10:27pm MST
Defending the Obama Administration’s Foreign Policy – Part 2
Yesterday, I posted about my canceled debate with Colin Dueck on the Obama Administration’s foreign policy. In part 1, I reflected on the Bush administration’s legacy. Here is part 2 of what would have been my defense of the administration’s achievements. Again, it was a debate, where each of us were tasked to assume a […]
Put a DA-RT in it
If you have been living under a rock as I apparently have, then like me you may be unaware of the DA-RT controversy that is brewing in the American Political Science Association.* Turns out that some of our colleagues have been pushing for some time to write a new set of rules for qualitative scholarship […]
Hispanics Aren't The Only Group Turned Off By Right-wing Racism And Xenophobia-- Asian-Americans Have Given Up On The GOP
Tuesday night had some special significance for Asian-Americans. Philadelphians didn't just elect their first Asian-American woman to the City Council, they gave public education advocate Helen Gym the highest vote of the 7 at-large victors. I expect that in a few years she will be on the national stage. And in Lewiston, Maine, progressive activist Ben Chin came in first in the 5-way race for mayor. Chin was considerably ahead of conservative Republican incumbent Robert Macdonald, 44.08% to 37.29%, but because he didn't get 50%, there will be a run-off in December. Racist right-wi... more »
MENA Report ( November 4-5 , 2015 ) ..... Syria / Iraq Regional War And Political Developments ...... Libya Updates - Putting Aside Daily Battles And Political Crisis De Jour , Shocking Report Of The Day Involves Scandal Involving " Soon To Be Former UN Envoy" Leon Conflicts Of Interests - Simply Staggering account ( h/t twirp Rana Jawad And The Guardian ) And Perhaps Fatal Blow To Dialogue Talks ..... Additional Items Of Note On Turkey , Yemen , Refugee Situation And More !
Links...... *Intel Points to ISIS Bomb on Russian Plane* *Russia: Rival Rebels Giving Details on ISIS Targets* *At Least 33 Killed as Fighting Escalates in Yemen's Taiz**Israel: No Public Position on Assad Staying in Power* *Cameron Not Abandoning Plans for UK Parliament Vote on Syria* *Pentagon: Interaction With Russian Plane Not a Real 'Exercise'* Fighting in Anbar Heats Up, 226 Killed Across Iraq 'New Turkey' to Bear Erdogan's Stamp as Crackdown on Dissent Steps Up Turkey 'Nokta' Magazine Editors Arrested in Istanbul for Alleged 'Coup Attempt' Kremlin... more »
Students Demand Gay Activist Movie Stonewall be Cancelled for Being Too White, and for Neglecting the L and T in LGBT
[image: Stonewall - 900] The showing of a film celebrating the gay activist movement has been delayed and possibly cancelled following severe protests from, ironically, gay rights activists who say the film somehow endangers their lives. Stonewall, directed by openly-gay director Roland Emmerich, portrays the events... more »
What Media Boosters Overlook about Hillary Clinton
[image: Hillary Clinton] After her first debate performance and her endurance test before the House Benghazi committee, the mainstream media were practically ecstatic. Hillary is back! Her best week yet! Inevitable again! In all of their hoopla, the media missed some key considerations.... Continue reading *“What Media Boosters Overlook about Hillary Clinton”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
Yes, Russia Can Still Fight A War
Image: Flickr/Sergey Vladimirov *Michael Peck, National Interest:** Shock and Awed: Yes, Russia Can Still Fight a War* Newsflash: Russia is not some tinpot third-world basket case with a make-believe army, but rather the nation with the third-highest military spending on the planet. The world was astounded. Russian planes dropping smart bombs on Syrian rebels! Russian cruise missiles blasting rebel targets from hundreds of miles away! How could this be? Whatever happened to the hapless Russian military, the bumblers that embarrassed themselves in Chechnya and Georgia? Actually, ... more »
The Complicated Future of the Catholic Church
[image: Church of the Holy Sepulchre] Catholic journalist John L. Allen Jr., a CNN analyst and an associate editor at the Boston Globe, discussed the future of the Catholic Church -- describing what he called three "mega trends" in the church today -- during a gathering... Continue reading *“The Complicated Future of the Catholic Church”* at *therecordnewspaper.org*.
Running from Corporate Looting & US-NATO Wars
Today 60 million human beings are displaced by war and extreme poverty. Many European countries are responding to the crisis with racist hysteria and polices, backed by police measures. Abby Martin exposes the facts that are left out of the mainstream reporting: the role of criminal wars, disastrous neoliberal economics and why mass displacement is a permanent feature under this system.
Can The Syrian Conflict Get Even Worse?
*David Ignatius, Washington Post*: *How the Syrian conflict could get even bigger and bloodier* President Obama says he doesn't want to turn the Syria conflict into a proxy war. Unfortunately, that's already happening, as combatants join the battle against the Islamic State with radically differing agendas that could collide. Let's look at the confusing order of battle: The United States has decided that its strongest partner against the Islamic State is a Syrian Kurdish force known as the YPG. But Turkey, nominally our NATO ally, says the YPG has links with what it claims is a... more »
Peskin Election Restores Balance Of Power To Progressives On San Francisco Board of Supervisors
*photo by Linda Champagne* -by Denise Sullivan The mood was upbeat as the party thanking supporters and celebrating victory for District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin got under way at North Beach's historic Club Fugazi, otherwise known as the home of San Francisco's longest running show, *Beach Blanket Babylon*. Though the margin was slight in the early hours of reporting confidence was high that Peskin would handily defeat Mayor Ed Lee appointee Julie Christensen. Fellow Supervisor David Campos called it from across town, live at the Mission's El Rio and on Twitter when he said, "Loo... more »
Members of Congress Blast Television Networks for Censoring Planned Parenthood Videos
[image: Planned Parenthood videos] Some mainstream news outlets seem to plug their ears and cover their eyes any time an abortion scandal comes along. A group of Congressmen say it's time for that to stop. Eight Congressmen recently signed a letter to the CBS,... Continue reading *“Members of Congress Blast Television Networks for Censoring Planned Parenthood Videos”* at *lifenews.com*.
The Higher Calling of ‘The Dismal Science’
[image: economists] Economist and theologian Paul Heyne once asked the question, "Are economists basically immoral?" He asked this because economists have a frustrating tendency to interrupt the high moral aspirations of others with complications about how, in the real world, life is... Continue reading *“The Higher Calling of ‘The Dismal Science’”* at *acton.org*.
Last Week's Joint U.S. - Kurdish Raid Of An ISIS Prison Actually Freed High Ranking Baathists Officers Loyal To Saddam Hussein
*Eli Lake, Bloomberg*: *Kurdish Intelligence Chief Says Deadly Raid Freed Baathists* Last month's raid on an Islamic State prison in Hawija, Iraq, conducted by a U.S. Delta Force Team and Kurdish special forces resulted not only in the death of the first American in the country since 2011 and the beheading of four Kurds by the jihadists. According to a Kurdish intelligence chief, it also ended up freeing scores of the former tormentors of his people: Iraqis still loyal to the Baathist ideology of Saddam Hussein. And it has exacerbated new political divisions among the Kurds, who h... more »
Will NHS doctors go on strike for the second time in 40 years? Both under Cameron
SOURCE BBC NEWS: BMA refuses to re-enter contract talks The British Medical Association said the contract was not safe or fair and accused ministers of putting out "misleading" claims. A ballot over industrial action is due to get under way on Thursday 5th November. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt had made a last ditch attempt to persuade them not to push ahead with the ballot. This included
Gloria Steinem Blames Planned Parenthood ‘Attack’ on ‘Racism,’ ‘Patriarchy’
[image: Gloria Steinem] Gloria Steinem doesn't have her facts straight, but don't expect the media to call her out on it. On Tuesday, feminist activist Gloria Steinem appeared as a guest on PBS' Tavis Smiley. During the show, Steinem praised abortion for giving... Continue reading *“Gloria Steinem Blames Planned Parenthood ‘Attack’ on ‘Racism,’ ‘Patriarchy’”* at *newsbusters.org*.
馬習團 Morning Media Round Up
Apple Daily Poll out this morning has 53.1% against, 38% for the meeting. China Post: Details emerge on the meeting TAIPEI, Taiwan -- As more details emerge about the upcoming meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou and mainland Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Singapore this Saturday, the government spent yesterday justifying the timing, legitimacy and reasoning behind the most historic development in cross-strait relations since 1949. *Chinese officials confirmed that Ma and Xi will address each other as "mister" and that both were participating in their capacity as "leaders" of Taiwa... more »
COP21 and Australian Sovereignty
Email sent today. To Malcolm Turnbull, PM; Julie Bishop, Foreign Minister; Greg Hunt, Minister for the Environment. There is concern among many Australians that, against our wishes, you will sign Kyoto 2 at COP21 in Paris, abandoning Australia’s sovereignty. Are you aware that a French Science body has described the battle against global warming as an absurd, costly and pointless crusade? The French Scientific organisation *Société de Calcul Mathématique SA* (link) has described the battle against global warming as an absurd, costly and pointless crusade in their White Paper. In ... more »
What the Election Results Prove about Social Conservatism and Voters
[image: Election Results - 900] Kim Davis has confounded the pollsters and propelled an underdog candidate, Matt Bevin, to victory in the Kentucky governor's race. Nearly two-thirds of voters in Ohio have rejected marijuana. And citizens in Houston have vetoed their city council and rejected... more »
Iran Responsible for Killing 14 Percent of U.S. Troops in Iraq
[image: iran] Nearly 200 U.S. troops have been killed and nearly 1,000 injured by Iranian-made explosives in Iraq, according to new disclosures from a partially declassified report conducted by U.S. Central Command and described by sources to the Washington Free Beacon. The number... Continue reading *“Iran Responsible for Killing 14 Percent of U.S. Troops in Iraq”* at *freebeacon.com*.
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- November 4, 2015
*Howard LaFranchi, CSM*: *What message Obama is sending in Syria* President Obama’s decision to send up to 50 Special Operations Forces to Syria isn't a huge statement. But it's something. WASHINGTON — No military power, not even the United States, can change the course of a civil war in some distant land by putting 50 pairs of boots on the ground. But what such a small deployment can accomplish is to send messages. In that sense, President Obama’s decision to send up to 50 Special Operations Forces to northern Syria to work with Kurdish and Arab opposition groups in their 4-yea... more »
Leonard Peltier 'Cruel and Unusual Punishment'
. CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENTby Leonard PeltierAmendment VIII—Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.The Eighth Amendment is supposed to be about dignity, humanity and decency. It is intended to prohibit "deliberate indifference to serious infliction of unnecessary or wanton pain or physical torture or lingering death
UK Police Fear Anarchy On Streets Of London On November 5th
Scotland Yard have said they are going to deploy thousands of extra police officers on Bonfire night on Thursday, due to fears that organised protests will turn to anarchy on the streets of London amid the Million Mask march being planned. The protest, organised by Anonymous, is a global protest movement against austerity and increased state surveillance. The Guardian reports: In what has become an annual event, police fear a repeat of the unrest that occurred at last year’s demonstration, when scuffles broke out between riot police and protesters – many wearing Guy Fawkes masks. The... more »
World News Briefs -- November 4, 2015 (Evening Edition)
A woman lays flowers at a makeshift memorial for victims of a Russian airliner which crashed in Egypt, outside Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, Russia, Nov. 4, 2015. *VOA:* *Britain: Bomb May Have Downed Russian Jetliner Over Sinai* Britain said Wednesday it is increasingly concerned that a bomb brought down the Russian jetliner that crashed last Saturday over the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people aboard. British authorities dispatched a team of aviation experts to the airport at the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, where the flight to St. Petersburg originated, to... more »
Untitled
*Louisiana booksellers sue to block law that could make them verify ages online ~Colin Lecher, The Verge *
US Intel Suggests ISIS Bomb Brought Down Russian Jet
[image: Egyptian Army soldiers stand near luggage and personal effects of passengers a day after a passenger jet bound for St. Petersburg, Russia crashed in Hassana, Egypt, on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015. The Metrojet plane, bound for St. Petersburg in Russia, crashed 23 minutes after it took off from Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Saturday morning. The 224 people on board, all Russian except for four Ukrainians and one Belarusian, died.] U.S. intelligence suggests an Islamic State bomb brought down the Russian passenger jet in Egypt over the weekend. "There is a definite feel... more »
DEA Head Backs FBI on ‘Ferguson Effect’
[image: Comey - 400] The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration agrees with FBI Director James Comey that growing scrutiny of police is making officers less willing to do their jobs, he said on Wednesday. Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg's comments put him at odds... Continue reading *“DEA Head Backs FBI on ‘Ferguson Effect’”* at *thehill.com*.
