10:31pm MDST
Understanding the Emotional Impacts of Ebola: moving beyond crisis and stats to stories
This is a guest post by Dehunge Shiaka, researcher and gender expert in Freetown Sierra Leone What are the emotional and psycho-social impacts of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa? With much of the media attention on the medical, international, and civil-military response to Ebola, this is a question that has largely been unaddressed. Yet […]
Statement from Global Network Kyoto Conference
*Final Declaration from the Kyoto International * * Conference on Space and Peace (August 2, 2015)* The United Nations was established in 1946 after the Second World War to “Save the succeeding generations from the scourge of wars, which twice in our life time has brought untold sorrow to humankind”. The UN visualized establishing a New International Order. But the US and the erstwhile European colonial countries have joined together and instead of a New International Order, they have brought a “New International Disorder”. The entire 20th Century witnessed wars, aggressions, and... more »
Is Israel Now Faced With The Choice Of Conventional War Now, Or Nuclear War Later?
*Norman Podhoretz, Colombia daily Tribune/Wall Street Journal*:* Israel’s Choice: Conventional War Now, or Nuclear War Later* Almost everyone who opposes the deal President Barack Obama has struck with Iran hotly contests his relentless insistence that the only alternative to it is war. No, they claim, there is another alternative, and that is “a better deal.” To which Obama responds that Iran would never agree to the terms his critics imagine could be imposed. These terms would include the toughening rather than the lifting of sanctions; “anytime, anywhere” nuclear-plant inspect... more »
US-Led Airstrikes 'Destroy Key Islamic State Bridges' On The Syria-Iraq Border
*AFP:* *US-led raids 'destroy IS bridges' on Syria-Iraq border* Beirut (AFP) - US-led coalition air strikes destroyed early Friday two key bridges used by the Islamic State group on the Syrian side of the Iraqi border, a monitoring group said. The Pentagon confirmed strikes in the area, and a senior US officer said they will have a "profound impact" on IS abilities to carry out operations in the neighbouring and strategically important Iraqi province of Anbar. The coalition "destroyed two bridges between the Syrian city of Albu Kamal and the Iraqi border," said Rami Abdel Rahman, ... more »
“Of course I minimise my tax...”
Jim Rose posted Kerry Packer’s “infamous appearance” in front of an Australian Senate Committee hearing in 1991 this morning – testimony replete with his now-famous one-liner. As a commenter says, it should be beamed on endless loop in the lobbies of parliament. The very least you can do is watch it now, if you never have. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Space Command Propaganda
This ran again on CBS TV's 60 Minutes program across the US. It's a first-rate piece of military industrial complex propaganda. See Part two below.
Observation and interaction
Here is one of twelve collages on The Permaculture Principles and how they might be applied, especially in the maritime Pacific Northwest. Concepts from David Holmgren's *Essence of Permaculture.* *One.* "Observe and interact." In recent years we have, by whatever causes, had fewer infestations here of insect pests, slugs and snails. Perhaps one reason is that we keep an eye out for ways to encourage predation of these. By maintaining habitat refuges, we're seeing an increase in 1. garter snakes and gopher snakes, 2. tree frogs, and 3. orb weavers, yellow garden spiders, and b... more »
Want to be duped? Log in at Facebook!
Scams and fraud proliferate on Facebook By Brenda Norrell Censored News From the plagiarized news articles by reporters who never leave their homes, to the fundraising scams by the self-promoting, Facebook is a teeming hot cesspool of fraud. There are of course wonderful posts there as well, but you have to be part private eye and part professional digger to unearth them. The majority of
TV Watch: An enthusiastic thumbs-up for the just-completed Season 3 of "Last Tango in Halifax"
*The preview for tonight's highly satisfying Season 3 finale of Last Tango in Halifax* *by Ken* This illustrates the problem with having no writers about TV I can turn to for guidance. All through the six-episode Season 3 of *Last Tango in Halifax*, which aired tonight on many PBS stations, I kept thinking, *somebody shoulda told me about this*. I know that probably there are people who tried, but since I don't listen to them about anything else, why would I have listened to them about this? So while I was aware through the previous seasons that a show of this name had popped up ... more »
“In the long run the Asian contribution to New Zealand is more important than discussing the ethnicity of property buyers in the Auckland housing market”
Oliver Hartwich from the NZ Initiative couldn’t have said it any better, quietly suggesting (in my words) that NZers might be talking about Asian house buyers so much because it’s an easy way to exorcise fears that we might pick up diseases from these new immigrants – diseases we might dislike, like hard work, saving, and honesty. In his own words he points out “a few things you may not know about your Asian neighbours”: - Asians are typically more qualified than the New Zealand average. - Of all Asian school leavers in 2014, 73 percent achieved NCEA level 3 or ab... more »
Fukushima Update 8/2/2015: "Your Radiation This Week No 15"
*"Your Radiation This Week No 15"* By Bob Nichols San Francisco – "Good Day, this is “Your Radiation This Week.” These are the recorded Radiation Highs that affected people this past 29 days around the United States and in your neighborhood. Let’s get right to it. *Listed in Counts per Minute, a Count is One Radioactive Decay Registered by the Instrument. High radiation counts are shown from June 24 to July 29, 2015. Radiation counts are noted and and the types of radiation counted are listed. Uncounted radiation types make the actual Rad Count higher and more dangerous. *Normal R... more »
Climbing through the weekend
*Aboriginal inhabitants? What aboriginal inhabitants? Han-centric history is just one aspect of Taiwan's Han-centric thinking.* This week did some wonderful rides out of my Taichung base, stretching my injured legs a bit. Felt good. Thursday went the length of Baguashan and down Fengbai Road into Ershui. Saturday did the awesome ride through the Nantou tea areas on the 149, 212, and 151 to the 162A with its spectacular descent. Sunday went back to an old favorite of mine, Pinglin Road. Come below the break to enjoy... [image: DSC07437] A pineapple wholesale market on the 139, with ... more »
U.S. Secretary of State Kerry: 'No Question' That Iran Deal Will Make Region Ssafer
*AFP:* *Kerry assures allies Iran deal makes Mideast 'safer'* Cairo (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry sought to assure Middle East allies Sunday that the Iran nuclear deal would make them safer, as he began a regional tour. Kerry met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry to patch up troubled relations between the two countries with a pledge of support. He later met President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi before leaving for Qatar to meet Gulf Arab foreign ministers. Egypt and other regional states such as Saudi Arabia are suspicious of Iran, which they see as bent on destabilising ... more »
Arriving in Hiroshima
The Global Network 23rd annual space organizing conference concluded yesterday after our membership meeting in the morning. I gave my coordinator report, budget report, and we discussed our planned October 3-10 Keep Space for Peace Week. We added two new persons to our Advisory Board – JV Prabaker (India) and Subrata Ghoshroy (MIT in Boston). We decided to hold our next space organizing conference in Hyberabad, India in November of 2016. We then boarded the high-speed train in Kyoto for the two-hour ride to Hiroshima. Through the train window one can see the miles of rice pa... more »
Top 10 moments …
You don’t need to know anything about the world’s most libertarian sport to enjoy the 10 best goals, marks, moments, moves and fumbles from the weekend’s action. Oh, and Adam Goodes … Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Links, Top 10
By popular choice, these were the best links from the last Friday Morning Ramble. I gave myself only half a point this week for picking the most popular because I’d quietly decided the Goodes stories would be total non-starters. Almost true. Turns out these are the ten that had you reaching for the mouse… 1. 50 Twitter Jokes That Will Brighten Your Day 2. Listen to the instrument da Vinci invented but never got to hear 3. 24 totally cringe-worthy classical music jokes 4. 15 Hilarious And Calamitous Appearances By Musicians On Kids TV Shows 5. Multiculturalism: A F... more »
"The Gate To Eternity..."
“Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.” - Khalil Gibran
Musical Interlude: Marvin Gaye, “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)”
Marvin Gaye, “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI9SKuCIMpc
Untitled
*Is New Orleans Safe? The state’s master plan could avert a watery demise. But it would cost many billions ~John Barry, New York Times*
How’s this for a metaphor?
[Hat tip Catallaxy Files] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
#SaveTheHumans: Of Iconic Lions and Hysterical Hyenas
*Guest post by **Lindsay Perigo* The fathomless fatuity of Faecesbook *infantiles* and their ilk on or off the Internet—not to mention the warp in their moral compass—has been abundantly evident this past week as they have gone into outrage-overdrive over the killing by a recreational hunter of Zimbabwe icon Cecil the Lion. It was the wont of Cecil, a tourist attraction, to roam around Hwange National Park, where he had protected status. On the occasion in question he was lured out by hunting bait. The hunter, American dentist Walter Palmer, was unaware of Cecil's identity and cel... more »
A few candidate posters....
