10:24pm MST
More Patrick Murphy Corruption-- And A Grayson Endorsement From Robert Kennedy, Jr.
Murphy is the perfect Chuck Schumer recruit-- a slimy Schumercrat as corrupt as they come. Yesterday we looked at how he's been selling his vote for campaign cash in regard to EB-5 visas, something I thought only real low-life Republicans did. Oh... that's right; Murphy *is* a lifelong low-life Republican and just switched his party registration to get into Congress (where he votes with the GOP anyway). An investigator who's been looking into Murphy's corruption got in touch with me after we exposed his relationship with Nicholas Mastroianni. "You missed something," he said. "Take... more »
Florida Declares State Of Emergency As Zika Virus Spreads
Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in four counties where people have been confirmed as having the Zika virus. Nine people in total have been diagnosed with the Zika virus in Florida so far, and Governor Scott has warned that the virus is likely to spread even further. ABC News reports: The Aedes aegypti mosquito that is the primary vector of Zika virus infections is present in the southeast portion of the country, including Florida, though in winter the mosquito populations are low. “Although Florida’s current nine Zika cases were travel-related, we have... more »
Does Turkey Want A War With Russia?
Russian Defense Ministry officials sit under a display showing the Turkish-Syrian border during a briefing in Moscow, Dec. 2, 2015. (photo by REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin) *Semih Idiz, Al-Monitor*: *Will Turkey risk military confrontation with Russia?* Tensions between Russia and Turkey continue to escalate following the downing in November of a Russian Su-24 fighter jet that strayed into Turkish airspace. Questions are being raised now whether the two countries are heading for a military confrontation. A leading Turkish military expert told Al-Monitor that such a Russian move could ... more »
Architecture: Making ‘a home for man.’ Part 3: The essence of the home
*“Whatever space and time mean, place and occasion mean more. For space in the image of man is place, and time in the image of man is occasion. ... We are not building buildings, we are buildingritual, building occasion, building life itself.”*~ Claude Megson (after Aldo Van Eyck) *Over the last two days we talked about man and how to begin making a home for him on this earth: It’s not just about marking a spot; it’s about making places: human places, for human occasions.* *But isn’t it the case that **much of our built environment, and hence much of what architects do, is norm... more »
Russian President Putin Names A New Military Intelligence Chief
Lieutenant General Igor Korobov has been appointed as head of the GRU intelligence agency (file photo) *Radio Free Europe*: *Putin Names Korobov As New Military Intelligence Chief* President Vladimir Putin has appointed Lieutenant General Igor Korobov to head the Russian military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, following the death of his predecessor in early January. A spokesman for the Defense Ministry said on February 2 that GRU deputy head Korobov had been promoted by a presidential decree to lead the highly secretive spy agency. Korobov’s predecessor, Igor Sergun, died... more »
A Look At Why The U.S. Army Will Not Be Able To Defeat Russia, China, Or Even The Islamic State
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama visit Fort Stewart. (White House photo) *Paul D. Shinkman, US News and World Report:* *Why Obama’s Army Isn’t Defeating Russia, China, ISIS* *The re-emergence of longtime adversaries with conventional armies derailed the administration’s plans for a smaller, nimbler fighting force* President Barack Obama once ridiculed a political opponent for suggesting the military should look to its past to determine how it should fight today. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney based his 2012 White House bid in part on strengthening some b... more »
Rick Santorum Ends Bid for the White House, Backs Rubio
[image: GOP Presidential Candidates Drop Out List - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum ended his bid for the White House Wednesday and said he will support Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Santorum announced on Fox News Channel that he had... more »
Thin vs. Doorstopper RPGs
Currently I'm GM-ing a Star Wars *Edge of the Empire *campaign. It's rulebook clocks in at 448 pages. The first RPG I owned was the D&D Basic Set which was 64 pages long. Now admittedly it only covered three levels but with another 64 pages in the Expert Set you get up to 14 levels. TSR published a number of RPGs that ranged in the 32 to 64 page length - off the top of my head I can think of Star Frontiers, Gamma World, Gangbusters, Marvel Superheroes, Metamorphosis Alpha, D&D Basic/Expert, Top Secret. Sometimes there was a brief 16 page book which would have very basic rules wit...more »
Blog Breakin'
I am on vacation for the next couple of weeks, so I won't be posting here unless something super-major happens. Enjoy the many great websites and blogs about Taiwan like Letters from Taiwan, Solidarity.tw, Thinking Taiwan, Frozen Garlic, Taiwan in Cycles, and the Facebook Taiwan News in English Group. _______________________ [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!
Can Cruz Close on His New Hampshire Rivals? Enter the Ethanol Factor
[image: Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign event on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, in Greenville, S.C.] The New Hampshire presidential primary is just a few days away and Donald Trump has held a double-digit lead there for the past 30 weeks. Historically, this is the most important early primary in the country; of the last 20 winners... more »
Asia , MENA & Emerging Nations ( February 3-4 , 2016 ) Asia ( China News Of Note - PMI Data From Tuesday . 2 North Korea Preparing Long Range Missile Launch. 3. Data Splash - Various PMI Reports For Region Including - Hong Kong / Japan / Singapore / India. 3.Japan Cancels 10 Yr JGB Auction - first time In History. 4. Odds & Ends ) MENA ( 1. LEAD - Syria Talks & Battlefield Updates 2. Libya Political Situation AKA " Cerberus Gov't ) Emerging Nations ( 1. Brazil In focus . 2. Venezuela Under The Gun due To Oil Naturally . 3. OPEC Intrigue. )
Asia ........ *zerohedge* @zerohedge 9m 9 minutes ago Hedge Funds Fight The PBOC: There Can Be Only Yuan http://www. zerohedge.com/news/2016-02-03/hedge-funds-fight-pboc-there-can-be-only-yuan … *Yonhap News Agency* @YonhapNews 24m24 minutes ago (URGENT) N. Korea preparing long-range missile launch at Dongchang-ri site: Defense Ministry http://bit.ly/1PBi1iN *zerohedge* @zerohedge 42m42 minutes ago PBOC Strengthens Yuan By Most In 2 Months As Golden Week Looms http://www. zerohedge.com/news/2016-02-0 3/pboc-strengthens-yuan-most-2-months-golden-week-looms …... more »
Russia Is Winning The War In Syria
More than 50 Russian warplanes and helicopters are currently in action in Syria – all lined up and ready at the airfield in western Syria camouflaged by their khaki livery. *Andrew Roth, Washington Post:* *After four months, Russia’s campaign in Syria is proving successful for Moscow* MOSCOW — Four months after launching airstrikes in Syria, the Kremlin is confident that Moscow’s largest overseas campaign since the end of the Soviet Union is paying off. Under the banner of fighting international terrorism, President Vladimir Putin has reversed the fortunes of forces loyal to Syria... more »
Turning The House Democrats In A Progressive Direction-- One District At A Time: NV-04
Yesterday the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union (AFSCME) endorsed Ruben Kihuen for Congress in NV-04, a district that stretches from North Las Vegas up the 15 and 93 freeways to the Utah border to the east and past Ely in the north, and up the 95 freeway past Walk Lake, Schurz and Yerington, although something like 85% of the votes cast in the district come from Clark County in the south. NV-04 is nearly a third Latino and 14% black. Obama beat McCain 130,602 (56%) to 95,777 (41%) and beat Romney 4 years later 136,124 (54%) to 109,329 (44%). The onl... more »
Sad news about an iconic pub
[image: jacksons-tavern] *From the Owners*: As some of you have no doubt heard, Jackson’s Tavern has closed to the public effective 31 January 2016, and for now available for organised functions only. Details of that to follow in future posts. Trade has steadily increased since reopening in November 2014, and we’ve just had a very busy holiday period. However the remote location makes it a difficult business when you are not hands on owner-operators with your finger on the pulse. Both the owners and managing director are based in Christchurch, and we cannot continue to support t... more »
Well, this is confusing
I took a US election poll, and this is what I discovered, that three unlikely candidates should be practically equal in my support: [image: image] To complicate matters: [image: image] So either I’m all over the park, they’re all of them all over the park, or elections (and quizzes about elections) are a complete waste of time. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Economic News , Data & Views ( February 3, 2016 ) Overview ( 1. Goldman Changes Its Forecast On Fed Policy For 2016 / 2017. 2. Puerto Rico In Focus . 3. Great Charts From Charles Bilello - Crude / Fed Forecast / Total Returns Since 2009 - Selected Big Banks ) Oil Related News For Wednesday ( Fundamentals / Weekly Chatter On Production Cuts ) Europe In focus ( 1. Spain - Political Updates , IBEX Falls 4 % 2. UK- EU Negotiation Updates , Reactions From European Capitals 3. Merkel Still Falling In Popularity In Germany . 4. Refugee / Migration / Border Security Updates . 5. Ukraine's Failure To Crack Down On Reforms - Economy Minister Quits. 6. NIRP Updates. 7. Greece Related News. 8. Odds & Ends.9. Data Splash - Major Economic Data Releases For EZ Area , Germany , Spain , France , Italy , UK , Russia and BDI )
Overview...... *zerohedge* @zerohedge 3h 3 hours ago Goldman: "We are revising our Fed call, and now expect the FOMC to keep policy rates unchanged at the March 15-16 meeting" *zerohedge* @zerohedge 3h 3 hours ago Goldman: "We expect the next rate increase in June, and see a total of three rate increases this year" *Cate Long* @cate_long 3h 3 hours ago Cate Long Retweeted Gil Hall Huge: Puerto Rico has not provided final 2014 financial docs to @KPMG according to federal court testimony #muniland Cate Long added, *Gil Hall* @gillamhall Breaking news on W... more »
David Daleiden Will Post Bail on Thursday on ‘Baseless’ Charges for Exposing Planned Parenthood
[image: David Daleiden] Pro-life advocate David Daleiden will post bail on Thursday in response to what his attorneys and pro-life groups say are bogus charges related to his undercover investigation and exposure of the Planned Parenthood abortion business selling the body parts of... Continue reading *“David Daleiden Will Post Bail on Thursday on ‘Baseless’ Charges for Exposing Planned Parenthood”* at *lifenews.com*.
