12:03 am MST
Top U.S. Marine And Army Generals Say Women Should Register For The Draft
Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Robert Neller testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the implementation of the decision to open all ground combat units to women, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 2, 2016. Seated from left are General Neller, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, Under Secretary of the Army Patrick Murphy, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters *New York Times*:* 2 Generals Say Women Should Register for Draft* WASHINGTON — Two senior military leaders said Tuesday that women should be required to register for the draft now t... more »
Tweet For Today
#NEWSGRAPHIC Updated factfile on the #Zika outbreak @AFP pic.twitter.com/krql535uF2 — AFP news agency (@AFP) February 3, 2016
Paper on Parade: Political Economy of Cross-Strait Relations: is Beijing’s patronage policy on Taiwanese business sustainable?
[image: Namaxia_1] *With the advent of the brutal cold, my daughter has implemented an organic lap warming system. * Bloomberg ran a story this week on Taiwanese businessmen who had been speculating in Yuan derivatives and got burned when the Chinese economy slumped. So many years of articles explaining that derivatives are a bad idea, and people are still buying them. But the loss was like a metaphor for dealing with China: initial gains, followed by steep costs... Time again for this blog's regularly irregular feature, Paper on Parade. A friend flipped me this article on Taiwanese... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 2, 2016
*Mollie Hemingway, The Federalist*: *13 Quick Takeaways From The 2016 Iowa Caucuses* The Iowa caucuses finally took place last night, after months of Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns criss-crossing the state. Polls were volatile heading into caucus night. *Read more* .... *Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 2, 2016* Little Chance an Arab Coalition Can Defeat ISIS -- Frederic C. Hof, Newsweek Will Turkey risk a military confrontation with Russia? -- Semih Idiz, Al-Monitor Intelligence panel's top Democrat: Afghanistan shows 'limits of state-buildi... more »
Hamas Shows Off Their 'New Tank'
Proudly paraded at a Hamas funeral service, on first glance this 'tank' looked every bit the fearsome war machine. But a closer look revealed what looked like tyres between the mysteriously immobile tank treads *Daily Mail:* *A wheely bad effort! Hamas gets the internet treatment after unveiling its new 'tank'... that is really just a wooden car * * Hamas paraded 'captured, rebuilt Israeli tank' at funeral for seven members * But a closer look appeared to show tyres between the immobile tank treads * Israeli Prime Minister spokesman tweeted: 'FYI, tanks aren't made of wood' * The 'ta... more »
False Flag Islamophobia Conference: Live Stream from Paris on Dec. 12th
*"ANOTHER French False Flag?: Bloody Tracks from Paris to San Bernardino" by Dr. Kevin J. Barrett (2016).* *An excerpt from, "There Is No Freedom Without Truth" by Paul Craig Roberts, February 2, 2016: * *Conspiracies are real. There are many more of them than people are aware. Many government conspiracies are heavily documented by governments themselves with the official records demonstrating the conspiracies openly available to the public.* Just google, for example, Operation Gladio or the Northwoods Project. These conspiracies alone are sufficient to chastise those uninformed W... more »
Picture Of The Day
Air Force pilots taxi in F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft on the flightline at Souda Bay, Greece, Jan. 28, 2016. The pilots, assigned to the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, are conducting a flying training deployment. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano
Giving Drone Pilots The Recognition That They Deserve
Image: Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Air Force *Charles G. Kels, National Interest:* *Drone Warriors Deserve More Than a Consolation Prize* *Fighting at a distance is still fighting.* Ever since David felled Goliath with a slingshot, militaries have sought to deal death from a distance. Whereas David’s ingenuity earned him accolades and glory, his successors in asymmetric warfare are often derided for their physical remove from the battlefield. On January 7, the Pentagon officially laid to rest a long-simmering controversy over how its drone and cyber warriors should be recognized for t... more »
1985 Diane Sawyer on the Henry Liu killing
This segment discusses the killing of a writer and critic of the Nationalist regime on Taiwan in California in 1984. The incident affected US relations with the KMT, and helped inspire the recent movie *Formosa Betrayed*. h/t to KL. _______________________ [Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums!
Elijah Cummings Will Not Be Running For Senate In Maryland
In the last couple of days Republicans Reid Ribble or Wisconsin and Stephen Fincher of Tennessee have announced they won't be running for reelection. No loss-- in either case-- although, the corrupt, incompetent, basically moribund DCCC has no candidates in either district. For more interesting was an announcement from a far more accomplished congressman, Elijah Cummings (D-MD), filed to run again which is a big deal because it was thought he might run for the U.S. Senate, which would have been scary for Donna Edwards. Two black progressives against a white establishment Big Mone... more »
Musical Interlude: Chuck Wild, Liquid Mind, “Dream Ten”
Chuck Wild, Liquid Mind, “Dream Ten” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ7eSn_9uT0
"Life Is Hard?"
"Life is hard? True- but let's love it anyhow, though it breaks every bone in our bodies." - Edward Abbey "When I hear somebody sigh, "Life is hard," I am always tempted to ask, "Compared to what?" - Sydney Harris
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Almost every object in the above photograph is a galaxy. The Coma Cluster of Galaxies pictured above is one of the densest clusters known - it contains thousands of galaxies. Each of these galaxies houses billions of stars - just as our own Milky Way Galaxy does. Although nearby when compared to most other clusters, light from the Coma Cluster still takes hundreds of millions of years to reach us. *Click image for larger size.* In fact, the Coma Cluster is so big it takes light millions of years just to go from one side to the other! Most galaxies in Coma and other clusters are ell... more »
Chet Raymo, “Morning Stars”
*“Morning Stars”* by Chet Raymo “For some years this William Blake watercolor hung in my living room, blown up photographically to enormous size (that was back in my darkroom days). An illustration from The Book of Job: "When the morning stars sang together..." The original watercolor is small, not a lot larger than what you will get if you click on the image here... *Click image for larger size.* That's Job and his family at the bottom, enclosed by the thickest clouds, representing the flesh. Under the Lord's left arm is the Moon goddess Diana, the heart or feeling, delicately hol... more »
"The Biggest Questions"
"*The Biggest Questions"* "When I consider the short duration of my life, swallowed up in the eternity before and after, the little space which I fill and even can see, engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces of which I am ignorant and which know me not, I am frightened and am astonished at being here rather than there; for there is no reason why here rather than there, why now rather than then. Who has put me here? By whose order and direction have this place and time been allotted to me? 'The remembrance of a guest that tarries but a day.'” - Blaise Pascal • "All day I thin... more »
A Look At 5 Unique Chinese Weapons
China's new ZTQ light tank in Tibet. (Sina Military Network) *Leo Timm, Epoch Times*: *5 Unique Chinese Weapons (and Why They’ve Built Them)* Chinese military hardware has a tendency to be dismissed as second-rate knockoffs of Soviet Cold War models and stolen Western tech, like the Soviet-built “Chinese” aircraft carrier, or the two Chinese fifth-generation jets under development that closely resemble the American F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters. But with a burgeoning expenditure and a mind to expanding its influence at home and abroad, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) h... more »
Russian Sub Activity Rises to Cold War Levels
Crew members onboard a Russian submarine during celebrations in July 26. Photograph: Yuri Maltsev/Reuters *Dave Majumdar, National Interest:* *NATO's Nightmare: Russian Sub Activity Rises to Cold War Levels* Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic has climbed back up to Cold War-era levels after a prolonged lull following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Moreover, modern Russian submarines are more capable than ever before—which is causing consternation within the NATO alliance. NATO submarines are seeing “more activity from Russian submarines than we've seen since the d... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Três De Maio, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Thanks for stopping by.
"Remember That..."
“Your country ain't your blood. Remember that.” - Santino “Sonny” Corleone
After Razor-thin Win, Once ‘Inevitable’ Clinton Makes Supporters Nervous
[image: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton greets potential voters at a campaign event, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, in Nashua, N.H. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)] MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (AP) -- Hillary Clinton emerged from Iowa with a razor-thin victory over Bernie Sanders -- and a new round of nervous second-guessing from supporters. Topping the list of concerns is Clinton’s staggering disadvantage with young voters, a... more »
"I Promise You This..."
"One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am - a reluctant enthusiast... a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate... more »
“There Is No Freedom Without Truth”
*“There Is No Freedom Without Truth”* by Paul Craig Roberts “This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquis... more »
After Iowa
[image: Rubio Carson Cruz - 900] Senator Ted Cruz’s upset victory against Donald Trump has robbed “The Donald” of his stock answer to any criticism from rivals -- that he is winning and his critics are losers. Now that he has lost, Mr. Trump may finally have... more »
Indiana Republicans Withdraw Gay Rights Bill, Agreeing on the “LBG” But Not on the “T”
[image: Front view of the Indiana Statehouse, the state capitol building of Indiana. The building, built in 1888, houses the Indiana General Assembly, the office of the Governor of Indiana, the Supreme Court of Indiana and other state officials.] Republicans in Indiana proposed and then today withdrew a gay rights bill, a bill AP described as “a measure designed to restore the state’s reputation following a national boycott over a religious objections law last year.” The bill would have... more »
Geneva III Talks Are Going As Horribly As Expected
These ridiculous peace talks in Geneva won't get anywhere because both sides don't want to make any compromises in the interests of peace. By the time all this ends there won't be a Syria left for them to fight over. Most of the refugees who have left Syria won't go back if there is a sectarian Turkish/Saudi-backed puppet government in Damascus. And those who remain will come to resent their new idiotic rulers who categorize anyone who is not of their sect or religion as an infidel. That shit flies in Saudi land, but nowhere else. Muslim Brotherhood militias and Islamist groups lik... more »
The Decline of Political Party Power
[image: I Voted, Voting, Voters, Sticker, Elections] The campaigns will be eager to tell you the meaning of Ted Cruz’s victory and the virtual tie between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in Iowa last night, but the larger significance of this election has been clear for months:... more »
Spain’s Socialist Leader Tapped to Try to Form Government
[image: Spanish King Felipe VI, left, shakes hands with Spain's Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez before a meeting at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. Spanish King Felipe VI is wrapping up a second round of talks with political party leaders aimed at finding one capable of getting sufficient parliamentary support to form a government following the recent election. No party won a majority in the 350-seat Parliament in the Dec. 20 election and so far none has found sufficient external support to try to form government.] MADRID (AP) -- Spain’s king on Tuesday ta... more »
Oregon Standoff Leader Strikes Defiant Tone From Behind Bars
[image: A sign is displayed with the picture of LaVoy Finicum as part of the demonstrations outside the Harney County Courthouse in Burns, Ore., Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. Hundreds gathered to protest and support the armed occupation of a national wildlife preserve.] PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The jailed leader of an armed group that took over an Oregon wildlife preserve struck a defiant tone Tuesday while again urging four holdouts to leave, saying local residents should control the federally owned property and... more »
Clinton's Wall Street Backers Hate Socialism And Say They'll Desert To Bloomberg If Hillary Loses. Real Democrats Won't
Yesterday's *Salon* post by Gary Legum, Bad news for the GOP: America isn’t scared of Bernie’s "socialism", emphasizes that the Republican Party has spent generations raving about the dangers of socialism but that it isn't working anymore." He talks about how the socialism smear Republicans used against Bill Clinton and against Obama had had the net effect of denuding the word "socialism," boy-who-cried-wolf-wise, "of the negative associations that scares the crap out of Fox News viewers. Polling over the last few years has shown Americans are much more receptive to some of what s... more »
I want to be sedated
I want to be sedatated because overall I see our collective wisdom just jumbing like lemmings over that thousd foot wall If common sense was a relgion we would have a choice but when everyone has a eagle on their shield its not going to be productive conflict Its abosoluty true by any accont the death of this world was when the accounts take their fees and the court overturns that decison the resposiblity of WHite men Now people of many colours do not be so holy you were just fuck up that never had the opportinity cause if you had the chance the global record proves you would have done e... more »
Oil Industry Cutting Jobs and Investment to Offset Lower Prices
[image: This April 29, 2014, file photo, shows an Exxon sign at a Exxon gas station in Carnegie, Pa. Exxon Mobil Corp. reported quarterly financial results on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016.] Oil companies are cutting investment, slashing jobs and selling off pipelines and other assets as crude prices plunge. “It’s going to be a very turbulent year for our industry,” says BP CEO Bob Dudley. The latest warnings came from Exxon Mobil,... more »
The Post-Iowa Fallout: Gamblers, Grumblers and Conspirators
[image: Democratic presidential candidate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks to supporters during her caucus night event in the Olmsted Center at Drake University on February 1, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. Clinton defeated Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to win the Iowa Democratic caucus.] It’s the day after the Iowa caucuses, and the fall-out has been quick and not-a-little crazy. Here’s a round-up of some of the more curious happenings: Donald Trump is officially a “loser” … if you believe what you find on... more »
If I had an Oyster I would sail her
I would go blue water and check into every port and enjoy all the Oyster parties because I would be the last one they wanted to sort If you look on line there are lots of Oysters for sale I saw one that looked pretty fine only 19 years old but the price tag seemed astronomical compared to a new Barvaria 47 with all the bells and whisles and push button navigation Then I looked at displacement and realized that weight on the ocean is not a bad thing it can save your life cause you do not get thrown off the top of a wave 50 ft to your death as anyone knows is the worst kind of sailing exp... more »
SPHERE ALLIANCE MESSAGE #130PURPORTED MESSAGES FROM CHINESE DRAGONS ALL IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS. ALL IS COLLAPSING LIKE A TOY BALL LOSING AIR. IT IS NOT LONG.