Gaudi’s Basilica: Almost Finished After 132 Years
[image: Gaudi - 400] In August 1963, Merloyd Lawrence wrote a dispatch in The Atlantic from Barcelona, mentioning many of the city's cultural landmarks: the merchants on Las Ramblas, the food, and the buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi, the "architect laureate of Catalonia." After... Continue reading *“Gaudi’s Basilica: Almost Finished After 132 Years”* at *theatlantic.com*.
Time for a test series
Not sure it’s the *greatest* sport. But are there many better ways to spend summer than following a test-cricket series? *What a name for a contest – test match. It truly is a test of one’s character and stamina… Few things in sport matter than a well poised test match. [And after five days], all three results are possible – both sides win or a draw.* What other sport can do that? *One of the glories of cricket is the way the drama of a match develops, how the pace varies from the leisurely to the suddenly lethal, how the plot thickens, and the subplots are interlinked as the pla... more »
What if Russia attacked Syria's Kurds on behalf of Assad?: Rudaw
*Interesting and provocative read!* *btw: we aren't talking "Syria's Kurds" the militias are chock full of PKK aka Turkey's Kurds* *Atlantic Council- The Kurds and the future of Assad* * PKK fighters returned to Syria during the civil war. Jordi Tejel, an expert on Syrian Kurds says, “already in April 2011 the PKK sent one thousand armed fighters to establish the YPG in Syria.* *The PYD’s militia, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), created by former PKK fighters....* *Rudaw piece authored by: Paul Davis is a retired US Army military intelligence analyst and a consultant to the ... more »
Another Russian Plane Crash Kills 41 In South Sudan
Another Russian plane crash has occurred, killing at least 41 people in South Sudan’s capital of Juba today. The ‘overcrowded’ cargo plane crashed after taking off just one mile from the airport. According to initial reports, the Soviet-era plane was made in 1971 and had too many passengers on board. It is not yet clear how many were killed on the plane, or on the ground. This crash follows just days after the Russian Metrojet plane crashed over the Sinai Desert, killing all 224 on board. Dailystar.co.uk reports: The Civil Aviation Authority said the number of dead was still being ... more »
JK Rowling Says She’s Working on New Children’s Book
[image: JK Rowling] LONDON (AP) -- Good news, Harry Potter fans: J.K. Rowling says she is working on a new children’s book. There could be a bit of a wait for it, though. The boy wizard’s creator told the BBC that she has... more »
6 of the Most Racist Things the Media has Said About Marco Rubio
[image: Marco Rubio] Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has been on the receiving end of quite a few racist slams by the media. Since he stepped into the national political scene as a Senator in 2010, Rubio has been called a "pinata," a "coconut,"... Continue reading *“6 of the Most Racist Things the Media has Said About Marco Rubio”* at *thefederalist.com*.
Chris Christie’s Speech on Drug Addiction is Going Viral
[image: Chris Christie] During a town hall meeting in New Hampshire last week, Gov. Chris Christie made an emotional plea for America to rethink the way it treats addiction. "My mother was a smoker," Christie said. "She smoked her whole life, she was... Continue reading *“Chris Christie’s Speech on Drug Addiction is Going Viral”* at *thefederalist.com*.
Nov. 4:http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/01/election-blow-canada-postmedia-stephen-harper
Now, the above is a story I didn't see in the Irving press. Actually, it's many stories in one. As it begins, it's about how most of the Canadian press supported Harper in the election. It suggests, too kindly, that the Canadian press has lost touch with its readers. Less kindly, I think it shows how much the Canadian press is under the thumb of big money. It is also about the decline of the newspaper business, how it has been losing readers for some years now. Many newspapers are losing money. And wealthy owners hang on to them only to spread propaganda useful to their business emp... more »
Global Warming? Scientists Warn ‘Decade Of Global Cooling’ Coming
A European research team have found that the Earth is likely to enter into a “mini ice age” between 2030 – 2040 as a result of global cooling. They blame the coming ice age on a decrease in solar activity, and their findings contradict environmental campaigners who say that so-called ‘global warming’ is causing sea levels to increase and ice caps to melt. Express.co.uk reports: However, at the National Astronomy Meeting in Wales, Northumbria University professor Valentina Zharkova said fluctuations an 11-year cycle of solar activity the sun goes through would be responsible for a f... more »
Cancer: Study Shows Ginger Is 10,000 Times Stronger Than Chemo
Turmeric has long been reported for having healing effects on cancer, but now new research shows that its cousin ginger is just as powerful as an alternative treatment in fighting cancer. A study by the Georgia State University has found that ginger can decrease the size of a prostate tumour by 56%. Another study published by PLoS found that ginger is 10,000 more powerful than Chemotherapy when treating breast cancer malignancy. Healthnutnews.com reports: Sometimes referred to as ‘mother cells’ cancer stem cells are the cause of a wide range of cancers, not simply breast cancer. Th... more »
NATO Shows Off Its ‘Military Might’ To Intimidate Russia
NATO are putting on a display of its ‘military might’, in a choreographed large-scale movement of 36,000 military personnel, ships, and planes, in an attempt to intimidate Russia. Operation Trident Juncture aims to send “a very clear message to our nations and to any potential adversary [Russia],” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a news conference today. Yahoo News reports: The No. 1 objective of the maneuvers, code-named Trident Juncture, is to ensure NATO’s beefed-up Response Force is up to the job, and that the United States and its allies can respond promptly and ... more »
UFO Drone On Mars May Prove Ancient Civilisation Once Lived There
A new clear set of photographs of what some are claiming to be a “UFO drone” on the surface of Mars, have surfaced. The pictures were taken a few years ago by the NASA Mars rover, and then very recently enhanced to provide a clearer view of the unidentified object. According to some UFO experts, the object has an “intelligent design” and may prove the existence of an advanced alien civilisation that once lived on the red planet. Sputniknews.com reports: “In my opinion this object is an extraterrestrial drone possibly built by the Indigenous Martian populace or perhaps it was deploye... more »
NASA’s New Images Of The ‘Spooky’ Halloween Asteroid That Passed Earth
High resolution radar images of the’ spooky’ Asteroid that flew by earth on Halloween have been processed by NASA. Russia Today reports: Nicknamed “Spooky” for its skull-resembling shape, the asteroid – otherwise known by its NASA classification as 2015 TB145 – was flying 480,000 kilometers from Earth when it passed on October 31. It was impossible to see that far away, but now NASA pictures allow us to take a closer peek. The agency used huge, Earth-based radio telescopes and antennas to capture the images. By bouncing radar signals off the asteroid, NASA created a detailed picture ... more »
National Grid Say UK Risk Blackouts Unless More Power Given
Britain’s National Grid network have issued a warning that the UK could face blackouts due to a lack of power being supplied during peak electricity usage. They have asked electricity plants to supply more power, and have laid the blame on the short supply of power to “multiple plant break downs” recently. Sky News reports: It comes as Britain is facing a wider squeeze on electricity margins – the level of spare power it needs to hold in the system to ensure supplies are adequate at peak times – following the closures of power stations. The latest move saw the grid ask at 1.30pm for... more »
Crying Earth Rise Up - Screening in Denver
STOP URANIUM MINING! PROTECT SACRED WATER! ALLY
Experts? They can get stuffed too
We were talking last night about what a breath of fresh air it was to see Michelle Payne’s winning grin and stroppily-infectious enthusiasm in her post-win Melbourne Cup interviews—winning the race on a nearly 100-to-1 outsider dismissed by everyone, then telling the connections who didn’t want here on the horse they should “get stuffed.” I didn’t just love her fighting spirit. I loved re-reading the race write-ups to see what the experts had said about the winning horse’s prospects. I think my favourite was the analysis by the *Herald Sun*’s experts, who analysed each horse and s... more »
Russia 'Beefs-Up' Its MIlitary Presence In Syria
Russian ground staff members load a Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet with weapons at the Hmeymim air base near Latakia, Syria, in this handout photograph released by Russia's Defence Ministry October 22, 2015. Reuters/Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation/Handout via Reuters *Reuters*:* Russia's Syria force grows to 4,000, U.S. officials say* Moscow's military force in Syria has grown to about 4,000 personnel, but this and more than a month of Russian air strikes have not led to pro-government forces making significant territorial gains, U.S. security officials and independent expe... more »
What Happens To All The LGBT Progress Towards Equality If Ben Carson Becomes President?
Yesterday Chuck Todd, in his Meet the Press First Read, explained why he thinks Ben Carson, who many observers look at and laugh, is actually a strong GOP frontrunner-- and he's basing it on an analysis of the latest polling numbers. He wrote that "[n]ot only is Carson leading the Republican horserace with the highest percentage yet in our poll (29%), he also hits 50% when you combine GOP voters' first and second choices-- the only Republican presidential candidate to do that." Then take the fact that he's raising the most money in the Republican race (his campaign reported raisi... more »
Nelson Report on the Ma-Xi Meeting
[image: Pingtung_Tokina_2] *Two of my favorite fruits.* The Washington Insider Nelson Report on the 馬習團. Doug Paal, who is quoted below, has long served the KMT. Richard Bush is a former AIT head and a longtime US Taiwan expert. +++++++++++++++ First-up, we can confirm the Nikkei report of plans for the first head of states meeting between the leaders of China and Taiwan since the KMT lost the civil war in 1949...obviously we need some perspective on this, so pls don't be shy. We'd see it as an indicator of Beijing's rising angst about the likely return of the DPP to the presiden... more »
Islamic State Insists That They Brought Down Russian Passenger Plane
A screenshot from an ISIS video cached by archive.org WSJ:* Islamic Group to West: ‘Prove It Wasn’t Us’* *Islamic State affiliate again says it brought down Russian jetliner that crashed in Sinai.* CAIRO—The Egyptian affiliate of Islamic State on Wednesday made a fresh claim of responsibility for downing the Russian jetliner that crashed in the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday and said it would reveal further details of its involvement in due course. The slow trickle of information on the cause of the crash, coupled with a quick claim of responsibility by Sinai Province, has led to fea... more »
Islamic State Launches New Attacks In The Sinai
*VICE News:* *Egypt's President Says Sinai Is 'Under Control' Just as Islamic State Bombs a Police Hangout* Just hours after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi remarked in a BBC interview that the "the situation in Sinai... is under our full control," Islamic State militants launched a suicide attack against a police station in the restive peninsula. According to the state news agency MENA, the suicide bomber rammed a car laden with explosives into a police recreational facility in the provincial capital of Al Arish, destroying the facade and several nearby cars. At least s... more »
Cameron Plans To Sell Channel 4 Television For £1 Billion
David Cameron has announced plans to sell off Channel 4 Television, in a bid to raise an expected £1billion from the privatisation of the Broadcaster. Despite previous statements that there were “no plans” to privatise the TV channel, Mr Cameron today said that the government are now looking “at all of the options” with regards to privatisation. Dailymail.co.uk reports: Two months ago official was pictured walking into Number 10 carrying a paper setting out options for a sell-off, which are being discussed at cabinet level. It came just days after Culture Secretary John Whittingdal... more »
Kermit Gosnell and the 1972 ‘Mother’s Day Massacre’
[image: Kermit Gosnell - 400] An exclusive clip from a soon-to-release documentary about the crimes of infamous, ex-abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell covers a failed experiment in 1972 during which Gosnell was accused of performing botched abortions and seriously injuring nine impoverished women. Despite the reportedly... Continue reading *“Kermit Gosnell and the 1972 ‘Mother’s Day Massacre’”* at *theblaze.com*.