Syrian Army Have Now Cut Off The Rebel Supply Route To The City Of Aleppo.
Map of Aleppo and the surrounding region, showing the Syrian government forces' progress in their bid to lift the siege of two Shiite villages. (AFP Photo/Jonathan JACOBSEN, Omar KAMAL) *Reuters*: *Syrian army and allies breaks rebel siege of Shi'ite towns: army* The Syrian army and its allies have broken a three-year rebel siege of two Shi’ite towns in northwest Syria, government and rebel groups said on Wednesday, cutting off a main insurgent route to nearby Turkey. The two towns of Nubul and Zahraa, with an estimated 60,000 population, are connected to the border by areas under... more »
Why Is the U.S. Still So Important in the Post-Crisis Global Financial System?
This is a post by William Kindred Winecoff, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Indiana University Bloomington, 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 Winecoff’s article found here. Links to other posts in the symposium can be […]
Nigerian President Warns Europe of "Strategic Time Bomb" In Libya; Egyptian General Criticizes U.S.-Led Anti-ISIS Campaign; ISIS Plans To Seize Libya's Oil Crescent
*Photo Source*. *An excerpt from, "Nigeria president warns of Libya 'time bomb'" news24, February 3, 2016: * *"I must express our serious concern about the alarming situation in southern Libya which is becoming a strategic time bomb for Africa and indeed Europe,"* Buhari told MEPs in the French city of Strasbourg. "The ungoverned south of southern Libya has become a... arms bazaar which threatens the security of the Sahel region as well as the north Africa region and beyond. *An excerpt from, "US & NATO Should Stop Meddling in Mideast, Let Libyan Gov't Fight Terrorism" Sputnik, ... more »
Henry Kissinger Meets With Putin In Moscow
President Putin of Russia has met with the former U.S. Secretary of State and National Security advisor Henry Kissinger at his residence outside Moscow. RT reports: The Kremlin said that the two have “long-standing, friendly relations” and that they have used the “opportunity to talk.” The meeting is a continuation of a “friendly dialogue between President Putin and Henry Kissinger, who are bound by a longstanding relationship,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “They communicate all the time, use the opportunity to talk,” he added. Putin “values” this opportunity to discuss pre... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 3, 2016
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry walks with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir (C) to attend a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting at King Salman Regional Air Base in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, January 23, 2016. REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin *Josh Cohen, Reuters*: *Is it time for the United States to dump Saudi Arabia?* After the recent execution of Shi’ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi Arabia, the Middle East once again risks devolving into sectarian chaos. A mob torched the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, prompting Saudi Arabia and a number of its Sunni allies to break diplomatic relations with... more »
South Korean Woman Saves Dogs From Cooking Pots
Some South Koreans consider dogs as food items and include them in their diets. While others rescue them from cruelty and ignorance and form a bond with them. NBC News reports: For 26 years, Jung Myoung Sook has saved hundreds of dogs from being cooked in South Korea, where they are considered a delicacy. Dogs are kept in crowded cages and are then sometimes strung up and given a good beating by their humans to tenderize their meat before slaughter, while the pooches innocently look death and their supposed masters in the face till the last moment. They next appear on some Korean di... more »
Monsanto’s Glyphosate A ‘Probable Carcinogen’ & Global Health Threat
Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup is the most heavily used weed-killer in history and together with Monsanto’s genetically modified patented seeds could be responsible for a looming worldwide public health threat and an environmental disaster. Common Dreams reports: Glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup, is now the most heavily used week killer ever and its use has exploded in the past decade, a new report finds, a fact that may portend “a host of adverse environmental and public health consequences.” The new paper on the global use of the herbicide comes less th... more »
Did Bernie Sanders Actually Win Iowa?
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was reported to have come very close to winning the Iowa caucus on Monday after a surge in popularity among voters. It is reported that the inconspicuous old man of the people, who claims to represent 99.99% of Americans, and who works for the the people and has recently chosen to arise from amongst them, may have actually won their vote in Iowa and has questioned the accuracy of the election results. The Daily Caller reports: But in addition to giving us such delicious schadenfreude to savor, the old coot may have actually won. Or a... more »
The Jacobin Cabal of London and The Storming of Newgate Prison
*"Shelburne, through the East India Company and its allied Baring Bank, bankrolled a Jacobin mob to descend upon London"* *"The foreigner gained time to anarchise by gold the government he could not overthrow by arms, to crush in their own councils the genuine republicans, by the fraternal embraces of exaggerated and hired pretenders, and to turn the machine of Jacobinism from the change to the destruction of order; and in the end, the limited monarchy [that Lafayette and Bailly] had secured was exchanged for the unprincipled and bloody tyranny of Robespierre.... * *The British .... more »
A comedian talks about political correctness [updated]
John Cleese reckons political correctness is killing comedy—and strangling freedom. We Can't Have Comedy and Be Politically Correct at the Same Time *… I’ve been warned recently, don’t go to most university campuses because the political correctness has been taken from being a good idea—which is, let’s not be mean particularly to people who are not able to look after themselves very well, that’s a good idea—to the point where any kind of criticism of any individual or group can be labelled cruel. And the whole point about humor, the whole point about comedy—and believe you me, I’v...more »
A comedian talks about immigration
[Hat tip economist David Henderson] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Post # 33,000: Leonard Cohen, “Hallelujah”
Leonard Cohen, “Hallelujah” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIuCwnnDq8k
"Even Darkness Must Pass..."
Sam: "It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing, this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I kno... more »
What Paul Ryan Thinks Conservatives Must Do to Avoid Falling Into ‘Trap’ Set by Progressives
[image: In this photo taken Feb. 2, 2016, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. speaks in Washington. Ryan said Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, Republicans need to stop fighting angrily among themselves and not be distracted by guns or other "hot-button" issues that President Barack Obama raises.] Speaking at an event hosted by the conservative Heritage Action, House Speaker Paul Ryan urged conservatives to unite around a "bold, pro-growth agenda" but to be realistic in what the party can achieve while President Barack Obama remains in office.... more »
As We Shift - Creating Miracles
Note: What a powerful image this is, it's the new transformed lion leading the cub... Can you feel it? Feel the grasping and pulling; the demanding of your attention? Times and events are all over the map at warp speed. From personal to pivotal, miraculous to mundane, global to local – life is being rent in two. What’s real? What’s important? What’s the best response? What does “best” even look like? The following list will give you a glimpse inside this female brain, (you know, the sort of brain that remembers EVERYTHING about EVERYODY ALL THE TIME): 1. A Presidential race ... more »
Musical Interlude: Josh Groban, “Gira Con Me”
Josh Groban, “Gira Con Me” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsoRzS-5FaE
Kepler's Sage Advice For These Times of Crisis And Change
*Wikipedia:* Alexandre Koyré's work on Kepler was, after Apelt, the first major milestone in historical interpretations of Kepler's cosmology and its influence. In the 1930s and 1940s, Koyré, and a number of others in the first generation of professional historians of science, described the "Scientific Revolution" as the central event in the history of science, and Kepler as a (perhaps the) central figure in the revolution. Koyré placed Kepler's theorization, rather than his empirical work, at the center of the intellectual transformation from ancient to modern world-views. Since ... more »
Florida Declares Public Health Emergency Over Zika Virus
Gov. Rick Scott declared a public health emergency in four counties on Wednesday after at least nine cases of the mosquito-borne Zika virus were detected in Florida. Health officials say that they believe all of the cases are from people who contracted the disease while traveling to affected countries. “We have to ensure Florida is prepared and stays ahead of the spread of the Zika virus in our state,” Scott said in a statement. “We know that we must be prepared for the worst even as we hope for the best.” Scott signed the order to cover Miami-Dade, Lee, Hillsborough and Santa Rosa ... more »
So there’s a Laffer Curve for anarchists
So you’re familiar with the idea of the Laffer Curve, right? [image: Capture] Put in its simplest possible form, the Curve posits the non-intuitive idea that the maximum possible tax revenue does not necessarily come in at the highest tax rates. *The curve suggests that, as taxes increase from low levels, tax revenue collected by the government also increases. It also shows however that increasing tax rates after a certain point (T*) would cause people not to work as hard or not at all, thereby reducing tax revenue. Eventually, if tax rates reached 100% (the far right of the cu... more »
World News Briefs -- February 3, 2016 (Evening Edition)
BBC: *Syria conflict: UN suspends peace talks in Geneva* The UN has suspended peace talks aimed at ending Syria's five-year civil war, just days after they began. But the organisation's special envoy Staffan de Mistura insisted negotiations had not failed and would resume again on 25 February. Each side blamed the other for the collapse of the round. *Read more *.... *MIDDLE EAST* Syria peace talks *plunged into new crisis*. Syrian opposition says won't attend future talks *unless change on ground.* Syria conflict: *Government 'cuts Aleppo rebel supply route'*. Syria conflict: ... more »
Cool Device Eliminates Trash Before It Can Reach Deeper Ocean Waters
*Christina Sarich *- This new device filters plastic bottles, bags, and even floating fuel, from marine waters without harming wildlife. The post Cool Device Eliminates Trash Before It Can Reach Deeper Ocean Waters appeared first on Waking Times.
Obama Pleads for Tolerance in First Visit to US Mosque — a Mosque with Past Extremist Ties
[image: mosque] (RNS) In times of rising Islamophobia, President Obama made a plea for religious tolerance at the first visit to an American mosque of his presidency. A lot of Americans have never been to a mosque, the president said as he began his... Continue reading *“Obama Pleads for Tolerance in First Visit to US Mosque — a Mosque with Past Extremist Ties”* at *religionnews.com*.