I don't really know how to categorize this post, so I put it under Sphere Alliance as Denice really is one of their conduits for delivering messages on Earth.* The purported messages from the Chinese Dragons, however, did not come from the Sphere Alliance or their Data Collectors, they came to Denice directly via ICOMMS. This is anomaly we did not see prior to January 29th.* We've not expericnced ICOMMS outside those we know closely and with some in the Sphere Alliance. And I was suprirsed to hear Denice say the Chinese were actually doing...rather than telepathy. But the ener... more »
Are Syrian Rebel Positions Crumbling Around Aleppo?
*The Telegraph*: *Syrian regime troops 'on verge of encircling Aleppo'* Opposition groups boycott meetings at Geneva talks in protest at Russian bombardment to support regime advances Syrian regime troops were last night poised to score a decisive blow against rebel forces by surrounding Aleppo and severing their supply lines. A wide-ranging regime offensive under the cover of intense Russian aerial bombardment left government soldiers within striking distance of Nubul and al-Zahraa, two regime-held towns north-east of the city. If they connect up with the regime troops and fighte... more »
Economic News , Data , & Views ( February 2 , 2016 ) US News For Tuesday (1. IOWA Caucus Surprises 2. Exxon Halts Stock Buybacks . 3. US Treasury Bonds On Fire . 4.WTI Crashes Below 30 USD Again. 5. ISM Collapses. 6. Odds & Ends ) Europe In Focus ( 1. Greece Items For The day - Economic , Political , Protests , Refugee Situation . 2. Spanish Political Updates - PSOE Gets Mandate From King To Try To Form Gov't. 3. EU- UK Negotiations Updates. 4. Around the European Horn - Finland , Austria , Germany , Italy , ECB , France , Denmark , Sweden , Portugal , Switzerland In Focus . ) MENA Updates ( 1. Syria Talks & Battlefield Updates 2. IS In Focus . 3. Libya Items Of Note. 4. Refugee Situation - Lebanon & Jordan )
Overview ...... *Charlie Bilello, CMT* @MktOutperform 8h 8 hours ago Developed economies, past yr Cut rates: Switz/Sweden/ECB/Denmark/Japan/Canada/Norway/Australia Hiked rates: US [image: Embedded image permalink] *Charlie Bilello, CMT* @MktOutperform 9h 9 hours ago Fed not expected to hike rates again until Dec '16. Expectations for first hike in... UK: Nov '17 Eurozone: Jul '19 [image: Embedded image permalink] US - Election Items , Economic Data ... *David Ignatius* @IgnatiusPost 12m 12 minutes ago Iowa revealed the three them... more »
Paul Craig Roberts claims Michael Hudson to be "the best economist in the world." I have always thought the two of them equal. Now I understand the difference to be that Roberts studied classical economics and put it to work back in the days of Ronald Reagan when the US government was still 'of the people, by the people, and for the people.' In contrast, Hudson did not plan to be an economist. However, having learned from a friend "the flow of funds through the economic system and explained how crises develop when debt outgrows the economy," He later "learned more economics from his work experience than from his Ph.D. courses," i.e., going to work on Wall Street and for several of the big banks, finding "...that Western economies have been financialized in a predatory way that sacrifices the public interest to the interests of the financial sector. That is why the economy no longer works for ordinary people. Finance is no longer productive. It has become a parasite on the economy."
------------------------------ *The West Is Traveling The Road To Economic Ruin — Paul Craig Roberts * ------------------------------ Febuary 1, 2016 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter The West Is Traveling The Road To Economic Ruin Paul Craig Roberts Michael Hudson is the best economist in the world. Indeed, I could almost say that he is the only economist in the world. Almost all of the rest are neoliberals, who are not economists but shills for financial interests. If you have not heard of Mic... more »
Microsoft To Automatically Install Windows 10 On Older Computers
For some time now Microsoft has recommended the option for a free upgrade to Windows 10, to Windows 7 and 8.1 users. Windows update will soon start automatically upgrading older machines to Windows 10 if the update is not turned off. Slash Gear reports: Not long ago, Microsoft started issuing notifications twice per day, telling users that they should upgrade their system. Apparently that’s not been effective enough, as the company has decided to go ahead and make Windows 10 a “recommended” upgrade, through Windows Update. This means that if you haven’t upgraded yet, you’re going to... more »
U.S. Air Strikes Obliterate The Islamic State's 'Voice of the Caliphate' Radio Broadcast In Afghanistan
Afghans listening to a radio broadcast run by IS militants in December *VICE News:* *The Islamic State's 'Voice of the Caliphate' Radio Broadcast Goes Silent After Airstrikes* The Voice of the Caliphate, the Islamic State group's radio show in Afghanistan, was cut off during its nightly live broadcast on Monday night after it was reportedly hit by US-led coalition airstrikes. The terror group expanded its operations into Afghanistan last year and by December had crowned its encroachment by broadcasting on the 90 FM frequency throughout the province of Nangarhar to attract fresh rec... more »
The Age of Working-Class Discontent
[image: Working Class, Working Man, Greasy Hands, Grease, Dirty] We live in the age of working-class discontent, which, if it wasn’t obvious before, has been made plain by the passions roiling 2016 presidential politics. The media’s preferred description of the average Republican voter has often been “the angry white... more »
Scientist Ruthlessly Debunks One of NOAA’s Central Climate Claims
[image: Dr. John Christy testified before the House science committee on February 2, 2016.] In face of intense criticism from alarmist scientists, Dr. John Christy went to great lengths in a Tuesday congressional hearing to detail why satellite-derived temperatures are much more reliable indicators of warming than surface thermometers. "That's where the real mass...more »
Ted Cruz Apologizes to Ben Carson
[image: Ben Carson] Windham, New Hampshire (CNN) -- The day after winning the Iowa caucuses, Ted Cruz issued an apology to Republican rival Ben Carson for falsely telling Iowa caucusgoers that the retired neurosurgeon planned to quit the race, calling it a “mistake.” Cruz said... Continue reading *“Ted Cruz Apologizes to Ben Carson”* at *cnn.com*.
Flint Water Crisis: Let Them Eat Cake
*An excerpt from, "300 Union Plumbers Spent The Weekend Installing Water Filters For Flint Residents For Free" by Judd Legum, Think Progress, February 1, 2016:* Due to the inaction of state and federal officials, thousands of people in Flint have been exposed to unsafe levels of lead in their water. Now a group of union plumbers are taking matters into their own hands. On Saturday, 300 plumbers from unions across the country descended on Flint to install new faucets and water filters for free. *Video Title: Flint Water Crisis: Let Them Eat Cake. Source: Americans LeDuff. Date Pub... more »
The Economy: “Shipping Said to Have Ceased… Is the Worldwide Economy Grinding to a Halt?”
