10:40pm MST
Picture Of The Day
*Breaching Tactics* Marines shield themselves from a detonated explosive charge during an urban training course on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 29, 2016. During the course, Marines learned about four different types of charges. Marine Corps photo by Pvt. Robert Bliss
A Falling Out Between Russia And Iran Over Syria?
Iran’s Ali Akbar Velayati (R) shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin before a meeting in Moscow on January 28, 2015. Press TV *Debka*:* Iran and Russia in first major falling-out over Syrian war and Assad* While diplomats from 70 countries talked in London about how to raise $9 bn for projects to rehabilitate Syria’s refugees and rebuild their war-ravaged country, its future was further clouded this week by an argument that flared between the main arbiters, Russia and Iran. Ali Akbar Velayati, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s foreign affairs advisor, spe... more »
Red Hot Chili Peppers Played A Bernie Benefit Tonight-- And Some Advise From Bankster Lloyd Blankfein
Tonight's Red Hot Chili Peppers concert for Bernie was sold out-- weeks in advance. Flea, the Peppers' long-time activist bass player, is a big Bernie fan, although sometimes he can't help himself when it comes to denouncing the Republican clowns. "I can't take Donald Trump or anything he says seriously," he said last week. "I just think that he's a silly reality-show bozo and blustering guy who likes getting attention. I don't think he wants to be president, and I don't think he has a chance to be the president. He's just some egotistical, silly person whose main concern in life i... more »
What Happened In Cologne Will Not Happen Russia
*Daily Caller*:* Refugees Go Clubbing In Russia, Harass Girls, Wake Up In Hospital The Next Morning* *A group of 51 refugees were brutally assaulted outside a night club in Murmansk, Russia, after they groped and molested women at a night club Saturday.* The refugees had previously been ordered to leave Norway for “bad behavior” and tried their luck in Russia. What they didn’t realize when they went out clubbing in Murmansk is that Russians have less tolerance when it comes to sexual assault on local women than other European countries. The refugees allegedly groped and harassed ... more »
Head of Germany's Security Services: ISIS Fighters Are Entering Germany Disguised As Refugees
Hans-Georg Maassen, the head of the BfV Fabrizio Bensch / Reuters *New York Times: **Terrorism Suspects Are Posing as Refugees, Germany Says* BERLIN — An Algerian couple, suspected of planning a terrorist attack in Berlin and arrested on suspicion of belonging to the Islamic State, entered Germany late last year and applied for asylum as Syrian refugees — part of a pattern of terrorism suspects entering Europe under the guise of fleeing war, the German authorities said Friday. The police in Berlin published a photo they said was of the husband, showing a bearded man with his face b... more »
Gaming White Whales: Campaigns I Really Want to Run Someday
He tasks me. He tasks me, and I shall have him. I'll chase him round the Moons of Nibia and round the Antares Maelstrom and round Perdition's flames before I give him up! - *Star Trek II *Channeling *Moby Dick* I've been gaming since the early 1980's so I've run and played in a lot of games. But there's a few games I've never really gotten the chance to run or play in much more than a few standalone games here and there. I've mentioned *Traveller* a few times in this blog. I remember seeing those little black books at my gaming store in the 1980's but never got into it. Over t... more »
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon Lies About Cause of Collapse of Geneva III Talks
*UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's comments about the Syrian peace talks have not been helpful. Attributing the collapse of the talks to one side only is a betrayal of the Syrian people and of the principles of justice and fairness that the United Nations was supposedly created to uphold.* *An excerpt from, "Ban blames Russia for collapse of Syria talks" by Sam Jones, FT, February 5, 2016: * Devastating Russian air raids in Syria last week caused the collapse of peace talks in Geneva, said UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon as he warned that an immediate ceasefire was needed if the ... more »
Is The Middle East On The Brink?
*Richard Fernandez, PJ Media*:* Full Speed to Disaster* While the US media's attention remained focused on the presidential elections, developments in Syria continued to take a dramatic turn. Saudi Arabia announced "it was ready to participate in any ground operations in Syria if the U.S.-led alliance decides to start such operations." Russia warned that Turkey might intervene to break the siege of Aleppo to save its clients from annihilation and prevent a renewed flood of refugees from taking the road to Europe. Not only is the situation threatening to escalate, the Washington Po... more »
A Look At The Consequences Of Saudi Arabia Sending Ground Troops Into Syria
*Kim Sengupta, The Independent*: *How Saudi Arabia sending ground forces into Syria will have huge ramifications on the civil war* While the soldiers are intended to fight Isis, they may find themselves clashing with Iranian ‘volunteers’ and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters in what is a highly combustible situation The sending of ground forces by Saudi Arabia into Syria will have immense ramifications for the country’s civil war and the wider region. The question, however, is whether it will actually take place. The Saudi announcement comes at a time when prospects for peace have faded... more »
Blue America Endorses Sonny Palacios (TX-15)
TX-15 is a long skinny piece of gerrymandered south Texas-- they call it a "fajita strip"-- that starts in the suburbs northwest of San Antonio and at Seguin and meanders down to the Rio Grande Valley. It includes all of Duval, Guadaloupe, Jim Hogg, Brooks, Live Oaks and Karnes counties and portions of Hidalgo and Wilson counties. Most of the people live in the McAllen/Edinburg area, in deep blue Hidalgo County. Over half the votes from TX-15 come from Hidalgo and although Obama only beat Romney 57-42% districtwide, he took Hidalgo 70-29%. The district is over 80% Latino. They fi... more »
Musical Interlude: 2002, “Falling Through Time”
2002, “Falling Through Time” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn5SjXaxc74
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Big, bright, and beautiful, spiral galaxy M83 lies a mere twelve million light-years away, near the southeastern tip of the very long constellation Hydra. Prominent spiral arms traced by dark dust lanes and blue star clusters lend this galaxy its popular name, The Southern Pinwheel. But reddish star forming regions that dot the sweeping arms highlighted in this sparkling color composite also suggest another nickname, The Thousand-Ruby Galaxy. *Click image for larger size.* About 40,000 light-years across, M83 is a member of a group of galaxies that includes active galaxy Centaurus ... more »
Chet Raymo, "Rules For Believing And Thinking"
*"Seven Rules for Believing"* by Chet Raymo "I was reading again recently Richard Dawkins' letter to his daughter Juliet on her tenth birthday, urging her to avoid tradition, authority and revelation as reasons for believing. Ask for evidence, he writes - evidence that is at least potentially available to all. Good advice, and I wouldn't mind passing on Dawkins' letter to my own children or grandchildren. But there is further advice I would add. A week or so ago I proposed here Four Rules of Rational Thinking, and had some savvy comments by readers. Let me now propose Seven Rules o... more »
"I Will Gladly Change..."
“If any man is able to show me and prove to me that I do not think or act right, I will gladly change, for I seek the truth, by which no man was ever injured. It is only persistence in self delusion and ignorance that does harm.” - Marcus Aurelius
"If You Caught A Glimpse..."
"If you caught a glimpse of your own death, would that knowledge change the way you live the rest of your life?" - Paco Ahlgren, "Discipline"
BWorld 41, OFWs, cheap oil and the TPP
* This is my article in BusinessWorld last February 04, 2016. Labor mobility and migration across countries and continents is a result of push and pull factors in both the labor exporting and labor importing or receiving countries. Labor-surplus countries generally have lower wages and labor skills due to limited employment opportunities while labor-deficit countries generally have higher wages and skills training. If labor migration is heavily restricted via multiple regulations and permits, taxes and mandatory contributions -- if not prohibited outright -- the wage gap and income... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador. Thanks for stopping by!
"Dignity..."