Appeal Suspended in Northern Ireleand ‘Gay Cake’ Case After Dramatic Intervention
[image: Ashers Bakery - 400] The ‘gay cake’ case has been dramatically adjourned following a last minute intervention from Northern Ireland’s Attorney General. Ashers Bakery, owned by the McArthur family, was appealing a ruling after they refused to produce a cake with a “support gay... Continue reading *“Appeal Suspended in Northern Ireleand ‘Gay Cake’ Case After Dramatic Intervention”* at *christiantoday.com*.
Is Turkey Capable of Committing Another Genocide In This Century With ISIS As Its Ally?
*With the madman and Caliph wannabe Erdogan at the helm, nothing is off the table.* *An excerpt from a speech by Dr. Rashid Khalidi, "Unhealed Wounds of WWI: Armenia, Kurdistan and Palestine," March 9, 2015, American University of Beirut:* "Let me conclude with one more common characteristic of all three of these peoples that I have described as the great losers of WWI. All of them suffer not only from the consequences of the specific, traumatic events that I traced, that are rooted in WWI and its sequels, they suffer as well from something that has caused these wounds to remain r... more »
Russian Foreign Minister: Won't Stop Syrian Air-strikes Until 'Terrorists' Defeated
*VOA*: *Lavrov: Russian Airstrikes in Syria Will Continue Until Terrorists Defeated* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday his country's military will not stop its airstrikes in Syria until "terrorist organizations" there are defeated. Lavrov's comments come as the United Nations tries to keep its fragile Syrian peace talks in Geneva moving forward after a day in which neither the government or opposition delegation held a formal session with U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura. Lavrov specifically mentioned the al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra as a target of the strike... more »
Gun Fight At Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena In July? Maybe Not
GOP refuses to allow guns into their events I have have to admit-- since I've been writing about it for weeks-- that I've been praying for a deadlocked Republican convention. Once it appeared that Herr Trumpf had pulverized Cruz and would sweep Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, I couldn't see how the deadlock to keep Trumpf from a first ballot victory would work. No deadlock, no brokered convention (with the inevitable installation of Paul Ryan as the "compromise" candidate), no psycho-Trump fans shooting up the Quicken Loans Arena. But now that Cruz managed to win dec... more »
UK energy crisis deepens as SSE plans early plant closure
By Paul Homewood http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/12139151/UK-energy-crisis-deepens-as-SSE-plans-early-plant-closure.html The Telegraph reports: SSE has announced plans to shut most of its Fiddler’s Ferry coal-fired power plant in April, wiping 1.5 gigawatts of power capacity from the UK grid and worsening the looming energy crisis next winter. The energy giant said it intended to shut three out of […]
Mohawk Nation News 'Murder for Money'
http://mohawknationnews.com/blog/2016/02/03/murder-for-money/
UN Mediator Suspends Intra-Syrian Peace Talks For Three Weeks
*UN News Centre*: *Just two days after official start, UN mediator suspends intra-Syrian peace talks for three weeks* Just two days after declaring the official start of delayed intra-Syrian talks in Geneva to end five years of bloody warfare, the United Nations mediator suspended them for three weeks today following differences between Government and opposition delegations on the priority of humanitarian issues. “I have been asking even before issuing the invitations that there is an immediate implementation of a humanitarian initiative, even before the talks start,” UN Special ... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“You may have heard of the Seven Sisters in the sky, but have you heard about the Seven Strong Men on the ground? Located just west of the Ural Mountains, the unusual Manpupuner rock formations are one of the Seven Wonders of Russia. How these ancient 40-meter high pillars formed is yet unknown. *Click image for larger size.* The persistent photographer of this featured image battled rough terrain and uncooperative weather to capture these rugged stone towers in winter at night, being finally successful in February of last year. Utilizing the camera's time delay feature, the photogr...more »
Chet Raymo
*“The Wild Silence And The Wild Dark”* by Chet Raymo "It is probably obvious by now that I have been reading Yeats. So let me share one more poem, "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven": “Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half-light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.” There is a wonderfully sexy scene in “Frankie Starlight” where Anne Parillau... more »
"The Cloak Of The Past..."
“The cloak of the past is cut from patches of feeling, and sewn with rebus threads. Most of the time, the best we can do is wrap it around ourselves for comfort or drag it behind us as we struggle to go on. But everything has its cause and its meaning. Every life, every love, every action and feeling and thought has its reason and significance: its beginning, and the part it plays in the end. Sometimes, we do see. Sometimes, we see the past so clearly, and read the legend of its parts with such acuity, that every stitch of time reveals its purpose, and a kind of message is enfolded ... more »
The Poet: Manuel Bandeira, "Be Like A River"
*"Be Like A River"* “Be like a river that flows Silent in the middle of the night Not fearing the dark of the night, Reflecting any star that is in the sky. And if the sky fills with clouds, Clouds are water, like the river, so Reflect them too with no regret In the silent depth.” - Manuel Bandeira, Brazilian poet
"Tie A Knot..."
"When you come to the end of your rope...tie a knot and hang on." - Franklin D Roosevelt
Reports: Rick Santorum to End Presidential Bid
[image: GOP Presidential Candidates Drop Out List - 900] Rick Santorum is ending his bid for the Presidency, CNN is reporting: Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is ending his presidential bid, two Republican sources told CNN. He is expected to make the announcement Wednesday night and will endorse a candidate.... more »
Greenpeace Taunts Hillary for Not Rejecting Oil Money
[image: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton finishes her speech during a campaign event in Hampton, N.H., Tuesday Feb. 2, 2016. At left is Mark Kelly.] Greenpeace began taunting Democratic candidate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Twitter Wednesday for declining to sign a pledge which would have prevented her from accepting campaign contributions from the coal, oil or natural gas industries. .@HillaryClinton it's not to late to... more »
Donald Trump Nominated For The 2016 Nobel Peace Prize
Donald John Trump, the president and chairman of The Trump Organization and a Republican presidential candidate, has reportedly been nominated for the prestigious 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. It is not clear who might have submitted the nomination for the billionaire businessman but do they really have faith in Trumps efforts towards strengthening and promoting world peace…it must be a joke, right? The Examiner reports: While the organization is notorious for keeping candidates for the prize secret for 50 years, CBS News reported Wednesday that Donald Trump, Republican presidential hopef... more »
The World According To St George Monbiot
By Paul Homewood http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/02/cheap-oil-taxpayers-crisis-bailouts-fossil-fuels Poor old George Monbiot is having a big rant in the Guardian, about how the taxpayer is propping up big oil. According to poor George: Already, according to the International Monetary Fund, more money is spent, directly and indirectly, on subsidising fossil fuels than on funding health services. […]
Supplemental: Mayor calls for replacing the pipes!
*WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2016We call for an end to cartooning:* We got to have a lot of fun on last night's Maddow Show. For example, we got to enjoy seeing Maddow make the headshot of a Republican candidate disappear. Candidate Huckabee was the hopeful in question. In one of her trademark entertainment events, Maddow made Huckabee's headshot go "poof:" MADDOW (2/2/16): You have been waiting for this. It's been a long time since we got to do this. *Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee quit the presidential race last night* after the Iowa caucuses, which is sad for him. But it do... more »
The Zika Virus Scam: Biggest News Service In America Absolutely Clueless!
I am staying on top of this "Zika virus" fear mongering that continues to fill the Jew spew media and obviously diverts peoples' attention away from other critical issues such as the collapsing economy.... I have stated many times that the criminals in charge definitely want to use any scare tactics possible so that they can get their gullible citizens to clamor for a "cure" aka a new "vaccine" to prevent them from getting this "disease"... The fact is that these monsters want to weaken our immune systems and destroy our minds through the chemicals in their "vaccines"...... I have s... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Monthureux-sur-saône, Lorraine, France. Thanks for stopping by!
Humanity: "A Higher Call"
*"A Higher Call"* German Pilot In WWII Spared An American B-17 Pilot Over Germany Only To Reunite 40 Years Later by NewsForage "The pilot glanced outside his cockpit and froze. He blinked hard and looked again, hoping it was just a mirage. But his co-pilot stared at the same horrible vision. "My God, this is a nightmare," the co-pilot said. "He's going to destroy us," the pilot agreed. The men were looking at a gray German Messerschmitt fighter hovering just three feet off their wingtip. It was five days before Christmas 1943, and the fighter had closed in on their crippled American... more »
Trump Accuses Cruz of Fraud in Iowa, Demands ‘New Election’
[image: Trump Cruz Carson Rumour Fraud CNN - 900] Donald Trump is now claiming Ted Cruz won the Iowa caucuses through fraud and “dishonesty” and is demanding a “new election” or for the results to be nullified. In a tweet quickly deleted Wednesday morning, Trump declared, “Ted Cruz didn’t... more »
Ukraine President Poroshenko; 'Risk Of War With Russia Greater Now Than A Year Ago'
*Reuters: **Ukraine's Poroshenko sees increased risk of open war with Russia* The risk of open war between Russia and Ukraine is greater than it was a year ago and Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun an "information war" against Germany, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told the German newspaper Bild. Poroshenko, who met German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Monday, said Russia had implemented "not one single point" of the Minsk accord, which includes a ceasefire between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. Russia was building up its mili... more »
Quote of the Day: On tariffs and cronyism
*“The tariff … [is simply] an elaborate system by which corporate interests ‘get control of legislation in order to tax their fellow-citizens for their own benefit.’”*~ William Graham Sumner, from his 1906 book *Folkways: A Study of Mores, Manners, Customs and Morals*, as quoted in Thomas Leonard’s 2016 book *Illiberal Reformers: Race, Eugenics, and American Economics in the Progressive Era* Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
John Christy's testimony. More bad news for the Alarmists.
