecasts together, worked with outside experts, and
opened up those discussions to the public."*
*-- from a report by WNYC News's Jessica Gould*
*by Ken*
Perhaps the reason we're hearing all this talk about a "comeback" for New
Jersey Gov. Kris Krispy is that, rather than going all gooey and
apologetic, he has by God *stuck to his guns* and thereby allowed Garden
State voters to remember why they love him -- for hi... more »
If Iraq Falls The World Will Blame President Obama
President Obama meets with his national security team today in the
Situation Room. pic.twitter.com/vDJeYJOz9Z
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 7, 2014
*The World Will Blame President Obama If Iraq Falls -- George E. Condon
Jr., National Journal*
*The White House is under intense pressure to use American force to save
the people trapped by terrorists on the mountaintop. And it understands
why.*
The world will not blame the Iraqi government if the children and women
huddled atop Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq die of hunger and exposure. Nor
will Pope Francis blame Prime Minis... more »
What Is The Right Way To Use U.S. Air Power Against the Islamic State?
*The Smart Way to Bomb ISIS -- John Allen Gay, National Interest*
*Obama is reportedly weighing attacks on the Islamic State. What factors
should shape his decision?*
The Obama administration is reportedly considering airstrikes against the
Islamic State after several days of advances by the putative caliphate.
Also under consideration is the delivery of humanitarian aid to minority
groups that fled as ISIS approached, with thousands reportedly trapped
without food or water in rough terrain and scorching heat. France and
Turkey may be joining in an American intervention—apparently... more »
Friday Night Is Movie Night: Tonight's Movie Is Fail Safe (2000) World Nuclear Holocaust
*WNU Editor:* This was broadcast live .... which is remarkable when one
considers TV today. The use of black and white instead of color gives it
that 1960s look .... but what I love about this film are the parade of
stars who are in it. Sit back .... and enjoy. The Wikipedia entry for
Fail-Safe (The Film)* is here*.
Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- August 8, 2014
Kurdish peshmerga troops participate in an intensive security deployment
against Islamic State militants on the front line in Khazer August 8, 2014.
US warplanes bombed Islamist fighters marching on Iraq's Kurdish capital on
Friday after President Obama said Washington must act to prevent
'genocide.' Azad Lashkari/Reuters
*Obama Intervenes In Iraq: Lessons Learned From Benghazi And Rwanda --
Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor*
*Benghazi and Rwanda, two crises where military intervention was not used,
likely figured in the backdrop of Obama's decision on what to do about a ... more »
World News Briefs -- August 8, 2014 (Evening Edition)
*U.S. Bombs Islamic State After Obama Call To Prevent Iraq 'Genocide' --
Reuters*
(Reuters) - U.S. warplanes bombed Islamist fighters marching on Iraq's
Kurdish capital on Friday after President Barack Obama said Washington must
act to prevent "genocide".
Islamic State fighters, who have beheaded and crucified captives in their
drive to eradicate unbelievers, have advanced to within a half hour's drive
of Arbil, capital of Iraq's Kurdish region and a hub for U.S. oil companies.
They have also seized control of Iraq's biggest dam, Kurdish authorities
confirmed on Friday, which co... more »
Updated Aug 9, 2014: The RV, Nesara, SwissIndo: Zooming out to see the template
http://removingtheshackles.blogspot.com/2014/08/as-you-may-have-noticed-after-quite.html
FRIDAY, 8 AUGUST 2014
*The RV, Nesara, SwissIndo: Zooming out to see the template*
As you may have noticed, after quite a long absence, I have been hit with
the "writing bug". lol
For the past few months I have been focusing my attention and a large
amount of my energy to working on the things that are "unseen". During
this time, using the computer or writing at all was .... difficult. Not
only did I literally feel something blocking me from writing, when I would
open the computer, it would... more »
Dennis Kucinich on the Responsibility to Speak Out About Gaza
AP/Lefteris Pitarakis
This week on Truthdig Radio in association with KPFK: The former
congressman says, “You can’t just stay silent when you see a massacre of
people going on.” Also: Washington, D.C., will decide whether to legalize
marijuana.
*Listen to the show (Dennis Kucinich interview begins at 15:45):*
(Trouble listening? Right-click to download the podcast here.)
Guests, in order of appearance: Michael Cindrich, Dennis Kucinich.
Subscribe to Truthdig Podcasts
Subscribe directly:
[image: iTunes]
If you don't have iTunes,
copy this address:
Visit the Podcast A... more »
Forty Years and a Mule
(By *American Zen*'s Mike Flannigan, on loan from Ari.)
"Nixon was so crooked that he needed servants to help him screw his
pants on every morning." - Hunter S. Thompson, *Rolling Stone* obituary for
Richard Nixon, June 16, 1994
I was a mere, callow lad of 15 when Richard Nixon became the first US
president to resign from office four decades ago today. During the early
70's, Dad had taken us on two vacations in Washington, DC and, politically
speaking, it was like being in the middle of a highly-charged EMF Fear
Cage. We lived in Maryland, Agnew Country, and the Capitol wa... more »
The RV, Nesara, SwissIndo: Zooming out to see the template
As you may have noticed, after quite a long absence, I have been hit with
the "writing bug". lol
For the past few months I have been focusing my attention and a large
amount of my energy to working on the things that are "unseen". During
this time, using the computer or writing at all was .... difficult. Not
only did I literally feel something blocking me from writing, when I would
open the computer, it would "magically" die, or the internet would
"magically" disappear- sometimes continuously for days at a time, lol.
.... everyone around here began to ban me from hanging out, be... more »
CIA DRONE control Huts
*CIA Drone Control Huts*
These two "huts" were constructed in early 2007 outside the CIA main dining
room.
Each of the huts has 18 roof-top air-conditioning units, with 4 rows of 4
and 2 separately. This suggests 16 pilot drone controller cubicles each
with its own AC units, with two addititional AC units for common areas.
