United Nations Security Council Resolution 1461 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
An enlargeable map of the Syrian Arab Republic (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Contoh Desain Villa Minimalis Modern Terbaru 2016
Contoh Desain Villa Minimalis Modern Terbaru 2016 | villa adalah tempat yang indah dan juga menyenangkan , apalagi kalau letaknya di pegunungan pastinya akan membuat banyak orang betah jika berlibur dan juga menginap di villa tersebut, dan jika anda ingin mendesain vila anda dengan desain minimalis yang bisa mengundang banyak orang untuk mau menginap di villa anda, anda bisa melihat beberapa
Groundhog Day In Syria
*Video Title: U.N. urges inquiry to identify those behind Syria gas attacks. Source: Reuters. Date Published: August 7, 2015. Description:* The U.N. Security Council unanimously passes a resolution laying the groundwork for an inquiry that would assign blame for chemical weapons attacks in Syria's civil war. Rough Cut (no reporter narration). Wasn't the chemical weapons issue settled two years ago? What is going on? This same script is being pulled out over and over again by the same discredited people. Will the United Nations Security Council come to a political decision or a fa... more »
Untitled
*Scout: A Memoir of Investigative Journalist Michael C. Ruppert, with Against the Dying of the Light*
Galeri Contoh Desain Meja Makan Bundar Terbaru 2015
Galeri Contoh Desain Meja Makan Bundar Terbaru 2015 - bagi anda yang sedang membangun sebuah rumah minimalis, mungkin anda akan tertarik untuk melihat desain meja makan bundar yang akan kami berikan pada kesempatan hari. mungkin diantara anda ada yang tertarik ingin melihat beberapa desain yang akan kami hadirkan kepada kesempatan hari ini, langsung saja jika begitu anda bisa langsung melihat
Dem Leaders Show Allegiance to Israel First
President Barack Obama’s push to get congressional approval for the Iran nuclear deal has run into opposition, even after envoys from the UK, Germany and Russia told US lawmakers that rejecting the agreement would be a “nightmare.” In a statement posted to his website Thursday evening, New York Senator Chuck Schumer said he would endorse a Republican-drafted disapproval resolution “not because I believe war is a viable or desirable option, nor to challenge the path of diplomacy,” but because he believed “Iran will not change.” Schumer is supposed to take over the leadership of the... more »
Most Western Scientific Medical Research is Fraudulent
*Makia Freeman* - The evidence is clear... most medical research is compromised. The post Most Western Scientific Medical Research is Fraudulent appeared first on Waking Times.
Untitled
*Study: Corps decisions, not Orleans Levee Board, doomed canal walls in Katrina ~Mark Schleifstein*
No more "Daily Show with Jon Stewart"? Guess I'll have to get my debate coverage from "The Borowitz Report"
*Plus: I advance my latest theory as to why allthese Republicans are "running for president"* *"[Jon] Stewart leaves behind a legacy of having raised the bar for political discourse — to jostle folks as they laugh at political folly, to remind people of the real-world consequences embedded in those punchlines, to demand that, amidst all late-night shucking-and-jiving, people in power should be held accountable for the state of our nation."* -- *Rolling Stone's Matthew Love, in* "How Jon Stewart Changed the Way We Talk About Politics on TV" *by Ken* The deck on the above-reference... more »
The Implications of the Possible Existence of Multiple Universes
*Video - *How many universes are there? Physicists are now postulating that there may be far more universes than just our own. Chris Anderson explores the thrilling implications of this idea. The post The Implications of the Possible Existence of Multiple Universes appeared first on Waking Times.
Azerbaijan Threatens War Against Armenia
*Click on Image to Enlarge* *Bloomberg:* *Azerbaijan Says It’s Prepared to Take Back Karabakh by Force* Azerbaijan is preparing to use force to regain control of territory it lost to Armenians more than two decades ago after international efforts to find a peaceful solution failed to bring results, its defense minister said. “The time has come,” Azeri Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov said while visiting troops near the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, according to a statement on the ministry website on Thursday. “Our people have run out of patience and demand that we take action to dr... more »
White Mountain Apache unite with San Carlos to Save Oak Flat
By Sandra Rambler San Carlos Apache Censored News . .
Game On
After a long wait with much anticipation, Western Canada Summer Games are here. From now until August 16, our community will be hosting one of Canada's premier amateur sporting events. Fortunately, last winter's changes to my work schedule mean I will be off for the first half of the games. The cycling events are all happening in Thickwood, and within an easy walk of the house, so I'm hoping to catch some of the cycling events at least. I'm also thinking that if I'm lucky I might even run into people I know from Nunavut. While they will bring a small team covering a select few ... more »
Fascist Pig Chris Christie Proves He Is Unfit to Ever Be President
With the national attention focused on Donald Trump during last night’s Republican debate one of the lesser candidates showed why he should never be allowed to preside over the most massive police and surveillance state in U.S. history. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the very definition of a fascist pig made it clear that he has nothing but contempt for the U.S. Constitution as well as a hair trigger temper that should forever disqualify him from holding the nuclear launch codes. Christie, who practically jacked off Emperor Barack Obama while touring the ruins of Superstorm S... more »
P5+1 is a distraction. Early Seeds of Iranian destabilization cross the Turkish border
The seeds of an Iranian destabilization are being sown- All the while the destruction of Turkey by Kurdish forces is on full display, for those with eyes to see. *Briefly:* There is a pattern of moving the destabilization agenda along: Tunisia to Libya, after Egypt, Libya to Syria, Syria to Turkey- Turkey to Iran- Heading eventually towards the Russian border- The situation is fluid, clearly. One occurrence sets up the next one or two, building off of each situation. Or, am I the only one noticing? *1*-*Turkish soldier, Iranian killed in PKK attack* *A Turkish soldier and an Irani... more »
Yentobgate
Lucy Manning, not Alan Y's favourite (it seems) What more is there to say about Yentobgate'? Apparently plenty. It's all turning into a bizarre punch-up. And it's hard to keep up. Or care. Anyhow, as everyone else it still talking about it... The papers (well, *The Times *and others initially) said that Kids' Club trustee Alan Yentob tried to influence *Newsnight *over its Kids' Company report. According to *Guido Fawkes**,* the *Guardian *then reported that people who *Guido *described as "BBC spinners" spun the yarn that Mr Yentob* didn't *attempt to influence the BBC. But ... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 7, 2015
*Max Abrahams, Washington Post*: *Mohammad Omar’s death could help the Afghan peace process — or harm it* Mullah Mohammad Omar, often simply called Mullah Omar, was the supreme commander and spiritual leader of the Taliban from 1996 to 2013, though confirmation of his death came just late last month. The news broke amid Pakistan-brokered peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government, which Omar supposedly endorsed in a mid-July Eid message from his grave. The Taliban leader was renowned for keeping the lid on an otherwise unwieldy organization. As Vali Nasr noted in 2... more »
Chuck Schumer-- Patently Unfit To Be Democratic Senate Leader-- Joins GOP In A Deranged March To War Against Iran
Although most Democrats in the House voted against Bush's catastrophic attack against Iraq-- 126 plus Independent Bernie Sanders voted NO, while 82 (39%) voted YES-- the Senate was much more war-minded. 58% of the Democratic senators (29 out of 50) voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution along with all the Republicans but one (Lincoln Chafee). Only 6 of the Senate Democrats who voted for Bush's war are still in the Senate: Dianne Feinstein (CA), Tom Carper (DE), Bill Nelson (FL), Harry Reid (NV), Maria Cantwell (WA) and, of course, top AIPAC w... more »
The Business of War is the Cause of War
*Sergey Baranov & Ethan Indigo Smith* - Is it good for the people or good for business? The post The Business of War is the Cause of War appeared first on Waking Times.
The Age of the Robot Worker Will Be Worse for Men
Many economists and technologists believe the world is on the brink of a new industrial revolution, in which advances in the field of artificial intelligence will obsolete human labor at an unforgiving pace. Two Oxford researchers recently analyzed the skills... The post The Age of the Robot Worker Will Be Worse for Men appeared first on The Stream.
Syrian Kurd self-immolates after son recruited by PYD/ PKK
Oh, those plucky Kurds- h/t Gwen :) - The 'good guys' or so we are supposed to believe? Readers here KNOW differently- I've covered the topic of child recruitment by the "heroic" Kurds previously.* This news is tragic.* Clearly and amply demonstrating the absolute predatory practices the Kurdish terror groups are engaged in to build their militias. *Rudaw * SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region —* A Syrian Kurdish refugee set himself on fire in front of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) bureau in the city of Sulaimani, (IRAQ) reportedly protesting the recruitment of his 15-year-old son by th... more »
Netball: The Sport America Invented, Then Lost
On Friday August 7th, teams of women from 16 nations will gather in Sydney to contest the 2015 Netball World Cup. It’s an exciting time for residents of the Commonwealth. But for Americans, it’s a big pile of “meh.” Because... The post Netball: The Sport America Invented, Then Lost appeared first on The Stream.
Bread and Circuses
Peals of laughter rise from the front-row seats of the capital’s Pyongyang Circus. Army troops have been treated to its signature slapstick: a Korean peasant posing as a mannequin torments an American soldier (big-nosed, blond-wigged). Troops are the state’s ready... The post Bread and Circuses appeared first on The Stream.
9 Married Couples in Literature Worth Emulating
Marriages in great literature are usually quite tumultuous. Just look at any Shakespeare tragedy or a novel by a Bronte sister or Graham Greene and there is absolutely no one to emulate in marriage. Who wants to be like the... The post 9 Married Couples in Literature Worth Emulating appeared first on The Stream.
Short Notes On the Cruddas Report
It's been picked over already, but there are a couple of points that need picking up on re: the Jon Cruddas inquiry into why Labour lost. For him, the findings confirm that anti-austerity politics is spurned by the majority of those asked - the subtext being, of course, that Jeremy Corbyn's course will sail the Labour ship into very choppy waters. This drew a response from Team Jez, arguing that Jon has spun the results to fit his own preferred conclusions. In fact, if anything, they underline the position Camp Corbyn has taken. Who's right? Unfortunately the data sets have not bee... more »
World News Briefs -- August 7, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*BBC:* *Afghanistan blast: Kabul rocked by deadly explosions* At least 35 people have died and hundreds more have been wounded in separate bomb attacks over the last 24 hours in the Afghan capital Kabul. A suicide bomber blew himself up near the city's police academy on Friday evening, killing about 20 recruits. A short while later a large explosion was heard north of the airport. In the early hours of Friday, a truck carrying explosives was detonated near an army base in the Shah Shahid area, claiming 15 lives. *MIDDLE EAST* Islamic State executed *2,000 Iraqis in Nineveh: defen... more »
Carl Davidson : What the big debate tells us about a Republican presidency
Here’s my instant two cents on the first GOP ‘debate’: put your money in the body bag business. By Carl Davidson | The Rag Blog | August 7, 2014 First, if any of the top people here win the White … finish reading Carl Davidson : What the big debate tells us about a Republican presidency
NATO's Narrative For Afghanistan War Has Officially Gone Off The Rails. . . Who Is Playing Who?
*The peoples of Afghanistan, Pakistan, America, and other coalition nations have been played for suckers by their corrupt political, military, and media elites. * *An excerpt from, "Afghan War’s Convenient Myth: A Living Mullah Omar" by Joseph Goldstein, The New York Times, August 7, 2015:* Diplomats made talking about Mullah Omar a kind of parlor game, compulsively discussing the latest official statements. “If you had never gotten confirmation that Mullah Omar had died, this would have gone on until he was 110,” said the European Union’s representative to Afghanistan, Franz-Mich... more »
White House Warns Chuck Schumer: Disapprove of Iran Deal at Your Own Peril
The White House fired a shot across the bows of New York senator Chuck Schumer on Friday for defying its position on Iran, warning that fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill may remember his voting record when deciding who to elect... The post White House Warns Chuck Schumer: Disapprove of Iran Deal at Your Own Peril appeared first on The Stream.