*"When a theory contradicts the facts, you need to change the theory."* John Christy testified before the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space & Technology on 2 Feb 2016 (LINK -pdf) Fig. 1: Five-year averaged values of annual mean (1979-2015) global bulk (termed “midtropospheric” or “MT”) temperature as depicted by the average of 102 IPCC CMIP5 climate models (red), the average of 3 satellite datasets (green - UAH, RSS, NOAA) and 4 balloon datasets (blue, NOAA, UKMet, RICH, RAOBCORE). I shall begin with a discussion that was precipitated by an increasingly active campaign o... more »
Campaign of Global Warming Crusader Sanders Spent $185K Chartering Private Jets
[image: aircharterteam - 900] Global warming crusader Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign spent nearly $185,000 in 2015 on a company that charters private jets, according to federal election disclosures. Federal Election Commission (FEC) disclosure forms show the Vermont senator's campaign paid the company Air Charter Team... more »
The 9 Personalities Which Are Changing The World
*Michael Forrester *- Nine distinct personality types make humanity very special, not only in their interactions with each other, but within themselves. The post The 9 Personalities Which Are Changing The World appeared first on Waking Times.
Curse of Oak Island -Season 3 Final or "Why I decided to come back next year when I haven't found anything yet."
Well, we’ve had the season finale and we now know more than we did which is not to say that the episode wasn’t disappointing or that we learned much. *(Spoilers Ahead)* We got the final report from the diver who made what I think was an incredible journey down the Bore Hole 10 X to stand on semi-solid ground. He wandered around down there, telling us that the ground was “silty” and that it was uneven. He said that he saw no marks on the walls to suggest it was man made and said that the roof was uneven as well as the floor. It was his impression that it was a natural void they had ta... more »
The Economy: "The Federal Reserve – the Deep State’s Central Bank"
*"The Federal Reserve – the Deep State’s Central Bank"* by Bill Bonner BALTIMORE – "Where are we now? Dow down 296 points yesterday – or just under 2%. Cruz and Clinton win the Iowa caucuses. Oil is back below $30. An election has been described as two wolves and one lamb voting on what to have for dinner. Actually, there was never any doubt about what was on the menu. An election is really when the wolves scrap over who gets the choicest pieces. To bring new readers fully into the picture… It doesn’t matter who won in Iowa. Major policies are not determined by the voters but by th... more »
Midday Musical Interlude: Afshin, “Prayer of Change”
Afshin, “Prayer of Change” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75SGQ65QhaU
Guerrill-Anne: A Beautiful Corrective
This is genius, taken both at face (heh) value and a little deeper. In an article titled "Anne-tagonizing posters connect icon to P.E.I. abortion debate," The Guardian says: P.E.I.'s most famous fictional character has become part of the province's ongoing abortion debate. The next paragraph refers to Anne of Green Gables. But the anonymous person or group, who goes by the handle Karats, has made no such claim. I find it interesting that probably only in PEI (and maybe Japan) would such an image be assumed to be the "feisty" red-haired character created by Lucy Maud Montgomer... more »
Ukraine's Top Anti-Corruption Officer Resigns Citing Rampant Corruption
*Washington Post*: *In blow to Ukraine's reform hopes, top official resigns, citing corruption* MOSCOW — In a blow to hopes that Ukraine will be able to overcome a decades-long struggle with corruption and mismanagement, the country’s Western-trained economy minister resigned Wednesday, saying he had been unable to beat back corruption. Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius said that he had come under pressure from senior allies of the country’s president to make patronage appointments in state-owned companies and to appoint unqualified deputies who would have overseen the most l... more »
If Russia Invaded The Baltics, NATO Forces Would be Overrun In 3 Days
Image from The Economist *Dan De Luce, Foreign Policy:* *If Russia Started a War in the Baltics, NATO Would Lose — Quickly* *War games show NATO’s eastern flank is vulnerable. To deter Moscow, the U.S. will need to deploy heavy armor on a large scale, a new study says.* If Russian tanks and troops rolled into the Baltics tomorrow, outgunned and outnumbered NATO forces would be overrun in under three days. That’s the sobering conclusion of war games carried out by a think tank with American military officers and civilian officials. “The games’ findings are unambiguous: As currently... more »
Turning tide
Woolly liberal *Woolly liberals must face truth about migrants (*Times £) Hugo Rifkind has written an interesting piece. “ It’s no good embracing refugees without accepting that some of their values are beyond the pale and must change.I find myself discombobulated over migration and Europe. Do you, also?” “Do you, also?” sounds as though he's speaking with a German accent. “Perhaps not. Perhaps, back in September, when the tiny body of Aylan Kurdi washed up on a Turkish beach, and Angela Merkel declared that Germany would take 800,000 Syrians, and the Swedes said they’d take ev... more »
CIA Operation EYE WASH
I strongly recommend reading this article on CIA propaganda aimed at its own employees: Greg Miller and Adam Goldman January 31 , 2016. ‘Eyewash’: How the CIA deceives its own workforce about operations. The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/eyewash-how-the-cia-deceives-its-own-workforce-about-operations/2016/01/31/c00f5a78-c53d-11e5-9693-933a4d31bcc8_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headlines Senior CIA officials have for years intentionally deceived parts of the agency workforce by transmitting internal memos that contain false information about ... more »
Iowa’s Nightmare Revisited: Was Correct Winner Called?
[image: Iowa] It’s Iowa’s nightmare scenario revisited: An extraordinarily close count in the Iowa caucuses -- and reports of chaos in precincts, website glitches and coin flips to decide county delegates -- are raising questions about accuracy of the count and winner. This time it’s the Democrats,... Continue reading *“Iowa’s Nightmare Revisited: Was Correct Winner Called?”* at *desmoinesregister.com*.
Illinois Election Board Rules Cruz Is Eligible for the Presidency
[image: eligible for the presidency] The Illinois Board of Elections on Monday said Republican candidate Ted Cruz is a natural-born citizen and is eligible to be president. The Texas senator was born in Calgary to an American mother and Cuban father, which primary rival Donald... Continue reading *“Illinois Election Board Rules Cruz Is Eligible for the Presidency”* at *thehill.com*.
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Takes Exceptional Selfie On Mars
NASA is encouraging its Mars Exploration Rovers to send Selfies back to earth using their built-in sticks. Sputnik reports: The Mars rover Curiosity snapped a glorious self-portrait from its location on the surface of the red planet during its ongoing mission. The image depicts the car-size mobile lab surrounded by dark brown sand. The selfie, comprised of 57 separate photographs, was taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager camera on January 19 while the rover was exploring the Namib Dune, digging into the sand for samples. Can’t wait to share science results from Namib Dune; but first, ... more »
More Insider Tales: Union Leaders Back the Less Pro-Union Candidate
*by Gaius Publius* More insider tales. Last November we noted that "Sanders Momentum Stalls in Union Front Offices" as unions that endorse candidates based on top-down decision-making are backing Clinton, while unions that endorse in a bottom-up way, by a vote of their membership, endorse Sanders. Put simply, unions as organizations aren't insiders, but long-time union leaders are, especially at the national level. And like it or not, this is a friends-of-insiders vs. revolutionary reform election. *Insiders Helping Insiders* Bernie Sanders spoke twice with Rachel Maddow on this... more »
Bush Pleads for Town Hall Attendees to ‘Please Clap’
[image: Bush - 400] Just days before the nation's first primary vote in New Hampshire, Jeb Bush appears to still be struggling to gain traction. The establishment Republican candidate -- once presumed to have an easy path to the GOP nomination -- came in sixth in... Continue reading *“Bush Pleads for Town Hall Attendees to ‘Please Clap’”* at *msnbc.com*.
TPP opposition: it’s not about democracy
Funny, the noisier opponents of the TPP argue against the semi-free-trade agreement being signed because, they say, it represents a "threat to our democracy" -- that it threatens our sovereignty -- that its measures "constrain domestic law and limit our [government's] regulatory freedom." And yet the same objections can be made about *every single international agreement ever signed*. And the very same protestors can be heard just as noisily on every other day demanding that the govt sign up immediately to international agreements on labour standards, and climate change, and "in... more »
Obama Escalates Tensions With Russia As Media Keeps Quiet
Retired professor of Russian studies and history at Princeton, Stephen F. Cohen, warns that a nuclear war between Russia and the West looms on the horizon. The Pentagon has announced that it will quadruple US-NATO military forces in countries verging on Russia’s borders. The move by the Obama Administration to have the two opposing forces so close to each other would then necessitate a response from Russia. The presstitute media and the U.S. presidential campaigns prefer to ignore this dire international dilemma. The cost of ignorance could lead to a possible nuclear confrontation an...more »
After Iowa, a Three-Man Race: Andy Jackson, Cal Coolidge, and George W.
[image: In this Jan. 19, 2016, photo, Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas passes his campaign bus as he arrives for a campaign stop at the Freedom Country Store in Freedom, N.H. Cruz is dreaming of a face-off with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, even before the first primary votes are cast. He warns his supporters about what he thinks America will look like under a Clinton administration, predicting a nuclear-armed Iran, amnesty for millions of people in America illegally and the continuation of President Barack Obama’s health care law.] Ted Cruz’s vict... more »
Atheist Group Forces Mississippi Courthouse to Take Down Ten Commandments
[image: Two representative stone tablets with the ten commandments inscribed on them on an isolated dark ethereal background] Local citizens are outraged after an activist atheist group forced a Mississippi Courthouse to take down the Ten Commandments. After legal threats from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), officials at the Itawamba County Courthouse said Monday they would take down a framed... more »
John Kerry Used Private Email to Send Classified Material to Hillary Clinton
[image: Clinton and Kerry - 400] The State Department admits that current Secretary of State John Kerry used a "non-official account" to send classified material to his predecessor Hillary Clinton, who was using an unsecure, off-the-books private server to handle her email. The latest twist in... Continue reading *“John Kerry Used Private Email to Send Classified Material to Hillary Clinton”* at *breitbart.com*.
Amid Israel Protest, CBS Amends ‘Biased and Dishonest’ Terror Attack Headline
[image: Jerusalem attack - 400] Israel’s Foreign Ministry reacted to what it called a “horrible headline” that the American CBS news outlet composed following a Jerusalem terror attack on Wednesday. “3 Palestinians killed as daily violence grinds on,” read the CBS headline. At around 5:30 p.m. Israel... Continue reading *“Amid Israel Protest, CBS Amends ‘Biased and Dishonest’ Terror Attack Headline”* at *jpost.com*.