Cubicles are customarily self-contained with light and AC systems to shield
from external light, noise and interference.
While there appear to be no public photos of CIA drone operators, below are
military drone cubicles. CIA operators allegedly train at milita... more »
Arguing on the Internet
In this discussion topic, I argue that what is true about science is not
undone by how science is abused, but that at the same time, what is false
about religion remains false no matter how nice the intentions. This has
descended into a testy exchange with the religious desperado "Fidel" who is
having an argument with himself about the evils of corporate science.
Occasionally he makes windy, but entirely meaningless claims for religion
out of nowhere. I and three others have been trying to re-state the
original point several times, to no avail.
Here at Dr. Dawg's, Mandos is trying... more »
Stop Look Around, Something bad is going down
What we know about celebrity
its both gained and inherited
and in both cases
its an instrument of power
and can be a great generator
of lifesyles of the rich and famous wealth
Celibrity is the silent lottery
we all play
no matter how hard
we think about
doing away
with gambling
Celebrity is all high school
and the people that promote know
that was were you traveled
from kid stage to adolescence
and that stage of life
was a chrysalis
to determine
your final essence
For most of us it did not go
well, it was very awkward
some of our group of elementary
leaders tapped in to this well
Not sa... more »
Massive US force in Persian Gulf for ISIS- WaPo pushes for wider war
Is this a message to another nation? Let me throw it out there.... Iran?
Update below- entertaining a possibility as to who is getting the message..
Massive US force in Persian Gulf
The U.S. has assembled a massive force of eight ships and 104 aircraft in
the Persian Gulf for the air campaign against ISIS in Iraq.
The morning strikes involved two FA-18 fighter-attack planes that dropped
500-pound, laser-guided munitions on a mobile artillery place near Irbil,
the Pentagon said.
The jets for both strikes came from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W.
Bush, according to a Defense Depa... more »
Sometimes It's Hard To Distinguish Between Steve King And Peter King
Long Island's terrorist-supporter and racist Peter King has long been fair
game here at *DWT*. The man practically begs for it; he's never meeting a
war that he didn’t like. His deranged crusade for the terrorists he likes,
and his misguided attacks on the terrorists he hates with McCarthy-esque
witch trial hearings against Muslim-Americans.
But what makes King particularly repugnant is his brash, combative nature
in the way he defends his asinine views. We have nothing against
politicians with strong convictions but we'd like those convictions based
on reality, not bigotry and ig... more »
Ignored By The West Libya Has Become A Failed State
*Libya Crumbles As The United States Looks The Other Way -- Washington Post
editorial*
THREE YEARS after U.S. and NATO forces helped liberate Libya from the
dictatorship of Moammar Gaddafi, the country is beginning to look a lot
like another nation where an abrupt U.S. disengagement following a civil
war led to chaos: Afghanistan in the 1990s. In Libya, heavily armed
militias are battling for control of Tripoli and Benghazi as well as the
international airport. The United States, France and other Western
governments involved in the 2011 military intervention have evacuated their
... more »
Pawns of The Planet of The Apes: Return of The Last Caliph
*Pictured: ISIS Jihadists rampaging across Iraq.*
In the last two months northern Iraq has seen the mass exodus of ancient
communities of Christians, Yezidis, and other religious minorities as the
Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham has swept across territory, facing little
resistance.
A disastrous turn of events in the last week and a half around the Sinjar
mountains in northwestern Iraq has caused an urgent humanitarian disaster
and forced the Obama administration to act.
Critics say it is too little too late. The White House has not done
anything to contain this fire, and instead... more »
HIROSHIMA REMEMBERED AND UNDERSTOOD
*The Clock Stopped at Hiroshima*
*At precisely 8:15 AM on August 6th, 1945 ~ 200,000 people eventually died
from an Atomic Bomb dropped by the United States on Japan and our world
permanently changed, for at that moment man had discovered the ultimate
means to destroy ourselves but now, 69 years later, we are still learning
the intellectual and soul based moral bearings needed to control the
fearsome murderous beast we unleashed on Hiroshima and then three days
later on Nagasaki. Perhaps now we are ready to fully experience the life
sustaining choice of love, social cooperation an... more »
Indy Corporate School Complex Gearing Up for IPS School Board Buyout
by Doug Martin
Even though the filing deadline is not until the end of the month, the Indy
Chamber has already handpicked candidates to elect to the IPS school board
to completely turn the city’s schools over to the greedy.
Readers who have read *Hoosier School Heist* know exactly what this means
and are well aware of the group of billionaires and lapdogs who desire to
turn Indianapolis into New Orleans, where no true public schools exist now.
Indianapolis didn’t have a hurricane to take advantage of, but it did have
Bush Family friend Al Hubbard, NJ hedge funder Alan Fournier, and ... more »
A3 Newsletter: How Long Can Injustice Endure (Aug. 8, 2014)
Desmond Tutu says apartheid was such an injustice that it had to end. We
wonder if the Palestinians in Gaza can have the same hope?
The Angola 3 have long stood in opposition to colonization, oppression and
genocide internationally as well as here at home. We painfully watch our
US made F-16's dropping US made bombs on innocent civilians in an effort to
drive the indigenous people from their land in spite of peace agreements
and UN mandates.
We have to question not just the prison industrial complex that keeps
Albert ridiculously isolated in the worst possible circumstances in s... more »
Nigeria's War Against Boko Haram is Intensifying. Boko Haram Gains A 'Foothold' In Neighboring Cameroon
File photo of Boko Haram militants. AFP
*Nigerian Army Fights To Push Boko Haram Out Of Two Northeast Towns --
Reuters*
Nigeria's military fought gun battles with Boko Haram Islamists in two key
northeastern towns on Friday, after the militants killed dozens of people
and drove soldiers out of Gwoza town two days ago, security sources and the
military said.
