Conservatives Shouldn’t Throw Around ‘Republican Obama’ Label Lightly
[image: Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio talk after a Republican presidential primary debate, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, in Des Moines, Iowa.] “The Republican Obama.” That’s the new hot attack on Sen. Marco Rubio. Ted Cruz leveled the epithet at Rubio just days before the Iowa caucuses, which is a little ironic since Cruz has been called the same thing in the... more »
The Islamic State Is Still Expanding
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *David Ignatius, Washington Post:* *The Islamic State is still on the rise* Republican and Democratic presidential candidates should be able to agree on one stark foreign policy reality: The tide hasn’t turned in the war against the Islamic State. In the 18 months that the United States has been working to “degrade and ultimately destroy” the group, it has grown to become a global force that can strike targets in Europe, Asia, Africa and America. The self-declared “caliphate” that in June 2014 was localized in Iraq and Syria now has nearly 50 affiliat... more »
Who Lost In The Iowa Democratic Caucus? And Why Bernie Won
*-by Melody Siegler* Hillary Clinton crows that she won in Iowa. That’s surely what she sounded like she was doing her "victory" speech. So, of course, Bernie Sanders lost. Hmmm… but who actually lost? Before getting into that, here is one of several reports about the improbable coin toss: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won six back-to-back coin tosses against opponent Bernie Sander's camp at a half-dozen Iowa precincts where voting results were too close to call Tuesday morning-- a mathematical feat that raised eyebrows and a few questions. The 1-in-64 odds... more »
India Announce World’s First Zika Virus Vaccine
An Indian pharmaceutical company has announced a Zika virus vaccine, and says it plans on trialling it in two weeks time. Bharat Biotech are scheduled to begin pre-clinical trials for the world’s first Zika vaccine candidate. Good.is reports: Bharat Biotech started developing a Zika vaccine months before the current outbreak, applying lessons the company learned producing vaccines for chikungunya and dengue, which are spread by the same species of mosquito. Last July it filed paperwork to globally patent two vaccine candidates, but is now directly urging Prime Minister Narendra Mod... more »
French Government Wants To Extend Martial Law
The French government have announced plans to extend the state of emergency currently implemented across France, meaning the country faces remaining in a state of martial law for the foreseeable future. Following the Paris terror attacks last year, a temporary state of emergency was declared that allowed authorities new police-state powers, putting the nation on virtual lockdown. The new powers include allowing authorities to detain people without trial, search homes without a warrant, and block websites that authorities believe to be a problem. Now, those police-state powers could ... more »
U.S. Border Agents Told To Stand Down, Allow Illegals To Enter
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have been told to stand down and allow illegal immigrants to enter the United States, meaning that numerous illegals currently being detained or awaiting deportation hearings are to be allowed into America. The new policy will also mean that illegals are not allowed to be tracked once they enter the country. Washingtonexaminer.com reports: “We might as well abolish our immigration laws altogether,”suggested agent Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council. Testifying on the two-year border surge of immigrant youths, Judd s...more »
Asteriod Potentially Comes Closer to Earth than Moon
I thought NASA announced that it knew of NO asteroids that would be anywhere close to Earth for years! Close call? Asteroid could pass Earth by 11k miles, 95% closer than the moon. RT, 4 Feb, 2016 02:53 https://www.rt.com/usa/331215-asteroid-pass-earth-moon/ A recently discovered asteroid is scheduled to fly by Earth in March, but NASA can’t quite tell how far away it will be when that happens. One estimate is as close as 11,000 miles, about 95 percent closer than the moon...
Why Russia's Counter Terrorism Strategy Is Working In Syria
© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation *Daniel Byman, War On the Rocks*:* Death Solves All Problems: The Authoritarian Counterinsurgency Toolkit* Bashar al-Assad should be losing. His regime has slaughtered civilians, turned Syria’s people against one another, politicized the country’s military, maintained a discriminatory political system, and won neither hearts nor minds. Yet he has defied skeptics and still hangs on to power. Nor is Assad the lonely dictator killing his way to victory. Algeria, China, and Egypt are confronting insurgencies and are largely trying to rep... more »
Energy 56, Cost effectiveness of different energy sources
Among the presentations that I enjoyed during the EPDP Conference 2016 last month held at New World Hotel in Makati were the UPSE graduate student papers. There were 5 papers from 5 presenters, all good. In particular, I like this paper by Ms. Bajaro, reposting here. ----------- *The Cost-Effectiveness of the Energy Sources in the Philippines* By DONNA FAYE E. BAJARO This proposal seeks to analyze the least cost-effective energy technologies in the Philippines. Specifically, this intends to know the following: i. Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) ii. Levelized Avoided Cost of Ener... more »
Russia Accuses Turkey Of Allowing Terrorists Through Their Borders
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Turkey of allowing known terrorists to cross their borders into the Middle east and Northern Africa to join extremist groups such as ISIS. According to Lavrov Ankara rarely detains or hands over Russians who travel through Turkey to terrorist organisations. “Russia has emphasized time and time again its concern over the growing terrorist threats in Turkey and the lack of preparedness of the Turkish authorities to cooperate in the fight against terrorism. In particular, regardless of our numerous requests, Ankara refuses, with rare ... more »
Asia & MENA Report ( February 4, 2016 ) 1. Japan Updates Of Note - Recession looming / JGB 10 Year "NIPPING " ? NIRP Hitting Money Market Orders . 2. China Updates For Thursday & Friday - Financial Sphere Coming Underdone / Getting Away For New Years Celebration Just in Time . 3. Syria In Focus - Without Doubt , Three Headed Combination Of Russia Airstrikes / Revitalized SAA & Allied Ground Forces - Hezbollah & Militias Grinding Up Syrian Opposition. 4. Libya Items Of the Day - Strange , Stranger , Strangest Yet Libya Political Situation Continues. Waiting For When Will There Be A Fourth Gov't . 5. Odds & Ends.
Evening Wrap ....... Asia *zerohedge* @zerohedge 1h 1 hour ago Japan’s Recession Chances Highest Since Dec. 2012: BBG. Hasn't Japan been in three recessions since 2012? *zerohedge* @zerohedge 1h 1 hour ago Yield on Japan’s 10-year govt bonds drops 1.5 bps to 0.035%. Let's do this Peter Panic *zerohedge* @zerohedge 1h 1 hour ago Nomura Asset Management Suspends Money Market Funds Orders on BOJ Neg. Rates: BBG *zerohedge* @zerohedge 2h 2 hours ago Kyle Bass Asks If China Is Fine, Why Are They Worried About "Some Hedge Fund M... more »
Russia Accuses Turkey of Preparing to Invade Syria
[image: Russian spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov.] MOSCOW (AP) -- The Russian military said Thursday that it has “reasonable grounds” to suspect that Turkey is making intensive preparations for a military invasion of neighboring Syria. Images of a checkpoint on the border between the Turkish town of... more »
Lawmakers Accuse Feds of ‘Stealth Land Grab’ to Stop an Arizona Mining Project
[image: The Tonto National Forest in Arizona.] The National Parks Service (NPS) may be trying to stop an Arizona mining project by quickly and quietly creating a historical district on federal lands that would make such projects much harder to get approved. Federal lawmakers have sent letters... more »
Should Hillary Clinton’s Security Clearance Be Revoked?
*Eli Lake & Josh Rogin, Bloomberg:* *Clinton’s Security Clearance Is Under Scrutiny* Now that several e-mails on Hillary Clinton's private server have been classified, there is a more immediate question than the outcome of the investigation: Should the former secretary of state retain her security clearance during the inquiry? Congressional Republicans and Democrats offer predictably different answers. The State Department announced Friday that it would not release 22 e-mails from Clinton’s private server after a review found they contained information designated as top secret. U.... more »
Musical Interlude: Supertramp, “The Logical Song”
Supertramp, “The Logical Song” - https://www.youtube.com/
"A Look to the Heavens"
"In the lower left corner, surrounded by blue spiral arms, is spiral galaxy M81. In the upper right corner, marked by red gas and dust clouds, is irregular galaxy M82. This stunning vista shows these two mammoth galaxies locked in gravitational combat, as they have been for the past billion years. The gravity from each galaxy dramatically affects the other during each hundred million-year pass. *Click image for larger size.* Last go-round, M82's gravity likely raised density waves rippling around M81, resulting in the richness of M81's spiral arms. But M81 left M82 with violent star... more »
Chet Raymo, "As Time Goes By"
* "As Time Goes By"* by Chet Raymo "Is time something that is defined by the ticking of a cosmic clock, God's wristwatch say? Time doesn't exist except for the current tick. The past is irretrievably gone. The future does not yet exist. Consciousness is awareness of a moment. Or is time a dimension like space? We move through time as we move through space. The past is still there; we're just not there anymore. The future exists; we'll get there. We experience time as we experience space, say, by looking out the window of a moving train. Or is time… Physicists and philosophers have... more »
"The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth..."
