10:24pm MDST
onald Trump is a Bad Deal for the GOP
Poor Donald Trump. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. For years, wherever The Donald went, he met people who told him he should run for president. His retinue of sycophants surely saw little to gain from explaining that “birthers,”... The post Donald Trump is a Bad Deal for the GOP appeared first on The Stream .
Quote of the day: The reason central banks were created …
*“Central banks were not created to ‘stabilise’ economies, but to fund governments.” *- George Selgin, speaking this morning at OCON2015 Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
China Market Meltdown !!!! July 8 , 2015 - Gravity has not been repealed - unfortunately chinese stock investors getting that news three weeks too late ! Lessons learned - ( 1) Stocks go down as well as up ; (2) margin debt is bad news , home gamers !
Tweets...... *SoberLook.com* @SoberLook 1m1 minute agoNew York, USA Chart: China's stock market unravels; full panic mode - [image: Embedded image permalink] Edward Harrison retweeted *Cate Long* @cate_long 32m 32 minutes ago Cate Long retweeted Simon Rabinovitch 89% of stocks on Chinese market now halted. Cate Long added, *Simon Rabinovitch* @S_Rabinovitch @cate_long @A_Reader_FT @PatrickMcGee_ 51% are frozen; 38% are limit-down. Limit-down is fluid, so could come off the floor if market rises *zerohedge* @zerohedge 9m 9 minutes ago Value of Chine... more »
Feds Discover Their Own Aid is to Blame for Rising Tuition
A new report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has found that the massive investment in grants and student loans by the federal government is a major contributor to the unbridled growth in the cost of attending college. College tuition... The post Feds Discover Their Own Aid is to Blame for Rising Tuition appeared first on The Stream.
TV Watch: USA's "Mr. Robot" brings us yet another of those fiendishly world-conquering villains from Scandinavia
*Episode 3 of Mr. Robot airs tomorrow night on USA Network.* *by Ken* I admit that the first thing that put me off of USA's new series *Mr. Robot* was the title. Wouldn't you assume that a show called *Mr. Robot* is about robots, or at least *one* robot? And I wasn't in the market for a show about robots, which sounded suspiciously like an offshoot of the vampire/zombie genre, which I don't participate in. Fortunately, Noah tipped me off withthe advisory that it's his favorite TV offering since *Breaking Bad*, which, coming from him, is exalted praise indeed. So I confirmed that t... more »
Musical Interlude: Leonard Cohen, “Everybody Knows”
Leonard Cohen, “Everybody Knows” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lin-a2lTelg
What is going on now in Greece and what the people should do next to restart their country. Costas Lapavistsas lays it out.
------------------------------ *Syriza MP: It's Time to Take Over the Banks (2/2)* Paul Jay discusses the results of the Greek referendum with Costas Lapavitsas and asks whether Syriza was prepared for this moment - July 6, 2015 Original Here https://youtu.be/A-x-IlOW19M?list=PLhvPB4lyc4dRGni9nReqS0cmq8pufU_E4 https://youtu.be/7LoTv2OG7-Y?list=PLhvPB4lyc4dRGni9nReqS0cmq8pufU_E4 Bio . Costas Lapavitsas is a professor in economics at the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies. He teaches the political economy of finance, and he's a regular columnist for The G... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“The universe is filled with galaxies. But to see them astronomers must look out beyond the stars of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. This colorful Hubble Space Telescopic portrait features spiral galaxy NGC 6384, about 80 million light-years away in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus. At that distance, NGC 6384 spans an estimated 150,000 light-years, while the Hubble close-up of the galaxy's central region is about 70,000 light-years wide. * Click image for larger size.* The sharp image shows details in the distant galaxy's blue star clusters and dust lanes along magnifice... more »
"It Remains True..."
"There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve, then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tiny blasts of tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us." - Walt Kelly
"As Afraid As The Next Man..."
“I was as afraid as the next man in my time and maybe more so. But with the years, fear had come to be regarded as a form of stupidity to be classed with overdrafts, acquiring a venereal disease or eating candies. Fear is a child's vice and while I loved to feel it approach, as one does with any vice, it was not for grown men and the only thing to be afraid of was the presence of true and imminent danger in a form that you should be aware of and not be a fool if you were responsible for others.” - Ernest Hemingway, “True at First Light”
"The Needs Of The Many..."
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few... or the one." - Spock, "The Wrath of Khan"
"Look..."
"Look, I want to love this world as though it's the last chance I'm ever going to get to be alive and know it." - Mary Oliver
"The Ants of Gaia"
"The Ants of Gaia" by Joe Bageant "The power of population is so superior to the power of the earth to produce subsistence for man, that premature death must in some shape or other visit the human race. The vices of mankind are active and able ministers of depopulation. They are the precursors in the great army of destruction, and often finish the dreadful work themselves. But should they fail in this war of extermination, sickly seasons, epidemics, pestilence, and plague advance in terrific array, and sweep off their thousands and tens of thousands. Should success be still incomp... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Moosehorn, Manitoba, Canada. Thanks for stopping by.
"Avoiding Negative Vibrations: Taking on the Energy of Others"
*"Avoiding Negative Vibrations: Taking on the Energy of Others"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM "In order to protect ourselves from taking on any negative energy from other people or situations, we can learn to shield. There are times when you may find that being around certain individuals or groups of people leaves you with feelings of discomfort. It may be that spending time with a particular friend feels draining or that dealing with a specific coworker exhausts you. Being around toxic or angry people is also draining. And you may even find that being surrounded by a crowd of pe... more »
Q: What is the cause of the #GreekCrisis ?
What is inflation? Despite what you’ve heard, it’s not rising prices – although that may be one of the *effects*. So ask then, what is the cause of the Greek tragedy? Answer: Inflation. The Greek Government borrowed without the means to repay. Never mind prices, *this* is inflation. And what you’re seeing now is its results. Let me stress again … *By inflation, I don’t refer to rising consumer prices in Athens. My Greek friends tell me that prices have been steady there in recent years. The focus on prices is the greatest sleight of hand ever perpetrated. It diverts your attenti... more »
Feinstein and Califano
October 30, 1996 Medical Marijuana Use Winning Backing By CAREY GOLDBERG *LOS ANGELES, Oct. 29— *The Clinton Administration has condemned it as a cynical hoax, the Republican Presidential candidate, Bob Dole, has denounced it as dangerous, and in a letter released today, former Presidents George Bush, Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter call it a threat to the public health of ''all Americans.'' But in the battle over Proposition 215, the California initiative that would legalize the medical use of marijuana for people with AIDS, cancer and other diseases, polls show voters leaning... more »
Crisis Management
National Security Decision Directives (NSDD) were issued by President Ronald Reagan and his Assistants to the President for National Security Affairs to set forth official national security policy for the guidance of the defense, intelligence, and foreign policy establishments of the United States Government. Presidential administrations have issued similar numbered papers to guide policy since the formation of the National Security Council (NSC) in 1947. Each directive was given a number assigned in sequence in order of issuance. The originals of these documents are presidential ... more »
Rupert Murdoch, Rhodes-Rothschild and De Beers
"After cashing out of the diamond business, *Nicky Oppenheimer has moved into investing.* The Oppenheimer family ended its 85-year reign atop diamond giant De Beers in 2012 when Nicky sold his 40% stake to mining conglomerate *Anglo American for $5.1 billion in cash. Anglo American, which Nicky's grandfather founded, now controls 85% of De Beers;* the government of Botswana owns the remaining 15%. *Nicky Oppenheimer served on Anglo American's board for 37 years through 2011, and he retains an estimated 1.8% stake in the company. *His E. Oppenheimer & Son entity controls investment...more »
The Fate of a Nation - by David Friedman (1995)
The Fate of a Nation : On the eve of the 21st Century, three economies--the Wired, the Kluge and the Provincial--are struggling for dominance in America. Only one of them promises high wages and continued growth, but it does not have a political voice. August 20, 1995|David Friedman | *David Friedman, an urban economist, was director of the New Economy Project and is president of an international business consulting firm* More than class or race, three divisions increasingly define America: ** The Wired economy .* The densely packed concentration of entrepreneurs and companies in... more »
U.S. Commitment And Promises To Build Up An Effective Syrian Rebel Army Has Failed Miserably
Hosam Katan/Reuters *Jamie Dettmer, Daily Beast:* *Unreliable Syrian Recruits for an Unworkable Obama Army to Fight ISIS* Only a handful of volunteers signed up for the training program, and many of them quit for Ramadan. ISTANBUL — An “update on our strategy to degrade and destroy” the Islamic State is how the White House has been promoting President Barack Obama’s remarks Monday at the Pentagon. The president talked about a “systematic campaign of airstrikes” against the extremists and of increasing support to forces fighting the militants in Iraq, but when it came to Syria Obam... more »
What Happened When Portugal Decriminalised Drugs
*Guest post by **Anything Peaceful* On July 1, 2001, Portugal did something extraordinary: it quit the war on drugs — or, at least, the war on drug *users* — by decriminalising all controlled substances. Portugal still tries to stop the supply of drugs, but, in the last fourteen years, it has not sent people to prison for possessing or using drugs. The decision was all the more remarkable because the country really did seem to have a problem with drugs: Portugal was in the middle of an “addiction epidemic,” with 1 in 100 Portuguese addicted to heroin. But since the shift in poli... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- July 7, 2015
*Elias Papaioannou, Richard Portes and Lucrezia Reichlin, Reuters:* *Before Greece becomes a failed state, here’s how to stop the slide* The “No” has prevailed. But given the campaign and the ambiguous messages on both sides of the struggle over whether and how Greece should repay its debts, the results cannot be read as a no to Europe. Europe needs Greece, and Greece needs Europe, regardless of the results of Sunday’s referendum. That reality must be the guiding principle in negotiations between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ government and the European Union. *Commentaries, Ana... more »
Alice Embree : METRO | Jefferson Davis has no place on UT’s Main Mall
Students and the public are making their voices heard at forums on the UT campus. By Alice Embree | The Rag Blog | July 7, 2015 What: University of Texas at Austin Public Forum Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2015 Time: … finish reading Alice Embree : *METRO* | Jefferson Davis has no place on UT’s Main Mall
Catholic Priest Feared Kidnapped by Islamist Militants in Syria
Islamist militants reportedly kidnapped a parish priest in northwestern Syria, the latest Christian figure to fall victim to the ongoing Syrian war. An overseeing body for Franciscan missionaries in the Middle East lost contact with the Rev. Dhiya Aziz after he was taken for a “brief... The post Catholic Priest Feared Kidnapped by Islamist Militants in Syria appeared first on The Stream.
Thomas Sowell at 85: Looking Back
After my 85th birthday last week, I looked back over my life and was surprised to discover in how many different ways I had been lucky, in addition to some other ways in which I was unlucky. Among the things... The post Thomas Sowell at 85: Looking Back appeared first on The Stream.