On Friday the military launched strikes to push the rebels out of Gwoza,
the security sources said, and the garrison town of Damboa, which the
militants sacked a month ago.
Both towns lie on roads linking Nigeria to Cameroon a... more »
Christians flee Qaraqoush in Iraq as Islamic State takes over
Christians flee Qaraqoush in Iraq as Islamic State takes over. Source:
Middle East Eye. Date Published: August 8, 2014.
On Bombing ISIS
War is politics by other, violent means. Proving the axiom right now is the
arc of slaughter carving a great bloody crescent out of the Middle East.
Start from the Mediterranean coast and move gradually in. The racist
hysteria in Israel has found an outlet in the carefree pounding of the Gaza
Strip. Civilians? Children? Collateral, Guv. Blame Hamas. Scan eastwards
and we find Assad's regime just about clinging on. This secular but brutal
monarchy has defended itself by any and all means at its disposal, be it
torture, massacre and, arguably, chemical weapons. As despicable Israel's ... more »
Our Sacred Maiz is our Mother
Electronic billboard at the main library at the U of Arizona... Nice way to
be greeted after being away for the summer...
Russian Bombers Are Increasingly Testing U.S. And Canadian Airspace (Updated)
In September 2006, a U.S. F-15 Eagle from Elmendorf Air Force Base
intercepted a Russian Tu-95 Bear bomber on a training exercise near the
west coast of Alaska.(Photo: U.S. Air Force)
*Russian Bombers Increase Flights Near U.S. Airspace -- USA Today*
For the second time since June, Russian nuclear bombers escorted by fighter
jets have flown near U.S. and Canadian airspace around Alaska in recent
days, prompting precautionary intercepts by American warplanes.
The encounters come amid Russian war games along the border with eastern
Ukraine, raising Western concerns that Moscow might ... more »
World Health Organization (WHO) Has Declared Ebola 'An International Emergency'
*WHO: Ebola 'An International Emergency' -- BBC*
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the spread of Ebola in West
Africa is an international health emergency.
WHO officials said a co-ordinated response was essential to stop and
reverse the spread of the virus.
In Nigeria, one of the latest countries to be affected, President Goodluck
Jonathan has declared a national state of emergency.
More than 960 people have died from Ebola in West Africa this year, two of
them in Nigeria, the WHO says.
There were 68 new cases and 29 deaths reported over the course of two days
this w... more »
Afghanistan's Presidential Candidates Agree To Cooperate In A Future Government
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) speaks next to Afghan presidential
candidates Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah Abdullah (R) during a news
conference in Kabul August 8, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Omar Sobhani
*Afghan Presidential Candidates Endorse Plan for Broad-Based Government --
Wall Street Journal*
Candidates Vow to Step Up Cooperation So New President Can Take Office By
Month's End
KABUL—Afghanistan's two presidential candidates on Friday formally endorsed
a political agreement that paves the way for a broad-based government,
giving new life to a deal facilitated by Secr... more »
“Xbox Live Among Game Services Targeted by US and UK Spy Agencies”
*“Xbox Live Among Game Services Targeted by US and UK Spy Agencies”*
NSA and GCHQ collect gamers' chats and deploy real-life agents
into World of Warcraft and Second Life
by James Ball
"To the National Security Agency analyst writing a briefing to his
superiors, the situation was clear: their current surveillance efforts were
lacking something. The agency's impressive arsenal of cable taps and
sophisticated hacking attacks was not enough. What it really needed was a
horde of undercover Orcs. That vision of spycraft sparked a concerted drive
by the NSA and its UK sister agency GCHQ t... more »
Cutest of cute
*Bai Yun and Yun Zi - photographer unknown*
The Grocery Store Rebellion: Here’s What We Ate During Week 1
Daisy Luther
My family and I decided to embark on a revolution. We have banished the
grocery store from our lives for the next 3 months. Our Grocery Store
Rebellion began on August 1, and this is an update on our first week.
The week began with two major upheavals. Our SUV went into the shop, and
the cow in which we have milk shares died.
Luckily, we had some extra milk on hand, frozen, while our dairy farmer
works on getting a new cow. We have about a 2 week supply of milk left, so
we’re either going to have to wait, find a new source, spend a whopping $18
per gallon at the loca... more »
U.S. CREATES ISIS AND THEN BOMBS IT
US military aircraft have conducted an airstrike on artillery used by the
forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).
The real goal is Iraq is to break it up into three separate countries.
Russian Sanctions Expose West's "Global Disorder"
Tony Cartalucci
In a report by the Sydney Morning Herald titled, "Julie Bishop says
'petulant' Russian sanctions reflect its lack of acceptance for role in
MH17 disaster," it claims:
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says Russia's "petulant" trade sanctions on
Australian food imports is yet another example of Moscow trying to evade
responsibility for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
However, Bishop fails to indicate why Russia should or would accept
responsibility for downing an aircraft when no evidence whatsoever even
suggests such culpability. Canberra, Washington, Lo... more »
Implausible Deniability - West's ISIS Terror Hordes in Iraq
image - Wikipedia
Tony Cartalucci
The US has pledged assistance for victims of and even possible "airstrikes"
against terrorists who have surrounded and threaten to eradicate thousands
of religious minorities in Iraq. However, the terrorists themselves are a
product of US foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa, and
instrumental in achieving Western objectives across the region. Punitive
strikes and aid to the victims of what is essentially a Western mercenary
army is part of maintaining plausible deniability.
The terror hordes originated from NATO territory and have i... more »
Iraq's Refugee Crisis Now Numbers One Million Internally Displaced Persons
*Iraq's Displaced Top One Million -- Voice of America*
GENEVA — The International Organization for Migration reports fighting in
Iraq between Islamic State rebels and Kurdish Peshmerga military has pushed
the number of internally displaced people in Iraq to over one million. IOM
says this is the highest number of IDPs in Iraq since the Islamist advance
began in January.