"In the last few years, the very idea of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is dredged up only as a final resort when the alternative options of deception, threat and bribery have all been exhausted." - Michael Musto
"Psychopaths: 'Intra-species Predators'"
*"Psychopaths: 'Intra-species Predators'"* by Various Authors *A comment:* Sometimes what’s happening in this world seems nearly indescribably insane. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote, “Once you’ve eliminated the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” Wars, economic crises, fiscal madness, none of these things just happen spontaneously, all by themselves. Perhaps there is a logical explanation. You'll find many posts about psychopathy on this blog, for very good reasons. It would explain much... - CP • *"Study: Psychopaths Have 'Potholed' Brains"* by Kate ...more »
"Brain Difference in Psychopaths Identified"
"Brain Differences in Psychopaths Identified" by Louise Pratt "Professor Declan Murphy and colleagues Dr Michael Craig and Dr Marco Catani from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London have found differences in the brain which may provide a biological explanation for psychopathy. The results of their study are outlined in the paper 'Altered connections on the road to psychopathy', published in 'Molecular Psychiatry.' The research investigated the brain biology of psychopaths with convictions that included attempted murder, manslaughter, multiple rape with strangulation ... more »
Scientists hide uncertainties about (Man Made) Climate Change
*Such deceit has no place in science.* Michael Bastasch, writing for the Daily Caller: Here’s Why Scientists Hide Their Doubts About Global Warming In The Media A recent study looking into how scientists explain global warming uncertainty to the public has some interesting findings: Many scientists don’t actually talk about uncertainty when speaking to journalists. The study by German researcher Senja Post of University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany surveyed 300 Scientists. The study was published in the journal Public Understanding of Science *January 2016 *vol. 25 no. 1 *61-70 *(LIN... more »
We cannot “Take control of Davis’ mean streets,” if we don't “Take control of Davis’ mean labor costs”
Quin Denvir, a lawyer who lives in Davis and became nationally famous when he defended Ted Kaczynski, wrote a letter to The Davis Enterprise today titled, “Take control of Davis’ mean streets.” After expressing outrage that “the streets of downtown Davis have become dangerous on weekend and holiday nights, including a murder, stabbings, beatings and sexual assaults,” Mr. Denvir makes two suggestions: *“First, impose a 10:30 last drink and 12:30 closing for drink establishments on those nights.”* I have no idea why anyone thinks closing earlier will make any difference. If the pr... more »
"The Sociopath Next Door"
*"The Sociopath Next Door"* by Martha Stout ‧ "Imagine - if you can - not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members. Imagine no struggles with shame, not a single one in your whole life, no matter what kind of selfish, lazy, harmful, or immoral action you had taken. And pretend that the concept of responsibility is unknown to you, except as a burden others seem to accept without question, like gullible fools. Now add to this strange fantasy the... more »
"Recognizing Happiness: Analyzing the Path"
*"Recognizing Happiness: Analyzing the Path"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM "When we take the time to recognize when we are happy and what that feels like, it becomes easier to recreate. Those of us on the path of personal and spiritual growth have a tendency to analyze our unhappiness in order to find the causes and make improvements. But it is just as important, if not more so, to analyze our happiness. Since we have the ability to rise above and observe our emotions, we can recognize when we are feeling joyful and content. Then we can harness the power of the moment by savoring ... more »
United Nations Report: Burundi Rebels Have Been Trained By The Rwandan Military
*Reuters:* *Exclusive: Burundi rebels say trained by Rwandan military - U.N. experts* A confidential report to the United Nations Security Council accuses Rwanda of recruiting and training Burundian refugees with the goal of ousting Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza. The report by experts who monitor sanctions on Democratic Republic of Congo, which was seen by Reuters on Wednesday, contained the strongest testimony yet that Rwanda is meddling in Burundi affairs and comes amid fears that worsening political violence could escalate into mass atrocities. The report cites account... more »
What does it mean to be a Schumercrat? Let's Look At A Pennsylvania Schumercrat, Katie McGinty
In the video above, the establishment candidate for the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nomination, Katie McGinty, is very clear that she didn't accept any money from the oil and gas industry. That's what Democrats expect from their nominees since the oil and gas industry seeks to bribe politicians with funding. Pennsylvania Democrats ended the sleazy career of pro-fracking Blue Dog Tim Holden in 2012 when progressive insurgent Matt Cartwright called him out for his ties to Big Oil. Although Holden was heavily backed by the same corrupt Pennsylvania establishment that backs McGint... more »
Trump Has All The Dirt On Sweaty Little Rubio He Needs To Neutralize Him
Wednesday right-wing loon and religious nut Rick Santorum ended his presidential campaign, as expected, after finishing with basically no votes in Iowa. (Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee and Martin O'Malley also dropped out after failing dismally in Iowa. Chris Christie will likely wait until he's humiliated in New Hampshire before joining them, although not before doing his best to destroy the hated boy in the bubble.) What was interesting, at least marginally, about Santorum leaving the race was his endorsement of "a tremendously gifted young man," Marco Rubio. That came just in time for... more »
Economic News , Data & Views ( February 4, 2016 ) Overview ( Charts Of The Day to Consider - H/Ts to Charles Bilello & Holger Zschaepitz ) Europe In Focus ( 1. Italy Still Tangling With EU Brahmas . 2. EU - UK Negotiation / Brexit Items Of The Day. 3. Portugal Adopts 2016 Budget - Without Waiting For EU Commission Report . 4. Greece Items Of Note For The Day. 5. Refugee/ Economic Migration / Border Security Issues Of the Day. 6. Zika In Europe - First Case In Europe Of Zika Virus In Pregnant Woman . 7. Spanish Political Updates. 8. Ukraine Political Drama For Today. 9. Company Specific News - Glendora & Credit Suisse In focus. 10. BOE Keeps Rate UnChanged At Policy Meeting. )
Overview....... *Holger Zschaepitz* @Schuldensuehner 35m 35 minutes ago SLJ: Excluding Monaco, #Japan has the highest median age of 46.5, compared to 37.8 for the US & 36.8 for #China. [image: Embedded image permalink] *Holger Zschaepitz* @Schuldensuehner 3h 3 hours ago It’s a negative-rate world out there. http://on.ft.com/1nQ7OFf [image: Embedded image permalink] *Charlie Bilello, CMT* @MktOutperform 6h 6 hours ago Dollar Index down 3% on the week, one of the largest weekly declines in history. Biggest drop since May '09. $DXY [image: Embe... more »
Feminists Melt Down Over Unlikable Hillary Clinton
[image: Sanders and Clinton - 900] After months of polls, pontification, and fevered speculation, the Iowa caucuses -- and with them, the first official votes of the 2016 presidential primary -- are finally in America's taillights. The biggest loser, at least according to conventional wisdom, might... more »
New Year’s Sexual Assaults by Asylum Seekers Overshadow Start of Cologne Carnival
[image: Cologne Carnival - 900] COLOGNE, Germany (AP) -- Cannon fire followed by a rain of confetti heralded the start Thursday of Cologne’s annual Carnival, when hundreds of thousands of revelers take to the streets and pubs of the ancient German city for five days...more »
Marvel Universe LIVE! Winner and Discount Information
The winner of tickets to opening night of Marvel Universe Live is C. Richins. If you didn't win read below on how to get discount tickets to the show. *SUPER HEROES WILL UNITE IN SALT LAKE CITY* *FOR AN EPIC BATTLE TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE!Marvel Universe LIVE! Debuts in Salt Lake* *First Ever Action-Packed Arena Tour February 11–14, 2016* *Marvel fans, assemble! Marvel Universe LIVE!* is taking the live entertainment experience to a whole new groundbreaking level, with a mind-blowing stunt show unlike anything experienced before! Watch your favorite Marvel Super Heroes includin... more »
The TPP - a casino where the house always wins
The best part of International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland signing the U.S. corporate rights agreement TPP - the Trans-Pacific Partnership - in Aukland NZ yesterday was that it was done here in this gambling casino, and a casino is where the house always wins. In her 2012 book, *Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else, *Freeland explains : "Trying to slant the rules of the game in your favour isn't an aberration, it is what all businesses seek to do. The difference isn't between having virtuous and villainous business people, it is abou... more »
PhD-in-Hand? Why?
Inside Higher Ed must be having a slow news week.[1] Today, they are reporting on the APSA 2014-2015 Graduate Placement Survey as if it’s brand new. The report actually came out in early December. Oh, well. When I read the report – and shared it with my grad students –in December, I was struck by […]
The Structural Power of Business: Taking Structure, Agency and Ideas Seriously
This is a guest post by David Marsh (Institute of Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra, Australia), Sadiya Akram (Queen Mary College, University of London, UK) and Holly Birkett (Birmingham Business School, UK), as part of the Duck of Minerva’s Symposium on Structural Power and the Study of Business. This post draws on ideas […]
The Poet: Margaret Atwood, "The Moment"
"The Moment" "The moment when, after many years of hard work and a long voyage you stand in the centre of your room, house, half-acre, square mile, island, country, knowing at last how you got there, and say, I own this, is the same moment when the trees unloose their soft arms from around you, the birds take back their language, the cliffs fissure and collapse, the air moves back from you like a wave and you can't breathe. No, they whisper. You own nothing. You were a visitor, time after time climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming. We never belonged to you. You never found u... more »
Iceland's Faux Commons Revolution: Rewrites Constitution to Avoid Privatization, Yet Primes Future Instances of it by Nationalization
Globally, little Iceland is chatted about in awe and inspiration for jailing their privatizing neoliberalist bankers who wrecked the Icelandic economy and stole their savings via currency and debt/credit manipulations. They pulled down the currency and the country in 2008 when their banks crashed. Many lost their life's wealth. As a result of being a very small country, combined with banker crimes, governmental secrecy, and mutual cronyism in privatization in 2008 that ratcheted up risk and debt for all while rewarding a tiny psychopathic elite with profits, Iceland'... more »
Here’s Why Scientists Hide Their Doubts About Global Warming in the Media
[image: Climate Change, Global Warming Alarmism, Climate Science] A recent study looking into how scientists explain global warming uncertainty to the public has some interesting findings: Many scientists don't actually talk about uncertainty when speaking to journalists. In fact, scientists who regularly talk to the press are more likely... more »
Saudi Arabia Offers To Send Ground Troops To Syria To Fight Against The Islamic State
*Reuters*:* Saudi says ready to take part in any U.S.-led ground operations in Syria* Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it was ready to participate in any ground operations in Syria if the U.S.-led alliance decides to start such operations, an adviser to the Saudi defence minister said. "The kingdom is ready to participate in any ground operations that the coalition (against Islamic State) may agree to carry out in Syria," Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri, who is also the spokesman for the Saudi-led Arab coalition in Yemen, told the Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV in an interview. Asseri sai... more »
Holden Caulfield Programming
*"THIS *IS MY STATEMENT - Holden Caulfield" *Mark David Chapman* *"...Mark did a strange thing: he set up, on a bureau in his room, a display of his most treasured possessions ... They were designed to show the police the 'real' Mark when, as he anticipated, they later entered the room after he had accomplished the murder ... there was a movie still from The Wizard of Oz showing the young Judy Garland as Dorothy wiping away the Cowardly Lion's tears with 'To Dorothy' written on it in Mark's own handwriting."* Who Killed John Lennon? Pp.220-221 *"But I did leave you, Uncle ... more »
Friday Morning Ramble, 05.02.16
Feel like celebrating this weekend the birth of the best little country in the world? We could, you know. There is much to celebrate—and much misunderstanding to slay. *Waitangi Day: Something to celebrate* – NOT PC *It’s NZ’s own Emancipation Proclamation!* – NOT PC *Why does Waitangi Day belong to one race?* – NOT PC *Waitangi? It imposed no such obligation* – NOT PC *‘When Two Cultures Meet: The New Zealand Experience’* – NOT PC *How did colonists’ treatment of indigenous people help cause today’s tribalism* – NOT PC *Property Rights: A Blessing for Maori New Zealand* – PC, REBIRTH ... more »
Foreign Policy Diary – Libya’s Instability Threatens Regional Security
*An excerpt from, "Foreign Policy Diary – Libya’s Instability Threatens Regional Security" South Front, January 29, 2016:* Though Syria and Iraq are the main theaters of global standoff and terrorist activity in recent years, there is another country that also draws the attention of the world powers: Libya. Since the fall of Muammar Gadhafi in 2011, the war-torn country has been in a constant crisis fueled by the West’s inability to implement any kind of a peace settlement involving a wide range of competing entities operating in the country. The so-called “national unity governme... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 4, 2016
*Lina Sinjab, BBC*: *Syria conflict: Who's to blame for talks suspension?* The third round of Geneva peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition has been suspended three days after a shaky start, underlining the mammoth challenge of putting an end to Syria's five-year war. Riad Hijab, the opposition's High Negotiations Committee (HNC) co-ordinator, arrived in Geneva on Wednesday to give an extra weight to the troubled talks. But comments of Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, who said Russian strikes will not cease "until we really defeat terrorist organisations ... more »
Orders to US Factories Fell Sharply in December: First Time in 6 Years
[image: factory - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Orders to U.S. factories fell sharply in December, closing out a year in which demand for American manufactured goods retreated for the first time in six years. Factory orders dropped 2.9 percent in December, the fourth decline... more »
My Son Was Saved from Abortion at Birth — Now He’s Beating Cancer
[image: baby-shadow - 900] This past October, my fourteen year-old son was diagnosed with melanoma cancer. Yet his story of deliverance begins many years ago -- in fact, before he was even born. At the age of nineteen, I had already had an abortion.... Continue reading *“My Son Was Saved from Abortion at Birth — Now He’s Beating Cancer”* at *bound4life.com*.
Hillary Clinton Struggles to Explain $600K in Goldman Sachs Speaking Fees
[image: Hillary Clinton - 400] Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton struggled Wednesday night to answer a question about why she took more than $600,000 in speaking fees from Goldman Sachs in one year. “Well, I don’t know. That’s what they offered,” she said when asked about... Continue reading *“Hillary Clinton Struggles to Explain $600K in Goldman Sachs Speaking Fees”* at *nbcnews.com*.