Neocon Propagandist Accuses Texas “Right Wingers” of being Tools of Vladimir Putin
Since the onset of hostilities in Ukraine last winter, the Obama regime and the State Department have been churning out some real whoppers in order to juice arms sales to European client states. The reviled Russian leader Vladimir Putin has become America’s version of Emmanuel Goldstein and the shills in the media ministry of propaganda are eager to provide the woefully uninformed sheep with their “Two Minutes Hate” to jump start the Cold War. The prime motivation behind foolishly instigating a conflict with a nuclear armed Russia always seems to have been based on profiteering f... more »
World News Briefs -- July 7, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*Voice of America:* *Greece Offers Bailout 'Improvements,' Angers European Leaders * PARIS - Debt-wracked Greece said Tuesday that it had made "improvements" in its financial plan in hopes of collecting more bailout money, but it angered European leaders when its leaders showed up at a summit in Brussels without a written proposal. An Athens official said the plan calls for reforms, investment and debt settlement. The top finance chief in Europe's 19-nation euro currency bloc, Jeroen Dijsselbloem of the Netherlands, said he expected Greece to formally ask for a new bailout as ear... more »
Hey! Hey! Hey! It’s Chris Christie!
*"I mean what I say and I say what I mean, and that's what America needs right now,"* *-Chris Christie* Arriving on the scene like a charging RINO, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie officially waddled his way into an already bursting at the seams Republican presidential field. Christie’s belated entry has been a foregone conclusion ever since his campaign went live with the website on Saturday. The Garden State boss man made his announcement at his alma matter, Livingston High School where he worked to sell himself as a man of the people who vowed to put the shards of the shatte... more »
Secret Court Reinstates Obama’s NSA Stasi Domestic Phone Spying Program
Just in time for Independence Day the Obama occupying government provided another example of just how “free” that we really are. In a ruling on Monday the ultra-secret surveillance court "temporarily" reinstated those “illegal” domestic phone data collection programs what were allegedly reformed by the USA Freedom Act last month. So much for that happy horseshit about surveillance reform bandied about by all of the political phonies and liberal elitists with their premature victory lap. It is easy to trump the courts and silly privacy advocates when the government has their own se... more »
"A Good Place..."
“A good place to look for wisdom is where you least expect to find it: in the minds of your opponents. You already know the ideas common on your own side. If you can take off the blinders of the myth of pure evil, you might see some good ideas for the first time.” - Jonathan Haidt So, please do visit this site, often: - http://middleoftheright.blogspot.com/
The Revolving Door Spins Again as Eric Holder Returns to Gig at White Shoe Law Firm
Former Attorney General Eric Holder wasn’t out of work for very long. He has now - like so many others who have undermined American democracy in the imperial Washington sewer - passed back through that gold-plated revolving door between government and the private sector. Mr. Holder, who turned over his duties of giving away get out of jail free cards to Wall Street looters to Loretta Lynch in May, has returned to the same white shoe law firm where he worked prior to heading up the Justice Department as the nation's top law enforcement official. As reported by the website The Inter... more »
Pentagon Chiefs Get Grilled By The U.S. Senate On U.S. War Strategy Against The Islamic State
*Stars and Stripes*: *Pentagon urges patience from Senate on war strategy* WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Tuesday asked the Senate for more patience and support for a train-and-equip program against the Islamic State, despite much lower than expected turnout. Only 60 moderate Syrian fighters have been trained this year, but recent gains in the country by U.S.-backed militias show the strategy can work, Carter told skeptical senators on the Armed Services Committee. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., committee chairman, called claims about success delusional. Carter and Joint...more »
Pot, petards and Curwen Ares Rolinson
*A politician should (as I have read) Be furnish’d in the first place with a head… *- short poem, after a painting by Hogarth [image: Curwen] *Portrait of a young man who was in a hurry* When a young man wants to go into politics he may take two paths. One will choose the path of principle, choosing a party that matches his values and fighting across the length of his career to put them into practice. Another will identify the rotting carcass of a party with a regular turnover of tailor’s dummies sitting MPs for whom lack of ability is no barrier to parliamentary honours, a... more »
Dumbed Down and Out in Obamastan
Not that a population that elects a Teflon-coated bullshit salesman like Emperor Barack Obama and then turns around and actually *re-elects* him can be deemed to be highly intelligent but there are dumbasses and then there are even dumber dumbasses. A few interesting stories caught my eye over the past few days that are a slice of present day Americana. While these are certainly amusing at face value they offer up a grim testimony of how far that we have fallen as a nation. First, in honor of the recent Fourth of July/Independence Day weekend, a prodigy from Maine named Devon Stap... more »
The Afghan Government And The Taliban Have Started Two-Days Of High-Level Talks In Pakistan
Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan president. He has been severely criticised at home for enlisting Pakistani help to bring the Taliban to the negotiations. Photograph: Mohammad Ismail/Reuters *Wall Street Journal*: *Kabul and Taliban Begin Two-Days of High-Level Talks* Discussions offer hope formal peace process to end long-running conflict may begin soon KABUL—Afghan government officials and Taliban representatives on Tuesday began two days of discussions in Pakistan, Afghan officials said, signaling a possible start to a formal peace process. The meeting was one of the highest-level co... more »
Meet Deputy Council Leader Dave Conway
As leading councillors at Stoke-on-Trent City Council gear up for a quiet summer of street fayres, holidays, and pub-based tub-thumping, word reaches my ear about the bland, the blue, and the blotto that makes up the city's ruling coalition. Everyone knows national politics pivots on what happens in Stoke-on-Trent, so I'm going to assume all readers are familiar with the local situation. If not, read here. So yes, Stoke-on-Trent, a place in which the labour movement was bred in the bone narrowly rejected Labour in May and gave enough space for the City Independents, the Tories, and... more »
Seattle Housing Panel Considers Dropping Single-Family Zoning
Tuesday I got my hands on the draft recommendations that Mayor Ed Murray’s advisory committee on housing is working on. And they are some of the most sweeping changes in the way Seattle lives and grows ever proposed around here.... The post Seattle Housing Panel Considers Dropping Single-Family Zoning appeared first on The Stream.
monkeys with guns
"We are buried beneath the weight of information, which is being confused with knowledge, quantity is being confused with abundance and wealth with happiness. We are monkeys with money and guns." Tom Waits "Hell Broke Luce"
Baylor University Drops Term ‘Homosexual Acts’ from Its Sexual Misconduct Policy
The world’s largest Baptist university has dropped a ban on “homosexual acts” in its sexual conduct policy. After years of appeals from students, alumni and others, Baylor University revised its policy, dropping the ban on gay sex to “state more... The post Baylor University Drops Term ‘Homosexual Acts’ from Its Sexual Misconduct Policy appeared first on The Stream.
Seriously, isn't it time to call BS on the claim that the Confederate battle flag deserves respect for its "heritage"?
*Oops, I don't know what this picture found its way here from my July 2 post, "As black churches burn, at least Ricky-Roo Santorum seems to be keeping his trap shut." We keep hearing white Southerners insist that there's no connection whatsoever between the flag and the epidemic of violence against Southern black churches.* *by Ken* Pretty much since the massacre in Charleston's Emanuel AME Church I've had a post of the above title on the drawing board. I imagined bringing in the numerous new and overlapping threads that have developed on top of the original story, including of co... more »
A longer school day or invest in libraries?
Sent to Education Week, July 7, 2015 Bolgen Vargas & Sandra A. Parker ("Lessons From a Longer School Day (and Year)," July 7) argue that a longer school day will better prepare students for high tech jobs and prevent summer loss. Summer loss is mostly concentrated in students living in poverty. Studies going back to 1975 consistently show that the major cause of summer loss in literacy among students living in poverty is a lack of access to reading material. The most obvious solution is to invest in public libraries filled with books and other kinds of material that students will ... more »
A Bigger Disaster Than Greece's Is Now Brewing In China. Its Stock Market Has Just Crashed
*NBC:* *China's Plunging Markets: Retail Investors Stunned by Rout* BEIJING — It has been a tough three weeks for millions of regular Chinese who invested vital savings in the country's stock markets. "I have been trading in the past few years, but this market plunge is unprecedented," said one retiree, referring to the nearly 30-percent drop since the markets peaked on June 12. By early July, $2.8 trillion in value had been wiped out. "Almost all of the folks here have lost money in the last few weeks," added Wang, who asked to be referred to by his surname, like other investors N... more »
Uber-disruptive technology is irreversible
*“In capitalist reality as distinguished from the textbook picture, it is not [so-called perfect] competition that counts but the competition from the new commodity, the new technology, the new source of **supply* *, the new type of organization ... competition which ... strikes not at the margins of the **profits** and the outputs of the existing firms but at their foundations and their very lives.”* - Joseph Schumpeter on capitalism’s creative destruction *Guest post by Jason Krupp* Rapid technological change is more often than not a painful thing, littered with the bodies of ... more »
40 Questions for Christians Now Waving Rainbow Flags
For evangelicals who lament last Friday’s Supreme Court decision, it’s been a hard few days. We aren’t asking for emotional pity, nor do I suspect many people are eager to give us any. Our pain is not sacred. Making legal... The post 40 Questions for Christians Now Waving Rainbow Flags appeared first on The Stream.
Hard Stand? Donald Trump Has the Same Immigration Policy as Lindsey Graham
A lot of listeners to the radio show have called in and say they stand with Donald Trump because he says the things other candidates are too scared to say. But when it comes to actual policy on issues like... The post Hard Stand? Donald Trump Has the Same Immigration Policy as Lindsey Graham appeared first on The Stream.
More Movies I Like
Of the two sprawling Scorcese epics, I think I prefer "Casino" to "Goodfellas." But just by a bit. "Casino" really shows some mobster shlubs and how they blow everything through their own hubris and flaws.
ANALYSIS: Sen. Baldwin’s Curious Claim that our Constitution’s Religious Liberty Clause Doesn’t Apply to Individuals
Proponents of same-sex ‘marriage’ said it would not affect anyone other than gay couples. “If you don’t like same-sex marriage, then don’t engage in same-sex marriage” was a typical claim. But defenders of natural marriage insisted otherwise. They saw how small businesses like... The post ANALYSIS: Sen. Baldwin’s Curious Claim that our Constitution’s Religious Liberty Clause Doesn’t Apply to Individuals appeared first on The Stream.
Love Gov: From First Date to Mandate
Welcome to Love Gov, a new web series from the Independent Institute that takes the Obama campaign’s “Life of Julia” and gives it a rom-com twist: imagine government as the guy you got involved with during college (thanks to student... The post Love Gov: From First Date to Mandate appeared first on The Stream.
July 7: So they've been and gone and done it.
Moncton City Council has approved a reguest to borrow $95 million for an "events centre". The carrot that drew the donkey on was the story that this would produce immense profits for the city. It won't. Get real. If there were any profits to be made out of the events centre, do you think our economic bosses would allow us peasants to get within sniffing distance of it? And jubilation appears in the pages of the Irving press which has been telling us for years that government is incompetent and wasteful, and doesn't know how to do these things. Now, suddenly, they have decided gov... more »
Arise, Awaken, Allow
by Sophia Love The infrequency of these blog posts is a result of the thought that it’s already been said. That it’s all been said. That one more person saying it, is just, well, one more person clogging up your screen. It has come down to a single question: “To what end?” That’s the question determining current focus. If the end is in concert on any level, it gets done. If not, it doesn’t. The flood of information can be overwhelming. That said, I will add that lately there has been a deluge. What is new are constant streams of information coming from other realms, other beings,... more »
Kansas Governor Acts to Defend Religious Freedom
As Christians nationwide brace for the impact of the recent Supreme Court decision on their constitutional right to free exercise of religion, some state governments are trying to carve out a safe space for churches that might be threatened by... The post Kansas Governor Acts to Defend Religious Freedom appeared first on The Stream.