A candidate in Fengyuan in Taichung has large, professional looking posters. Click read more to see more.... [image: DSC07532] Another example from the above candidate. [image: DSC07342] Still another. [image: DSC07240] Here he is embedded with a highway project. [image: DSC07438] A Nantou candidate put this sign on all the bus stop signs. [image: DSC07436] Legislative candidate. [image: DSC07435] Unlike KMT presidential candidate Hung, the DPP's Tsai is seen on many local candidate signs. This one is from Changhua. [image: DSC07433] Two candidates for local council on... rented... more »
SPHERE ALLIANCE MESSAGE #64Rest in Peace Sweet Sister
Joyce Ruth Ferguson-Carly What became of my sister Joyce Ruth Ferguson? She disappeared and we do not know what became of her. I can find no death records. *ON EARTH the one KNOWN AS JOYCE RUTH FERGUSON became as you say, "homeless" She left her body and was marked JANE DOE in San Diego. THE DATE was JUNE 25th 1984.* Thank you Sphere Alliance. Now at last, the extended family knows what happened... I will try to track down the grave if there is one so that the name can be added. *My sister Joyce was an artist, this is a mural she and other students created at Coronado High Sc...more »
August 2: Part II
Sorry, part one stopped abruptly before I got to my main topic. I couldn't fix it. So I had to find a child who could. I was talking about the horrors that the Canadian mining industry inflicts, especially in Central American and Africa. As well, it commonly pays insignificant royalties. One firm operating a mine in northern Quebec pulled out 10 billion in sales. But paid only 226 dollars in royalties. Nor do we see much in taxes from this activity, because wealthy Canadians now have 200 billion dollars and more in offshore tax havens. And you'll notice that the Irving press never ... more »
Dispatch From The Endocene - Number Eight
source Below is the transcript for the 8th Dispatch from the Endocene on Extinction Radio. You can listen to the entire show where it is embedded at the end, or fast forward to my part at 1 hour 27 minutes in (but then you would miss some excellent poetry and interviews!) Thank you Mike, I’m glad to have you still with us as host and to know that the unique and wonderful Extinction Radio show isn’t extinct, at least, not yet! And thank you, listeners, for joining me for this 8th Dispatch from the Endocene. This is your WooWoo-Free zone, a platform to explore the many ways humanit... more »
Two Explosions 20 Minutes Apart Shock Congregants at 2 New Mexico Churches
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A pair of small explosions just 20 minutes and a few miles apart shocked congregants Sunday morning at two churches in southern New Mexico. There were no injuries or deaths from the blasts outside Calvary... The post Two Explosions 20 Minutes Apart Shock Congregants at 2 New Mexico Churches appeared first on The Stream.
A Killer on the Loose: The UCLA Superbug
Doctors at UCLA’s flagship hospital were baffled: A healthy 40-year-old woman had fallen deathly ill after a routine procedure. A long black scope had been threaded down her throat to treat troublesome gallstones. Now antibiotics were powerless to stop a... The post A Killer on the Loose: The UCLA Superbug appeared first on The Stream.
Musical Interlude: Liquid Mind, "Awakening (Cosmic Sea)"
*Liquid Mind, "Awakening (Cosmic Sea)"* “Liquid Mind is deeply relaxing and soothing music for relief of stress and anxiety, meditation, healing. Music By Chuck Wild, “Liquid Mind V: Serenity - Awakening.” Images courtesy of ESA, NASA and The Hubble Space Telescope.” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCa4dpKyzwo&feature=related
"A Look to the Heavens"
“What's that in front of Orion? Forty kilometers north of Kahta, Turkey, lies Mount Nemrut, a mountain adorned with the fragments of vast statues built over 2000 years ago. The stone sculptures once stood nearly 10 meters high and depicted lions, eagles, various ancient gods, and King Antiochus I Theos, who ruled Commagene from 86 BC to 38 BC. Ruins of the bodies of several sitting figures are visible on the hill above, illuminated by moonlight. Zeus' head can be found near the above image's center, while the king's head is seen next closest to the horizon. *Click image for larger s... more »
"The Solitary Mind And Soul..."
"The whole course of human history may depend on a change of heart in one solitary and even humble individual- for it is in the solitary mind and soul of the individual that the battle between good and evil is waged and ultimately won or lost." - M. Scott Peck
Chet Raymo, “You Arrange, The Thing Is Posed/What In Nature Merely Grows”
*“You Arrange, The Thing Is Posed/What In Nature Merely Grows”* by Chet Raymo "Here is a poem by Wallace Stevens, written early in his career as poet (1916, age 37) and published posthumously. It's a simple poem, almost trite, but hints at the much deeper volume of work yet to come. *"Bowl"* "For what emperor Was this bowl of Earth designed? Here are more things Than on any bowl of the Sungs, Even the rarest- Vines that take The various obscurities of the moon, Approaching rain And leaves that would be loose upon the wind, Pears on pointed tr... more »
The Poet: Dana Gioia, "Entrance"
*"Entrance"* "Whoever you are: step out of doors tonight, Out of the room that lets you feel secure. Infinity is open to your sight. Whoever you are. With eyes that have forgotten how to see From viewing things already too well-known, Lift up into the dark a huge, black tree And put it in the heavens: tall, alone. And you have made the world and all you see. It ripens like the words still in your mouth. And when at last you comprehend its truth, Then close your eyes and gently set it free." - Dana Gioia
Free Planet's new mantra - listen to Free Planet sing - rejoice for soon it will be returned to her
I have not come here to give you Free Planet, I have come here to help Free Planet claim back what's rightly its. The 'free planet' wants it back from human corruption, for the sake of all the children's children. Now, what does Free Planet say about all this? That's the important question. And are we listening?
The Pagan Origins of Modern Day Christianity
*Film - *Here's a deeper exploration of the gnostic origins and pagan rituals that have led to modern day Christianity. The post The Pagan Origins of Modern Day Christianity appeared first on Waking Times.
Hillary: On Board With The Boardroom
The courageous environmentalist who refuses to take a stand on Keystone XL "Dems," reads a headline in the Beltway trade paper *The Hill*, "Give Clinton Pass On Keystone." A more accurate, less Beltway headline would read: "Some Dems Give Hillary A Pass On Keystone, And Many Others Are Demanding She Take A Position." Every Democrat I know wants her to take a position. And they want her to oppose it. Professional careerist Democrats see it very differently, of course. To them sound public policy, which is almost always controversial, is always secondary to career opportunities. Of cou... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Waynesville, North Carolina, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
“Chronic Stress: The Hidden Health Risks”
*“Chronic Stress: The Hidden Health Risks” * By Meryl Davids Landau “According to a recent American Psychological Association poll, nearly a quarter of Americans confessed to currently feeling under "extreme stress." Respondents especially blamed money, work, and the economy—a feeling 50-year-old Sue Wasserman knows all too well. In February, the public relations manager left Atlanta after her job was eliminated by a corporate restructuring and took a new post in Asheville, N.C. When that proved a bad fit, she struck out on her own as a freelance writer and publicist. Though Wasser...more »
"How Our Relationships Reveal Our Beliefs"
"How Our Relationships Reveal Our Beliefs" by Jonathan "What do you see when you look at the world around you? What do you see when you look at the people around you? We all see things that we are attracted to, and things we don’t want anything to do with, isn’t that true? How objective do you think your perspective really is? If we could all be totally objective then we would all see things the same way, wouldn’t we? But we don’t! We see things differently because we are all different. Much of what we see in the people around us, and the world in general, is actually a reflection ... more »
"Luminarium"
*"Luminarium"* by Anniina “This site combines several sites first created in 1996 to provide a starting point for students and enthusiasts of English Literature. Nothing replaces a quality library, but hopefully this site will help fill the needs of those who have not access to one. Many works from Medieval, Renaissance, Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries can be found here. The site started in early 1996. I remember looking for essays to spark an idea for a survey class I was taking at the time. It seemed that finding study materials online was prohibitively difficult and time-co... more »
Suicide Attack by Kurdish Militants in Turkey Kills 2 Soldiers
Kurdish militias carried out a suicide attack on a Turkish military police station in eastern Turkey on Sunday, killing two soldiers and wounding 24 others, the local authorities said. In an overnight assault, members of the separatist Kurdistan Worker’s Party,... The post Suicide Attack by Kurdish Militants in Turkey Kills 2 Soldiers appeared first on The Stream.