World News Briefs -- February 4, 2016 (Evening Edition)
*AFP*: *S.America holds crisis meeting as Zika 'nightmare' spreads* Montevideo (AFP) - South American health ministers held an emergency meeting on slowing the spread of the Zika virus, dubbed a "nightmare" by hard-hit Brazil, where it is blamed for brain damage in babies. With health authorities warning the disease could infect up to four million people in the Americas, ministers from 14 countries held talks in Uruguay to plot their response to the growing crisis, with fears the virus could spread worldwide. The meeting focused on ways to control the mosquito population spreading... more »
Untitled
*Need A Public Defender In New Orleans? Get In Line ~Debbie Eliot, NPR*
17 Facts About the Football Star Who Prayed at the National Prayer Breakfast
[image: Derrick Henry - 900] University of Alabama football player and Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry gave the closing prayer at the National Prayer Breakfast held in Washington, D.C., Thursday. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., co-chairing the event this year with Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif., made the... more »
Russia Accuse Turkey Of Supporting ISIS Amid Ankara Flight Ban
The Russian Foreign Ministry have said that Turkey’s refusal to allow Russia to conduct an observation flight over Turkish territory confirms that the country supports ISIS. A high-ranking source within the Foreign Ministry says that the refusal to allow Russia to conduct the flight is not only a breach of the Open Skies Treaty, but also a tacit admission that Ankara support ISIS militants at the Turkish-Syrian border. Farsnews.com reports: Russian inspectors planned to conduct the observation flight on board an An-30B plane over Turkish territory on February 1-5, but they were ref... more »
John Kerry Accused Of “Creating ISIS” During Press Conference
US Secretary of State John Kerry was accused of “creating ISIS” during a visit to Italy at a joint press conference with Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni. During the press conference a woman in the audience shouted “it’s you who created Daesh!”, bringing the conference to an abrupt end. RT.com reports: “It’s you who created Daesh!” she shouted at the two ministers, using another name for the terror group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), reported the Italian state-owned television channel RAI. The woman was dragged away from the conference by the Carabinieri. After me... more »
Gwyneth Paltrow Says Cellphones And Wifi Cause Cancer
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow has urged the public to educate themselves on the dangers of cell phone radiation and Wifi. In a blog post on her website entitled: ‘Are Cell Phones and WiFi Signals Toxic?’, the Hollywood actress claims that these new inventions may be responsible for the surge in brain cancers. Naturalhealth365.com reports: She writes: ‘The scientific community’s rumblings about brain cancer and the new-to-us affliction “electro-sensitivity” are worth exploring, at the very least, so we tapped three experts in the field.” ‘To help her readers understand the complicated an... more »
West Coast American Cities Sue Monsanto For Poisoning Humans
Seattle and Washington have become the latest cities to file a lawsuit against Monsanto, joining San Diego, San Jose, Oakland and Berkeley in California. These West-coast cities are suing the multinational corporation for tens of millions of dollars for knowingly promoting poisonous polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that endanger the life of animals, the environment, and humans. Wsws.org reports: The Seattle lawsuit holds the corporation responsible for PCB contamination that finds its way into the city’s stormwater that flows into the Lower Duwamish River, designated a federal Supe... more »
Scientists Funded By Sugar Claim “Diet Soda Healthier Than Water”
A new ‘scientific study’ claims that diet soda’s are healthier to drink than water. The scientists who conducted the study were found to have been funded directly from the sugar industry, or were employed by sugar manufacturers, and outrageously claimed that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame were better for humans than water. Wddty.com reports: The researchers based their findings on a survey of previously-published papers, many of which were tests on laboratory rats. But of the 5,500 papers that were initially reviewed, just one or two—involving 500 people—suggested that die... more »
Mass Migration Causing ‘Stark Transformation’ of Western Values, European Leader Says
[image: President Sauli Niinisto, of Finland, addresses the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014.] Finland's President Sauli Niinisto claimed that the current state of migration to Europe poses a challenge to Western values on Wednesday during a speech to parliament. Niinisto's comments came during a speech at Finlandia Hall officially opening the Finnish legislature's... more »
White House Indecisive as ISIS Blooms in Libya
[image: WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 15: US President Barack Obama listens to King Felipe VI of Spain speak during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House September 15, 2015 in Washington, DC. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are visiting Washington in an effort to reinforce the American-Spanish relationship.] President Barack Obama isn't sure how best to counter the threat of an expanding Islamic State foothold in Libya, where the group is building an army and providing refuge to its war-torn leaders. "The White House just has to decide," a senior... more »
Scientists Say Glyphosate Responsible For Chronic Disease In U.S.
A study led by Dr. Nancy Swanson and Andrew Leu of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) has concluded that glyphosate – the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup – is deadly to humans. The study determined that the herbicide is lethal even in tiny amounts, which confirms that low level exposure to the toxin can damage your health. Naturalnews.com reports: The study, titled “Genetically engineered crops, glyphosate and the deterioration of health in the United States of America,” was published in the Journal of Organic Systems. First, United States ... more »
Ukraine Flu Epidemic Kills Over 190 And Counting
Over 3.2 million people in Ukraine have been infected with a particularly deadly strain of the flu virus, which has grown by 65,000 in the last 24 hours. The flu epidemic death toll has reached 192, the Health Ministry confirmed on Thursday. “Since the epidemic’s outbreak 192 flu-related lethal cases were registered, including three deaths among children,” the ministry said. Over 3.2 million people got infected with flu in Ukraine, the figure grew by 65,000 only in the past 24 hours. Some 50% of those infected are children under 17. The epidemic thresholds are exceeded in 19 of 27 ... more »
US-Russia Relations About To Collapse Due To NATO Build-Up
The decision by the US Department of Defense to increase its NATO-related spending on confronting Russia in Europe is harming US-Russia relations and providing zero military benefit to America, according to former US Chief of Naval Operations Theodore Postol. Postol says that the U.S. support of NATO expansion is “a provocation that builds on the ‘original sin’ of NATO expansion, which led to the predictable breakdown of relations between Russia and the West.” Sputniknews.com reports: On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced the Defense Department will spend 50 percent... more »
Captured ISIS Bomb Maker Wouldn’t Wear The Suicide Vests He Made
A depraved ISIS bomb maker was reduced to tears and cried like a child after being captured and confronted with the realities of his profession. Jasim Mohammed Atti’ya faces the death sentence for his role as an ISIS bomb maker after being captured by Iraqi forces. The cowardly Islamic State bomb maker said he would not personally use the explosive suicide vests he made for the terrorist group: “I wouldn’t explode myself. That is another level of faith.” He is suspected of making the devices used in a terror attack on an Iraqi government building. The Daily Express reports: The att... more »
North Korea Prepares For A Missile Launch (Updated)
*Japan Times/Reuters*: *Missile launcher on move, launchpad activity up in North Korea: NHK* North Korea’s mobile missile launcher, carrying a ballistic missile, has been seen moving near the east coast and activity has also been seen at a long-range rocket launchpad on the west coast, NHK said on Thursday. International pressure has grown on North Korea to call off a planned rocket launch, seen by some governments as another missile test, since Pyongyang told U.N. agencies this week it would launch what it called an “earth observation satellite. *Read more* .... *More News On N... more »
“You Now Have A Shorter Attention Span Than a Goldfish”
*“You Now Have A Shorter Attention Span Than a Goldfish”* by Time "No longer can we boast about 12 seconds of coherent thought. The average attention span for the notoriously ill-focused goldfish is nine seconds, but according to a new study from Microsoft Corp., people now generally lose concentration after eight seconds, highlighting the affects of an increasingly digitalized lifestyle on the brain. Researchers in Canada surveyed 2,000 participants and studied the brain activity of 112 others using electroencephalograms (EEGs). Microsoft found that since the year 2000 (or about w... more »
Teacher Education Minus Degrees, Professors, Research, or Accreditation
*One may quibble with details, but the bottom line is that this bill defangs the U.S. Department of Education; it no longer will exert control over every school with mandates. This bill strips the status quo of federal power to ruin schools and the lives of children and educators. . . .This is a far better bill than I had hoped or feared.* --Diane Ravitch The neoliberal elites over at Brookings are celebrating the arrival of ESSA for a number of reasons, all having to do with new business and social steering opportunities that have never existed until now. For instance, ESSA makes... more »
With All Eyes On Stalled Talks In Geneva And ISIS Defeats Mounting, Erdogan Sets To Invade Syria
*Which tyrant will fall first?* *An excerpt from, "Syria's Enemies Seek Face Saving Escalation Measures" by b, Moon of Alabama, February 4, 2016:* In reaction to that victory the supporters of the insurgents and terrorists in Syria are likely to increase their efforts. The negotiations in Geneva failed over the Syrian victory and the Saudis had already promised that such a failure would lead to an increased support. The Saudi Defense Ministry declared today that Saudi ground forces could take part in action in Syria. It is doubtful that the Saudis have a real capability to do so. ... more »
Feb. 3: When I was a very young child.....
– and a sweet, young lad I was – among the first words I childishly prattled were the common slang of my neighbourhood. I can still remember my father's smile of joy as I uttered my first sentence, “You a brown-nose.” I don't know whether the term is still in use among today's young citizens. But it came to mind as I read the headline in today's Irving press. Now, a headline should be about news, that is, something that has happened. But this one is really an opinion piece. “Partnerships could put province at forefront of health-care delivery.” Yes, it's clap hands with joy for Mr.... more »
Saudi Arabia Ready To Send Ground Forces To Syria
A spokesperson for the Saudi Arabian military has announced that the Kingdom is ready to send ground forces to Syria to fight ISIS under a US-led coalition, if requested. Sputnik reports: “The kingdom is ready to participate in any ground operations that the coalition (against Islamic State) may agree to carry out in Syria,” Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri told al-Arabiya TV. Asseri is also the spokesman for the Saudi-led Arab coalition in Yemen. “If there was a consensus from the leadership of the coalition, the kingdom is willing to participate in these efforts because we believe t... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA. Thanks for stopping by!
The Poet: John O'Donohue, “Draw Alongside The Silence Of Stone”
*“Draw Alongside The Silence Of Stone”* “You have traveled too fast over false ground; Now your soul has come to take you back. Take refuge in your senses, open up To all the small miracles you rushed through. Become inclined to watch the way of rain When it falls slow and free. Imitate the habit of twilight, Taking time to open the well of color That fostered the brightness of day. Draw alongside the silence of stone Until its calmness can claim you.” - John O'Donohue
"Arrogance And Hubris..."
"There is this tremendous amount of arrogance and hubris, where somebody can look at something for five minutes and dismiss it. Whether you talk about gaming or 20th century classical music, you can't do it in five minutes. You can't listen to 'The Rite of Spring' once and understand what Stravinsky was all about." - Penn Jillette
After hesitating, Science retracts chemistry paper against authors’ wishes
Today, Science has retracted a 2004 paper that’s been under scrutiny for years, despite the authors’ objections. This paper has a long backstory: Recently, a report from the National Science Foundation’s Office of Inspector General surfaced that announced the agency had cut off the authors from funding. Last month, editor Marcia McNutt told us that the journal planned to retract the […] The post After hesitating, Science retracts chemistry paper against authors’ wishes appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Rereading Nicos Poulantzas
I've recently been reading Nicos Poulantzas's, *State, Power, Socialism*. Partly because the bright orange of the Verso Classics edition has glowered at me from the shelf for the best part of a decade, partly because I want something a little bit heavyweight to blog about (previous extended postings Lukacs, JS Mill, and Gramsci were well-received), partly as an exercise in self-clarification, and lastly because Poulantzas's work deserves wider circulation among present day socialists. My thinking and political priorities have undergone something of a change since this blog started ... more »
the Yemeni War Through the Eyes of a 12-Year-Old Boy
'Behind me are the ruins of my house. The only thing found among the ruins is my favorite toy. I will keep playing with it, to remind me of my house, friends and the happy life I used to have and now have lost.' — Mukhtar Al-Hassani, age 11 *World.mic:* *These Haunting Images Show the Yemeni War Through the Eyes of a 12-Year-Old Boy* When it comes to internalizing the true cost of war, there are few ways more powerful than examining it through the eyes of a child. And that was precisely UNICEF's intent when the organization placed a camera in the hands of a Yemeni boy to capture hi... more »
Satire: “Shkreli Miraculously Makes Nation Side with Congress”
*“Shkreli Miraculously Makes Nation Side with Congress”* by Andy Borowitz WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) - “In a feat that some observers called nothing short of miraculous, the embattled pharmaceuticals C.E.O. Martin Shkreli single-handedly made the American people side with Congress on Thursday morning. According to polls taken after his appearance before the despised legislative body, Shkreli’s smug, smirking, and utterly douchey performance had the effect of temporarily transforming members of Congress into marginally sympathetic figures. The University of Minnesota’s Opinion R... more »
Yemen War News Updates - - February 4, 2016
*Salon*: *“A forgotten crisis”: Mass starvation in Yemen as U.S.-backed Saudi war & blockade push millions to brink of famine* 14 million Yemenis — over half the population — face hunger, the U.N. warns, saying "the numbers are staggering" Mass starvation is ongoing in Yemen, the United Nations warns, calling it a “forgotten crisis.” The poorest country in the Middle East may be on the brink of famine, while it faces bombing and a blockade from a Saudi-led coalition, backed by the U.S. and the U.K. Approximately 14.4 million Yemenis — more than half of the population of the count...more »
STANDING WITH MICHAEL MOORE FOR BERNIE SANDERS
*I'm standing with Michael Moore for Bernie Sanders because he is the only candidate who is running for all of us, he's authentic and real and he is beholden to no corporate interests but most importantly I trust Bernie and his message ~ which is something I cannot say about any other Presidential candidate: Allen L Roland, PhD* Want to experience the Real Bernie Sanders ~ watch this brief informal street interview when Bernie Sanders spoke with RT’s Ed Schultz, on the eve of the Iowa election; about how he became a serious contender for the Democratic presidential ... more »
I love Rove Concepts products
There is something Scandanvian, Japanese and Grateful dead going on there
Oil is dead
The stone age did not end because we ran out of stones. Oil has been more eviel than Whale Oil and thats a high bar.