IN DEPTH: Does the Bible Support Same-Sex Marriage?
A lot of people online are sharing flow charts that are supposed to show the ridiculousness of opposition to gay marriage. For example (click here to expand): There are several variations of this theme, almost all of which say the... The post IN DEPTH: Does the Bible Support Same-Sex Marriage? appeared first on The Stream.
Report: ‘John Doe Laws’ Target Conservatives in Wisconsin, Lead to Home-Invasion Police Raids
The First Amendment rights of Americans in Wisconsin are reportedly in peril as politicians use police raids to target outspoken conservatives and their families. Several families report being the victims of multi-year criminal investigations, dawn raids on their homes, slander... The post Report: ‘John Doe Laws’ Target Conservatives in Wisconsin, Lead to Home-Invasion Police Raids appeared first on The Stream.
Eric Holder: Edward Snowden Could Come Home
In a subtle yet remarkable shift in tone, former Attorney General Eric Holder said Monday that the “possibility exists” that the Justice Department could forge a deal with fugitive leaker Edward Snowden that could bring him home. Speaking to Yahoo... The post Eric Holder: Edward Snowden Could Come Home appeared first on The Stream.
The Future
Al Gore’s book, *The Future*, is fascinating and perplexing. The world is being pummeled by enormous waves of change, and most are destructive and unsustainable. What should we do? To envision wise plans, it’s important to know the past, and understand how the present mess evolved. The book presents a substantial discussion of six megatrends that are influencing the future: EARTH INC is the global economy, dominated by a mob of ruthless multinational corporations. It’s pushing radical changes in the way we live, work, and think. Many leaders in the world have become its hand ... more »
Who Has The Most To Lose From The Greek Debt Crisis
Countries’ exposure via bailouts, ECB loans to Greece and via their banking systems. Photograph: Open Europe *The Guardian:* *Greece's lenders: who has most to lose?* *Exposure to Greek loans is weighing heavily on minds in the eurozone, in Spain, Slovenia and Malta perhaps more than Germany* As eurozone leaders meet in another effort to broker a deal between Greece and its creditors, those who have lent to the near-bankrupt country are asking if they will ever get their money back. Greece owes €323bn (£228bn) to a combination of official and private creditors, equivalent to more... more »
Study on Dreams, Hypnosis and Altered States
*Video - *Scientist explains his research that shows how phenomena such as telepathy, pre-cognition, out of body experiences and clairvoyance are scientific possibilities. The post Study on Dreams, Hypnosis and Altered States appeared first on Waking Times.
Supplemental: Live and direct from the London salon, the dope about Candidate Sanders!
*TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015Languid Times foppist churns snark:* Over at The Atlantic, Peter Beinart is obeying the rules of mainstream press corps press criticism. Beinart makes the statement shown below concerning the coverage of Candidate Sanders. To us, his claim seems slightly strange—and he provides no examples: “Media coverage of Sanders has been fawning, partly because many journalists harbor sympathy for his anti-corporate message but mostly because they’re desperate for a contested primary.” Has media coverage of Candidate Sanders been fawning? That wouldn’t have occurred to... more »
For now
In these early-September-like conditions, one thinks a great deal about mulch and water, and sometimes falls behind on harvesting. I still don't have the dried broadbeans in their jars, and already some zukes and cukes are getting past me. It's all right about the oversized vegs as they are much appreciated sliced and tossed into the poultry zones. Several beds have been left fallow (i.e., grown up in drought-tolerant weeds). The area outside the garden fence shown here at lower right was once rife with lettuces, tomatoes, zinnias, cosmos and even hollyhocks. Not this year. We ... more »
“The Harm That Light Can Do to Your Sleep”
*“The Harm That Light Can Do to Your Sleep”* by Dr. Michael J. Breus “Do you think about how you use and consume light? We live in a culture where electricity and artificial light are everywhere: inexpensive and always available in seemingly endless supply. We're so used to being surrounded by light- it's truly at our fingertips- that many of us don't even think about it, much less question the timing and degree of our exposure. Yet a robust and growing body of scientific research suggests that for the sake of our sleep- and our overall health- we all need to start paying a lot mor... more »
"How It Really Is"
◆ *Related:* - http://www.ijreview.com/ - http://news.nationalgeographic.com/ - http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
You Cruise, You Schmooze
How would you like to be a passenger on an Impact Cruise Ship run by the dicey Carnival line? No, it isn't a thrill-ride replica of the *Costa Concordia* experience or even a remake of the *Poseidon Adventure*. It's a whole new way of vacationing -- the neoliberal, philanthrocapitalist way. It's the Peace Corps for people who are too busy or too important to spend two whole years of their lives actually living and working in the harsh conditions of a third world country. Starting next year, and for only a couple thousand bucks, give or take, and only one week out of your busy sch... more »
Greek Debt Crisis News Updates -- July 7, 2015
*Reuters*: *Greece faces last chance to stay in euro as cash runs out* Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras launched a desperate bid to win fresh aid from skeptical creditors at an emergency euro zone summit on Tuesday, before his country's banks run out of money. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on arrival there was still no basis for reopening negotiations with Athens. "It is not a matter of weeks but of a few days" to save Greece from collapse, Merkel told reporters. *WNU Editor:* Today's meeting was a bust .... Greece showed up with nothing .... even though they had pr... more »
A Look At What The White House Said Two Years Ago Were Its Red Lines On Iran's Nuclear Program, And What They Are Saying Now
A security personnel asks reporters to leave a room where U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) is meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (2nd R) at a hotel in Vienna, Austria July 1, 2015. Reuters/Carlos Barria *Foreign Policy Initiative*: *FPI Analysis: What U.S. Officials Said on Iran, What We Know Now * Over the past three years, the Obama administration has delineated the criteria that any final nuclear agreement between the P5+1 and Iran must meet. In speeches, congressional testimony, press conferences, and media interviews, administration officials hav... more »
SYRIZA Forces Demand “Requisitioning” of Greek Central Bank
http://www.voltairenet.org/article188066.html *SYRIZA Forces Demand “Requisitioning” of Greek Central Bank* by Webster G. Tarpley *While the international press announced possible failure to Greece liquidity by the European Central Bank, a major faction of SYRIZA plans to declare a state of emergency and invoke the Treaty of Lisbon against the ECB.* VOLTAIRE NETWORK | WASHINGTON D. C. (ÉTATS-UNIS) | 6 JULY 2015 As of 10pm EDT on Sunday, July 5th, 2015, the Greek Interior Ministry Was Reporting the Following Results of the Referendum: *Registered 9,858,508* *Voted ... more »
"US Debt Ceiling Visualized in $100 Bills"; "US Debt Clock"
*"US Debt Ceiling Visualized in $100 Bills"* "The faith and value of the US Dollar rests on the Government's ability to repay its debt. The money in the video has already been spent." - https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=96&v=jKpVlDSIz9o - http://demonocracy.info/infographics/usa/us_debt/us_debt.html ◆ *Click image for larger size, or even better, go here:* -http://www.usdebtclock.org/
Many Black Evangelicals Regret Voting for Obama after Marriage Ruling
Though the Texas governor signed the Pastor Protection Act last month guaranteeing ministers’ right to decide whom they marry, Cummings said, “with this last decision by the Supreme Court, I’m not sure we can say anything is concrete anymore.” At... The post Many Black Evangelicals Regret Voting for Obama after Marriage Ruling appeared first on The Stream.
"Confessions of an Economic Hitman"
John Perkens, "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" An animated interview of John Perkins, author of 'HoodWinked' and 'Confessions Of An Economic Hitman' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=103&v=m-dsiufhMu0 ◆ *John Perkins, "Confession of an Economic Hitman"* - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-a6jzU0YgQ
"The Monopolist Robbery In Medicine, Illustrated"
*"The Monopolist Robbery In Medicine, Illustrated"* by Karl Denninger "All it takes is a company to start doing medicine on a cash, no insurance, no-BS basis to point out the blatant and outrageous overcharging, monopolist robbery and gate-keeping, all of which add up to behavior and pricing that is felonious in virtually any other line of work (and arguably is here too according to 15 USC but is *never* enforced.) The Surgery Center of Oklahoma put this in stark relief when they showed up on the scene, offering no-insurance, flat-priced common operations where the price is known ... more »
Iran Nuclear Talks Deadline Extended For Three More Days
*The Guardian:* *Iran nuclear talks extended by three days * Disagreement between Russia and the west over lifting arms embargo on Iran forces deadline back again Nuclear talks in Vienna have been extended by three more days amid disagreements between Russia and the west over lifting an arms embargo on Iran. The discord among the six global powers negotiating with Iran in the Austrian capital has further complicated the already detailed and technical talks. Other differences over the timing of sanctions relief, verification and transparency had forced a week-long postponement of ...more »
Greece, Ukraine and U.S. — Advancing the Neo-Liberal Project
*Bill Clinton and Paul Ryan agreeing that the privatizing Ryan budget is the way to go. Neo-liberalism in action, but you have to look behind the curtain to see it.* *by Gaius Publius* I recently did a piece about Greece that implied a number of similarities to Ukraine's recent upheavals. There I said: All of this loops the Greek story into the Ukraine story, which most people still don't realize isn't just about Putin, though that makes a convenient (and cartoonish) Us vs. The Villain cautionary tale. It's about continuing the ... yes, neo-liberal project ... deeper into eastern ... more »
U.S. F-16 Fighter Jet And Small Plane Have Collided Over South Carolina
*Reuters:* *U.S. military jet, small plane collide, crash in South Carolina* A U.S. military fighter jet and a small plane collided over South Carolina, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday. The collision involved an F-16 fighter aircraft and a Cessna C-150, the FAA said in a statement. It occurred about 11 miles north of Charleston. The agency said the crash occurred about 11 a.m. No additional information was immediately released. *More News On Reports That A U.S. F-16 Fighter Jet And Small Plane Have Collided Over South Carolina* Officials: F-16, Small Plane Col... more »
World News Briefs -- July 7, 2015
*Reuters:* *Six powers and Iran to continue nuclear talks past deadline* Iran and six major powers will keep negotiating past Tuesday's deadline for a long-term nuclear agreement as they tackle the most contentious issues, including the continuation of a U.N. arms embargo on Iran, the big powers said. "We are continuing to negotiate for the next couple of days," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said outside the hotel where the talks between Iran, Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States are taking place. The spokeswoman for the U.S. delegation, Mari... more »
Layoffs Devastate U.S. Military Communities
The citizens of Jefferson County, N.Y., are bracing for a collapse. In the next few weeks, the Army is expected to announce 40,000 troop cuts to comply with Congressional budget mandates, along with many thousands more pink slips for civilian... The post Layoffs Devastate U.S. Military Communities appeared first on The Stream.