*“Shipping Said to Have Ceased… * *Is the Worldwide Economy Grinding to a Halt?”* By Jeff Berwick “Last week, I received news from a contact who is friends with one of the biggest billionaire shipping families in the world. He told me they had no ships at sea right now, because operating them meant running at a loss. This weekend, reports are circulating saying much the same thing: The North Atlantic has little or no cargo ships traveling in its waters. Instead, they are anchored. Unmoving. Empty. You can see one such report here. According to it, “Commerce between Europe and Nor...more »
The Economy: "Sleepwalking in Iowa…"
*"Sleepwalking in Iowa…"* by Bill Bonner BALTIMORE – “Facts are better than dreams,” said Churchill. Maybe. But dreams are much more appealing. And far more dangerous. Dreams were much on display in Iowa last night. The caucuses opened at 7 p.m. Then voters were allowed the fantasy that they were actually making a difference. Trump supporters dreamed of making America great again… and basking in its reflected glory. Sanders supporters dreamed of making America fair again… and spending other people’s money. Clinton supporters dreamed of having their woman in the White House… Cruz su... more »
Google To Show Wrong Search Results To Combat Terrorism
A senior Google executive has announced that the search giant will start delivering the wrong search results to jihadi sympathizers as a counter-terrorism measure. The Daily Mail reports: As part of a pilot scheme, the search engine will show anti-radicalisation links when would-be jihadists type in words related to extremism. The announcement was made by Dr Anthony House, a senior Google executive, while giving evidence to MPs in the UK parliament. ‘We are working on counter-narratives around the world. This year one of the things we’re looking at is we are running two pilot progra... more »
North Korea Attacks South With Toilet Paper Balloons
North Korea has responded to South Korea’s loud propaganda music incursions across the Demilitarized Zone by sending balloons laden with propaganda messages and waste to the south. The balloons were loaded with used toilet paper, tissues, cigarette butts and propaganda leaflets. The Telegraph reports: The South Korean authorities were so concerned at the contents of balloons wafting over the heavily fortified Demilitarised Zone that they initially feared a biochemical attack, the JoongAng Daily reported. South Korea resumed launches of balloons carrying propaganda into the North in ... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 2, 2016
*Mollie Hemingway, The Federalist*: *13 Quick Takeaways From The 2016 Iowa Caucuses* The Iowa caucuses finally took place last night, after months of Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns criss-crossing the state. Polls were volatile heading into caucus night. *Read more* .... *Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 2, 2016* Little Chance an Arab Coalition Can Defeat ISIS -- Frederic C. Hof, Newsweek Will Turkey risk a military confrontation with Russia? -- Semih Idiz, Al-Monitor Intelligence panel's top Democrat: Afghanistan shows 'limits of state-buildi... more »
On Dave's EU Membership "Deal"
History remembers the last time a Tory prime minister went to Europe and came back waving a piece of paper, but the hungry beast to be appeased now is a coterie of backbench MP's, a hapless and hopeless crew blinded by stupidity and consumed by petty-minded hobby horses. Yes, it's the obligatory EU-renegotiation blog post, seeing as Dave has unveiled a draft deal looking to be the climax of his 2015-16 European tour. And, as absolutely nobody foresaw, the thin gruel he's come home with is getting talked up as an overgenerous banquet. So the headline grabbers are the minor changes f... more »
Rhinos
"WWF Director General de Haes was notorious among his staff for his reported statement that he "*couldn't give a continental f****" about the rhino. But if the WWF has not been saving endangered species, as it clearly has not, then on what has it been spending its hundreds of millions of dollars? A look at the WWF's "*Operation Stronghold*," and its sister, "*Operation Lock*," two more "*save the rhino*" gambits, gives the answer." http://www.larouchepub.com/eiw/public/1994/eirv21n43-19941028/eirv21n43-19941028_041-the_oligarchs_real_game_is_killi.pdf “Rhodes’ biographer, *Sara ... more »
Libya Is About To Get A Lot Worse If ISIL Has Its Way
*An excerpt from, "ISIL building ‘army of the poor’ in Libya by offering African recruits up to $1,400" by Colin Freeman, The Telegraph, February 2, 2016:* *ISIL is building an “army of the poor” in its new haven in Libya by recruiting footsoldiers from Africa’s poorest nations, intelligence chiefs have warned.* *The terror group’s Libyan chapter is swelling its ranks by offering cash bounties of up to $1,400 to people from impoverished neighbouring countries such as Chad, Mali and Sudan to join them. *In countries where many earn less than $2 a day, even a few hundred dollars is t... more »
Structural Power in Latin America
This is a guest post by Tasha Fairfield, Assistant Professor in the Department of International Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science, as part of the Duck of Minerva’s Symposium on Structural Power and the Study of Business. This post draws on ideas developed at greater length in Fairfield’s article found here. Links […]
Sexual Transmission Of Zika Virus Reported in US
The Zika virus is starting to sound more like the next Ebola or Aids…. A person in Texas has reportedly become infected with the virus after having sexual contact with an infected person This alert issued by the world health organization had already put Zika in the same category of international concern as Ebola and Brazil’s top health official said on Monday that the outbreak was proving to be worse than first believed because most cases show no symptoms. And today a case was confirmed in Dallas County, with the origin or transmission, according to the CDC, being traced this time ... more »
Architecture: Making ‘a home for man.’ Part 2: What is a man?
*If we’re going to make “a home for man,” as we talked about in Part One, we need to know why man needs a home. And to answer that there’s a more fundamental question we have to address first . . .* * * * * *Part 2: What is a Man?* Hamlet: *What is a man? * *If the chief good and market of his time * *Be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more. ~ *William Shakespeare LET’S BEGIN TO ANSWER our two questions – what is man, and what it means to make a home for him -- by looking at two very special spaces which will help us get a gr... more »
World News Briefs -- February 2, 2016 (Evening Edition)
*Reuters*: *Syrian army threatens to encircle Aleppo as talks falter* A Syrian military offensive backed by heavy Russian air strikes threatened to cut critical rebel supply lines into the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday, while the warring sides said peace talks had not started despite a U.N. statement they had. U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura announced the formal start on Monday of the first attempt in two years to negotiate an end to a war that has killed 250,000 people, caused a refugee crisis in the region and Europe and empowered Islamic State militants. But both opposition... more »
After Iowa, Christians Need to Do More to Work Together
[image: Church family men praying - 900] Everyone is analyzing what the Iowa caucuses mean for the GOP race. The evangelical turnout was huge, and many of the candidates -- some Protestant, some Catholic -- have reached out to Christian voters, and some of them have even... more »
Who's Paying For Patrick Murphy's Sleazy, Conservative Political Career?
One of Chuck Schumer's and Steve Israel's front groups for tricking low-info grassroots Democrats into contributing to their Wall Street candidates disguised as Democrats calls itself EndCitizensUnited, a scam that funnels money into its own pockets and to right-of-center Democrats like Patrick Murphy (New Dem-FL), Kyrsten Sinema (Blue Dog-AZ), John Delaney (New Dem-MD), Pete Aguilar (New Dem-CA), Cheri Bustos (Blue Dog-IL), Ami Bera (New Dem-CA), Monica Vernon (R-IA), Sean Patrick Maloney (New Dem-NY), Brad Schneider (New Dem-IL), Brad Ashbrook (Blue Dog-NE), Pete Gallego (Blue D... more »
Interview with Dulles Book Author
It’s been more than 50 years since Allen Dulles was removed by JFK as director of the CIA, but his legacy lives on. Between 1953 and 1961, under his watch, the CIA overthrew the governments of Iran and Guatemala, invaded Cuba, and was tied to the killing of Patrice Lumumba, Congo’s first democratically elected leader. Democracy Now speaks with David Talbot, author of "The Devil’s Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America’s Secret Government," about how Dulles’ time at the CIA helped shape the current national security state. Everyone should read this book.....
Impacts of Flint Lead Story
Erin Brockovich stops by to explain the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, which she has been investigating for over a year. She says that Flint is only the tip of the iceberg as communities across the nation have water infested with lead and other toxic chemicals. This would not be happening in a wealthy white community. Rise up and protect your children and grandchildren.
Why Are You Declaring Us Subhumans?
A passionate voice of an aid worker in eastern Ukraine who shares the human impacts of the US-Kiev war on the Russian speaking populations in the Donbass. What is this war against the civilian population of eastern Ukraine really about?
Open letter to Dan Woods regarding the Gülen Network's Magnolia Charter Schools
*"The Walton family, founder of Wal-mart, the worldwide retail giant, has donated millions of dollars to schools considered to be associated with the Gülen community." — Charter School Scandals* [image: Who has ties to the cultish Gülenist Movement? Fethullah Gülen, Ref Rodriguez, Caprice Young, Monica Garcia, Richard Vladovic, Reed Hastings, Yvonne Chan, and Carrie Walton Penner] From: *****@ucla.edu Subject: Open letter to Dan Woods regarding the Gülen Network's Magnolia Charter Schools Date: February 02, 2016 14:22:46 PST To: d.woods@mpglaw.com Mr. Woods: Just read your heavy... more »
Mid-Air Explosion Forces Pilot To Perform Emergency Landing
A mystery explosion on a Daallo Airlines flight ripped open a hole in the plane and forced the pilot to take emergency landing measures while thousands of feet in the air. Police are treating the blast as ‘suspicious’ and are questioning the passengers, leading to speculations that a bomb might have been responsible. A body was reportedly seen falling from the sky at the time of the explosion. The Mirror reports: Flight D3159, travelling from Somalia to Djibouti, caught fire just five minutes after taking off from Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu this morning. As flames ... more »
Is Cruz Playing Hardball or Throwing Spitballs? Carson Camp Complains of a Rumor Campaign
[image: SIMI VALLEY, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Republican presidential candidates (L-R) U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ben Carson and Donald Trump participate in the presidential debates at the Reagan Library on September 16, 2015 in Simi Valley, California.] Last week, the Cruz campaign took a hit when it was revealed that someone in the campaign approved a deceptive mailing campaign, designed to prod Iowa voters into caucusing by claiming that those who stayed home in past caucuses had... more »
DC Bill Would Pay People Stipends Not to Commit Crimes
[image: Washington D.C. councilmember Kenyan McDuffie.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- They say crime doesn’t pay, but that might not be entirely true in the District of Columbia as lawmakers look for ways to discourage people from becoming repeat offenders. The D.C. Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve... more »
Patient Bleeds To Death During Surgery Because Of Spelling Mistake
An inquest has heard how a patient bled to death during surgery at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, because of a “spelling mistake” Pensioner Irmgard Cooper, 85, bled to death on the operating table after blood which was intended for her was sent back due to the incorrect spelling of her name. The Independent reports: An inquest at North London Coroner’s Court heard her name had been spelt as “Irngard” instead of Irmgard. Ms Cooper – who is originally from Germany – had undergone an operation to repair a large bulge in the main artery to her heart when the mistake occurred. In add... more »
Science skepticism is growing–for one good reason
Science skepticism is growing, and for one very good reason: Science and the bureaucratic state do not mix. Scientists in recent years have been getting so devoted to sucking off the public tit that public trust of public science is rapidly and deservedly diminishing. *The usual narrative in the science-communication literature [suggests Mises Institute’s Peter Klein] is that public skepticism toward "science" is rooted in ignorance and fear, that it reflects scientists' failure to engage the public with lively and convincing stories. But what if scientists deliberately mislead t... more »
Feb:2 No Irving press
I won't discuss the Irving press for today. It's just propaganda, ignorance and trivia. The one exception is the column by student columnist, Jana Giles. She's critical of online courses. I quite agree with her. Learning how to teach, and improving teaching, can only be done by face to face classes with discussion and reaction on both sides. And not just teachers and students, but teachers and students and other students. Teaching into a camera and learning from a screen destroy that essential contact for both sides. ________________________________________________________________... more »
Where is Hillary on Common Core and Charter Schools?
A clip from Ed Week (my bolds): 4. *Hillary Clinton is pro-Common Core.* At her first official campaign stop in Iowa, Clinton praised Common Core and called parents who misunderstand the value of the controversial academics "unfortunate." She also inserted the idea that education is a "non-family" entity in the U.S., and an important one. For what it's worth, I agree with Clinton. I've seen too many parents argue against Common Core because it is different from what they did as kids -- but isn't that the point? The U.S. lags behind other developed countries, particularly when it com... more »
Comparing The U.S. Defense Budget With The Rest Of The World
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Business Insider*: *This graphic shows how the US defense budget dwarfs the rest of the world's* Even as the US continues to try draw down its military engagements and spending, the country's military spending remains nearly three times as large as the world's second-largest defense spender. The following graphic from Bank of America and Merrill Lynch's Transforming World Atlas note from August 2015 shows just how huge the US's defense budget is compared to the rest of the world. *Read more* .... more »
Conservatives React to Trump’s Iowa Loss; Loser.com Pops Up
[image: Donald Trump - 400] Months of hype and bloviation leading up to the Iowa caucuses ended with a massive disappointment for Donald Trump on Monday, as the erstwhile Republican front-runner suffered a humbling defeat at the hands of Ted Cruz. Twitter, naturally, had some... Continue reading *“Conservatives React to Trump’s Iowa Loss; Loser.com Pops Up”* at *salon.com*.