"No one else can confer dignity on you; it is something that comes from within. You cannot fake it or acquire it as you would an accent. You can only receive the gift of dignity from your own heart. When you learn to embrace your self with a sense of appreciation and affection, you begin to glimpse the goodness and light that is in you, and gradually you will realize that you are worthy of respect from yourself. When you recognize your limits, but still embrace your life with affection and graciousness, the sense of inner dignity begins to grow. You become freer and less dependent ... more »
The Poet: Rumi, “Whoever Brought Me Here”
*“Whoever Brought Me Here”* "All day I think about it, then at night I say it. Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing? I have no idea. My soul is from elsewhere, I'm sure of that, and I intend to end up there. This drunkenness began in some other tavern. When I get back around to that place, I'll be completely sober. Meanwhile, I'm like a bird from another continent, sitting in this aviary. The day is coming when I fly off, but who is it now in my ear who hears my voice? Who says words with my mouth? Who looks out with my eyes? What is the soul? I cannot stop asking. ...more »
Free Trade 63, Dealing with anti-trade lib, anti-TPP activists
Another good article from Wan, CEO of IDEAS in Malaysia, reposting. The photos I just added here and not part of the original article. -------------- *Lessons from the TPPA debate* by Wan Saiful Wan Jan. First published in The Star 2 February 2016 I am pleased that our parliament has voted for Malaysia to sign the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (#TPPA). Over three days, both the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara debated the issue and the government won the vote in both chambers. However I am very disappointed by the way the vote was won. Members of both chambers voted according t... more »
Tonight's Movie Is 'The Pentagon Wars'
*WNU Editor:* This movie is hilarious.
Message from the Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers
"As you move through these changing times... be easy on yourself and be easy on one another. You are at the beginning of something new. You are learning a new way of being. You will find that you are working less in the yang modes that you are used to. "You will stop working so hard at getting from point A to point B the way you have in the past, but instead, will spend more time experiencing yourself in the whole, and your place in it. "Instead of traveling to a goal out there, you will voyage deeper into yourself. Your mother's grandmother knew how to do this. Your ancestors ... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 5, 2016
*Nick Paton Walsh, CNN:* *You thought Syria couldn't get much worse. Think again* (CNN)Aleppo's fall to rebels -- back in 2012 a much more moderate bunch than the often al-Nusra-infected alliances we see now -- was a symbolic moment: the commercial heart of Syria turning on the country's own government. Now, as thousands flee to the Turkish border from Russian airstrikes pounding the city and government forces moving in, the battle for Aleppo is again gaining significance. The towns of Nubul and Zahraa were reached by government forces late Wednesday and their seizure could mark... more »
Untitled
*Why New Orleans's Back-to-Nature Experiment in Flood Control May Revitalize a Neighborhood ~Patrick Sisson, Curbed*
When Kirill and Francis Meet, It’ll be an Historic Kick in the Devil’s Gut
[image: Kicking the Devil - 900] It was the ongoing "Christian genocide" that finally brought about the meeting after twenty years of discussions. Pope Francis and the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill will be meeting next Friday in the neutral location of Cuba, while the patriarch is... more »
Economic News , Data & Views - Friday Evening Wrap Up ( February 5 , 2016 ) US ( 1. Non Farm Payrolls / Unemployment data / Employment Situation Report. 2. Trade Deficit Data. ) Europe ( 1. Greece Items Of Note. 2.Ukraine Political Crisis Threatens Western Aid. 3. Refugee/ Migration / Border Security. 4. UK- EU Talks Items . 5. NIRP News. 6. SNB Travails. 7. Portugal In focus. ) MENA ( 1. Syria Battlefront Items. 2. Libya In Focus. ) Asia ( 1. China Starts New Year Holiday - Amid Some Ominous tidings. 2. Japan Items Of Note . 3. Taiwan Earthquake Items. )
Overview........ US- Non Farm Payrolls & Employment Situation *zerohedge* @zerohedge 8h 8 hours ago Dear BLS, Explain This http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-02-0 5/dear-bls-explain … *zerohedge* @zerohedge 9h 9 hours ago 70% Of Jobs Added In January Were Minimum Wage Waiters And Retail Workers http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-02-0 5/70-jobs-added-january-were-minimum-wage-waiters-and-retail-workers … *zerohedge* @zerohedge 9h 9 hours ago January Payrolls Miss Big, Adding Only 151,000 Jobs, But Hourly Wages Jump http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-02-... more »
Female Former Marine: Women Really Don’t Want to Be in Combat Roles
[image: Female Marine - 900] Civilian leaders in the military have heralded the decision open all ground combat roles to women as a sign of progress, but some females who have actually served in the military are none too pleased at the Pentagon's plans. Jude... more »
#PrayforTaiwan: 6.4 Quake Strikes Taiwan, Collapses Buildings
[image: Rescuers are seen entering an office building that collapsed on its side from an early morning earthquake in Tainan, southern Taiwan, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. A 6.4-magnitude earthquake has struck southern Taiwan, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (AP Photo)] A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake has struck southern Taiwan, causing at least two buildings to collapse. There have been no immediate reports of casualties. The quake, centered some 22 miles southeast of Yujing, struck about 4 a.m. local time, or 3 p.m....more »
UN To Make Millions Of Africans Homeless To Fight Global Warming
By Paul Homewood The United Nations global warming deal could make another five million people homeless in the world’s poorest countries, for the express purpose of setting forest land aside to slow global warming through conservation. Millions who live in and depend on forests for their livelihoods could be evicted from their wooded […]
Is The DCCC As Hated Among Florida Democrats As It Is Among California Democrats?
Every bit as horrible as the last DCCC chairman-- and the one before that A few days ago we looked at why California Democratic Party activists have been rejecting the DCCC and telling them to go shove their corrupt conservative candidates up Ben Ray Luján's and Steve Israel's asses. But a growing hatred for the DCCC among Democrats isn't confined to California. Florida Democratic Party activists have been waking up to the Beltway shenanigans that have proven catastrophic for Florida Democrats for over a decade when then-DCCC chairman Rahm Emanuel started recruiting Republicans to r... more »
Fully Erect Penis Of Halitherses Grimaldii Preserved In Amber
An ancient fossil sporting an erect penis half the size of his body has been found exquisitely preserved in amber. A distant cousin of modern daddy longlegs has been found fossilized in amber with a fully erect penis, according to National Geographic. The male harvestman “Halitherses grimaldii” lived some 99 million years ago in what is now modern-day Burma. Discovery reports: Researchers from the Berlin Museum for Natural History conducted the study and say the find is the first to show an erect penis frozen in amber. The ancient spider specimen (Halitherses grimaldii) is a harvest... more »
Zika Virus Now Found In Saliva & Urine
Scientists have identified the Zika virus in the saliva and urine of two infected patients, a top Brazilian biomedical research institution said on Friday. Officials said they have launched an investigation into the possible transmission of the mosquito-borne virus through bodily fluids. Pregnant women in Brazil are now being warned to refrain from kissing strangers, or sharing cutlery and plates with them in case they have the virus. Are we afraid yet? Ready for the vaccine? Reuters reports: These developments come just as Rio kicks off its annual carnival celebrations, a raucous f... more »
World News Briefs -- February 5, 2016 (Evening Edition)
*Al Jazeera*: *Thousands head to Turkey fleeing Syrian offensive* Flight from northern Aleppo province's countryside prompted by government's success in breaking through rebel defences. Thousands of Syrians are fleeing the Aleppo countryside, heading towards Turkey, as government forces break through rebel defences in the northern province. The development comes as diplomatic talks on ending the war in Syria remain on hold and Saudi Arabia announces its readiness to send in ground troops. A Turkish aid organisation said on Friday that about 50,000 refugees urgently need food, wat... more »
Remembering Maurice White
2016 is turning out to be a bit crap. We're barely a month into the new year, and this is *the fourth* obituary I've written. As readers now, the founder and driving force of Earth, Wind & Fire, Maurice White, passed away yesterday. His music, especially the hits the band had in the late 70s, stood out as playful celebrations of life. All of them were serious musicians, but when you know you're serious you don't have to show it off. You can let go and embrace kitsch and glitz while letting your musicianship and songwriting speak for itself. This is what Earth, Wind & Fire did on the...more »
Joanne Shenandoah in need of liver transplant
The Grammy award winning singer is in need of immediate help to save her life By Brenda Norrell Censored News We have received sad news that Joanne Shenandoah needs a liver transplant. The Grammy award winner singer with the beautiful voice is in need of immediate help to save her life. Joanne and her family struggled to preserve the traditional governance of the Clan Mothers at the Oneida
Why Is The U.S. Navy Not Interested In Developing Drone Fleet?