According to IOM, more than 54 percent of Iraq's displaced have fled their
homes since June. That is when Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant, began an accelerated push for te... more »
Ukraine Preparing To Halt Russian Transit Gas Flows To Europe
The list of possible sanctions includes a “complete or partial ban on the
transit of all resources,” Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told reporters
in Kiev today in response to a question about halting gas flows.
Photographer: Vincent Mundy/Bloomberg
*Ukraine Open To Halting Gas Flows In Russia Sanctions -- Bloomberg*
Ukraine said it’s open to halting Russian gas supplies to Europe through
the country as it plans sanctions on President Vladimir Putin’s government
as part of its battle against pro-Russian separatists.
The list of possible sanctions includes a “complete or partial b... more »
Ukraine Is Preparing For A Very Cold Winter
Reuters / Gleb Garanich
*Kiev Turns Off Hot Water Amid Fears Of Winter Gas Shortage -- RT*
Kiev has turned off hot water throughout the city in an attempt to save gas
for the winter months. The Ukrainian government is unsure how long people
will be affected, or whether the measure will be enough to ensure winter
heating.
Utility company Kievenergo cut gas supplies to all thermal power plants
that warm the water supplied to households, adding that it received the
order from the Ministry of Energy and Coal Mining. “All the thermal power
plants have had their gas supply cut as of Aug... more »
Mandatory Conscription Is Bringing The War Home For Thousands Of Ukrainians
*Photo*: Kiev investment manager Andriy Gerus may be drafted any day.
Volodymyr Verbyany
*Ukraine's Military Draft Brings War Home for Thousands -- Bloomberg*
The knock on the door for Andriy Gerus came on a Monday morning in July.
Fresh from getting his MBA in London, Gerus, a managing director at
Ukrainian investment company Concorde Capital, was preparing to take his
baby for a stroll in the pleasant Holosiyevo district of Kiev. Instead, the
surprise visitor handed him orders to report to the Ukrainian army’s
commissariat, the agency in charge of the draft. Gerus says his heart ... more »
August interlude: Upon our return from Maine!
*FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014*
*Bogus grades, fraudulent wine:* On our Amtrak-enabled sojourn to Maine, we
learned an array of valuable lessons. Among them:
You can’t convince a 2-year-old that fireworks are actually fun.
Also, a bit more complicatedly:
If an 8-year-old is actually funny, and if she can do an array of voices,
she’ll hear your laughter as a request that her program continue for hours.
The next day, she’ll be doing her impression of a blues singer from a raft
in a swimming pool! As her Uncle Brendan asked at one point, “Where do they
*get* this stuff?”
He was live and d... more »
Standing Up For Jeff Merkley (D-OR)... Because He's Always There For Working Families
Click here to contribute today
Yesterday we helped out with a Jeff Merkely money bomb. 2,528 contributors
from all over the country helped raise $73,168.30 for Jeff's campaign. The
Koch brothers' candidate, Monica Wehby, has already raised $2,049,732 but
that isn't what worried progressives up in Oregon. What does is the
limitless funds that anti-democracy plutocrats like the Kochs, the Adelsons
and like-minded reactionaries can pour into the race. In 2008, when Jeff
first beat Republican incumbent Gordon Smith, Smith raised $13,297,429 to
Merkley's $6,512,231 but Merkley beat him a... more »
Ukraine Civil War News Updates -- August 8, 2014
*Ukraine Troops Break Out Of Encirclement, 15 Troops Killed -- Reuters*
(Reuters) - Ukrainian army units which had been trapped by separatists on
the border with Russia broke out of the blockade on Friday and rejoined
government forces, but 15 soldiers and border guards were killed in the
operation, the Ukrainian military said.
Military sources quoted by Ukrainian media said Ukrainian units had been
effectively encircled by the rebels on a section of the border with Russia
south of the town of Luhansk and east of the main regional city of Donetsk.
After government forces opened up... more »
World News Briefs -- August 8, 2014
*Gaza At War Again After Militants Fire Rockets Into Israel And The Jewish
State Responds, Killing A Ten-Year-Old Palestinian In Mosque Air Strike --
Daily Mail*
* At least 10 rockets fired into Israel as negotiators failed to extend
ceasefire which expired at 8am today (5am GMT)
* Israel declared truce over and hit 'terror sites' in new strikes as
minister warned ground troops could invade again
* Wave of attacks from land, air and sea hit Nour al-Mohammadi Mosque in
Gaza City, killing boy and wounding five
* Palestinian factions negotiated until 4am but would not extend truce
un... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- August 8, 2014
*The New U.S. Military Mission In Iraq: What We Know Now -- Washington Post*
President Obama said Thursday night that he has authorized two new, major
actions by the U.S. military in Iraq: airstrikes against militants with the
Islamic State if U.S. interests or personnel are threatened, and
humanitarian assistance for thousands of civilians who have fled the
Islamist advance in northwest Iraq and are now trapped on a mountain.
Even those two specific missions are more complicated than that, however.
First, the U.S. humanitarian mission on Mount Sinjar began Thursday with
airdrops ... more »
Ed Delaney’s Son's 2012 Senate Race Funded by Corporate Ed
by Doug Martin
Although state representative Ed Delaney has been a friend to public
education so far, we better keep a close eye on his son, Democrat Edward
Timothy Delaney—or simply Tim, if he decides to run for the Indiana state
Senate in the future.
Although he lost the election, Edward Timothy Delaney's 2012 campaign was
highly funded by many of the hedge fund managers and billionaires across
the country deeply involved in turning our schools over the those with the
most greed.