N.C. Church Flies Christian Flag Above American Flag
A North Carolina church has sparked a debate with its decision to fly the Christian flag above Old Glory. Elizabeth Baptist Church in Shelby, N.C., held a flag raising ceremony Sunday to hoist the Christian flag above the stars and... The post N.C. Church Flies Christian Flag Above American Flag appeared first on The Stream.
FEMA and The Rodney King Riots
On the third day of riots, suspected looters are detained at Main Street and Washington Boulevard. *"...the Pan Am plane landed in Guyana. And I talked to the air traffic controller there, who was present at the time, and he told me every Black that came off the plane was bound and gagged. "* John Judge *"...the Pan Am plane landed in Guyana. And I talked to the air traffic controller there, who was present at the time, and he told me every Black that came off the plane was bound and gagged. * *He told me that people who lived as close as 5 miles away, and I've gotten this from o... more »
下火，作為一個“避難所城市舊金山。非法移民死亡筍美國公民，他被釋放警方僅僅兩個月後
[image: https://www.intellihub.com/4th-of-july-from-hell-40-blacks-attack-innocent-white-man-in-downtown-cincinnati-simply-for-being-white/] *下火，作為一個“避難所城市舊金山。非法移民死亡筍美國公民，他被釋放警方僅僅兩個月後，*
Trans Pacific Partnership...
*why the secrecy?* I think we all know the answer to that question. Obviously, this "treaty" is not a good thing. Here are two articles which do a great job of bringing this into focus. In the meantime, our heat wave has fried my brain as well as my property. I have plants keeling over because I can't get water around to them fast enough. Even the damn weeds are dying. Well, some of them. Others seem to be thriving. Today is haircut day which also means Costco day. Hopefully, it will restore my good humor. and waiting for me at the library: *Extraordinary popular delusions a... more »
The Economy: "When the Going Gets Tough, the Feds Take Your Money"
*"When the Going Gets Tough, the Feds Take Your Money"* by Bill Bonner LONDON, England – “Cash is king.” So sayeth the Wall Street Journal, reporting on the situation in Greece. The use of cash for everyday transactions has increased 44% in the last two months. A brief update: The Greeks spoke on Sunday. “No,” they said. “We don’t want the government-spending cuts our creditors are demanding.” Then the finance minister resigned, riding off on a motorcycle. Today, the Financial Times reports that the Greeks are to be given one “last chance to avoid crashing out of single currency.” ... more »
Kurdish/Israeli Ties: Lobbying, Expansion and Ethnic Cleansing
*I've been working on this one for a bit- It's long, but, if I could do the research and type it up- You can read it :) * One of many pet projects at the blog- The Kurds and the creation of a Kurdish state. So similar in it’s roots to the creation of Israel. One has to delve more then superficially into this area to make the connections. Many don’t want to. I guess, if I have to, that it’s easier to believe you’re on the right side of some presentation of history, correcting some perceived wrong, as opposed to just being manipulated again and again. If I had to guess? But *mass... more »
NTSB: Two in Small Plane Killed in Midair Collision with F-16
MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (AP) — An F-16 fighter jet smashed into a small plane Tuesday over South Carolina, killing two people and raining down plane parts and debris over a wide swath of marshes and rice fields. Two people were... The post NTSB: Two in Small Plane Killed in Midair Collision with F-16 appeared first on The Stream.
Military and Intelligence News Briefs -- July 7, 2015
Yasen class submarine. © Lev Fedoseyev/TASS *The Diplomat:* *How Many Ballistic Missile Submarines Will Russia Build?* The head of the Russian Navy is considering increasing the number of SSBNs to be commissioned past 2020. Russia will continue building Borei-class fourth generation SSBN (Ship, Submersible, Ballistic, Nuclear) submarines past 2020 the Russian Navy’s Commander in Chief, Admiral Viktor Chirkov recently told TASS in an interview. “Our shipbuilding program is devised in a way that does not envisage a stop to the construction of Borei-class submarines after 2020,” Chi... more »
A British Officer's Ration Pack (Seriously)
*Washington Post*: *In absurd video, Royal Marine mocks the comforts of officer life* There’s a long history of enlisted U.S. service members mocking the comforts they believe the officers serving over them receive. A new video of a Royal Marine takes it a step farther, using dry, absurdist humor to note just how well he believes that British officers eat. The Marine starts by demonstrating a ration pack used by British troops in the field — designed to provide enough nutrition for 24 hours of training. Then he demonstrates the officer’s pack — which, shall we say, is much more lu... more »
Researchers Uncover Connection Between Gut Health and Mood
*Kristen Anderson* - The more we look into this, the more we realize the importance of healthy digestion. The post Researchers Uncover Connection Between Gut Health and Mood appeared first on Waking Times.
ANALYSIS: Why the Euro is Failing
Greece’s government seems determined to incur the world’s blame for the emergent economic turmoil in Europe. Mark Gilbert summed it up accurately for Bloomberg View: “The nation’s stubborn contradictory stance — yes to the euro, no to the conditions of... The post ANALYSIS: Why the Euro is Failing appeared first on The Stream.
What You Didn’t Know About The Salvation Army’s 150 Years of Service
On Sunday, thousands of Christians are expected to march along the Mall in London, past Buckingham Palace, sounding drums and tambourines, trumpets and tubas. They’ll be clad in blue, gray serge or white uniforms with red or blue epaulets and... The post What You Didn’t Know About The Salvation Army’s 150 Years of Service appeared first on The Stream.
Obama Administration Discussed Prosecuting Nonprofit Orgs
Newly released documents show Department of Justice officials, Internal Revenue Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation officials were discussing prosecuting nonprofit organizations for allegedly engaging in illegal political activity. An official “DOJ Recap” document obtained by the group Judicial Watch... The post Obama Administration Discussed Prosecuting Nonprofit Orgs appeared first on The Stream.
Russia Claims To Have Developed A Weapon System That Can 'Switch Off' Enemy Weapons
*Daily Mail*: *Russia claims to have developed secret 'superweapon' capable of switching off foreign satellites and enemy weapons* * Krasuha-4 system can suppress cruise missile's guidance systems * Ground tests expected to begin within months * Weapons will be mounted on jets and warships Russia has claimed to have built a revolutionary new weapon system that can render enemy satellites and weapons useless. Its Russian makers say it is a 'fundamentally new electronic warfare system' which can be mounted on ground-based as well as air- and sea-borne carriers. However, it has refu... more »
Our Night with Bernie
I spent two hours yesterday holding a banner (joined by eight others with signs and a 2nd banner) outside the Bernie Sanders for President rally in Portland, Maine that reportedly drew about 9,000 people. It was an impressive crowd for someone who once claimed he was a 'socialist'. People began lining up before 5:00 pm for the 7:00 event and during those two hours I kept a steady stream of requests going to folks as they entered the Portland Civic Center. I suggested to eager Sanders supporters, "Please ask Bernie his position on the $400 billion F-35 fighter plane project. Ask... more »
Why The Next Cold War Will Be More Dangerous Than The Last One
© Flickr/ Devin Ford *Stephen F. Cohen, The Nation*: *Why the New US-Russian Cold War May Be More Dangerous Than the Last* As the Minsk accord seems to collapse, new military dangers loom. Nation contributing editor Stephen F. Cohen and John Batchelor continue their weekly discussion of the increasingly dangerous crisis in US/NATO-Russian relations. Cohen emphasizes that as the Minsk agreement to negotiate the Ukrainian civil and proxy war is being rejected by all participants (except Moscow), the New Cold War is rapidly being militarized and spreading to many countries in East... more »
The Green Coalition
http://sfgov2.org/ In Canada, we think of a coalition as an arrangement between two political parties. But, Tasha Kheiriddin writes, there is a more fundamental coalition -- a coalition of voters. Such a coalition is forming -- a green coalition -- and it is looking for the party with the best chance of defeating Stephen Harper: In an interesting piece in the Hill Times, polling analyst Eric Grenier discusses the rise of a coalition not of parties, but of voters, similar to the east-west alliances which propelled both... more »
Military Chiefs Face Tough Questions on ISIS Fight
WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s top two military leaders on Tuesday defended President Barack Obama’s strategy to defeat Islamic State militants amid blistering criticism from Republican senators who argued that the administration’s program to train and equip thousands of moderate Syrian... The post Military Chiefs Face Tough Questions on ISIS Fight appeared first on The Stream.
Donald Trump and the GOP Border War
Donald Trump’s success comes from the issues he has seized upon – illegal immigration and trade deals that deindustrialized America – and brazen defiance of Republican elites and a media establishment. By now the whole world has heard Trump’s declaration:... The post Donald Trump and the GOP Border War appeared first on The Stream.
Jesus, Paul and the Theological Liberal
The post Jesus, Paul and the Theological Liberal appeared first on The Stream.
Media Matrix: an Ancient Tibetan Perspective on Network News
*Jon Rappoport* - A long time ago, teachers and students in Tibet considered themselves artists of reality. They practiced inventing it. The post Media Matrix: an Ancient Tibetan Perspective on Network News appeared first on Waking Times.
Russian General: U.S. 'Stealth Planes' Cannot Hide From Russian Anti-Aircraft Missiles
S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft system © Sputnik/ Mihail Mokrushin *Sputnik:* *US ‘Stealth’ Bombers Can’t Hide From Russian Anti-Aircraft Missiles* Russian anti-aircraft missiles can detect and hit US stealth bombers, Major General Sergei Babakov said, according to Gazeta.ru. Neither the Northdrop B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber nor Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk can fly undetected from Russian missiles, said Babakov, the head of Russia's anti-aircraft missile troops. Babakov also added that official trials of extended range missiles for advanced S-400 Triumf air defense systems are in the final s... more »
Iraq Reaches Another New High In Oil Exports As Budget Deal With Kurds Breaks Down
For the fourth month in a row Iraq reached another new high in oil exports. Previously this was accomplished due to the budget deal between the central and Kurdistan regional governments. That recently broke down after the Kurds complained about two consecutive months of low payments from Baghdad. Iraq exported an average of 3.187 million barrels a day in June 2015. That was a new high for the country, which had not exported those amounts since the 1990s. It surpassed the previous highs which were achieved in just the last few months when it exported 3.145 million in May, 3.077 mi... more »
‘Gay’ Tour Views Vatican Art through a Warped Lens
For the LGBT tour company appropriately called “Quiiky,” beauty isn’t the only thing in the eye of the beholder. Their homoerotic look at the Vatican Museums purports to discover gay art behind every fig leaf, which seems to reveal more... The post ‘Gay’ Tour Views Vatican Art through a Warped Lens appeared first on The Stream.
THEY KNOW WHAT YOU WANT: Maddow outlines the big giant Asia trade deal!
*TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015Part 2—She doesn’t make it sound good:* Friend, how much do you know and understand about the TPP—about the so-called Trans Pacific Partnership? How much do you know and understand about trade legislation in general? For ourselves, we’d say, “Not much.” But then, we have a ready excuse—we watch The One True Liberal Channel, whose hosts make very little attempt to explain such tedious topics. In the case of the TPP, this insouciance produced an odd phenomenon in the past week or two. Famous hosts on The One True Channel were praising President Obama for his “... more »
Russia's Newest Subs Are 'U.S. Aircraft Carrier Killers'
© Sputnik/ Alexey Kudenko *Sputnik:* *Russia's Cutting Edge Submarine Fleet to Receive 'Aircraft Carrier Killer'* Russia plans to expand its nascent high-end submarine fleet with two new fifth generation nuclear-powered watercraft, known only as an "aircraft carrier killer" and an "underwater interceptor" at the moment. Both submarines are currently under development. The "aircraft carrier killer" equipped with cruise missiles will be used for defeating coastal and surface targets, specifically aircraft carriers, the head of Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation's state defens... more »
Bias as opposed to disagreement
*Sirdi Sai Sweets Inc. v. Indian Spice & Curry Ltd*., 2015 ONCA 502: "On the bias argument, we reject as without merit the claim that the trial judge was biased. The appellant fails to distinguish between a judge who disagrees with a position taken by a litigant and a biased judge."
Today, the Holy Family Would Run Away From Egypt
Two big-picture points suggest themselves about the situation facing Christians in Egypt, which to greater or lesser degrees is shared across most of the Middle East. First, Christians are not the only one suffering. Right now Egypt’s most embattled minority... The post Today, the Holy Family Would Run Away From Egypt appeared first on The Stream.
ANALYSIS: The New Totalitarians Are Here
Totalitarians want their rule, and their belief system, to be accepted and self-sustaining – even if it takes bludgeoning every last citizen who disagrees. There’s a basic difference in the traditions of political science between “authoritarians” and “totalitarians.” People throw... The post ANALYSIS: The New Totalitarians Are Here appeared first on The Stream.
12-Year-Old Conservative and Family Threatened on Twitter
It’s the great hypocrisy of our time. White liberal progressives run around and decry racism — all for their manipulated political purpose. The current target of their inane ranting is the Confederate flag. However, when one truly analyzes intolerance and... The post 12-Year-Old Conservative and Family Threatened on Twitter appeared first on The Stream.
Bill Cosby Admits Giving Quaaludes to Women for Sex in 2005 Deposition
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bill Cosby’s admission that he obtained quaaludes to give young women he was pursuing for sex could bolster defamation claims lodged by his accusers, the women’s lawyers said after The Associated Press reported on newly released court... The post Bill Cosby Admits Giving Quaaludes to Women for Sex in 2005 Deposition appeared first on The Stream.
ANALYSIS: Sorry, Slate: Oregon Did Put a ‘Gag Order’ on Those Christian Bakers
On Thursday, The Daily Signal published an article about Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (OBLI) Commissioner Brad Avakian ordering Aaron and Melissa Klein, Christian bakers who had refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple, to pay... The post ANALYSIS: Sorry, *Slate*: Oregon Did Put a ‘Gag Order’ on Those Christian Bakers appeared first on The Stream.
School Board Rep Fighting Back against Transgender Policies in Fairfax County, VA
Members of the crowd filling the school board meeting were on their feet, shouting at the politicians sitting on the dais. The voices had tinges of outrage. “Shame on you,” one person yelled. “Tyranny,” screamed another. For what are normally... The post School Board Rep Fighting Back against Transgender Policies in Fairfax County, VA appeared first on The Stream.
Why Is Britain's Welfare System Supporting The Hate Preacher Who Inspired The Tunisian Beach Killer?
UK-based radical cleric Hani al-Siba (Screenshot from YouTube.com by CamdenDawah's channel) *Daily Mail:* *Living here on £50,000 benefits, the hate preacher who inspired Tunisian beach killer: Cleric lives in five-bedroom home with wife and five children after thwarting deportation attempts for 15 years* * Hani al-Sibai is ‘key influencer’ of the Islamic fanatics behind Tunisia attack * The preacher once described 7/7 terror attacks in 2005 as a ‘great victory’ * Lives with his wife and five children in a £1 million house in West London * Successive governments have failed to remov... more »
Is EndCitizensUnited.org A Scam?
Getting unlimited, barely regulated Big Money out of electoral politics-- overturning the Supreme Court's Citizens United corporate-personhood decision-- has become a holy grail of progressive politics. And rightfully, fundamentally so. Bernie Sanders, the only actual progressive running for president, said in May that "if elected I will have a litmus test of my nominee to be a Supreme Court justice. And that nominee will say, we are going to overturn this disastrous decision on *Citizens United* because that decision is undermining American democracy." In January he filed a const... more »
15 Life Changing Quotes To Help You Let Go from a Higher Perspective
15 Life Changing Quotes To Help You Let Go Higher Perspectives, 5 July 2015 At any given moment, there’s probably something or someone that we need to simply let go of. I could go on a long tangent about the importance of letting go of the right things at the right time, but I’d rather let men and women much smarter than me lay it out in their words. We hope you find inspiration in what they have to say. 1. “Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.” -Hermann Hesse2. “Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.” -S... more »
ANALYSIS: As Greece Collapses, the Big Loser is Socialism
The Greek citizens have rolled the dice and voted overwhelmingly to reject the “austerity” referendum. This was a way for voters to stick a finger in the eye of their creditors. The left around the world has responded to the... The post ANALYSIS: As Greece Collapses, the Big Loser is Socialism appeared first on The Stream.
Heavenletter #5338 - The World Doesn’t Appreciate You Enough
*Heavenletter #5338 * *The World Doesn’t Appreciate You Enough* July 6, 2015 God said: *Heaven is within you, not somewhere else. Heaven is not a place outside you, nor am I outside you. I am Within. I AM You. Where I am is Heaven. When you disavow yourself as One with Me, then you move yourself out of Heaven. Feeling isolated on Earth, you become a stranger to your Self.* I ask you to be your Self right now, just as you are within your human body. That I exist within you is fantastic, yet it is not a fantasy. Your present life is a fraud, a fictionalized fraud, as you walk uphi... more »
Women Play A Bigger Role In Running The Islamic State Than What Is Being Reported
*Nancy A. Youssef and Shane Harris, Daily Beast:* *The Women Who Secretly Keep ISIS Running* A captured ISIS ‘bride’ has revealed the inner workings of a women’s network that’s responsible for recruiting, spying, and enforcing sexual slavery in the so-called caliphate. The U.S. military campaign against self-proclaimed Islamic State may be focused on the male fighters conducting attacks across Iraq and Syria. But the richest human intelligence source to fall into U.S. hands to date is the widow of a senior ISIS member. She is revealing details about the terror group’s inner worki... more »
Israel Starts To Build A 5-Metre-High Barrier Along The Jordan Border
Israel will build a 30 km fence along its border with Jordan to seal-off the country from any attacks by Isis. File image shows Israeli and Jordanian flag on a border between the two countries. Reuters *Time:* *Israel Is Building an Anti-ISIS Fence Along the Border With Jordan* Pressure from Israeli citizens spurred the government into action Israel has taken one more step to walling itself off from its neighbors. The border with Jordan is the last Israeli frontier that is totally open to a neighboring country; the borders with Egypt, Syria and Lebanon are all fenced off. But the ... more »
Must Read Fairy Tale Retellings
We all know the classic fairy tales. Cinderella loses her slipper but the prince finds her anyway. The 12 Dancing Princesses are eventually saved in the end, but what if the story was different? What if Cinderella was a Cyborg or under a fairy spell. Fairy tale retellings are some of my very favorite books, because you think you know where they are going but that isn't always the case. These are some of my very favorite retellings of classic fairy tales, some stick to the story and some use the original story as more of guidelines than actual rules. *Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson ... more »
Chinese Trading Suspensions Freeze $1.4 Trillion of Shares Amid Rout
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-07/chinese-trading-halts-freeze-1-4-trillion-of-shares-amid-rout *Chinese Trading Suspensions Freeze $1.4 Trillion of Shares Amid Rout * by Fox Hu July 7, 2015 — 8:28 AM CEST Updated on July 7, 2015 — 9:52 AM CEST Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg * Chinese companies have found a guaranteed way to prevent investors from selling their shares: suspend trading. * Almost 200 stocks halted trading after the close on Monday, bringing the total number of suspensions to 745, or 26 percent of listed firms on mainland exchanges, according to... more »
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*Sensing ambush, Sheriff Gusman says fuck off to New Orleans lawmakers on special jail meeting* *Deadline set for submitting teacher wishlists ~The Advertiser*
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*Nobody else will mention this. You will read it only here* *Read the story below and ask yourself what is wrong with the school concerned. ZEG read the report and concluded it was a case of general breakdown of discipline. That's a part of the story but he failed to allow for how heavily our news is censored. I have read very similar reports about certain schools in Britain so I knew immediately what the problem was. I give the answer following the article below* Australia: TEACHERS at a western Sydney school have described a culture of fear and violence with students threat... more »
Refracking Is the New, Lower-Cost Fracking
If the word fracking has carved out a spot in the lexicon of Americans as the nation advances toward energy independence, then refracking, as roughnecks have begun calling it, could be next. And for an industry that has been hammered... The post Refracking Is the New, Lower-Cost Fracking appeared first on The Stream.
Deadline for Iran Nuclear Talks: Will the U.S. Walk Away?
VIENNA (AP) — Iran nuclear talks were in danger of busting through their second deadline in a week Tuesday, raising questions about the ability of world powers to cut off all Iranian pathways to a bomb through diplomacy, and testing... The post Deadline for Iran Nuclear Talks: Will the U.S. Walk Away? appeared first on The Stream.
Why Jeb Bush Pays More Taxes than He Should
While Jeb Bush only announced eight months ago that he was “actively exploring” a campaign for president, his tax returns suggest he’s been at least passively considering a White House run for the past eight years — and was willing to... The post Why Jeb Bush Pays More Taxes than He Should appeared first on The Stream.
Marco Rubio to Call for New Higher Education System
The Republican presidential candidate is set to speak on the 21st Century job market at 1871, a technology incubation hub. The U.S. risks missing innovation opportunities if it doesn’t move to a “revolutionized higher education system” to better prepare workers, Republican presidential... The post Marco Rubio to Call for New Higher Education System appeared first on The Stream.
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*The climate youth* *Not quite the Hitler youth -- yet* A group of concerned mothers and their children will descend on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to rally for stronger protections from climate change. Moms Clean Air Force is organizing a “play-in” for climate action near the Capitol building, where they will draw attention to upcoming methane regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency. The group promises “fun activities for kids” at the rally. “This family-friendly protest against the air pollution that causes dangerous climate change will showcase exactly what’s at stake ... more »
Ottawa Softens Anti-Corruption Rules for Companies Seeking Government Work
This rule change makes clear the rampant corruption in the corporate world & the Canadian government's willingness to go along with that corruption rather then enforcing anti-corruption rules in place to disqualify criminal companies. It also makes clear that forcibly extracted taxes will be used to pay corrupt companies in the employ of the Canadian government? Is this how the government looks out for the taxpayer? Apparently so! So while companies catch a break for their criminal ways the government continues to jail people for petty crimes. Do you notice the hypocrisy? The double ... more »
Christian Wedding Cake Baker Headed to Court, Could Be The Next Big Supreme Court Gay Rights Case
A Christian legal firm will fight in court Tuesday for a Christian baker in a case that could be the next big Supreme Court decision on gay rights. The Alliance Defending Freedom is representing a Christian cake maker against the American Civil Liberties... The post Christian Wedding Cake Baker Headed to Court, Could Be The Next Big Supreme Court Gay Rights Case appeared first on The Stream.