"I Need My Pain!"
“Kirk: Damn it, Bones, you're a doctor. You know that pain and guilt can't be taken away with a wave of a magic wand. They're the things we carry with us, the things that make us who we are. If we lose them, we lose ourselves. I don't want my pain taken away! I need my pain!”- James T. Kirk, ”Star Trek V: The Final Frontier”
"Evaluating Authority"
*"Evaluating Authority"* by Emotinalcompetency.com “Rather than examining evidence first hand, we often rely on secondary information sources. These include gossip, rumor, hearsay, conversation, the Internet, and information provided by various luminaries and authorities available as publications, speeches, presentations, advertisements, endorsements, radio and TV programs, and news items. The English language use of the word “authority” has two very different meanings. One meaning describes positional power—such as the right to control, command, or determine—and the other describe...more »
Vox's "Plutonium Plant": Explainer Site Still Doesn't Understand Arak
(Image: Creative Curiosity) On the heels of the recently announced historic multilateral agreement over Iran's nuclear program, self-described explanatory journalism outlet Vox.com has posted a number of infographics to explain certain parameters of the deal. The images were produced by Vox's graphics editor Javier Zarracina, who previously worked at the Los Angeles Times and the Boston Globe
In the News
TEPCO has recently announced success in removing a large piece of debris from unit 3 spent fuel pool. (here): TEPCO removes canopy panel from Fukushima reactor building The photo of the plant accompanying the story on unit 3 shows the ubiquitous "fog/mist" that has recently entombed the plant at night. Here is a screenshot from today: TEPCO also announced it removed a roof panel from unit 1. You can see the missing panel in the screenshot above, in the front of the building, roughly center, marked by yellow light. I went through my old records trying to find news coverage addr... more »
Japanese Maple
There was a lovely edition of Radio 4's poetry programme *The Echo Chamber *today. Paul Farley talked to Clive James, who also read some of his latest poetry. One of those latest poems apparently went, as Paul put it, "as close to viral as a poem ever has in a medium even more inescapable than TV" - namely (and get the garlic out quick!) Twitter. That poem was *Japanese Maple*. And as this is a social media platform, I think it's only right to help it go even more viral: Your death, near now, is of an easy sort. So slow a fading out brings no real pain. Breath growing short Is ju... more »
The Border CafeA Story of a Planetary Control AI
*ORIGINALLY POSTED FEBRUARY 16, 2014* *The Border Cafe * A work of fiction (or is it?) *By American Kabuki* Chapter 1 It had been a long winter for both. Weary from the battle the operatives approached the rendezvous with trepidation. They hated each other had scars to prove it. Campo Blanco's war with Team Noir was thousands of years old. They suffered much loss of life in the skirmishes. Team Noir had one objective acquisition and power and they did it well. They did it ruthlessly. Campo Blanco had the advantage of the rising energetics. Herve entered the cafe cautiously, P... more »
Energy Econ 40, DOE Circular No. DC2015-06-0008
The Department of Energy (DOE) issued Circular No. DC2015-06-0008, Mandating All Distribution Utilities to undergo CSP) in securing PSA, dated June 11, 2015 and signed by resigned DOE Sec. Carlos Jericho "Icot" Petilla. So all Distribution Utilities (DUs) in the country would now have to go through competitive bidding in securing their power supply contracts, abandon the old and existing bilateral supply contracts. A third person/party shall also be appointed by the DOE/ERC, and NEA to facilitate the bidding process. I think it is a reaction to (a) complaints of "sweetheart deals"... more »
Poe's Law
That said, how can *any* of us be entirely sure that certain tweets that *seem* beyond parody aren't actually parodies after all? Or that po-faced-seeming tweets from BBC reporters aren't actually self-mocking ones? Case in point. This morning's *Broadcasting House *on Radio 4*. *A frothy, amusing discussion about cakes - including historic cakes with lots of cream in them. Cue a tweet to *BH *from veteran BBC reporter (and *BH *regular) Hugh Sykes: Now, is that a po-faced BBC reporter making a po-faced, nanny-statist point (of the kind BBC types are often thought to make), compl... more »
Sunday Classics snapshots: More Vickers -- "I am afraid, I am afraid that I will never again be granted this divine moment" (Boito and Verdi's Otello)
*A chunk near the end of the Otello Act I duet lip-synched by Jon Vickers (Otello) and Mirella Freni (Desdemona), from the Unitel film, with Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, including our excerpt (at 1:21)* [*The sky is now quite clear. Some stars are visible and, on the rim of the horizon, the blue reflection of the rising moon.*] *OTELLO:* Such is my soul's joy that I am afraid, I am afraid that I will never again be granted this divine moment in the unknown future of my destiny. *DESDEMONA:* Dispel such anguish. Our love will not change from year to year. *OT... more »
No, the BBC didn't publish a photo today showing Jimmy Savile kissing Cilla on the hand
Being a blogger, I tend to think favourably of social media. Though not so much Twitter. Here's a salutary tale about the dangers of trusting everything you see on Twitter: An 'infamous' satirical Twitter user ("Britain's vilest troll", according to the *Telegraph*), who revels in sending out bad-taste tweets (for libertarian reasons), posted an image today purporting to show the BBC's first report on the death of Cilla Black. That "BBC report" 'used' a photo of Cilla being kissed on the hand by Jimmy Savile. A bad taste joke, obviously. Not funny either (to my mind). But clear... more »
The Fake War on ISIS: US and Turkey Escalate in Syria
*August 3, 2015* (Eric Draitser - NEO) - It is late July 2015, and the media is abuzz with the news that Turkey will allow US jets to use its bases to bomb Islamic State (ISIS) targets in Syria. There is much talk about how this development is a “game-changer,” and how this is a clear escalation of the much ballyhooed, but more fictional than real, US war on ISIS: the terror organization that US intelligence welcomed as a positive development in 2012 in their continued attempts to instigate regime change against the Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad. The western public is to... more »
August 2: Sunday odds and ends.
Yesterday, I forget to mention the Faith Page of the Irving Press - always inspiring and uplifting page. I was always look forward to the sermonette on this page as a key to understanding the world. And the contributing cleric does it again. This time, the message of the day, the solution to the world's problems is we must not take the Lord's name in vain. Well.... There are exceptions of course - though the writer does not mention them.The U.S. government is free to say it is God's will for the U.S. to rule the world. That's what it calls American Exceptionalism. And we all send... more »
Another Barry Cryer joke
From the man who knew too much...about Radio 4's *Broadcasting House*... Barry Cryer was on this morning's show and told the same parrot joke he told when he was on in April last year. That fact isn't as funny as Barry's parrot joke - which, if you've forgotten, runs as follows: A woman walked into a shop to buy a parrot, a beautiful blue-and-gold job, and she said to the man, "How much?", and he said, "Twenty quid". She said, "Twenty pounds? He's beautiful." He said, "Well, I have to be quite frank with you. It's got a bit of form. It's got a bit of history. He was in a brothel a... more »
A Cilla fact
Here's something I didn't know until today. According to a 2010 BBC survey, Cilla Black (1943-2015) was the highest selling female artist in the UK during the 1960s (in part thanks to *Anyone Who Had a Heart*). According to that same survey, her fellow Liverpudlian Ken Dodd was second only to the Beatles in sales. Something of a decade for Liverpool, the 1960s.
Nana, Dom Dom and me
Emma Jane You won't be surprised to hear that this morning's *Broadcasting House *on Radio 4 also dwelt on the migration crisis in Calais. The opening report from Emma Jane Kirby interestingly juxtaposed two contrasting yet complementary points of view from the French inhabitants of Calais - (1) a restaurateur whose business has been severely hit by the crisis (with far fewer English customers and no Italians) and (2) a couple who love the migrants as if they were family - one of whom (the woman) gives the migrants foot massages. The foot-massaging couple, who had oddly baby-like... more »
Angles
Different angles on the same story... Here's how various media organisations are reporting the Calais crisis at the moment: Here's the story on the Sky News website homepage: And here's the same story on the ITV News website homepage: The BBC News website homepage, however, goes with a very different angle on the story: Oh my, the Swedish justice and migration minister has spoken! Stop the presses!!... As they say in Calais, plus ça change. *Update: *Come to think of it, promoting the Swedish justice and migration minister criticism's of the British government to third place... more »
Everyone is an Ahole but I have the 3ply window pane solution
Mother Teresa was an Ahole just like Nelson Mandela Martian Luther King and Pope John Paul and I could goggle map the warts on every historical figure endlessly Great Aholes extrude no matter what the squat and where was the toilet (just an aside, I love to shit in the woods) great shit that while it still smells becomes some kind of intoxicate that lets them control the room and in that room great people essentially make everyone love their farts just like perfume the individual defends to the point the smellovision of humanity finds a smell that moves the stink forward Everyone who knows... more »
ANALYSIS: NYT Coverage of Planned Parenthood Videos: A Handbook of Logical Fallacies
As students return to school in the coming months, freshmen the world over will open their Philosophy 101 textbooks and make the first steps to learning the art of critical thinking. Critical thinking, discursive reasoning, and the art of argumentation... The post ANALYSIS: *NYT* Coverage of Planned Parenthood Videos: A Handbook of Logical Fallacies appeared first on The Stream.