Want to correct the scientific literature? Good luck
If you notice an obvious problem with a paper in your field, it should be relatively easy to alert the journal’s readers to the issue, right? Unfortunately, for a group of nutrition researchers led by David B. Allison at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, that is not their experience. Allison and his co-author Andrew Brown […] The post Want to correct the scientific literature? Good luck appeared first on Retraction Watch.
The wheels on the bus: Sometimes they roll, sometimes they squeal, sometimes they throw you from side to side
Photo by fellow bus veteran Paul WillcocksThis morning I took the city bus that makes a loud thump somewhere around the rear axle every time it stops. Yesterday I rode home on the one that has three seat backs broken off, which I’m fond of because nobody but me takes those spots and it means I always get a seat. Spend more than an hour on Nicaraguan city buses every work day and you start to get familiar with their idiosyncrasies. Their personalities emerge. They drive up to your stop looking the same, but then the door clatters open and you realize it’s this one or that one, each ... more »
NHS Imposes Blood Donation Ban On Travelers To Halt Zika Infection
New concerns have emerged over Zika as it’s feared the virus can be sexually transmitted and could impact blood donations. The National Health Service (NHS) has banned travelers from donating blood for 28 days after returning from countries that are currently hit by Zika in order to prevent the virus from spreading. Doctors have also blocked organ donations from those who have recently traveled to countries with a high incidence of Zika. A spokesman for NHS Blood and Transplant said: “We are putting a deferral on people donating blood for 28 days after they have been to a zika infec...more »
Two Maps Show The Potential Devastation On The Cities of Mosul And Baghdad If The Mosul Dam Collapses
A file photo of an ISIS militant in front of the Mosul Dam. The group no longer has control of the dam. *Keith Johnson and C.K. Hickey, Foreign Policy:* *Mapped: The Crumbling Iraqi Dam That May Flood The Country* *If the Mosul Dam goes, a lake of water will submerge cities from Mosul to Baghdad and kill hundreds of thousands. This map shows the potential devastation.* The Iraqi government and an Italian engineering firm have finally reached a tentative agreement that could provide a long-term fix for the world’s most dangerous dam. But the tricky repairs needed to prevent a catas... more »
10 Signs You Are a Secular Believer
[image: selfie - 400] As a full-time church minister since 1981, I have had the task of observing the lives of thousands of believers. Consequently, I have come to the conclusion that there are believers in the church who say they are Christians, while,... Continue reading *“10 Signs You Are a Secular Believer”* at *charismanews.com*.
Grease: Live: The Show Did Go On, and Promoted the Greatest Story Ever Told, Into the Bargain
[image: This image released by Fox, Juliane Hough, right, and Aaron Tveit appear during a performance of "Grease: Live." With this hectic, ambitious and hormonal "Grease," Fox proved it could up the ante in the new mini-industry of musicals on TV, an industry so far controlled by NBC, with its "The Sound of Music Live!" ''Peter Pan Live!" and "The Wiz Live." (Michael Becker/FOX via AP)] If the Emmys gave out an award for risky Sunday night productions, Grease: Live would surely be a nominee. The network was putting up a Broadway musical that’s not only been done to death, it’s been t... more »
“Who Loves Their Humans More- Cats Or Dogs? Here’s The Answer”
*“Who Loves Their Humans More- Cats Or Dogs? * *Here’s The Answer”* by Elyse Wanshel “Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think *you* are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that *they* are god.” - Christopher Hitchens “The never-ending cat vs. dog debate has a new topic that fans of both species can chew on/paw at: which pet loves its humans more? Thanks to a new study done by neuroscienti...more »
Syrian Peace Talks At Risk Of Collapse
*Bloomberg*: *Syria Talks at Risk of Collapse Over Demands From Opposition* * Assad opponents threaten to quit Geneva talks by week end * Russian air campaign bolstering Assad, who's on offensive Syrian opposition groups are threatening to pull out of peace talks before they’re barely off the ground as they demand an end to air strikes against rebel-held areas and other humanitarian measures, risking efforts to end five years of civil war. The High Negotiations Committee, the main opposition group, wants a halt to what it describes as a "massive acceleration" of bombings by Russia ... more »
North Korea Condemned By Its Neighbours For Its Planned Missile Launch
*The Guardian:* *North Korea's planned rocket launch angers US, South Korea and Japan* Japanese prime minister condemns ‘serious provocation’ and Washington demands tougher sanctions for defying UN resolutions The United States, South Korea and Japan have condemned North Korean plans to launch a rocket carrying a satellite – a further major breach of UN resolutions following a nuclear test in January. The International Maritime Organization said it had received a shipping warning from North Korea of its intention to launch an earth observation satellite between 8 and 25 February....more »
Japan Is Building Its Own Artificial Islands
The Asahi Shimbun *South China Morning Post*: *Japan spends millions building structures on uninhabited rocks 1,740 km from Tokyo to mark its territory* The Japanese government is to spend Y13 billion (HK$838.3 million) on rebuilding facilities on Okinotorishima, a tiny atoll 1,740 km south of Tokyo that helps to extend Japan’s exclusive economic zone into the Pacific Ocean. The tiny land mass is only above water because two parts of the coral reef have been protected by concrete embankments and blocks that are designed to prevent them from disappearing beneath the waves for good,... more »
No, Hillary Clinton Did Not Win Iowa Because of a Coin Flip
[image: Clinton - 400] Hillary Clinton claimed victory in the Iowa caucuses Tuesday after topping Democratic rival Bernie Sanders by the skin-of-her-teeth margin of 49.9% to 49.6%. There’s been some confusion about how much of a role -- if any -- coin flips played in determining... Continue reading *“No, Hillary Clinton Did Not Win Iowa Because of a Coin Flip”* at *cnn.com*.
the great weed of 2016: the results are in
Goodbye. A while back, I announced that Allan and I were going to try weeding our books and CD collection. A few months passed until we could find the time, but we've done it. Seven boxes of books and three boxes of CDs will be leaving our lives. Last September, I said this: When I was in my 20s, I wanted to own every book I'd ever read. I was one of those people who believed that my personal library was a statement about myself. I needed to proudly display my politics and my tastes through my bookshelves and records. I loved seeing other people's libraries, and loved when people ... more »
Will Zoo Be Mine? Valentine with Free Printable
If there is one thing that keeps my kids busy, it is animal figures. I keep a small bag of them in my purse at all times and when we get stuck somewhere, I pull them out and the kids are thrilled. My kids love the little animals so much, I thought they would make the perfect little valentine! For This Valentine You Will Need: - The printable (Link at the bottom of this post) - small animal figures - Baker's Twine - a hole punch Print and cut out the printable Valentine. Have your child address them. Punch a hole on either side of the the valentine. Slide baker's t... more »
Makeup use linked to testosterone levels? Not so fast, says retraction
A psychology journal is retracting a 2015 paper that attracted press coverage by suggesting women’s hormone levels drive their desire to be attractive, after a colleague alerted the last author to flaws in the statistical analysis. The paper, published online in November, found women prefer to wear makeup when there is more testosterone present in their […] The post Makeup use linked to testosterone levels? Not so fast, says retraction appeared first on Retraction Watch.
DNA Traces Found of U.S. Marines Killed in Helicopter Crash off Hawaii
[image: Marines - 400] Trace elements of DNA have been discovered from U.S. Marines who died when two helicopters crashed off the coast of Hawaii last month, the Marine Corps said on Tuesday, although no bodies have been found. The death toll of 12... Continue reading *“DNA Traces Found of U.S. Marines Killed in Helicopter Crash off Hawaii”* at *reuters.com*.
How China’s One-Child Policy Led to Forced Abortions, 30 Million Bachelors
[image: one child - 400] Last October, China ended its 35-year-old policy of restricting most urban families to one child. Commonly referred to as the “one-child” policy, the restrictions were actually a collection of rules that governed how many children married couples could have. “The... Continue reading *“How China’s One-Child Policy Led to Forced Abortions, 30 Million Bachelors”* at *npr.org*.
Dear reader: This in my estimation is the most seminal article ever by Paul Craig Roberts. Thus I've switched to large type, and I expect to rerun it from time to time on my blog to catch the attentions of people who miss it this time. The heart of this essay is that "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." And "The charge, 'conspiracy theory,' is used to prevent investigation." PCR then adds an enormous list of distinguished scholars, and even former CIA officers, who are termed "conspiracy theorists" because they easily see through the official stories of false flag attacks created by the government to further enable the military/industrial complex to carry out such unjustified attacks in US and many countries abroad. PCR has the last word: "The neocons’ whores in the Western media who call these people 'conspiracy theorists' are so stupid and unintelligent as to be unqualified to express any opinion."
------------------------------ *There Is No Freedom Without Truth — Paul Craig Roberts * ------------------------------ February 2, 2016 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter There Is No Freedom Without Truth 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 imper... more »
"How Much Folly..."
"Quantum est in rebus inane! How much folly there is in human affairs!" Persius, "Satires. I. 1."