Character Counts: Browns Signal Troubled QB Johnny Manziel to be Released
[image: Manziel2 - 900] CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Browns are about to throw Johnny Football away. The team issued a strong statement Tuesday, condemning quarterback Johnny Manziel’s actions and pointing to his release in March, a move that has seemed inevitable for months. The... more »
Why Iowa Polls Were Wrong
[image: Trump - 400] WASHINGTON -- If Donald Trump was feeling cocky on the eve of Monday's Iowa caucus, he had good reason: 13 polls showed him winning that all-important presidential contest. They were all wrong -- as Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz trumped the... Continue reading *“Why Iowa Polls Were Wrong”* at *usatoday.com*.
Paul Craig Roberts on "ANOTHER French False Flag"
Now available on Amazon*Paul Craig Roberts just published a new essay, There Is No Freedom Without Truth.* *Below is the section about the new book ANOTHER French False Flag: * ...The neoconservatives, who controlled the George W. Bush regime, called for a “New Pearl Harbor” so that they could begin their wars of conquest in the Middle East. A “New Pearl Harbor” is what 9/11 gave them. Was this a coincidence or a Gulf of Tonkin or a Reichstag fire or a Tzarist secret police or Operation Gladio bomb? The charge, “conspiracy theory,” is used to prevent investigation. 9/11 was not inv... more »
News site The Intercept says reporter created fake quotes, sources
The Intercept is apologizing to readers after an investigation revealed one of its reporters fabricated multiple quotes and even created a fake email address for a source to deceive his editors. The online news site is retracting and correcting several articles by former staff writer Juan Thompson, who was employed there from November 2014 until last […] The post News site The Intercept says reporter created fake quotes, sources appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Mohawk Nation News 'Lazy Indian'
. http://mohawknationnews.com/blog/2016/02/02/lazy-indian/
Michael Wein - Manson Family Associate and Sirhan Clone
*Michael Wein [Wayne], Palestinian Jew.* *Michael Wein [Wayne], Palestinian Jew.* *Sirhan B. Sirhan, Palestinian, Not a Jew.* I believe this work is intentionally erroneous, for one specific reason I will come back to towards the end - it MAY be simply poor research, but the level of detail and the 180* directional skew leads me to suspect this may be deliberate Black Propaganda. But I'm getting ahead of myself; Source: http://www.digilibraries.com/html_ebooks/129618/tmp_df9545234bcbf7d68a85493433922817_ndFVjr.ch.fixed.fc.tidied.stylehacked.xfixed_split_006.html ... more »
Pentagon Unveils Budget Priorities For Next Year
*The Hill*: *Pentagon chief previews $582.7B defense budget* The Pentagon's planned 2017 budget will shifts its focus to future wars against near-peer competitors Russia and China, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Tuesday. He said the focus will contemplate fights in traditional domains of air, sea and land, as well as areas such as cyber-war and space. "This budget marks a major inflection point for the Department of Defense," Carter said at a speech at the Economic Club in Washington. "In this budget, we’re taking the long view. We have to, because even as we fight today’... more »
Russia Wants To Make A Deal With OPEC On Oil Production And Prices
*The Telegraph*: *Oil price crash: markets slump as Opec resists Russian calls for emergency meeting* Moscow's foreign minister says Russia is ready to talk as country's oil production reaches post-Cold War era high. Divisions between the world's major oil producers were laid bare on Tuesday as markets dismissed the prospect of an emergency Opec meeting to cut production levels. Forward contracts for Brent crude fell by as much as 4.5pc to $32.70 a barrel, despite comments from Russia's foreign minister that Moscow was ready to "cooperate" with its rivals to halt an 18-month pric... more »
Donald Trump is a total loser
Hoist by his own petard . . . [image: Capture] Meanwhile, “Donald Trump fans reacted to the news that their candidate was a total loser Monday by coming up with a nefarious plot to rob him of the presidency, summarized in the hashtag #MicrosoftRubioFraud.” Read about it if conspiratorial excuses for losing are your thing… Meanwhile, Ted Cruz won in a state that is awash with corn subsidies for biofuels—and he won *after *a video went viral of Cruz denouncing those subsidies to a local farmer, and turning him from angry antagonist to reluctant supporter. Whatever else you think o... more »
‘It was the Evangelicals': How the Evangelical Vote Shaped the Results in Iowa
[image: Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign event at the Grace Baptist Church, Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, in Marion, Iowa.] Donald Trump supporters -- at least those quoted by Byron York -- offered a simple reason for their guy’s defeat in Iowa: “It was the evangelicals,” said Dick Stoffer of West Des Moines. “They’ve done it before -- they did it four... more »
US Proposes More Pentagon Funding for Europe Aid, Equipment
[image: Ash Carter - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration said Tuesday it will propose quadrupling what it spends on its troops and training in Europe, as part of the U.S. military’s accelerating effort to deter Russia. President Barack Obama, in his final budget... more »
The Plan Is Coming Along Perfectly
*Under Gaddafi Libya was a paradise. Under NATO-ISIS it is a hell hole with no water, no electricity, no money, and no security.* *An excerpt from, "US-NATO Invade Libya to Fight Terrorists of Own Creation" by Tony Cartalucci, Land Destroyer Report, February 2, 2016:* *Up to 6,000 troops are being sent to invade and occupy Libya, seizing oilfields allegedly threatened by terrorists NATO armed and put into power in 2011. * . . One would suspect a 6,000-strong foreign military force being sent into Libya would be major headline news, with debates raging before the operation even wa... more »
Repost: TPP - Dismantling the negative railroad
[image: (Photo: Kim Choe/3 News)] *“Why the **TPPA* * is a better trade agreement than you think: In a word, Vietnam. … Vietnam will be the biggest gainer from TPP. Do you get that, progressives? Poorest country = biggest gainer. Isn’t that what we are looking for?”* - Tyler Cowen, “Why the TPP is a better trade agreement than you think” In evaluating the deal that places us smack bang into the world’s largest semi-free-trade zone (to be excluded from which would be, as former PM Helen Clark suggested, unthinkable), it’s worth just recalling why human beings trade at all: becaus... more »
Perigo: Twelve Aphorisms for Our Age—Variations on a Theme of Edmund Burke
*"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."* This adage above is usually attributed to Edmund Burke, though its origin is disputed. Whoever said it, it is especially apposite in our politically correct age when one is not permitted even to *call* anything "evil," much less take action against it. Muslims practise and propagate their barbarous superstition, academia and the media their pomo-Marxism, moronnials their aggressive airheadedness, etc., with an impunity lethal to civilisation, because too many of those who know better say nothing. With... more »
Russia Wants To Privatize Seven State Companies
*Photo*: The Afimall City shopping mall in central Moscow, Russia. Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg *BBC:** Russia lines up state assets for privatisation* Russia is lining up seven state companies, including airline Aeroflot, for potential privatisation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the list of companies to be privatised and the size of the stakes were yet to be finalised. But he said that foreign investors would be welcome to buy shares in the sale. The potential sell-off is expected to raise in the region of 500 to 800bn roubles($6.5bn; £4.5bn). *Read more* .... *Update:* Pu... more »
Generals Say Women Should Have to Register for Draft
[image: Milley - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The top Army and Marine Corps generals told senators Tuesday that it will take up to three years to fully integrate women into all combat jobs, adding that women also should have to register for the draft.... more »
Carolina Panthers Linebacker Shares How Faith Impacts His Outlook on Life
[image: Luke Kuechly] Middle linebacker Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers, the team going up against the Denver Broncos in the Feb. 7 Super Bowl, credits his parents and his Catholic faith for making a positive impact on his NFL career and his... Continue reading *“Carolina Panthers Linebacker Shares How Faith Impacts His Outlook on Life”* at *ncronline.org*.
French Schools Cite Terror Threat as Reason to Lift Smoking Ban
[image: smoking] PARIS (AP) -- French high schools say students should be allowed to smoke on school grounds so that they don’t become targets for extremists when they gather for cigarette breaks on the street outside. A leading union of school administrators... more »
Lída Baarová, Goebbels' only true love: film
We went to see the new Czech movie, "Lída Baarová" ("Devil's Mistress" in the U.K.), about the most famous Czech actress before the war (along with Adina Mandlová) and Joseph Goebbels' mistress. *At the end of the trailer, the old Baarová (not really her...) says: I have loved a criminal. But that isn't a crime by itself, is it?* It's a romantic film that also says quite something about one of the faces of the Czech nation, the face that was highly compatible with the German Nazism. Spoilers are all over the place. Ludmila Babková (which was her original name) was born in Pragu... more »
North Korea Declares That It Is Planning To Launch A Long-Range Rocket Later This Month
*New York Times:* *North Korea, Defying Warnings, Prepares Long-Range Rocket Launch* SEOUL, South Korea — In a new dare to the United States and its allies, North Korea has notified the United Nations agency responsible for navigation safety that it is planning to launch a long-range rocket this month to put a satellite into orbit. The agency, the International Maritime Organization, said Tuesday that it had received a notification from the North Korean authorities of a multistage rocket launch between the hours of 7 a.m. and noon local time, on an as-yet unspecified day between ... more »
10 Million Need Food Aid In Ethiopia
*ABC News (Australia):* *Ethiopian drought: 10m need food amid worst drought in 50 years, Save the Children says* I have never seen dust so thick. It cakes itself onto my boots and embeds itself within every fibre of my clothes. I can taste it in the air. This is eastern Ethiopia in the midst of the nation's worst drought in 50 years. So far more than 10 million people are in need of food aid, while 400,000 children are expected to suffer severe malnutrition this year. Everywhere people are desperate and in need of help. Some communities have not seen rain in more than two years... more »
Supplemental: State delegate equivalents of the world, unite!
*TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016You have nothing to lose but your fractional status:* In a chart in this morning's Washington Post, we see that Candidate Clinton beat Candidate Sanders by four SDEs last night—four state delegate equivalents. How many people have any idea was a "state delegate equivalent" is? In an apparent attempt to help, the Post haplessly added this: "The Iowa Democratic Party reports only State Delegate Equivalents (SDEs), not vote counts. SDEs predict the share of Iowa’s national delegates that will be pledged to each candidate." National delegates to what? Beyond... more »
New Paper Claims Wet Winter Of 2013/14 Due To AGW – Easily Debunked!
By Paul Homewood http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35444838 Severe storms in the south of England in 2013/14 were made more likely by human emissions of carbon dioxide. A new study says that climate change increased the chances of a once-in-a-century wet January in 2014 by 43%. Researchers were also able to estimate the climate impact on rainfall, […]
Telephone technician takes on telemarketers
[image: The Jolly Roger Telephone Company is a blog that chronicles the phone robot's time-wasting exploits.] Sick of being harassed by telemarketers, an American phone technician set upon them with a plan to waste their time instead of his. He invented a ‘robot’: “a simple test that would apply to every new number that called his house, sending auto-dialled calls to a recorded message to waste their time…” You won’t believe what happened next. [Hat tip Julian D.] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Another case of plagiarism in papers published only months apart
Remember when we recently found PLOS ONE had published two papers with “substantial overlap” from two different groups, that were edited around the same time? Well, we have discovered another similarly perplexing case of plagiarism in two studies published only months apart. But in this instance, we have a possible explanation for how two groups of […] The post Another case of plagiarism in papers published only months apart appeared first on Retraction Watch.