Greek PM Tsipras Races to Restart Bailout Talks after the Greek People Vote Down Previous Deal
BRUSSELS (AP) — With his country struggling to stave off financial collapse, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will try to convince European creditors to agree on a new bailout program when they meet Tuesday for an emergency eurozone summit. Tsipras... The post Greek PM Tsipras Races to Restart Bailout Talks after the Greek People Vote Down Previous Deal appeared first on The Stream.
Upcoming Polls to Lock in GOP Debate Fields
John Kasich may be the last Republican to enter the presidential fray, but his timing could be the best: Exactly two weeks after the splash of his planned announcement on July 21, Fox News Channel will average together the latest... The post Upcoming Polls to Lock in GOP Debate Fields appeared first on The Stream.
Britons Mark the 10th Anniversary of London Transit Attacks
LONDON (AP) — Britons paused in silence and walked in solidarity Tuesday to mark the 10th anniversary of suicide bomb attacks on London’s transit system. Four British men inspired by al-Qaida blew themselves up on three London subway trains and... The post Britons Mark the 10th Anniversary of London Transit Attacks appeared first on The Stream.
Screen Addiction is Taking a Toll on Children
Excessive use of computer games among young people in China appears to be taking an alarming turn and may have particular relevance for American parents whose children spend many hours a day focused on electronic screens. The documentary “Web Junkie,”... The post Screen Addiction is Taking a Toll on Children appeared first on The Stream.
An Explanation That May Change Your Understanding of Autism
*Video - *After watching this, you'll have a much better understanding of what autism really feels like. The post An Explanation That May Change Your Understanding of Autism appeared first on Waking Times.
Koch Brothers' Friends Funding Mike Pence
*By Doug Martin at Hoosier School Heist * *(This is the first in a series of articles that will address the money behind Mike Pence’s quest to be reelected Governor of Indiana. First posted on Hoosier School Heist Blog)* On June 25, just one day after the governor wrote a letter to president Obama saying Indiana would not comply with proposed Environmental Protection Agency rules against greenhouse omissions, Mike Pence’s campaign received a *$10,000* gift from Marvin Gilliam of Bristol, Virginia. Gilliam is the former VP of what was once one of the largest coal producers in Ameri... more »
Kenya Says al-Shabab, Islamic Extremists, Kill 14 in Kenya’s North, Target Non-Muslims
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — At least 14 people were killed in an attack early Tuesday in the country’s north by al-Shabab, Islamic extremist rebels from neighboring Somalia, a Kenyan official said. Eleven people were wounded in the attack in Soko... The post Kenya Says al-Shabab, Islamic Extremists, Kill 14 in Kenya’s North, Target Non-Muslims appeared first on The Stream.
Greece Report ( July 7 , 2015 ) - Greece Updates ( Big Euorgroup Meeting in Brussels as pressures loom on Greece economy and banking system ..... To be frank , prospects of reaching a deal any time soon look extremely grim , chances of Greece getting money any time soon - grimmer , Greece lack of friends around the table - grimmest fact to grasp...... Greece proposals and outlook moving forward from Greece - item one , debt relief swept away by EWG for today's talks , 16 of 18 EWG Countries want Grexit ......Complete state of play - and much , much more ! )
Evening Tweets.... *RANsquawk* @RANsquawk 10m 10 minutes ago #*Greece* deadline set for Sunday...again.....Summary of latest developments regarding the Greek debt crisis http://bit.ly/1LVCf5z *fred walton* @fredwalton216 42m42 minutes ago fred walton retweeted Ian Traynor Yes ..... another ominous sign indeed. fred walton added, *Ian Traynor* @traynorbrussels #*greece* #*europe* you know it's bad when they all start talking about 'humanitarian aid'.sounds like bosnia.utter failure disguised as charity *fred walton* @fredwalton216 46m46 minutes ago fred walto... more »
End Time Current Events: 7-7-15
*scan over this and check out the links - - while some of the links are to sites that I would consider fear-mongering shills, etc, there is also a lot of information that is useful* [image: Dr. Scott Johnson] End Time Current Events: 7-7-15 Contending For Truth - Scott Johnson*Greece Votes NO – Let The Chaos Begin…* *Marc Faber: Greek 'Contagion' Likelihood Very High - 'Wake Up, Greece Will Come To Your Neighborhood Very Soon' * *PAPER: GREEK BANKS PREPARE TO RAID DEPOSITS* *WARNING! “Economic Armageddon just hit Europe.”* *Caution Some Language: Greek Anarchists Beat Up And Kick Ou... more »
America on the Greek debt path
*The most worrisome aspect are the similar attitudes* Bahamas-based Viktor Kožený, the Pirate of Prague and the first Czech who owned Harvard (and who offered me to become a shadow finance minister at some point), sent me a link to an article Athens on the Potomac Maybe it could have been called "Washington on Cephissus" as well. But the point was that with some delay, the U.S. finances seem to follow in the Greek footsteps. Jon Gabriel who wrote that article also created the graph above. In trillions of dollars, it shows the annual spending (green+yellow), the revenue (green), ... more »
Mexico: Truckers Startled by UFOs in Yucatán
*Source: SIPSE and Planeta UFODate: July 3, 2015* *Mexico: Truckers Startled by UFOs in Yucatán* *In Eastern Yucatan, UFO encounters are common among tractor-trailer operators who drive the Mérida-Tizimín Route.* BY JORGE MORENO/SIPSE - Mérida, Yucatan - A few years ago we published an eyewitness account by a tractor-trailer driver who witnessed a UFO along the Mérida-Tizmín Federal Highway in the vicinity of the San Antonio Cámara police station, a story which is not unique. In January 2015, as well as last month, two other sightings also occurred and were reported by tractor-t... more »
Who knew?
*I’m trying to find out more about who knew what, when. * *The BBC knew about Mohammed Sidique Khan’s friendship with the Tel Aviv bombers, but when did they find out about it? How long before 7/7 did they know? Did they tell MI5? * This is going to look like one of those “Everything but the kitchen sink” posts, so I’m putting the bulk of it behind the fold. I did find this from *18th July 2005:* *Suicide bombers' 'ordinary' lives* Three of the four men behind the UK's first suicide bombings on 7 July last year were British and the other a Jamaican-born British resident. Below ar... more »
Russian Bombers Flew Near The U.S. Coast On July 4th
*ABC News*: *Russian Bombers Fly Near U.S. on July 4th* *As Americans were celebrating the Fourth of July holiday, four Russian long-range bomber aircraft flew close enough to the US shores that they were intercepted by military fighter jets. The first set of two bombers flew near Alaska and just 30 minutes later a separate set flew far off the west coast of California.* *According to officials at NORAD the flights stayed within international airspace and at no time did any of the Russian bombers enter or get close to entering sovereign North American boundaries. * *More News On ... more »
7/7 10 Years On
Please spare a minute or two today to remember the men and women whose lives were ended by the murderous actions of four home-grown Islamist Jihadis ten years ago today. Those that died are listed here but also think about those that survived, some very badly injured. At the time around 700 people were injured; some 350 were treated on the scene, and 350 in hospital. 100 required overnight hospitalisation or longer and 22 were seriously or critically injured (I believe a few may still be hospitalised but cannot confirm this). Many of these people will still bear the scars both physi... more »
Details on the FREDA: The Future Air-Defense FREMM Frigates of the French Navy
[image: FS Aquitaine (D650)]According to the recent update to the French Military Planning Law, the French Navy is set to receive two FREDA (frégate de défense aérienne or air defense frigate) by 2022. Not much information was available so far on the FREDA besides the fact they would be based on the DCNS FREMM (Aquitaine class), get a modified Thales Herakles radar and would likely deploy MBDA's ASTER 30 long range surface-to-air missiles. Navy Recognition contacted both DCNS and Thales to learn more. Read more
UPDATE 2-German line hardens after Greeks reject bailout terms
Merkel in the Grand Pose Image by Oxi-U-Moron (not from Reuters) http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/06/eurozone-greece-germany-idUSL8N0ZM1KH20150706 Mon Jul 6, 2015 10:36am EDT *UPDATE 2-German line hardens after Greeks reject bailout terms* (Updates with new quotes, background) - German government says up to Greece to act to stay in euro - Gabriel says Athens needs to go beyond previous proposals - Says conditions for talks on new bailout plan not yet met - Finance ministry says Greek debt cut not on the agenda By Paul Carrel BERLIN, July 6 (Reuters) - The German... more »
Straight Shooter: Russia Develops New Trimaran Stealth Corvette
[image: Rusich 1 corvette]An all-new trimaran stealth corvette, now being developed in Russia, will boast unprecedented stability and be able to make combat even under Force 6 storm conditions. A scaled-down prototype of the Rusich 1 corvette was unveiled during a recent naval show in St. Petersburg. “Last year we built a 12 meter-long, 3.7 ton self-propelled model and it performed way better than a conventional single-hull ship,” Andrei Kharitonov, a representative of the Zelenodol Design Bureau, told RIA Novosti on Sunday. Read more
Iran nuclear talks complicated by dispute over missiles and arms
[image: Mohammad Javad Zarif (right) has held 15 meetings with John Kerry over the last 10 days]Iran’s foreign minister met his counterparts from six world powers on Monday, but the drive for a nuclear deal was complicated by a dispute over United Nations restrictions on missile technology and arms sales. The aim of the talks in Vienna is to settle the confrontation over Iran’s nuclear programme, reaching a final agreement by Tuesday. Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, has held 15 meetings with John Kerry, the US secretary of state, over the last 10 days. On Monday... more »
China Mulls Exporting J-10B Fighters with Russian Engines to Other Countries
[image: J-10B Vigorous Dragon (NATO: Firebird)]The Chinese government is considering plans to export its J-10B fighter equipped with the Russian-built AL31FN-S3 engine to Pakistan and other potential buyers from Asia, Africa and Latin America in the future, according to Kanwa Defense Review, a Canada-based Chinese-language military magazine. According to the magazine, the mass production of the J-10B fighters was started by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group last year. At least 10 aircraft have been turned over to the Chinese military and undergoing flights tests, while 14 of the jets ... more »
BBC to pump £740m of licence fee payers' cash into pension scheme deficit
The bare faced cheek of the lefty BBC is boundless. The Telegraph report http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10570964/BBC-to-pump-740m-of-licence-fee-payers-cash-into-pension-scheme-deficit.html that: 'The BBC has decided not to ask its long-serving staff – who, in common with much of the public sector, enjoy guaranteed pension benefits when they retire – for any additional contributions The BBC is to pump £740 million of licence fee payers' cash into its pension scheme, to try and close a funding deficit that has nearly doubled over the last three years. According t... more »
The two hundred and fifth weekly No Shit Sherlock award - ISIS terrorists are arriving in Europe 'hidden among migrants' per Daily Mail Online
'The European Union's top prosecutor says she has been told that Islamic State terrorists are being smuggled across the Mediterranean hidden among migrants. Michele Coninsx, head of the EU's judicial co-operation agency Eurojust, has confirmed she received the intelligence as part of the organisation's efforts to respond to illegal immigration, terrorism and cybercrime.' More at The Mail here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3151326/ISIS-terrorists-arriving-Europe-hidden-migrants-crossing-Mediterranean-boats-warns-EU-s-prosecutor.html but not on the pro unfettered immigrati... more »
Rabbi in California demands Amazon ban "Holocaust denial" books
In an effort to further intensify the Jewish tyranny strangling America and systematically destroying all of the key liberties specifically sanctioned in the Bill of Rights, a rabbi in Sacramento, California is demanding that Amazon ban "Holocaust denial" books in its popular online marketplace. *The Algemeiner* reports: A Sacramento rabbi has called on Amazon to ban the sale of books promoting Holocaust denial, CBS Sacramento reported on Friday. “Blatant anti-Semitism,” said Sacramento Rabbi Mendy Cohen, *according to the report*. “To deny the Holocaust is another mask of blatant ... more »