Clinton Records: Judge Sets Schedule for Release to AP
WASHINGTON (AP) — Impatient with years of delays, a federal judge on Friday gave the State Department some tight deadlines to provide The Associated Press with thousands of pages of documents related to Hillary Rodham Clinton — a timetable that... The post Clinton Records: Judge Sets Schedule for Release to AP appeared first on The Stream.
Afghan Capital Rocked By Multiple Bomb Attacks. Scores Reported Killed
*ABC News (Australia)*: *Multiple bomb attacks shake Afghanistan's capital, 'heavy casualties expected'* A suicide bomber has struck near the Kabul police academy in one of a series of attacks across the Afghan capital reportedly targeting coalition bases and government buildings. At least 20 people were reported dead following the attack on the police academy in the second major attack in the city in less than 24 hours. Two other blasts have also been reported near Kabul airport, as the Taliban claimed responsibility for the academy bombing on Twitter. The academy attack, which ... more »
Driver’s Family Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Tony Stewart
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The family of a young driver struck and killed by Tony Stewart’s car on an upstate New York sprint racing track has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The lawsuit filed Friday in Lewis County accuses the... The post Driver’s Family Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Tony Stewart appeared first on The Stream.
Who Won the Republican Debate? The Pro-Life Movement, and the Next Baby it Saves
A skilled surgeon needs a scalpel, but killers can get by with cudgels. That is because it’s a whole lot easier to smash a skull than to separate conjoined twins. America’s abortion status quo is corrupt and callous, a regime... The post Who Won the Republican Debate? The Pro-Life Movement, and the Next Baby it Saves appeared first on The Stream.
Trump Trumps Trump
Donald Trump won some applause in Cleveland, but Thursday night spelled the beginning of his inevitable decline. It’s fun for his fans to watch Trump flout convention, but eventually they figure out that this man will betray anyone. From the... The post Trump Trumps Trump appeared first on The Stream.
Report of Lawmaker’s Bizarre Efforts to Hide Affair Prompts Probe
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan House leader on Friday requested an investigation into allegations that state Rep. Todd Courser orchestrated the distribution of a fictional email claiming he had sex with a male prostitute in a bid to conceal... The post Report of Lawmaker’s Bizarre Efforts to Hide Affair Prompts Probe appeared first on The Stream.
More Trouble for Rand Paul as Super PAC Head Gets Indicted by Feds
The woes for Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul continue to mount as the head of a super PAC raising money for the Kentucky Senator has just been indicted by a federal grand jury. There has perhaps been no bigger disappointment than Paul in these early stages of the 2016 race for the White House and there have been reports of discord within his organization as well as a death spiral in the polls. It wasn’t long ago that Paul was seen as being the face of a new Republican party who had the crossover appeal to lure young and minority voters to the GOP to build a dominant co... more »
But there's always more we can do
Talking about *Feedback *and *Today*, there was a classic BBC exchange on today's *Feedback *between Roger Bolton and *Today *editor Jamie Angus: *Roger Bolton*: Of course, some people *do *think that your programme needs a more diverse make-up. There was an opportunity, I suppose, also to look specifically for a black presenter. Did you think of that? *Jamie Angus*: Well, we take our...the issue of on-air diversity very seriously. Having presided over the appointment of the first *Today *presenter from an ethnic minority in Mishal Husain...and, indeed, our reporter team I think i... more »
US Invasion of Syria: The Deep Breath Before the Plunge
*August 8, 2015* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - When Foreign Policy magazine recently claimed, "Turkey Goes to War," in their article of the same title, what they really meant was "the US goes to war." That is because the lengthy plan they described in their article is not of the Turks' creation, but a long-standing US plan committed to policy papers since at least as early as 2012. The article claims: *Both the United States and Turkey agree that the Islamic State should be driven from its territory along the Turkish border, though U.S. officials only speak of an “ISIL-free zone” whil... more »
Death from above last century: now offically retierd with no war crime hits
Death on the American highway its not so simple cause everyone who dies was not given a choice they could have been driven a German made E class and spatially they would have survived which is like the death fr0, above the usA AND allies are doing ever day this makes more enemies than friends and why war pursue when we need friends Lets people sort it out that's democracy many place have not that choice but they have some kind of wall street infancies where its dictated we should not interfere
RIP Tyler Drumheller
Tyler Drumheller, *a long-time CIA officer*, spoke out against torture and fake Iraq intelligence. In the interview below he puts to bed the cartoonish belief that has become popular via propaganda films like 'Zero Dark Thirty' that torture leads to good intelligence.
Oops: Jeb’s Website Publishes, Then Deletes Attacks on Walker, Rubio
Jeb Bush’s official campaign website on Thursday briefly featured two separate sections attacking two top Republican rivals, something he has not publicly done thus far in the 2016 presidential race. One portion of his website went after Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, and... The post Oops: Jeb’s Website Publishes, Then Deletes Attacks on Walker, Rubio appeared first on The Stream.
Report: Navy Won’t Charge Officer Who Used Personal Firearm To Take Down Chattanooga Shooter
During the Chattanooga shooting, one Navy officer, Lt. Cmdr. Timothy White, fired back at the gunman with a personal firearm. The Navy immediately launched an investigation to determine potential wrongdoing. But an official with insider knowledge of the investigation just confirmed with Stars and... The post Report: Navy Won’t Charge Officer Who Used Personal Firearm To Take Down Chattanooga Shooter appeared first on The Stream.
ANALYSIS: First GOP Debate: Which Candidates Will Break into the Top Ten Now?
Two hundred twenty-eight years ago, on August 6, 1787, the debate on the first draft of the U.S. Constitution began. The idea for a popularly elected president, albeit indirectly through the Electoral College, came from a delegate unknown today even... The post ANALYSIS: First GOP Debate: Which Candidates Will Break into the Top Ten Now? appeared first on The Stream.
New Mexico Blasts EPA for Late Notice on Colorado Mine Spill
DENVER (AP) — Officials in New Mexico are blasting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for not informing them soon enough about a plume of mustard-colored muck floating downstream from a Colorado mine. New Mexico’s environment secretary, Ryan Flynn, said Friday... The post New Mexico Blasts EPA for Late Notice on Colorado Mine Spill appeared first on The Stream.
The Almost Perfect World War II Plot to Bomb Japan with Bats
Imagine: a quiet, tense night in the middle of wartime. A plane rips through the air above your city, rupturing the stillness. The bay doors open, and out whistles a bomb. It drops and drops. Everyone braces. But when it explodes, the city is... The post The Almost Perfect World War II Plot to Bomb Japan with Bats appeared first on The Stream.
Thought for the Day
Christine Morgan, head of religion for BBC radio, was on today's *Feedback *to talk about *Thought for the Day*. This was how her brief discussion with Uncle Roger went: *Roger Bolton*: Christine, I've often talked to you on this programme...so often defending it...let me ask, basically: Any plans to change it? *Christine Morgan*: Not as far as I'm aware, Roger. No. *Roger Bolton*: No? No requests from the *Today* programme to drop it? *Christine Morgan*: No. *Roger Bolton*: And any possibility of non-believers and atheists presenting *Thought for the Day*? *Christine Morg... more »
Musical Interlude: Deuter, “Black Velvet Flirt”
Deuter, “Black Velvet Flirt” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qWFCocIfXI&list=RD9qWFCocIfXI
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Bright spiral galaxy NGC 3169 appears to be unraveling in this cosmic scene, played out some 70 million light-years away just below bright star Regulus toward the faint constellation Sextans. Its beautiful spiral arms are distorted into sweeping tidal tails as NGC 3169 (left) and neighboring NGC 3166 interact gravitationally, a common fate even for bright galaxies in the local universe. In fact, drawn out stellar arcs and plumes, indications of gravitational interactions, seem rampant in the deep and colorful galaxy group photo. *Click image for larger size.* The picture spans 20 ar... more »
Chet Raymo, "Life"
*"Life"* by Chet Raymo "ACCTCCTCTAATGTCA ACCTCCCCTAATGTCA The first string of letters above represents an actual sequence of amino acids on human chromosome 10. The second string is the corresponding sequence for an elephant. I copy the strings from a New Yorker article on Neanderthals by Elizabeth Kolbert. She tosses them in more or less at random just to show what a DNA sequence looks like. Still, they jump off the page. Humans and elephants. A four-letter code. Four molecules called neucleotides, arranged in pairs along a spiraling ladder, the double-helix - adenine, thymine, ... more »
Free Download: Richard Bach, "Jonathan Livingston Seagull"
“How much more there is now to living! Instead of our drab slogging forth and back to the fishing boats, there’s reason to life! We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly!” - Jonathan Livingston Seagull "This is a story for people who follow their dreams and make their own rules; a story that has inspired people for decades. For most seagulls, life consists simply of eating and surviving. Flying is just a means of finding food. However, Jonathan Livingston Seagull is no ordi... more »
"The One Important Thing..."
"The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one's work seriously and taking one's self seriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous." - Margot Fonteyn
Israel's Defense Minister Hints That Assassinations May Resume And Air Strikes Against Iranian Nuclear Facilities Are Being Considered
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon visits the Israel Aerospace Industries center near Tel Aviv on July 26, 2015. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry) *Times of Israel:* *Ya’alon: Israel ‘not responsible’ for Iran nuke scientists’ lives* *Defense minister hints assassinations may resume, says Israel considering air strikes against nuclear facilities* Israel is not responsible for the lives of Iranian nuclear scientists, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said in an interview published Friday, making a less-than-veiled threat that covert assassination missions blamed on Israel could resume. As... more »
While America Builds Carriers, China Builds Islands
A June 2015 satellite image of Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands, part of China’s land reclamation project in the South China Sea. Tonglian/Zuma Press *Michael O'Hanlon, Wall Street Journal*: *China’s Unsinkable Aircraft Carriers* *While America builds carriers, China builds islands.* What should the U.S. do about China’s increased assertiveness in the South China Sea? Beijing claims almost the whole sea—land formations, seabeds and open waters alike—and of late has been literally creating new facts on the ground, constructing 2,000 acres of artificial islands where only sho... more »
Rick Perry Continues to Attack Trump as Debate Odds Dwindle
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry continues to rant and rave about the very bad man Donald Trump who has taken the nation by storm after entering the race for the White House. Trump rocketed to the top of the polls despite efforts by the political establishment and the drive by media to destroy him, most notably with the failed John McCain “war hero” ambush. With Trump’s phenomenal success and his embrace by regular Americans who are sick and tired of phony politicians, RINOs and boot-lickers who lie to them repeatedly, it has been tough sledding for the candidates at the low end of... more »
Team Hillary Gripping Over Possible Joe Biden Presidential Run
The ultimate nightmare for Queen Hillary the entitled may be about to manifest itself and it could be bad news for the prospect of the restoration of the Clinton dynasty. There is some chatter now that none other than Vice President Joe Biden may be considering a run for the White House in 2016. Democrats have to be getting increasingly jittery over the prospect that Mrs. Clinton may not even make it to the nomination with the cascading series of scandals that continue to dog her. The Dems very unwisely put all of their eggs in that one rotten basket and if Hillary goes down she i... more »
Did Establishment Golden Boy Jeb! Call Donald Trump an "Asshole"?