African Union: Situation In South Sudan Is Worsening
*New York Times*:* African Union Says Crisis in South Sudan Is Worsening* NAIROBI, Kenya — A new report written for the African Union and made public on Monday presented an especially grim picture of South Sudan’s civil war, blaming government forces and rebels for the declining humanitarian situation in the world’s newest country. The nine-page report, written by an evaluation commission for the African Union and dated Jan. 29, listed five violations of a cease-fire agreement, including an episode in October in which government forces were responsible for the deaths of 50 people ...more »
The Zika Virus Scam: A Great Summary Of The Real Facts Behind This Fraud
I have come under a bit of fire from some well known trolls concerning my articles here that show definitive proof that this Zika Virus "epidemic" is a fraud and a sham..... I have said that this scare mongering is to generate as much fear in the public as possible, so that when these criminals behind the fraud bring forward their "vaccine" against this virus...The criminals behind the scam hope that stupid and gullible people will blindly line up, roll up their sleeves, and allow them to inject their poisons into our bodies..... I have yet to find anything to prove otherwise.... I... more »
UK Government Survey Asks Kids to Choose One of 23 Genders
[image: Transgender, Gender Identity, Transsexual] A survey distributed by a British city to local students is raising eyebrows across the pond because it lets students choose from a whopping 23 different genders. The survey, distributed to all schoolchildren aged 13-18 in the English city of... more »
Iowa’s Three Great Storylines
[image: Cruz Rubio Trump - 900] Though I personally favor a rotating regional primary nomination method, the way Iowa just voted could not have gone better. There were three results in particular, on the GOP side, that have effectively redirected the Republican contest from the wayward... more »
Plagiarizers Privilege: The Death of Journalism
By Brenda Norrell Censored News This week many websites seized our content without permission. It only takes a minute to e-mail for permission to use our content. It only takes a minute to be courteous, and to do the right thing. It only takes that minute to abide by copyright law. With total disregard of the copyright notices on Censored News, many websites seized our content in blatant
J.P. Morgan Interests Buy 25 of America's Leading Newspapers and Inserts it's own Editors
*J.P. Morgan Interests Buy 25 of America's Leading Newspapers and Insert EditorsU.S. Congressional Record February 9, 1917, page 2947* *Congressman Calloway announced that theJ.P. Morgan interests bought 25 of America's leading newspapers, andinserted their own editors, in order to control the media.* *Mr. CALLAWAY*: … "In March, 1915, the J.P. Morgan interests, the steel, ship building and powder interests and their subsidiary organizations, got together 12 men high up in the newspaper world and employed them to select the most influential newspapers in the United States and su... more »
The Bulgarian Connection : The Markov and Maxwell Murders
"To me, the most chilling document is a secret decree agreed to in 1973 by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party. The decree endorsed “harsh agent-operational activities [read: assassination]” of Bulgarian activists abroad. Another document identified Markov as an “enemy” and detailed his radio career abroad. And if you closely examine the second list of enemy émigrés, you can read “22.V[5].79 killed in England” next to Markov’s name. (This was not the date of his death.)" https://nsarchive.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/document-friday-the-... more »
Synchronicity and the Mind of God: Unlocking the Mystery of Carl Jung’s “Meaningful Coincidence”
* Ray Grasse * - Synchronicity can be seen as affording us a passing sideways glance into the mind of God. The post Synchronicity and the Mind of God: Unlocking the Mystery of Carl Jung’s “Meaningful Coincidence” appeared first on Waking Times.
Despondent Trump Supporters Blame Conspiracy for Loss: #MicrosoftRubioFraud
[image: #MicrosoftRubioFraud] Donald Trump fans reacted to the news that their candidate was a total loser Monday by coming up with a nefarious plot to rob him of the presidency, summarized in the hashtag #MicrosoftRubioFraud. Continue reading *“Despondent Trump Supporters Blame Conspiracy for Loss: #MicrosoftRubioFraud”* at *mediaite.com*.
Iowa Caucus Results: 6 Things That Explain How It Happened
[image: Marco Rubio - 400] Donald Trump thought he could upend Iowa caucus traditions. The gamble didn’t pay off. Hillary Clinton hoped she could wipe away her campaign nightmares of eight years ago by posting a solid win over an insurgent Bernie Sanders. Instead, her... Continue reading *“Iowa Caucus Results: 6 Things That Explain How It Happened”* at *npr.org*.
Poll: 91% of Americans Aren’t Worried About Global Warming
[image: Global warming - 900] As Iowans prepare to vote for presidential candidates, a new poll has surfaced showing once again the vast majority of Americans don't rank global warming as the most serious issue facing the country. A YouGov poll of 18,000 people in...more »
TPP "Trade" Agreement to be Signed This Week in New Zealand
*by Gaius Publius* I had meant to mine the terrific *New York Review of Books* article, "The Clinton System," for the next few days since it's so rich in detail. For example (my emphasis): [D]irect payments to Hillary Clinton’s political campaigns, including for the Senate in 2000 and for the presidency in 2008 and now in 2016 ... had reached a total of *$712.4 million* as of September 30, 2015, the most recent figures compiled by Open Secrets. Four of the top five sources of these funds are major banks: *Citigroup* Inc, *Goldman Sachs*, *JPMorgan Chase* & Co, and *Morgan Stanley... more »
U.S. To Deploy More Troops And Equipment To Europe To Deter Russia From Further Aggression
Lithuanian soldiers inspected a United States Army Stryker vehicle last year during an exercise. Lithuania and its Baltic neighbors, Estonia and Latvia, are among the NATO countries that have been asking for a statement of American military support. Credit Bryan Denton for The New York Times *New York Times*:* U.S. Fortifying Europe’s East to Deter Putin* WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to substantially increase the deployment of heavy weapons, armored vehicles and other equipment to NATO countries in Central and Eastern Europe, a move that administration officials said was aime... more »
U.S. Envoy Sees For Himself The Destruction Of The Islamic State War In Syria
*Photo:* Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State. (Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters) *Washington Post*: *U.S. official recalls the devastation he saw on secret trip to Syria* ROME — Utter devastation greeted Brett McGurk when the presidential envoy slipped into Syria over the weekend and visited the border town of Kobane a year after Kurdish forces repelled Islamic State extremists. The remains of some of the estimated 6,000 Islamic State fighters killed in Kobane are still being pulled from rubble, McGurk said. He and Defense Department officials who acco... more »
How Many U.S. Troops Are Fighting The Islamic State?
*Nancy A. Youssef & Shane Harris, Daily Beast:* *Pentagon Won’t Say How Many Troops Are Fighting ISIS* Officially, there are now 3,650 U.S. troops fighting ISIS in Iraq. The real number of Americans involved in the war is closer to 6,000. In the war against the self-proclaimed Islamic State, there are two ways to count the number of U.S. boots on the ground. There’s the one that officials admit to. Then there’s the ground truth. Officially, there are now 3,650 U.S. troops in Iraq, there primarily to help train the Iraqi national army. But in reality, there are already about 4,450 ... more »
Israeli & US Arms Companies Win £500 Million UK Military Contract
US military contractor Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) and Israeli arms company Elbit Systems have won a £500-million contract to provide aircraft training for the UK military. RT reports: The Affinity venture, in which the two are partners, will provide fixed wing training for sections of the UK Armed Forces concerned with aviation. Affinity’s component is part of a larger deal led by Ascent Flight training and worth £1.1 billion. Ascent is itself a fifty-fifty venture between international arms firms Babcock and Lockheed Martin. The aim is to deliver flight training up to the year 20... more »
Untitled
*Sheriff Marlin Gusman ordered to offer rare testimony on staffing crisis at city’s jail ~Jim Mustian, N.O. Advocate *
Rubio Just Finished Third in Iowa. So Why Do the Bookies Suddenly Love His Chances?
[image: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida speaking at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland.] First things first: It's a big deal that Donald Trump lost to Ted Cruz in Iowa. Cruz outperformed the pollsters and delivered the first serious, if far from fatal, setback to the Trump campaign. But there is a second story simmering... more »
Planned Parenthood Clinic Injures 30th Woman in Botched Abortion, Hides Victim With Sheet
[image: abortion - 400] The Coalition for Life is reporting that for the thirtieth time since 2009, an ambulance has again transported a Planned Parenthood patient to a hospital in St. Louis. A fire truck and an emergency response team were the first to... Continue reading *“Planned Parenthood Clinic Injures 30th Woman in Botched Abortion, Hides Victim With Sheet”* at *lifenews.com*.
Palestinian Authority: Jews Have No Connection to Western Wall
[image: Western Wall - Jerusalem - 400] TEL AVIV - The Palestinian Authority slammed Israel's decision to expand the prayer section of the Western Wall to accommodate egalitarian services, with the claim that the "Jews have no connection to it whatsoever." The PA further claimed that the... Continue reading *“Palestinian Authority: Jews Have No Connection to Western Wall”* at *breitbart.com*.
“There was no effort to commit fraud,” says EMBO awardee under investigation
A recent recipient of an early career award now under investigation by granting agency EMBO told us today that last week’s retraction in Nature Genetics stemmed solely from an “embarrassing error,” and she hopes to republish the data in a new paper. Last week was rough for Sonia Melo: Nature Genetics retracted one of her papers, […] The post “There was no effort to commit fraud,” says EMBO awardee under investigation appeared first on Retraction Watch.
British Woman Given 6 Year Jail Sentence For Joining ISIS
The British woman who took her 18-month old son to Syria, has been sentenced to six years in prison for joining ISIS. After telling her family she was going on holiday to Turkey in October 2014, 26 year old Tareena Shakil traveled to the terrorist stronghold of Raqqa in Syria. Her father claims that his daughter’s conviction is a ‘fix up’ by officials RT reports: While in Syria, Shakil posted pictures of her toddler next to an AK-47, as well as wearing a balaclava emblazoned with IS imagery. When she first returned to the UK, Shakil told investigators she had been kidnapped by IS m... more »
Musical Quotes 1
"There are and there will be thousands of princes. There is only one Beethoven." *Ludwig Van Beethoven*
What's My Take On Yesterday's Democrat - Republican Iowa Caucasus
*Eric Bradner, CNN*: *5 takeaways from the Iowa caucuses* Des Moines, Iowa (CNN)Ted Cruz made Iowa a boom-or-bust state -- and with the pressure on, he performed, overcoming Donald Trump's criticism of his Canadian birth and his overall demeanor and pulling out a victory. Monday night's Iowa caucuses also produced a clear leader among establishment-type Republicans, with Marco Rubio surging into the GOP's top tier. But the Democratic race is clear as mud, with results still trickling in and Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders locked in a near tie. Here are five takeaways from the I... more »
THE YEAR OF THE LIBERAL: Spike Lee introduces one last theme!
*TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016Part 8—The year of liberal loathing:* Within the journalistic realm, the year just past is now being widely described as "The Year of the Liberal." Experts are citing 2015 as the year when it became clear—the liberal world has agreed to dumb itself way, way down. Also, as the year when the liberal world threw itself into full embrace of tribal narrative and script. In fairness, 2015 was also a year of tremendous *mainstream* breakdown. It was the year of Brian Williams' suspension, the culmination of decades of self-mythologizing by major NBC News TV star... more »
World News Briefs -- February 2, 2016
*VOA*: *Cruz Wins Iowa Republican Caucus; Democrats Clinton, Sanders Tie* DES MOINES, IOWA—Senator Ted Cruz defeated billionaire Donald Trump in Iowa’s Republican caucus Monday, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders ended the Democratic contest in a virtual tie. Cruz, a conservative lawmaker from Texas, finished with 28 percent of the vote. That is 3½ percentage points better than Trump, the national front-runner. Florida Senator Marco Rubio finished with 23 percent, making him easily the leader among establishment Republican candidate...more »
Argentina: UFOs Over Barreal?