Joe Biden Said to Be Taking New Look at Presidential Run
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his associates have begun to actively explore a possible presidential campaign, which would upend the Democratic field and deliver a direct threat to Hillary Rodham Clinton, several people who have spoken to Mr.... The post Joe Biden Said to Be Taking New Look at Presidential Run appeared first on The Stream.
Obama to Mandate Steeper Carbon Emissions Cuts from U.S. Power Plants; Opponents Vow to Sue
NEW YORK (AP) — President Barack Obama will impose even steeper cuts on greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants than previously expected, senior administration officials said Sunday, in what the president called the most significant step the U.S. has... The post Obama to Mandate Steeper Carbon Emissions Cuts from U.S. Power Plants; Opponents Vow to Sue appeared first on The Stream.
The other 'm-word' at the BBC
Just to supplement your Sunday afternoon reading, there are two more fine pieces about BBC bias at *Conservative Woman*. The first is David Keighley's post The BBC’s ‘religion’ is the promotion of equality not Christianity, which notes senior BBC editor Christine Morgan's remarks on this week's *Feedback *about the purpose of the BBC's coverage of religion - "Part of it is explaining this fantastic multi-faith, multi-cultural society that we have back to Britain". David says: Put another way, in BBC-land, religious output is not any more primarily focused on thinking about Christi... more »
Student Protests Rivet Nation
*Via New Bloom: video history of student protest at MoE* Keeping up: New Bloom's facebook page is constantly updated. They put together and posted the video above. There's a live feed here. Note that New Bloom has posted that there is a water cannon vehicle present, presumably because it will be used. Rocked first by the suicide of Dai Lin, Taiwan was then shocked by the open letter from his mother. Solidarity has the translation, which you should read. I can't read it without crying at the naked realization at the end... The one who’s sick is this society. It’s the adults. It’s th... more »
The Biden Bandwagon
Almost overnight, the presidential candidacy of Joe Biden has morphed from a trial balloon into a high-octane bandwagon. The unofficial official roll-out of the Biden Balloon With Wheels came in the form of a Maureen Dowd column, published on Saturday. It's a textbook case of inside-the-Beltway influence-peddling told in the form of a sentimental narrative. Dowd, who has long had a soft spot for Biden and a hard spot for Hillary Clinton, comes from the same Irish Catholic working class background as the vice president. So right away there's the affinity, fraudulent or otherwise. Bi... more »
Trump Supporters Want A Daddy Even More Than A President
Truman Capote, from his unfinished book *Answered Prayers*: "In fact, I was a kind of Hershey Bar whore-- there wasn't much I wouldn't do for a nickel's worth of chocolate." Yesterday, the *NYTimes* fleshed out the conventional wisdom about Trump being a racist and a latter-day Know-Nothing. They pointed out, as an example, that when he wanted to prevent a rival casino from getting into business 15 years ago, he ran ugly ads that said, "The St. Regis Mohawk Indian record of criminal activity is well documented... Are these the new neighbors we want?" This morning on ABC's *This Week... more »
Telemundo Interviews Jeb Bush on Wide Range of Topics
MIAMI (AP) — In his first Spanish-language television network interview since launching his 2016 presidential campaign, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush fielded questions ranging from the upcoming presidential debate to Donald Trump, from Latin American foreign policy to his favorite... The post Telemundo Interviews Jeb Bush on Wide Range of Topics appeared first on The Stream.
College’s Attempt at Bias-Free Language Backfires; Criticism at Removal of ‘Mothering’ and ‘Fathering’
The University of New Hampshire’s “Bias-Free Language Guide” considers the words “mothering” and “fathering” to be problematic, biased language. According to Campus Reform, the guide suggests replacing “mothering” and “fathering” with words such as “parenting” in order to “avoid gendering... The post College’s Attempt at Bias-Free Language Backfires; Criticism at Removal of ‘Mothering’ and ‘Fathering’ appeared first on The Stream.
Jews Flee Muslim Attacks in France for Israel
NETANYA, Israel (AP) — The coastal city of Netanya markets itself as the “Israeli Riviera” and walking along its main pedestrian boulevard, one would be hard-pressed to tell it apart from its twin city of Nice. Barely a word of... The post Jews Flee Muslim Attacks in France for Israel appeared first on The Stream.
What sort of country do we want to be?
Further to Craig’s Sunday Morning Live piece, I’m going to deliver my Sunday Morning Lecture. If you don’t like being lectured to, look away now. If you don’t like being lectured, you certainly won’t like being proselytised by the BBC. The sanctimonious tone of all those heartwarming stories about virtuous immigrants is pretty counter-productive. The other day Mishal Husain interviewed a 20 year old who is now studying at Manchester University. His mother sent him away from Afghanistan for a better future in England. He travelled alone at 12 years old. “She didn’t want me to be k... more »
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, August 2nd, 2015
[image: rant-jpeg-b] Yes, it is now the 2nd of August.... I am back from a much needed vacation, and it is time to get back to doing my weekly rant...There has been a lot going on in our world over the last two weeks, and even though I did a "mini" rant just two days ago, there is still so much more to talk about.... First, I periodically get questioned as to how I do these rants, and I will be honest.. I just sit down as I am doing right now and basically just type what comes to mind after surfing for hours on what is happening around our planet... I do not have any notes or any ... more »
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*UK: Why a belief in education is all but extinct among the working classes* *As the winner of 'Child Genius' is unveiled, ambitious parents who push their little brainboxes can rest easy that they are not part of the problem* So now we know who won Child Genius on Channel 4. The smart money was always on the eventual winner, Thomas from Leeds. Thomas can play piano, bassoon, cello and trombone, sometimes while flicking through an economics textbook at the same time. As Deborah, Thomas’s adoring mother, says, her son needs a lot of stimulation. If Thomas’s brain is the size of a pl... more »
I Think Not
https://twitter.com/johnibbitson On Saturday, the* Globe and Mail* published an excerpt from John Ibbitson's recently published book, *Stephen Harper*. The piece begins with a pean to Harper: He is a lion in autumn, weaker than in his prime, but still a force of nature. He faces his fifth, and perhaps final, test as national leader. But in a way, the result won’t matter. Whether Stephen Harper wins or loses the general election of October 19 is moot. He has already reshaped Canada. And Canada will not easily be changed back. He has ma... more »
Another Day of Mourning.
Maybe we'll get lucky and Johnston will prove to have a backbone made more from democratic convention than autocratic opportunism. Who am I kidding? Johnston will probably be prevailed upon to actively campaign for Furious Leader. If he did we don't have a media that would tell us it was inappropriate - largely because much of the media probably doesn't know or care. Another Harper majority
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*New paper finds increased CO2 or methane will have 'essentially no effect' upon global temperature or climate* *Adiabatic influence the big factor* A new paper by USC Professor Emeritus of Geology, Dr. George Chilingar (with three co-authors), finds that increasing levels of the greenhouse gases CO2 & methane will have "essentially no effect" upon global temperatures or climate. The authors utilize a one-dimensional adiabatic model of climate to demonstrate that the entire tropospheric temperature profile of the atmosphere on both Earth and Venus may be mathematically derived so... more »
The original Brits are Basque? - Stephen Oppenheimer's DNA research - plus Bodmer update...
a couple of months ago, Free Planet told of the work of Oxford College's Sir Walter Bodmer that gave a strong case for the claim that The Welsh are the True British and this lends further weight to my current fetish with the Brythonic-Coelbren research of Alan Wilson and Baram Blackett who claim that there were two Welsh Kings called Arthur and that each kicked out both the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons during their respective reigns. image © Bodmer/WellcomeHere's a nice graphic from the above-mentioned Oxford-Bodmer research that shows a) most of the UK population up until the Roman ... more »
Editor's Note
Stuck with taking care of visiting relatives today. Blogging will return early tonight.