*Popular Mechanics*: * A Short History of the Navy's Long Dislike of Drones* *Why do the U.S. Navy's higher ups keep shooting down UAV programs?* They Navy does not like drones. That's why they keep terminating them. Nobody wants to be told that a computer can do their job better than they can, and pilots are not the least egotistical of individuals. Given how many commanders are ex-pilots, it is no surprise that the Navy's new combat drone has been re-assigned to less glamorous duties. This is just the latest case of a drone that presumes to rival human fliers getting the thumbs-... more »
Chinese Drones Are Going To Appear On The Battlefield
The Wing Long UAV, Zhuhai International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, 2012. *VOA: **Chinese Drones Likely to Play Key Role in Areas of Conflict* BEIJING — China has quickly emerged as a leading player in the international race for drone manufacturing, with the products already playing a key role in disputed areas of Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and North Korea. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from China have been used against Islamic State forces by Iraqi security units, causing serious casualties in mid-December, military watchers said. “Many of the Chinese drone manufacturers are... more »
Turkish-Saudi Invasion of Syria Would Be A Huge Victory For ISIS
*Erdogan is not a conqueror. He's an impostor whose arrogance has angered the gods. Falling off an Arabian horse was a bad omen. The reins of destiny are not in his grasp. If he decides to invade Syria he will fail miserably along with his Saudi and NATO allies. * *An excerpt from, "Washington Post Op-Ed Calls for "Safe Zones" in Syria" by Tony Cartalucci, Land Destroyer Report, February 5, 2016:* Far from protecting civilians or addressing humanitarian concerns, the United States' actions in Libya devastated an entire nation and has left it in what will likely be decades of deadly... more »
Wannabe Caliph And ISIS Backer Erdogan Gets Shouted Down In Ecuador
*Brave and beautiful protesters in Ecuador shout down the wannabe Caliph and ISIS backer Erdogan during his speech in the country.* *Video Title: 'Murderer!' Female protesters interrupt Erdogan's speech in Ecuador. Source: Emma Aiden. Date Published: February 5, 2016. Description: * Ecuador has summoned the Turkish ambassador in Quito to formally protest the treatment of three of its citizens who were forcibly removed after demonstrating against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan when he was speaking at an event. The three women were removed from Quito's Centre for Higher Na... more »
Missing Cat Found Twice Original Size At Pet Food Factory Near Home
A missing family cat who left his owners distraught after leaving home 14 months ago, has been found living the life of Riley at a pet food factory near his home. The Mirror reports: Two-year-old Norwegian Forest cat Clive disappeared from his home in December 2014 leaving owners Tanya and Jonathan Irons devastated. The couple, who have two-year-old daughter Elizabeth, put up posters around the neighbourhood and launched an appeal on Facebook but to no avail. Clive was finally found on Wednesday by staff at a pet food factory two miles away, who had noticed treats had been going mis... more »
"How It Really Is"
High crimes and misdemeanors, you say? I'd need another blog to document it all... But I could. - CP
Tens Of Thousands Of Syrians Flee Toward Turkey To Escape Aleppo
Syrian forces with support from their allies are creating a humanitarian crisis along the Syrian Turkish border with 110,000 refugees headed toward Turkey to escape fighting in western Aleppo, in northern Syria. Syrian government troops are within a few miles of encircling and cutting off Aleppo in a move that the locals fear can lead to siege and starvation. Daily Sabah reports: Thousands of people, including Turkmens, have fled their homes located around Azaz, a town 7 kilometers away from the Turkish-Syrian border in northwestern Aleppo, and around 70,000 people now live in the 1... more »
Russia & Iran Help Assad Encircle Aleppo In Northern Syria
Manpower from Iran and bombs from Russia have enabled the Syrian troops to come within a few miles of encircling Aleppo. Thousands are fleeing the area in fear of an impending siege. ISW reports: Battlefield realities rather than great power politics will determine the ultimate terms of a settlement to end the Syrian Civil War. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies in Russia and Iran have internalized this basic principle even as Washington and other Western capitals pinned their hopes upon UN-sponsored Geneva Talks, which faltered only two days after they began on Februar...more »
Obama Proposes Raising The Gas Tax 136%, Despite Saying it Hurts the Poor the Most
[image: Obama Proposes Raising The Gas Tax 136%] President Barack Obama has just proposed a $10 tax on every barrel of oil produced in the U.S., but it was just five years ago the president warned making fuel more expensive harms poor people the most. Obama told Georgetown... more »
Do Not Fly Your Drone Near The Super Bowl This Sunday (Or It Will Be Shot Down)
*Daily Mail:* *Drone owners are warned that their aircraft will be SHOT DOWN if they fly within 32 miles of the Super Bowl* * The FAA have said they will use force to take down unmanned aircraft * They released a statement insisting Levis Stadium is a 'No Drone Zone' * Is part of the beefed up security at one of the biggest events of the year * F-15s will be on standby near Santa Clara, California, to intercept anything that sneaks into the no fly zone Drone owners have been warned to leave their aircraft at home during the Super Bowl. The FAA has released a statement insisting an... more »
Growing Labour Unrest In China
Reuters *Damir Sagolj, Natalie Thomas, and James Pomfret, Reuters*:* Unpaid and angry* *This year, 20 or so construction workers in the northern province of Hebei decided not to join China's legion of migrant workers heading home to celebrate new year with their families.* Too angry and proud to arrive home empty-handed, they have stayed put, demanding nearly a year's unpaid wages. This protest banner, which workers claim authorities told them to stop using, reads: "Pay back the money that you owe". "The developer has kept using the fact that they have no money as an excuse,” sa... more »
White House Explains Why Obama Won’t Call Islamic State’s Murder of Christians ‘Genocide’
[image: ISIS executing Christians - YouTube_Medium] White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday that Obama administration attorneys are researching whether the violence the Islamic State is committing against Christians meets the legal definition of genocide. A reporter, citing the atrocities and murders in Iraq and... Continue reading *“White House Explains Why Obama Won’t Call Islamic State’s Murder of Christians ‘Genocide’”* at *theblaze.com*.
Twitter Moves to Actively Seek Out Terrorist Supporters, Suspends Over 125,000 Accounts
[image: Twitter App Desaturated - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Twitter is now using spam-fighting technology to seek out accounts that might be promoting terrorist activity and is examining other accounts related to those flagged for possible removal, the company announced Friday. The effort signaled efforts by... more »
Pro-Lifers Stand With Daleiden, Deliver 110,000 Petition Signatures to Harris County DA Demanding to Drop Charges
[image: Pro-Lifers Stand With Daleiden, Deliver 110,000 Petition Signatures to Harris County DA Demanding to Drop Charges] Houston, Texas- February 4, 2016: Today, a Pro-Life coalition led by LifeSite and the Christian Defense Coalition delivered a petition with more than 110,000 signatures from people standing with David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt against a miscarriage of justice. The groups gave the... Continue reading *“Pro-Lifers Stand With Daleiden, Deliver 110,000 Petition Signatures to Harris County DA Demanding to Drop Charges”* at *texasrighttolife.com*.
On The Dynamics of Global Power Politics
This is a guest post by Dan Nexon, Associate Professor in the Department of Government at Georgetown University and Stacie Goddard, Jane Bishop ’51 Associate Professor of Political Science of Wellesley College. In the wake of the Russian Federation’s intervention in Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry declared that, “You just don’t in the twenty-first century […]
Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake Shakes Southern Taiwan
Several buildings, including a residential tower, have collapsed after a strong magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck southern Taiwan early on Saturday. Local authorities said they have formed an emergency response center following quake According to the US Geological Survey , the quake struck at 11:57 a.m. PT about 14 miles northeast of the city of Pingtung, 19 miles (31 km) east-southeast of Tainan at a depth of 6.2 miles, the agency said. As the quake was shallow it would have amplified its effects. According to the USGS a magnitude 6.4 quake is capable of causing a “severe damage”. ... more »
Supplemental: Extremely bad reporting on Flint!
*FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016Where else? In today's New York Times:* What does extremely bad news reporting look like? Consider the news report in today's New York Times about events in Flint. Julie Bosman's report about Flint runs almost 1300 words. Under a piteous headline, the scribe begins like this: BOSMAN (2/5/16): *Desperate to Leave Flint, but Seeing No Way to EscapeCharles White, a carpenter, sat on the couch in the living room of his small bungalow,* his gaze fixed on his 5-month-old, Vaughn, nestled in a bouncy chair at his feet. Mr. White, who has lived in Flint most o... more »
"The Arab Spring Must Go Through Riyadh"
*The regime's days are numbered. * *An excerpt from, "The Arab Spring Must Go Through Riyadh" by Vijay Prashad, Discover Society, February 2, 2016:* The Arab Spring was defeated neither in the byways of Tahrir Square nor in the souk of Aleppo. It was defeated roundly in the palaces of Riyadh. From there came the petro-dollars to scuttle the ambitions of the people. Tunisia was saved because it has a strong trade union – this is what has thus far held off the interventions of the Saudis. Otherwise the Saudis have laid waste across the Arab world. What began as great hope has now en... more »
Army Declares Fourth Woman to Enlist for Combat Role a Deserter
[image: Deserted Army Boots in Grass - 900] A Tennessee soldier who was the country's fourth woman to sign up for a direct combat role has been declared a deserter after being AWOL for more than a month, a military spokesman said Wednesday. Erika Lopez made local headlines last... more »
Large Crowd Expected at Funeral of Oregon Occupier Killed by Authorities
[image: Tony Atencio of Burns, Oregon, holds a photo of rancher Robert ``LaVoy'' Finicum at a rally against Finnicum's slaying by law enforcement officers, and the presence of numerous heavily armed law enforcement officers at the standoff, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, in Burns, Oregon. Four people occupying the wildlife refuge held their position Sunday. They have demanded that they be allowed to leave without being arrested. (AP Photo/Nicholas K. Geranios)] The funeral for the Arizona rancher killed by law enforcement during the armed occupation of an Oregon wildlife refuge was expecte... more »
The Truth About the Zika Virus: Jon Rappoport on The Corbett Report
*Title: The Truth About the Zika Virus: Jon Rappoport on The Corbett Report. Source: corbettreport. Date Published: February 5, 2016. Description:* You may have heard of the wave of birth defects that is ravaging Latin America as the globe gears up for another pandemic panic. But do you know how many of those cases of microcephaly have been confirmed? Or how many of those confirmed cases are said to be "related to" the Zika virus? Today Jon Rappaport of NoMoreFakeNews.com joins us to separate the truth from the hype with the Zika virus panic and discuss whether the WHO and the CDC a... more »
Chinese President Xi Jinping Wants To Now Be Referred As 'The Core Leader'
Visitors posing in front of an image of Mr. Deng in Shenzhen, China. Officials have suggested that hailing Mr. Xi as a leader of similar stature carries a warning not to question his authority. Credit Tyrone Siu/Reuters *New York Times*:* Xi Jinping Assuming New Status as China’s ‘Core’ Leader* BEIJING — China’s president, Xi Jinping, has already grasped more power more quickly than his two recent predecessors, and he has shown a taste for audacious decisions and a loathing for dissent. But a new push to praise him as China’s “core” leader, a term resonant with the formidable statur... more »
Missile Defense - Part Two
US missile defense systems in Europe (with NATO) and the Pacific are dangerous! This video made by Global Network board convener Dave Webb from Leeds, England. He also chairs the UK's Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. The US is encircling Russia and China with so-called 'missile defense'.
Is Paris Hilton Better at Business Than Donald Trump?
[image: CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 22: Socialite Paris Hilton attends the 'X-Men 3: The Last Stand' premiere at the Palais des Festivals during the 59th International Cannes Film Festival May 22, 2006 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)] Let's say we have an heir and an heiress. One of them inherited approximately $5 million and parlayed it into a net worth that's conservatively estimated to be around $100 million. The other inherited around $200 million and is today worth... Continue reading *“Is Paris Hilton Better at Business Than Donald Trump?”* at *thefederalist.c... more »
Satire: “Sanders Admits Receiving Free Checking from Big Banks”
*“Sanders Admits Receiving Free Checking from Big Banks”* by Andy Borowitz MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE (The Borowitz Report)— “Scandal rocked Bernie Sanders’s Presidential campaign on Friday as the candidate was forced to admit that he received free checking from several big banks. In a press conference in Manchester, New Hampshire, a chastened Sanders acknowledged that, over the past two decades, he received free checking from Bank of America, Citibank, and JPMorgan Chase in exchange for maintaining a five-hundred-dollar minimum balance. “I should have acknowledged my relationship w... more »
The Economy: "PhD Economists Oughtta Know Better…"
*"PhD Economists Oughtta Know Better…"* by Bill Bonner MIAMI – "Yesterday, the Dow rose 79 points – or about 0.5%. Nothing proved one way or the other. We told you about our visit with President Reagan’s former budget advisor and Wall Street veteran David Stockman. Unlike almost every other analyst or investor we know, David has been a true insider. He has seen how the system really works from within. He played critical roles at critical moments – in Washington and on Wall Street. So he understands, maybe better than anyone, how the game is played… and how the deck is stacked to fa... more »
Report: North Korea Has Begun Fuelling Its Rocket
*FOX News*: *North Korean missile launch expected as early as Monday, defense official says* North Korea is expected Friday to complete fueling a long-range missile and could be ready to launch it as early as the day after the Super Bowl, a U.S. defense official tells Fox News. The latest estimate from U.S. intelligence expects the North Korean missile launch to occur as early as Monday in a window between Feb 8-10. In anticipation of the North Korean launch in the coming days, the U.S. Navy has positioned a Japan-based guided-missile destroyer, outfitted with the latest anti-bal... more »
The Zika Virus SCAM: Update From Brazil - Towering Non-Evidence!
Over the last few days, I have been watching and listening to people everywhere as they discuss what is happening in our sick world... The major topic of discussion even up here in Central Canada is indeed this "Zika Virus" scare.... I am so astounded when I hear people everywhere suddenly becoming so afraid of this latest and greatest "epidemic" that is absolutely 100% a FRAUD...... I have of course tried to relay the message of truth about this scare mongering, but in most cases I get wild eyed stares, and just yesterday someone had the nerve to say to me "You do not have a F@$#%%... more »
The Criminal Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement Has Been Signed! The TPP Is THE Most Brazen Corporate Power Grab In History.
I take a day off yesterday and all hell breaks loose.... Yes, while most Americans and Canadians have had their brains filled with the lies about this "Zika virus" scare that is indeed a fraud, and while others have been brainwashed by all the propaganda over the Jew spew media these last few days concerning the "Super Bowl" football game this Sunday, the criminals in charge of our governments signed away our rights and freedoms just a few days ago in New Zealand with the passage of the horrific "Trans Pacific Partnership" (TPP for short)... Sadly, most people are still in the dark ... more »
Carly Fiorina Declares ‘The Game is Rigged’
[image: Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina speaks at a town hall at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016.] “The game is rigged,” Carly Fiorina declared Friday. A day after being denied a place at Saturday night’s GOP debate on ABC, Fiorina is ripping both the “network of George Stephanopoulos” and the Republican National Committee, accusing both of “caving to pressure... more »
The Pressure on Warren to Support Hillary Clinton
*American Crossroads letting you know that Goldman Sachs' Blankfein isn't letting you know that he's backing Hillary Clinton — "because I don't want to help or hurt anyone by giving an endorsement." Smiles all round the table. (American Crossroads should be careful what it wishes for.)* *by Gaius Publius* There are several parts to a story that's just starting to be told, the tale of the pressure applied by prominent and establishment Democratic women to get Sen. Elizabeth Warren to support Hillary Clinton. Part of that story is taking place in the present — the pressure is being a... more »
Cop Claims Puff Daddy Arranged Assassination Of 2Pac In 1996
A retired LAPD detective claims in a new documentary that legendary rap artist Tupac ‘2Pac’ Shakur died in a contract killing that was ordered by Grammy Award-winning rapper Sean ‘Puff Daddy’ Combs. Tupac was reaching the heights of his music career in 1996 when he was silenced by an assassin in a drive-by shooting. He was shot in Las Vegas as he drove in a car with his manager Marion (Suge) Knight. His murder has remained unsolved, with occasional rumors of him being seen or heard alive. There have even been reports that Suge Knight paid a retired LAPD cop to help Tupac Shakur fake ...more »
Investigation prompts 5th retraction for cancer researcher for “unresolvable concerns”
An investigation at the University of New South Wales in Australia has led to a fifth retraction for a cancer researcher long accused of misconduct, due to “unresolvable concerns” with some images. As we reported in December, UNSW cleared Levon Khachigian of misconduct, concluding that his previous issues stemmed from “genuine error or honest oversight.” Now, Circulation Research is retracting one […] The post Investigation prompts 5th retraction for cancer researcher for “unresolvable concerns” appeared first on Retraction Watch.