In 2012, hedge fund manager David Tepper gave $1,000 to both to Tim Delaneyand
Mary Ann Sulliva... more »
The Economy: "One of the All-Time Greatest Investment Myths Exposed"
*"One of the All-Time Greatest Investment Myths Exposed" *
by Bill Bonner
Let's begin with a quote in Latin. That will put us in the right mood –
reaching for the eternal verities: “Fere libenter homines id quod volunt
credunt.” That was penned by Julius Caesar in De Bello Gallico, his account
of the Roman conquest of Gaul. We didn't know what it meant either, until
last night. In case your Latin is a little rusty, we will give you a little
WD-40. It means "Men willingly believe what they wish to be true." At
least, they believe it as long as they can... As long as stocks rise, for... more »
Nagasaki: The Worst War Crime Ever
August 9th 2014 marks the 69th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the
Japanese city of Nagasaki.... On this date, some 69 years ago, a US B29
nicknamed "Bocks Car" was running low on fuel and had to abort its original
target of Kokura due to heavy cloud cover (The accompanying B29 aircraft
"Great Artiste" was carrying camera equipment to record the gruesome event
for posterity) and was therefore diverted to its secondary target being
Nagasaki. However, when Bocks Car arrived over Nagasaki, it had almost
overcast cloud conditions as well. There was talk about aborting the drop
a... more »
Troops to Teachers is a failure. That kind of sucks.
I learned just now that the military’s initiative to encourage former
soldiers to become teachers, called Troops to Teachers, has been a failure.
There are legitimate critiques of the program, although not all veterans
are coming from combat. Nevertheless, I first encountered mention of this
program when I was looking for potential solutions to the […]
Bill Whittle: The Murderer in the Kremlin...
*you need to know who you're dealing with when you deal with Russians. *
Russia is on the move. But as Bill Whittle shows in this searing FIREWALL,
Americans simply cannot wrap their minds around the history of terror and
murder of the Russian Secret Police. Bill presents that history in horrific
fashion, and shows the West just what it is up against.
I'm off to work. See you all later.
Why President Obama's Current Strategy On Using Air Strikes To Stop ISIS Will Fail
*Obama’s Iraq Plan Has a Killer Flaw—and Airstrikes Alone May Not Save It
-- Jacob Siegel, Daily Beast*
The U.S. gambled on local militias to keep ISIS in check. The president’s
authorization of airstrikes is an admission that bet didn’t pay off.
Friday morning, with a humanitarian mission already underway, the United
States began airstrikes on ISIS in northern Iraq. What had been the U.S.
policy—to rely on local forces to contain ISIS while waiting for a new
Iraqi government to reach a political solution—is finished. The new policy
is still taking shape, but it may eventually lea... more »
Contract interpretation a question of mixed fact and law
In Sattva Capital Corp. *v.* Creston Moly Corp., 2014 SCC 53 the Supreme
Court has changed a long held view that contractual interpretation raises a
question of law. The Court does so on the basis, in part, that when the
rule was created jurors were often illiterate.
Some might wonder at how illiterate an English commercial jury of the 1700s
was? Indeed, some might suggest such juries might have greater literary
expertise than a typical modern Canadian jury.
Regardless the change has been made:
[43] Historically, determining the legal rights
and obligati... more »
Ed Delaney's Corporate ED Funders: SERIOUS ALERT
by Doug Martin
When Indiana Senate Democrat Ed Delaney and his daughter never returned
emails I sent to them when I was shopping for a lawyer for *Hoosier School
Heist*, I figured Delaney didn’t need my business or my money, but now I
know there is more to the story.
Although Delaney has been a friend to public education so far, we better
keep a close eye on him in the future because Delaney's 2012 campaign was
highly funded by many of the hedge fund managers and billionaires across
the country deeply involved in turning our schools over the those with the
most greed.
In 2012, ... more »
Everywhere Is War: World Edition
America is one hell of a schizophrenic bastion of phony democracy.
Depending upon geography, the ethnicity of the target populations, and the
politicians being bribed, America the Exceptional either drops proxy bombs
on people (Gaza), direct-drones people ("tribal" areas), or drops packages
of food, water and medicine on a carefully vetted few (a remote mountaintop
in Iraq) as P.R. cover for a bombing campaign that benefits multinational
oil companies ("American interests.")
To be fair, if ISIS was attacking the Gaza Strip instead of Northern Iraq,
I think President Obama would als... more »
Untitled
*Saints Game Day in the Who Dat nation, photos ~WVUE*
*B&B Vs. Airbnb: Competition And Common Ground Between Traditional Inns And
The New Sharing Economy ~Nina Feldman, WWNO*
*Hurricane season starting to look more quiet than usual, NOAA reports ~Amy
Wold, The Advocate *
*Breeding the perfect oyster? ~Thanh Truong, WWLTV *
*National Oyster Day! ~NOLA DEFENDER*
War Returns To Gaza
*Cease-Fire In Gaza Expires, And Strikes Resume -- New York Times*
JERUSALEM — As a 72-hour truce in Gaza expired at 8 a.m. Friday,
Palestinian militants fired barrages of rockets into Israel and the Israeli
military responded with airstrikes, one of which killed a 10-year-old boy,
according to relatives.
The renewed hostilities interrupted the indirect talks in Cairo, brokered
by Egypt and backed by the United States, for a more durable cease-fire
agreement. While the rocket fire signaled Hamas’s refusal to extend the
temporary lull and its desire to apply pressure for its demand... more »
Why We Must Worry About The Terrorist Havens That Now Exist In Iraq And Syria
*Terror Havens In Syria And Iraq: Five Reasons The West Should Worry --
Paul Cruickshank, CNN*
(CNN) -- The Sunni Muslim extremist group ISIS has torn through eastern
Syria and northern and western Iraq in recent months, seizing territory for
what it says is its new Islamic caliphate and butchering those who stand in
their way.