Is The Chinese Economy Grinding To A Halt?
An investor looks at stock information at a brokerage house in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China. The Chinese market is dominated by small investors. Photograph: CHINA DAILY/REUTERS *The Guardian*: *As Chinese shares fall, the real fear is that the economy itself is grinding to a halt* Disastrous losses on the Shanghai exchange are leading to concern that the era of runaway Chinese growth is faltering at a critical time in the world economy Recent events in Shanghai’s stock markets have been all too reminiscent of the tales that have entered American folk memory from the days of th... more »
Disagree With Mulcair's Latest on the Consortium Debates
To me, it had all been so perfect. harper was not going to the big televised debates because he's a gutless coward. The sort of shameless coward who, without a word to his colleagues, runs to hide in the closet when danger is near. Wait. Did I say "colleagues"? harper was supposed to be their "leader" in that situation. What a pathetic coward! Mulcair, and all the other candidates had said they'd be going. Now, over (what?) a month later, Mulcair is now making noises about not attending unless harper does. harper is now transformed from the irrelevant coward to the vital ingredien... more »
On Immigration, Trump and Dolan Are Both Wrong
A few days ago, New York’s Timothy Cardinal Dolan went after Donald Trump on immigration, using not a scalpel but a sledgehammer, lumping all opposition to mass, unskilled immigration into a big, sticky ball of anti-Catholic “nativism,” which is linked to... The post On Immigration, Trump and Dolan Are Both Wrong appeared first on The Stream.
China Is Tearing Down Crosses
As part of a wider campaign to suppress religious freedom, China’s government is demolishing crosses in the “Jerusalem of the East.” HONG KONG—Christians in China sometimes paint their crosses red to remind them of the blood shed by the faithful... The post China Is Tearing Down Crosses appeared first on The Stream.
Rick Perry Dials Back Christian Appeal in Iowa, Cites Job Record
CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) — Rick Perry bragged to an Iowa barbeque crowd about the strong economy back in Texas, drew laughs comparing President Barack Obama to Jimmy Carter and won applause vowing to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. But in... The post Rick Perry Dials Back Christian Appeal in Iowa, Cites Job Record appeared first on The Stream.
Police: Gunfire at Brooklyn Backyard Party Injures 9
Police say gunfire broke out at a backyard party in Brooklyn overnight, injuring nine people. Sgt. Daniel Doody of the New York Police Department says the shooting happened at about 2:15 a.m. Sunday in the East New York section after... The post Police: Gunfire at Brooklyn Backyard Party Injures 9 appeared first on The Stream.
Conservative Donor Charles Koch Urges End to ‘Corporate Cronyism’
DANA POINT, Calif. (AP) — Billionaire industrialist and conservative political donor Charles Koch welcomed a group of roughly 450 like-minded fundraisers to one of his twice-annual conferences Saturday by challenging them to advocate for ending “corporate cronyism” – even if... The post Conservative Donor Charles Koch Urges End to ‘Corporate Cronyism’ appeared first on The Stream.
State Dept Report: Iran Officials Involved in Sex Trafficking of Women, Girls
Iran’s government officials were involved in sex trafficking of women and girls, and some of them even forced girls into prostitution rings, a report by the State Department says. U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen says the report shows the Obama administration’s... The post State Dept Report: Iran Officials Involved in Sex Trafficking of Women, Girls appeared first on The Stream.
Iran’s Ayatollah Publishes Book on How to Outwit US and Destroy Israel
While Secretary of State John Kerry and President Obama do their best to paper over the brutality of the Iranian regime and force through a nuclear agreement, Iran’s religious leader has another issue on his mind: The destruction of Israel.... The post Iran’s Ayatollah Publishes Book on How to Outwit US and Destroy Israel appeared first on The Stream.
PODCAST: The Stream‘s John Zmirak Talks to Eric Metaxas on Planned Parenthood
Stream senior editor John Zmirak joined his old Yale friend Eric Metaxas to talk about the profound moral challenge posed by the human organ trafficking business of Planned Parenthood, as exposed in recent videos obtained by the Center for Medical... The post PODCAST: *The Stream*‘s John Zmirak Talks to Eric Metaxas on Planned Parenthood appeared first on The Stream.
Europeans Rush To Do Business With Iran
*New York Times*: *After Deal, Europeans Are Eager to Do Business in Iran* PARIS — Before the ink was even dry on the Iran nuclear deal, European leaders and executives were heading to the airport to restart trade with an Iranian market described in almost feverish terms as “an El Dorado” and potential “bonanza.” Germany sent a delegation five days after the signing of the accord in Vienna on July 14. The French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday. Italian government ministers will get there on Tuesday. Business leaders are to follow soon. They will in... more »
U.S. Navy To Charge Chattanooga Shooting Survivor Timothy White For Firing A Gun In Self Defense During The Attack
*Allen West:* *Navy To Prosecute Chattanooga Hero* 'What kind of freaking idiots are in charge of our Armed Forces?' According to former congressman and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Allen West, the U.S. Navy has decided to bring charges against the naval officer who fired his personal weapon at Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez during the ISIS supporter’s July 16 attack on the Chattanooga U.S. Naval and Marine Reserve Center. Abdulazeez, armed with a handgun and an assault rifle, killed four Marines and one sailor. In the posting on his website Saturday, West wrote: “Ladies and gents, re... more »
How True Love Should Be
*Video - *Let Maya Angelou inspire you as she shares her message about how love should liberate, not bind. The post How True Love Should Be appeared first on Waking Times.
Stephen Harper Makes A Mockery Of Our Democracy - Tell Your Grandma !!!
There is nothing nice about Stephen Harper. I am sure his mom still speaks well of him, but for the rest of us he is a vile, sneaky, conniving little weasel of a man. His arrogance and petty vindictiveness is stunning in scope. He has achieved the office of Prime Minister of Canada while in possession of utter disgust for most of his fellow Canadians. He does not deserve re-election because he has not served Canadians in any way that has improved the nation and the lives of its citizens during his watch. *And yet your own mother or father, perhaps your grandma or grandpa are go... more »
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Travels To The Middle East To Discuss Security, Terrorism, And The Iranian Nuclear Deal
*VOA*:* Kerry in Egypt for Talks on Security, Terrorism* CAIRO - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry opens talks Sunday in Egypt with his diplomatic counterpart on a range of security issues, as the Cairo government confronts growing terrorist threats in the Sinai peninsula. American officials say Kerry's talks with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri aim to relaunch a strategic partnership slowed by U.S. human rights concerns over Egypt's 2013 military ouster of elected President Mohamed Morsi. The two governments have not addressed that partnership in face-to-face talks since 2009. A... more »
Dozens of Clinton Emails Censored for ‘National Security’ Reasons
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dozens of emails that traversed Hillary Clinton’s private, unsecure home server contain national security information now deemed too sensitive to make public, according to the latest batch of records released Friday. In 2,206 pages of emails, the... The post Dozens of Clinton Emails Censored for ‘National Security’ Reasons appeared first on The Stream.
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*New Orleans Saints Morning Break for Sunday, Aug. 2*
New Blogs July/August 2015
New blogs picked up last month were 1. Alun Davies AM (Labour) (Twitter) 2. Anthony Painter (Labour) (Twitter) 3. Empirical Left (Unaligned) (Twitter) 4. Look Leftward (Labour) (Twitter) 5. Incorrigible Rebel (Unaligned) (Twitter) 6. Phil Swatton (Labour) (Twitter) 7. The Daily Tang (Unaligned) (Twitter) 8. The Left Wing Blog (Labour) (Twitter) 9. Workers' Europe (Unaligned/Pro-EU) (Twitter) 10. Zaid's Corbyn Blog (Labour) If you know of any new blogs that haven't featured before then drop me a line via the comments, email, Facebook or Twitter. Please note I'm looking for blogs that hav... more »
Too Much Money?
With much speculation (Harper, will meet with Governor General David Johnston, Queen Elizabeth II’s representative in Canada, Sunday at 9:55 a.m., according to a statement released late Saturday by the prime minister’s office.) that today is the day that Harper will go to the GG and dissolve parliament thus resulting in a record 11 week election period (or not) here is a quick review of the inordinate amount of money that will be spent during that time. No attempt has been made to estimate the millions spent by the Harper regime in recent months assassinating one particular oppositi... more »
"The Pathetic Truth..."