CITI: The World Economy Is In A 'Death Spiral'
*Image *from RBS *CNBC:* *Citi: World economy seems trapped in ‘death spiral’* The global economy seems trapped in a "death spiral" that could lead to further weakness in oil prices, recession and a serious equity bear market, Citi strategists have warned. Some analysts — including those at Citi — have turned bearish on the world economy this year, following an equity rout in January and weaker economic data out of China and the U.S. "The world appears to be trapped in a circular reference death spiral," Citi strategists led by Jonathan Stubbs said in a report on Thursday. *Read ... more »
Has Turkey Broken The Open Skies Treaty?
*AFP*: *Turkey broke aviation treaty in blocking Russian plane: Moscow* Moscow (AFP) - Russia's defence ministry on Wednesday accused Turkey of breaching the Open Skies treaty by refusing to allow a reconnaissance plane to overfly its territory near Syria, the latest salvo in an ongoing row as relations between the two countries hits a post-Cold War low. "This creates a dangerous precedent over a lack of control of the military activity of a member state of the Open Skies treaty," the ministry said. *Read more *.... *WNU Editor:* What is the point of having a treaty when it is not... more »
Brave "Albertans" cowardly lost an election
The stuff being posted about Notley and other women in her government is appalling. Death threats, threats of violence are criminal because they have no place in a civilised society. This much should be obvious to the lawnorder conservative crowd. But again, not really. So much is so lost on them. Instead, we get yet another flavour of the cheetoh-crumb basement misogyny currently in vogue.
Midday Musical Interlude: Leonard Cohen, “Anthem”
Leonard Cohen, “Anthem” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1HcpOtAYhc
"The Cry Of Their Mothers..."
"Humanity is the spirit of the Supreme Being on earth, and that humanity is standing amidst ruins, hiding its nakedness behind tattered rags, shedding tears upon hollow cheeks, and calling for its children with pitiful voice. But the children are busy singing their clan's anthem; they are busy sharpening the swords and cannot hear the cry of their mothers." - Kahlil Gibran U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman HM1 Richard Barnett, assigned to the 1st Marine Division, holds an Iraqi child in central Iraq in this March 29, 2003 file photo. Confused front line crossfire ripped apart an Iraqi fami... more »
Ikea’s Chief Sustainability Officer says we’ve reached “peak stuff.” But have we?
KJ and Fee doubt it... SOURCE GUARDIAN: If having more no longer satisfies us, perhaps we’ve reached ‘peak stuff’ The economy pumps out goods and services, all of which create jobs and incomes. There is no value judgment in such a statement, no view of what constitutes the good life. Even to invite such a question of an economist is to risk ridicule. The task of economists – a value-free
The Syrian Civil War: More Fantastic News As The Good Guys Have Cut Off The Supply Routes To The Criminal Forces In Aleppo. The US/Israel Dream Of Destroying Syria May Indeed Be Over!
**NTS Note: I took yesterday off for a bit of R and R.... Doing a bit of catching up today... Thanks for your patience...* I have been watching the Jew spew media over the last while, and what I have seen has been absolute silence in regard to the real situation in Syria.... It is no wonder, for right now the good guys, the Syrian government forces and their allies, have now launched their full scale attacks on the "rebels" that have been entrenched in and around Syria's largest city Aleppo, and have also cut off most of the supply routes to these criminals in that city as well....... more »
The War Of Words Between Russia And Turkey Continues
*Reuters*: *Russia and Turkey trade accusations over Syria* Russia said on Thursday it suspected Turkey was preparing a military incursion into Syria, as a Syrian army source said Aleppo would soon be encircled by government forces with Russian air support. Turkey in turn accused Moscow of trying to divert attention from its own "crimes" in Syria, and said Aleppo was threatened with a "siege of starvation". It said Turkey had the right to take any measures to protect its security. In another sign of the spreading international ramifications of the five-year-old Syrian war, Saudi ... more »
WW3: Pentagon Prepares For Confrontation With Russia & China
World War 3 could be on the horizon as the Pentagon announces a quadruple increase in its 2017 budget and turns its back on promises made to Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. US-NATO troops are to be positioned close to Russia’s borders. And to maintain U.S. hegemony in where half the world’s population lives, China is put under military and economic pressure by Obama’s strategic pivot to Asia. The world socialist movement recognizes the threat of a nuclear war and is asking the working class to carry out a world socialist revolution before the capitalist ruling class destro... more »
Swiftkey Co-Founder Misses Out On Millions, Sold Share For Bicycle
A founder of Swiftkey gave away his stake for a bicycle in 2008 and now his company is worth millions after Microsoft bought it up. Chris Hill-Scott invented the iPhone keyboard app, that uses artificial intelligence to predict the next written word, with two other partners. The predictive text app was sold yesterday to Microsoft for a massive £174 million. The Daily Mail reports: University friends Jon Reynolds, 30, and Ben Medlock, 36, have walked away with over £25million each after seven short years. Mr Hill-Scott, who now designs websites for the government, earning just above ... more »
THE YEAR OF THE LIBERAL: "PLAIN TALK," the New York Times headline says!
*FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016That's always a dangerous sign:* We're postponing our discussion of the pair of Trump voters who appeared, via videotape, on the December 10 Maddow program. What are Trump voters actually like? We're postponing that discussion again! Was 2015 really "the year of liberal loathing," as so many scholars are now claiming? Does that tendency toward tribal hatred tend to surface in liberal discussions of people who may vote for Trump? Let's stop the clowning around! We think our world *is* full of liberal loathing, and we think it's ugly, unhelpful and stupid. ... more »
Breakthrough Discovery Shows That Resonant Frequencies Can Kill Cancer Cells
*Anna Hunt* - Researchers shatter cancer cells with frequencies emitted by an electronic signal. The post Breakthrough Discovery Shows That Resonant Frequencies Can Kill Cancer Cells appeared first on Waking Times.
Of Course its Russian propoganda
However contrast this with the blather about the F35 from the American side.
Untitled
*From* *Jenna Orkin* US, Japan, Canada, Australia and 8 Other Countries Sign Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement A New Advocacy Group Is Lobbying for the Right to Repair Everything Lawyers, Doctors and Public Servants in Firing Line from Rise of the Machines France to Pave 1000km of Roads with Solar Panels And Now: “Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Join The Fight To Stop Zika Virus” 70% Of Jobs Added In January Were Minimum Wage Waiters And Retail Workers Hyperinflating Venezuela Used 36 Boeing 747 Cargo Planes To Deliver Its Worthless Bank Notes German Professor Says All Students ... more »
Barbara Bush Joins Jeb on the Trail, Quickly Throws Shade at Trump
[image: Barbara Bush, right, mother of Republican presidential candidate, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, left, introduces her son at a town hall meeting at West Running Brook Middle School in Derry, N.H., Thursday Feb. 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)] Jeb Bush is looking for a comeback after finishing sixth in Iowa. The ex-Florida governor and his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, spoke with CBS News Thursday in New Hampshire, where he’s fighting to turn out the votes. Around Manchester, New... Continue reading *“Barbara Bush Joins Jeb on the Trail, Quickly Throws Shade at... more »
This Poll Suggests the Carson Campaign Suspension Rumor Did NOT Throw Iowa for Cruz
[image: GOFFSTOWN, NH - FEBRUARY 03: Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks at a press conference before holding a campaign event at The Village Trestle restaurant on February 3, 2016 in Goffstown, New Hampshire. The New hampshire primary is next Tueday, February 9, 2016.] This week on Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor, former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove argued that the Ted Cruz campaign may indeed have won Iowa by spreading and overselling a false report by CNN that Ben Carson appeared to be suspending... more »
Adopted Woman, 82, Tracks Down and Meets 96-Year-Old Birth Mother
[image: In a Jan. 15, 2016 photo provided by Kimberly Miccio, Betty Morrell, left, and her birthmother, Lena Pierce, 96, are reunited at the Greater Binghamton Airport. Morrell’s granddaughter, Kimberly Miccio, holding her own daughter, accompanied Morrell to Binghamton from Spring Hill, Fla., where they both live. Morrell had searched for 50 years for Pierce, who at age 13 was forced to give up the baby she had named Eva May. (Kimberly Miccio via AP)] ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Eighty-two years after she was born to a teenage girl and put up for adoption, Betty Morrell finally has met her... more »
A new metric: The Rapid Science Collaboration Score
For all our talk about finding new ways to measure scientists’ achievements, we’ve yet to veer away from a focus on publishing high-impact papers. This sets up a system of perverse incentives, fueling ongoing problems with reproducibility and misconduct. Is there another way? Sarah Greene, founder of Rapid Science, believes there is – and we’re […] The post A new metric: The Rapid Science Collaboration Score appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Denmark Admits That A U.S. Rendition Plane Laid In Wait For NSA Leaker Edward Snowden In Copenhagen
*The Local*: *Denmark confirms US sent rendition flight for Snowden* *Denmark’s justice minister admitted on Friday that the US sent a rendition flight to Copenhagen Airport that was meant to capture whistleblower Edward Snowden and return him to the United States.* The revelation that the US landed a private aircraft in Copenhagen intended to capture Snowden in June 2013 was first reported last month by the Danish online media Denfri, but Danish officials initially denied the report. On Friday however it was reported that Justice Minister Søren Pind told parliament’s Legal Affai... more »
Is Bernie Sanders like Ted Cruz an enemy of Science?