The situation has become especially dire for minority groups. Iraqi
Christians are on the run, with ISIS taking over their largest city,
Qaraqosh, and giving them an ultimatum: Convert to Islam or die. In
addition, thousands of families from the Yazidi min... more »
U.S. Launches Airstrikes Against ISIS In Iraq (Updated)
*U.S. Bombs ISIS Fighters In Iraq -- CBS News*
The U.S. military backed up the Obama administration's vow to keep ISIS
militants in Iraq out of a key northern city with at least one 500-pound
laser-guided bomb dropped from American F/A-18 fighter jets on Friday.
Sources confirmed to CBS News that two of the American jets targeted an
ISIS artillery piece that was shelling Kurdish forces near Erbil.
Both jets returned safely to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush
after the strike.
Sunni Islamic militants have stepped up efforts to expand their territory
in northern Iraq, and ... more »
It's Not Working
http://news.nationalpost.com/
Justin Trudeau's autobiography will soon hit the bookstores. It's probably
been ghost written and -- because it's appearing now -- it's a blatantly
political document. Predictably, Conservatives are not impressed. Tasha
Kheiriddin writes:
Writing an autobiography at a young age is fine if your experiences give
you something valuable to teach others. Malala Yousafzai is 16, but she
survived getting shot in the head while campaigning for girls’ education
rights in Afghanistan. Anne Frank was only... more »
Real Democrats Don't Run Away When Right-Wingers Attack-- Meet Ohio's Michael Wager
OH-14, just east of Cleveland, is another swing district that Steve Israel
is ignoring. It's a winnable seat and there's an exceptionally good
Democratic candidate, Michael Wager, and a weak and vulnerable Republican,
David Joyce. Joyce, a backbencher who other Republicans have noted is just
a puppet of Boehner and the Republican Beltway Establishment, isn't well
known by his constituents, who tell pollsters that are very much open to
replacing him with a Democrat.
Yesterday morning Michael Wager was on the radio with Bill Press (above)
and when Press asked him, he immediately ... more »
12 Ways to Repurpose a Crib
Whenever I see that somebody is getting rid of an old crib, I have a hard
time not snapping it up. There are SO many amazing things that can be made
with old cribs, and many don't require that much work. Here are some of my
favorites!
Kids Art enter on Egnash Family.
Crib Garden Trellis by Dandelions in my Vase.
Bench made out of a Baby Crib by Cassandra Design.
Craft Tool Station from Crafty Nest.
Picnic Wagon from Tidbits
Memory Board from The Painted Parsonage.
Crib to Book Storage from DIY Home Sweet Home
Crib to Chalkboard by the Red Kitchen.
Jewelry Organizer by Infarran... more »
USA's Air-Strikes on ISIS
So, Wall Street puppet and imperialist shill Barack Obama has decided that
the menace of the fundamentalist murderers of ISIS requires US airstrikes
in Iraq to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe? I put forward some of my
thoughts on these Sunni militants at this post. Basically, I'm just saying
that there's a large portion of bullshit in this crisis.
This post is just one of many wherein I announce my knee-jerk opposition to
any and all cases for Western humanitarian intervention. Our leaders are
vile, inhuman scum-bags who can't be trusted.
There's just no way in hell that US satel... more »
President Obama Orders Contractors To Disclose Labor Violations, Stop Mandatory Arbitration
In a gutsy and controversial move, President Obama signed an executive order
placing new tough restrictions on federal contractors. If your employer
contracts with the federal government it may have to disclose all labor
violations in order to bid, and also have to stop mandating arbitration of
employment disputes.
The pre-bid disclosure language is tough. It requires anyone bidding for a
contract of $500,000 or greater to disclose:
[A]ny administrative merits determination, arbitral award or decision, or
civil judgment, as defined in guidance issued by the Department of Labor,
ren... more »
Russian Arctic Helicopter Ready for Deliveries in 2015 - Source
[image: Mi-8 Hip]Deliveries of the Mi-8AMTSh-VA helicopters, a variant of
the Mi-8 medium twin-turbine transport helicopter modified for use in the
Arctic, may begin as early as next year, Leonid Belykh, managing director
of the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (UUAP), said Friday.
“Basically, everything is ready. A prototype model is in the works, and it
is all up to the Defense Ministry now. If we sign a deal this year, then we
will start [the deliveries] next year,” Belykh told RIA Novosti.
The aviation plant reported that the helicopter meets all the requirements
in order to excel in the... more »
India offers to buy more U.S. helicopters, hopes to drive down costs
[image: AH-64D Apache Longbow]India has offered to significantly increase
an order for U.S. attack helicopters, Indian officials said, as U.S.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel began a visit to New Delhi on Thursday aimed
at boosting defence and strategic ties.
The Apache gunships and a deal for Chinook helicopters, both built by
Boeing, will top the agenda in Hagel's talks on Friday with the new
administration led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India has offered a follow-on order of 39 AH-64D Apache helicopters in
addition to the 22 now being negotiated, a Defence Ministry official s... more »
Poland Retains Su-22s, Wants New Attack Helicopters
[image: Su22M4 Fitter]Faced with a worsening security situation in
neighboring Ukraine, Poland has issued a requirement for new attack
helicopters that could be worth more than $1.3 billion.
Meanwhile, however, the country’s choice of 72 new multirole helicopters
worth nearly $2.7 billion is still undecided. Budget problems continue to
frustrate the armed forces’ desire for new equipment.
Earlier this year, Poland decided to retain one squadron of aging Su-22
strike aircraft for up to 10 more years, since it cannot afford a
replacement.