With the hours to the first Republican debate ticking down and Americans in anticipation of a Super Bowl style tilt, the stories of behind the scenes pissing contests are coming out. It is no secret that all of the establishment Republicans hate billionaire insurgent candidate Donald Trump like he was the earthly personification of Satan himself. That Trump has roared to the top of the polls and is able to connect with regular Americans is just salt rubbed into the open wound for the professional political class and there may be fireworks tonight. Bespectacled buffoon Rick Perry ... more »
Trump Express Roars Over John McCain Speed Bump
The establishment threw everything but the kitchen sink at billionaire insurgent Donald Trump with last week’s obvious setup over poor, victimized old John McCain and his “war hero” legend. It has become right up there with saluting the flag, God, mom and apple pie that McCain is the penultimate figurehead for all American service people, past and present. It is practically a national religion and with the amount of media reinforcement that McCain’s time in the Hanoi Hilton gets, it gives a cranky old man who is a very nasty, mean-spirited, duplicitous son of a bitch a free pass t... more »
Koch Plutocracy Overlooks Scott Walker's Fiscal Incompetence And Criminal Behavior
The Koch brothers have pledged to spend nearly a billion dollars on the elections this year-- and no one in their right mind thinks it's because they are public-spirited. They want to capture the government and use it to further enrich themselves and their class. They apparently didn't learn the lessons of the French Revolution. They have a candidate for the presidency, though, anti-union fanatic and hollow intellectual dullard Scott Walker, the most eager among the GOP to play the role of puppet. I'm a little surprised, though, that the Kochs and their network are embracing Walk... more »
Fading Rand Paul Whines About Media Attention Given to the Donald
Senator Rand Paul, a man who once seemed a viable alternative to the imposition of big government fascism upon Americans is fading fast in the 2016 presidential horse race. It wasn’t that long ago that Paul was standing out from the pack with his taking on of the illegal and unconstitutional mass domestic surveillance programs undertaken by Emperor Obama’s NSA Stasi. His finest hour was mounting a principled defense against the renewal of the USA PATRIOT Act, an anti-American enabling act and authoritarian wet dream that was crammed down the throats of a terrified populace in the ... more »
Foreign Policy and the First GOP Debate
So, with the conclusion of last night’s first GOP debate, it’s worth a look back at the foreign policy claims made by the candidates for the Republican nomination for president. The focus was, as much of the election race will be, focused on domestic policy, but there’s still some stuff worth analyzing. I’ll be working […]
China Reacts To Its Regional Neighbours Criticizing Its South China Sea Policy
*Reuters*: *China accuses Manila, Tokyo of joining forces over South China Sea* Japan and the Philippines teamed up at a regional security forum this week to attack China over the disputed South China Sea, China's Foreign Ministry said, detailing the feisty defense its foreign minister mounted in return. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday accused China of restricting navigation an... more »
Russian Defense Analyst: China's Navy Will Be Destroyed In A Naval Battle Against America's Carrier Fleet
The carrier battle group of the Liaoning carries out exercises in the disputed South China Sea, Jan. 1, 2014. (Photo/CNS) *Want China Times*: *China unable to defeat US in carrier battle: Russian expert* Konstantin Sivkov, a Russian defense analyst, said in his piece written for Moscow-based Military Parade that even as China speeds up the development of its first domestic aircraft carrier, it would still be unable to defeat the United States in a future carrier battle. Sivkov said that China had successfully changed the equipment aboard the Liaoning, the nation's first aircraft c... more »
Russia's Gazprom Has Lost Hundreds Of Billions Of Dollars
Gazprom. © RIA Novosti. Ilya Pitalev *Justin Burke, The Guardian/EurasiaNet:* *How Russian energy giant Gazprom lost $300bn* *Once the state-run conglomerate was expected to become the world’s first trillion-dollar company. Now its market value has plummeted. EurasiaNet investigates how this happened.* t was not too long ago that Gazprom, Russia’s state-controlled energy conglomerate, was one of the Kremlin’s most powerful weapons. But those days now seem like a distant memory. Today, Gazprom is a financial shadow of its former self. The speed of Gazprom’s decline is breathtakin... more »
Keepers of the Stronghold Dream
Photo Brenda Norrell Stronghold 2003 Although I wrote this article 12 years ago, I'm republishing it now in memory of Ed Two Bulls, who passed to the Spirit World in 2011. Photo: Ed's son Tony on the Stronghold where his grandfather was a Ghost Dancer. Keepers of the Stronghold Dream Lakota fortify resistance to protect Ghost Dancers' graves By Brenda Norrell April 1, 2003
The Poet: Mary Oliver, "Can You Imagine?"
*"Can You Imagine?" * "For example, what the trees do not only in lightning storms or the watery dark of a summer's night or under the white nets of winter but now, and now, and now - whenever we're not looking. Surely you can't imagine they don't dance, from the root up, wishing to travel a little, not cramped so much as wanting a better view, or more sun, or just as avidly more shade - surely you can't imagine they just stand there loving every minute of it, the birds or the emptiness, the dark rings of the years slowly and without a sound thickening, and nothing different unless the w... more »
Midday Hustle Musical Interlude: Rolling Stones, "If I Was a Dancer (Dance, Part II)"
Rolling Stones, "If I Was a Dancer (Dance, Part II)" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OefkDNjRecA
The Economy :"Obama’s Health Care Bullies"
*"Obama’s Health Care Bullies"* by Bill Bonner "*Editor’s Note: *Bill is on the road. So instead of his regular Diary, here’s a timely Diary issue from the archives. Obamacare was a controversial topic in last night’s Republican TV debate. And you may find today’s essay – about President Obama’s gun-toting health care enforcers – equally controversial… "We woke up Sunday morning in New York with a copy of the New York Times at our door. What caught our eye in the paper was the sad saga of “Obamacare.” The Affordable Care Act, to give it its official name, seems to set off emotiona... more »
How The Microbiome Destroyed the Ego, Vaccine Policy, and Patriarchy
*Sayer Ji* - This is the greatest dicovery about the human body in decades. The post How The Microbiome Destroyed the Ego, Vaccine Policy, and Patriarchy appeared first on Waking Times.
Another 'Feedback' loop
As might have been anticipated, today's *Feedback *featured largely hostile listener comments about Quentin Letts and his *What's the Point of the Met Office*? and Roger Bolton even quoted Richard Black's piece in the *Guardian*. (Roger Bolton described Mr Letts as a "controversialist"). Highly unusually, the official BBC statement to *Feedback *that followed contained a slight admission of 'error' - though ultimately (and inevitably) it finally concluded that the BBC got it pretty much about right: The light-hearted tone of this series allows him to question and critique even th... more »
Randi's Endorsement Exposed Hillary's Weakness
Rhonda (Randi) Weingarten's arm-twisting of AFT to get an early endorsement of Clinton 2.0 was seen by Hillary supporters as an early push that would lead to the nation's educators jumping up for a ride on the neolib bandwagon. Now with the angry response from AFT's rank and file and others who still support humane public education and the commons, it is clear that the strategy backfired. As a result of the brazen act to anoint Hillary, Weingarten has been left ostracized from her own organization that she has long used for corporate benefit, and the threadbare nature of Hillary's... more »
St Basil's Cathedral, as you've never seen it before
Courtesy of the *Daily Telegraph*.... St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow... ...looks like this when viewed from above:
7 Points That Prove How Dangerous Cell Phones Are to Humankind
*Bernie Suarez* - 7 top reasons why cell phones are terrible for society. The post 7 Points That Prove How Dangerous Cell Phones Are to Humankind appeared first on Waking Times.
Saudi Arabia Is Losing The Oil War Against U.S. Shale Producers
*The Guardian:* *Saudi Arabia will need deep pockets if it is to win its oil war with US* Riyadh’s plan to raise $27bn from bond sales is a sign that its economic battle with United States is taking its toll News this week that the Saudi government is to raise more than $27bn from bond sales is a sign that the strain of getting involved in a spending battle with the world’s biggest economy is taking its toll. Saudi Arabia is an expensive country to run for the House of Saud. Fearful of Iran, it has imported the latest military kit to show that it is the Middle East’s regional supe... more »
Iran Wants To Give An Oil Field To China For Arms
A Chinese-made Chengdu J-10 fighter jet is seen on the tarmac during a rehearsal before the opening of the seventh China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition. Reuters/Bobby Yip (China) *IBTimes:* *China And Iran Weigh $1 Billion Deal To Swap Chengdu J-10 Fighter Jets For Major Oil Field* China and Iran are mulling a $1 billion deal that would see China trade 24 Chengdu J-10 fourth-generation fighter jets in exchange for control of Iran’s biggest oil field for two decades, a report in the Taiwanese newspaper Want Daily said Thursday. The oil field in question is the 350 sq... more »
World News Briefs -- August 7, 2015
*Wall Street Journal:* *Islamic State Seizes Dozens of Syrian Christians in Homs Province* *Militant group seeks to establish stronghold in strategic location outside major city of Homs* BEIRUT--Islamic State is holding dozens of Christians in the southeastern Syrian province of Homs, Syrian Orthodox community leaders said Friday, after seizing the town of Qaryatain as part of the militant group’s efforts to establish a stronghold outside the major city of Homs. The seizing of Christians came as Islamic State entered the town of Qaryatain on Wednesday, after attacking Syrian regi... more »
Malaysian Flight MH370: The Flaperon Found On That Reunion Remote Island Is NOT From MH370, But Is Planted Evidence!
OK, I have received several comments and a few emails the last few days asking me to take a look at all the evidence behind the flaperon "found" on that remote Reunion remote island in the south Indian Ocean, and the recent statement made by the Malaysian Prime Minister that the flaperon was "definitely" from the long missing flight MH370.....I stated before in my weekend rant that I was absolutely NOT sold on this being from MH370, and in fact the piece has been "planted" there purposely by the criminals involved in the theft of MH370 to try to silence all critics and end real inve... more »
Bipartisan Senate Report: IRS, Lois Lerner Targets, Slurs Conservatives
A trove of IRS emails show top official Lois Lerner had a deep commitment to the Democratic Party and a significant dislike for the new conservative groups that formed under the Tea Party banner and sought tax-exempt status from the... The post Bipartisan Senate Report: IRS, Lois Lerner Targets, Slurs Conservatives appeared first on The Stream.
ISIS Abducts Dozens of Christians in Syria
BEIRUT (AP) — The Islamic State group has abducted 230 residents, including dozens of Christians, from a central Syrian town captured by the extremists the day before, activists said Friday. The IS extremists overran the heavily populated Qaryatain on Thursday,... The post ISIS Abducts Dozens of Christians in Syria appeared first on The Stream.
Poetry Corner
Talking of Roger Harrabin and George Monbiot... Rewilding is winning converts. Mostly not farmers... https://t.co/Axtbn87RS5 — roger harrabin (@RHarrabin) July 15, 2015 And here's a poem on that very subject - especially GM's idea of bringing wolves back to the UK and clamping down on those nasty sheep who have completely ruined the Lake District for each and every one of us (well, according to George Monbiot anyhow). Please feel free to be rude about it. (Everyone's always rude about poetry on blogs. Fact). I Big. Bad. Wolf. Why are you all got up like Granny? And what's with... more »
On 'Last Word' this week...
I set Radio 4 a test earlier in the week (but kept quiet about it). My test was to see if tonight's *Last Word *(Radio 4's obituary programme) would feature the historian Robert Conquest - one of the most influential historians of the last century who brought the sheer scale of Soviet murderousness to the world's attention. Robert Conquest died this week. I kind-of knew in advance that Ian Katz's *Newsnight **wouldn't* mark his passing. He just's not their sort. Eric Hobsbawm, sociologist Stuart Hall, Gabriel Garcia Marquez & Co (to name but a few), yes, but Robert Conquest most... more »
Everything you wanted to know about Kay Mère and _Trainwreck_ but..
..were afraid to ask. Babs correctly predicts feminists won't like the ending of Amy Schumer's movie. Why? Feminists loathe redemption and respectability, which are TRULY the only things that give purpose to the *trampy* protagonist's life, according to Kay. _Trainwreck_ is an exemplary morality fairy tale, an inspiration to whores and bad grrls, in her R.E.A.L.women view. Thank gawd for professional slut-shamer Kay, and all the women who share her sour, tight-sphinctered and pearl-clutching ideological constructs. Common, every-day patriarchy as well as its bastions: the ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Douglas, Isle of Man. Thanks for stopping by.
"The Coffee Illusion: What the Magic Brew Really Does to Your Brain"
*"The Coffee Illusion: * *What the Magic Brew Really Does to Your Brain"* by David McRaney "*The Misconception:* Coffee stimulates you. *The Truth:* You become addicted to caffeine quickly, and soon you are drinking coffee to cure withdrawal more than for stimulation. Mmmm, a warm cup of coffee with delicious cream, topped with a frothy head. You smell it brewing and feel cozy inside as you browse cakes and brownies, scones and biscotti. You get some of it in you, and you feel alive again - you feel superhuman. Suddenly, you feel like John Nash, you can't keep up with your own min... more »
"What We Need..."