Bystander hits the deck as fighter jet misses them by centimetres
A clueless bystander was forced to throw himself to the ground in a dangerously close encounter with a fighter jet captured on video. The unidentified man was standing idly on a runway in Libya when the MiG-23 war plane performed an extremely low pass at breakneck speed. The Free Libyan Air Force jet, which appeared nothing more than a speck in the distance at the beginning of the video, suddenly arrives in the frame and soars towards the camera. Read more
Russia claims to have developed secret 'superweapon' capable of switching off foreign satellites and enemy weapons
Russia has claimed to have built a revolutionary new weapon system that can render enemy satellites and weapons useless. Its Russian makers say it is a 'fundamentally new electronic warfare system' which can be mounted on ground-based as well as air- and sea-borne carriers. However, it has refused to reveal how the system works. Read more
China needs long-range strategic bomber: state media
[image: H-6K bomber]China needs to develop a long-range strategic bomber to strike adversaries farther away from its coast in the event of conflict, state media reported Tuesday, quoting defense experts. Beijing has been steadily beefing up its military through years of double-digit increases in defense spending, rapidly expanding its naval power, commissioning its first aircraft carrier and adding to its submarine and surface fleets. But the government-run China Daily newspaper said in a full-page article that a recent military meeting had deemed the country’s air force a “strateg... more »
Fincantieri launches Italian Navy’s last Todaro-class submarine
[image: ITS Romeo Romei]Italian shipyard Fincantieri has launched the last of four U212A Todaro-class submarines ordered by the central unit for naval armament (NAVARM) for the Italian Navy. The new submarine, Romeo Romei, will now undergo outfitting works at the Integrated Naval shipyard in Muggiano, La Spezia. Delivery of the submarine is expected to be in the second half of 2016. Powered by a silent propulsion system based on fuel cell technology, which generates energy through a oxygen-hydrogen reaction, the new 183ft-long vessel features highly innovative technological solution... more »
Russia's New Nuclear Submarines to Target U.S. Aircraft Carriers
[image: RFS Severodvinsk (K-560)]Russia is designing “carrier killer” nuclear submarines, local media is reporting. According to reports in The Moscow Times and Pravda, among others, Anatoly Shlemov, the head of the state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation's state defense order department, recently said that Russia will build two-classes of fifth-generation submarines as part of Vladimir Putin’s military modernization plan. The first of these submarines will be designed to intercept strategic submarines whereas the other class will be built to target large surface vessels, princ... more »
More dots
Eliza Manningham-Buller, ex head of MI5 has just been talking to James Naughtie on the Today programme. *“The families want to know,” *said James, *“could the secret services have done more to prevent 7/7?” * Well, she said, two of the four lads were on the radar, but MI5 decided that two of them were merely criminals. There were so many potential threats to investigate that some were bound to fall through the net. *“ *We depend on British Muslims to give us information.*” * There’s more of the interview with Gordon Corera on the BBC website. July 7th 2015 *“Don’t demonise the Musl... more »
Spare parts harder to find for Victoria-class submarines
[image: HMCS Windsor (SSK 877)]Upkeep costs for Canada’s fleet of Victoria-class submarines could balloon out of control within years if the government is unable to find parts to service them, warns one expert. Since 2012, Canada has issued more than 200 requests for proposal for the aging fleet to obtain spare parts: everything from simple connectors to complex pieces of machinery. The government has spent $120 million since 2013 on parts for the fleet, according to Defence Department numbers. Nearly $39 million of that has been spent since the start of this year. Read more
Russia to Station its Deadliest Submarine Near Alaska
[image: RFS Yuri Dolgorukiy]Russia is expected to finish the construction of a submarine base on the Kamchatka Peninsula by the end of October, the Diplomat reported, citing USNI News. Located near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the capital city of Russia's Kamchatka Region, the new Rybachiy submarine base will become the new homeport of Russia's most advanced Borei-class (also known as Dolgorukiy-class), Project 955, fourth-generation submarines. "The system for basing the Borei-class strategic submarines in Kamchatka is moving along according to schedule and the work will be completed ... more »
Military Photo of the Day: July 7, 2015
A U.S. Army soldier oversees an Iraqi soldier firing a Mark 19 40 mm grenade machine gun at the Besmaya Range Complex in Iraq on July 3, 2015. Thousands of Americans are still serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. We thank... The post Military Photo of the Day: July 7, 2015 appeared first on The Stream.
Researchers Discover First Sensor of Earth's Magnetic Field in an Animal
We always expected as much and now we have identified the effective biological device Good news and may well lead to additional discoveries as well All good science.. . *.* *Researchers discover first sensor of Earth's magnetic field in an animal by Staff Writers Austin TX (SPX) Jun 22, 2015* *Inside the head of the worm C. elegans, the TV antenna-like structure at the tip of the AFD neuron (green) is the first identified sensor for Earth's magnetic field. Image courtesy Andres Vidal-Gadea. For a larger version of this image please go here.* *http://ww...more »
Londoners Dream of Swimming in the River Thames
It strikes me that the Thames Watershed is actually rather small. This makes it an excellent candidate for complete restoration that includes ample riverine trees to create natural robust banks. Properly integrated with agriculture and the population as well and we can have a ecological revolution which will surpass even the natural river of ten thousand years ago. The river itself has obviously been cleaned up of any dumping and that is an important first step. Done properly, it can be used as an example to everyone else as well. This is badly needed when one starts talking a... more »
New Research Shows Earth's Core Contains 90 Percent of Earth's Sulfur
Well maybe. I view this as a low probability conjecture for now. As far as mass is concerned, i am much more inclined to rely on carbon. This is because of temperature and the disassociation of compounds. Yet both can work together. We do need to master gravity and then penetrate the core to figure out the structure. That will be a while yet. The take home is that our core is lighter than it should be based on known heavy metals. That confirms the need for lighter atoms.. *New research shows Earth's core contains 90 percent of Earth's sulfur * *by S... more »
The EU Is Not Unified On How To Respond To The Greek Referendum
*The Guardian*: *Eurozone struggles to find joint response to Greek referendum* Heads of governments at odds as Germany and European commission let Greece stew while France, Italy and Spain are impatient for a deal Germany and France scrambled to avoid a major split over Greece on Monday evening as the eurozone delivered a damning verdict on Alexis Tsipras’s landslide referendum victory on Sunday and Angela Merkel demanded that the Greek prime minister put down new proposals to break the deadlock. As concerns mount that Greek banks will run out of cash, and about the damage being... more »
Loopy conference about as large as the stringy one
*Productivity and progress lower at least by the factor of 10-100* Two weeks ago, the Strings 2015 annual conference began in Bengalúru, India. Numerous people often suggest that string theory has alternatives that may also be the right theories of quantum gravity. At the level of science, this widely spread belief is a laymen's misconception. But one may discuss this statement at the level of sociology – look at the people who are making similar claims. These people may be counted. And they often suggest that these alternatives are being "discriminated against". Loop quantum gravit... more »
Left-Right Differences: Part V
Clarity is conservatives’ best friend. If most Americans were clear about the differences between Left and Right, they would not vote Democrat in nearly the numbers they do. The Left understands this, which is why most left-wing rhetoric is dismissive... The post Left-Right Differences: Part V appeared first on The Stream.
Did San Francisco’s Sanctuary City Ordinance Help Kill Kathryn Steinle?
Did San Francisco’s sanctuary city ordinance contribute to the senseless shooting death of Kathryn Steinle, 32, as she was out for an evening stroll on Pier 14 last week? This is a national story, because the federal government released accused... The post Did San Francisco’s Sanctuary City Ordinance Help Kill Kathryn Steinle? appeared first on The Stream.
A Legacy of Slavery? The Data Points to a More Recent Culprit
Discussions of racial problems almost invariably bring out the cliche of “a legacy of slavery.” But anyone who is being serious, as distinguished from being political, would surely want to know if whatever he is talking about — whether fatherless... The post A Legacy of Slavery? The Data Points to a More Recent Culprit appeared first on The Stream.
I Told You Things are Getting Crazier
Lately I’ve shared my lament that in America today we are witnessing a surreal transformation of the greatest nation in history. Last week, a spate of headlines made this point better than I could make it on my own. I... The post I Told You Things are Getting Crazier appeared first on The Stream.
Cartoon: ‘The Obama Spin’
The post Cartoon: ‘The Obama Spin’ appeared first on The Stream.
Bail Review Permissible Where Material Change
R. v. A.A.C., 2015 ONCA 483: [51] Third, St-Cloud addresses the bail review authority under ss. 520 and 521 of the Criminal Code. With respect to those sections, St-Cloud instructs that it will be appropriate for a bail review judge to interfere with a bail justice's decision in one of three circumstances: i) if the bail justice erred in law; ii) if the impugned decision was "clearly inappropriate"; or iii) where new evidence submitted by the accused or the prosecutor shows a material and relevant change in the circumstances of the case: at paras. 121 and 139.
Clarence Thomas is Right
Who knew that inherent rights are a political bombshell? Justice Clarence Thomas set off a controversy in his dissent in the Supreme Court’s gay-marriage decision by reciting core American beliefs about the innate dignity and rights of all persons, whatever... The post Clarence Thomas is Right appeared first on The Stream.
TeacherMatch: Matchmaking Towards a Corporate Hell?
By Ken Derstine In Philadelphia, all new applicants to the School District of Philadelphia must create a login and apply through a corporate portal called TeacherMatch . All across the country, school districts, such as Chicago, are outsourcing their hiring of personnel to a private firm called TeacherMatch. This hiring method takes away community control of who staffs schools and gives the control to a private corporate entity. In their About page, TeacherMatch would have us believe that four teachers just happened to spearhead “the design and implementation of a comprehensi... more »
Catching up with the Supreme Court -- and looking ahead
*"Something very unusual happened at the nation’s highest court this year. The justices adjourned for their summer vacation and liberals were left feeling pretty good about the just-completed Supreme Court term. . . . [I]t is unlikely that liberals will feel the same way about the next Supreme Court term."* *-- Ian Millhiser, in a ThinkProgress post today,* "Coming Next: The Revenge Of The Supreme Court’s Conservatives" *by Ken* As we know, the marquis cases decided by the Supreme Court in the just-ended term both went the un-conservative way, and both decisions were written by Co... more »
The Roots of the SCOTUS Decision on Same-Sex ‘Marriage’
In Why You Think the Way You Do, I argued that cultures have worldviews just like people do. When a new worldview is adopted it takes time for it to work its way through the culture, as older ideas continue... The post The Roots of the SCOTUS Decision on Same-Sex ‘Marriage’ appeared first on The Stream.