Read more
The Pathetic Hypocricy of Israel and USA on Palestinian ICC Plans to Probe War Crimes in Gaza
I've touched before on the hypocritical attitude of the USA regarding the
activities – or lack of activities – of the International Criminal Court,
ICC with regard to international conflicts: here and here. In that case,
the conflict in question pertained to Syria. Now, a few days ago, there
were news of an official visit of the foreign minister of the Palestinian
Authority, Riad al-Malki, to the ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, where the
former urged the ICC to probe alleged war crimes of Israeli soldiers, IDF
high officers, state officials and politicians during the recent and
ong... more »
Gold and silver Update ( August 8 , 2014 ) - Chins demand still going strong - total chinese gold reserves now at 15,000 tons , numerous items from GATA touching on the precious metals !
https://www.bullionstar.com/article/chinese%20gold%20demand%201063%20mt%20ytd
Chinese Gold Demand 1063 MT YTD
Total Chinese Reserves Reach 15,000 Tonnes
Published: 04-08-2014 20:32
[image: Chinese Gold Demand 1063 MT YTD]
For ten days I've been on vacation without internet, hence I missed one
week to report on withdrawals from the Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE) vaults.
Here is a quick overview of what happened in the Chinese gold market in
week 29 and 30.
In week 29 (July 14 -18) 32 metric tonnes were withdrawn from SGE vaults
and in week 30 (July 20 - 25) 33 tonnes were withdrawn. Both... more »
Obama: "America is coming to help" Airstrikes on Iraq, alone?
*UPDATES HAVE BEGUN!*
*Scroll down*
*Obama- the man makes me want to vomit!**CBC-*
*"America is coming to help,*" Obama said during a *(late night)* news
conference in the White House dining room.
Why a late night conference? Coming to help who and for what? And how is
it that airstrikes really ever help anyone?
We can already notice the contradictions?
*Reuters photographs showed what appeared to be Islamic State fighters
controlling a checkpoint at the border area of the Kurdish semi-autonomous
region,* little over 30 minutes' drive from Arbil, a city of 1.5 million
that is hea... more »
Bipartisan Duo Push Criminal Justice Reform With REDEEM Act
Republican Senator Rand Paul has joined forces with Democratic Senator Cory
Booker in pushing for reform of the way that the U.S. criminal justice
system treats non-violent youthful offenders. It is encouraging in these
twisted times of toxic political acrimony to actually see signs of forward
thinking senators rise above the trench warfare to advocate for a higher
cause. It is a cause that represents the best interests of our shared
society in the long-term rather than just the capsule of an election cycle.
The duo are working on getting legislation enacted that would remove the
... more »
Aisha North: A short update on the energies
http://aishanorth.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/a-short-update-on-the-energies-53/
A short update on the energies
by Aisha North
August 7, 2014
As you all know by now, the highway lies before you ready to be taken into
full use. And what do we mean by that? Simply that now it is up to each and
every one of you to determine the speed you want to go at, for this time,
there will be no limits at all as to how fast you can proceed into this
brand new territory that lies before you. You see, the gates are open and
the signal has been given, and as such, you can take off at any time you
want ... more »
Greg Hunter, “Weekly News Wrap-Up 8.8.14”
*“Weekly News Wrap-Up 8.8.14”*
By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
“Every story I have could have been the lead story, but I am starting with
the Ukraine crisis. I told you that the downing of Malaysian flight 17
would not have any effect on what was coming. The investigation has been
halted because of fighting in the area, and it really makes no difference
who shot it down because war is coming no matter what. Right now, the
economic war has intensified with Russia imposing its own sanctions on the
EU and the U.S. It will be stopping many different agricultural products
from enterin... more »
Russian Sanctions Expose West's "Global Disorder"
*August 8, 2014 *(Tony Cartalucci - LD) - In a report by the Sydney Morning
Herald titled, "Julie Bishop says 'petulant' Russian sanctions reflect its
lack of acceptance for role in MH17 disaster," it claims:
*Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says Russia's "petulant" trade sanctions on
Australian food imports is yet another example of Moscow trying to evade
responsibility for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.*
However, Bishop fails to indicate why Russia should or would accept
responsibility for downing an aircraft when no evidence whatsoever even
suggests such culpability... more »
Would the President deliberately float amnesty to bait the GOP ? ( August 8 , 2014 ) -- While the country waits to see what Amnesty Executive Order is rolled out in the near term , consider these highlights on the restive Border Lands of the US .....
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/384920/amnesty-impeachment-bait-charles-krauthammer
AUGUST 7, 2014 8:00 PM
Amnesty as Impeachment Bait
The president’s breathtakingly cynical plan to ward off a midterm
shellacking
By Charles Krauthammer
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Charles Krauthammer
President Obama is impatient. Congress won’t act on immigration, he says,
and therefore he will. The White House is coy as to exactly what the
president will do. But the leaks point to an executive order essentially
legalizi... more »
Australia slides into Police State Mode ( August 8 , 2014 ) ---- Australia's metadata debate is an utter shambles The goalposts are moving hourly and ministers are contradicting intelligence agencies and themselves ......
What the heck is Australis doing ????
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/06/australias_metadata_debate_is_an_utter_shambles/
Australia's metadata debate is an utter shamblesThe goalposts are moving
hourly and ministers are contradicting intelligence agencies and themselves
By Richard Chirgwin, 6 Aug 2014
43
RELATED STORIES
- Spooks, cops, say Oz metadata push is for consistency, not data grab
- *POLL* Help Australia's PM and attorney-general to define metadata
- A modest proposal: Australian ISPs should JUMP at the chance to store
metadata
- Yes, Australia's govern... more »
Su-25 Attack Aircraft Production May Resume at Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant
[image: Su-25 Frogfoot]The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (UUAP) may resume the
production of Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jets, the plant’s managing director
Leonid Belykh said.
“We used to produce the Su-25 jets and today our equipment is still in good
condition, so the question is under consideration. S
ome serious investment will be needed, and it is likely that another
factory will take up the production. But if the government orders us to do
it, we shall do it. If the production is to be transferred to somebody
else, so be it,” Belykh told RIA Novosti.