"The pathetic truth is that most people fear genuine independence more than they fear death itself. So desperate are they for "acceptance" and so fearful of being thought "peculiar," they will deny the evidence of their own eyes and mindlessly repeat the lies and ignorance of others. When it comes to a subject like economics or foreign policy, they think: "Oh, that's so hard! I can't understand that. I'll just listen to what the 'experts' say. They know best." - Arthur Silber, - http://powerofnarrative.blogspot.com/
Greece Updates ( August 2 , 2015 ) - Varoufakis warns Spain could see same fate as Greece .... Bailout Talks Updates ..... Greece Stock Market Update ..... Thoughts on the state of Greece's debt - is it unpayable - and if yes , what should be done ....... Day to Day life in Greece items.....
Tweets..... *Caroline Murray* @Prof_hedgehog 2m 2 minutes ago #OTD 2 August 338 BCE: battle of Chaeronea. Philip II defeats Thebans & Athenians, establishing supremacy in *Greece*. http://bit.ly/1gx24fP *Milan Živić* @zivicmilan 36s 37 seconds ago Thassos Island Today and Before:http://www.milanzivic.com/2015/08/thasso s-island-today-and-before.html …#thassos #*Greece* #travel #photography [image: Embedded image permalink] *My Earthquake Alerts* @myearthquakeapp 5m 5 minutes ago 2.6 earthquake close to Makedonia Thraki, *Greece* at 08:24 UTC! # *ea... more »
Mind your Bees and Queues
The morning's *Sunday Morning Live*, inevitably, discussed the migrant crisis, asking the question "Should Britain be a safe haven for migrants?" Sian Williams, just as inevitably, began by focusing on the issue everyone (at the BBC) seems to think is the most important aspect of all: whether David Cameron was wrong to use the word "swarm". Three out of her four guests agreed it was wrong to use such language; one said it wasn't such a big deal (and got loudly talked over for his pains). The panel consisted of the *Independent*'s Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (the one doing most of the l... more »
Democracy in the Palestinian Territories
'PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas recently canceled the scheduled elections for the student councils after the first such election, at Bir Zeit Uniersity, resulted in the Islamist Bloc winning 26 out of the 51 seats, while Abbas's Fatah movement won only 19. The online Hamas newspaper Alresalah charged that Abbas canceled the remaining elections out of fear the Islamists would defeat Fatah on other campuses, as well. Elections are a bit of a sore point for Abbas's regime. He was first elected as chairman of the PA on January 15, 2005, for what was supposed to be a single four-year term.... more »
Spirit And Matter - The Wisdom Of Rudolf Steiner
*Source:Notes Along The Path Blog*
Dehumanising language from the BBC
The BBC have been up in arms, along with their political allies in the Labour Party, about David Cameron's use of the word swarm to refer to illegal immigrants in Calais. The wonderful Craig at Isthebbcbiased.blogspot.co.uk has done some of his usual detailed research and finds that the BBC might possibly be being hypocritical. 'Prepare to be offended to the very core of your being. The BBC has not been entirely innocent of using 'dehumanising' language about all and sundry - as you can see from the following seven BBC News website articles.' The examples are here http://isth... more »
Northrop Grumman-Developed Stealthy Data Link Validated as Combat Ready with US Marine Corps
[image: F-35B Lightning II]With the U.S. Marine Corps achieving F-35B initial operating capability (IOC), the Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) waveform developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation has been proven a key combat-ready capability of the F-35 Lightning II program. MADL is a high-data-rate, directional communications link that allows fifth-generation aircraft to communicate and coordinate tactics covertly. During testing of the Lockheed Martin F-35, MADL exceeded 1,000 flight hours. The Marine Corps declared the F-35B short takeoff and vertical-landing (STOVL) aircra... more »
Learn How A Titan Missile Is Fired In This Video
At the height of the Cold War, the United States and Soviet Union had thousands of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles trained on one another. In this video, we get a tour of a Titan missile silo, and learn exactly what would happen when the order came down to launch an attack. Veritasium has been posting some interesting videos about science, and this latest one takes you through the step-by-step process that airmen would have had to go through in order to prepare and launch a missile against the Soviet Union. Read more
Latvia to buy Stinger ground-to-air missiles from US
[image: FIM-92 Stinger]Latvia said Friday it would buy Stinger ground-to-air missiles from the United States next year, amid concern in the ex-Soviet Baltic state over Russia's sabre-rattling in the region. "A decision was taken to buy the Stinger missile system," Latvian chief of defence Lieutenant General Raimonds Graube said on public television. He added that the total cost and number of missiles would be decided after the EU and NATO member agrees next year's budget, which is likely to happen in October. Raed more
Not waving but frowning
This morning's *Sunday* opened with William Crawley talking to Doris Peschke of the Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe. His first question to her ran as follows: Can I take you first of all to the front page lead story in today's *Observer*, which reports that the Bishop of Dover Trevor Willmott has criticised the Prime Minister, and other senior politicians, for unhelpful rhetoric - a reference, I suppose, to the word "swarming" this week - and for forgetting their humanity, as he puts it, in responding to the crisis. Do you echo those criticisms? "Yes, indeed", replie... more »
India-Israel co-developed missile to be test fired
India and Israel are likely to test fire this month the long-range surface-to-air Barak 8 missile, jointly developed by the two countries, which can act as a potent shield against incoming missiles, aircraft and drones. If the test to be done in Israel is successful, another would be conducted on board an Indian ship before September. This, according to defence sources, will pave the way for installation of Barak 8 missiles, an upgraded version of Barak systems both the countries use, on board Indian warships. The missile had undergone a successful test in Israel last November. ... more »
China building 40000 ton super large amphibious assault ship similar to USA Wasp Class helicopter carriers
[image: Izumo-class helicopter destroyer]To compete against the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's Izumo-class helicopter destroyers, China is planning to build a new class of amphibious assault ship with a displacement of 40,000 tons, according to Kanwa Defense Review, a Canada-based Chinese-language military magazine. China displayed the model of its 40,000-ton super large amphibious assault ship, known as M1, during the Sixth International Offshore Engineering Technology and Equipment Exhibition held in Beijing in April. Unlike the 28,000-ton Izumo-class, designed with five hel... more »
Vietnamese navy commissions two more Kilo-class submarines
[image: Khanh Hoa SSK]Vietnam on Saturday held a commissioning ceremony for two more Russian-made Kilo-class submarines at central Cam Ranh port, some 1,300 km south of capital Hanoi. Speaking at the ceremony, Rear Admiral Pham Hoai Nam, commander of the Vietnam People's Navy, said these submarines will mark a new development of the navy in particular and the Vietnam People's Army in general, reported Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA. The two newly-received submarines, named after two Vietnamese coastal cities of Hai Phong and Khanh Hoa, are out of six 636 Kilo- class submarines... more »
Philippines to buy submarines and advanced missile systems for the first time
[image: Changbogo-class (Type 209)]For the first time, the Philippines will buy electric and diesel-run submarines, including advanced missile systems, as listed in its $22.11 billion (998 billion pesos or Dh83.166 billion) modernisation plan that was approved in July, to ensure its strength against China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia which have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, sources said. “The Philippine Navy will buy several submarines and missile systems in the next five years from private manufacturing firms either from South Korea or Japan,” a military sour... more »
Navy’s attack submarine, USS John Warner, joins fleet
The Navy’s newest nuclear-powered attack submarine joined the fleet Saturday, with top Navy officials saying that it couldn’t come soon enough with ever-increasing demands from combatant commanders. The USS John Warner was commissioned in front of several thousand people at a ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk after being delivered to the Navy about two months ahead of schedule. The John Warner is a Virginia-class submarine, which was specifically designed for the post-Cold War era. Read more
Pregnant Migrant Heading To UK 'For My Baby'
When did the UK become the world's health service? This woman has fled Africa for a better life in Europe but it appears that France isn't good enough because they actually deal with immigration in a vaguely sensible way. So the UK, for which you can read England and probably London, is the target where free health care for her delivery will be available and then her British baby will mean that its mother can stay with it. What is amazing, above all else, is how the British National Health Service can expand so easily to offer free medical care to anyone who wants it whether th... more »
John Tyndall: 195th birthday
Climate alarmists don't care about science which is why you can't find an alarmist blog that would remind its readers about the anniversary of the birth of one of the most important scientists who helped to establish the "greenhouse effect". John Tyndall was born on August 2nd, 1820, to the wife of an Irish police constable. The family had emigrated from Southwest England. He got schooled in technical drawing and land surveying which was helpful in the mid 1840s when he was paid big bucks for railway planning during a train boom. When he was 27, he felt rich enough and wanted to gro... more »
With all the evil in the world, are bare breasts a problem?