“We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity; more than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness.” - Charlie Chaplin, “The Great Dictator,”1940
"Boost Your WiFi Signal Using Only a Beer Can"
*"Boost Your WiFi Signal Using Only a Beer Can"* By Jerry Stone "I love a good hack, especially one that requires me to throw back a cold one before hand (or during). This simple wifi boost has actually been shown to increase signal strength by at least 2 to 4 bars. And, well, I will drink to that. These instructions came to us via The Chive and we think they are most definitely worth checking out. But here is the most important question: what kind of beer will you use? For this project you are going to need scissors, a utility knife, some adhesive putty and an empty beer can. More ... more »
Trump Endorses Tweet Calling Megyn Kelly a ‘Bimbo’
Donald Trump made good on his debate-night threat that he could be not very nice to Megyn Kelly, promoting a tweet calling the Fox News host a “bimbo” just hours after she pressed the Republican presidential candidate on his past... The post Trump Endorses Tweet Calling Megyn Kelly a ‘Bimbo’ appeared first on The Stream.
"We Deny..."
"We deny that we're tired, we deny that we're scared, we deny how badly we want to succeed. And most importantly, we deny that we're in denial. We only see what we want to see and believe what we want to believe, and it works. We lie to ourselves so much that after a while the lies start to seem like the truth. We deny so much that we can't recognize the truth right in front of our faces." - "Dr. Meredith Grey," "Grey's Anatomy"
We Don’t Need to Suffer: Learn and Let Flow"
*"We Don’t Need to Suffer: Learn and Let Flow"* by The DailyOm "We do not need to suffer or live in poverty to be a spiritual person. The idea that we have to suffer or live in poverty in order to be spiritual is an old one and can be found in the belief systems of many philosophies. Most of us carry this idea around subconsciously, and we may be holding ourselves back from financial or emotional well-being, believing that this is what we must do in order to be virtuous, spiritually awake, or feel less guilty for the suffering of others. While it’s true that there can be a spiritua... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- August 7, 2015
An officer from the coalition forces gives advice to Kurdish Peshmerga forces during a training session on how to fight street battles and defend the front lines on the outskirts of Dohuk province, Iraq, June 15, 2015. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari *Washington Times:* *U.S. should embed military advisers to fight Islamic State, think tank says* The U.S. should embed military advisers at the battalion level in Iraq and begin directly arming the nation’s Kurdish militias and Sunni tribal fighters, according a policy brief issued Thursday by an influential Washington think tank that asserts ... more »
Is The White House ‘Too Timid’ On Putin?
*Image:* President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin walking in Ireland Pete Souza/White House. Nancy A. Youssef & Noah Shachtman, Daily Beast: *Pentagon: Team Obama Is ‘Too Timid’ on Putin* America’s military brass keeps calling Russia an ‘existential’ danger to the U.S.—and the White House isn’t exactly thrilled. Every time a U.S. military commander calls Russia the biggest threat to the United States, the White House fumes. In recent weeks, there’s been a dramatic, if little noticed, shift in how the Pentagon talks about the world. Russia—once dismissed as a mil... more »
Cartoon: ‘Clean Energy Plan’
The post Cartoon: ‘Clean Energy Plan’ appeared first on The Stream.
Have your say
I'm not at all sure what to make of the latest allegations against Sir Edward Heath. Is it the latest manifestation of another Salem-like mass hysteria or the long-overdue lifting of the lid on a shocking establishment cover-up? Frankly, who knows? (I know I don't). I note though that my own confusion over this appears to be mirrored at this week's *Spectator*: On one page Charles Moore is dismissing the whole thing, on another Rod Liddle is not only giving it credence but also saying,"Well, duh!". Is Sir Simon Jenkins of the *Guardian* an establishment figure? Yes, he most cer... more »
Has Something Been "Changed" In Our Actual Timeline? More about The Bernstain Bears vs.The Bernstein Bears
*Even though this may not seem like anything to even be discussing to most people, I agree with Amerishima2012, and I deep-down believe that THIS is a huge nugget of information, another "clue" maybe it should be called, as to how seemingly almost everything has "changed" on this planet, very subtly. * *If a person is old enough to have lived several years, say 50+ on this planet, the amount of change in everything, especially people, is just amazing, but it is hard to describe . . and younger people might just assume that the older ones who talk about the good old days are just b... more »
Ten Ways Monsanto and Big Ag Are Trying to Kill You - And the Planet
*Organic Consumers Association* by Alexis Baden-Mayer and Ronnie Cummins *This is not a game, and just because your TV & Politicians and Churches are not warning you about it doesn't mean that YOU shouldn't do what you can to protect yourself and loved ones the best you can . . * Energy-intensive industrial farming practices that rely on toxic chemicals and genetically engineered crops are not just undermining public health--they're destroying the planet. Here's how: #1 Generating Massive Greenhouse Gas Pollution (CO2, Methane, Nitrous Oxide) and Global Warming; While Promoting ... more »
Harper -Always secretive
But vote for him anyway. You may see him during the election but after the election he disappears and looks scary when he shows up once in a while.
U.N. Adopts Resolution on Syria’s Chemical Weapons
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution aimed at identifying those responsible for using chlorine and other chemical weapons in attacks in Syria that have killed and injured a growing number of civilians. While... The post U.N. Adopts Resolution on Syria’s Chemical Weapons appeared first on The Stream.
Was This the Tough Megyn Kelly Debate Question That Led Trump to Attack Her on Twitter?
Donald Trump doesn’t have time for political correctness in the first GOP presidential debate. The post Was This the Tough Megyn Kelly Debate Question That Led Trump to Attack Her on Twitter? appeared first on The Stream.
Fox News Morphs into The National Enquirer...
*or - what in hell did I watch last night?* If you watched the "debate", no further explanation needed. Megyn Kelly, sporting a ratty weave (grow up, Megyn!), and fake eyelashes thick enough to make one wonder how she kept her lids in an upright and locked position, giggled and snarked her way through the entire show. Chris Wallace, who at 67 years old has hair the color of black shoe polish, asked his fair share of "gotcha questions." Brett Baier was somewhat credible. Who was the big loser last night? Fox News. The happy hour debate was so much better. Congrats to Martha Ma... more »
The U.S. Navy Is Banking Its Future On Unmanned Systems
*Defense Systems:* *Navy leaders: Future rides on unmanned systems* The Navy plans to lean heavily on science and technology development as it builds its future force, which will feature unmanned systems working in concert with manned aircraft and an underwater network comparable to the interstate highways system, Navy leaders said today. The emphasis on effective new technologies is becoming critically important as “our adversaries are doing pretty well with adapting to the new technologies – in some cases, faster than we are,” Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, deputy chief of Naval Opera... more »
Mullah Omar Deaths Highlights A Major U.S. Intelligence Failure In Afghanistan And Pakistan
Men prayed for Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Taliban's supreme leader, in Quetta, Pakistan, on Saturday after his death was confirmed. Credit Naseer Ahmed/Reuters *New York Times*: *Afghan War’s Convenient Myth: A Living Mullah Omar* KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban, it turns out, had been sending the world messages from a dead man. And the world kept answering him. It continued until last month, when the Taliban issued a statement in the name of their supreme leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar, intended to “elucidate some issues about the previous and present ongoing jihadi struggle.” In it... more »
Satire: "Walker Emerges as Leading Candidate to Run Enterprise Rent-a-car Branch"
*"Walker Emerges as Leading Candidate * *to Run Enterprise Rent-a-car Branch"* by Andy Borowitz CLEVELAND (The Borowitz Report)— "Based on his performance in Thursday night’s debate, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has emerged as a leading candidate to manage an Enterprise Rent-A-Car branch, Enterprise has confirmed. Tracy Klugian, a human-resources director for the rental-car giant, said that he did not know what to expect before the debate, but after watching Walker in action he felt confident that the Wisconsinite had “what it takes to succeed at Enterprise.” “He didn’t get too ...more »
23 YEARS LATER: Chris Hayes lives, Dan Rather died!
*FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2015Part 5—A tale of two tribal approaches:* In September 2004, on network TV, Dan Rather made a mistake. In a report on CBS, he overshot what he knew and could prove about President George W. Bush The conservative world pushed back, quite hard. Basically, Rather’s mistake ended his network career. That happened in 2004. Consider a second approach to such matters, an approach which is quite standard within a different tribe. In March 1992, the New York Times published the first in a set of front-page reports which largely created the alleged Whitewater scandal. ... more »
Paper on natural ways to fight cancer stem cells nixed for plagiarism
Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents has retracted a 2015 review article about natural fighters of cancer stem cells for reproducing “content to a high degree of similarity without appropriate attribution or acknowledgement” from a handful of papers. Although the editor and publisher pulled the paper, they did so with the cooperation of the authors, according to […] The post Paper on natural ways to fight cancer stem cells nixed for plagiarism appeared first on Retraction Watch.
The Dumbest Statement During Leader's Debate Came From ... Stephen Harper LOL
*“Well, first of all, I certainly did not name all of the senators in trouble.”* PM Stephen Harper No sir, you did not. Just all the high profile Conservative Party fundraisers .. lol :) Huffington Post
Only U.S. Official Who Saw The Side Deals Between Iran And The IAEA Admits That She Only Saw The 'Rough Drafts'
Wendy Sherman, the State Department's No. 3 official, with Secretary of State John Kerry last weekend after the deal with Iran. Credit US State Department *The Hill:* *Obama negotiator says she didn't see final Iran 'side deals'* The only Obama administration official to view confidential "side deals" between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) admitted Wednesday she and her team have only seen rough drafts. "I didn't see the final documents. I saw the provisional documents, as did my experts," said Wendy Sherman, a lead U.S. negotiator for the deal, at a Senat... more »
Interview: Prof. Tjeerd Andringa – Bureaucracy and Authoritarianism
Tjeerd Andringa has been featured here at the blog previously. Love his work on bureaucracy! Oh and I was absolutely thrilled to hear him take on the blow back nonsense- Another meme the repeaters just love. Another meme I find to be just plain foolish. *Flashback!* The logical fallacy of “blowback” Intoxication with the blowback mind virus *Logical Fallacy: a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning; the logical fallacy of assuming the conclusion in the premises* *Blowback* is a logical fallacy- * the logical fallacy of assuming the conclusion in the premises* *Blowback*, a... more »
Here Are 21 Policy Highlights from the First 2016 GOP Debate
The 2016 primaries are in full momentum following months of build-up, officially kicking off on Thursday night in prime-time as the 10 leading Republican candidates squared off for the first time. The 10 highest-polling candidates in the Republican 2016 presidential field... The post Here Are 21 Policy Highlights from the First 2016 GOP Debate appeared first on The Stream.
The Iran Deal is the New Obamacare
We’ve been here before. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said a while ago that an Iran deal would be the health-care bill of President Barack Obama’s second term, and he was right. Like Obamacare, the Iran deal represents an... The post The Iran Deal is the New Obamacare appeared first on The Stream.