Aging, trouble plagued Presidential Candidate, Bernie Sanders makes no bones about what he thinks of Nuclear Power. Sander's statedabout his home states only Nuclear Power Plant, Vermont Yankee: "In my state there is a strong feeling that we want to go forward with energy efficiency and sustainable energy. I believe that we have that right. I believe that every other state in the country has that right," Sanders said. "If we want to move to sustainable energy and not maintain an aging, trouble-plagued nuclear power plant, I think we should be allowed to do that. Needless to say ... more »
Push Back Time: Mock #40DaysOfPreyers
Among animals, predators seek the slow, the old, the sick. Among humans, street criminals target the frail, the encumbered, the solitary. Child sexual predators look for the lonely child, the "odd" child, the neglected child. Sexual predators focus on people they figure will be manageable, quiescent, compliant. In short, predation requires vulnerability. Of course, all predators make mistakes and take on "prey" who turn out to be stronger, louder, faster, and smarter than they thought. (The Ghomeshi trial comes to mind.) The spring session of 40 Days of Harassment is set to begin o... more »
Sakurajima Volcano Erupts 50km From Japan’s Sendai Nuclear Plant
Japan’s Meteorological Agency has issued an orange warning as the Sakurajima volcano erupted sending lava down its slope and spewing ash and stones into the night sky. Lightning flashed above the flowing lava as the Sakurajima erupted on the southern island of Kyushu at around 7 p.m on Friday evening The Sendai nuclear plant which is located 50 kms (30 miles) from the volcano, was the first to be restarted after 2011’s Fukushima disaster, despite local opposition and meteorologists’ warnings, following tremors in the nearby volcano. Just days after it was restarted in August last ye... more »
Thousands Flee Aleppo As Syrian Army And Russian Air Power Lay Siege
*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 the city of Aleppo towards the Turkish border, Turkey’s prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu has said, predicting a fresh exodus even as Europe struggles to respond to the existing refugee crisis. After a week of the most intensive bombardment of the five-year war, opposition forces in northe... more »
World News Briefs -- February 5, 2016
Residents inspect damage after airstrikes by pro-Syrian government forces in the rebel held Al-Shaar neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria February 4, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail *Reuters*: *Thousands flee as Russian-backed offensive threatens to besiege Aleppo* Tens of thousands of Syrians fled an intensifying Russian assault around Aleppo on Friday, and aid workers said they feared the city which once held two million people could soon fall under a full government siege. Iran reported one of its generals was killed on the front line assisting government forces, direct confirmation o... more »
Pope Francis, Russian Orthodox Patriarch to Meet in Historic Step to Heal Schism
[image: FILE - In this file photo combination Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, right, serves the Christmas Mass in the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016 and Pope Francis prays during an audience at the Vatican on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. Pope Francis and the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church will meet in Cuba next week in a historic step to heal the 1,000-year-old schism that divided Christianity between East and West, both churches announced Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev/Andrew Medichini, Files)] VATICAN CITY (AP) -- In ... more »
Ted Cruz Ad: Let’s Take Our COUNRTY Back
Republican Presidential candidate Ted Cruz who recently won in Iowa is advertising his credentials to the American public in an ad that spells COUNTRY as COUNRTY. No big deal you might say in this new era of political inexpediency, where there is a rush to reach bottom in all fields, including spelling. Let’s spell correctly before time runs out and we should lose our COUNTRY in a chaotic hostile world full of non god-loving evil folk and to meaningless words such as COUNRTY. One letter either way and its gone, forever, like Rome. “Oh Rome, so powerful and yet fragile that you had t... more »
Washington Post Op-Ed Calls for "Safe Zones" in Syria
US Seeks to Turn Syria into the "Libya of the Levant." *February 5, 2016* (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - As Aleppo is finally encircled and begins the process of liberation from NATO-backed terrorists who have besieged and occupied parts of the city since 2012, and as Syrian forces backed by its allies overwhelm enemy fronts across the rest of Syria, desperation across the West is palpable. "Peace talks" in Geneva have all but collapsed with the West and its collection of terrorists and client political fronts coming to the negotiation table with absolutely nothing to bargain with. The p... more »
‘Fracking Tax': Obama Proposes $10 Tax on Every Barrel of U.S. Oil
[image: MENOMONEE FALLS, WI - AUGUST 16: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at ZBB Energy, a company that makes batteries and fuel cells used that are used for renewable-energy products August 16, 2010 in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Obama spoke about clean energy at the company before attending a fund-raiser for the Democratic Party and gubernatorial candidate and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. (Photo by Darren Hauck)] President Barack Obama plans to tax every barrel of oil produced in the U.S. to fund new spending on "green" infrastructure programs. Obama is no doubt looking to impose... more »
Seduction of Smart Technologies and the Creeping Paralysis of Virtual Reality
*Julian Rose *- Smart technologies come to us as an array of seductive weapons, turning many into cyber slaves. The post Seduction of Smart Technologies and the Creeping Paralysis of Virtual Reality appeared first on Waking Times.
Constructive Dismissal
Cousins. v QEC, 2016 NUCJ 1: [50] The onus is on the plaintiff to prove, on a balance of probabilities, that QEC’s demotion of the plaintiff constituted his constructive dismissal. [51] The law pertaining to the constructive dismissal of an employee by an employer was outlined by the Supreme Court of Canada in Farber at para 33: Thus, it has been established in a number of Canadian common law decisions that where an employer unilaterally makes a fundamental or substantial change to an employee’s contract of employment – a change that violates the contract’s terms -- the employer is... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 5, 2016
*The Hill:* *Defense secretary welcomes Saudi offer of ground troops in Syria* Defense Secretary Ash Carter welcomed late Thursday Saudi Arabia's reported offer to send ground troops to Syria to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). "That kind of news is very welcome," Carter said during a visit to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. "It'll be easier to sustain the defeat and it'll be also easier to accomplish all the non-military aspects of the defeat if other countries that are part of the coalition accelerate their efforts at the same time," he said. *Read more* .... more »
Musical Quotes 2
*"Pay no attention to what the critics say... * *Remember, a statue has never been set up in honor of a critic!"* Jean Sibelius
Are U.S. Supplied Missiles Killing Russian Military Officials In Syria?