Would The Establishment Allow Bernie Sanders To Be President?
Bernie Sanders looks to be a real contender for the U.S. Presidency after facing off his rivals in a few debates and revealing to the public his anti-establishment credentials and his lifelong fight for justice. He has galvanized an otherwise improvised electorate with his modern way of crowd sourcing his electoral campaign and in return promising real and tangible returns for 99% of Americans. Jacob G. Hornberger, founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation (FFF) believes that the Democratic presidential candidate could fall foul of the “Military Industrial Complex” a... more »
Quality pays off in the long run
I have known this forever. You both have something nice and it lasts long enough to make sense. Allway buy better than you can afford. Well before negative interest rates anyway.
The Economy: “Boomers Are Being Led Like Lambs to the Slaughter”
*“Boomers Are Being Led Like Lambs to the Slaughter”* by Bill Bonner NEW YORK – “Not a bad view. That’s the mayor’s house right beneath us.” We were on the 16th floor of a new apartment building, looking out over the East River. With us was President Reagan’s former budget advisor and Wall Street veteran David Stockman – a man who has been closer to the Bubble Epoch than almost anyone. The Dow rose 183 points yesterday – or just over 1% – after starting the day in the red. “I was there at the creation,” said David. “After leaving government, I went to Salomon Brothers in the late 1... more »
No place to live
Thats what make Canada both the lifeboat and the speedboat to the future.
Conrad Black declares in the end we are all dead
He is selling the family estate. No one worthy to pass it along too I guess. Will Jeb Bush sell Kenipubuk next?
Poll: Trump Up by 17 in NH, Bush Rises to Second Place
[image: New Hampshire] Donald Trump is atop the GOP presidential field in New Hampshire by 17 points, according to a new poll. Trump earns 31 percent support, compared with 14 percent for his closest competitor, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, according the Harper Polling... Continue reading *“Poll: Trump Up by 17 in NH, Bush Rises to Second Place”* at *thehill.com*.
The cool part of selling private
Utilities are doomed. Centralisation is like a faboruchi faux pas. The age of the little man with a perfect configuration is very close.
Is An Unstable Libya A Bigger Threat For Countries In West Africa Than The Boko Haram?
*Bloomberg:* *Niger Says Conflict in Libya Biggest Threat to West Africa* * Defense spending to rise to 10% of budget for next 5 years * Landlocked Niger wedged between Libya, Nigeria, Mali, Chad Niger says an unstable Libya is a bigger threat for countries in West Africa’s Sahel region than the Boko Haram Islamist militant group, which is close to being defeated. The government of the landlocked West African nation will spend 10 percent of its annual budget on defense through the next five years to protect itself from militants, Interior Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou said in an in... more »
Leonard Peltier to receive Frantz Fanon Award in France
Breaking News from Christine Prat in France Censored News PARIS -- The Frantz Fanon Foundation is awarding the Frantz Fanon Prize to Leonard Peltier. The prize, which honors revolutionary thinkers and their service to mankind, will be presented to Lenny Foster, Diné, a member of the American Indian Movement, and an advisor to Peltier. Foster will accept it on behalf of Peltier, who remains
General principles concerning prescriptive easements
Barbour v. Bailey, 2016 ONCA 98: [56] To make out an easement, a claimant must satisfy the following four essential characteristics of an easement or right-of-way: i. There must be a dominant and servient tenement; ii. The dominant and servient owners must be different persons; iii. The easement must be capable of forming the subject matter of a grant; and iv. The easement must accommodate – that is, be reasonably necessary to the better enjoyment of – the dominant tenement. See *Depew v. Wilkes* (2002), 60 O.R. (3d) 499 (C.A.), at pa... more »
Supplemental: Marc Edwards testifies about Flint!
*THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016You'll never hear this from Maddow:* On last evening's Maddow Show, we got to see our hilarious host "poof" two Republican headshots, those of Candidates Paul and Santorum. (Remember how Maddow kept announcing last year that Santorum was the best communicator in the field? Remember how she wasted all that time doing interviews with Santorum? By this week, she was rolling her eyes and snarking at the dumb stupid offensive guy. It's very much the way this flyweight conducts her TV star business.) Last night, Maddow made those headshots go "poof." To us the... more »
Des Moines Register Calls for Audit of Sanders-Clinton Result in Iowa
[image: Des Moines Register calls for audit] The Des Moines Register is calling for a “complete audit” of the Iowa Democratic caucuses in light of concerns by Bernie Sanders about the razor-thin margin. “Once again the world is laughing at Iowa. Late-night comedians and social media mavens... Continue reading *“Des Moines Register Calls for Audit of Sanders-Clinton Result in Iowa”* at *thehill.com*.
German University President: ‘German Children Need to Learn Arabic’
[image: Learn Arabic, Text, Arabic Writing, Written Language] A German "education expert" proposed Wednesday that Arabic become a mandatory subject in German schools to enable refugees and Germans to coexist. Thomas Strothotte, president of Kuhne Logistics University and a renowned voice in education issues, told Die Zeit that society... more »
It's Not Just TPP. Can a President Kill NAFTA? Al Gore Thought So. Hillary Clinton Too.
*Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama discuss NAFTA in the 2008 Cleveland debate.* *by Gaius Publius* *Moderator Tim Russert:* Al Gore said the following: "If you don't like NAFTA and what it's done, we can get out of it in six months." ... Will you, as president, say we are out of NAFTA in six months? *Clinton:* I have said that I will renegotiate NAFTA, so obviously, you’d have to say to Canada and Mexico that that’s exactly what we’re going to do. . . . Yes, I am serious. . . . I will say we will opt out of NAFTA unless we renegotiate it, and we renegotiate on terms that are favor... more »
How the Cold Blob In The Atlantic Is Affecting UK Weather
By Paul Homewood http://weather.unisys.com/surface/sfc_daily.php?plot=ssa&inv=0&t=cur As I have repeatedly emphasised, the root cause of the wet and windy weather experienced this winter in the UK has been the position and strength of the jet stream. For most of the time, it has been sat further south than we have been used to seeing it, […]
Pro-Life Crisis Pregnancy Center Secretly Buys Neighboring Abortion Clinic. And Then …
[image: Pro-Life Prayer at Abortion Clinic - 900] About 24 years ago in Manassas, Va., the A-A-A Women for Choice crisis pregnancy center opened right next door to an abortion clinic, the Amethyst Health Center for Women. “Same brick building, same sign, same generic office decor,” the Washington Post... more »
Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 4th February)
Wealthy Tory council publicly warns David Cameron his cuts are 'unrealistic' East Sussex County Council, a Tory stronghold since its creation, said the Government’s fiscal policy would “significantly reduce the quality of life for many people in East Sussex”. The letter to the PM was signed by Councillor Keith Glazier, who leads the council, and the leaders of the other political party groups
Data irregularities force author to retract three solar cell papers
An engineer has retracted three papers on a method for making nanoscale materials that are useful in solar cells. The papers, all published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, contain irregularities in data, and one includes images “which have been published elsewhere and identified with different samples,” according to the note. The first author on all three papers is Khalid […] The post Data irregularities force author to retract three solar cell papers appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Libya War News Updates -- February 4, 2016
*New York Times*: *Obama Is Pressed to Open Military Front Against ISIS in Libya* WASHINGTON — President Obama is being pressed by some of his top national security aides to approve the use of American military power in Libya to open up another front against the Islamic State. But Mr. Obama, wary of embarking on an intervention in another strife-torn country, has told his aides to redouble their efforts to help form a unity government in Libya at the same time the Pentagon refines its options, which include airstrikes, commando raids or advising vetted Libyan militias on the grou... more »
Drone Footage Shows The Destruction Of Homs, Syria's Third-Largest City
*National Post/Washington Post*: *Drone footage reveals the endless rubble that was once Homs, Syria’s third-largest city* A video captured by a Russian drone-filming company illustrates the total horror of Syria’s now five-year-long war. The camera sweeps over a section of Homs, a city north of Damascus that was once the country’s third-largest urban centre, a bustling home to some 600,000 people. Now, much of Homs is a hollowed-out ghost town. Buildings and apartment complexes are emptied husks, their windows blasted out, walls and roofs reduced to rubble. Only a few people walk... more »
Syrian War News Updates -- February 4, 2016
*The Guardian*: *Russian bombs triggering mass Aleppo exodus, Syria conference told* Turkish prime minister says tens of thousands being pushed towards border as world gathers to raise billions for refugees Increasingly intensive Russian airstrikes are pushing tens of thousands of Syrians from Aleppo towards the Turkish border, the Turkish prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu has told a Syria fundraising conference. The Turkish prime minister said he had been sent news of the mass exodus as he arrived in London for the conference, which aims to raise billions of dollars in aid for ref... more »
Gay Jesus
*"I, James, am neither a god nor an angel, but a man like any other. Therefore I act like a man and confess to loving those dear to me more than other men. * *You may be sure that I love the Earl of Buckingham more than anyone else, and more than you who are here assembled. * *I wish to speak in my own behalf and not to have it thought to be a defect, for Jesus Christ did the same, and therefore I cannot be blamed. Christ had John, and I have George."* *King James I & VI* *Privy Council* *1617* *John 13King James Version (KJV)* *21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubl... more »
Charter School Locusts Descend on Atlanta
If Atlanta parents and teachers need to learn one thing, that is to not waste your energy begging the corporate shill superintendent to alter her plan to shutter 26 Atlanta schools. Civil disobedience is the only way to stop this, i. e., occupying schools, shutting down meetings, sickouts, blockades, going to jail and going to court. Time to organize and stop begging.