So, not the drunken shambles the lemon-suckers predicted, then
Good news—maybe. Could adults soon to be allowed to be adults for more than just the duration of a sports tournament? *Allowing bars to open during Rugby World Cup games didn’t turn the country into the drunken shambles that had been predicted, say the backers of the law change that made it possible… A law change was made two months ago to allow bars to open early during the tournament, rather than having to apply for special licences. The change was enabled by a bill from ACT's sole MP David Seymour, who watched the final at a bar in Auckland's Mt Eden. He was ... more »
U.S. And U.K. Intelligence Now Believe That A Bomb Brought Down The Russian Passenger Jet In The Sinai
*CNN*:* Russian plane crash: ISIS bomb likely brought down jet, U.S. official says* (CNN)The latest U.S. intelligence suggests that the crash of Metrojet Flight 9268 was most likely caused by a bomb on the plane planted by ISIS or an ISIS affiliate, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. "There is a definite feeling it was an explosive device planted in luggage or somewhere on the plane," the official said, stressing that no formal conclusion had been reached by the U.S. intelligence community. The assessment was reached, the official said, by looking back at inte... more »
Musical Interlude: Karunesh, "Endless Skies”
Karunesh, "Endless Skies” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hae1MQuk6B8
"A Look to the Universe"
"Big beautiful spiral galaxy M66 lies a mere 35 million light-years away. About 100 thousand light-years across, the gorgeous island universe is well known to astronomers as a member of the Leo Triplet of galaxies. In M66, pronounced dust lanes and young, blue star clusters sweep along spiral arms dotted with the tell-tale glow of pink star forming regions. *Click image for larger size.* This colorful and deep view also reveals faint extensions beyond the brighter galactic disk. Of course, the bright, spiky stars lie in the foreground, within our own Milky Way Galaxy, but many, smal... more »
NASA Researchers Disclose the Truth About Time Travel & Dimensional Portals
*Christina Sarich* - Are 'extraordinary openings in space or time' a reality that NASA is hiding? The post NASA Researchers Disclose the Truth About Time Travel & Dimensional Portals appeared first on Waking Times.
Jeb Bush Insists ‘No Way’ He’ll Drop Out of Campaign Before Iowa Caucuses
[image: Jeb Bush] GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush said today he will not drop out of the presidential race before the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses, despite his sinking poll numbers. ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl joined Bush on his campaign bus... Continue reading *“Jeb Bush Insists ‘No Way’ He’ll Drop Out of Campaign Before Iowa Caucuses”* at *abcnews.go.com*.
"The Weaving Of Human Living"
"...and this is the weaving of human living: of whose fabric each individual is a part; each is intimately connected with the bottom and the extremist reach of time: and not one of these things nor one of these persons is ever quite to be duplicated or replaced: but each is a new and incommunicably tender life, wounded in every breath, sustaining for a while, without defense, the enormous assaults of the universe." - James Agee, "Now Let Us Praise Famous Men"
"The Human Condition..."
"I think it's unfair, but they have the right as fallible, screwed-up humans to be unfair; that's the human condition." - Albert Ellis
Chet Raymo, “Caught In The Middle”
*“Caught In The Middle”* by Chet Raymo "It doesn't take a genius to recognize that human males have a propensity for intergroup violence, and that the killing is often accompanied by rape. One need only read the newspapers. The only question is to what extent these tendencies are innate or culturally inculcated. Nature or nurture? Or both? A new book, "Sex and War: How Biology Explains Warfare and Terrorism and Offers a Path to a Safer World," by population biologist Malcolm Potts and science writer Thomas Hayden, dishes up a bit of both. The violence is in our (male) genes, they ma... more »
"Masks..."
"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within." - James Baldwin "Love is difficult. For one human being to love another human being: that is perhaps the most difficult task that has been entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation." — Rainer Maria Rilke, "Letters to a Young Poet"
The Universe
"True life mastery is more a function of knowing what to want, than knowing how to get what you want. Anyone can get stuff, but it usually takes an old soul to choose their stuff wisely." "What?" The Universe "Thoughts become things... choose the good ones!" - www.tut.com
Woman Dies After Consuming Eight Litres Of Pepsi-Max A Day
An inquest into the death of a 38 year old mother of one heard that “excessive consumption” of caffeine from drinking up to eight litres of Pepsi-Max a day, reacted with prescribed anti-depressant medication she was taking, resulting in her death. The Daily Mirror reports: Victoria Lane would drink up to four two-litre bottles of the fizzy drink every day in an effort to help her combat a dry mouth, which she would get as a result of taking prescription drugs. At an inquest into her death, the coroner was told how the 38-year-old had struggled with depression and paranoia for many y... more »
Downing Street Claims Russian Plane Was Brought Down by Explosive Device
No. 10 Downing Street believe they know the cause of the crash of the Russian airliner over the Sinai peninsula on Saturday. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said on Wednesday that the cause of the crash of Airbus A321 operated by Kogalymavia airline was a bomb or an explosive device, implying foul play at Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh airport from which the flight for St. Petersburg departed on Saturday. Times of India reports: “While the investigation is still ongoing we cannot say categorically why the Russian jet crashed,” Prime Minister David Cameron’s office said in a statement.... more »
Nominal Christians are Becoming More Secular, and That’s Creating a Startling Change for the US
[image: cross - 400] America is undergoing a religious polarization. With more adults shedding their religious affiliations, as evidenced in the latest from the Pew Research Center, the country is becoming more secular. In the past seven years, using the new Pew data, Americans... Continue reading *“Nominal Christians are Becoming More Secular, and That’s Creating a Startling Change for the US”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
The Next Global Warming Scandal?
[image: global warming] With their latest subpoena to the Obama administration, House Republicans risk descending into a rabbit hole, albeit a useful one. Lamar Smith, the Texas GOPer who runs the House science and technology committee, has been seeking, voluntarily and then not... Continue reading *“The Next Global Warming Scandal?”* at *wsj.com*.
More retractions, errata discovered for nursing researcher
Since our recent coverage about a university investigation that led to multiple retractions for nursing researcher Moon-fai Chan, we’ve been alerted to a few more retractions and errata. His total is now at six retractions and four errata. Some of our finds were published this year, and some are a few years old. Most are due to duplication; […] The post More retractions, errata discovered for nursing researcher appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Capstone
*"At midnight a helicopter will fly into the site and, hovering in a starburst of lasers and spotlights, will place a gigantic gilded capstone atop the Great Pyramid --all to the accompaniment of what is expected to be an unprecedented Jarre crescendo of electronic music. The gold cap, approximately 28 feet high (about the size of a two-story house) is being especially constructed to protect the pyramid structure. In place, it will catch the first light of* *the new millennium as the sun rises over Egypt. Capping pyramids with gold and timing important events to the setting and ris... more »
Supplemental: The incoherence of Chairman Ben!
*WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015Ruth Marcus gets it right:* Last Wednesday's GOP debate began with human history's dumbest known question. Carl Quintanilla tossed it out, then let each hopeful expound: QUINTANILLA (10/28/15): A lot to get to tonight. So let's get started. This first is an open question. This series of debates is essentially a job interview with the American people. And in any job interview, you know this: you get asked, "what's your biggest weakness?" *So in 30 seconds, without telling us that you try too hard or that you're a perfectionist, what is your biggest wea... more »
ISIS Zygons
*1515* *"That’s another of the precognitions in Finnigan's Wake, the television set in the bar, and there were no television sets in bars until eight years after Finnigan's Wake was published, and no television sets in Irish bars for about twenty years later. * *And yet Joyce has a television set in the bar! But McLuhan got the whole idea of the global village and the effect of media on mind, and the evolution of mind reflected in and being fed back to by the evolution of media. All that’s in Finnigan's Wake. * *Joyce developed that out of Vico, the sociologist who studied how... more »
Back to the Collective Unconscious
" Well it’s curious; I’ve been talking about how modern quantum physics is getting more and more Joycean, and ethology is confirming a lot of Joyce’s insights into anal-territorial behaviors and so on. And Joyce was also a major influence on Marshall McLuhan, as McLuhan always admitted. Every book McLuhan wrote, he talks about how much he learned from Joyce. And the whole McLuhan view of how media affect the mind - Finnigan's Wake has a whole history of media in it, from sign language up to television, which didn’t exist then. That’s another of the precognitions in Finnigan'... more »
Orson Welles’ The War of the Worlds: Prototype of Panic, with Dr. Hans Utter
I've got a backlog of must listen shows! Earlier I posted Jose Barrera's show from HoaxBusters: *Hoax Busters: Afternoon Commute with Jose Barrera* Hope you listen/ed? Below you will find another excellent show brought to us all by Gnostic Media - Loved it! Thanks Jan & Hans! Episode 239 is an investigation into Orson Welles’ The War of the Worlds with Dr. Hans Utter, titled: “Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds –* Prototype of Panic”*. This episode is being released for Friday, October 30, 2015, and was recorded October 26. This is Gnostic Media’s 8th anniversary show, and the 77th an... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Victoria, Texas, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Geopolitics: “China Warns US Against Further South China Sea Patrols”
*“China Warns US Against Further South China Sea Patrols”* by RT "China’s defense minister has urged the US not to threaten its sovereignty as well as the nation’s security interests following last week’s incident involving a US naval patrol in the South China Sea. The concerns were expressed by Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan to US Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur, where the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense chiefs meeting is taking place. Chang stressed that the US should not pursue any other dangerous actions that threaten Chin... more »
"12 Days Before ’08 Crash, Congress was Secretly Told to Sell Off Their Stocks."
*"12 Days Before ’08 Crash, * *Congress was Secretly Told to Sell Off Their Stocks."* by thewe "Many high-ranking government employees were given a heads-up about the impending market crash in secret meetings with the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department. Then they used that information to engage in insider trading. These actions would be illegal for any American in any other circumstance, but members of Congress and high-ranking government officials are actually exempt from insider trading laws." Click here for full article on activistpost.com "The real story here is that i... more »
"How It Really Is"
"Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans, Study Finds" - http://www.nytimes.com/ “Rising Deaths Among White Middle-Aged Americans Could Exceed AIDS Toll in US” - http://www.alternet.org/
The Poet: Donald Justice, "The Evening of the Mind"
*"The Evening of the Mind"* "Now comes the evening of the mind. Here are the fireflies twitching in the blood; Here is the shadow moving down the page Where you sit reading by the garden wall. Now the dwarf peach trees, nailed to their trellises, Shudder and droop. Your know their voices now, Faintly the martyred peaches crying out Your name, the name nobody knows but you. It is the aura and the coming on. It is the thing descending, circling, here. And now it puts a claw out and you take it. Thankfully in your lap you take it, so. You said you would not go away again, You did not want t... more »
I Believe..."
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge- that myth is more potent than history. I believe that dreams are more powerful than facts- That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death." - Robert Fulghum R. Kelly, "I Believe I Can Fly"
"Things We Don’t Want to Do: Outside the Comfort Zone"
*"Things We Don’t Want to Do: Outside the Comfort Zone"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM Doing things we don't want to do, or that scare us, creates flow in our lives and allows us to grow. Most of us have had the experience of tackling some dreaded task only to come out the other side feeling invigorated, filled with a new sense of confidence and strength. The funny thing is, most of the time when we do them, we come out on the other side changed and often wondering what we were so worried about or why it took us so long. We may even begin to look for other tasks we’ve been avoidin... more »
One Month After American Genocidal Attack On Hospital In Afghanistan, World Ignores Calls For International Inquiry!