@GeorgeMonbiot
The BBC's environment analyst Roger Harrabin appears in two interesting articles today - both times on the receiving end of sharp criticism. First comes Damian Thompson's article at the *Spectator *berating RH's tweets denouncing BBC Radio 4 for broadcasting Quentin Letts's programme about the Met Office. Here are those tweets, set in a fuller context: Damian Thompson notes the "entirely predictable outburst from* The Guardian*" - specifically from Roger Harrabin's former ally at the BBC, Richard Black, adding "that’s what you pay for when you buy *The Guardian*". He then comes... more »
Transpicuous News Special Report: Sunday Aug 9th
Sunday is going to be a busy busy day it would seem! As I have been getting geared up for *The Untangled Gathering: AI & Mind Control Symposium* that I announced yesterday, I have fallen, yet again, down more rabbit holes. I have always said that I don't believe in coincidence, and this week has been one to shatter any tiny doubts I may have had about the "Coincidental" nature of the information that is coming out right now- both in the main stream media and in the alternative media. Artificial Intelligence is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle right now- because t... more »
U.S. Democrat Senator Schumer Will Vote Against The Iran Nuclear Deal
*Wall Street Journal*: *New York Sen. Schumer Joins Opposition to Iran Nuclear Deal* *Break with President Obama underscores regional divisions among Democrats over agreement* WASHINGTON—Sen. Charles Schumer, the New York Democrat expected to be the party’s next leader in the Senate, said Thursday night he will oppose President Barack Obama’s landmark nuclear agreement with Iran. Mr. Schumer’s break with the president underscored the regional divisions among Democrats over the nuclear accord, which faces resistance in New York and other areas with significant Jewish constituencie... more »
The American Public is Turning against the Iran Deal, and for Good Reason
WASHINGTON — The latest Quinnipiac poll shows that the American public rejects the president’s Iran deal by more than 2-to-1. This is astonishing. The public generally gives the president deference on major treaties. Just a few weeks ago, a majority... The post The American Public is Turning against the Iran Deal, and for Good Reason appeared first on The Stream.
Is Rand Paul's Campaign Ending Ugly?
Last night Rand Paul was desperate to shore up a presidential campaign that has been off the tracks and falling apart. He signaled that he planned to attack Trump, almost the way a young gunslinger would ride into town to challenge the fastest gun in the West-- and, more often than not, wind up in a lonely grave at the edge of town. Almost before the first question, when one of the hosts asked for a show of hands, Rand jumped out and started denigrating Trump for refusing to pledge not to run as an independent and support whichever other clown the GOP nominates. The response from ... more »
Taiwan and Cocaine in the Japanese era
[image: eedafgh.jpg] *Fill er up.* There's a blurb in George Kerr's immortal *Formosa Betrayed* where he discusses the tons of coca leaf that vanished when the KMT took over Taiwan in 1945. That little remark is a clue to vast network of coca growing and processing that helped fund the Japanese colony in Taiwan, but was also part of a larger worldwide explosion of coca growing in the colonies of imperial powers of Europe as well. Consider: The rapid rise of the Dutch to prominence in the world coca and cocaine trades took interested parties by surprise, especially the Peruvians, who... more »
Fruit fly paper retracted when gene turns out not to code for a protein as claimed
The Journal of Insect Science is retracting a paper on the genetics of a fruit fly after discovering one of the genes the authors sequenced doesn’t appear to code for a protein. The paper, “Molecular phylogeny and identification of the peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata, established in Egypt” was published in 2011, and compared sequences of the Egyptian species to […] The post Fruit fly paper retracted when gene turns out not to code for a protein as claimed appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Islamic Extremists Attack UN Hotel In Central Mali
Malian troops are surrounding the hotel in the desert town of Sevare in the Mopti region of the country *Daily Mail*: *At least one person dead as gunmen 'try to kidnap' Western hotel guests in Mali* * Gunmen stormed a hotel in an apparent attempt to kidnap hotel guests * Army has surrounded Byblos hotel in Sevare, in the Mopti region of Mali * Three South Africans, a French national and a Ukrainian booked into hotel At least one person has died after gunmen stormed a hotel in an apparent attempt to kidnap Western hotel guests. Malian troops are surrounding the Byblos hotel in the ... more »
Virginia Revokes License Plates Featuring Confederate Flag
DANVILLE, Va. (AP) — Virginia has revoked specialty license plates featuring a Confederate battle flag after a federal judge dissolved an injunction allowing the image. The Department of Motor Vehicles will begin recalling and replacing existing plates, Attorney General Mark... The post Virginia Revokes License Plates Featuring Confederate Flag appeared first on The Stream.
Hockey Superstar Patrick Kane is Subject of Rape Allegation
Less than two months after Patrick Kane hoisted the Stanley Cup over his head to celebrate a triumphant team championship, the National Hockey League superstar is now the subject of a rape investigation by the Hamburg Police Department. No charges... The post Hockey Superstar Patrick Kane is Subject of Rape Allegation appeared first on The Stream.
Megyn Kelly ‘Really Bombed Tonight,’ Trump Tweets
Donald Trump took to Twitter early Friday morning to blast GOP debate moderator Megyn Kelly and analyst Frank Luntz. “Wow, @megynkelly really bombed tonight. People are going wild on twitter! Funny to watch,” he tweeted at 3:40 am. “I really... The post Megyn Kelly ‘Really Bombed Tonight,’ Trump Tweets appeared first on The Stream.
Protesting at U.S. X-Band Radar Base
Global Network members holding banners outside the Pentagon's new X-Band radar base near the Ukawa village in the northern part of Kyoto prefecture in Japan. American soldiers stood on the other side of the fence armed with machine guns, walkie-talkies, and cameras. Some arrogantly laughed at us. We presented the beleaguered village committee with our annual Peace in Space Award and promised them they were not alone in this fight. Already they’ve seen the disruption of their local culture by the American GI’s assigned to the base. The fishing and farming village will surely bec... more »
The Political Landscape Didn't Change
http://www.brunchnews.com There were no knockout punches last night. Stephen Harper droned on with his usual talking points. But nobody put him on the mat. Elizabeth May reminded us -- or should have reminded us -- of just how intelligent she is. She's also quick on her feet. Michael Harris writes: Green Party Leader Elizabeth May looked a little better than anyone else last night — perhaps because people have forgotten just how intelligent she is. She was first to arrive with her daughter and grandson and was the only leader to speak...more »
Longtime Subway Pitchman Jared Fogle in Trouble Over Paid Sex With 16 Year Old
The problems continue to mount for the man who was only weeks ago the public face of the Subway sandwich empire. Jared Fogle who was able to parlay a significant loss of weight – allegedly due to only eating Subway food – into a gig as a national celebrity pitchman now finds himself being probed by the feds over having sex with a minor. It hasn’t been a good month for Mr. Fogle who was jettisoned by the food chain when authorities raided his home after an associate was arrested on child pornography related charges. Now America’s most famous dieter himself is in hot water in yet an... more »
Break Out the Tin Foil Hats: Washington Post Insinuates that Trump is a Clinton Mole
Incapable of wrapping their minds around exactly why it is that billionaire outsider Donald Trump has rocketed to the top of polls, the establishment is desperate to find a reason to explain how such a thing could possibly happen. The so-called professional consultants, pollsters and political ‘pros’ never saw the overwhelmingly positive public reaction to the Donald coming and these are people who are paid a lot of money to conduct focus groups and studies that treat Americans like stupid lab rats. Now, on the eve of the first 2016 Republican debate – a debate that the party boss... more »
Now It's Official: Rick Perry Doesn't Make Cut for GOP Debate
Now it’s official and former Texas Governor Rick Perry has missed the cut for the first Republican party presidential debate. It was always going to be a tough haul for Perry who has faced an uphill climb despite his recent wriggling off the hook on a felony charge that had hovered like a dark cloud over his latest run for the White House and it just got tougher. Perry made headlines by talking a lot of smack about runaway leader Donald Trump who he called a “cancer on conservatism”. Now, despite his bravado in going after Trump by ridiculously challenging him to a freaking pull up... more »
Forget Not Your Obligation To Those Yet To Come - A Quotation from M.N. Hopkins
*Forget not your obligation to the future. Your obligation to give direction to those yet to come.* M.N. Hopkins
The Impact Trees Have on Humanity and Our World
*Video - *It's time to stop looking at trees as a commodity and consider them an endangered species. The post The Impact Trees Have on Humanity and Our World appeared first on Waking Times.
At GOP Debate Trump Triples Down on Threat of Third Party Run
The much heralded first Republican party debate is now in the books and depending on who you are it was either a big win for Donald Trump or that turning point that the establishment has been waiting on as though they were children fogging the windows in anticipation of the arrival of Santa Claus. It was apparent right out of the gate that the rules were going to be different for Trump because he is after all the party crasher who threatens to piss in the establishment snobs’ swimming pool. Don't underestimate how many careers are on the line with those who are heavily invested in ... more »
Owner of Gay Nightclub Admits Setting Fire to His Own Bar
A bar owner admitted he set his gay nightclub on fire in Oak Park.Frank Elliott pleaded guilty to arson and insurance fraud for the fire at The Velvet Rope Ultra Lounge in 2012. Read the rest here… The post Owner of Gay Nightclub Admits Setting Fire to His Own Bar appeared first on The Stream.
O’Malley: Dem Insiders Limiting the Number of Debates to Help Hillary
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA — Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley in an exclusive interview Wednesday with The Hill accused party insiders of trying to tilt the primary contest in Hillary Clinton’s favor. O’Malley lit into the Democratic Party for seeking to... The post O’Malley: Dem Insiders Limiting the Number of Debates to Help Hillary appeared first on The Stream.
The Tao of Trump
Now that Thursday’s 10-candidate Republican presidential debate is over, you might notice an odd, faint popping sound spreading through your neighborhood. That sound, in case you’re wondering, is a chorus of sensible gaskets quietly blowing over the insane phenomenon that is... The post The Tao of Trump appeared first on The Stream.
Cynthia McKinney's Dissertation: Hugo Chavez, White Supremacy, COINTELPRO and Wikileaks
By Brenda Norrell Censored News Photo: Dr. Cynthia McKinney (second from right middle row) graduated with Dr. Brenda Manuelito (third from left front), Dine' from Tohatchi/Naschitti area of Navajo Nation and Dr. Carmella Rodriguez (second from right front) of Nambe, NM, creators of nDigidreams, an Indigenous-grounded digital storytelling company focused on survivance, liberation and healing
Coast Guard Busts Homemade Submarine, Seizes $181 Million in Cocaine
The Guard recovered 12,000 pounds of drugs before the vessel sank. The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a homemade submarine and seized a cocaine haul worth at least $181 million off the coast of Mexico, officials said. The bust last month... The post Coast Guard Busts Homemade Submarine, Seizes $181 Million in Cocaine appeared first on The Stream.
Key Takeaways from the GOP Presidential Debate
CLEVELAND (AP) — The first Republican debate of the 2016 campaign for president opened with an absolute bang as billionaire businessman Donald Trump refused to pledge his loyalty to the GOP. Over the course of the next two hours, the... The post Key Takeaways from the GOP Presidential Debate appeared first on The Stream.
Ben Carson: We Must ‘Move Beyond’ Race
Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson criticized “purveyors of hatred, who take every single incident between people of two races and try to make a race war out of it” and stated “those who want to destroy us are trying... The post Ben Carson: We Must ‘Move Beyond’ Race appeared first on The Stream .
Economic News , Data & Views ( August 7 , 2015 ) - Greece Updates ( Sanction his tourism from Russia , Creditor Talks status , Economic Data , Refugee situation , additional items of note ) ..... Broader Europe in focus - focus on economies ( Data splash - Germany , UK , Ukraine , Spain , Portugal , Russia in focus ) .... China and Emerging Markets in focus ( Economic data , stock markets and their Regulators in focus , Commodities crush still on main stage )
Evening Wrap ..... *zerohedge* @zerohedge 8h 8 hours ago WTI Crude Breaks To $43 Handle After Another Rise In Oil Rig Count (To 3 Month Highs) http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-0 7/wti-crude-breaks-43-handle-after-another-rise-oil-rig-count-3-month-highs … *Yannis Koutsomitis* @YanniKouts 9h9 hours ago #Greece DepPM Dragasakis: "We are almost ready for the agreement". Says technical teams to discuss fiscal targets tomorrow ~@skaigr *Live Squawk* @livesquawk 10h 10 hours ago [BREAKING] Greece's Gov’t Spokeswoman: Parliament Set To Vote On New Bailout ... more »
Radiation Secrecy Exposed (Nukes Loosed by Swaggering Boys?) Children Running Military Ops (Old Saggy-Skinned/Minded Children? ) But Mafia Family Swears It Didn't Plan 9/11 (Kagans Raise Their Hands High) Apple Cheats Again (Venezuela's Baby Doc?) Defense Contractors Spend Millions Get Billions (Assange Assaulted by Swedes?)