World’s Biggest Wind Farm Gets Go Ahead
By Paul Homewood Compare and contrast these two announcements made on the same day: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-35483190 https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2016/02/03/uk-energy-crisis-deepens-as-sse-plans-early-plant-closure/ Fiddlers Ferry is shutting down 1.5 GW of power, capable of producing 10.5 TWh a year, on a regular basis and without subsidy. The new Hornsey wind farm will have a capacity […]
Google Engineer Finds Security Issues With Three ‘Secure’ Browsers
Google Project Zero researcher Tavis Ormandy has delved into security software offered by anti-virus firms and has found holes in three of their ‘secure’ browsers. Engadget reports: After recently exposing holes in products from Trend Micro and AVG, the bug hunter has recently gone public with three issues found in software offered by security firms Avast, Comodo and Malwarebytes that allow attackers to access unsuspecting users’ PCs. For Avast, Ormandy identified that its Avastium browser (a fork of Google Chromium) allowed an attacker to “read any file on the filesystem by clickin... more »
Iraq Appears To Be Reluctant In Accepting The U.S. Offer Of More American Soldiers
Army Col. Michael Midkiff, 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and officer in charge of the 1st Sustainment Command (Theater) Logistics Advise and Assist Team, helps an Iraqi soldier with an M16A2 rifle sling May 26, 2015. Sean Taylor/CJTF-OIR Military Times: *Iraq's conspicuous silence on Washington's offer of more U.S. troops* The United States is willing to send more troops to Iraq — but do the Iraqis really want them? Iraqi officials refuse to touch that question. A spokesman for Iraq’s embassy in Washington told Military Times that neither the ambassador nor his staff ... more »
Disgraced Ex-IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn Joins Ukrainian Bank
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the discredited ex-IMF chief, is to join the supervisory board of a Ukrainian bank owned by Ukraine’s second-richest businessman Viktor Pinchuk. Strauss-Kahn was forced to resign as head of the International Monetary Fund in 2011 because of accusations of sexual assaults on women and “aggravated pimping” Sputnik reports: He was arraigned over allegations by Nafissatou Diallo, a maid at the Sofitel New York Hotel, who alleged that Strauss-Kahn had sexually assaulted her after she entered his suite. Although a semen sample taken from her skirt matched a DNA su...more »
Iraq's Kurdistan Leader Believes Now Is The Time To Push For A Kurdish State
Iraq's Kurdistan leader Massoud Barzani says the conditions are now suitable to vote on Kurdish statehood. Reuters: Azad Lashkari *ABC News (Australia)*: *Iraqi Kurdistan leader Massud Barzani says 'time has come' for statehood referendum* Iraqi Kurdistan leader Massud Barzani has declared that the "time has come" for the country's Kurds to hold a referendum on statehood, a move likely to raise tensions with Baghdad. But even if the various political challenges to independence are resolved, the major economic problems the region faces due to low oil prices are another bar to Kurdi... more »
What The Frontline Near The Islamic State Stronghold Of Mosul Looks Like
A 14.5mm ZPU-2 overlooks the Iraqi town of Gwer. (Jan 24, 2016. (Thomas Gibbons-Neff/The Washington Post) *Washington Post*: *Music videos and mortars: What the frontline near the ISIS stronghold of Mosul looks like* GWER, Iraq—The Peshmerga call it the Hill of the Doshka, named after the first heavy machine gun that once overlooked this lazy bend in the Great Zab river and the town below where the Kurds fought Saddam Hussein’s army in 2003. Now the hill is taller, built up by excavators to fight the Islamic State and fortified with cinderblocks and sandbags and tin roofs. There i... more »
U.S. Confirms Reports That they Are Expanding An Airfield In Northern Syria
*VOA:* *US Confirms Involvement in Syria Airfield Expansion* QAMISHLI, SYRIA/THE PENTAGON — At the urging of an American contingent, Syrian Kurds are expanding an airbase on farmland in northeast Syria that could be used for military purposes, according to Kurdish and U.S. officials. Known as Abu Hajar airport, the airbase is located in the Rmelan area of northern Syria, and is controlled by the Kurdish People's Defense Units and the Syrian Democratic Forces. Neither has an air force. A team of Americans pitched the idea to Syrian Democratic Forces to extend the runway, a defense... more »
Karolinska won’t extend star surgeon Macchiarini’s contract
Karolinska Institutet announced today it would not extend the contract of star surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. He has been instructed to “phase out” his research from now until November 30. According to a press release issued today: Karolinska Institutet’s Vice-Chancellor has decided today that researcher Paolo Macchiarini’s employment will not be extended when his current contract […] The post Karolinska won’t extend star surgeon Macchiarini’s contract appeared first on Retraction Watch.
British Columbia LNG---Breaking-Shell Canada..OUT of the GAME
Shell halts LNG Canada FID http://www.lngworldshipping.com/news/view,shell-halts-lng-canada-fid_41660.htm________ Shell Canada is out... https://soundcloud.com/cknw/whats-the-deal-with-bc-lng-the-simi-sara-show-thu-feb-4 https://soundcloud.com/cknw/whats-the-deal-with-bc-lng-the-simi-sara-show-thu-feb-4 _____ The Straight Goods Special..British Columbia LNG-The Last Gas(P) http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.ca/2015/08/british-columbia-and-lngs-last-gaspa.html _____________The below Straight Goods article originally appeared on January 8th/2016...Told all you fine folk that the "... more »
“The One Percent”
*“The One Percent”* by Jamie Johnson “This 80-minute documentary focuses on the growing "wealth gap" in America, as seen through the eyes of filmmaker Jamie Johnson, a then 27-year-old heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune. Johnson, who cut his film teeth at NYU and made the Emmy®-nominated 2003 HBO documentary “Born Rich,” here sets his sights on exploring the political, moral and emotional rationale that enables a tiny percentage of Americans - the one percent - to control nearly half the wealth of the entire United States. (Dated figure, they've done very nicely si... more »
Untitled
*From* *Jenna Orkin* Meanwhile In Greece, Familiar Scenes Are Back: General Strike, Molotov Cocktails, Tear Gas "They Rape, Kill, Destroy": Montanans Stage "Security Rally" To "Head Off" Refugee "Invasion" Vancouver Real Estate Goes Full-Retard; Average Home Price Now $1.8 Million Town Hall Meeting Erupts After German Mayor Says Schoolgirls Should "Not Provoke" Refugees US Factory Orders Plunge As Inventories Ratio Soars To Recession Cycle Highs Starting 2016 With A Bang: Challenger Reports Highest January Layoffs Since 2009 Weatherford Fires 15% Of All Workers If Russia started a... more »
United Nations Rules In Favour Of Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange
A UN panel has ruled that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was under a three-and-a-half years “arbitrary detention” while holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy. Julian Assange sought sanctuary in the Ecuadorian embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden on sexual accusations which he vehemently denies. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention will announce its findings of the investigation into Assange’s “arbitrary detention” on Friday after the Wikileaks founder filed a complaint in 2014. The London Metropolitan Police could arrest the journalist if he leaves the embassy. T... more »
Automakers to Recall 5M Vehicles for Another Air Bag Problem
[image: mercedes - 900] DETROIT (AP) -- Another problem has developed with automotive air bags, this one resulting in recalls of up to 5 million vehicles worldwide. Continental Automotive Systems says in documents filed with the U.S. government that moisture can get inside its... more »
Scientist Suggests Imprisoning Former Canadian PM for Anti-Global Warming Views
[image: David Suzuki - 900] Aged Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki said that Canada's former Prime Minister Stephen Harper should be imprisoned for his "willful blindness" regarding man-made global warming, in an interview with Rolling Stone published Tuesday. "It's a huge thing! We've had 10 years of... more »
Russia Says Turkey Is Planning Military Invasion In Syria
The Russian Defense Ministry said that developments on the Turkish-Syrian border have given them serious grounds to suspect that Turkey is planning a military invasion in Syria. Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told journalists: “We have good reasons to believe that Turkey is actively preparing for a military invasion of a sovereign state – the Syrian Arab Republic. We’re detecting more and more signs of Turkish armed forces being engaged in covert preparations for direct military actions in Syria” Russian MoD registers a growing number of signs of hidden preparation of t... more »
Russia Is Now China’s Biggest Oil Partner
Russia is now the top crude oil exporter to China. It appears that Russia is reaping the rewards of dumping the dollar. At the the beginning of the decade the Saudi share of Chinese crude imports was around 20%, while Russia’s was below 7%… But that has changed and as the Russians creep in, the Saudis are starting to get nervous. Russia Insider reports: Now the Saudis find themselves neck and neck with Moscow for the lead in Chinese market share, with both performing in the 13-16% range. But Russia’s share continues to rise, as The Kingdom struggles to maintain a foothold. Why? Anal... more »
Nancy Pelosi Quotes Mohammad at National Prayer Breakfast
[image: WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 11: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks to the media during her weekly news conference at the US Capitol, December 11, 2015 in Washington, DC. Pelosi spoke about pending legislation before the House. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)] At the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. this morning, House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi quoted Mohammad, the author of Islam's Koran, before she read from the gospel of John. "We know that this message, this command of love,... Continue reading *“Nancy Pelosi Quotes Mohammad at National ... more »
David Daleiden’s Partner Sandra Merritt Gets Bail in Houston
[image: Merritt - 400] Today the Liberty Counsel legal team representing Sandra “Susan” Merritt appeared with Sandra in the Houston Criminal Court. The District Attorney told the judge that the DA’s office offered pre-trial diversion reducing the charge from a felony to a misdemeanor.... Continue reading *“David Daleiden’s Partner Sandra Merritt Gets Bail in Houston”* at *lifesitenews.com*.
Sen. Joni Ernst Calls for Strategy to Fight ISIS ‘No Matter Where They Are’
[image: U.S. Senator Joni Ernst speaking with supporters at a campaign rally for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio on January 25, 2016 at the Forte Banquet Center in Des Moines, Iowa.] The Obama administration's strategy against ISIS "is not working, " Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, told a gathering of conservative lawmakers and policy wonks, and in 2016, conservatives must develop one that allows the U.S. military to engage the terrorist army... more »
Christie Vows to Continue Beyond New Hampshire
[image: Chris Christie - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says his Republican presidential rival Marco Rubio isn’t qualified to be president and is vowing to continue his campaign regardless of the outcome of the New Hampshire primary. “He just doesn’t have... more »
I’m Waiting for the Mark Ruffalo Movie Exposing Planned Parenthood
[image: Spotlight] A well-funded organization with a carefully groomed philanthropic public image and hundreds of millions of dollars (some of it U.S. federal funding or contracts) turns out to be allowing the systematic abuse of children on its watch -- in fact... more »
Carson Quotes Scripture to Condemn Cruz’s Campaign Tactics
[image: Carson] Ben Carson on Wednesday condemned Ted Cruz’s campaign for spreading rumors during the Iowa caucuses that the retired neurosurgeon was quitting the presidential race, misinterpreting a news story. During a quickly called press conference at Washington’s National Press Club, Carson... Continue reading *“Carson Quotes Scripture to Condemn Cruz’s Campaign Tactics”* at *thehill.com*.
Sen. Ben Sasse: Conservatives Don’t Need a ‘Republican Barack Obama’
[image: U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) (3L) arrives at the Capitol for a cloture vote on the Keystone XL Pipeline January 26, 2015 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The bill failed to advance with a vote of 53-39. Sixty votes were needed. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)] Sen. Ben Sasse issued some tough love today at the Conservative Policy Summit in Washington, D.C.: Electing a Republican president, he said, won't solve America's problems. "The idea that a 'strong man' can save us isn't true," Sasse, R-Neb., said.... more »
January Gun Sales Set Yet Another Record
[image: gun sales - 400] The FBI conducted more gun-related background checks this January than in any other January since the system was created. With 2,545,802 checks processed through the National Instant Background Check System, January 2016 beat the previous record, set in January 2013,... Continue reading *“January Gun Sales Set Yet Another Record”* at *freebeacon.com*.