There have been many commentators who have come into this site and have always asked me the same questions as to WHY I "hate" the United States of America so much.... I have always made it perfectly clear that I do NOT hate the American people at all, but I do hate the actions of their most criminal government.....We only need to look back now a month ago when the US Military committed a cold blooded act of calculated murder on innocent people at that Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan to show why the entire world now sees the American government in Washington ... more »
Senate Votes to Kill EPA’s Water Rule
[image: water rule] The Senate approved a bill Wednesday to block the Obama administration's new regulation setting federal authority over small waterways. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution against the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) water rule passed on a 53-44 vote. Three Democrats... Continue reading *“Senate Votes to Kill EPA’s Water Rule”* at *thehill.com*.
UK Suspends Flights To Sharm, Fearing Bomb Caused Russian Plane Crash
Downing Street say that the Russian plane that crashed in Egypt on Saturday was probably brought down by a bomb. All flights between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh were grounded Wednesday evening while UK experts assess security at the Egyptian airport. Prime Minister David Cameron is to chair a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergencies committee this evening after new information emerged. The BBC reports: Number 10 said flights had been delayed as a “precautionary measure” after “more information has come to light”. Russian Airbus 321 crashed on Saturday, killing all 224 people on ...more »
The Speaker and the Social Doctrine
[image: Paul Ryan - 400] TRIGGER WARNING: This column will speak well of Paul Ryan, the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, and compare him favorably to two liberal icons. Over forty years of teaching and writing about Catholic social doctrine, I've gotten to... Continue reading *“The Speaker and the Social Doctrine”* at *firstthings.com*.
The Most Evangelical Founding Father?
[image: Elias Boudinot - 400] In spite of some Christian revisionist attempts to cast them all as evangelical believers, the Founding Fathers' faiths ran the gamut from traditional Christianity to outright skepticism. I wrote my biography of Patrick Henry because I was interested in how... Continue reading *“The Most Evangelical Founding Father?”* at *patheos.com*.
ILLEGAL PETE’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT: CHANGE NAME OR SHUT IT DOWN
Please sign, share and post. https://www.change.org/p/pete-turner-owner-of-illegal-pete-s-illegal-pete-s-mexican-restaurant-change-name-or-shut-it-down?recruiter=2095191&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg&fb_ref=Default
Haddaway - What Is Love
Proper blogging shall resume tomorrow. However, I keep hearing persistent rumours that Eurodance (90s-stylee) is threatening a revival/comeback. That would indeed be a tragedy sure to scar this decade's musical landscape. But let's stop and reflect for a moment, there were some proper tunes amid the dross. And here's perhaps the best remembered example. *It even made number 30* on my top 100 of the 90s. Enjoy!
Supplemental: Goldberg's Law travels to Bluegrass State!
*WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015Dueling tales about Bevin's wild ride:* The man with one watch always knows the time. The man with two watches is never quite sure! The famous old joke is called Goldberg's Law. It has now arrived in the Bluegrass State, thanks to yesterday's gubernatorial election. At issue is the nature of Governor-elect Matt Bevin's ride. In this morning's editions, the New York Times and the Washington Post offer dueling descriptions. In the Post, Aaron Blake told the story like this: BLAKE (11/4/15): *Bevin traveled the state in a gold Cadillac Escalade* and ra... more »
Free Market Food Banks
[image: Feeding America Supporter - 400] Feeding America, the third largest non-profit in the United States, distributes billions of pounds of food every year. Most of the food comes from large firms like Kraft, ConAgra and Wal-mart that have a surplus of some item and scarce warehouse space. Feeding... Continue reading *“Free Market Food Banks”* at *marginalrevolution.com*.
Britain: Evidence Suggests Russian Metrojet Downed by Bomb
[image: Russian plane crash cmprs] LONDON (AP) -- Evidence suggests a Russian jet that crashed over Egypt’s Sinai desert may have been brought down by a bomb, the British government said Wednesday, suspending flights to and from the Sinai Peninsula as a precaution. Prime Minister... more »
Report: Obama Administration Conducts More Closed-Door Meetings Than Ever Before
[image: Obama through Pantry Door - 400] A new report finds that in the past decade, federal agencies held the highest percentage of closed-door meetings in 2013 and 2014, undermining President Obama's commitment to running the "most transparent administration in history." The report, from the Congressional Research... Continue reading *“Report: Obama Administration Conducts More Closed-Door Meetings Than Ever Before”* at *dailycaller.com*.
"I Am A Citizen of the World And My Religion Is To Do Good"
*"I Am A Citizen of the World And My Religion Is To Do Good"* By Michael T. Bucci "I am a citizen of the world and my religion is to do good," said Thomas Paine, American revolutionary and pamphleteer. He didn't use a gun; he used a pen. Like today, a tangible paradigm shift occurred that shook the foundations of the old monarchial order to clear a path for 'the rights of man'. Those rights are under fire today in America, Great Britain and the EU. Market forces have appropriated democracy for itself. The Seven Deadly Sins have become beatitudes and virtues. God died in the 1960's,... more »
Student Stabs 4 at UC Merced Before Being Shot and Killed
[image: UC Merced Stabbing - 900] MERCED, Calif. (AP) -- A Northern California sheriff said Wednesday that a college student suspected of stabbing four people before he was shot and killed by police has been tentatively identified, but his name is not being released because authorities... more »
White House Summit on Nuclear Energy
Leslie Dewan has been invited to speak. I am wondering about other invitees among people I know. This is potentially very exciting, especially if MSR and LFTR advocates are going to show up.
The Corporate University: Payday Lenders Buy "Research" from Professors
*When you're the only one with money, everyone is for sale (source)* *by Gaius Publius* Though I haven't written much about this topic, the merger of corporations and universities, but it's been on my mind a lot. You see it in the way the CEO class and university presidents tend to think like each other, mimic each other's preferences, serve each other's interests — and sometimes be each other — as they move from one wealth-serving job to another. You see it in the way that MIT's current president, for example, uses the power of his position to protect the wealth of the fossil fuel... more »
Fruit Loops and Perilous Pitfalls
*Zen Gardner* - The journey to enlightenment is paved with a lot of stuff. The post Fruit Loops and Perilous Pitfalls appeared first on Waking Times.
Pentagon Silence On Afghan Doctors Without Borders Hospital Attack
*Nancy A. Youssef & Shane Harris, Daily Beast*: *Pentagon MIA on Afghan Doctors Without Borders Hospital Attack* So much for revealing details of its October airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders clinic—the U.S. military was silent as a deadline passed Tuesday amid calls for an independent probe. When the U.S. military fired on a hospital in Afghanistan last month, the Pentagon promised to reveal details about the disastrous airstrike within 30 days. That promise has not been kept. And according to Doctors Without Borders, the U.S. military has stonewalled attempts for an independ... more »
Can Tensions In The South China Sea Lead To War?
*Wyatt Olson, Military.com/Stars and Stripes:* *Could Tensions in South China Sea Lead to Armed Confrontation?* China will likely ramp up its efforts to expand and militarize disputed islands in the South China Sea -- an area critical to the global economy -- as a result of the U.S. Navy’s more assertive patrols in the region, China experts say. And while many analysts applaud the Navy’s more robust approach with so-called “freedom of navigation” operations, there’s little agreement about whether such patrols will lead to armed confrontation in the South China Sea, where more tha... more »
Why ‘Death to America’ Won’t Go Away
[image: Why ‘Death to America’ Won’t Go Away] What exactly does “Death to America” mean? In a statement posted to his English-language Twitter account on Tuesday, Iran’s supreme leader explained that his country’s controversial slogan (officially translated as “Down with U.S.”) was not aimed at the United States as a nation. Instead, Ayatollah... Continue reading *“Why ‘Death to America’ Won’t Go Away”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
Live Nov 4, 2015: Forum on Protecting Native American Sacred Sites
. Scheduled for Nov 4, 2015 1:30 Eastern Time Save Oak Flat: The Fight to Protect Sacred Apache LandPublic lands, like Oak Flat, are carved out of the ancestral homelands of Indian tribes, and the historical and spiritual connections of Native Americans to these lands have not been extinguished. The United States has legal and moral obligations to provide access to Native Americans
Madness On Stilts!
By Paul Homewood http://www.thegwpf.com/madness-on-stilts-uk-turns-to-diesel-to-meet-power-supply-crunch/ From the GWPF: Analysis of publicly available figures shows that companies have registered to build a total of about 1.5 gigawatts of diesel power under a government scheme to encourage back-up energy for the grid. The figures have been analysed by the Financial Times and […]
Hamas Demands Britain Apologise For The Balfour Declaration
Hamas has demanded that Britain apologize for the 1917 Balfour declaration which supported the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. A statement was released by Hamas on Monday to coincide with the 98th anniversary of the declaration. They say that the agreement between Arthur Balfour, the then British Foreign Secretary and influential Jewish community leader Baron Walter Rothschild, is now null and void. RT.com reports: The original declaration, which aimed to combine two apparently contradictory aims, read: “His Majesty’s government view with favor the establishment in... more »
These 5 Things Will Influence Your Health More Than Anything Else In Your Life
*Karen Foster *- Are we destined for disease due to our genetics and biology, regardless to our living habits? The post These 5 Things Will Influence Your Health More Than Anything Else In Your Life appeared first on Waking Times.
Rupert fucking Murdoch Buys Nat Geo.
Rupert fucking Murdoch, a man who, like the Kochs and Sheldon Adelson, inconsiderately refuses to die, recently bought *National Geographic*, a venerable institution that's been around since Jack the Ripper in 1888. Ironically, but not surprisingly, Murdoch had his knife man Greg "Death" Knell, CEO of the holding company that owned the magazine, send out the pink slips immediately. Among the first casualties were the editors and the rest of the award-winning staff that made the periodical worth acquiring in the first place. Surprise, surprise, corporate cunt Greg Knell's a... more »
University revokes PhD of first author on retracted STAP stem cell papers
Waseda University has revoked the doctorate degree of the first author on the now-retracted Nature papers about a technique to create stem cells. The technique — which claimed to provide a new way to nudge young cells from mice into pluripotency — was initially described in two 2014 Nature papers, both first-authored by Haruko Obokata. However, the […] The post University revokes PhD of first author on retracted STAP stem cell papers appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Ugh! Ewwwww! I Saw Ezra Levant Today. Ugh! Ewwww!
It was at Bathurst Street, near St. Clair. He was sitting at a table outside a coffee shop talking with some other guy. Bigger than I thought he'd be. Fatter too. He was emphasizing some point about something that was obviously important to him at the moment. In all honesty, I felt worse than the time I discovered that I'd been inadvertently talking to Christie Belchforth. Being in the presence of this vile racist, shameless liar, torture apologist, boorish creep, made me want to have a shower. I walked a couple of paces away though, and then turned back out of morbid curiosity. I... more »
Ancient Greek Fort of Acra Found in Jerusalem, Archaeologists Say
[image: Acra - 400] (CNN) -- Archaeologists believe they have found the remains of the ancient Greek fort of Acra, solving “one of Jerusalem’s greatest archaeological mysteries.” The stronghold ruins were unearthed from beneath a parking lot in Jerusalem, Israel’s Antiquities Authority said. Acra... Continue reading *“Ancient Greek Fort of Acra Found in Jerusalem, Archaeologists Say”* at *cnn.com*.
When Will America Jail Their Banksters Like Iceland is Doing?
*James hall* - Jesus drove the moneychangers from the Temple, and Iceland is imprisoning theirs. The post When Will America Jail Their Banksters Like Iceland is Doing? appeared first on Waking Times.