Why Are Americans Switching to Renewable Energy? Because It’s Actually CheaperDeborah Lawrence had been watching a once-empty parking lot near Midland-Odessa, Texas, fill up with idled drilling rigs usually at work plumbing for oil in the nearby Permian Basin. In January she noticed 10 rigs, then 17 a few weeks later. As winter turned to spring, the number climbed to 35. That trend has
Economic downers
*No matter how deep you are in the mountains, there's always some McDonald's trash around.* The latest economic news is in and most of it is not good. ECFA has once again boosted Taiwan's exports to new heights failed to drive growth... Taiwan's exports have fallen for the sixth straight month: Taiwan's exports suffered a 11.9 percent year-on-year decline in July, the sixth consecutive month in which they registered a drop, according to customs statistics released Friday by the Ministry of Finance. July exports amounted to US$23.55 billion, while imports in that month fell 17.4 pe... more »
Senator Franken Bill To Ban Noncompetes For Low Wage Workers Would Be A Good Start
After the Jimmy John's noncompete for sandwich maker debacle, some members of Congress asked the FTC and the DOL to investigate the sandwich chain for potential antitrust and labor law violations. Some states have moved to ban noncompetes altogether or partially. Now some Democratic members of Congress taken another step toward eradicating abusive noncompetes. Senator Al Franken has introduced the Mobility and Opportunity for Vulnerable Employees (MOVE) Act that would ban noncompetes for employees making $15/hour or less. It would also require employers to disclose to prospective em... more »
Awesome Lego Crafts and Recipes
Between my husband and my daughters, Legos seem to cover every surface in our house. They are our favorite toy and our favorite way to spend time together. My daughter asks for nothing but Legos for her birthday and Christmas and since they are such a creative toy, we are happy to buy them for her. Our love for Lego branches way beyond the Legos themselves into parties and lots of other fun. Here are our favorite Lego ideas! Road Trip Lego Boxes Easy Lego Cake Lego Face Plates Lego Cake Pops Lego Pinata Lego Face Shirt Drawstring Lego Bag by The Princess and Her Cowboys Leg... more »
Debate Scorecard: Immigration and Unborn Life
Thursday night’s prime time debate on Fox News was entertaining and revealing. Before I get into the meat of what really mattered, a few broad observations: I look forward to the next debate, when the pointedly smart and principled Carly... The post Debate Scorecard: Immigration and Unborn Life appeared first on The Stream.
The GOP Debate: Ten Guys Walk Onto a Stage…
It’s fitting Thursday’s prime time GOP debate occurred on Jon Stewart’s final night on The Daily Show. It had all the one liners, many laughs and almost as many critiques of Republicans. The night also had Donald Trump. Any dreams that Trump... The post The GOP Debate: Ten Guys Walk Onto a Stage… appeared first on The Stream.
Chris Matthews Left Speechless after Run-In with Carly Fiorina
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews was at a loss for words Thursday after pressing 2016 Republican candidate Carly Fiorina to explain why she thinks Hillary Clinton is a “liar.” As it turns out, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO is not only quick on... The post Chris Matthews Left Speechless after Run-In with Carly Fiorina appeared first on The Stream.
Donald Trump Wins Drudge Report Debate Poll
Billionaire Donald Trump is the winner of the Drudge Report Poll taken following the first Republican presidential debate. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz came in second place in the online poll of more than 190,000 Drudge Report visitors, which was taken... The post Donald Trump Wins Drudge Report Debate Poll appeared first on The Stream.
Typhoon Short Shorts
Staying dry here... tiny gusts of wind and blowing rain, but nothing serious. Typhoons just nod at Taichung. We feel a terrible sympathy for the people in the mountains, however. Tim maddog passed around this map from Weather Underground for the typhoon. *CURRICULUM PROTESTS* Before we get started, New Bloom made a handy graphic guide for the revisions to the history curriculum, both what they are, and understanding why they were made. The modern history graphic is here, the pre-modern one is here. Two things to keep in mind: (1) the pro-China revisions are only half the problem. ... more »
Debt Slaves: 7 Out Of 10 Americans Believe That Debt ‘Is A Necessity In Their Lives’
End Of The American Dream *The American Dream Is Becoming A Nightmare And Life As We Know It Is About To Change* By Michael Snyder, on July 29th, 2015 [image: Debt Slave Debt Slavery Debt Bondage Debt Chains - Public Domain] Could you live without debt? Most Americans say that they cannot. According to a brand new Pew survey, approximately 7 out of every 10 Americans believe that “debt is a necessity in their lives”, and approximately 8 out of every 10 Americans actually have debt right now. Most of us like to think that “someday” we will get out of the hole and quit being debt s... more »
Greg Hunter, “Weekly News Wrap-Up, 8/7/2015”
*“Weekly News Wrap-Up, 8/7/2015”* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "Congress is in recess, but that is not stopping President Obama to continue to push Democrats in both houses in Congress to vote yes in the deal to curtail Iran’s nuclear program. The President surly knows it will be voted down by the Republicans and many Democrats in the House and Senate. The only question: Will the President have enough votes to sustain a veto? It is a foregone conclusion that the deal will be voted down and the President will veto it. If his veto is not overridden, then the deal will go through. ... more »
"Adorable Orphaned Kangaroo Hugs Teddy Bear In Viral Photo. We Can't Make This Stuff Up"
*"Adorable Orphaned Kangaroo Hugs Teddy Bear In Viral Photo.* * We Can't Make This Stuff Up"* by Kimberly Yam "We're just as in love with this little kangaroo as he is with his stuffed teddy bear. Timothy Beshara, who lives in Tasmania, shared a photo on Twitter this past Tuesday of an orphaned eastern grey kangaroo named "Doodlebug"- yes, DOODLEBUG!- clutching his stuffed teddy bear in New South Wales, Australia. The photo has gone viral, which isn't surprising at all because Doodlebug- who was previously identified on social media as a wallaby- is criminally adorable. Like #breakt... more »
Investigators: Russians Hacked Joint Chiefs of Staff
Investigators say they believe the same Russian hackers that carried out attacks on the White House and State Department last year and the attempted penetration of the Pentagon last month were responsible for a major cyberattack that shut down the... The post Investigators: Russians Hacked Joint Chiefs of Staff appeared first on The Stream.
Hiroshima to Taiwan
We've arrived in Taiwan to visit my son - just in time for a typhoon which is going to hit the island. We had a heck of a time getting thru immigration at the airport but eventually made it after some ridiculous delays. It's great to see Julian in his neighborhood here in Taipei which he now considers his new home. Yesterday we participated in the closing peace rally in Hiroshima that was attended by 5,500 people. I was asked to speak along with a representative from the Chinese peace and disarmament organization and a German Minister representing the World Council of Churches ... more »
Can Christians be better at quantum mechanics than atheists?
*Apparently yes.* Even though I have had extensive interactions and sometimes deep relationships with Christians from many churches and sects and believers were often my natural allies, TRF readers who are Christians must have noticed that I am not really one of them. When it comes to the literal belief in the non-vacuous statements of the Bible, I don't really believe any of them. They're at most an important part of our history and culture. Even though in many polls, I would probably end up being among the 10% of the most atheist people – which is not so unexpected in my homelan... more »
Russian S-400 Missile Defense Systems Operational in Kamchatka
[image: S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler)]S-400 Triumf missile defense systems have entered service in the Russian Armed Forces on the Kamchatka Peninsula, the head of the Defense Ministry's press service for the Eastern Military District said Friday. “The S-300 missile defense systems that were deployed earlier reliably defended the airspace for over a quarter of a century. The capabilities of the new technology will allow for the detection of air targets at more than 600 kilometers away and are several times better than the military efficiency of anti-air defense of foreign states,” Ro... more »
First international tanker refuels F-35 Lightning II
[image: Italian KC-767A refuels F-35A Lightning II]An Italian Air Force KC-767A aerial refueling tanker successfully completed its first US Air Force F-35A boom receiver certification refueling flight on July 29 over California's High Desert region. Italy's KC-767A is the first international tanker to undergo refueling certification trials with a US aircraft. During the flight, the KC-767A and its military aircrew completed 25 boom contacts with the F-35A and successfully offloaded 16,000 pounds of fuel. Italy operates a fleet of four KC-767A tankers, a derivative of the Boeing 76... more »
Rolls-Royce supplies MTU Diesel Gensets for Type 23 Frigates in UK
[image: HMS Montrose (F236)]Rolls-Royce is to supply a total of 48 MTU diesel gensets, worth approximately €90 million, for 12 Duke-class (Type 23) frigates used by the UK’s Royal Navy. It is the first time that MTU engines will be in use with the Royal Navy in combat ships. The vessels were built between 1985 and 2002 and each will be equipped with four new MTU 12V 4000 M53B diesel gensets, as part of the Royal Navy’s vessel life extension program. The diesel gensets, which each deliver 1,650 kW, will be delivered from late 2016 to Devonport Naval Base, where the repowering work is... more »
FREMM Tahya Misr took part in the celebration of the inauguration of the Suez Canal expansion
[image: FREMM Tahya Misr]On the occasion of the inauguration ceremony of the new Suez Canal on August 6th, the FREMM frigate Tahya Misr, delivered by DCNS to Egypt on June 23rd, has joined a large part of the naval fleet around Marechal Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Benefiting from the latest developed technologies, the multimission frigate, now operational, contributes to the modernization of the Egyptian forces’ defence mechanisms. François Hollande, President of the French Republic, and Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Ministry of Defence, have a... more »
Indonesia’s Navy Inducts Missile Craft into Western Fleet
[image: KCR-40 class PCM]Indonesia’s navy (TNI-AL) inducted three anti-ship missile craft into its Western fleet, local military sources reported August 3. According to a statement by the navy’s Western Fleet (KOARMABAR), Indonesia inducted three KCR-40-class anti-ship missile craft into the fleet. The three vessels – KRI Surik (645), KRI Siwar (646) and KRI Parang (647) – were commissioned in September 2014 by former Indonesian defense minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro. Read more
Giles and Aled go to Calais
The most controversial programme in the country today is....*Songs of Praise*. *The Sun *broke the news last night that Aled Jones and "the full crew for *Songs Of Praise*" will be filming in the illegal migrant camp in Calais this weekend. They will also record worshippers in a makeshift Ethiopian Orthodox church there. The footage will then appear at a later date, not as a special but as part of the programme's (now-standard) magazine format. Judging by the response to the *Times* and the Daily Mail articles on the story (and some of the Twitter reaction), a lot of people are se... more »
USS The Sullivans Only Requires $100K in Repairs Following July Missile Failure
[image: USS The Sullivans (DDG-68)]The guided missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) suffered only cosmetic damage following the unexpected explosion of a SM-2 missile shortly after launch on July 18, Navy officials told USNI News on Thursday. Following an assessment, the service determined The Sullivans would only need about $100,000 in repairs to fix the damage caused by the fire caused from the debris from the missile. “The damage was all topside – there was not structural or internal ship damage,” Lt. Cmdr. Myers Vasquez, a spokesman with Naval Surface Force Atlantic, tol... more »
Maintainers extend life of T-38 Talon
[image: T-38 Talon]The Air Force's trusted trainer, the T-38 Talon, has a new lease on life thanks to a robust structural-modification program. Technicians in the Ogden Air Logistics Complex's 575th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, recently completed the first aircraft in the program and are currently working on 11 more. "Today is a special day, because we get to recognize the efforts of a ton of work ... work that started several years ago," said Brig. Gen. Carl Buhler, the Ogden ALC commander. “But, more importantly to me is the knowledge th... more »
Indian Air Force 'beats RAF 12-0 in training exercise' – using Russian-designed jets
[image: Eurofighter Typhoon & Su-30MKI Flanker]India’s top guns have claimed they humiliated the cream of the RAF during a two-week exercise which offered British pilots a rare chance to go up against some of the latest Russian-designed fighter jets. Operation Indradhanush saw the Indian Air Force (IAF) bring four of its fleet of Russian-designed SU-30MKI Flanker fighter aircraft to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to face off against the RAF’s Typhoon FGR4 fighter. The exercise was relished by British pilots as an opportunity to train alongside Russian-designed aircraft, amid increas... more »
China And Iran Weigh $1 Billion Deal To Swap Chengdu J-10 Fighter Jets For Major Oil Field
[image: J-10 Vigorous Dragon]China and Iran are mulling a $1 billion deal that would see China trade 24 Chengdu J-10 fourth-generation fighter jets in exchange for control of Iran’s biggest oil field for two decades, a report in the Taiwanese newspaper Want Daily said Thursday. The oil field in question is the 350 square-mile Azadegan field, which produces around 40,000 barrels of light and heavy crude per day. It’s currently operated by the National Iranian Oil Company and is thought to be the largest oil discovery in the country in 30 years. Read more
Spain Allocates €171 Million for Four Megadrones
[image: MQ-9 Reaper]The Spanish Ministry of Defence has outlined plans to spend 171 million euro ($187 million) on four 'mega-drones' in its budget plans for next year according to Spanish national daily El País. The outline specifies that the Spanish armed forces will purchase four highly capable unmanned aerial vehicles, with the potential to carry missiles. The Ministry of Defence has shortlisted both the MQ-9 Reaper drones, from the U.S. company General Atomics, and the Israeli-made Heron TP. Read more
Will Ian Hislop repeat this on HIGNFY?