*Source: PLANETA UFO and Diario de Cuyo (Argentina)Date: 02.02.2016* *Argentina: UFOs (or BLURFOs) Over Barreal?* A man took photographs along the Route 149 near San Martín street without seeing a single thing. He was startled, however, upon viewing the images. SAN JUAN - Hector Eduardo Sawiak is a resident of San Juan and a fan of extraterrestrial phenomena, as well as a member of ICOU (*Investigadores de Campo Unidos - United Field Researchers*), a federal network that extends throughout the country. A few days ago, while visiting Barreal, he stopped along Route 149 near San Ma... more »
Ultimate Southern Date Night
I grew up knowing my mama had been raised in the South, but I never thought much of it. She was a fantastic combination of Norwegian and Southern all rolled into one. Some time before I was born she was able to get rid of her drawl so I didn't hear her southern accent for the first time until we returned to the south and she got around her friends and family. The first time I heard her drawl, my eyes were truly opened to what it meant to be from the South and I found so many of the things that I loved about my mom came from where she grew up. It was that moment that I completely... more »
"The Idiot Culture"
"We are in the process of creating what deserves to be called the idiot culture. Not an idiot sub-culture, which every society has bubbling beneath the surface and which can provide harmless fun; but the culture itself. For the first time, the weird and the stupid and the coarse are becoming our cultural norm, even our cultural ideal." - Carl Bernstein, 1992 "Big Brother does not watch us, by his choice. We watch him, by ours. There is no need for wardens or gates or Ministries of Truth. When a population becomes distracted by trivia, when cultural life is redefined as a perpetual ... more »
Satire: “Cruz Victory Gives Hope To Despised People Everywhere”
*“Cruz Victory Gives Hope To Despised People Everywhere”* by Andy Borowitz DES MOINES (The Borowitz Report)— ”Senator Ted Cruz’s stunning victory in the Iowa caucuses is serving as a beacon of hope to despised people across the nation, a number of disliked Americans confirmed on Monday. In interviews from coast to coast, dozens of pariahs said that the Cruz triumph meant that “the sky’s the limit” for widely hated people like them. Tracy Klugian, a real-estate agent from Jupiter, Florida, said that the fact that she has systematically alienated her co-workers, by bad-mouthing them ...more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 2, 2016
Photo: Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz/DoD) *Defense News*: *Carter Unveils Budget Details; Pentagon Requests $582.7 Billion* WASHINGTON — President Obama’s fiscal year 2017 budget will request $582.7 billion in funding for the Pentagon, including $71.4 billion for research and development funding, $7.5 billion to fight the Islamic State group, $8.1 billion for submarines, and $1.8 billion on munitions, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced Tuesday morning. In a speech previewing next week’s budget release, Carter also highlighted new technologies his department is d... more »
Russia's Arctic Military Force Use Reindeer In Their Training
© Lev Fedoseev/TASS *TASS:* *Surprising military training of Russia's Arctic motor rifle brigade* Soldiers of the Arctic separate motorized rifle brigade of Russia's Northern Fleet tokk part in drills featuring reindeer and dog sledge Soldiers of the Arctic separate motorized rifle brigade of Russia's Northern Fleet held unusual military exercise - featuring reindeer and dog sledge. Training was held at a deer farm near the village of Lovozero 164 kilometers southeast of Murmansk. Servicemen used chums, traditional shelters of Siberian nomadic peoples. Surprising military training... more »
Health Benefits Of Prunes
*For more information, please click on the link below:* *http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-eating-prunes-4421.html*
Letter calls for retraction of yoga weight loss paper
A paper concluding that a specific series of yoga poses is effective at promoting weight loss in obese women has a call for retraction in a letter to the editor of the International Journal of Yoga. The study followed 87 women for 8 weeks as they completed a regular routine of yoga, circuit training, or walking on a treadmill. “Suryanamaskar: An equivalent approach towards management […] The post Letter calls for retraction of yoga weight loss paper appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Iran’s Ties With Al Qaeda In Iraq’s Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
The history of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi the founder of Al Qaeda in Iraq has largely been written. He grew up as a petty criminal in Jordan, travelled to Afghanistan twice after the war with the Soviets was over and set up his own camp with the help of Al Qaeda, was imprisoned in Jordan, and eventually went to Iraq to fight the Americans. The one part of his life that has not been written about much was his two stints in Iran in 2001 and 2003 and his ties with the government there. Zarqawi originally began running his supply lines through Iran to his camp in Afghanistan, and later rece... more »
Dr. Strangelove would be proud...
Look at the area of reactor unit 3, which I have cropped and enlarged in the second screenshot (taken from the first): Feb 2, 2016 23:08 The purplish discoloration visible above but not visible in the screenshot taken a moment later (below) is in the vicinity of unit 3, the unit at Daiichi that was running MOX (mixed oxide plutonium-uranium fuel) at the time of the disaster: Unit 3 produces a steady stream of discoloration and "sparks" that have been monitored by the webcam watchers since the cams went online. The public narrative about Fukushima Daiichi is strangely missing i... more »
Stunning ‘Rainbow Clouds’ Spotted In Sky Over Ireland & Scotland
Stunning ‘rainbow clouds’ have been spotted in the sky over Ireland and Scotland. These rainbow-coloured clouds, also known as mother-of-pearl or polar stratospheric clouds, are usually seen at higher latitudes such as Scandinavia and northern Canada, but can apparently be created by severe winds and storms. Storm Henry is said to be behind the creation of these multi coloured nacreous clouds which were were spotted by people in a number of places across Britain over the past few days Polar Stratospheric clouds over Dublin Ireland! A very rare sight! pic.twitter.com/XuNjFzU8K5 — Kil... more »
Hottest Year Evah Update – Unheard Of Snow In Vietnam & Saudi Arabia
By Paul Homewood I don’t usually get involved with this sort of stuff, every time it snows somewhere. But it does appear that there is some very unusual cold weather about at the moment around the world, as the Ice Age Now website reveals. First of all, there has been a lot […]
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*From* *Jenna Orkin* In Biggest Ever Chinese Corporate Takeover, ChemChina Set To Buy Swiss Syngenta For $43 Billion *10 Things They Won't Tell You About the Flint Water Tragedy. But I Will* *Why Are We Seeing an Explosion of New Viruses Like Zika?* *Think Crude's Cheap? Biodiesel's Going for Free in Some Places * *Puerto Rico Proposes 46% Reduction of Debt in Restructuring * *Testing Workers' Genes Could Make Office Wellness Programs Work * Quagga, Zebra cousin, recreated 100 years after extinction One million people in 21 states could lose food stamps BP Suffers Biggest Loss On Re... more »
How Black Slaves Were Routinely Sold as ‘Specimens’ to Ambitious White Doctors
*Stephen Kenny* - The history of human experimentation is as old as the practice of medicine and in the modern era has always targeted disadvantaged. The post How Black Slaves Were Routinely Sold as ‘Specimens’ to Ambitious White Doctors appeared first on Waking Times.
On To New Hampshire-- And Another Reason Hillary Should Drop Out And Endorse Bernie
A few years ago I read Elizabeth Warren's book, A Fighting Chance and I remember being very impressed with a story about how then First Lady Hillary Clinton had single-handedly turned around the Administration on a toxic brankuptcy bill and persuaded her husband to veto it at the very end of 2000. It actually made me feel good about Hillary. But, it turns out, I didn't actually have the full story. The banking industry bought everything; they even bought their own facts. The industry commissioned three different studies, each of which was touted as "independent." Each explained t... more »
Airstrikes Destroy Islamic State Radio Station in Afghanistan
[image: Senior Airman Winchell Austria, of the 451st Expeditionary Support Squadron’s Security Forces Flight, scans a sector with binoculars at Delta-1 Post on Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Jan. 20, 2016. The post provides flightline security and overwatch for convoys returning from missions outside the wire in conjunction with security positions held by additional NATO forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Robert Cloys)] KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. airstrikes have destroyed an Islamic State-operated radio station in a remote part of eastern Afghanistan, officials said Tuesd... more »
A Lot Of Spitballs
There is a difference, Gerry Caplan writes, between a mere Member of Parliament and a Great Parliamentarian. Great Parliamentarians respect the institution. Members of Parliament are like the kid who hides a straw in his desk and uses it to shoot spitballs at his classmates. In the last parliament, the two biggest spitballers were Pierre Poilievre and Paul Calandra, who made a mockery of the House of Commons and their jobs on a daily basis. The first never compromised an inch, however extensive the oppositon. The other invaraibaly failed to answer the question he was asked. Yes, t... more »
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*UK: Is this the ultimate in molly-coddling? Primary school send letter home with test results telling children scores don't matter and 'you must celebrate you' * *Not very good for their social development. Nobody likes an egotist* A primary school in Northern Ireland has sent a heart-warming message to its pupils on transfer exam results day telling them that scores do not matter and 'you must celebrate you'. The lovely letter, which was sent to students at the Harmony Hill Primary School in Lisburn, encourages them not to feel disappointed if they did not get the results the... more »
Biometric Banking Technology On Its Way To ATMs
Biometric banking is coming to ATMs, testing is already underway. The new ATM concept would allow people to unlock their bank accounts with an eye scan. However, the technology that will do away with the need for cards in favor of iris scanners is being developed by a company accused of election fraud Activist Post reports: The video below makes the same plea to embrace new technology that is always heard when discussing a solution to the very real threat of identity theft. However, it is worth noting that in this case the company which is developing the solution is Diebold. This is ... more »
Why The Heavy Security Presence At This Year's Super Bowl
*Henry Gass, CSM:* *Why Super Bowl 50 to be most highly-guarded sports event in US history* Despite a lack of credible threats to the game, recent terrorist attacks at a sports event in Paris and in nearby San Bernardino have security officials ramping up security operations. Super Bowl 50 is likely to be one of the most highly-guarded sporting events in US history, law enforcement officials say, as recent terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., have motivated federal agencies to take extra precautions while insisting that there is no credible or significant threat ... more »
Here’s How Anti-Ethanol Cruz Beat Trump In Corn Country
[image: U.S. Senator Ted Cruz speaking with supporters at a campaign rally at Noah's Event Center in West Des Moines, Iowa on January 27, 2016.] Republican Sen. Ted Cruz managed to snag Iowa's heaviest corn-producing counties despite his opposition to federal mandates and subsidies for ethanol. Does this mean King Corn's days are numbered in the Hawkeye State? Cruz snatched victory from challenger business mogul... more »
FBI Seeks Missing Agent in Iran Using Facebook Page in Farsi
[image: In this March 6, 2012, file photo, an FBI poster showing a composite image of former FBI agent Robert Levinson, right, of how he would look like after then-five years in captivity, and an image, left, taken from the video, released by his kidnappers in Washington during a news conference. The FBI has launched a Facebook page in Farsi to solicit tips on the whereabouts of Levinson who went missing in Iran nine years ago. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The FBI has launched a Facebook page in Farsi to solicit tips on the whereabouts of Robert Levinson, ... more »
No Shadow! Pennsylvania Groundhog ‘Predicts’ Early Spring
[image: Inner Circle President Bill Deeley shows Punxsutawney Phil to tourists a day before Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pa., on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. Members of the Inner Circle planned to reveal their forecast at sunrise Tuesday. A German legend says that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last an additional six weeks. If not, spring comes early. In reality, Phil’s “prediction” is decided ahead of time by the group. (Mark Pynes/PennLive.com via AP)] PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) -- The handlers of Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, say the fur... more »
A Look At What The U.S. Navy Will Be Buying In The Next 5 Years
The X-47B on the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) on Nov. 10, 2013. US Navy Photo Reuters: Exclusive: U.S. budget plan includes over $13 billion for new submarine - sources The Pentagon's next five-year budget proposal seeks over $13 billion in funding for a new submarine to carry nuclear ballistic missiles, plus orders for more Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp fighter jets, according to sources familiar with the plans. The plan also shifts the Navy's strategy for a new carrier-based unmanned drone to focus more on intelligence-gathering and refueling than combat str... more »
The Structural Power of Business as a Causal Hypothesis
This is a guest post by Kevin Young, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, as part of the Duck of Minerva’s Symposium on Structural Power and the Study of Business. This post draws on ideas developed at greater length in Young’s article found here. Links to other posts in the symposium […]
Fracking Wastewater Is Cancer-Causing, New Study Confirms
*Sayer Ji* - The carcinogenicity of fracking pollution may be far higher than previously realized. The post Fracking Wastewater Is Cancer-Causing, New Study Confirms appeared first on Waking Times.