Putin Tops Forbes' Most Powerful People
*Forbes:* *The World's Most Powerful People 2015* Forget about the 1%. The 73 men and women who are featured on Forbes’ annual ranking of the World’s Most Powerful People are the 0.00000001% –the global elite whose actions move the planet. These heads of state, financiers, philanthropists and entrepreneurs truly run the world. To compile the list, we considered hundreds of candidates from various walks of life all around the globe, and measured their power along four dimensions. First, we asked whether the candidate has power over lots of people. Pope Francis, ranked #4 on our lis... more »
A State Of Emergency Is Declared In The Maldives
*The Guardian*:* Maldives declares state of emergency* President’s decree suspends all basic rights and gives sweeping powers to security forces ahead of opposition protest rally The president of the Maldives has declared a state of emergency, citing a threat to citizens’ safety and national security. Abdulla Yameen’s decree, which came into effect at midday local time (0700 GMT), suspends all basic rights and gives the security forces sweeping powers to arrest suspects before a major anti-government rally planned later this week. The main opposition Maldivian Democratic party (M... more »
"We Must Not Get Emotional"
The Asahi Shimbun reports on the Pugwash Conference held in Nagasaki on Nov 3: Fukushima in focus at Pugwash Conferences nuclear power debate, the Asahi Shimbun November 4, 2015, accessed November 4, 2015, http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201511040048 ...The Pugwash Conferences were started by scientists in Canada in 1957 to discuss ways to abolish nuclear weapons. Since the 2011 Fukushima accident, participants in the international event have also discussed the dangers of the nonmilitary use of nuclear energy.... ....But Ramamurti Rajaraman, an Indian p... more »
LIBERAL BIAS LOOKS LIKE THIS: The candidate "wasn't completely honest!"
*WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015Part 2—Ironically, so says Charles Blow:* Within two days of last Wednesday's debate, we liberals had received the talking points we would proceed to recite. According to our talking points, Candidate Carson had lied about his connection to a company named Mannatech. How did we *know* that Carson had lied? Because PolitiFact said! We had other points to recite. We knew the GOP was bellyaching about the moderators of the debate. Because we knew the GOP was wrong, we also found ourselves saying that CNBC's moderators had actually done a good job! Plainl... more »
Grid Issues Urgent Call For Extra Power
By Paul Homewood h/t Paul2 http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/nov/04/national-grid-issues-urgent-call-for-extra-power And it’s only November!! The Grauniad report: National Grid has issued an urgent request for energy companies to make more power available after multiple breakdowns at UK power stations. It has asked energy companies to supply an extra 500 megawatts (MW) between […]
The Republican Candidates Don't Deserve All The Fun Slamming The Media-- But Bernie Is Too Busy To Bother
Matt Taibbi's new *Rolling Stone* piece on the seriousness of Bernie Sanders starts with a good solid slam on the corporate media elites and know-it-alls. Having noted that "Big money already has a stranglehold on the process of government" said "Big money even owns most of the media companies that employ those pundits who are all telling us now to worry about how "realistic" Sanders isn't," Taibbi savages media elites who give the money elites entirely too much weight in the primary process. "The media response to the Sanders campaign," he wrote, "has been alternately predictable... more »
QUOTE OF THE CENTURY - applies to CANADA!
I Just copied this quote from Paul Craig Robert's excellent blog....because .... *IT APPLIES TO CANADIAN POLITICIANS TOO!!!* THIS IS WHY JUSTIN TRUDEAU *WILL (likly) NEVER ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING OF SUBSTANCE FOR A 'SOVEREIGN' CANADA* *Justin Trudeau Sworn in as* * Prime Minister of Canada Today* *QUOTE OF THE CENTURY* Dimitrios Konstantakopoulos Provides The Most Accurate Description Of European Politicians “Today’s European politicians . . . are* ‘test-tube politicians,’ *who haven’t emerged from a process of significant political battles with worthy political opponents, but *have ins... more »
West Virginia’s “Killing Waters” Of 1985
By Paul Homewood h/t Botanyjrg Tonight marks the 30th anniversary of what was arguably the worst flooding to hit West Virginia in the last century or more. The West Virginia Encyclopedia has this account: Flood of 1985 During the last week of October 1985, weak winds over the United States, south […]
"Between Two Worlds..."
"Between two worlds life hovers like a star, twixt night and morn, upon the horizon's verge." - Lord Byron
China’s Latest Admission Could Derail UN Global Warming Talks
[image: China-900] China has a secret it doesn't want President Barack Obama or the United Nations to know: It burns way more coal for electricity than older official data suggests. But now the secret's out. The New York Times reports China was... more »
Global Warming Activists Don’t Like When Someone Follows the Money
[image: No Planet B Global Warming Activists - 900] Environmentalists like to claim skeptics are making money off hampering global warming regulations, but those same activists are making a lot of money promoting global warming alarmism. A recent video from The Guardian claims that there is little money or power to... more »
World News Briefs -- November 4, 2015
*CNN*: *Russian plane crash: New clues emerge from wreckage, victims' injuries* (CNN)New clues have emerged from the wreckage of Metrojet Flight 9268, prompting more speculation about whether there was a midair explosion and whether repair work from a previous accident may have factored into the plane's demise. The aircraft, headed from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg, Russia, crashed in the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday, killing all 224 people on board. The plane's tail was found about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the rest of the plane wreckage, the Russia... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- November 4, 2015
PEARL HARBOR (Aug. 31, 2011) Sailors and Marines render honors as the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) passes the USS Arizona Memorial while entering Pearl Harbor for a port visit. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kevin B. Gray/Released) — US Navy *Franz-Stefan Gady, The Diplomat:* *Closest Encounter Since 2006: Chinese Submarine Tailed US Aircraft Carrier* A Chinese sub stalked the USS Ronald Reagan in the Sea of Japan last month. Over at The Washington Free Beacon Bill Gertz has the scoop that a Chinese submarine shadowed a U.S. nuclear super... more »
Kabul Is Becoming More Dangerous
Helicopters ferried employees working with the United States and the international military coalition to and from offices in Kabul, Afghanistan, last month as a security blimp kept an eye on the city. Credit Lynsey Addario for The New York Times *New York Times*:* Life Pulls Back in Afghan Capital, as Danger Rises and Troops Recede* KABUL, Afghanistan — If there had been grumbling before about the deafening intrusion of low-flying American helicopters in the Afghan capital, the discontent has surely multiplied along with the number of flights: packs of them now, coming two, four, ... more »
SPHERE INNER-GRATION
*Sphere Inner-gration* by American Kabuki I thought I'd do an illustration using a composite of images from Google images that I reworked in photoshop. I find it sometimes helpful to use photoshop to visualize concepts. The above is the result of the merging of the spheres into the earth, which creates a 3D sort of flower of life. * The Flower of Life grows on The tree of Life, *which is GAIA. *Forget the Kabbalah tree of life, that's merely a truncated subway map (and not complete)! * The Flower of Life petals are made from spheres. This is not an ET invasion, its an energeti... more »
A huge burden has just been lifted from the shoulders of all decent Canadians ...
*Fuck off Stephen Harper, you undemocratic, arrogant, evil, deluded prick !!!*
Couple Seeks Right to Marry. The Hitch? They’re Legally Father and Son
[image: father and son couple - 400] CNN) -- The legalization of same-sex marriage has given way to a new problem for a Pennsylvania couple, who technically are father and son. Before states across the country began striking down bans on same-sex marriage and the Supreme Court... Continue reading *“Couple Seeks Right to Marry. The Hitch? They’re Legally Father and Son”* at *cnn.com*.
Abhay Ashtekar and uniqueness of string theory
*Related to GR: lots of folks I know including Nima, Brian, Robbert, Juan etc. organize a 100th birthday party of General Relativity at Princeton from today to Friday. Hat tip: Willie Soon* Originally, I didn't want to run a story on the interview with Ashtekar ‘Good Scientists Solve Problems, but Great Scientists Know What’s Worth Solving’ in India's "The Wire" but I changed my mind when another blog mentioned it. So let's talk about it, especially about Ashtekar's views on string theory. First, I must say that I've been sort of brought up to appreciate Ashtekar's name when I was ... more »
‘Cannabis Cafe’ Set To Open in Manchester
Cannabis campaigner Colin Davies will be opening Britain’s first ‘cannabis cafe’ in Manchester Colin has teamed up with a businessman in Holland to sell medical marijuana in the form of an oil containing CBD (cannabidiol) which is legal in the UK and said to help people with medical conditions like epilepsy. The oil does not contain the extract called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) which is the part of the plant that makes people ‘high’ in large doses. “It’s legal, it’s good stuff and it works,” Colin said promising that the oil he sells will not get people stoned. Yahoo reports: It con... more »
Anti-PM Abadi Forces Strike Back At Reforms In Iraq
In August 2015 Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Abadi responded to a new wave of public protests by announcing a series of reforms. That included cutting waste and getting rid of several government positions. He had the support of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, which gave added weight to the premier’s program. His opponents quickly began making moves against him largely behind the scenes. Now three months later the anti-Abadi factions have gone on the offensive reversing and limiting his actions. At the end of October into early November the anti-Abadi forces began a series of count... more »
Socialism Doesn’t Work: Why Cuban Cab Drivers Earn More than Doctors
[image: Cuban worker in store]
University finds “preponderance of evidence” of misconduct by child psychiatrist
An investigation at the University of Illinois at Chicago has found “a preponderance of evidence” that a psychiatrist who has received millions of dollars in federal funding has committed misconduct. One paper co-authored by Mani Pavuluri, the director of the Pediatric Mood Disorders Program, has been officially retracted so far, from the Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience. UIC has […] The post University finds “preponderance of evidence” of misconduct by child psychiatrist appeared first on Retraction Watch.
The Nuclear Deal Has Not 'Opened' Iran
*New York Times:** Backlash Against U.S. in Iran Seems to Gather Force After Nuclear Deal* TEHRAN — Anyone who hoped that Iran’s nuclear agreement with the United States and other powers portended a new era of openness with the West has been jolted with a series of increasingly rude awakenings over the past few weeks. On Tuesday, the eve of the 36th anniversary of the student takeover of the American Embassy in Tehran, state television announced the arrest of a Lebanese-American missing for weeks — after he had been invited here by the government. He has been accused of spying. ... more »
Weapons Pullback in Eastern Ukraine in Jeopardy
[image: UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CRISIS-MILITARY-WITHDRAWAL] MOSCOW (AP) -- Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed rebels in the east of the country are threatening to stop the ongoing weapons withdrawal if their positions continue to come under attack. Olexander Turchynov, chairman of the Ukrainian National Security and... more »
Kramer, Suzuki and fear of Fukushima
*My year ago post on Pope Francis and Nuclear power brought several anti-nuclear activists out to defend their ideoplogy aginst my arguments. I did not answer all of the comments at the time, but I decided to examine their arguments for validity. That is to look at the standard of truth and truthfulness my anti-nuclear critics set while making their case against me. Today I will look at the arguments Caroline Kramer used aginst me.*Caroline Kramer said... This is just plain evil and irresponsible. Nuclear reactors are not safe. Watch "The Atomic States of America." Get the fac... more »
Why Is Jeb Bush Still Running For The GOP Presidential Nomination?
*Politico:* *Jeb Bush plummets in latest national poll* *Trump and Carson continue to lead the GOP field.* Jeb Bush's support among Republicans nationally has plummeted to the low single digits in the latest Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday, as the former Florida governor's campaign seeks to hit refresh with its "Jeb Can Fix It" tour. Donald Trump and Ben Carson, meanwhile, continued to lead the field, with Carson outperforming Hillary Clinton in a hypothetical general-election matchup. In the latest poll, conducted after last week's third GOP debate in which Bush... more »
A New Cold War Under The Oceans?