Greece, Keynes & intellectual decay: What made it possible?
Greece is in many ways the dead end of Keynesian economics; of the idea that aggregate demand alone, *regardless of its source*, is what fires prosperity. Like many modern top-heavy welfare states, Greece has abundant demand; but thanks to unaffordable government promises it has few willing to produce enough to pay for it, and –even now!—an infrastructure of credit creation ready, willing and able to underpin it. The result, of course, has been prosperity’s opposite. So how does something as intellectually lame as Keynesian apparatus get traction? Why were Keynes’s nonsensical nos... more »
Iraq And The Islamic State Unite Against Turkey And Its Use Of Water From the Euphrates River
*(Click on Image to enlarge)* *L.A. Times*: *Iraq And The Islamic State Are United Against Turkey And Its Water Usage* There’s one thing Islamic State militants and the Iraqi government they’re besieging agree on: Turkey is using more than its fair share of water. Water levels on the Euphrates River that flows 2,700 kilometers (1,700 miles) from eastern Turkey through Syria and Iraq past ancient Mesopotamian lands have fallen more than half this year, withering farmers’ crops and raising the risk of a wider regional conflict, Iraqi officials say. Iraq and Islamic State say Turkey ... more »
Jay D. Jurie : Community between the anvil and the hammer
Police violence against African-American communities continues to be a commonplace feature of national life and must be seriously addressed. By Jay D. Jurie | The Rag Blog | July 7, 2015 The Black Panthers: Early proponents of Black Lives Matter … finish reading Jay D. Jurie : Community between the anvil and the hammer
President Obama: 'The War Against ISIL Is A Generational Struggle'
*Daily Mail:* *No end in sight to ISIS battle says Obama as he refuses more US boots on ground and says: This is about 'hearts and minds'* ** 'This will not be quick. This is a long-term campaign,' he said today during a statement following a meeting with his national security team * ** All told, the U.S. and it's allies have dropped more than 5,000 bombs on the extremist group, Obama said, but military action alone is not enough* ** 'Ideologies are not defeated with guns, they're defeated by better ideas, a more attractive and compelling vision,' he said * ** Defense hawks in Congre... more »
I Love GMO: The Warped World Of The Pro-GMO Lobbyist
Global Research, RINF, Countercurrents, CounterPunch There’s a massive spike in cancer cases in Argentina that is strongly associated with glyphosate-based herbicides. These herbicides are a huge earner for agribusiness. But don’t worry, Patrick Moore says you can drink a whole quart and it won’t harm you. Who needs independent testing? He says people regularly try to commit suicide with it but fail. They survived - just. So what’s the problem? Perfectly safe. Patrick Moore says he is ‘not an idiot’. So he must be right. Right? Anyway, all that scare mongering about GMOs and glypho... more »
SC Senate Votes to Take Down Confederate Flag
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Senate voted Monday to pull the Confederate flag off the Capitol grounds, clearing the way for a historic measure that could remove the banner more than five decades after it was first flown... The post SC Senate Votes to Take Down Confederate Flag appeared first on The Stream.
Happy Fourth of July Suckers: Government Hyped Terror Alerts Were Just Another Hoax
Fireworks displays and celebrations delighted millions from sea to shining sea yesterday as they celebrated the Fourth of July which for a welcome change didn't fall on a work night. There were family gatherings, ballgames, barbecues and beer, concerts and patriotic hoopla galore as is our long running national tradition. To get into how things have shifted since my youth when the day was observed for what it actually was intended to represent into what has today been morphed into - a celebration of militarism and the state itself - would be to show my age. Best to just leave it ... more »
Commentaries, Analysis And Editorials -- July 6, 2015
*Economist:* *Greece's referendum. "No" to what?* *Greek voters have rejected austerity. Whether they meant to or not, they may find out they have also rejected the euroIT WAS more than Greece's "No" campaigners could have hoped for—and it may turn out to be more than they bargained for. Alexis Tsipras, the radical left-wing prime minister, snatched an unexpectedly easy win in Sunday’s hastily arranged referendum on whether the country should compromise with its creditors, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, on a new bail-out deal. Going into the vote, opinio...more »
CNN Refusing to Own Up to "ISIS" Butt-Plug Flag Faux Pas
The self-proclaimed most trusted name in news – CNN – has descended into the sleazy tabloid muck of milking airline disasters and fear mongering about terrorism to grab ratings and it came back to bite the network in the ass over the weekend. During coverage of one of this weekend’s many gay pride fests a dimwit CNN McNews bimbo got her panties in a twist over what was hysterically hyped as an ISIS flag being flown in the middle of the hoopla. The extremist Islamist group isn’t exactly friendly to gay folks – or anyone else for that matter – but leave it to CNN to blindly sound th... more »
Old Blood and Guts McCain Brays for U.S. Taxpayers to Arm Ukraine
You have to love the increasingly senile Senator John McCain. The deranged old bastard is one of the best examples of why term limits are so desperately needed in American politics and he is once again pushing for another costly war. This time though he is agitating for what could turn into a conflict against nuclear armed Russia, not some chickenshit hellhole like Iraq or Afghanistan. You just have to love these guys, they can’t even spend time doing their jobs by securing our own porous borders yet they want to risk provoking a nuclear exchange over an ongoing border dispute in ... more »
Chris Christie Calls For Rand Paul to Face Stalinist Style Tribunal
I used to believe that the term “fascist pig” was a cliché and a bygone part of the hippie era lexicon but now it is apparent that Chris Christie is the modern personification of it. The Sopranos state Governor today floated the trial balloon that a sitting United States Senator – and political foe – be forced to stand before a government tribunal for actually *defending* the Constitution. Ironic that such a thing can be said less than 48 hours after Independence day but that is a contradiction that seems to have largely gone unnoticed by most here in the banana republic of Obamas... more »
World News Briefs -- July 6, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*BBC:* *Greece debt crisis: Creditors press for new proposals* *Eurozone finance ministers say they expect to hear new proposals from Greece after the country voted to reject the terms of a bailout.* *German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her French counterpart Francois Hollande also called on Greece to make "serious" proposals.* *Greek PM Alexis Tsipras is due to address a summit of eurozone leaders on Tuesday.* *Meanwhile, Greek banks are to stay closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.* *MIDDLE EAST* U.S., allies target Islamic State *with 19 air strikes in Syria, Iraq*. Heavy US-led r... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
"A gorgeous spiral galaxy some 100 million light-years distant, NGC 1309 lies on the banks of the constellation of the River (Eridanus). NGC 1309 spans about 30,000 light-years, making it about one third the size of our larger Milky Way galaxy. Bluish clusters of young stars and dust lanes are seen to trace out NGC 1309's spiral arms as they wind around an older yellowish star population at its core. *Click image for larger size.* Not just another pretty face-on spiral galaxy, observations of NGC 1309's recent supernova and Cepheid variable stars contribute to the calibration of the... more »
The Poet: Mary Oliver, "The Poet Dreams of the Mountain"
*"The Poet Dreams of the Mountain"* by Mary Oliver "Sometimes I grow weary of the days with all their fits and starts. I want to climb some old grey mountain, slowly, taking the rest of my life to do it, resting often, sleeping under the pines or, above them, on the unclothed rocks. I want to see how many stars are still in the sky that we have smothered for years now, forgiving it all, and peaceful, knowing the last thing there is to know. All that urgency! Not what the earth is about! How silent the trees, their poetry being of themselves only. I want to take slow steps, and think appr... more »
Chet Raymo, “The Wild Silence And The Wild Dark”
*“The Wild Silence And The Wild Dark”* by Chet Raymo "It is probably obvious by now that I have been reading Yeats. So let me share one more poem, "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven": “Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half-light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.” There is a wonderfully sexy scene in “Frankie Starlight” where Anne Parillau... more »
"An Exquisite Balance..."
“It seems to me what is called for is an exquisite balance between two conflicting needs: the most skeptical scrutiny of all hypotheses that are served up to us and at the same time a great openness to new ideas. If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you. On the other hand, if you are open to the point of gullibility and have not an ounce of skeptical sense in you, then you cannot distinguish the useful ideas from the worthless ones.” - Carl Sagan
"Jade Helm, Terrorist Attacks, Surveillance and Other Fairy Tales for a Gullible Nation"
*"Jade Helm, Terrorist Attacks, Surveillance * *and Other Fairy Tales for a Gullible Nation"* By John W. Whitehead “Strange how paranoia can link up with reality now and then.” - Philip K. Dick, "A Scanner Darkly" "Once upon a time, there was a nation of people who believed everything they were told by their government. When terrorists attacked the country, and government officials claimed to have been caught by surprise, the people believed them. And when the government passed massive laws aimed at locking down the nation and opening the door to total government surveillance, the ... more »
Evangelist-Producer of ‘Audacity’ Accuses YouTube of Censorship
A trailer advertising a scripted movie about homosexuality has been removed by YouTube, with the company claiming that the content violated the platform’s “policy against spam, scams, and commercially deceptive content” — a claim that the filmmaker behind the project... The post Evangelist-Producer of ‘Audacity’ Accuses YouTube of Censorship appeared first on The Stream.
Light over Fukushima Daiichi at Sunrise
I've never seen this light effect before over the Daiichi site. Perhaps it is merely light reflection/refraction from the sun (which is to viewer's left under the date). But, it is not typical:
The hard question about the merchants of austerity: Are they dopes or liars?
Edward Harrison *by Ken* I encountered Edward Harrison's cute little graph in Ian Welsh's June 25 post, "Greece and the Emperor's New Clothes," in which Ian noted that a commenter, *markfromireland*, had pointed out that "Oliver Blanchard, the chief IMF economist, had made the following assumptions about Greece in July of last year": 1. The Greek economy would grow by three percent both this year and every other year until 2020. 2. Inflation would average between one percent and two percent a year both this year and every other year until 2020. 3. The Greek government would run ... more »
Quote of the Day: Thomas Jefferson v feudalism
Stephen Hicks posted Thomas Jefferson’s letter to Roger Weightman, on the planned celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, in which … well, read the emphasised section: Monticello June 24,. 1826 Respected Sir The kind invitation I receive from you on the part of the citizens of the city of Washington, to be present with them at their celebration of the 50th. anniversary of American independence; as one of the surviving signers of an instrument pregnant with our own, and the fate of the world, is most flattering to myself, and heightened by the hono... more »
Greek Taxpayers Facing a Future of Debt Slavery
*Guest post by Ian Daily* *The Greek government has spent freely for many years to enrich itself and its special interests at the expense of taxpayers. And now, it is not the Greek politicians who will suffer, but the taxpayers who face a future of unending debt payments. ------------------------------* [image: Greece and the euro]Greece has defaulted on its debt to the International Monetary Fund, the first “developed” country to do so. But is Greece merely a casualty of a flawed Eurozone, or a canary in the coal mine? After hobbling along on “emergency” loans for five years, a $... more »
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