Read more
Implausible Deniability - West's ISIS Terror Hordes in Iraq
*August 8, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - The US has pledged assistance for
victims of and even possible "airstrikes" against terrorists who have
surrounded and threaten to eradicate thousands of religious minorities in
Iraq. However, the terrorists themselves are a product of US foreign policy
in the Middle East and North Africa, and instrumental in achieving Western
objectives across the region. Punitive strikes and aid to the victims of
what is essentially a Western mercenary army is part of maintaining
plausible deniability.
The terror hordes originated from NATO territory and... more »
Shaping a Global A330MRTT Fleet: Shaping Sustainable Airpower Reach
[image: A330 MRTT]An insertion force is characterized by strike, defense,
lift, tanking and air battle management that can be effectively integrated
to get to an objective area, and then to operate over and within until
mission success.
Sustainable reach is a fundamental operational objective.
This means that lift and tanking assets are much more than “support”
assets, they are part of the overall sustainable assault force.
Read more
Federal government scraps plans to buy four new spy planes
[image: CP-140 Aurora]The federal government is scrapping plans to purchase
as many as four new manned spy planes for domestic and international
surveillance missions.
The Department of National Defence notified military contractors on Tuesday
that Ottawa is no longer considering purchasing the new planes, citing
“security and technical feasibility” reasons.
Rather than purchase the new planes, the department said it anticipates
buying “some elements” in a competitive bidding process, and others
directly from the United States government.
Read more
Japan, US to develop fuel-cell submarine: report
Japan and the United States will jointly develop a fuel-cell powered
submarine that can run for a month under the sea on a single charge, a
report said on Friday.
The top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the unmanned, 10-metre
(33-feet) long sub would be able to chart a pre-programmed course before
returning to base.
The story, citing unnamed Japanese defence ministry officials, comes as
Tokyo and Washington look to beef up their security alliance as they warily
eye an increasingly assertive China.
Read more
NATO set to cut three aircraft from AWACS fleet
[image: NATO E-3A Sentry]NATO looks set to reduce its E-3 Airborne Warning
And Control System (AWACS) fleet from 17 to 14 aircraft, according to an
upgrade contract awarded to Boeing on 6 August.
The USD250 million contract will see the flight decks of 13 AWACS aircraft
modernised to make them Global Air Traffic Management (GATM)-compliant.
This is in addition to one engineering manufacturing and development (EMD)
aircraft, which is due to enter flight testing later this year.
Read more
Assessing China's airborne early warning and control systems
[image: KJ-2000 Mainring]China has successfully developed it own airborne
early warning and control (AEW&C) system, with the KJ-2000 and the KJ-200,
reported overseas Chinese news outlet Duowei on Aug. 4.
After China's initial attempts to develop its own system in the 1970s, the
nation looked to Russia but the price was too high and the functionality
fell short of China's expectations. An attempt to import the Israeli A-501
in the mid-1990s was blocked by the US and eventually fell through.
In 2002, China stopped importing Russian AEW&C systems and developed its
own, the KJ-2000 an... more »
Obama authorizes airstrikes in Iraq
[image: F/A-18 Super Hornet]The United States intervened militarily in Iraq
early this morning for the first time since Islamist militants seized
control of nearly half the country, dropping humanitarian supplies to tens
of thousands of people who fled their homes when the Islamic State captured
the city of Sinjar in northern Iraq.
In a nationally televised address, President Barack Obama said he had also
authorized targeted airstrikes “to protect American personnel,” citing an
Islamic State advance on the city of Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s
autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government... more »
Navy to base 6 littoral combat ships at Mayport
[image: USS Freedom (LCS 1) & USS Indepencence (LCS 2)]The Navy made it
official Thursday: Six littoral combat ships will be homeported at Mayport
Naval Station starting in 2016, and more of the Navy's newest ships could
be assigned there by 2020.
The six ships would bring 900 sailors and support personnel to the Mayport
area. The ships are the future Little Rock, Sioux City, Wichita, Billings,
Indianapolis and LCS 19 (name pending).
"Naval Station Mayport should be the rightful home of the Navy’s cutting
edge ships and technologies, and I’m pleased by what the LCS will mean for
Fl... more »
Last of deactivated Malmstrom missile silos eliminated
[image: Deactivated ICBM silo]The last of the deactivated intercontinental
ballistic missile silos operated by Malmstrom Air Force Base were
eliminated Tuesday.
The silos were previously activated by the 564th Missile Squadron, which
was deactivated in 2008.
Under New START, a nuclear arms-reduction treaty with Russia, those empty
silos counted as nondeployed missile launchers. New START, which was
ratified in 2011, limits the U.S. and Russia to 800 nondeployed launchers.
Read more
Russian Strategic Bombers Conduct More Than 16 Incursions of U.S. Air Defense Zones
[image: Tu-95 Bear]Russian strategic nuclear bombers conducted at least 16
incursions into northwestern U.S. air defense identification zones over the
past 10 days, an unusually sharp increase in aerial penetrations, according
to U.S. defense officials.
The numerous flight encounters by Tu-95 Russian Bear H bombers prompted the
scrambling of U.S. jet fighters on several occasions, and come amid
heightened U.S.-Russia tensions over Ukraine.
Also, during one bomber incursion near Alaska, a Russian
intelligence-gathering jet was detected along with the bombers.
Read more
Untitled
*The hidden “persuaders” of the environmentalist elite**We can scarcely imagine the countless ways the ultra-rich Big Green / Big
Government movement acts in consort to control our lives – at the behest of
the 0.01% of uber-elites ... and at the expense of the 99% of American
taxpayers, consumers, workers and citizens. Even worse, just when we think
we are beginning to grasp the enormity of the problem, another report
emerges to demonstrate that we still don’t know the half of it, or even the
fiftieth. In this article, Washington Examiner columnist and Center for the
Defense of Fr... more »
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