This Video Shows The Spread Of The Islamic State Since April, 2013
*Foxtrot Alpha*: *This Animated Map Of ISIS Expansion In Syria, Iraq And Beyond Is Unsettling* We love maps and infographics at Foxtrot Alpha, and animated ones are that much better. The video below depicting the expansion of ISIS controlled territory over time is especially interesting. After explosive expansion in 2013-2014, now it seems that when any territory is taken back from the Islamic State they just expand elsewhere. Also of interest is just how little ground has been taken back from ISIS even after almost a year and a half of coalition combat operations against it. On ... more »
Dangerous Nukes in Space Push Returns
*A plutonium-238 pellet at the US Department of Energy labs being readied for space missions* The U.S. push for nukes in space continues. Thanks to the sharp eyes of Linda Pentz Gunter of Beyond Nuclear comes the news that the appropriately named U.S. Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho has slipped this passage into the “Energy Policy Modernization Act” (S 2012) “i) Using expertise from the private sector, institutions of higher education, and National Laboratories to develop computational software and capabilities that prospective users may access to accelerate research and development ... more »
The Bickersons Do New Hampshire
Thanks to corporate media goading, the marathon reality show known as the New Hampshire Primaries threatens to devolve into a high school junk food fight. On the Democratic side, the pressing exam question du jour is "Who's a progressive?" On the Republican side, there are no questions. There are only class clowns, and serious questions are not, and never were, in the script. Last night, CNN's Anderson Cooper, fresh off his depraved New Year's Eve "comedy" gig with Kathy Griffin, pressed Bernie Sanders on his loyalty to Barack Obama and the Democratic Party. Sanders fumbled badly,...more »
On Undirected Evolution, and Other Euphemisms For Design of the World
The Heartland Institute site has an admiring post on a new book by Matt Ridley, on "The Evolution of Everything". By "evolution", Ridley means undirected evolution (also known as Darwinian evolution), and as the title indicates, he applies the idea to everything. My response is to republish, on this blog, an article I wrote back in 2008 for Helium.com: *Ten years ago, as a result of a personal scientific research program I had begun more than a year earlier, I discovered an ancient design in the world - not an isolated artifact or two, you understand, but a worldwide design. (You ca... more »
Monster Crocodile Removed From Popular Tourist Beach
An old, 4.7 metre, one-eyed saltwater crocodile was pulled from The Strand, a popular tourist spot in Townsville, North Queensland, Australia. It took a two-hour struggle and eight men to remove the huge cold blooded menace from the popular tourist spot. The Daily Mail reports: The one-eyed, three-toothed, 50-year-old monster was caught in Townsville at 8.30 on Wednesday night after it forced the closure of nearby beaches earlier in the day. Ranger, Michael Joyce, described the croc as ‘a bit of a bruiser’ and said he is not aware of another salty being captured on the Strand in rec... more »
Navajo President: Basketball team's culture attacked in hair takedown
PRESIDENT BEGAYE SAID STUDENTS SHOULDN'T BE PUNISHED FOR EXPRESSING PRIDE IN THEIR CULTURE By Navajo President Russell Begaye Censored News FLAGSTAFF-Members of the Flagstaff Lady Eagles basketball team were asked to take their hair down from their traditional tsiiyeeł before a game on Tuesday night at the Flagstaff High School gymnasium. The Lady Eagles were participating in
THE YEAR OF THE LIBERAL: On first looking into a set of Trump voters!
*THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016Part 9—Incomprehension and Us:* Throughout the course of human history, tribal hatred and loathing have played a destructive role. This has been true all over the world. Increasingly, experts and scholars have been making a surprising claim about this age-old phenomenon. According to these academics, we the liberals have increasingly adopted a culture of hatred and loathing. Some of these scholars are even referring to 2015 as "the year of liberal loathing," a claim which must surely be wrong. It gets worse! These scholars are tying this alleged libera... more »
U.S. Intelligence: Current Strength Of The Islamic State's Force In Iraq And Syria Is Between 20,000 And 25,000 Fighters.
Islamic State fighters parade on military vehicles along the streets of a northern Raqqa province in Syria. (Reuters) *VOA:* *New U.S. intelligence estimate sees 20-25K ISIL fighters* WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence estimates the current strength of the Islamic State's force in Iraq and Syria is between 20,000 and 25,000 fighters. That compares to an estimated 19,000 to 31,000 fighters more than a year ago, as the U.S.-led bombing campaign against the militants got underway, a senior government official said Tuesday. The official, who asked not to be named because he was not authori... more »
World News Briefs -- February 4, 2016
*Reuters*: *Syrian army sees Aleppo encircled soon; rebels hope for more weapons* A Syrian army source said the city of Aleppo would soon be encircled by government forces as rebels pounded by Russian air strikes expressed hope that the failure of Geneva peace talks would encourage their foreign backers to send better weapons. Turkey, a major sponsor of the insurgency against President Bashar al-Assad, said there was no point to peace talks while Russia carried out attacks in Syria. Moscow confirmed a Russian military trainer was killed in Syria this week, but denied that Russian... more »
Violence In Iraq, Jan 2016
January 2016 ended as the most violent month in Iraq in five months. That was due to the loss of Ramadi, which led to a frantic number of counter attacks by the Islamic State. The result was the highest number of attacks and casualties since August 2015. There were 598 incidents reported in the press in January. That was up from December’s 553, and the most since 620 recorded in August. Every province in central Iraq saw an increase in attacks except for Ninewa and Kirkuk. That was IS’s response to the loss of Ramadi. Anbar has been the main focus of the organization for the last... more »
Viewer’s Guide to the Democratic Debate: Clinton, Sanders Clash Over Economic Divide
[image: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., smiles as he answers a question from the audience alongside host Anderson Cooper during a democratic primary town hall sponsored by CNN, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, in Derry, N.H. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The face-to-face meeting between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders is rooted in an intensifying debate over who understands the great divide between rich Americans and everyone else. The theme has long been key to the contest between... more »
Elongated Skulls Of Peru: Not The Only Ones!
* Dr. Rita Louise* - Some researchers have found out that the elongated skulls phenomena extended beyond Paracas, Peru. The post Elongated Skulls Of Peru: Not The Only Ones! appeared first on Waking Times.
Congress Subpoenas OPM Head After Waiting Months for Info on Chinese Hacking
[image: Rep. Jason Chaffetz] House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (HOGR) Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz is slapping a subpoena on Office of Personnel Management Acting Secretary Beth Cobert after waiting months for documents about the agency's massive security breaches. OPM's repeated failures to... more »
ISIS-Inspired Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Plotting to Blow Up Military Base
[image: John Booker Jr. ISIS] A Kansas man pleaded guilty Wednesday to an Islamic State-inspired plot to bomb a military base. John T. Booker Jr., 21, planned to detonate a vehicle bomb at Fort Riley military base in Manhattan, Kan., in April of 2015 in the... more »
Bernie Sanders ‘Quits’ Presidential Race To Help Bystander
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders temporarily put his hopes of becoming the next president of the United States on hold… Against his better political judgement he suddenly rushed to help a man who had fainted at his rally in Birmingham, leaving the race behind and the podium empty. Gawker reports: About an hour ago, Bernie Sanders was in the middle of of speaking at a rally in Birmingham when he heard a crash off to the side of the stage. Visibly distraught, Bernie gasps, “Oh my god!” and rushes to the man’s aid. Which leaves us with one, glaring question—Bern... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 4, 2016
Hailed as the most expensive weapon in history, the controversial stealth jet is undergoing rigorous testing. Now, Military bosses have revealed it has finally fired its first shots in the air. *Washington Post*: *Pentagon’s top weapons tester airs major list of grievances against F-35 program* The Pentagon’s top weapons tester has condemned aspects of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in a new report, raising questions about the $1.5-trillion effort’s ability to meet its already slipped production schedule, synthesize information on the battlefield and keep aircraft available... more »
Tear Gas & Rioting In Athens During General Strike
Greek police deployed tear gas during a demonstration in Syntagma Square in Athens, where a general strike is taking place. Around 50,000 Greeks marched on parliament in Central Athens on Thursday, chanting anti-bailout and anti-government slogans. #Violences en #Grèce pendant la #grèvenationalehttps://t.co/9MsrafB3jd — RT France (@RTenfrancais) February 4, 2016 Press TV reports: Black-clad youths hurled stones and petrol bombs at police, who responded with rounds of tear gas and stun grenades, Reuters reported. The government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, first elected ... more »
Do scientists need audits?
If audits work for the Internal Revenue Service, could they also work for science? We’re pleased to present a guest post from Viraj Mane, a life sciences commercialization manager in Toronto, and Amy Lossie at the National Institutes of Health, who have a unique proposal for how to improve the quality of papers: Random audits of […] The post Do scientists need audits? appeared first on Retraction Watch.
US Judge Pleads Guilty To Shocking Defendant With 50,000 Volts
A US judge who ordered a deputy to remotely shock a defendant with a 50,000-volt charge, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor civil rights violation in federal court Monday. A man representing himself in a Maryland court in 2014 was shocked with 50,000 volts of electricity because he continued to speak when the judge ordered to him stop. Maryland Judge Robert Nalley pleaded guilty on Monday to depriving the defendant of his civil right and faces a maximum of one year in prison when sentenced later this year. The Free Thought Project reports: The charge stems from an encounter between th... more »
The Exponential Revelation of Truth
*ZenGardner *- With or without the masses, the awakening is coming. The post The Exponential Revelation of Truth appeared first on Waking Times.
TPP Deal Has Been Signed But... It Still Has No Basis In Law. Bernie Would Scrap It; Would The Establishment Candidates?
When I was around 16 I decided to leave home and go to the most remote place on earth, an island kingdom called Tonga. I hitch-hiked from Brooklyn to San Pedro (the Los Angeles harbor) to stow away on a ship to Hawaii so I could stow away on a ship to New Zealand so I could get on the twice annual mail boat to Tonga. And start my new life. I got caught hiding in a lifeboat on the first ship before the ship to Hawaii had left San Pedro. Chances are something would have gone wrong sooner or later on that plan. Tonga may have been the most remote place on earth but New Zealand was-- ... more »
General Says Troop Cuts Would Leave Too Few to Train Afghans
[image: Army Gen. John Campbell, commander, Operation Resolute Support U.S. Forces, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, before the House Armed Services Committee hearing: “Afghanistan in 2016: The Evolving Security Situation and U.S. Policy, Strategy, and Posture." Campbell told the committee that most of the problems facing the Afghan security forces stem from poor leadership. (AP Photo/Molly Riley)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan says if the American troop level is cut to 5,500 as President Barack Obama has proposed, there wi... more »
Manhunt Continues for Los Angeles Inmate Mistakenly Freed
[image: In this undated photo released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shows Steven Lawrence Wright. Los Angeles County authorities say they've accidentally released Wright who was awaiting trial for a gang-related murder. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office said Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, that Wright was mistakenly released from Inmate Reception Center (IRC) custody on Saturday, Jan. 30. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department via AP)] LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Investigators scrambling to recapture a Los Angeles County murder suspect accidentally released from jail have bee... more »
Layered Valentine's Jello
If there is one thing my kids get excited for each holiday, it is layered Jello. This fun and easy to make Jello looks impressive and my kids LOVE separating each layer and eating it. It is delicious and while it does take a little bit of time because each layer needs to set up, it couldn't be easier to make. You will need: - A large tub of sour cream - 3 small boxes of red Jello, you can do all one flavor or different flavors of red - whipped cream Dissolve your first box of Jello in 1 cup of boiling water. Separate the Jello in half, into two bowls. Add two tab...more »
Another Vessel
http://www.spaulforrest.com/ This week, in answer to a Conservative question about why the Liberal government was taking its time to examine its role in the war against ISIS, Defence Minister Harjit Sajan told the House of Commons, “I want to make sure we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. Because every single time we make these mistakes as political leaders, we send our men and women into harm’s way for no reason.” That brought a request from Canada's pudgy former defence minister, Jason Kenny, to have an English to English transl... more »
The Multinational Firm and Geopolitics: Europe, Russian Energy, and Power
This is a guest post by Rawi Abdelal, Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, 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 Abdelal’s article found here. Links to other posts in the symposium […]
Mr. Trump, What is ‘Not Worth It’?