Apparently: '... three sisters, Tameera, Nadia and Alysha Mohamed, say that they took their shirts off because it was a hot summer day. However, they allege that a police officer approached them and told them to cover up. But when they challenged this, the officer said he was stopping them for bike safety reasons.' "bike safety reasons"? Breasts would have to be very pendulous to possibly interfere with the brakes let along the chain of a bicycle... Now I know that 'It is legal for women to be topless in Ontario after a court ruling in 1996.' I may add Ontario to my list of poss... more »
Military Photo of the Day: August 2, 2015
The U.S. Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, the F-35A Lightning II, flies above Hill Air Force Base in Utah on July 16, 2015. Thanks to Alex R. Lloyd for taking this photograph! The post Military Photo of the Day: August 2, 2015 appeared first on The Stream.
Kurdish PKK Fighters To Abandon The Fight Against The Islamic State
A Turkish F-16 fighter jet takes off from İncirlik airbase in the southern city of Adana, on July 27. (Photo: Reuters, Murad Sezer) *News.com.au*:* Iraq authorities plead with Kurdish PKK to retreat from ISIS fight amid Turkish air strikes* TURKEY has killed 260 Kurdish militants in a week-long air offensive on targets in northern Iraq as regional Iraqi authorities said it was time the Kurds withdraw from the front line with ISIS as concerns grow over civilian casualties. Turkey said it had launched a probe after pro-Kurdish media reports said nine civilians had been killed in a b... more »
Harry Potter Giveaway!
[image: Awesome Harry Potter Giveaway] I have one last giveaway for you guys before we bring the Happy Harry Potter series from Rae Gun Ramblings to a close for the year. The fun part is that a lot of the prizes are some of the projects we have seen shared during the series and others are provided by the bloggers! The winner will receive: - Harry Potter Banners from Amelie and Atticus - Harry Potter Quote Onesie from Simply Kelly Designs - Harry Potter Graphics from Beatnik Kids - Things I've Learned from Harry Potter Graphic from Have A Laugh - 60$ Amazon.com Gift Car... more »
Islamic State Wants To 'End The World'
*USA Today:* *Islamic State recruitment document seeks to provoke 'end of the world'* An apparent Islamic State recruitment document found in Pakistan’s lawless tribal lands reveals that the extremist group has grand ambitions of building a new terrorist army in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and triggering a war in India to provoke an Armageddon-like “end of the world.” The 32-page Urdu-language document obtained by American Media Institute (AMI) and reviewed by USA TODAY details a plot to attack U.S. soldiers as they withdraw from Afghanistan and target American diplomats and Pakistan... more »
IPR and Medicines 36, On patent protection, data exclusivity and TPP
There was a DOH Advisory Council on the Implementation of RA 9502 (Cheaper Medicines Act of 2008) last April 20, 2015 that I was not able to attend. The Secretariat failed to invite me, but at least they sent me the minutes of the meeting, Among the speakers that day was Atty. Allan Gepte of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), DTI and he was asked to give updates about the US (and PH?) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the European FTA (EFTA). He said that he was not aware of any current (PH-) USFTA negotiations and there are talks among EFTA countries. He gave some updates about ... more »
Pakistan And Turkey Are Headed To Ruin Under Their Current Pro-Jihadist Governments
*An excerpt from, "Pakistan, Turkey agree to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation" Dawn.com, August 1, 2015:* ISLAMABAD: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met in Islamabad Saturday and agreed to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation aimed at fighting the possible threat from militant group Islamic State and other such organisations. The two leaders also discussed the enhancement of bilateral relations, besides global and international issues of mutual interest. According to Radio Pakistan, PM Nawaz said there are vast opportunities to expand ... more »
Musical Interlude: Logos, “Cheminement”
Logos, “Cheminement” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOuXP8aVWHU
Iran's Supreme Leader Publishes A Book On How To 'Outwit The US And Destroy Israel'
*Image:* The book cover for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's book 'Palestine' *Amir Taheri, New York Post: **Iran publishes book on how to outwit US and destroy Israel* While Secretary of State John Kerry and President Obama do their best to paper over the brutality of the Iranian regime and force through a nuclear agreement, Iran’s religious leader has another issue on his mind: The destruction of Israel. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has published a new book called “Palestine,” a 416-page screed against the Jewish state. A blurb on the back cover credits Khamenei as “The flagbearer of Jihad to... more »
(HBJ!) Justice Denied? Or Mocked? (Relax! We Don't Need None) Facing Racism Head On (And No One Likes That) Go Set a Watchman? HBM! (Tom Brady Martyred?)
US Intel: One Year of War Hasn't Weakened ISIS Death of a Young Black Journalist Edward Snowden Explains Why Apple Should Continue to Fight the Government on Encryption Happy Birthday, Jerry! Visit Dead.net This year, we will be celebrating Jerry's life and legacy with a series of listening parties spotlighting some of his finest musical moments. Tune into
Is Radioactivity Really Good for You? – NRC to be The Decider | NoNukesCA.net
*YOU may be suffering from…**RADIOLOGICAL PHOBIA!* Is Radioactivity Really Good for You? – NRC to be The Decider | NoNukesCA.net
Iran Foreign Minister: 'Iran Has Signed A Historic Nuclear Deal – Now It's Israel's Turn'
Iran's Foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif *Politico:* *Iran’s foreign minister: Israel should disarm, too* Now that Iran has agreed to curb its nuclear program, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif says it’s time for Israel to follow suit and abandon its long-rumored nuclear arsenal. “Iran’s push for a ban on weapons of mass destruction in its regional neighbourhood has been consistent,” Zarif wrote in an editorial for the Guardian. “And while Iran has received the support of some of its Arab friends in this endeavour, Israel — home to the Middle East’s only nuclear weapons programme —... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Separated by about 14 degrees (28 Full Moons) in planet Earth's sky, spiral galaxies M31, left, and M33 are both large members of the Local Group, along with our own Milky Way galaxy. This wide-angle, telescopic mosaic captures colorful details of spiral structure in both, while the massive neighboring galaxies seem to be balanced either side of bright Mirach, beta star in the constellation Andromeda. But M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, is really 2.5 million light-years distant and M33, the Triangulum Galaxy, is also about 3 million light years away. *Click image for larger size.* Mir... more »
The Poet: Mary Oliver, "When Death Comes"
*"When Death Comes"* “When death comes like the hungry bear in autumn when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse to buy me, and snaps his purse shut; when death comes like the measle-pox; When death comes like an iceberg between the shoulder blades, I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering; what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness? And therefore I look upon everything as a brotherhood and a sisterhood, and I look upon time as no more than an idea, and I consider eternity as another possibility, And I think of each life as a flower, a... more »
"The Best Of Times..."
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative ... more »
US Celebrities Endorse Iran Nuclear Deal
*WNU Editor*: I confess .... I am laughing.
Chet Raymo, "The Silence"
*"The Silence"* by Chet Raymo "The hiding places of my power Seem open; I approach, and then they close; I see by glimpses now; when age comes on, May scarcely see at all, and I would give, While yet we may, as far as words can give, A substance and a life to what I feel..." "These few lines from Wordsworth's "The Prelude" leapt off the page at me this morning. They capture well enough what my life has become. All those years of teaching, of writing in the Boston Globe, were years of sharing public knowledge, knowledge that had been vetted by the scientific co... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Málaga, Andalucia, Spain. Thanks for stopping by.
"And People Still Wonder..."
"We say we love flowers, yet we pluck them. We say we love trees, yet we cut them down. And people still wonder why some are afraid when told they are loved." - Author Unknown
"Face It..."
"Facing it, always facing it, that's the way to get through. Face it." - Joseph Conrad
Mixed Signals From The Pentagon On How Many U.S. Soldiers Were Killed Because Of Iranian Activity
*DoD Buzz*: *DoD to Ted Cruz: No list of U.S. combat deaths linked to Iran* The Pentagon says it has no idea what Ted Cruz is talking about. The flamboyant Texas senator and Republican presidential candidate seized the spotlight at a hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to grill Defense Secretary Ash Carter about an alleged document listing the names of some 500 U.S. service members whose combat deaths can be directly linked to Iran. "Secretary Carter, I understand that the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency has a classified list of roughly 500 American soldiers who were murdered by ... more »
"10 Steps to Making Change Easier: Smoothing Transitions"
*"10 Steps to Making Change Easier: Smoothing Transitions"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM "Change doesn't have to be hard, here are 10 steps to help make it easier: *1.* Begin by making small changes or break up large-scale changes into more manageable increments. This can make you feel better about handling the changes you are about to make while making you more comfortable with change in general. *2.* Mentally link changes to established daily rituals. This can make changes like taking on a new habit, starting a new job, or adapting to a new home happen much more smoothly. For e...more »
"How It Really Is"
We should be so lucky...
