10:50pm MDT
Picture Of The Day
*Seahawk Hoist * An MH-60R Seahawk helicopter hoists two sailors during search and rescue training in front of the USS Monterey in the Persian Gulf, Sept. 23, 2016. The Monterey is supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class William Jenkins
Launching A New War In Syria Would Be The Worst Mistake Of The Obama Presidency
Kremlin.ru *Dave Majumdar, National Interest:* *Why the United States Should Exercise Restraint Before Launching A New War in Syria* The Russians might not be willing to back down in a confrontation with American forces. Tensions between Russia and the United States are coming to a head over the civil war in Syria. Washington has suspended bilateral talks with Russia to end the five-year old war. Moscow has suspended an agreement to destroy 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium that was reached during the year 2000, using especially harsh rhetoric. Meanwhile, Syrian regime forces—wit... more »
Since The Beltway Democratic Establishment Refuses To Back Progressives Candidates, Why Should Grassroots Dems Unite Behind Their Crap Candidates?
Earlier today, we took a quick look at why Hillary isn't doing better in Florida. Last week, it was Ohio. The latest national polling of likely voters shows Hillary beating Trump 42-36% in a match-up that includes the third party candidates. Part of the reason she isn't doing better in Florida and Ohio is because the Beltway Establishment helped impose vile loser candidates locally-- Wall Street garbage like Patrick Murphy in Florida and pathetic walking corpse Ted Strickland in Ohio, neither of whom brings a single thing to the table other than a prayer that they can ride Hillary... more »
Molalla Ancestral Run: Tribe responds to Old Hazeldell Quarry Claims
. Photo by Erika Lincango Molalla Ancestral Run Tribe responds to Old Hazeldell Quarry Claims By Kayla Godowa-Tufti Photos by Erika Lincango Censored NewsOAKRIDGE, Oregon (October 4, 2016) -- Last weekend marked the first year of the Molalla Ancestral Run. On Saturday October 1st, members of the Chakgeenkni-Tufti band of Molalla Indians called for ceremony in response to
Yahoo Scanned All ' Incoming Emails For Of US Intelligence
*Reuters*: *Exclusive: Yahoo secretly scanned customer emails for U.S. intelligence - sources* Yahoo Inc last year secretly built a custom software program to search all of its customers' incoming emails for specific information provided by U.S. intelligence officials, according to people familiar with the matter. The company complied with a classified U.S. government demand, scanning hundreds of millions of Yahoo Mail accounts at the behest of the National Security Agency or FBI, said three former employees and a fourth person apprised of the events. *Read more* .... *More News... more »
The Poet: Mary Oliver, “The Journey”
*“The Journey”* “One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice- though the whole house began to tremble and you felt the old tug at your ankles. “Mend my life!” each voice cried. But you didn’t stop. You knew what you had to do, though the wind pried with its stiff fingers at the very foundations, though their melancholy was terrible. It was already late enough, and a wild night, and the road full of fallen branches and stones. But little by little, as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sh... more »
"Unanswered Questions..."
"Life is filled with unanswered questions, but it is the courage to seek those answers that continues to give meaning to life. You can spend your life wallowing in despair, wondering why you were the one who was led towards the road strewn with pain, or you can be grateful that you are strong enough to survive it." - J.D. Stroube
The Daily "Near You?"
Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador. Thanks for stopping by!
Mark Twain, "The War Prayer"
◆ Mark Twain, "The War Prayer" ◆ *"Requiem"* “The crucified planet Earth, should it find a voice and a sense of irony, might now well say of our abuse of it, "Forgive them, Father, They know not what they do." The irony would be that *we know* what we are doing. When the last living thing has died on account of us, how poetical it would be if Earth could say, in a voice floating up perhaps from the floor of the Grand Canyon, "It is done. People did not like it here." - Kurt Vonnegut
"Do We Really Want Nuclear War with Russia?"