Submarine cable map, 2013. *Admiral Jim Stavridis (Ret.), Huffington Post:* A New Cold War Deep Under The Sea? Virtually all of the world's information moves deep under the sea. Well over 95 percent of everything moving on the global Internet passes through 200 or so highly active cables, some as deep under water as Mount Everest is tall. On a normal day, that information is safe and sound, humming along the protected fiber optic strands upon which moves the information that is the backbone of the world's economy. But recent reports by a variety of sources indicate renewed interes... more »
What Are The Prospects For War With North Korea
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks with U.S. Army Col. James Minnich, Secretary of the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission, as he visits the Demilitarized Zone in the Republic of Korea, Nov. 1, 2015. Carter is visiting the Asia-Pacific region, where he will meet with leaders from more than a dozen nations to help advance the next phase of the U.S. military’s rebalance in the region by modernizing longtime alliances and building new partnerships. Photo by Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz *Gordon Chang, Cipher:* *Prospects for War* Twice last month, t... more »
‘Snooper’s Charter’: Internet Companies Ordered To Store Browser History
The Home Secretary announced Wednesday that the internet activity of everyone in Britain will have to be stored for a year by service providers, under new surveillance law plans Theresa May said the powers in the draft Investigatory Powers Bill were needed to fight crime and terror. RT reports: However, she also unveiled new plans that give judges the power to veto ministers’ decisions to carry out intrusive surveillance operations – a concession to critics of the so-called snooper’s charter. May told the House of Commons that the new measures are crucial for authorities trying to p... more »
Russia Prepares To Exhume Tsar Alexander III For DNA Testing
Russian investigators started examining the grave of Tsar Alexander III on Tuesday ahead of his exhumation in a probe looking to identify the remains of the last Tsar Nicholas II and his family. They hope that DNA samples will verify the identities of two body remains that are believed to belong to the ill-fated Nicholas II’s family. The Peter and Paul Cathedral in Saint Petersburg where Tsar Alexander III is buried was closed to visitors as the state commission examined the 121-year-old grave. The full exhumation is expected to take place later in November. Press TV reports: The la... more »
Koch Ca$h Not Enough to Save Privatizers
If you are a Nashville school board member with ideological or financial ties to the corporate reform school crowd, you should look out. A wave is building that is not for you to ride. from Valerie Strauss: It was a bad night for conservative school reformers in two Colorado elections being watched nationally in the education world — and public education advocates did well in key Philadelphia races as well. Voters in the Denver suburb of Jefferson County on Tuesday tossed out three conservative members in a recall vote that was marked by some $1 million in spending, including supp... more »
Second Russian Plane Crashes, This One in South Sudan
[image: A picture taken on November 4, 2015 shows part of a cargo plane that crashed into a farming community on an island on the White Nile river, close to Juba airport, in the Hai Gabat residential area, on November 4, 2015. At least 27 people were killed today when a plane crashed shortly after taking off from South Sudan's capital Juba, an AFP reporter said. AFP PHOTO / CHARLES LOMODONG (Photo credit should read CHARLES LOMODONG/AFP/Getty Images)] JUBA, South Sudan (AP) -- A cargo plane that was reportedly overloaded crashed along the banks of the Nile River after taking off from... more »
VW Recalls 92,000 Cars in U.S.; Power-Assisted Brakes Can Fail
[image: VW Beetle - 900] DETROIT (AP) -- Volkswagen is recalling nearly 92,000 cars in the U.S. to fix mechanical problems that can knock out the power-assisted brakes. The recall includes the Beetle, Golf, Jetta and Passat models from 2015 and 2016. The cars have...more »
Bush Tries Can-Do Message as Campaign Competes for Attention
[image: Jeb Bush Can Fix It compressed cropped] MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- Republican Jeb Bush is charging back into early-voting states with a can-do message aimed at winning over primary voters and reassuring anxious donors. The former Florida governor, who has struggled to stand out in televised debates... more »
Where I'll be this week
On Friday I will be speaking at this Economics Teaching Conference.
Hoax Busters: Afternoon Commute with Jose Barrera
Gallier had touched on the idea that the enlightenment was anything but enlightening and had more to do with the usual control/oppression elite agenda. gallier2November 3, 2015 at 6:08 AM Voltaire and the enlightenment mouvement was mainly to introduce (economic) liberalism in the french society. The rioting that utimately lead to the Revolution started in fact when the physiocrats (Turgot) managed to get Louis XVI to adopt liberalisation of the wheat market. Here some typical citations of Voltaire that the enlightened do not cite that often: *“Il est à propos que le peuple soit g... more »
Tortured by ISIS, Rescued before Execution: Freed Hostages Recount Ordeal
[image: Tortured by Islamic State__1446645401_173.71.16.53] ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) – The last thing that came to Saad Khalaf Ali’s mind as his Islamic State interrogators smothered him with a plastic bag was his two wives and children. Then everything went dark. He was jolted back to... Continue reading *“Tortured by ISIS, Rescued before Execution: Freed Hostages Recount Ordeal”* at *news.yahoo.com*.
The Republican Field Has a New Target: Marco Rubio
[image: Marco Rubio] Donald Trump and Ben Carson are still dominating the polls, but many in the crowded Republican presidential race are now launching attacks on the candidate who seems poised to be their next major threat: Marco Rubio. The freshman Florida senator... Continue reading *“The Republican Field Has a New Target: Marco Rubio”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
When You're Not Running A One Man Show
Some pundits on the Right -- like Andrew Coyne and John Ivison -- have suggested that Justin Trudeau's promise of a cabinet based on gender parity is a mistake. But there is more to doing a good job than just competence. Life experience, Tim Harper suggests, is critical. And Trudeau's caucus contains an abundance of both: As it is, the first Trudeau cabinet is likely to include a former general, an author and journalist, a city councillor who was a wrongly accused political prisoner in his native India, a doctor who spent years training physicians in underdeveloped Africa, an en... more »
Untitled
*House Committee Holds Hearing on Gulf Red Snapper Legislation ~Gulf Seafood Institute*
New Poll: Jeb Sinks to 4 Percent, Carson Beats Clinton by 10 in General
[image: Jeb Bush_400] The leading Republican presidential candidate in donor and establishment support is down to just four percent of the vote in a new national poll. Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, is in a far fifth place in the latest Quinnipiac... Continue reading *“New Poll: Jeb Sinks to 4 Percent, Carson Beats Clinton by 10 in General”* at *weeklystandard.com*.
Planned Parenthood, China and Reproductive Slavery
[image: Sanger collage] Media have been ablaze with hopeful reports that forced abortion and the "gendercide" of baby girls will now be ended in China. In fact, little has changed, except that instead of forcing Chinese families to have just one child, now... more »
Report: U.S. Aircraft Carriers Could Become Ineffective
[image: aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk__1446643332_173.71.16.53] Calling the U.S. aircraft carrier the “backbone” of America’s global military presence, the Navy’s top brass highlighted the risks of failing to maintain a big enough fleet during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee Tuesday. But a new report... Continue reading *“Report: U.S. Aircraft Carriers Could Become Ineffective”* at *cnn.com*.
Iranian Hard-Liners Celebrate Anniversary of Hostage Crisis at Anti-U.S. Rally
[image: Iranians burn a US flag outside the former US embassy in the Iranian capital Tehran on November 4, 2015, during a demonstration marking the anniversary of its storming by student protesters that triggered a hostage crisis in 1979. Thousands of Iranians took part in the demonstration, 36 years after the event that lasted for 444 days, during which "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" were among the slogans that were shouted. AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)] TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Thousands of Iranians burned the American flag a... more »
Is The Stalemate In The War Against The Islamic State About To Be Broken?
*Michael Knights, War On the Rocks:** Campaign Acceleration: How To Build On Progress And Avoid Stalemate Against ISIL* There seems to be a perception in the West that the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is stalemated on the main battlefields of Iraq and Syria. That’s probably true in northwestern and central Syria, where ISIL and the Russian- and Iranian-backed Assad regime are containing and eroding progress by rebel forces. By contrast, there has been a mixture of frustrations and solid achievements in Iraq and eastern Syria. ISIL still holds Mosul, ... more »
Duped
Let’s take a closer look at Feedback’s way of dealing with listener’s letters. Feedback’s raison d’etre is to give the listener a voice and Roger Bolton speaks on behalf of the listener, playing Devil’s advocate where necessary. Craig’s piece included this transcript of one of Roger Bolton’s questions during a remarkably gentle interview with Kevin Connolly: “I mean, for example, William Parry has been particularly critical of a *Today *interview that John Humphrys did with you. I think John's first question was, "Yet another attack on Israelis", talking about the knifing *(sic)* a... more »
Hottest November Day? No Warmer Than 1948 According To CET
By Paul Homewood https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2015/11/03/hottest-november-day-probably-not/ Talking of November record temperatures, it is worth taking a look at the Central England Temperature for a bit of perspective. The CET covers a representative slice of the middle of England, although it plainly does not necessarily reflect temperatures in all parts of the country. […]
Terror Groups Are Abandoning Facebook And Twitter For A New And More Secure Social Media Platform
*Washington Post*:* Islamist militants turn to less-governed social-media platform* The Islamic State and other terror groups are flocking to a Berlin-based social-media service that imposes few barriers on the distribution of violent content or recruiting propaganda, according to a new report. Thousands of followers have subscribed to Islamic State-related channels on the social-media platform called Telegram in recent weeks, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, a Washington-based organization that tracks online activities of terrorist groups. Founded by a high... more »
Doctor Who Christmas Tree
I have the greatest best friend in the whole world. You may think that you do, but ask yourself, "has my best friend made me a Doctor Who Christmas Tree?" I thought not. Every year, Lorene and I do the 12 days of Christmas for each other and each year it has become increasingly Doctor Who centered. A couple of years ago she created an AMAZING Doctor Who Christmas tree for me and has since give me ornaments for each of the 12 days of Christmas. Two years ago she created all an amazing Weeping Angel Tree Topper, Whovian tree skirt and the rest of the amazing ornaments you see here.... more »
Untitled
*Discipline needed with disruptive students* A recent, widely publicized incident in which a policeman was called to a school classroom to deal with a disruptive student has provoked all sorts of comments on whether the policeman used "excessive force." What has received far less attention, though it is a far larger question, with more sweeping implications, is the role of disruptive students in schools. Critics of charter schools have often pointed to those schools' ability to expel uncooperative and disruptive students, far more readily than regular public schools can, as a rea... more »
Houston LGBT Ordinance Fails by Wide Margin
[image: HoustonLGBTordinance] Houston's Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), designed to protect the rights of gay citizens and others, has failed by a wide margin -- after a hard-fought campaign in which opponents warned it would give male sexual predators access to women's bathrooms.... Continue reading *“Houston LGBT Ordinance Fails by Wide Margin”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
Republican Victories Leave Kentucky Democrats Reeling
[image: Kentucky Republican Gov.-elect Matt Bevin, right, and his wife Glenna react to the cheers of supporters during his introduction at the Republican Party victory celebration, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Louisville, Ky. Bevin has defeated Democrat Jack Conway to become only the second Republican governor in the state in four decades. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)] FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- Just two years ago, Kentucky Democrats boasted a deep bench of three young stars who aligned to prove the party could still win in the conservative South with a message focused on the economy and j... more »
China Sea Tensions Boil Over, Scuttle Joint Declaration
[image: 080629-G-9409H-602] KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Divisions within Asia over China’s claims in the disputed South China Sea spilled over Wednesday to a meeting of U.S. and Asian defense ministers, where China insisted the group make no public mention of the...more »
How Do Americans See Sacred Texts?
[image: Koran Quran__1441200524_70.119.142.63] Last week, we released a study on how people view sacred texts. Click here to see theLifeWay Research report. It also in the November 2015 issue of WORLD Magazine. Below are some of the most notable data points from the... Continue reading *“How Do Americans See Sacred Texts?”* at *christianitytoday.com*.
馬習團 Round Up
[image: DSC07400] *Somewhere on the East Coast, all is calm. But not anywhere else in Taiwan today.* Since this Ma-Xi circus stormed through late last night, I can't remember the last time I enjoyed my Twitter feed so much. For a politics junkie, Twitter is basically intravenous heroin. As everyone not living in a rift valley on Pluto knows, Tuesday night the news leaked that President Ma of the Republic of China on Taiwan and President Xi of the People's Republic of China are meeting on Saturday in Singapore. The outside media has been all over the "historic" meeting of the two le... more »
Untitled
*Old allies fall out: Warmists now at odds with NASA* *It has long been known that sea-ice around Antarctica has been increasing but to hear that a new study using more accurate measures found an increase in glacial ice as well has really upset the applecart* A number of experts are disputing the conclusion of a recent NASA study that says more ice is accumulating in Antarctica than is being lost due to climate change. They argue that the study contradicts more than a decade of other scientific measurements — including previous NASA studies. The NASA report issued last week, “Mas... more »
Senior ISIL And Al-Qaeda Commander Killed In Aleppo Battle
A senior ISIL commander is reported to have been killed by the Syrian army, with the help of Hezbollah and the Russian air force. Adnan al-Atawi known as Abu Salim al-Tabouki was killed in a battle in the Eastern countryside of Aleppo province on Tuesday. He was a ranking commander of Al-Qaeda who took part in terrorist operations worldwide, including in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. In recent years he became a senior ISIL commander in Syria. Fars News reports: In 2011, al-Atawi was arrested by the Saudi authorities for his al-Qaeda connections, and sent to the Al-Salouliyah Prison. H... more »
Hottest November Day?