From *Private Eye*:
Russia To Receive First Mistral-Bound Attack Helicopters By 2018 After Warship Deal Is Cancelled
[image: Kamov Ka-52K 'Hokum B']The first batch of attack helicopters, earlier intended to be based on two French-made Mistral-class aircraft carriers, are expected to be delivered to the Russian navy by 2018, the state-run Tass news agency reported Thursday, citing a source. The Russian navy will receive the first Kamov Ka-52K (Katran) ship-borne helicopters over the next three years, after France refused to deliver two Mistral-class warships to Russia over the latter’s alleged involvement in the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine. France said Thursday that it would compensate Rus... more »
Top Iranian General In Moscow For Talks
*FOX News:* *Exclusive: Quds Force commander Soleimani visited Moscow, met Russian leaders in defiance of sanctions* The shadowy Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani recently visited Moscow to meet with senior Russian leaders, according to two Western intelligence sources, despite a travel ban and U.N. Security Council resolutions barring him from leaving Iran. On July 24, one week before Secretary of State John Kerry testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee and faced questions about the newly struck nuclear deal, Soleimani arrived in Moscow for meetings with Rus...more »
Pentagon Outranged by Chinese Anti-Ship Missiles, Scrambles to Save Face
[image: LRASM Anti-Ship Missile]Desperate to compete with China’s long-range anti-ship missiles, the US Navy is considering one of two options: forge ahead with the expensive, but state-of-the-art LRASM, or upgrade the Cold War-era Tomahawk, a missile never intended for naval warfare. Beijing unveiled its DF-21D Dong Feng "carrier killer" missile in 2014. Rumored to be capable of traveling at Mach 10 – or ten times the speed of sound – with an effective range of 1,200 miles, the Navy has expressed concern that the weapon could pose a major threat to US aircraft carriers in the even... more »
China unable to defeat US in carrier battle: Russian expert
[image: Liaoning carrier battle group]Konstantin Sivkov, a Russian defense analyst, said in his piece written for Moscow-based Military Parade that even as China speeds up the development of its first domestic aircraft carrier, it would still be unable to defeat the United States in a future carrier battle. Sivkov said that China had successfully changed the equipment aboard the Liaoning, the nation's first aircraft carrier introduced from Ukraine, to use domestic products. A Type 382 Sea Eagle S/C air-search radar which allows Liaoning to track 10 targets in the air simultaneously ... more »
GOP Candidates Battle to Stake Their Positions in First 2016 Debate
Throughout the debate, Donald Trump was the unrivaled lightning rod, but the prime-time showdown made clear he’s not the only fighter on the stage – or in the race. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie reclaimed his reputation as a tough-talking... The post GOP Candidates Battle to Stake Their Positions in First 2016 Debate appeared first on The Stream.
Military Photo of the Day: August 7, 2015
Members of the 122nd Fighter Wing Fire Department battle a simulated aircraft fire on July 22, 2015, at the Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, Mich. Wow! Thank you to Staff Sgt. William Hopper for capturing this breathtaking image. The post Military Photo of the Day: August 7, 2015 appeared first on The Stream.
Navy to Commission New USS Little Rock Next to its Namesake
[image: USS Little Rock (LCS 9)]Two pages of history will be written when a sleek new combat vessel cruises into Canalside and is commissioned as the USS Little Rock beside its namesake. The commissioning will mark the first time in modern Buffalo history a ship has been accepted into the U.S. Navy's fleet here, and the first time in Navy history that a ship has been commissioned beside a decommissioned ship bearing the same name, according to officials at the Buffalo & Erie County Naval and Military Park. And though the commissioning isn't expected to happen until December 2016 or... more »
Abandoned Mistral Deal Still Divides Russian Officials, Analysts
[image: Vladivostok LHD]France has agreed to reimburse Russia for the two Mistral-class helicopter carriers purchased under a 2011 contract, ending a months-long dispute over the fate of Russia's largest foreign arms purchase in the post-Soviet era. But the question of whether Russia really needs such expensive ships other than for mere power projection is still dividing Russian officials and military analysts. Russia paid 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) for the ships, but the contract was suspended last year in response to Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and subsequent... more »
This was the US Navy's cutting-edge stealth ship
[image: Sea Shadow]In the early 1980s, Cold War tensions were at their post-Cuban Missile Crisis height, and the US was looking for any strategic advantage it could get against its Soviet adversary. Although submarine-based missiles were a well-established leg of the nuclear "triad" (along with ballistic missiles and strategic bomber aircraft) the US realized the strategic applicability of stealth for vessels at sea. Specifically, US military researchers wanted to test the viability of making nuclear-armed submarines invisible to sonar. This effort resulted in Lockheed Martin's expe... more »
Newest U.S. Submarines Suffer Technical Problem
[image: USS Minnesota (SSN-783)]The U.S. Navy has restricted operations of its three newest submarines pending inspections and repairs due to a quality control issue. The USS Minnesota (SSN-783), USS North Dakota (SSN-784) and USS John Warner (SSN-785), the later just commissioned last weekend, are being sidelined. The reason? General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB), the Navy’s primary shipbuilder, has determined that three steam pipe elbows required additional testing and repair due to unauthorized and undocumented weld repairs performed on the elbows. Steam pipe elbows are instru... more »
Fossil Fuel Emissions Threaten to Reduce Radiocarbon Dating Reliability
I have learned to be extremely careful with carbon 14 dates. They are a useful first best date but then need to be checked and checked again to develop confidence. The hard part is getting a true comparable such a bog tree ring sequence. I actually have only two dates that i am comfortable with regarding the Bronze Age and that is its end in 1159 BC and Thera which has multiple geological horizons all over the Mediterranean to help pin down dates. I suppose we may accept the Great Pyramid for around 2400 +/- 20 BC as well. I have no dates that i am truly comfortable with afte... more »
Wait and See on the Iran Nuclear Deal
[image: Iranian wave the national flag during celebration in northern Tehran on July 14, 2015, after Iran's nuclear negotiating team struck a deal with world powers in Vienna. Iranians poured onto the streets of Tehran after the Ramadan fast ended at sundown Tuesday to celebrate the historic nuclear deal agreed earlier with world powers in Vienna. AFP PHOTO/ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)] I personally have complete faith in the Iranian people who will themselves do the right thing if htey have half a chance. This pact does give them a chance to... more »
On Anniversary of Persecution, Chinese Women Tell of a Narrow Escape
*[image: Practitioners of the spiritual practice of Falun Gong perform the exercises during a rally in front of the United Nations on Monday, marking 16 years of persecution inside China. (Larry Dye/Epoch Times)]* Even this year, the persecution is continuing. Optimism is nice but the whole Falun Gong Persecution is almost irrational. There never was a convincing 'why' and the conversion of human assets to slaves and organ suppliers to those able to pay. Even more that all that in twenty years I have seen zero sign of actual militancy. It never was a threat and under twenty y... more »
The Earlier The Better – Bystanders Save Lives With CPR For Cardiac Arrest
No one really gets it. The blood contains a great deal of bio available oxygen. what we do not have is an independent method of moving cells back and forth. That can only be done through varying the blood pressure and that is wonderfully done with chest compressions. It is not done by blowing air into the mouth. When a person collapses on the street, it is time to jump into action. Make sure someone is calling 911 as no one is able to last long applying CPR. Then check for a heart beat or a breath. If these are missing, apply chest compressions immediately. You are savi... more »
Coast Guard crew seizes submarine carrying 8 tons of cocaine
[image: USCGC Stratton (WMSL-752)]A U.S. Coast Guard crew from Alameda, California stopped a semi-submersible vessel carrying more than 16,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean last month -- the largest bust of its kind in Coast Guard history. CBS San Francisco reports that on July 18, the crew apprehended four suspected smugglers and captured 275 bales of cocaine worth more than $181 million wholesale from the self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) vessel, a low-riding vessel often used to smuggle massive quantities of narcotics across the ocean nearly undetected. But... more »
The GOP Debate, As Seen on Twitter
2016 is going to be a campaign season unlike any other, and tonight’s first debate has set the stage. We had arguments, sarcasm, awkward moments and some genuinely funny jokes. Here’s a little rundown of how Twitter saw the debate.... The post The GOP Debate, As Seen on Twitter appeared first on The Stream.
Obtain a yield
*Three.* "Obtain a yield" This principle is quoted a lot in the context of PDCs, or Permaculture Design Certification courses. In short, pay the teacher something. I'm *not* against that (I support it), but until more designs actually provide the landowners with a living rather than just expensive landscaping, the twelve Permaculture principles will make slow headway in a world that is running out of time to implement them and thus save itself. What's the holdup? BAU (Business As Usual). BAU does not like the systems analysis approach on which Permaculture is based, and defunded... more »
We Stand Upon The Dreams Of Our Ancestors
*Source:* *http://lightworkers.org/blog/214484/journeying-ancestors*
Islamic State Seizes City In Central Syria That Is Home To Thousands Of Christians
Location: The heavily populated town of Qaryatain lies south west of Palmyra, which is home to towering Roman ruins, and is located some 50 miles from the Assad regime-held city of Homs *Daily Mail:* *ISIS seize key town in central Syria home to tens of thousands of Christians in the terror group's most significant advance since capturing the ancient city of Palmyra* * Suicide bombers stormed Qaryatain paving the way for overnight clashes * ISIS jihadis finally overwhelmed Assad regime soldiers earlier today * Capture of the town allows ISIS to unify several key areas under its con... more »
Which Headline Is Correct?
The Vladivostok warship, a Mistral class LHD amphibious vessel ordered by Russia, sits in a shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, western France, May 9, 2014 (AFP Photo/Jean-Sebastien Evrard) *AFP:* *'No difficulty' for France to find Mistral buyers: Hollande* Ismailiya (Egypt) (AFP) - French President Francois Hollande said Thursday there would be "no difficulty" in finding new buyers for two Mistral warships that had been sold to Russia before Paris scrapped the deal. Paris refused to deliver the warships to Moscow in response to Russia's alleged aggression in Ukraine last year. "There wil... more »
Ray Heard, Sunnews Network Redneck Ghost and Stephen Harper Pom Pom Girl Is Frothing at The Mouth
I don`t know if anyone remembers who this clown is?.....He is a staunch Conservative pom pom girl, and a regular hard rightwing reform spindoctor on the defunct Sunnews channel...Remember them.. Sunnews was a joke, featuring Brian Lilly, Ezra sue me for libel and slander Levant, Michael praise the lord Coren along with scantly dressed bimbos disguised as journalists...Eh Faith Goldy? http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.ca/2013/08/faith-goldy-suffers-unthinkable-horror.html The man(ape) pictured above is an Alberta redneck goon, his name is Ray Heard.... If anyone wonders why... more »
Socialism Crumbles in Venezuela, But Democrats Think It’s a Great Idea
Socialism must be the number one folly in the history of the human race. People keep trying it, and it keeps collapsing ignominiously. Yet leftists never give up. It is as though a guy stood in his yard throwing a... The post Socialism Crumbles in Venezuela, But Democrats Think It’s a Great Idea appeared first on The Stream.