Top U.S. General In Afghanistan Gives Testimony On The Current Security Situation In The Country
*Military Times/Medill News*: *It'll be 2024 before Afghanistan can fully fund its military, U.S. general says* The U.S. faces a years-long financial commitment in Afghanistan but must stay the course despite enduring another difficult year on the ground, Gen. John Campbell, who is ending his tenure as commander of coalition forces there, told lawmakers Tuesday. “Afghanistan is at an inflection point,” Campbell said during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee. “I believe if we do not make deliberate, measured adjustments, 2016 is at risk of being no better, and pos... more »
James Howard Kunstler, "Pretend to the Bitter End: Forecast 2016"
*"Pretend to the Bitter End: Forecast 2016"* by James Howard Kunstler "There’s really one supreme element of this story that you must keep in view at all times: a society (i.e. an economy + a polity = a political economy) based on debt that will never be paid back is certain to crack up. Its institutions will stop functioning. Its business activities will seize up. Its leaders will be demoralized. Its denizens will act up and act out. Its wealth will evaporate. Given where we are in human history — the moment of techno-industrial over-reach — this crackup will not be easy to recove... more »
World News Briefs -- February 3, 2016
*Al Jazeera:* *Syrian army encircles Aleppo as ceasefire talks fade* *Government offensive intensifies around Syria's largest city, threatening to cut off rebel supply routes in the north.* A Syrian military offensive backed by heavy Russian air strikes threatened to cut critical rebel supply lines into the northern city of Aleppo, as peace talks in Switzerland appeared to be in jeopardy on Wednesday. The government attack north of Aleppo that began in recent days is its first major offensive there since Russian air strikes began on September 30. *Read more* .... *MIDDLE EAST* S... more »
Politics 2016: Evangelicals Can Pick the President
[image: Evangelicals - 900] The first votes of the 2016 presidential election were cast yesterday in Iowa, but with ten months to go until the general election, a lot of my fellow evangelicals are already frustrated with this campaign. I get that. Every election... more »
Iraq’s Oil Revenue Drops 45%
Iraq’s oil exports reached new highs in the last few months, but that contributed to the international oil glut. The result was that prices for Iraq’s crude have continued to plummet over the last six months crippling Baghdad’s revenues, and threatened the government’s ability to sustain itself. In January 2015, Iraq exported an average of 3.285 million barrels a day. That was the second highest amount in the post-2003 era with only November recording more at 3.365 million. In fact the last three months have all seen very good numbers. This has been due to the opening of single p... more »
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul Quits 2016 GOP Presidential Race
[image: GOP Presidential Candidates Drop Out List - 900] COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Republican Sen. Rand Paul is dropping his 2016 campaign for president, eclipsed by other candidates who kept his base of support from growing into a viable force in the crowded 2016 field. Campaign spokeswoman Eleanor May... more »
Syria: Government Forces Press Toward Aleppo
[image: Man holding Syrian flag_900] GENEVA (AP) -- An aid convoy is en route to a besieged rebel-held town near Damascus, but Syria’s opposition said Wednesday that such deliveries are meaningless while government troops launch an offensive on Aleppo, further undermining prospects for peace talks... more »
"We Must Pity the Children"
*"We Must Pity the Children"* By Chris Hedges "Larry- not his real name- is 38. He is serving a 30-year sentence for murder in a New Jersey prison. He will not be eligible for parole until 2032, when he will be 55. His impoverished and nightmarish childhood mirrors that of nearly all prisoners I have worked with who were convicted of violent crimes. And as governmental austerity and chronic poverty consume the American landscape, as little is done to blunt poverty's disintegration of families, as mass incarceration and indiscriminant police violence continue to have a catastrophic ... more »
"Los Angeles Police Urge Residents ‘To Protect Themselves’ As Violent Crime Skyrockets"
*"Los Angeles Police Urge Residents * *‘To Protect Themselves’ As Violent Crime Skyrockets"* By Michael Snyder "All over America, rates of violent crime are absolutely soaring. As you will see below, violent crime overall shot up by 20 percent in Los Angeles last year, and the police are telling people that “they need to be able to protect themselves” because the police may not be able to get there in time when they call. Thanks to deep budget cuts, police departments across the nation are already severely undermanned, and our major cities are now seeing crime rates increase at a p...more »
Untitled
*From* *Jenna Orkin* Quote of the Day: *I'm beginning to wonder if all of these conspiracy theories are just part of a big conspiracy to distract us from real conspiracies*. First Case Of Sexually Transmitted Zika Virus Confirmed In Texas Brazil Grants Forced Entry Into Private Properties To Hunt Zika Virus Full Summary Of Chinese Actions To Prevent An All-Out Economic Collapse Germany Unveils "Cash Controls" Push: Ban Transactions Over €5,000, €500 Euro Note 10 things you probably don't know about sovereign wealth funds The Sanders campaign is asking 'Bernie Bros' to shut up Retail A... more »
THE YEAR OF THE LIBERAL: Lessons in loathing around the world!
*WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2016Interlude—Trailer parks, bigots and us:* What the heck are we the humans secretly actually like? On the front page of today's New York Times, we receive one gruesome example. It involves the assassination of a fourth-grader, a ten year old boy. From Kabul, Mashal and Shah did the front-page report. Their report starts like this: MASHAL AND SHAH (2/3/16): *The Afghan government declared Wasil Ahmad a hero* for leading a militia’s defense against a Taliban siege last year, parading him in front of cameras in a borrowed police uniform too big for him. ... more »
EFN Asia 55, Presentation by Tom Palmer in Bhutan 2015
Among the theoretical presentations during the EFN Asia Conference 2015 in Bhutan was made by Tom Palmer of Atlas. Reposting some slides and other discussions, in italics, below. *Happiness and Satisfaction. * *Happiness, if understood as joy or contentment, it may be present today and gone tomorrow. * *Life satisfaction, on the other hand, seems both more stable and easier to compare across cultures.* *“The poor man's son, whom heaven in its anger has visited with ambition, when he begins to look around him, admires the condition of the rich.. ... He thinks if he had attained all... more »
CIA Rendition Plane Flew Over Scottish Airspace To Capture Snowden In 2013
The British government is facing demands to reveal details of a secret flight through Scottish airspace which was at the centre of a plot to capture whistleblower Edward Snowden in June 2103 The plane, (which was used in controversial US ‘rendition’ missions) passed above the Outer Hebrides, the Highlands and Aberdeenshire, was dispatched from the American east coast on June 24 2013, the day after Snowden left Hong Kong for Moscow. The National reports: Reports by Scottish journalist Duncan Campbell claim the flight, travelling well above the standard aviation height at 45,000 feet ...more »
Pilot of Plane Hit by Explosion Describes Unfolding Scene
[image: In this photo taken Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, a hole is seen in a plane operated by Daallo Airlines as it sits on the runway of the airport in Mogadishu, Somalia. A gaping hole in the commercial airliner forced it to make an emergency landing at Mogadishu's international airport late Tuesday officials and witnesses said. (AP Photo)] MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- The pilot of a passenger plane that was damaged in an explosion and fire over Somalia described on Wednesday how the crew jumped into action to fly the plane back to Mogadishu airport and keep the... more »
2001 Fujii papers retracted — finally. What took so long?
Nearly four years after an analysis of more than 160 papers by Yoshitaka Fujii concluded the chances the data were authentic were infinitesimally small, the British Journal of Ophthalmology has decided to formally retract one of the papers included in that review. The name Yoshitaka Fujii should ring a bell — an alarm bell, in fact […] The post 2001 Fujii papers retracted — finally. What took so long? appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Eurozone Economy ‘Losing Steam’ Amid Market Turmoil
[image: Pedestrians are reflected on an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 chart at a securities firm in Tokyo, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016. Asian shares stumbled Wednesday as another steep drop in the price of oil reinforced worries about the potential impact on the world economy of job cuts and reduced investment in the energy industry. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)] LONDON (AP) -- The economic recovery in the 19-country eurozone lost steam in January, a closely watched survey found Wednesday, a sign that the turmoil in global financial markets is beginning to weigh on busin... more »
Who's Revolting?-- The Koch Deal With Rubio
The Koch brothers (and their dark money network) is part of the "anybody but Herr Trumpf" wing of the GOP-- with the money to fund an effort to destroy Trumpf's candidacy. But they'd rather not spend that money, not if they can watch him fall apart on his own, the way he did in Iowa Monday night. Last weekend, one donor who attended the Koch network’s winter retreat in Coachella told *The Hill* that the Koch brothers themselves are always very hesitant to get involved in a primary, but "if they were going to do it, this would be the time because they just hate the guy." Both off... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 3, 2016
Soldiers patrolling near the Eiffel Tower. Credit Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times *New York Times:* *Terror Threats Thaw Budgets Across Europe* PARIS — A phalanx of soldiers wearing bulletproof vests and wielding machine guns fanned out beneath the Eiffel Tower on a recent afternoon, scanning the crowd for potential terrorist threats. Across the country, nearly 10,000 more armed troops patrolled streets around landmarks, stores and government buildings. France is spending nearly 1 million euros a day on the heightened security, part of a renewed surge in European military ... more »
Abortion is the Wrong Solution to Zika-Caused Microcephaly
[image: measuring baby's head - 900] The World Health Organization has warned that 4 million people in Latin America could be infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus before the epidemic comes under control. You can have Zika without knowing it. Most cases are mild fever, rash,... more »
Tornadoes in the South; Snow in Plains and Upper Midwest
[image: Debris lies on the ground near First Baptist Church of Collinsville in Lauderdale County, Miss., after it was severely damaged during a storm Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. Authorities say a large tornado in rural western Alabama left a trail of damage as powerful storms moved into the state. (Paula Merritt /The Meridian Star via AP)] JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Heavy rain prompted an apartment evacuation in northwest Georgia one day after storms spawned tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama and dumped snow on places farther west. The National Weather Service, citing a report from an emerg... more »
The US Debt Just Exceeded $19 Trillion. Here’s How We Got Here.