Tory Peer Says £300 A Day House Of Lords Allowance Is ‘Inadequate’
The £300 daily allowance for attending the House of Lords is ‘inadequate’ according to millionaire peer, Lord Farmer The hedge-fund boss and Tory donor said people would consider the allowance ‘modest and even inadequate’ if they knew how hard peers worked. He also believes that the allowance should be increased because attending the House of Lords ‘restricts their earning opportunities elsewhere’. Metro reports: The 71-year-old peer, who is believed to have a personal wealth of £150million and to have donated £6.5million to the Conservatives, said he personally does not claim the a... more »
US-NATO Invade Libya to Fight Terrorists of Own Creation
Up to 6,000 troops are being sent to invade and occupy Libya, seizing oilfields allegedly threatened by terrorists NATO armed and put into power in 2011. *February 2, 2016* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - The London Telegraph, almost as a footnote, reports of a sizable Western military force being sent in on the ground to occupy Libya in an operation it claims is aimed at fighting the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS). In its article, "Islamic State battles to seize control of key Libyan oil depot," it reports: *Under the plan, up to 1,000 British troops would form part of a 6,000-strong... more »
Iowa Takeaways: Trump Can’t Meet Hype, Clinton Underwhelms
[image: Workers take the podium down after Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump spoke at his caucus night rally, Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)] DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Donald Trump failed to live up to his own hype and finished second to Ted Cruz, but it was a late surge from Marco Rubio that may wind up the as the biggest surprise of... more »
On the Ground in Iowa With the Cruz Camp
[image: Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign event at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016 in Iowa City, Iowa.] I have been on the ground in Iowa campaigning for Senator Ted Cruz as one of his supporters. On the night of his victory in the Iowa caucuses, I decided to circulate the room, asking prominent Cruz backers why they... more »
Hearing for Imprisoned Oregon Standoff Leader Bundy
[image: A makeshift roadside memorial for rancher LaVoy Finicum stands on a highway north of Burns, Oregon Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016. Finicum was killed Tuesday night in a confrontation with the FBI and Oregon State Police on a remote road. Four people occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge held their position Sunday. They have demanded that they be allowed to leave without being arrested. (AP Photo/Nick K. Geranios)] PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A federal judge is expected to consider whether the leader of an armed occupation of a national wildlife refuge should remain in jail, even a... more »
Fight Over Hostage’s Fate Split California Jail Escapees
[image: This image provided by the Orange County, Calif., Sheriff's Department on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016, shows three jail inmates charged with violent crimes who escaped from the Central Men's Jail in Santa Ana, Calif. The men from left are, 37-year-old Hossein Nayeri, charged with kidnapping and torture; 20-year-old Jonathan Tieu, who is charged with murder, and 43-year-old Bac Duong, charged with attempted murder. Sheriff's Lt. Jeff Hallock said Saturday that the inmates were last seen at 5 a.m. on Friday and could have escaped anytime between then and late Friday night. (Orange... more »
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*Ted Cruz upsets the Greenies* *I have a few comments on the article below at the foot of it* A few days after accusing “global warming alarmists” like California Governor Jerry Brown (D) of ridiculing and insulting “anyone who actually looks at the real data” around climate change, newly-declared presidential candidate Ted Cruz (R-TX) upped his rhetoric against those who care about the issue. Speaking to the Texas Tribune on Tuesday, Cruz said that contemporary “global warming alarmists are the equivalent of the flat-Earthers.” “You know it used to be it is accepted scientific wi... more »
New York Times Fails to Acknowledge Its Own Noteworthy Education News
Susan Ohanian A few days ago I received an e-mail alert from the the *New York Times* which highlighted the noteworthy education items published in their pages. Here is what was on the list: - Girlfriend, Mother, Professor? - Treasury Auctions Set for the Week of Jan. 25 - Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders Clash on Issues and Vie for Votes of Iowa Women - 'Downton Abbey' Season 6, Episode 4: The Engine Purrs - Convicted of Corruption, but Still Getting a Pension - Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders Battle for Party’s Future There was no mention of a s... more »
Cruz, Rubio Eye New Hampshire Momentum as Dems Gird for Long Fight
[image: Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, arrives for a caucus night rally with his wife Heidi, and daughter Caroline, 7, Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, in Des Moines, Iowa.] MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- A victorious Ted Cruz and buoyant Marco Rubio emerged from Iowa with compelling claims to the outsider and mainstream mantles in the fractured Republican primary, as the presidential race shifted overnight to New Hampshire. Democrats were... more »
5 Iowa Dem Delegates Awarded by Coin Tosses, All 5 Tosses Reportedly Came Up Hillary
[image: Iowa caucus worksheet] In a handful of Democratic caucus precincts Monday, a delegate was awarded with a coin toss. It happened in precinct 2-4 in Ames, where supporters of candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton disputed the results after 60 caucus participants apparently... Continue reading *“5 Iowa Dem Delegates Awarded by Coin Tosses, All 5 Tosses Reportedly Came Up Hillary”* at *desmoinesregister.com*.
Global survey: Britain among least concerned in the world about climate change
By Paul Homewood https://yougov.co.uk/news/2016/01/29/global-issues/ This is according to a survey from YouGov, who write: Out of 17 countries surveyed worldwide Britain is among the least concerned about climate change – but the most concerned about population growth A historic deal to place limits on the rise in global temperatures to […]
Climate Change: The Burden of Proof
By Paul Homewood http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/01/climate_change_the_burden_of_proof.html Reposted from American Thinker: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has to provide proof for significant human-caused climate change; yet their climate models have never been validated and are rapidly diverging from actual observations. The real threat to humanity comes not from any (trivial) greenhouse warming but […]
Five Czechs kidnapped by Lebanese government, freed
*Czech justice chose to befriend Lebanon, piss on the U.S.* In July 2015, five Czechs were kidnapped in Lebanon. With some help of Google Translate, I quickly decoded their identities. When a bug/typo is fixed, it was attorney Jan Švarc, translator Adam Homsi (the only exotic name among the five), regional (South Bohemian) TV makers/hosts Miroslav Dobeš and Pavel Kofroň, and military reporter Martin Psík whose name I first misindentified as Merlin Pešek etc. Mr Psík was arguably the main "ace" that was believed to be most valuable for the Czech government. From the first minutes,... more »
Zika Virus: The Pentagon Will Relocate At-Risk Family Members Of Active-Duty Personnel And Civilian Defense Department Employees
*Military Times:* *Zika virus: Pentagon will relocate at-risk family members* Pregnant family members of active-duty personnel and civilian Defense Department employees assigned to areas affected by the Zika virus will be offered voluntary relocation, a Defense Department official said Monday. Responding to a growing concern over the “explosive” outbreak of Zika virus in South and Central America as well as the Caribbean, U.S. Southern Command also is identifying ways to “support partner nations,” but has not yet received requests for help, DoD spokesman Marine Corps Maj. Adrian ... more »
Sanders v. Clinton TOO CLOSE TO CALL Although Clinton Called It (A Detailed Look at The New York Times’ Embarrassing, Deceitful and Illogical Endorsement of Hillary Clinton)
No Winner Will Be Declared as Sanders v. Clinton Vote Too Close to Call (.3 of a Point Victory Claim Coming Up As Clinton Thought It Wise to Claim Win Early?) (Bernie Sanders Got the Biggest Crowds) Cruz Narrowly Wins Over Trump and Rubio before Trump Bulldozes in Vermont? Bernie Sanders Drops A Bomb On Politics As Usual As He Celebrates An Iowa Win_ _ _ _ _ _ _ Be sure not to miss @
Retired Royal Australian Air Force Wing Commander Warns That The F-35 Will Not Be Able To Defend Australia
F-35 and F-22. Photo from Military Photos And Photoshops *War Is Boring:* *Australian Wing Commander: Sell Us New F-22s* Chris Mills wants America to export Raptors. Retired Royal Australian Air Force wing commander Chris Mills doesn’t like the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that Canberra is buying from the United States. Noting the new plane’s sluggishness and poor results in simulated air combat against the latest Russian fighters, Mills has called for Australia to lobby the United States for F-22 Raptors. It’s a problematic suggestion. The U.S. Congress banned export of the Rapt... more »
The Islamic State Now Has MANPADS In Their Arsenal
*Threat Matrix:* *Islamic State uses MANPADS to shoot down Iraqi helicopter near Baiji* The Islamic State has released photographs purporting to show its fighters downing an Iraqi helicopter near Baiji with a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS). The photos were disseminated on Twitter by Islamic State supporters after being posted elsewhere on the Internet. The terrorist organization has taken to releasing its propaganda via its supporters on Twitter as the majority of its official accounts are continuously being suspended by the social media site. The photos bear the title... more »
The Great Tyne Floods Of 1771 & 1815
By Paul Homewood https://books.google.ca/books?id=gjguAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false The history books are littered with examples of weather disasters, such as floods and storms. But unlike today, when there is wall to wall media coverage, few such events in the distant past have more than a passing reference. One exception,though, is the great floods that hit Northumberland […]
Let’s Practice “White Magic” in 2016
The most important protocol is described here and needs to be shared. Quite simply, if someone is in distress, sit with them and imagine putting a white light around them. In this case the doctor saw the whit light emerge and that is when he tackled the dangerous surgeries. Better yet he did it consistently with all his patients and was rewarded with a statistically impossible success rate. In some way he asked for assistance and got it. This is not the only case of applying the white light in my personal experience so i at least recognized it perfectly. However it is onl... more »
Are we Likely to see new Nation States Emerge this Century?
Possibly as we do have significant candidates that are obvious and have real support out there. They may even make sense and that certainly includes the Kurds as an example. What is truly needed is a great power sponsored system of boundary commissions and the application of nationhood to carefully defined urban centers. This allows ethnic enthusiasms to be coddled and even promoted while actually running no risk of annoying the neighbors. As i have posted earlier and it can apply in lots of places, it is easy to imagine three super modern city states in Gaza, perhaps East Je... more »
What in the heck were the Apalachicolas doing in the Appalachian Mountains?