[image: Donald Trump2 - 900] In the aftermath of Donald Trump's second place finish to Ted Cruz in Iowa, his Twitter feed was surprisingly silent for fifteen hours, a near eternity for the very vocal, Twitter-friend billionaire. When he did resume tweeting, he did it... more »
Once a Bromance, Now a Brawl: Trump and Cruz Go at It
[image: Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas speaks at a town hall campaign event, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, in Henniker, N.H. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)] GOFFSTOWN, N.H. (AP) -- Once a bromance, now a brawl. Donald Trump and Ted Cruz cast aside any veneer of kindness on Wednesday to trade insults and accusations in a show of hardball politics that demonstrated the stakes for both... more »
Do Not Close the Book on Carly Fiorina
[image: Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina speaks at a town hall at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016.] Scott Walker, Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, Mike Huckabee and now Rand Paul. All were considered to be serious candidates for the Republican nomination for president and all have dropped out. Carly Fiorina began the campaign with far less name recognition,... more »
Muslim Extremism and the Failure of Multiculturalism
[image: Migrants and refugees walk to a refugee camp, as they wait to be allowed to continue their trip to southern Macedonia, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016. Police in northern Greece late Tuesday said 5,000 refugees and migrants were gathered at or near the border with Macedonia, where authorities continued to provide limited access at a frontier barrier built in November.] Just as radar warns of approaching storms, so does the flood of migrants entering Europe warn us of a deluge yet to come, not only for Europeans, if they continue to allow... more »
Poll: US Has Become More Conservative Under Obama’s Terms
[image: WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 27: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the Righteous Among the Nations award ceremony honororing U.S. Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds at the Israeli Embassy January 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. Edmonds posthumously is the first American service member to receive the award for actions he took as a prisoner of war in World War II. International Holocaust Rememberance Day marks the 71st anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945.] A new Gallup poll found that during President Barack Obama's two terms, a slew of states have bec... more »
Mom Seeks ‘Wrongful Birth’ Damages for Girl With Cystic Fibrosis
[image: Kerrie Evans of Gardiner, Mont., right, testifies in District Judge Mike Salvagni's courtroom on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, during her negligent birth civil trial at the Gallatin County Law and Justice Center in Bozeman, Mont. Evans is suing her health care providers because they failed to diagnose her unborn daughter's cystic fibrosis, denying her a chance to have an abortion. (Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez/Bozeman Daily Chronicle via AP)] BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) -- A jury in Montana heard opening statements Wednesday in the case of a mother who is suing her health care providers because... more »
New Video: Planned Parenthood Hides Fetal Body Part Sales with Accounting Gimmicks
[image: Planned parenthood melissa farrell 2 - 900] At 9 a.m. Thursday morning, Center for Medical Progress founder David Daledein will present himself at the Harris County, Texas court to answer charges that he and his organization violated the law in exposing Planned Parenthood’s illegal sale of aborted... more »
Environmental Refugees: Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS) Sufferers
* Catherine Frompovich* - Electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) is officially recognized as a functional impairment and not a disease. The post Environmental Refugees: Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS) Sufferers appeared first on Waking Times.
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*Christian Family Sues Over ‘Islamic Indoctrination’ Homework* A Maryland couple are suing their county school system, the school board, and their daughter’s high school principal over what they claim was “Islamic indoctrination and propaganda” in a world history class. John Kevin Wood and his wife, Melissa, say they are Christians and were upset to learn their 16-year-old daughter brought home homework that characterized Muslims as having “stronger” faith than Christians. As The Daily Signal previously reported, the Woods also took issue with the assertion that “Islam, at heart, i...more »
Untitled
*Still no success in measuring ocean heat* *A good laugh today. Below we have an article from Prof. John Abraham, famous for taking on Lord Monckton and getting a scarifying reply. He repeats the usual claim that all the greenhouse heat is being gobbled up by the oceans. And he tells us that it is therefore very important to measure the heat in the oceans. And he creates the impression that we can measure it and have confirmed the Warmist claimHe finds temperature measurements old hat however. He wants to measure heat. That is his academic specialty so no surpr... more »
We Love to Tell Meaningful Stories. This Itself Tells Us Something Meaningful About God
[image: Story Teller by the Fire - 900] I love stories. And I know that you do too. Whether it's a captivating novel, an enthralling movie, or an anecdote from a friend, human beings love stories. We love to tell them and we love to listen to them.... more »
Rubio Looks to New Hampshire to Peg Himself as a Republican for All
[image: Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. speaks during a town hall meeting in Laconia, N.H., Wednesday Feb. 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)] LACONIA, N.H. (AP) -- Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio is using every bit of momentum his campaign received from the Iowa caucuses to show New Hampshire voters that he -- not his competition -- is the Republican for all Americans.... more »
Phoenix Council Subs Opening Prayer for Moment of Silence
[image: praying hands] PHOENIX (AP) -- The Phoenix City Council voted Wednesday to replace a longstanding tradition of prayer before meetings with a moment of silence prayer, preventing an address by a group with “Satan” in its name and averting a lawsuit over... 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 »
Weinberg on Nuclear Safety
*This post continues to be relevant, although it could be improved with some minor revisions. Hopefully, I can do that soon. But as G. K. Chesterton once said, "If a thing is worth doinng at all, it is worth doing badly." * By the middle of 1972 the handwriting was on the wall. Alvin Weinberg had some very powerful enemies, includingCongressman Chet Holifield, and AEC administrator Milton Shaw. At the heart of their enmity was a distaste for Weinberg's view on nuclear safety. The official line of the Atomic Energy Establishment was that Light Water Reactor technology was mature an... more »
Russia Is Upgrading Its Military
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu provided details of Russia's latest snap exercise at the National Defence Control Centre in Moscow on 16 March Source: Russian MoD *Steven Pifer, National Interest*:* Pay Attention, America: Russia Is Upgrading Its Military* *The Kremlin's forces are in the midst of a historic overhaul.* Russia is in the midst of a major modernization of its armed forces. This has been driven by Vladimir Putin’s ambition to restore Russia’s hard power and supported by the revenues that flowed into the Kremlin’s coffers between 2004 and 2014, when the price o... more »
Medical Malpractice
You break your leg. You go to the hospital or health centre and get your leg out in a cast. But your leg never heals properly and you can't walk properly anymore. Can you sue the health provider for doing a bad job? Perhaps, but claims against health practitioners are, quite properly, difficult to prove. Medicine is not an exact science and health practitioners, no matter how skilled, cannot promise renewed good health. That said, a health practitioner must exercise a reasonable and acceptable standard of care, competence and skill in attending upon the patient If that is not do... more »
The Planet Desperately Needs More.......A Quotation from David Orr
Source: *Olesea Arts - G+*
Liz Truss and Tory boys
https://www.politicshome.com/communities-and-regions/articles/dot-commons-diary/liz-truss-and-old-spot-sausage Sausages and knobs...
Sanders and Clinton Clash Over Who’s the Real Progressive — And Who Can Get Things Done
[image: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during Democratic primary town hall sponsored by CNN, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, in Derry, N.H. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are in a tug-of-war over who’s the best standard-bearer for progressive values as they road test lines of argument for the first one-on-one debate of the Democratic campaign. The race for the... more »
GAIA PORTAL: Generation of Gaia harmonics accelerate
*Generation of Gaia harmonics accelerate* by ÉirePort Generation of Gaia harmonics accelerate. Resets of missed opportunities begins for all of hu-manity levels. Stellar participations are requested and granted. Ultra-fine lineals permeate the bodies. ÉirePort | February 4, 2016 at 11:11 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-xi
EUrabia is our future, if we stay in the EU. Vote Leave
https://youtu.be/nnrFddSJWsk
Going to Extremes: Federal Climatologist Slams Alarmist Federal Climate Report
By Paul Homewood http://www.cato.org/blog/going-extremes-federal-climatologist-slams-alarmist-federal-climate-report The Met Office frequently try to persuade us that extreme rainfall is getting worse because of global warming. It comes as no surprise to learn that the same arguments are taking place in the US. Unfortunately for the alarmists, a study led by NOAA’s own expert, Dr Martin […]
Amid rape epidemic, Finland's dangerously stupid PSA says use your mittens?
https://youtu.be/pglpJeipM0c Feminism loses out to fear of being called Islamophibic?
Does the Moon cause more rain?
The Telegraph (via Stack Exchange) promotes a provoking paper Rainfall variations induced by the lunar gravitational atmospheric tide and their implications for the relationship between tropical rainfall and humidity (PDF) by Kohyama and Wallace (University of Washington) in Geophysical Research Letters. Their claim may be summarized by a slogan of mine: since it's sunny because of the Sun, it must be rainy because of the... Moon. ;-) They claim to have both theoretical evidence and experimental evidence. When they look at some eight-times-a-day precipitation data, they find o... more »
Brother Of Disgraced Chinese Presidential Aide Ling Jihua Defects To The US With State Secrets
Chinese businessman Ling Wancheng (left) is the brother of Ling Jihua, the one-time chief of staff of former president Hu Jintao. Photos: SCMP, Reuters *South China Morning Post*: *Telling tales: brother of disgraced Chinese presidential aide Ling Jihua defects to US and reveals state secrets, says report* American news website Washington Free Beacon also claims undercover mainland agents in the US have been trying to capture or kill Ling Wancheng, who has been hiding in the country. The younger brother of the disgraced former Chinese presidential aide Ling Jihua has reportedly de... more »
Kids Company, the allegory
I know that people who believe that juvenile delinquents are best dealt with by experiencing a short sharp shock in a no-nonsense detention centre will never agree with me, but I believe Camila Batmanghelidjh was onto something with her original approach to the problem of the violence and drug addiction affecting London’s youthful underclass. (Original in all senses of the word) Unfortunately, success in overcoming those early battles with authority and convention went to her head, and she didn’t understand that running an enormous charitable/publicly funded organisation wasn’t whe... more »
German 16yr Old Girl - Dubbed into English - "Merkel has Destroyed Germany"
https://youtu.be/rfg2cTv2YqI The video that the German government, and probably the British too, would rather you didn't watch.
"Lies, Lies And More Lies" - Poisoned Agriculture, GMOs And Toxic Rants
Global Research, CounterPunch, Countercurrents, RINF *Please read this request* Have you ever read all of those pro-GMO scientists-cum-lobbyists professing their love of science? They are always talking about how science must prevail over ignorance and ideology then they play on the public’s ignorance by using ideology and sloganeering to try to get their points across. As as been well documented (see here and here), it is the pro-GMO lobby/industry that distorts and censors science, captures regulatory bodies, attacks scientists whose findings are unpalatable to the industry and... more »
It’s the Sun, Stupid!