[image: president Barack Obama] On Monday the U.S. national debt hit a new record: $19,012,827,698,418. This is the first time the national debt has ever exceeded $19 trillion. That's more than $58,000 for each person who lives in the U.S. today (including children). The main... more »
Monthly Rainfall Becoming Less Extreme In South West
By Paul Homewood Yesterday I looked at claims that “carbon emissions” had made the extreme rainfall seen during January 2014 in southern England more likely. Today I am going to zoom in on the South West, where flooding was most acute. We can see from the Met Office data below that […]
Behind Structural Power Lies Structuring Power
This is a guest post by Henry Farrell, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University, and Abraham Newman, Associate Professor in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and the Government Department at Georgetown University, as part of the Duck of Minerva’s Symposium on Structural Power and the Study of Business. […]
Back To Citizens
http://www.civiceducationva.org/a21.html Susan Delacourt writes that, when Parliamentary reporters used to converge on Bob Rae to ask him how the issues of the day affected taxpayers, he used to correct them: “You mean *citizens*,” Rae would say. It's interesting to track the use of the word *taxpayer*: Google has a little gadget called ‘Ngram Viewer’ (it really needs a better name) which allows you to track the popularity of words over the past couple of centuries. You put selected words into the search engine and it tracks how often they’ve ... more »
Olympics Might Allow Men Pretending to be Women to Compete as Women
[image: runners - 900] If you are a true egalitarian, if you actually believe in the equality, that is, the sameness of the sexes in every respect and are not lying, exaggerating, or signaling your cultural holiness, then you must advocate the complete and... more »
Is the Internet Losing Freedom of Speech?
[image: Censorship - 900] Policy analyst Kaleev Leetaru laments, Over the last two months I have written extensively on the many ways in which the evolving and globalizing world of the Internet is shifting away from being the flag bearer of free-for-all freedom of... more »
Judge Could Rule on Cosby Bid to Toss Sex-Assault Charges
[image: Bill Cosby waves to cheering fans as he leaves after a court appearance Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, in Norristown, Pa. Cosby was arrested and charged with drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home in January 2004. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)] NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- A suburban Philadelphia judge hopes to decide whether to dismiss a sexual assault case against actor Bill Cosby over an unwritten promise of immunity a former prosecutor says he gave Cosby’s now-deceased lawyer a decade ago.... more »
This State Could Soon Become First to Stop Transgender Students from Using Opposite-Sex Bathrooms
[image: high school student bathrooms] South Dakota could soon become the first state in the nation to pass legislation that would ban students from using public school bathrooms, locker rooms and showers that are opposite from their biological sex. "I'm concerned about what I see... more »
French Government Wants to Extend the State of Emergency
[image: In this Nov. 13, 2015, file photo, a woman is evacuated from the Bataclan concert hall after gunmen attacked the venue in Paris. New video released Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016, by the Islamic State group shows the extremists who carried out the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris committing atrocities in IS-controlled territory while plotting the slaughter in the French capital. The video shows the extent of the planning that went into the operation, which French authorities have said from the beginning was planned in Syria. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)] PARIS (AP) -- France’s government i... more »
UN Atomic Agency Suggests Nuclear Radiation To Fight Zika Mosquitos
The U.N. atomic agency said on Tuesday that rendering male mosquitoes infertile by exposing them to nuclear radiation could help reduce populations of the insect carrying the Zika virus What could possible go wrong? RT reports: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the so-called Sterile Insect Technology (SIT) can help tackle the outbreak which has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). IAEA experts are set to meet with Brazilian officials on February, 16, Reuters reported Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador are among other states ...more »
Pentagon’s Office Of Testing And Evaluation: 'The F-35 Has Too Many Bugs'
*Patrick Tucker, Defense One*: *The F-35’s Terrifying Bug List* *The Pentagon’s top testing official has weighed and measured the F-35 and found it wanting. * The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, the most expensive military program in the world, is even more broken than previously thought. The jet can’t tell old parts from new ones, randomly prevents user logins, and trying to eject out of it will likely result in serious neck injury and maybe death. A Pentagon office is warning that the plane is being rushed into service. The Pentagon’s office of testing and evaluation on Monda... more »
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*Yes, fighting climate change means Louisiana oil workers will lose jobs ~Jonathan Henderson, The Lens*
Are You a Tooth Grinder? How To Prevent Worsening Symptoms
* Megan Minogue * - Bruxism, or teeth grinding, affects 8-10% of all adults. Here are some possible treatments. The post Are You a Tooth Grinder? How To Prevent Worsening Symptoms appeared first on Waking Times.
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*Meet the British students fighting campus censorship* If there’s one thing that really gets on my nerves, it’s the idea that students today are uniquely intolerant. The explosion of campus censorship in recent years has made bashing campus politicos a kind of commentariat pastime, with fortysomething columnists wheeling the little blue-haired pillocks out each week to give them a good kicking. But while the students’ union censors deserve everything they get, all too often campus censorship has been painted as a generational phenomenon – as if undergraduates appeared from the womb... more »
Heading to New Hampshire, Cruz Remembers Lessons of 2000 Bush Campaign
[image: Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign event on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt)] ABOARD THE CRUZ CAMPAIGN AIRCRAFT (AP) -- Except for the crumbs on his shirt, Ted Cruz’s doughnuts are gone. And as midnight nears during a flight to New Hampshire, the newly minted winner of Iowa’s presidential caucuses begins telling a... more »
Rubio Could See Campaign Fortunes Rise From Iowa Finish
[image: Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks at a caucus night rally, Monday, Feb. 1, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Marco Rubio’s strong third-place finish in Iowa could sound like a starting gun to the Republican Party’s top donors. For months, many of these benefactors have been sitting on the sidelines or spreading their money around to... more »
Iowa Shows Polling Is Slippery Business — And Getting Harder
[image: A volunteer tallies votes for a precinct at a Republican Party Caucus inside Keokuk High School on February 1, 2016 in Keokuk, Iowa. Ted Cruz felled long-time Republican frontrunner Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton was battled into a virtual tie with rival Bernie Sanders, as Iowans held the inaugural vote of the 2016 White House race. / AFP / Michael B. Thomas (Photo credit should read MICHAEL B. THOMAS/AFP/Getty Images)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Iowa’s snow-covered fields and friendly villages were fraught with danger for pollsters, who had a tough time pinning down the ... more »
Untitled
*Wotta lotta bull...* *England had a lot of flooding last year, caused mainly by neglect of flood defences during 13 years of Labour party rule. But Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all below are determined to say it was all caused by global warming. You immediately begin to wonder why they bother. Since there has been no global warming for many years it can't have caused ANYTHING! See the graph belowSo the article is solid BS from beginning to end. But it's just modelling anyway, which proves nothing. Actual data were obviously too boring for them. The sad thing is that some ... more »
New ‘Sniper’ App Will Search The Web For Anti-Semitism
The World Zionist Organization (WZO) is about to launch a new app which they say will be a search engine for content that is anti- Semitic. Using a new algorithm, the ‘sniper’ app will be able scan the net looking for anti-Jewish content. Once checked, action can be takes as needed. Desert Peace reports: The Sniper system is set up to scan the internet using an algorithm that will identify certain keywords in different languages. A crew of WZO members will scan the results, confirm the cases that actually show real anti-Semitism, and respond with direct replies or contact authoritie... more »
Record Warmth In January (1916!)
By Paul Homewood There was an awful lot of fuss a month ago, when it was announced that December 2015 was the warmest on record in the UK. Even though the previous record had stood since 1934, it did not stop the usual suspects from screaming global warming. Well they’re a lot quieter […]
U.S. Navy SEAL (Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator) Edward Byers To Receive The Meal Of Honor
(Photo: DoD) *Navy Times:* *Navy SEAL to receive Medal of Honor for U.S. civilian rescue in Afghanistan* A senior enlisted SEAL will be the first sailor in a decade to receive the Medal of Honor, for a mission to rescue an American civilian hostage in Afghanistan in 2012, according to a Tuesday release from the White House. President Obama will present Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Edward Byers with the nation's highest award for valor in a Feb. 29 ceremony at the White House, the release said. Byers’ actions were so clearly beyond expectation, even for a Navy SEAL,... more »
Obama to Make First Visit of His Presidency to a U.S. Mosque Today
[image: In this Thursday, June 4, 2009 file photo, U.S. President Barack Obama, 2nd right, tours the Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo, Egypt, with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, 2nd left, Iman Abdel Fateh at left and Dr. Zahi Hawass, right. Obama's first visit to a U.S. mosque comes as Muslim-Americans say they're confronting increasing levels of bias in speech and deeds. Obama is scheduled to visit the Islamic Society of Baltimore on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama’s first visit to a U.S. mosque comes ... more »
Ammon Bundy: Oregon Refuge ‘Belongs to the People’
[image: Jennifer Williams, who owns a small ranch outside of Burns, Ore., said she arrived at the demonstrations to send a message that the standoff supporters don’t represent the voice of the community 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. (Molly Young/The Oregonian via AP)] PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The leader of an armed group that took over an Oregon wildlife preserve to protest federal land policies is remaining defiant behind bars. While Ammon Bundy o... more »
Annulment in the Roman Catholic Church
Although all marriages start with the premise that they will continue for a lifetime, it is a sad fact of modern life that many marriages do not last. The rate of marital break-up is significant and does not vary materially between Roman Catholics and others. AN ANNULMENT WILL ALLOW YOU TO GET RE-MARRIED The main difference when a Roman Catholic marriage fails as opposed to that of, say, a non-believer, is that without a formal granting of an annulment by the Roman Catholic Church, the Roman Catholics involved cannot remarry within the Church. YOUR CHILDREN WILL STILL BE CONSIDER...more »
Did Someone Attempt To Blow Up An East African Passenger Airliner?
*CNN*: *Blast blows hole in commercial plane over Somalia; 1 falls and dies* Nairobi, Kenya (CNN)An explosion rocked a commercial plane after it set off above East Africa on Tuesday, injuring two people before the pilot landed safely, a passenger said. Somali authorities later discovered a body near Mogadishu they believe fell from the Daallo Airlines plane. Late Tuesday night, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that Somali authorities confirmed one passenger had been blown or ejected out of the hole created by the explosion. Somalia's National News Agency repo... more »
Mad as Hell … or Mad as Heaven?