PLEASE NOTE THIS POST IS DELETED DUE TO GRAPHING ERRORS!! WILL BE REINSTATED LATER
Parties to a Proceeding
In any court or regulatory tribunal there are a minimum of three participants. First, the party seeking an order. This the prosecutor in a criminal or regulatory matters or the plaintiff or applicant in a civil or family case. Second, the party seeking to avoid an order. This is the defendant or accused in a criminal or regulatory matter or the defendant or respondent in a civil or family matter. Finally the party who decides whether to make an order. This is the judge, justice of the peace or tribunal. Often the parties are made up of more than one person. So judge is sometim... more »
Economic News , Data & Views ( November 4 , 2015 ) - Europe in focus ( Tsipras And Schulz Meet And Discuss Refugee Crisis & Greece Economic Crisis - Nuggets From Joint Press Conference , Bitcoin In Focus - sharp price spike over past 30 days bring eyes to bitcoin , Glencore / VW in focus - VW emissions troubles spread to gasoline vehicles , EZ Sept PPI data - -0.3 vs -0.5 / Y over Y- -3.1 vs -3.3 , additional historical data to consider , Iceland Central Banks hikes rates , ECB & Fed in focus ) ..... Asia Update - China , South Korea , Commodities , IMF consideration of yuan joining SDR , Australia , additional items of note
Evening wrap..... *fred walton* @fredwalton216 8s 8 seconds ago Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis: Greek Banks' Non-Performing Loans Hit 43%; Only €14 Billion Recap http://po.st/neLkQj via @po_st *The Daily Star *@DailyStarLeb 4h 4 hours ago Solar storm knocks out flight control systems in Sweden http:// bit.ly/1Wwx2aP *fred walton* @fredwalton216 5h 5 hours agoPhiladelphia, PA fred walton Retweeted AlternativeEconomics Mish opines on EU refugee plans and offers his pov & potential solutions... fred walton added, *AlternativeEconomics* @AlternEconomics... more »
First Snow Fall of the Season: Nakoma Resort, by Frank Lloyd Wright
[image: image] Frank Lloyd Wright designed this golf resort in 1923—it was finally built in 2001! Here it is just a few days ago, getting its first snowfall of the season… *First Snow Fall of the Season* Enjoy the sights from just a little while ago up at the clubhouse and down by the all-new Lodge at Nakoma. [Posted by Nakoma Golf Resort on Monday, November 2, 2015] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
2 Degrees of Madness
Guest Post by Neil Catto With the run up to the Paris conference the media has been full of “we must avoid a 2 degree rise in temperature or we will all die“. What does 2 degrees mean? Is it per annum, per decade, or per century? Of course this is just […]
Germany’s Green Energy Transition Hits Low Income Families Hardest
By Paul Homewood http://www.thegwpf.com/germanys-green-energy-transition-hits-low-income-families-hardest/ By 2016 the green energy transition will cost households 540 euros p.a. on average. Business representatives estimate that its total cost will be 100 billion euros in ten years. The green energy transition is becoming ever more expensive for consumers. By the end of 2016 an […]
Mexico: Photo Shows UFOs Over Poza Rica
*Source: Hora Cero and Planeta UFODate: 11.03.2015* *Guillermo Giménez* shares the following image with us, allegedly showing a UFO over the community of Poza Rica, Veracruz (Mexico). "People clustered on sidewalks to witness the phenomenon, which involved several luminous lights which remained visible for several minutes, spinning over the city's downtown area," according to Mexico's Hora Cero website. (*All photos (c) Hora Cero*) [Note: Video footage has also emerged: https://youtu.be/YEqQk7gjCQo] Inexplicata Podcasts covering items from UFO / paranormal history in Spain, Latin... more »
God-Sized Prayers
[image: Prayer in Belarus] DIANE SINGER -- “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14) Cold War Memories In... more »
Europe shocked by Swedish prime minister's arrogance
Sweden's social democratic prime minister opened his working-class mouth in the Financial Times yesterday Stefan Löfven rebukes eastern Europe over refugee crisis and it wasn't pretty. Central and Eastern Europe's attitude to the migrant wave was "egotist" and "incompatible with humane European values", we heard. He insisted that other European countries were obliged to sink into the same mess that the irresponsible politicians have imposed on Sweden. *Bathing in a dress is a new habit that's been witnessed in Czechia, too, despite the fact that the rules of hygiene in some places... more »
Patricia was nowhere near the worst tropical storm
By Paul Homewood http://blogs.theprovince.com/2015/11/02/tom-harris-and-tim-ball-patricia-was-nowhere-near-the-worst-tropical-storm/ From the Province: We were told that Hurricane Patricia was the strongest event of its kind in history. A quick look at the record books reveals that this isn’t true. Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons are just different names for the same weather phenomenon — intense tropical cyclones, or […]
Coal Still King In Asia
By Paul Homewood http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/11/03/us-asia-energy-power-idUKKCN0SS0IF20151103 From Reuters: The shine is coming off once bright prospects for natural gas as the future fossil fuel of choice in Asia as power companies in India and Southeast Asia tap abundant and cheap domestic coal resources to generate electricity. Asian loyalty to coal is shrinking the […]
Jewish Student Izzy Lenga Takes Brave Stand Against Anti-Semitism After Vile Trolling On Twitter
No comment from me, just read the article. http://www.huffpost.com/uk/entry/8461808?utm_hp_ref=uk-universities-education&ir=UK+Universities+%26+Education
Military Photo of the Day: November 4, 2015
[image: Air Force Concert-900] The commander of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band thanks the audience during a marching band performance in the Republic of Georgia on Oct. 18, 2015. Thanks to Tech. Sgt. Ryan Crane for taking this uplifting photo!
U.S. Navy Informs Congress To Expect More 'Carrier Gaps' In Middle East And The Asia Pacific
The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, front, and the guided-missile cruisers USS Philippine Sea and USS Gettysburg participate in a group sail. All three ships are part of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group and are underway conducting training operations in the Atlantic Ocean. Navy Visual News Service.Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Bash *The Hill:* *Navy anticipates more carrier gaps in Middle East and Asia Pacific* There will be more gaps next year where the U.S. will not have an aircraft carrier in the U.S. military's areas of responsibility in the Middle Ea... more »
F-35 Fires It Gatling Gun For The First Time During Flight
*Defense News: **F-35 Fires Gun During Aerial Test for First Time* WASHINGTON — For the first time, a US Air Force F-35 fighter jet has successfully fired its internal gun from the air. The aerial gun test marks another milestone in the Pentagon's effort to certify the F-35A's internal 25mm Gatling gun. Lockheed Martin released a video Monday of F-35 test pilot Maj. Charles “Flak” Trickey firing the first aerial gun burst from the four-barrel weapon. The F-35A completed the test during an Oct. 30 flight at Edwards Air Force Base, California, the JPO announced in a joint statement ... more »
China Wants No Mention of South China Sea In ASEAN Defense Meeting Statement
*New York Times*: *China Wants No Mention of South Sea in Statement* BEIJING — China is insisting that any mention of the South China Sea be excluded from a communiqué scheduled to be signed on Wednesday in Malaysia at the end of a meeting that includes defense ministers of Southeast Asia, the United States and China, making it highly likely the gathering would end without the usual statement of agreement. The gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, was split along the lines of those countries that agreed with China, and those that strongly disagreed, inc... more »
Blood Lions
I find this particularly outrageous. I personally accept that animal husbandry including wildlife management includes the need to kill individual animals. In North America it is even becoming a pressing need as the real carnivores begin responding to the present almost complete lack of hunting pressure on traditional prey species which we also should be actively harvesting and managing. Yet this is beyond anything i ever imagined been undertaken. Catering to fools who simply wish to kill a faux dangerous animal for bragging rights is disgusting. Having those same fools set u... more »
Weird Encounter in Kellogg, Iowa - Giant Sloth
. This is a particularly good sighting and we again learn things. Once again we are seeing the giant Sloth. Because the observer lacks any preconceptions we get odd explanations. A pig like face matches what we know about the skull of the giant sloth and suggests something else. It is that the creature uses its snout like a pig to root around soil. It does eat insect larvae as sloths do. A little unexpected but it fits. The large claws are also in evidence and mistaken for the hoofs of cows which are also two toed. The Giant Sloth is two toed and this also explains the... more »
People with Parkinson’s Walk Again after Promising Drug Trial
[image: People with Parkinson's walk again after promising drug trial] This is very promising and the mere fact that physiological changes are also associated with the drug mitigates against any placebo effect at work. Better is the fact that all subjects saw improvement and serious improvement at that. Now we appear to be doing a blanket double blind program on all related types of problems as well as clear Parkinson's. This should teach us a lot. I am particularly happy to see the reversal of the protein accumulation taking place. Working around such problems is acceptable ... more »
Unknown Stalker
This appears to be a Sasquatch. The odor has been associated many times with the Sasquatch and this type of hut or shelter has also been associated as well. There have also been rare reports ( at least one )of human women been kidnapped as mates so hanging around this neighborhood may well be a bad idea. We already suspect that this primate happens to be a primate human hybrid anyway. This is the first report of stalking though that i have come across and we really do not know. Taking the salt is a good sign and a bushel of apples can be tried. Perhaps a bar of soap as w... more »
Graco 4Ever Car Seat Giveaway
I love Graco and this carseat looks absolutely amazing! Who wouldn't want a seat you could use for the entire time your child needs one? *Welcome to the Graco 4Ever Car Seat Giveaway, hosted by Thrifty Nifty Mommy & Viva Veltoro!* This four-in-one car seat gives you 10 years of use! It seamlessly transforms from rear-facing in a harness for your infant or toddler (4 - 40 lbs.), to a forward-facing harness car seat (20 - 65 lbs.), to a high-back, belt-positioning booster (30 - 100 lbs.), to a backless, belt-positioning booster (40 - 120 lbs.). It's the only seat around that can take... more »
Energy 47, Low capacity factor of wind, solar and biomass plants
For the lovers of "renewable energy only to save the planet", see this chart. Official data from the PH Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC), the one managing the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM). Solar would give us zero electricity from 7pm to 6am, zero electricity for our houses and offices, streets and highways, for 11 hours. The next 13 hours, solar would give us only 5% to 65% (never, never reaching 100%) of its rated capacity, average of 20%. So a 100 MW solar plant would give zero for 11 hours, and give between 5-65 MW during day time, average of only 20 MW. Wind woul... more »
ISIS Release Video Proving They Downed Russian Plane Over Sinai
A new ISIS video has been released which shows Russian-speaking ISIS members, who call themselves the “Sinai brothers”, admitting responsibility for taking down the Russian passenger jet. In the video, the five men claim they brought down the Russian A321 plane that killed all 224 people on board, and say that they are planning more attacks in the future. One of the Slavic-looking men in the video addresses President Vladimir Putin, warning the Russian President that he would regret targeting ISIS in Syria. Rt.com reports: With a knife in hand, he threatens to continue taking down p... more »
Hillary Terrorized Bill Clinton’s Rape Victims, Extraordinary Claims
Political strategist Roger Stone has claimed that presidential candidate Hillary Clinton “terrorized women” who claimed they were raped by her husband, former president Bill Clinton. The extraordinary claims were broadcast during an interview with Larry King, where Stone told King that “The narrative of Hillary Clinton’s campaign, that she has been an advocate for women and girls, is just bogus. She is, in fact, an abuser of women and girls.” He went onto claim that “Bill is a sexual predator, very much like Bill Cosby. I tracked 27 women that he has either assaulted or raped.” Vide... more »
NASA To Make Another ‘Huge Announcement’ About Mars – LIVE STREAM
NASA are going to make another “huge announcement” on Thursday 5th November, 2015, about “key science findings” regarding the atmosphere on Mars. The data comes from the MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) spacecraft, which is currently in orbit around Mars. The announcement will be broadcast at 2 p.m. EST (7 p.m. GMT) on Thursday at the James Webb Auditorium at NASA HQ in Washington, D.C. The event will be streamed live on NASA TV, which you can watch on the video player below (please bookmark this page). Iflscience.com reports: Taking part in the news conference are Mic... more »
US, Russia Hold Joint Military Drills Over Syria
US and Russian air forces held a joint military drill over Syria on Tuesday in order to practise air safety measures for their aircraft. The Russian defence ministry said in a statement, “There was a joint exercise with air crews and ground troops from the Russian and US air forces“. Presstv.com reports: He noted that during the exercises Russian and US-led coalition planes practiced close encounters in a specifically designated zone within a minimum distance of three aeronautical miles of each other. “The exercises took place at 11:00 Moscow time (08:00 GMT) [on Tuesday],” he said... more »
First evidence Of ‘Ghost Particles’ Discovered
Evidence has emerged of the long-theorized ‘ghost particles’ (neutrinos) by scientists with the MicroBooNE physics experiment who used a 40-foot long particle collider to detect them. Neutrinos are subatomic, almost weightless particles that carry no electric charge and don’t interact with light – thereby making them invisible. They only interact by way of gravity or nuclear decay. After light particles (photons), neutrinos are the most numerous particles in the entire universe, and believed to be the foundation of all matter. Rt.com reports: In early October, the Nobel Prize for Ph... more »
Bernie Sanders And Rand Paul Oppose Sending U.S. Troops To Syria-- But What If They Lose Their Primaries?