*Another Issue of "Carbon Sense” prepared for The Carbon Sense Coalition * *by Viv Forbes and volunteer helpers.* * Please help us to spread the word. To subscribe click**: * *http://carbon-sense.com/contact-us/* *5th February 2016* *This cartoon may be used freely providing the author, Steve Hunter, * *and the source is acknowledged: **www.carbon-sense.com* Those who think the political war on carbon will lower Earth’s temperature or keep climate stable need to study climate history. Temperatures on Earth dance to a cyclic rhythm every hour, every day, every month, every sea... more »
How To Avoid War In Asia
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *James Stavridis, Nikkei Asian Review*: *Defense transparency and collaboration will help Asia avoid war* We are at the start of a dangerous arms race in Asia as nations in the region respond to rising and more assertive military power in China and growing instability on the Korea Peninsula. And the American "Pacific pivot" is failing to gain traction in the face of crises in Syria, threats from the Islamic State group, and ongoing tension with Russia over Ukraine. China (which has the world's second largest defense budget) is on track to double its m... more »
Feb. 2: Welcome to 1929
Our premier is going to make us rich by making us poorer. And by making the rich richer. Welcome to the economics of 1929. Lots of us will get poorer. Some of us will get fired. And the rich will get tax cuts. Yes, Yes, I can see how that would make us all richer. Just like 1929. Actually, what we're seeing is the creation of an ever bigger wage gap between the majority of us and the rich minority. Just like 1929. I note, too, the Gallant government makes no mention of examining the offshore bank accounts of the wealthy to see how much taxable income they aren't reporting and ... more »
Beijing Vs DC: The Battle for Southeast Asia
*February 4, 2016* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - The Strait Times published an opinion piece by the London-based Rob Edens. Wishfully titled, "South-east Asia fast becoming unfriendly territory for China," it attempts to portray Southeast Asia as increasingly pivoting West toward Washington, coincidentally just as Washington was "pivoting" East toward Asia. Edens' attempts to outline Beijing and Washington's respective strategies in the region by stating: * On the one hand, China's "One Belt One Road" initiative, for instance, is focused on physical infrastructure; improving road, rai... more »
$3M Raised in 24 Hours After Iowa for BERNing (Carson's Grift) Why the Stock Market Is Screaming (Going Down Without Lehman Pause) Middle Class Suicides Rational (Flint Water Poisoned Purposely?) Remaking American Democracy
Bernie Sanders raised $3 million through online fundraising in the 24 hours after the Iowa caucuses Monday night, according to campaign aides. $1 million was raised in just 90 minutes after Sanders gave his speech.“It’s been our best day ever,” Sanders communications director Michael Briggs told the Washington Post, adding that 4 in 10 donations came from supporters who had not previously
The US Marine Corps Wants Science Fiction Enthusiasts To Describe Conflicts In The Future
MODDB *Lance M. Bacon, Navy Times/Marine Corps Times:* *Marines ask science fiction enthusiasts to describe future threats* *The Marine Corps is looking to get its geek on.* The Marine Corps Warfighting Lab will team three acclaimed science fiction authors with 17 service members who demonstrate creative skill in the genre. Organizers are teaming them up to create a compelling, credible narrative of what the world might look like in 30 years. Marine leaders will then use the insight to better understand — and prepare for — the future fight. The Science Fiction Futures Workshop wi... more »
This Is What Happens When A US Fighter Jet Intercepts A Plane Violating Restricted Airspace
*Business Insider*: *Here's what it looks like when a US fighter jet intercepts a plane violating restricted airspace* It's sort of a private pilot's worst nightmare, seeing a US Air Force fighter jet fly alongside your aircraft. Whoops, that's because you've flown into restricted airspace. And just like the airspace above Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the location of Super Bowl 50 this Sunday, a US Air Force F-15 Eagle will intercept all unapproved aircraft. A Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cessna 182 will assist the F-15. *Read more* .... *WNU Editor:* I will not be surpr... more »
Military Photo of the Day: February 4, 2016
[image: Training-900] Soldiers from a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in Puerto Rico conduct marksmanship training at Fort Bliss in Texas. This is a mandatory requirement for all soldiers deploying to the theater of operations in the Middle East. We thank all... more »
Philip Hammond warns less than HALF of the migrants are fleeing Syria - No Shit Sherlock
The Mail reports http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3427951/Philip-Hammond-warns-HALF-million-migrants-flooding-Europe-fleeing-war-Syria.html thus 'Philip Hammond has warned less than half of the migrants entering Europe are fleeing the brutal war in Syria. More than a million people are expected to try and get into Europe this year but speaking on a visit to refugee camps in Jordan the Foreign Secretary said many were economic migrants who should be sent home.' Any sensible person knows this to be true but the pro immigration BBC has been pretending this is not the case an... more »
The EU is committing "ritual suicide" and the BBC is hiding that
'Robert Fico, the Slovakian prime minister, declared the EU is committing a "ritual suicide" by letting so many people in. He said the country could volunteer 300 guards at the Schengen zone's external borders. He condemned Jean-Claude Juncker's quota system to share out migrants as "nonsense" and a "complete fiasco"."If it takes until late 2016 or 2017 for Europe to set up its planned border and coastguard force, the EU will have killed itself" More here at The Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/12123684/Six-in-ten-migrants-not-entitled-to-asylum-says-E... more »
Six in ten migrants not entitled to asylum, says EU chief per The Telegraph. Something that the BBC will not be reporting.
The Telegraph report http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/12123684/Six-in-ten-migrants-not-entitled-to-asylum-says-EU-chief.html thus: 'Frans Timmermans says official data shows majority of refugees are economic migrants, as Slovakia declares Europe is 'suicidal' Six in 10 migrants arriving in Europe are economic migrants with no right to asylum, one of the EU's most senior officials has disclosed. Frans Timmermans, the first vice president of the European Commission, said that the majority of those coming to the EU are not fleeing war or persecution. Many are Tun... more »
Venezuela On The Brink Of Default (Updated)
*Matt O'Brien, The Independent*: *Venezuela on the brink of complete economic collapse* *It's not easy to go bankrupt when you have the largest oil reserves in the world, but Venezuela has managed it* The only question now is whether Venezuela's government or economy will completely collapse first. The key word there is "completely." Both are well into their death throes. Indeed, Venezuela's ruling party just lost congressional elections that gave the opposition a veto-proof majority, and it's hard to see that getting any better for them any time soon — or ever. Incumbents, afte... more »
Tweet For Today
Everything we know about the #ZikaVirus in 5 slides: https://t.co/MBXY7sN91Y pic.twitter.com/pBWp6PjZ41 — AP Interactive (@AP_Interactive) February 3, 2016
A Look At The Pentagon's Strategic Capabilities Office
The Pentagon (Wikipedia *Sam LaGrone, USNI News:* *Little Known Pentagon Office Key to U.S. Military Competition with China, Russia* A little publicized Pentagon office tasked with tweaking existing U.S. military capabilities for new roles and missions is a key player in the Department of Defense effort to stay ahead of Russian and Chinese weapon programs. “[Russia and China] are developing weapons and ways of war that seek to achieve their objectives rapidly, before they hope we can respond. Because of this, and because of their actions to date – from Ukraine to the South China ... more »
Picture Of The Day
Soldiers attack simulated enemy combatants during exercise Allied Spirit IV at the U.S. Army’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center on Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, Feb. 2, 2016. The multinational exercise improves tactical interoperability between NATO members and partner nations. Army photo by Pvt. Randy Wren
These Are The New Weapons That The Pentagon Wants For Tomorrow's Wars
*Patrick Tucker, Defense One:* *These Are the New Weapons the Pentagon Chief Wants for Tomorrow’s Wars* Defense secretary lays out his vision for the next decade’s killer capabilities in 2017 budget preview. Smarter smart bombs, mini railguns, and swarming robot boats to watch man-made islands are a few of the key technology areas that Defense Secretary Ashton Carter sees as vital to U.S. military superiority in the next decade. In a preview of the Pentagon’s upcoming 2017 budget request, Carter said military research and development spending would rise to $71.4 billion from last ... more »
Russia Accuse Bill Gates Of Engineering “Bioweapon” Zika Virus
The Zika virus is a bioweapon that is using GMO (genetically modified) mosquitos to spread ‘future diseases’ according to a Kremlin report. And the finger of blame is being pointed squarely at Bill Gates. It is understood the bioweapon was developed by Bill Gates to achieve his self-confessed Illuminati goal of depopulating the world. According to a leaked highly confidential Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) report that has been read by sources in the Kremlin, it has been revealed that the Zika virus was ‘cooked up as a bioweapon’ by ‘world governments and non-government organizat... more »
“The Weight Of Nothing”
*“The Weight Of Nothing”* by Kurt Kauter "Tell me the weight of a snowflake," a coal-mouse asked a wild dove. "Nothing more than nothing," was the answer. "In that case I must tell you a marvelous story," the coal-mouse said. "I sat on a branch of a fir, close to its trunk, when it began to snow, not heavily, not in a giant blizzard, no, just like in a dream, without any violence. Since I didn't have anything better to do, I counted the snowflakes settling on the twigs and needles of my branch. Their number was exactly 3,741,952. When the next snowflake dropped onto the branch– no... more »
Kissinger Privately Warns Putin “War Is Coming”
President Putin held a private meeting on Wednesday with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger which the Kremlin say involved the American statesman warning Putin that the “ancient death cult” currently in control of the United States and the West “cannot be stopped”, and that a global war is almost set to become a reality. A Kremlin report says that Henry Kissinger has inside information that proves that many Western leaders, past and present, are heavily influenced by the occult practice of necromancy (talking to the dead). Whatdoesitmean.com reports: Though born in Fürth,... more »
Court Of Appeals Bans People With High IQs From Becoming Cops
A US Court of Appeals has upheld a decision to ban a man from becoming a police officer because his intelligence test (IQ) was deemed “too high” for the police force. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld a lower court’s decision that the city did not discriminate against Robert Jordan because the very same standards were applied to everybody who took the test. ABC News reports: “This kind of puts an official face on discrimination in America against people of a certain class,” Jordan said today from his Waterford home. “I maintain you have no more control over y... more »
Malcolm McDowell Says ‘A Clockwork Orange’ Is Becoming A Reality
Actor Malcolm McDowell has said the film he starred in over 44 years ago -“A Clockwork Orange” – is becoming a reality in today’s world. The film by Stanley Kubrick depicts “a world in which all older people stayed indoors with their televisions on,” McDowell says. “And that’s basically what happened“. Nydailynews.com reports: “It’s just the young people out there doing drugs — and he foretold all this before the drug explosion.” The film, like the book, depicts a dystopian future filled with “ultra-violence,” gangs of “droogs” and depravity at every turn. The four main characters ... more »
Wells Fargo Insider Says Bank Is Preparing For Emergency Scenario
A Wells Fargo bank insider, who claims to be a teller, has said that the bank are training their staff to deal with an imminent “emergency scenario”. The insider reports: I am a teller at Wells Fargo here in the US this is also my first time using this proxy. They started training us today for a bank holiday. They didnt mention the word bank holiday, but they did train us for an “emergency scenario”. They told us it’s just a drill. Ive been working here for 3 years, and we never had a drill before.. They said that during an emergency, they would close the doors and only allow 3 peop... more »
Russia Accuse Turkey Of Breaching Aviation Treaty
Russia has accused Turkey of breaching the Open Skies Treaty by refusing to allow Russian surveillance aircraft to fly close to the Turkish border over Syria. “After the arrival of the Russian mission to Turkey and the announcement of the desired itinerary, the Turkish military officials refused to allow the inspection flight citing an order from the Turkish Foreign Ministry,” the head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, Sergey Ryzhkov, said in a statement. Presstv.com reports: Under the 2002 treaty, Turkey, Russia and 32 other signatories are o... more »
US Navy Arrive In Japan Ahead Of North Korea Missile Launch
A US Navy missile tracking ship, USNS Howard O, Lorenzen, has arrived in Japan ahead of North Korea launching a missile test. Japanese military officials have said that they are prepared to shoot down any missile test that threatens Japan coming from North Korea. Atimes.com reports: US Navy officials have not given a reason for the Lorenzen’s docking at Sasebo. But a local activist group, “RIMPEACE,” says that it is part of a US-Japan response to “North Korea’s planned missile launch.” The Lorenzen is a missile range instrumentation ship equipped with large radar capacity to track ... more »
Russia And Assad Deliver Military Blow To Turkey
Turkey’s supply line to opposition groups operating in and around Aleppo has been cut off due to Russian airstrikes and pro-government forces weakening rebel groups. Russian airstrikes across northern Syria has driven the epicenter of war towards the north of Aleppo following Turkey’s shooting down of its warplane last year. At the same time pro-government forces have broken a rebel siege of two villages in the north, cutting Turkey’s supply line to opposition groups. Yahoo News reports: Government troops, accompanied by Iran-backed Shiite militias and Hezbollah forces, apparently ... more »
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 EVERYBODY ALL THE TIME): 1. A Presidential race (U... more »
Musical Interlude: Josh Groban, “Gira Con Me”
Josh Groban, “Gira Con Me” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsoRzS-5FaE
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