[image: determination] It feels like we are living in the 1976 award-winning film Network. I feel surrounded by people throwing open their windows, leaning out and yelling, "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!" (Caution for a... more »
Why string theory, by Joseph Conlon
I have received a free copy of "Why String Theory" by Joseph Conlon, a young Oxford string theorist who has done successful specialized work related either to the moduli stabilization of the flux vacua, or to the axions in string theory. (He's been behind the website whystringtheory.com, too.) The 250-page-long paperback looks modern and tries to be more technical than popular books but less technical than string theory textbooks. Unfortunately, I often feel that "more technical than a popular book" mostly means that the book uses some kind of an intellectual jargon – but the nontr... more »
Iran Boasts That They Were Able To Obtain Extensive Info From The Cell Phones And Laptops Confiscated From The 10 American Sailors Last Month
*Washington Free Beacon*: Iran’s Naval Commander: We Took Extensive Info From American Sailors’ Phones, Laptops IRGC also has more footage of sailors’ detention. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) naval commander claimed Monday that his men harvested extensive information from cell phones and laptops confiscated from the 10 American sailors held in custody last month, according to Iranian media. The Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, reported that Admiral Ali Fadavi made the admission during a session of Iranian parliament. “We have extracted ex... more »
Was U.K. Involved In A Plot To Capture NSA Leaker Edward Snowden?
Edward Snowden appears in the trailer for the film Citizenfour. Praxis Films via YouTube *The National*: *Secret US flight flew over Scottish airspace 'to capture Snowden’* THE UK GOVERNMENT is facing demands to reveal the details of a secret flight through Scottish airspace which was at the centre of a plot to capture whistleblower Edward Snowden. The plane, which passed above the Outer Hebrides, the Highlands and Aberdeenshire, was dispatched from the American east coast on June 24 2013, the day after Snowden left Hong Kong for Moscow. The craft was used in controversial US ‘re... more »
Barr House, by Claude Megson (1972)
[image: Pool-East] Built in Auckland’s Meadowbank back in 1972, the Barr House – on a small suburban site embracing a bush reserve – is described by Megson biographer Giles Reid as one of the finest spaces he has ever been in. Yet, astonishingly, up until now it has been all but unpublished. *If there is a reason for this omission [says Reid], it is not due to the building’s lack of importance. The Barr House represents a huge advance in [Megson’s] ability to conceive and manipulate space. Of all [Megson’s houses discussed in Reid’s monograph], its spaces and forms are by far the ... more »
(Like Santorum, Vote Recount Awaited in Iowa?) Dirty Lawyers Running U.S.? (Continuity Government in U.S. Must Be Ended If Too-Big/Well-Connected-To-Fail Will Ever End) Democracy of the Billionaires (Grass Roots Fired Up?)
Even if the recount of the raw votes that Bernie Sanders has called for doesn't reveal a different winner, he has still pulled off a stunning victory. Losing by less than 1/2 a percentage point is hardly a loss against the most well-known self-proclaiming winner politico in the country. Sanders’ upset is even more notable when taken in the context of older polls. Surveys throughout the fall
Top Journalist Admits On Air That News Agenda Is Set By Government
A retired broadcaster who ran one of Germany’s major television networks has gone on-air and admitted that his network and others take orders from the government on what they can and can’t report. Breitbart.com reports: National public service broadcaster Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF), which was recently forced into a humiliating apology for their silence on migrant violence and sex assault is being drawn into a fresh scandal after one of their former bureau chiefs admitted the company takes orders from the government on what it reports. He said journalists received instruction... more »
Sanders Says Hillary Win In Iowa Is Down To Voting Fraud
Bernie Sanders is demanding a raw vote count from the Iowa caucuses, due to concerns over voter fraud and missing votes. Hngn.com reports: Concerns were raised about voter fraud after C-Span released a video showing that a caucus chairperson from Polk County, the state’s most populous county, and a Hillary Clinton precinct captain failed to conduct a count of the caucusgoers. The Sanders campaign said that the Iowa Democratic Party also failed to properly staff 90 Iowa precincts and, therefore, did not collect results, which accounted for about 5 percent of all votes cast in the st... more »
ISIS Preparing For Subway Attack In Russia
Russian authorities are urgently tracking down three ISIS militants who they say are planning to attack the subways in cities across Russia. Fort Russ reports: Among them are two female suicide bombers, one of whom is a citizen of Saudi Arabia named Majida al-Salali. “The citizens of Saudi Arabia and Tunisia went from Syria to Turkey, from where they planned to go to the territory of the Russian Federation under the guise of tourists,” said a source in law enforcement, — after which the terrorists are planning to organize terrorist attacks in the subway of Yekaterinburg and St. Pet... more »
Nigerian General Accused Of War Crimes Reinstated To His Command
*Voice of America*:* Amnesty Condemns Reinstatement of Nigerian General Accused of War Crimes* LONDON — Human rights group Amnesty International has strongly criticized the reinstatement of a Nigerian army commander, who it says is implicated in war crimes during the country’s battle with Islamist Boko Haram militants. The Nigerian government has denied the accusations. In one of the most disturbing allegations, Amnesty International says the Nigerian military executed more than 640 prisoners who briefly escaped during an attack by Boko Haram on a detention center in Giwa in March... more »
Refugee appeal
Can anyone explain why the BBC is carpet-bombing its early morning radio 4 news bulletins with what seems to be a nine-month old hyperbolic story emoting Israel’s malevolence, involving the ubiquitous “The BBC has learned”? It goes something like this: It is alleged that 40,000 African (Eritrean and Sudanese) refugees in Israel are being given the choice of jail for life or being deported to (other) African countries in s*ecretive* deals, considered *illegal *under international law, though Israel disputes this.” (Not verbatim) This announcement headed news bulletins at 5:30 am and ... more »
Military Photo of the Day: February 3, 2016
[image: Drop Zone-900] A U.S. Air Force survival, evasion, resistance and escape instructor demonstrates an overt method for marking a drop zone during a training exercise at Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida on Jan. 19, 2016. Wow! Thanks to Staff Sgt. Christopher S.... more »
Gas Leak In California An ‘Invisible Tsunami’, Say Experts
An ‘invisible tsunami’ of methane gas has been pouring out from a broken well in Los Angeles, causing thousands to become ill as people’s lives and business’ have been turned upside down for over three months, as residents wait for the gas company to take action once and for all. Huffingtonpost.com reports: The rotten-smelling air in and around the Porter Ranch community will begin to clear when the well is permanently sealed. And Southern California Gas Company, which operates the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility where the leak originated, says it expects to have the leak stopped... more »
Israel Launches Cyber War Against Boycott Movement
Israel have vowed to launch a cyber war against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, threatening to monitor, track and thwart their activities online, as well as attack them with the latest tools. Middleeastmonitor.com reports: Israel Hayom newspaper reported: “Israel is facing a campaign to de-legitimise it. It penetrates into a certain extent; up to the secretary-general of the United Nations,” noting that it is a new battle in its “own stadium: the cyber space”. It quoted the Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Gilad Erdan, as saying that the statements of th... more »
UN Say United States Must Pay Compensation For Slavery
A UN panel of experts has issued a scathing attack of the plight of black people in the United States, urging American authorities to establish a body who would be responsible for making reparations to the descendants of Africans who were brought to the US and sold into slavery. Vice News reports: Speaking at a press conference in Washington, DC, three members of the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent said that Congress should pass the Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act, a bill that Michigan Representative John Conyers last intr... more »
Paul Craig Roberts: West Is Moving Towards Economic Ruin
Paul Craig Roberts has said that Michael Hudson is not only the best economist in the world, but he is the only real economic in the world. Almost all of the others are “neoliberals” – not economists at all, but shills for financial interests. Paulcraigroberts.org reports: If you have not heard of Michael Hudson it merely shows the power of the Matrix. Hudson should have won several Nobel prizes in economics, but he will never get one. Hudson did not intend to be an economist. At the University of Chicago, which had a leading economics faculty, Hudson studied music and cultural hist... more »
Young US Voters Revolting Against The Establishment
Bernie Sanders’ near tie with Hillary Clinton in the Iowa caucuses on Monday shows that US voters are revolting against the establishment, against politicians, and are determined to take their power back, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein has said. Sputniknews.com reports: Sanders has long been dismissed by political pundits and trailed Clinton by as much as 40 percentage points just a few months ago. But on Tuesday morning, results showed that Clinton only narrowly won in Iowa, 49.8% to 49.6%. The surging popularity of Sanders, culminating in the virtual tie, shows that... more »
New OECD tax agreement improves transparency -- but the US doesn't sign and the US press won't tell you UPDATED
Last week 31 countries signed a new Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) agreement providing for country-by-country corporate information reporting and the automatic exchange of tax info between countries under the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA). Country-by-country reporting, the brainchild of noted tax reformer Richard Murphy,* is a principle that makes it possible to detect tax avoidance by requiring companies to list their activities in each country (nature of business, number of employees, assets, sales, profit, etc.) and how much tax t... more »
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?
*A farm above Namaxia.* 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 businessmen in China: Yi-Wen Yu, Ko-Chia Yu and Tse-Chun Lin (2016): *Political Economy of ... 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 think... 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 »
Could Cruz have said "Allahu Ackbar"? Acceptable Expressions of Religious Faith in the United States
"Let me first of all say, to god be the glory." - From Ted Cruz's victory speech in Iowa "I’m a Christian first, American second, conservative third and Republican fourth. I’ll tell ya, there are a whole lot of people in this country that feel exactly the same way." - Ted Cruz while campaigning for Iowa I keep on reflecting on the fact that not only was what Cruz said acceptable but was said with the expectation that it would garner him votes. And he's almost certainly right. I want to be clear that I don't think an American should have to hide his or her faith. Or lack of faith. B... 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 »
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Watch: Rand Paul DESTROYS Marco Rubio For Backing Controversial Obama/Schumer Immigration Bill At CNN Presidential Debate(conservativeintel.com)
DHS prohibited from looking at visa applicants' social media posts(redalertpolitics.com)
Mass transit riders to get same tax break as motorists(nydailynews.com)
Sen. Chuck Schumer, others laud inclusion of Zadroga measure in spending package(newsday.com)
Lobbyists Declare Victory After Visa Reform Measure Dies Quietly(6abc.com)
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