*Michael Weiss and Pierre Vaux, Daily Beast:** Are U.S. Missiles Taking Out Russian Military Officials?* *A CIA-backed anti-Assad militia reportedly killed at least one senior Russian military official this week with an American TOW anti-tank missile. Is this a Soviet-Afghan replay?* Evidence has emerged strongly suggesting that U.S.-armed rebels have used an American-supplied weapons system to kill a handful of senior Russian military officials in Syria. Video footage, circulated by a known CIA-backed Free Syrian Army militia, shows a laser-guided BGM-71 TOWs anti-tank missile f... more »
14 Inspiring Quotes About Faith from the Two Super Bowl Quarterbacks
[image: Quarterbacks Peyton Manning (L) of the Denver Broncos and Cam Newton (R) of the Carolina Panthers.] The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers have more in common than just playing each other in Super Bowl 50 this weekend in Santa Clara, California: Both teams have quarterbacks who are men of faith. As football fans gather Sunday with... more »
US Victims of Palestinian Terrorism Testify Before Congress
[image: Two men approach the scene of a terrorist attack on March 23, 2011 at the entrance to Jerusalem, Israel. A bomb exploded across the street from the Jerusalem Convention Center.] Several victims of Palestinian terrorism testified before congress Tuesday, hoping to shed light on the plight of U.S. citizens who have been killed or injured in Palestinian terrorist attacks. The panel featured three victims and a representative from the Department... more »
The Thymus Gland Provides Crucial Immunity
* Dr. Eldon Dahl* - Scientists continue to discover the role of the thymus gland in self-healing. The post The Thymus Gland Provides Crucial Immunity appeared first on Waking Times.
Zika Vaccine Was Patented By Indian Biotech Company 9 Months Ago
It would seem that the pharmaceutical industry was preparing for the Zika virus almost a year ago as two vaccines have reportedly been developed already in India. Bharat Biotech International in Hyderabad, India was the first company to file a patent for a Zika vaccine and they are about to start pre-clinical testing. “On Zika, we are probably the first vaccine company in the world to file a vaccine candidate patent about nine months ago,” managing director Krishna Ella said in an interview. The company say that two candidate vaccines were created following research that began nine ... more »
I Never Used The F-Word On This Blog... Until Reading Nick Kristof's Anti-Bernie Crap Today
Elizabeth Warren has been talking a lot lately about Bernie's issues, not *because* they are Bernie's issues-- they're her issues too-- but because they are the issues the voters of Massachusetts elected her to talk about. And if she sounds like she's denigrating the Clinton campaign by continuing to attack Wall Street abuses and the rigged economy and by continuing to attack the inherent unfairness in the TPP and taking to the Senate floor to declare, "Anyone who shrugs and claims that change is just too hard has crawled into bed with the billionaires who want to run this country ... more »
Beginning To Sink In
http://www.express.co.uk/ The Conservatives are blaming Justin Trudeau for the mess in the oilpatch -- which is, Michael Harris writes exceedingly curious: The latest nonsense out of the *National Post* (which is a business partner of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and acts the part on its news and opinion pages) is that Trudeau has somehow *failed* Alberta. That’s right — you’re meant to believe that the whole thing has unravelled (in *three months*) because Oprah is now in the driver’s seat. Forty years of provinc... more »
Military Micro-Drones Are The Next Big Thing
*Photo:* Close-In Covert Autonomous Disposable Aircraft (CICADA) *Futurism:* *The Coming Age of the Military Micro-Drone* *These micro-drones are expected to change the face of counter terrorism and warfare, as well as law enforcement and surveillance, in a big way.* *CICADA* The Close-In Covert Autonomous Disposable Aircraft, or CICADA, is playfully described as a “paper airplane with a circuit board” in a recent AFP article. The micro-drone is intended to be deployed in, what the U.S. military has taken to calling, “swarms.” The CICADA swarm is dropped from an airplane to glide ... more »
January 2016 Rainfall Data
By Paul Homewood http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/summaries/anomacts It was certainly unusually wet last month, particularly in the North East. However, it still ended well below the record for January of 205mm set in 1928. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/library/archive-hidden-treasures/monthly-weather-report-1920s The longer running England & Wales series ranks last month as 8th wettest: […]
Discussion: Structural Power and the Study of Business
This is a guest post by Randall Germain, Professor of Political Science at Carleton University, as part of the Duck of Minerva’s Symposium on Structural Power and the Study of Business. Links to other posts in the symposium can be found here. A scholar knows he has been around for a while when the problem […]
"ENE Fukushima Update 2/5/2016"
*"ENE Fukushima Update 2/5/2016"* By ENENews * "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”* - Shiva "Alaska Dispatch News, Jan 29, 2016: "Scientists think Gulf of Alaska seabird die-off is biggest ever recorded. The mass of dead seabirds that have washed up on Alaska beaches in past months is unprecedented in size, scope and duration, a federal biologist said. 'The staggering die-off is a signal that something is awry in the Gulf of Alaska,' said Heather Renner, supervisory wildlife biologist at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. It coincides with widespread death... more »
Karolinska orders new investigation of trachea surgeon Macchiarini
The Karolinska Institutet University Board announced today it was issuing a new external investigation of trachea surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, looking into questions about his recruitment and the handling of previous allegations of misconduct. According to a press release: The University Board deems such an inquiry to be an important part of restoring the confidence of the […] The post Karolinska orders new investigation of trachea surgeon Macchiarini appeared first on Retraction Watch.
VA Chief of Opiate Safety Charged in Drug Deaths of Three
[image: drug abuse] A Department of Veterans Affairs hospital hired a doctor as its chief of opiate safety shortly after his privileges were suspended in another state, when 35 patients died of drug issues in his care. Dr. John K. Sturman Jr. was hauled... more »
Wikileaks’ Assange Claims Vindication With UN Panel Ruling
[image: A demonstrator holds a banner outside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is staying, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says he will accept arrest by British police if a U.N. working group investigating his claims decides that the three years he has spent inside the Ecuadorean Embassy doesn't amount to illegal detention. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)] LONDON (AP) -- A United Nations human rights panel has sided with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in his long-running battle with Swedish and British authorities, say... more »
Ex-Drug Company CEO Martin Shkreli Pleads the Fifth at House Oversight Hearing, Stuns Chair Trey Gowdy
[image: Martin Shkreli, former pharmaceutical executive, pleads the Fifth Amendment before a committee on February 4, 2016.] Former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli -- who has been highly criticized for raising the price of a life-saving drug by 5,000 percent -- opted to plead the Fifth Amendment Thursday after being subpoenaed by the House Committee on Oversight and Government... more »
New Rules Would Ban Blackberry Picking In Bristol
Blackberry picking could soon be illegal under proposed new by-laws designed to protect Bristol’s parks and green spaces. Bristol City Council has proposed 34 new bylaws for 212 parks and green spaces around the city and one of the new by rules bans people from removing “the whole or any part of any plant, shrub or tree” Foragers who take people on guided tours around Bristol have called the proposals “draconian” and are urging the public to fight them through the consultation. The Telegraph reports: The rule, which is currently part of a public consultation, would also outlaw makin... more »
My Predictions for 2016
OK, so I waited a bit, and a month of 2016 has already passed. Still, I promised that I'd give you my predictions for the year, so here they are: *Political firings*: Since it's an election year, we'll hear about people being fired for discussing politics at work, for supporting the wrong candidate, and for being involved in certain campaigns. We'll also hear some threats from CEOs and other corporate types that if their employees vote for certain candidates (read: not Republicans) they'll be fired. Is that illegal? Depends on the state. In some cases, it depends on the city or coun... more »
Here Is Everything That Is Wrong With The F-35 (Updated)
© U.S. Navy / Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jameson E. Lynch / Reuters *Washington Post*: *All the ways the F-35 is screwed up, according to the Pentagon’s top weapons tester* 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 to fly. The 82-page report was distributed to Congress last month, and released publicly this week. It was c... more »
Victoria Station Evacuated After Discovery Of Unexploded WW2 Bomb
An unexploded second world war bomb sparked a mass evacuation at Victoria station in London this morning. Commuters faced chaos during Friday mornings rush hour as Victoria Tube station was closed temporarily. Armed police were at the scene as thousands of people were ordered to leave both the Tube and the rail stations. The ‘unexploded device’ was found on a nearby building site. Officers are in attendance at a building site on Terminus Place, SW1 following the discovery of what is believed to be World War 2 ordnance. — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) February 5, 2016 Scotland Y... more »
Should The U.S. Navy's Carrier Plan Be Stopped?