Why We Need a Culture of Compassion, Not of Knee Jerk Pity
Our society has ridden out, like doughty knights of old, on a grand quest to promote empathy. It is a noble goal. The ability to empathize (to imagine being in another person’s shoes) helps us to see each other’s humanity.... The post Why We Need a Culture of Compassion, Not of Knee Jerk Pity appeared first on The Stream.
Primetime GOP Presidential Debate — Live Blog
Republicans are taking the stage in Cleveland for the first candidates’ debates of the 2016 election cycle. The main primetime debate is at 9 p.m. ET, featuring the top 10 candidates — as judged by poll averages. Ahead of that, at... The post Primetime GOP Presidential Debate — Live Blog appeared first on The Stream.
Social Media Gives the First Debate to Carly Fiorina
It’s debate night. The GOP contenders are squaring off for the first time in this election cycle. The title fight is currently underway, but the undercard has already finished up their bout, with the 7 lowest-polling contenders fighting to break... The post Social Media Gives the First Debate to Carly Fiorina appeared first on The Stream.
Election PH 15, Who's the least welfarist?
Yesterday during the Ateneo Eagle Watch briefing, the third speaker was Rappler's Maritess Danguilan-Vitug. Her talk was about "Scenarios for 2016." She talked mainly about the four leading candidates. I mix her 2 slides in one image here, to save space. Personally, I can support Sen. Grace Poe's candidacy as her being a "newbie" or "inexperienced" means being inexperienced in heavy political populism and welfarism, or corrupting the minds of the public that they can be less responsible about their lives, anyway government will do many things for them, from education and books for ... more »
PH economic competitiveness, the Ateneo Eagle Watch briefing
Yesterday, I attended the Ateneo Eagle Watch briefing, held at the Ateneo Rockwell campus in Makati. The three speakers were Dr. Joseph Lim, "The State of the Economy: What were said and not said in the SONA"; Dr. Alvin Ang, "Economic Forecasts: 2015 Updates and Outlook", and Maritess Danguilan-Vitug of Rappler, "Scenarios for 2016." Dr. Lim and Alvin are professors at the Ateneo Economics Department, both are my friends too. Among the slides presented by Dr. Lim. He borrowed some of the presentations made at ADB just two days earlier, during its IPAG meeting. From the above table,... more »
FINALLY-- A Poll That Doesn't Lead To A Conclusion That The GOP Is Nominating NY Huckster Donald Trump
PPP's latest poll isn't about the presidential race per se; it's about how Americans are responding to President Obama's climate change agenda. And while there are serious critics who feel the president should have gone further, all the noise against his policies is coming from self-serving polluters like the Kochs and the political handmaidens they own, like Wisconsin's corrupt disgrace, Scott Walker. Voters across the board are not buying the Koch messaging, at least so far. A new Public Policy Polling survey finds that there’s strong support for the EPA’s new plan to limit car... more »
Boeing's XS-1 Is How We Will Fight Wars In Space
The small, planelike craft is known as the XS-1. It is hoped the craft could quickly launch small satellites that could defend against the growing threat of Russian and Chinese space weapons. *Daily Mail:* *The X-37b's big brother revealed: Boeing bags $6.6m contract to design reusable XS-1 robot spaceplane that will launch secret spy satellites and space weapons* * XS-1 spacecraft will be far larger than secretive X-37b test plane * Expected to use engine developed by Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin * Will fly like a normal plane, releasing second stage to launch satellite * Can then ret... more »
Highlights from the Fox News/Facebook ‘Happy Hour’ Debate
Thursday afternoon’s GOP undercard debate consisted of the seven Republican presidential candidates whose poll numbers didn’t qualify them for Thursday’s prime time debate. It was a largely civil affair, but it did feature a few notable sparks as the candidates... The post Highlights from the Fox News/Facebook ‘Happy Hour’ Debate appeared first on The Stream.
U.N. Inspectors Denied Access To Iranian Nuclear Scientists
IAEA image *Wall Street Journal:** Inspectors So Far Denied Access to Iran’s Scientists* *Stance complicates the International Atomic Energy Agency’s probe into suspected nuclear-military program* WASHINGTON—Iran so far has refused to allow United Nations inspectors to interview key scientists and military officers to investigate allegations that Tehran maintained a covert nuclear-weapons program, the head of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said in an interview Wednesday. Iran’s stance complicates the International Atomic Energy Agency’s probe into Tehran’s suspected nuclear-military... more »
Musical Interlude: Kevin Kern, “Dance of the Searching Souls”
Kevin Kern, “Dance of the Searching Souls” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V8H3ATEohs
Carly Fiorina and Bobby Jindal Shine at Second-Tier GOP Presidential Debate
Seven GOP candidates whose poll numbers did not qualify them for Thursday night’s Fox News/Facebook debate held a separate debate late this afternoon, each hoping to make their case why they should hold the highest office in the land, or at... The post Carly Fiorina and Bobby Jindal Shine at Second-Tier GOP Presidential Debate appeared first on The Stream.
Owner Admits Setting Fire to His Gay Bar, Leaving Gay Slurs
A bar owner admitted he set his gay nightclub on fire in Oak Park. Frank Elliott pleaded guilty to arson and insurance fraud for the fire at The Velvet Rope Ultra Lounge in 2012. Prosecutors said Elliott doused the bar... The post Owner Admits Setting Fire to His Gay Bar, Leaving Gay Slurs appeared first on The Stream.
Musical Interlude: Seal, “Crazy”
Seal, “Crazy” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A-hqZf7xQs
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Sometimes, you can put some night sky in your art. Captured above Japan in November, a picturesque night sky was photographed behind a picturesque frosted leaf. The reflecting ice crystals on the leaf coolly mimic the shining stars far in the background. The particular background sky on this 48-second wide angle exposure, however, might appear quite interesting and familiar. *Click image for larger sizes.* On the far left, although hard to find, appears a streaking meteor. Below and to the right of the meteor appears a longer and brighter streak of an airplane. The bright star on th... more »
"Whatever Remains..."
"When you've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." - "Sherlock Holmes"
"The Only Paradise We Ever Need..."
"But love of the wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth which bore us and sustains us, the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need - if only we had eyes to see." - Edward Abbey
"Fukushima Update, 8/6/2015"; "Requiem"
*"Fukushima Update, 8/6/2015"* By ENENews *San Francisco Chronicle, Aug 2, 2015*: "Another dead whale washes up on Pacifica beach. Yet another dead whale washed up at a Pacifica beach in what has become an inexplicable summer trend, marine officials reported. The whale that washed up Sunday is just the latest in a string of mysterious dead whales found in the area. A humpback whale washed up on Sharp Park Beach in Pacifica in May, and in April the rotting carcass of a sperm whale on the beach near Mori Point left scientists baffled as a dissection revealed no official cause of dea... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Brainerd, Minnesota, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Chet Raymo, "Suckled in a Creed Outworn"
"Suckled in a Creed Outworn" by Chet Raymo "Sitting on the beach over the winter with my pal Dwight, we kept track of the Moon, Sun and tides. He's insatiably curious. I showed him - with diagrams in the sand - how the Alexandrians of the 3rd centiry B.C.E. determined the sizes and distances of the Sun and Moon. It's a fabulous story, which I told in "Walking Zero: Discovering of Cosmic Space and Time Along the Prime Meridian." It is almost a cliche to say that Western civilization was created by the Greeks. Our government, law, art, music, architecture, literature, drama, histori... more »
Friday Morning Ramble
*Things from around the place that caught my eye this week …* [image: image] “"The building is simultaneously monumental and irreverent, equal parts pop and pomp." And it’s probably worth visiting New Plymouth to see it. *Zizz and zing: Editor Jeremy Hansen visits New Plymouth's sensational new Len Lye Centre* – HOME “When politicians propose a new policy, such as Barack Obama’s and Hillary Clinton’s plans to outlaw one third of US CO2 emissions in the next 15 years, it is always worth asking: Has this been tried before? And what happened when it was? “The answer is: a much,... more »
Time-lapse Of The 2,058 Nuclear Detonations From 1945 To 1998
*Popular Mechanics:* *A Haunting Timelapse of the 2,058 Nuclear Detonations from 1945 to 1998* A beautiful and terrifying timeline. It's a grim anniversary today. Seventy years ago today, the Enola Gay dropped the uranium atomic bomb "Little Boy" on the city of Hiroshima, killing at least 90,000 people immediately, poisoning hundreds of thousands more with radiation, and forever altering the essential nature of warfare. *WNU Editor*: I posted this video before, but considering that this is the 70th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, it is fitting that it is posted again. *Upd... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 6, 2015
*Image Credit*: Wikimedia Commons *Ankit Panda, The Diplomat:* *Was Nuclear Weapon Use in Hiroshima Really a Turning Point in World War II?* *Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki did little to convince Japanese leaders to end the war.* U.S. President Harry S. Truman’s decision to use nuclear weapons against the civilian populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki stands as one of the most consequential uses of weaponry in human history, a watershed moment in the twilight days of World War II, and a perennial question of moral and strategic ambiguity. In fact, all contemporary conversations ab... more »
World News Briefs -- August 6, 2015 (Evening Edition)
Residents walk past damaged buildings after what activists said were air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus February 6, 2015. REUTERS/AMER ALMOHIBANY *AFP*: *More than 240,000 killed in Syria conflict: monitor* Beirut (AFP) - More than 240,000 people, including 12,000 children, have been killed in Syria's conflict which broke out in March 2011, a monitoring group said Thursday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it has documented the deaths of 240,381 people, up from its tally of 230,618 announced on June 9. ... more »
Mandatory Vaccines – Jim Carrey vs. The CDC
*Jefferey Jaxen* - Jim Carrey has become a major threat to pharmaceutical corporations attempting to influence the debate on vaccines. The post Mandatory Vaccines – Jim Carrey vs. The CDC appeared first on Waking Times.
Movie Theater Attacker May Have Planned to Set Off Explosion
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The disturbed homeless man who attacked a movie theater with a pellet gun, an ax and pepper spray also had a propane tank and lighter fluid and may have been planning to set off an explosion,... The post Movie Theater Attacker May Have Planned to Set Off Explosion appeared first on The Stream.
How the Beauty Industrial Complex Oppresses Women
*Irwin Ozborne* - Beauty has been sold to us as the main form of currency for women in Western culture. The post How the Beauty Industrial Complex Oppresses Women appeared first on Waking Times.
Yemen War News Updates -- August 6, 2015
*VOA:** Saudis Reinforce Troops Battling Yemen Houthi Rebels* Saudi Arabia is boosting its efforts to defeat Iranian-backed Houthi insurgents in war-torn Yemen, sending in more heavy weaponry and troops in recent days. One Yemeni military source told the French news agency that Riyadh has sent in dozens of tanks, armored vehicles and personnel carriers during the past 48 hours via Wadia, a border post in northern Yemen. Several days ago, 2,800 Arab coalition troops landed in Yemen. Most were Saudi forces - special-operations, intelligence and logistics personnel - along troop uni... more »
Advice for the Candidates at Tonight’s Prime Time GOP Debate
Here’s my strategy sheet for tonight’s prime-time debate. I will list what each candidate needs To Do, and To Avoid. Donald Trump To Do: Show that you’re serious about leading an American economic recovery, using your undoubted business skills. To... The post Advice for the Candidates at Tonight’s Prime Time GOP Debate appeared first on The Stream.
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UN unanimously approves resolution on Syria chemical weapons(yalibnan.com)
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U.N. Security Council endorses Iran nuclear deal(columbian.com)
Kerry: US-Russia deal to bring justice for Syria CW attacks(themeshreport.com)
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