[image: 1703-Apalachicola] *\\* The complexity of the peoples originally populating the South East is properly growing and also getting filled in. This is very good news and once again it is been led by independent scholars. As you may well imagine, the world is now filled with unemployed archaeologists, historians, linguists and the like who will pursue real knowledge however handily ignored by academic ignoramuses. Better, it is now clawing back the losses incurred and getting real surprising result. The South East anchored the northern end of a seaborne ... more »
Millions of Bees Turning up Dead Around GMO Corn Fields Soaked with Neonicotinoid Pesticides
We knew the cause of the problem almost ten years ago. Step by step, science is proving exactly that and piecing together the mechanisms involved. Worse, we knew enough ten years ago to suspend application of this product. It was never done except in France and a couple of other places. Bluntly this is a corporate crime that is causing massive damage to agriculture for the sake of a short period of higher productivity. Now they are maxing the system out in order to extend the window. Everyone involved have all retired and got out of dodge. The whole agro - chemical indu... more »
Military Photo of the Day: February 2, 2016
[image: Marine Sniper-900] A U.S. Marine prepares to move during the stalking phase of a recent pre-scout sniper course. Thanks to Cpl. Paul Martinez for capturing this image!
Pentagon To Increase Spending In Its War Against The Islamic State
U.S. coalition warplanes in Syrian airspace after conducting air strikes against ISIS militants. (File photo: Reuters) *Reuters*: *Exclusive: Pentagon to hike spending request to fund fight versus Islamic State* President Barack Obama's administration will seek a significant increase in funding for the fight against Islamic State as part of its 2017 defense budget request, U.S. officials say, in another possible sign of U.S. efforts to intensify the campaign. The fiscal year 2017 Pentagon budget will call for more than $7 billion for the fight against Islamic State, a roughly 35 p... more »
BBC News in turmoil
The BBC are in turmoil http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35468776. They have expended much effort in trying to destroy Donald Trump's campaign whilst minimising coverage of the other Republican candidates thus trying to ensure that whichever Republican won the Republican nomination could be portrayed as a political minnow when compared to the BBC's chosen candidate Hillary Clinton. Unfortunately,for the BBC, not only did Mark Rubio win the Republican nomination in Iowa but Hillary Clinton has at best managed just a tiny win over Bernie Sanders. The BBC have been to so muc... more »
Ex-ISIS Fighter Reveals Daesh Plans To Nuke 4 Major Cities
An ex-ISIS militant has come forward and said that the terrorist regime possess at least 4 nuclear weapons, located in 4 major cities around the world, ready to detonate. According to Sallah Abdeslam the ‘clash of civilisations’ is scheduled to begin in 2016. He says that in Germany alone there are 18,000 terrorist cells waiting to commit untold catastrophe in Europe. He also says that nuclear bombs will be launched in United States, Germany, France and Russia. His email was originally released by a German website, in which the former-ISIS member reveals the details of the planned n... more »
Tweet For Today
An @usairforce #F15 Eagle from @TheNationsFirst takes flight during day 1 of Exercise Red Flag 16-1 @NellisAFB pic.twitter.com/HS8NHopq6X — U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) February 2, 2016
Top U.S. General Fighting The Islamic State: More U.S. And Coalition Forces Will Be Necessary
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland greets U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and his wife, Stephanie, after they arrive in Baghdad, Dec. 16, 2015. DoD photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Clydell Kinchen *Washington Post*: *Top U.S. general in Iraq: ‘End of the beginning’ in Islamic State fight* Citing the retaking of Ramadi by Iraqi forces as a “turning point” in the campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq, the top U.S. general in charge of operations there said that the Pentagon has reached the “end of the beginning” in the campaign to drive the extremist group out of the country. “Th... more »
Picture Of The Day
Paratroopers test the capabilities of an MRZR4 LT all-terrain vehicle during familiarization training on Fort Bragg, N.C., Jan. 21, 2016. The paratroopers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division’s 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. Army photo by Sgt. Juan F. Jimenez
Entrance Polls: Democrats Deeply Divided by Age, Ideology; Republicans Concerned With Values
[image: Caucus-goers crowd through the entrance at Olin Hall at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. (Bryon Houlgrave/The Des Moines Register via AP) MAGS OUT, TV OUT, NO SALES, MANDATORY CREDIT] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic caucus-goers were deeply divided by age and ideology, with younger participants in the Iowa caucus supporting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and older voters turning out for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, entrance polling showed in... more »
UK Scientists Given Go-Ahead To Genetically Modify Human Embryos
UK scientists have been given the go-ahead to genetically modify human embryos by the fertility regulator. It is the first time Britain has been allowed to use DNA-altering techniques on embryos, and the research is scheduled to take place at the Francis Crick Institute in London. BBC News reports: It will be illegal for the scientists to implant the modified embryos into a woman. But the field is attracting controversy over concerns it is opening the door to designer – or GM – babies. DNA is the blueprint of life – the instructions for building the human body. Gene editing allows ... more »
Map Sparks Outrage After Retailer Prints ‘Palestine’ Instead Of Israel
An Australian stationary retailer has come under fire due to the labelling of Palestine on one of their world globes whilst omitting to label Israel. Stationary chain Typo erroneously left out Israel from its map, sparking a huge protest by Israeli groups accusing the retailer of being anti-semitic. Upon realising the error Typo halted production of the globes. Theguardian.com reports: The decision to halt production of the globes led to similar threats by Palestine advocates. Issues with the original design were first pointed out on 21 January by a flurry of customers on the store’... more »
Governors Mike Huckabee and Martin O’Malley Exit Presidential Race
[image: GOP 2016 Huckabee_perr__1454387016_173.71.16.53] Former governors Mike Huckabee (R) and Martin O’Malley (D) have suspended their campaigns in the 2016 presidential race. Both candidates announced their departure before the final results from the Iowa caucuses had come in. Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and Fox News... more »
Brazil: Zika Virus Worse Than We Realized – “There Are No Symptoms”
One of Brazil’s most senior health officials has admitted that the Zika virus outbreak is much worse than originally believed, due to the fact that most patients display no symptoms. Health Minister Marcelo Castro said that Brazil will begin mandatory reporting of all cases by local government next week when most laboratories will have more up-to-date testing facilities. Yahoo News reports: On Monday, the World Health Organization declared the Zika outbreak to be a global emergency, a decision that should help fast-track international action and research priorities. In Brazil, beli... more »
The United States of Trump
[image: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waves to supporters as he arrives at a campaign rally at Clinton Middle School, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, in Clinton, Iowa.] “You wonder how these things begin.” -- (The Fantasticks) In the beginning there was a combative media. Dating back to Colonial America, as Eric Burns has chronicled in his book, Infamous Scribblers, politicians and journalists have mostly had a love (for... more »
Random Thoughts
[image: Random Thoughts RBY - 900] Random thoughts on the passing scene: Will this November’s presidential election come down to a choice between a felon and a pied piper? People who call Barack Obama a lame duck president seem not to have noticed that he is...more »
Top U.S. General Fighting The Islamic State: 'Carpet Bombing' ISIS Is Against American Values
*ABC News*: *US General Calls 'Carpet Bombing' ISIS Against American Values* While some Republican presidential candidates have suggested that “carpet bombing” ISIS would lead to a quick defeat of the terror group, the top U.S. military commander fighting ISIS doesn’t think that’s a good idea and “inconsistent with our values.” Lt. General Sean MacFarland told Pentagon reporters today in a video-conference from Baghdad that the U.S. is bound by the laws of armed conflict and “at the end of the day, you know, it doesn’t only matter whether or not you win, it matters how you win." ... more »
The Results-- Iowa Republicans Pick Right Wing Lunatic Ted Cruz; Democrats Tied
*TRUMP = LOSER* Yesterday Dave Weigel tweeted that far right racist Congressman Steve King told him the polls may be wrong about Trump. "You can't say 'Two Corinthians' and be winning evangelicals." Well... looks like King knew his state's Republican voters better than most of the pollsters did. I wonder if Herr Trumpf laying some greasy bills on a silver communion plate at a church he was using as a prop for his campaign yesterday was the last straw. It looks like the Our Principles PAC-funded voters guide that tens of thousands of homes got in the mail warning them that Herr Tr... more »
GOP Closet Case Aaron Schock Offered $1,000,000 To Star In A Series On Hardcore Gay Porn Films
Last month we took a look at the gay porn company that did a movie based loosely on the life and foibles of Republican congressional closet case Aaron Schock, Cauke For President. Now another gay porn house, TitanMen, wants to make a series of gay porno films *starring* Aaron. They're offering him as much as a million dollars. And Aaron needs that money as the legal bills for keeping him out of prison continue to mount. Although he has over half a million dollars left in his campaign account-- which he is allowed to use for his legal defense-- he already owes his attorneys at Jone... more »
Musical Interlude: Justin Hayward, "The Way of the World"
Justin Hayward, "The Way of the World" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1QUrpqOAXY
"A Look to the Heavens"
"Have you ever seen the Man on the Moon? This common question plays on the ability of humans to see pareidolia- imagining familiar icons where they don't actually exist. The textured surface of Earth's full Moon is home to numerous identifications of iconic objects, not only in modern western culture but in world folklore throughout history. Examples, typically dependent on the Moon's perceived orientation, include the Woman in the Moon and the Rabbit in the Moon. *Click image for larger size.* One facial outline commonly identified as the Man in the Moon starts by imagining the two... more »
"Be Kind..."
"Be kind, for everyone you know is fighting a hard battle." - Plato
The Poet: Anne Sexton, "Courage"
*"Courage"* "It is in the small things we see it. The child's first step, as awesome as an earthquake. The first time you rode a bike, wallowing up the sidewalk. The first spanking when your heart went on a journey all alone. When they called you crybaby or poor or fatty or crazy and made you into an alien, you drank their acid and concealed it. Later, if you faced the death of bombs and bullets you did not do it with a banner, you did it with only a hat to cover your heart. You did not fondle the weakness inside you though it was there. Your courage was a small coal that you kept swallo... more »
"Perspective"
"There are some oddities in the perspective with which we see the world. The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 93 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be." - Douglas Adams
"The Invitation"
*"The Invitation"* "It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mi... more »
"With Love... Leo"
*"With Love... Leo"* by Leo Buscaglia "Tonight I would like to talk to you about something really important to me. I'm constantly meeting people and working with people. And I'm becoming so very concerned because the people I meet are so wonderful and so beautiful, and yet they are afraid to show their wonder and show their beauty. They are in constant doubt about being beautiful and wonderful. If there is to be any hope for us as lovers, we've got to make sure to express this love and this caring and bring it out into the open and not be afraid. So tonight, I would like to talk ... more »
Black Hole
I ended 2015 with a pretty modest bird list and hope of surpassing that number for this year. February tends to be a bit of a black hole for me since by mid-January I've tended to see all of the usual suspects that over-winter and that tend to frequent the bird feeders in my yard. My list then tends to gather a bit of dust with very few additions until late-March or early April when either all the migrating species start to show up or the weather warms up and allows me to venture out a bit more. Overall, we've had a pretty tame winter so perhaps this year the February "black hole... more »
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