An F/A-18 Hornet launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 are under way on deployment supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and maritime security operations. (Feb. 29, 2008) Wikimedia *Jerry Hendrix, The Politico:* *Stop the Navy's carrier plan* The Navy's plan to modernize its largest ships would just make them obsolete. Here's how to fix it. When there is a crisis anywhere in the world, the president’s first question often is, “Where are the aircraft carriers?” The... more »
Massive LA-Area Gas Leak Still Not Capped
[image: In this Dec. 9, 2015, pool file photo, crews work on a relief well at the Aliso Canyon facility above the Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles. A California official outlined a plan Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016, to cap the massive Los Angeles-area gas leak by the end of next week. The announcement at a public meeting is ahead of the company's worst-case prediction that it would be plugged by the end of the month. The well has been leaking for 15 weeks. (Dean Musgrove/Los Angeles Daily News via AP, Pool, File)] LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A California official outlined a plan Thursday to cap a ... more »
Fireworks Fly as Clinton, Sanders Square Off Before NH
[image: Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, and Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton spar during a Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by MSNBC at the University of New Hampshire Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016, in Durham, N.H. (AP Photo/David Goldman)] DURHAM, N.H. (AP) -- Fireworks flying in their first one-on-one debate, Hillary Clinton accused Bernie Sanders Thursday night of subjecting her to an “artful smear” while Sanders suggested the former secretary of state was a captive of America’s political establishment.... more »
Lisa Gawlas: The Original Earth Impregnating ALLOpen and Ready on the New Expanded Earth!!
*There's a lot of symbols and mentions in here that trigger a lot of inner codices in me. The bubbles (spheres) the current "soap bubble realm" we inhabit, and the "New Earth". There's even a reference to Shambala which is something that has come onto my plate via the curious "Chinese" messages that came thru Denice (I'll be posting more on what we know about that shortly). * * I haven't posted much from Lisa Gawlas, but I know she's popular among many of my blog readers. If you haven't read her stuff follow the link to her blog for some interesting metaphysical insights as to wh... more »
LIGO's D-Day: Thursday, D.C., 10:40 local time
According to a conglomerate of the information from three exclusive sources, the LIGO collaboration is preparing the press conference for Thursday, February 11th, and it will take place on 10:40 am, Eastern Coast Time, in the U.S. Capital. Geekwire (and Alan Boyle) has mentioned our poll where people have been voting for a few days. After 281 votes, 34% of the people voted "No" for the rumor. The maximally believing answer "Yes, on Thursday, with black holes" (which I picked, too) was gradually decreasing from 65% at the beginning to 49% right now. "Yes but wrong date" and "Ye... more »
Running the Ball for Christ: Are You in the Game?
[image: football - 900] NANCY FLORY -- The 50th Super Bowl is just around the corner. If your family is anything like mine, you'll be sitting by the television whooping it up -- or better yet, in the Golden State at Levi's Stadium in... more »
Another Ukraine Revolution?
An anti-government protester holds a Ukranian flag as he advances through burning barricades in Kiev's Independence Square in this February 20, 2014 file photo. Reuters/Yannis Behrakis/Files *Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg*: *Will Ukraine's Next Revolution be Nonviolent?* Ukraine's most successful reforming minister tendered his resignation Wednesday, citing widespread corruption in Ukraine's government and accusing a top ally of President Petro Poroshenko of blocking reform. If it wasn't clear to everyone by now that the current Ukrainian leadership is as thoroughly dysfunctional a... more »
Is The Kremlin Starting To Panic?
Russian President Vladimir Putin leaves after his annual end-of-year news conference in Moscow, December 17, 2015. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin * William E. Pomeranz, Reuters:* *A whiff of panic in the Kremlin as Russia’s economy sinks further* Only one month in and 2016 has already delivered a series of devastating economic blows to Russia. As the price of oil and the value of the ruble plummet, so, too, does the standard of living of the average Russian citizen. Russia’s central bank has been widely praised for not spending the country’s hard-currency reserves to support the ruble — ... more »
The Fall Of The Oil Dictators?
*Bill Emmott, Project Syndicate:* *Oil Dictator Dominos* LONDON – Price movements as large and rapid as those that have upended oil markets since June 2014 are sure to cause pain to some and benefit others. Though the pain tends to capture the most attention, the benefit is just as important – if not more so. The 70% drop in the price of a barrel of crude represents a colossal transfer of $3 trillion in annual income from oil producers to oil consumers. As a result, while sliding equity markets and a further decline in oil (and other commodity) prices have sparked much talk of anot... more »
How Corruption Cripples America's Military
*Eric Zuesse, Zero Hedge:* *How Corruption Cripples America's Military* America’s military budget is roughly 7.2 times that of Russia ($610 billion compared to $84.5 billion), but even Western news-accounts are saying that the weaponry produced in Russia is superior overall to the weaponry produced in the United States. Compare the top-of-the-line fighter jets of the two countries: that's the F-35 fighter-jet produced by the U.S. corporation Lockheed Martin, versus the Su-35 fighter jet produced by the Russian government (its wholly owned Sukhoi Company). The F-35 costs around $100... more »
Google CZ doodle celebrates a woman we've never heard of
*Františka Plamínková was a brave democrat, kindergarten advocate, and a rank-and-file politician, too* Half an hour ago when I opened Google for the first time today, I was greeted by this "doodle" (modified logo) that contained the portrait of a woman I couldn't recognize. "Who's that?" I asked myself. And I immediately answered: "It must be some feminist and the U.S. company would love such people to be popular here." Indeed. One click is enough to get a bigger picture and find something about Františka Plamínková. (The first name is the female counterpart of Francis, the surn... more »
Military Photo of the Day: February 5, 2016
[image: USS Stockdale-900] The guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale departs Naval Base San Diego on Jan. 20, 2016, for a scheduled deployment. I’m not sure what kind of bird is shown in the top right-hand corner of this photo, but it might as well... more »
Endgame In Venezuela?
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *The Economist*: *The endgame in Venezuela* *The country is on the brink of a social explosion that only a negotiated transition can prevent* AT 9.30am on a Thursday six Venezuelans wait for a guided tour of the former military museum that is now the mausoleum of Hugo Chávez, the country’s populist president of 1999-2013. Across the road around 120 people are queuing for food at government-controlled prices from a state-run supermarket. The food queue starts at 3am. “Sometimes there’s food and sometimes there isn’t,” one would-be shopper says. In thi... more »
Greg Hunter, "Weekly News Wrap-Up 2/5/2016"
*"Weekly News Wrap-Up 2/5/2016"* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "The big loser in the Iowa Primary is Hillary Clinton. Yes, she came in first by a tiny margin, but even that is in question. Iowa’s biggest newspaper is calling for a recount because of the .2% margin of victory. The head of the Democratic Party in Iowa, also, reportedly, is a huge supporter of Clinton, and her Iowa license plate reads HRC 2016. Dr. Andrea “Andy” McGuire, the state’s Democratic Party Chairman, says there will be no recount. The biggest problem for Hillary is the ongoing FBI investigation over big nat...more »
The ‘Establishment’ Nonsense
[image: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures while speaking during a campaign stop at Exeter Town Hall in Exeter, N.H., Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016.] WASHINGTON -- The reigning idiocy of the current political season is the incessant tossing around of “establishment,” an epithet now descending into meaninglessness. Its most recent abuse is by Donald Trump supporters rationalizing his Iowa defeat with the following consolation:...more »
Ted Cruz and the Body of Christ
[image: Ted Cruz] There is a misplaced fear -- shared, I’m sad to say, by many on the right -- that Christian conservatives are zealots, theocrats and all-around bogeymen. Ever since the advent of the moral majority during the Reagan years, establishment Republicans... more »
Top U.S. General In Afghanistan: '2016 Is Going To Be Possibly Worse Than 2015'
*CNN:* *Top U.S. general in Afghanistan: 2016 'possibly worse than 2015'* Washington (CNN)The U.S.'s top commander in Afghanistan said Thursday that "Afghanistan is at an inflection point" and that 2016 could be "no better and possibly worse than 2015" if adjustments are not made. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army Gen. John Campbell said, "Now, more than ever, the United States should not waver in Afghanistan." President Barack Obama has previously announced that the U.S. will reduce its military footprint from 9,800 troops to 5,500 by the start of next... more »
Musical Interlude: Chuck Wild, Liquid Mind, “My Silent Knowing”
Chuck Wild, Liquid Mind, “My Silent Knowing” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f__Ml77XTQ
Picture Of The Day
A T-45C Goshawk takes off from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 3, 2015. The aircraft is assigned to Training Air Wing 2. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class J. Alexander Delgado
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 belon
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