"Amnesty: Israel Committed War Crimes In Retaliation For Capture Of Israeli Soldier”
*"Amnesty: Israel Committed War Crimes * *In Retaliation For Capture Of Israeli Soldier”* by Ben Norton “What we saw was not just war,” Rafah resident Iyad Ghaboun said of Israel’s summer 2014 attack on Gaza. “It was like a meat machine making mincemeat from people without mercy.” Israel carried out war crimes and “possible crimes against humanity” in its attack on Rafah, Gaza from August 1-4, according to a new report by Amnesty International. When Hamas fighters captured an Israeli soldier and took him into a tunnel, the Israeli military initiated the “Hannibal Directive,” unleash... more »
As Mitch Waxman prepares to tramp around his beloved Newtown Creek, we look at a blogpost that shows what blogposts can do
*As recently as two years ago, when binary_bob took the top photo, posted on Reddit (click to enlarge), the once-mighty but long-doomed-following-abandonment Domino Sugar plant on Brooklyn's once-industrial waterfront still retained a large measure of its grandeur. The lower image, is a rendering of the redevelopment plan (click to enlarge), courtesy of SHoP Architects, looking east and slightly southward, with the Williamsburg Bridge at the right. Quick: Can you find the refinery building itself?* *"One cannot help but drop his jaw whenever the former Havemeyer or Domino Sugar ... more »
Very Important Health News: Toxic Poison, Glyphosate, Added To Pre-Harvest Wheat And You Are Eating It!
Just the other day, I put up a "mini" rant to hopefully catch up on many of the subjects that have been on everyones' minds over the last two weeks while I was off on a much needed vacation break.... One of the subjects that I did cover in one paragraph was the startling news that the very toxic and carcinogenic poison known as Glyphosate has been purposely added to pre-harvested Wheat and has been consumed now by most everyone for the last few decades... I stated that the side effect of this ingestion of commercial grade Glyphosate doused wheat is the rapid rise of the disease know... more »
The Economy: “11 Red Flags As We Enter The Pivotal Month Of August 2015”; A Comment
*“11 Red Flags As We Enter The Pivotal Month Of August 2015”* by Michael Snyder “Are you ready for what is coming in August? All over America, economic, political and social tensions are building, and the next 30 days could turn out to be pivotal. In July, we saw things start to turn. As you will read about below, a major six year trendline for the S&P 500 was finally broken this month, Chinese stocks crashed, commodities crashed, and debt problems started erupting all over the planet. I fully expect that this next month (August) will be a month of transition as we enter an extremel... more »
Bin Laden Family Members Involved in Fatal Plane Crash
Family members of Osama Bin Laden were killed in a private jet crash in Hampshire on Friday, the Saudi Arabian embassy in the UK has said. It came down near Blackbushe Airport, close to the Surrey border, killing the pilot... The post Bin Laden Family Members Involved in Fatal Plane Crash appeared first on The Stream.
It’s a Boy!
When I heard the words, “It’s a boy!” from my husband just eight months ago, my eyes flooded with tears. We wanted to be surprised, and didn’t know if we would be welcoming a little boy or a little girl.... The post It’s a Boy! appeared first on The Stream.
Why You Should Think Twice About Using Google’s Your Timeline
*Video - *Google is being criticized over a controversial new service, Your Timeline, that reveals just how much it knows about the places you go. The post Why You Should Think Twice About Using Google’s Your Timeline appeared first on Waking Times.
"Same As It Ever Was..."
"Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur," a Latin phrase, means "The world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived." The saying is ascribed to Petronius, a Roman satirist from the first century, CE. "The pontifex maximus Scævola thought it expedient that the people should be deceived in religion; and the learned Varro said plainly, that "there are many truths, which it is useless for the vulgar to know; and many falsities which it is fit the people should not suppose are falsities." Hence comes the adage "Mundus vult decipi, decipiatur ergo." - http://en.wikipedia.org/
10 Great Socrates Quotes
Socrates lived in 5th century as well. Plato was his student. Great quotes indeed
The US/Israeli Created Fraud Called ISIS IS At It Again: ISIS/ISIL Documents "Found" In Pakistan State How ISIL (ISIS) Will End The World
I have said it before, and it appears that I need to say it again... The "terrorist" group known as ISIS (or ISIL, Daesch, or what ever the US/Israel criminals think of next) is absolutely a massive fraud and a scam... It was created by the Israeli Mossad and the US CIA to take over where their previous fraud known as "Al Qaeda" had failed miserably.... "ISIS" basically is a propaganda weapon that uses the fraud of "terrorism" to generate the psychological effect of fear on gullible people..... And thanks to the gullibility of the majority of people, it has worked beyond the crimina... more »
ANALYSIS: Uber is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Uber’s battle with New York City mayor Bill de Blasio, which culminated this week in a temporary truce while the city “studies” Uber, shines a bright light on the struggle between progressivism and new technology that goes much deeper than... The post ANALYSIS: Uber is Just the Tip of the Iceberg appeared first on The Stream.
Book critic reads eight books by Donald Trump, lives to tell tale
*"Trump’s books tend to blur together, with anecdotes and achievements enhanced with each retelling. . . . I'm no billionaire, but much of the advice usually falls between obvious and useless."* -- Washington Post *nonfiction book critic Carlos Lozada, after binge-reading eight books by Donald Trump* *by Ken* You remember back in April when that crazy guy swam the Gowanus Canal for Earth Day, and lived to tell the tale? Until now I would have held that out as a latter-day prototype for sheer raw guts. Now, however, *Washington Post* nonfiction book critic Carlos Lozada announces ... more »
Democratic Party Of Ohio-- Basically As Incompetent And Unsuccessful As The Florida Democratic Party
Ohio GOP's most effective weapon was long Chris Redfern Earlier this morning I mentioned that the Florida Democratic Party is probably the worst and least successful of any big state's in the whole country. I'll stand by that. But... Ohio's state Democratic Party has been a mess for a very long time as well. Another one in shambles. This column from yesterday's Cleveland *Plain Dealer* was written by Brent Larkin, who was the paper's editorial director from 1991 until he retired in 2009. He knows what he's talking about. The funeral of former Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Paul Tipp... more »
A Time to Mourn
(By Cecil Blubberpuss, Esq) *L*et us come not to praise Cecil but to bury him. At least, the pieces that are scattered around Walter Palmer's den in Minnesota. But let us also mourn what Cecil represented to many: A $45,000,000 safari industry in Zimbabwe that is now on hiatus thanks to the untimely slaying of Cecil's brother, Jericho. I have a heart. After all, I, too, have a brother named Cecil, although he'd make for very poor sport, considering his asthma and unhealthy addiction to fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. When we'd play hide and seek around our fath... more »
August 1: My apologies....
I said yesterday that today I would write about the chances of peaceful change in Canada and other parts of the world. But yesterday, I thought, was Saturday. It wasn't. It was Friday. It's not my fault. My university never had a required course on how to tell which day it is. So I shall write it on Sunday which is tomorrow, right? ______________________________________________________________________________ I'm going to start today with a letter to the editor. "Government not a 'universal' provider.". This was written by an obviously intelligent (if smug) university student. It's a... more »
SAS dress as ISIS fighters in undercover war on jihadis- Humour?!
*I thought this was humour but then I realized, it wasn't!* We have all seen many, many images of foreign fighters with KurdIShIS. - Pretty obviously *Special Ops soldiers *fighting alongside KurdIShIS- Americans, Canadians, Brits, French etc., * Recall the dead Canadian in the “fog of war” shooting. Killed by the KurdIShIS ally.* *“ Doiron, a soldier in the Canadian Special Operations Regiment based at Garrison Petawawa, Ont" * *The Canadian government swept that murder under the rug, lickety split!* We have heard their British, French, American, Canadian accented voices on far... more »
Death To The UN. Death To Ban Ki-moon. Death To Erdogan. Death To Barzani. Death To Obama.
*Death to all tyrants and oppressors.* *An excerpt from, "UN describes Turkish airstrikes against PKK as self-defense" by Majeed Gly, Rudaw, August 1, 2015: * NEW YORK—The United Nations described Turkey’s recent air campaign outside its borders as self-defense and in accordance with the organization’s charter. *“This action taken by Turkey was done in accordance with the UN Charter, as a way of exercising their self-defence. That is what has been explained to me by Prime Minister Davutoglu.” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a press conference on Wednesday.* Ban
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