In 2008 I had followed Obama's Senate voting record closely enough to know he wasn't the candidate for me-- too corporate, too cautious, too compromised-- but I voted for him anyway. Obviously he was far and away better than McCain and... I admit I had a tiny bit that maybe there was some hope. (I mean, I knew there wasn't but, hey, *maybe*.) And the first African-American thing... that appealed in a big way.) By 2012 I had made a decision to never again vote for the lesser of two evils. NO WAY, Jose (or, in this case Barack... and Hillary). So I voted for Jill Stein, not because ... more »
Cruz and Rubio are Outflanking the GOP Field
[image: Republican Elephant Running] Politics is a breeding ground for martial metaphors, starting with the word “campaign” itself. Politicians “under fire” “take flak” as their consultants sit in “war rooms” and launch ad “blitzes” in “targeted districts” and “battleground states” to put their clients... more »
China's Economy Is Slowing Down
*Noah Smith, Bloomberg*:* China's Economy Is Worse Than You Think* The unreliability of Chinese official economic data has become almost a cliche. A few years before he became China's premier, Li Keqiang said that the country's numbers were "man-made" and "for reference only." If the top economic policy maker of a country says that the numbers aren't reliable … well, you believe him. But how unreliable? The fudge factors might only be a few tenths of a percentage point. It's very hard to fake economic numbers in the same direction for a very long time -- eventually, it becomes obv... more »
"Over And Over..."
“It's not true that life is one damn thing after another; it's one damn thing over and over.” - Edna St. Vincent Millay
NASA: Is This A Game Changer For Space Travel?
NASA have made a major breakthrough in space propulsion this week as US scientist, Guido Fetta, has successfully built and tested the world’s first propellant-less microwave thruster. It works by bouncing microwaves around in a closed container, without the need for any propellant, thereby creating a thrust that most scientists, until now, have thought of as impossible. A working microwave thruster would cut the cost of satellites and space stations, drive deep-space missions, and take astronauts to Mars in weeks rather than months. Wired.co.uk reports: The Nasa team based at the J... more »
Taya Kyle Plans to Take on World Champion Shooter
[image: Taya Kyle] Taya Kyle has a mission. Armed with a TrackingPoint rifle, Kyle will dodge explosions and flying trucks in her own battlefield for approximately two hours in December -- all in an effort to raise money for families of first-responders and... Continue reading *“Taya Kyle Plans to Take on World Champion Shooter”* at *theblaze.com*.
Hamilton Cast Album Makes History Singing About History
[image: Hamilton] NEW YORK (AP) -- The cast album from the Broadway smash Hamilton has done something few such recordings have done in quite some time. How long? Since Richard Burton was King Arthur onstage -- the first time. Atlantic Records said last... more »
Lawmakers Agree on $5 Billion Cut to Defense Bill
[image: defense bill] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republicans and Democrats announced agreement Tuesday on a revised version of the massive defense policy bill to align it with the new budget agreement the president has signed into law. President Barack Obama had vetoed the $612 billion... more »
Taiwan, Chinese Presidents to Meet for First Time Since ’49
[image: Chinese President Xi Jinping_900] BEIJING (AP) -- The presidents of China and Taiwan will meet this weekend for the first time since civil war divided their lands 66 years ago, their governments said Wednesday, a highly symbolic move that reflects quickly improving relations between... more »
fasination
He is fastinated She is fasinated the nation is in pain because they need the love not the fasination cause you cant build a bridge with interest it takes principle to lay the bricks and the cable that can hold the biggest heart in suspesnion until the last spike gives the gift of life and the traffic flows and all the crashes just go down so slow in a rapid rapid of turmoil that is joy the turbulance of being alive the joy of life
Ohio Votes Down Legalizing Marijuana
[image: Marijuana cigarette-900] COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio voters rejected a ballot proposal Tuesday that would have legalized both recreational and medical marijuana in a single vote -- a vote-getting strategy that was being watched as a test case for the nation. Failure... more »
No One Knows How Much The Next U.S. Stealth Bomber Will Cost
Illustration of next generation long-range strike airplane. Courtesy of Northrop Grumman *Lawrence Korb, Reuters*: *How much will new U.S. stealth bomber really cost? Nobody knows* The Defense Department on Oct. 27 selected Northrop Grumman to build a new U.S. strategic bomber fleet. Between 80 and 100 planes are expected to be produced over the next decade. But three important questions must be answered before Congress approves significant funds for the program. First, what will the bombers actually cost? The Air Force claims it can build 100 for no more than $564 million each. B... more »
UN Climate Chief ‘Delighted’ About VW Scandal
[image: volkswagen] The United Nations' top climate bureaucrat is "delighted" that Volkswagen was caught cheating on emissions tests, because she believes it will accelerate the world's shift to electric vehicles. "I am actually delighted about Volkswagen," Christiana Figueres, the U.N.'s climate chief told... more »
tired of my fat ass
I am tired of sitting on my ass its not that fat but its still killing me slowly like an accelerator of the the Bob Dylan song that states those that are not busy being Born are busy Dying are busy dinning so many people today so busy doing it reminds me of the game of thrones only in the real world its not the winter the rulers fear for the cold can be fatal long before heat cuts you down and as Hitler and Napoleon learned the hard way and one was a stupid dunce not to know the trek to Russian is a motherfucker trying to catch hold of his mother in six feet of snow Today that is history p... more »
Updates On Armageddon: Saudis Blow Up Russians In Plane Over Sinai, Turkey's Voters Embrace ISIS Presidency, Washington Continues With Its Ill-Conceived Regime Change Policies
*The only Syrian at the table at the Syria talks in Vienna was the waiter. His presence represents the total failure of the conference. The representatives of ISIS head choppers were invited to the meeting but not the representatives of the Assad regime or the PYD? How stupid is that? The clever idiots who organized this conference obviously don't want a conclusion to the war anytime soon.* *An excerpt from, ``Russian Source: Saudi Intelligence Responsible for Airline Bomb`` by Gordon Duff, Veterans Today, November 3, 2015:* A source with Russian intelligence just confirmed that th... more »
Debt Ceiling Lifted, and the Same Day, Debt Jumps $339B
[image: dollar] The U.S. national debt jumped $339 billion on Monday, the same day President Obama signed into law legislation suspending the debt ceiling. That legislation allowed the government to borrow as much as it wants above the $18.1 trillion debt ceiling... Continue reading *“Debt Ceiling Lifted, and the Same Day, Debt Jumps $339B”* at *washingtonexaminer.com*.
Let the #AERA16 humble games begin!!
This is mainly to my academic friends out there. Around this time, faculty and graduate students are notified as to whether or not their super-awesome proposals to the American Educational Research Association (AERA) have been accepted. Posts to social media regarding the status of these proposals come in three distinct varieties: “Aw shucks, only four […]
Why Was Russian President Putin AWOL For Two Days After Saturday's Metrojet Plane Crash In The Sinai
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with transport Minister Maxim Sokolov in Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow, Russia, November 2, 2015. REUTERS/Alexei Druzhinin/RIA Novosti/Kremlin *Anna Nemtsova, Daily Beast*: *Putin Was Missing in Action After Plane Crash* It took days for the Russia’s president to acknowledge the worst aviation accident in the country’s history, and people aren’t afraid to criticize him for it. All day on Sunday, the day after a Kogalymavia plane crash killed 224 people, the biggest loss in the history of Russian commercial aviation, Russians were wo... more »
Defending the Obama Administration’s Foreign Policy Pt. 1
Well, I was supposed to be debating Colin Dueck on the Obama administration’s foreign policy tomorrow, but the residue of last week’s weather took much of the Austin airport out of commission, leaving his flight to be canceled. So, I’m going to be posting my prepared remarks in a series of posts as well as […]
The Destruction of Alderaan Was Not Justified
This is a guest post by Luke M. Perez, a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin where he studies religion, ethics, and foreign policy. Luke is also a graduate fellow at the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas. He can be reached at lukemperez@gmail.com. __________________ The Empire apologists are […]
Pew Study Notes the Key Difference Between Christianity and Other World Religions
[image: Religious Landscape Study] Among the plethora of fascinating findings to emerge in the second installment of the Pew Research Center's 2014 Religious Landscape Study were key and notable differences among various religious groups when it came to perceptions about the nature of God. A close look... Continue reading *“Pew Study Notes the Key Difference Between Christianity and Other World Religions”* at *theblaze.com*.
Geriatric Democrats Should Fear Marco Rubio and the Republican Youth Wing
[image: Marco Rubio__1436787031_70.119.142.63] Just when you thought the Republican Party was destined to take a turn toward the ugly, two boyishly handsome young stars have emerged. On Wednesday night, Marco Rubio, the 44-year-old senator from Florida, was (by almost all accounts) the winner... Continue reading *“Geriatric Democrats Should Fear Marco Rubio and the Republican Youth Wing”* at *telegraph.co.uk*.
Pentagon Still Unsure On How Best To Respond To Russia In Eastern Europe
U.S. military vehicles parading near Russia's border in Narva, Estonia on Feb. 24. (Estonian Defense Forces) *Mark perry, Politico*: *Inside the Pentagon’s Fight Over Russia* *How the victors of one of America’s most celebrated battles are facing off on the future of the Army.* For those villagers eagerly snapping pictures on the side of a road in the Czech Republic in late September, the appearance of the line of U.S. “Stryker” armored fighting vehicles must have seemed more like a parade than a large-scale military operation. The movement of some 500-plus soldiers of the 2nd Cav... more »
Fiction Can Be Fun-- Guest Post From Oren Jacobson
In watching the GOP debate I couldn’t help but wonder if the party exists in some sort of alternate reality? They claim to be the party of fiscal responsibility even though they increase spending more than Democrats. They hammer Obama over the debt. Yet, they worship at the altar of St. Reagan, a man who pushed the federal debt as a percentage higher than any other modern administration. Are we living in parallel universes? How else you can explain these claims? *Trump thinks his tax plan can leave us with a balanced budget.* No, Donald, it can’t. Don’t take my word for it, though... more »
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