*"Do We Really Want Nuclear War with Russia?"* by Robert Parry "Through an endless barrage of ugly propaganda, the U.S. government and the mainstream American press have put the world on course for a potential nuclear showdown with Russia, an existential risk that has been undertaken cavalierly amid bizarre expressions of self-righteousness from Western institutions. This extraordinarily dangerous moment reflects the insistence of the Establishment in Washington that it should continue to rule the world and that it will not broach the possibility of other nations asserting their ow... more »
Yahoo Snooped On Customers Emails For U.S. Spy Agency
Yahoo Inc allowed U.S. intelligence agencies to access all users’ incoming emails for specific queries, according to a damaging Reuters report. Users are outraged over claims that Yahoo developed a custom program designed for various spy agencies that allowed them to search for specific information in any email account with an @yahoo.com email address. Retuers.com reports: The company complied with a classified U.S. government directive, scanning hundreds of millions of Yahoo Mail accounts at the behest of the National Security Agency or FBI, said two former employees and a third ... more »
Putin Lists His Demands For The Next President
Russian President Putin. TASS *Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg*: *Putin's Ultimatum to the Next U.S. President* The next U.S. administration will inherit the worst relationship with Russia since Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union an evil empire. Judging from the list of grievances that President Vladimir Putin has laid out, even a relatively Putin-friendly Donald Trump will have a hard time satisfying him. Putin delivered his message to the future U.S. president Monday, just as the U.S. State Department announced it was suspending negotiations with Russia on a ceasefire in Syria ... more »
Is He From Mars? Pence Will Have To Try To Make This Sound Normal Tonight
The other day, Keith Olbermann recorded a telling little segment about dogs and Trump. To anyone who's ever been a friend of a dog-- and who, besides Trump, *hasn't* been?-- it's bad enough on it's own. But when you look at it in a broader context, Trump's psychological unfitness for leadership, it becomes even more interesting. Monday morning, *NY Times* columnist Charles Blow took a turn psychoanalyzing Trump, dubbing him a terroristic man-toddler. Donald Trump is a domestic terrorist; only his form of terror doesn’t boil down to blowing things up. He’s the 70-year-old toddler... more »
U.S. Considering Military Options On Syria (Updated)
*Washington Post*: *Obama administration considering strikes on Assad, again* U.S. military strikes against the Assad regime will be back on the table Wednesday at the White House, when top national security officials in the Obama administration are set to discuss options for the way forward in Syria. But there’s little prospect President Obama will ultimately approve them. Inside the national security agencies, meetings have been going on for weeks to consider new options to recommend to the president to address the ongoing crisis in Aleppo, where Syrian and Russian aircraft con...more »
The Opposite of Social Media
Remember the problems I had on the final night of the Democratic convention late last July? I had four of my five accounts censored and all but shut down within an hour (my main account was censored for eight straight days). Well, just a few days after coming off a nine day censorship of my main account, *for tweeting about the fucking New England Patriots*, the fascist douchebag sons and daughters of Jack Dorsey have just sunk to a new low: All five, count 'em, *all five* of my Twitter accounts just got censored one right after the other in less than an hour. Strictly by ... more »
Hillary Clinton’s Deplorables: Stefan Molyneux
Rarely if ever will you see on this blog the phrase “Hillary Clinton was right” – not unless it were to be concluded with phrases such as “to resign,” “to stand down,” or “to jump off a cliff” – but she was right to condemn the deplorable “alt-right” who have taken Donald Trump to their breast, about whom others such as Robert Tracinski and Stuart Hayashi had already exposed. Stuart has also done sterling work exposing the downright racism of a one-time anarchist who underwent an “ideological transmogrification” to make himself one of the fonts of these deplorables. Tracinski g... more »
Quote of the Day, for World Architecture Day
[image: 14522940_1082818095167655_9106898452145329455_n] [Hat tip Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Permission to republish is granted, with attribution.
Economic News , Data & Views...... October 4 , 2016....... Quick Hits - 1) Markets & Market Moving News : US Stocks , Gold ( Major Sell-off Today ) , Silver , US Treasuries Hit By The Proverbial Lead Gas Pipe Today , Oil The Exception To General Rule Of Sell-off Today ; Oil Items Of Note ; ECB Denies Media Report On Taper Talk - Which Was Part Of Reason For US Stock Sell-Off ; Global Bonds Jump Due To ECB Story - That ECB Denied ; Living Will Day For 5 Big US Banks ; Additional Items Of Note. 2) Europe In Focus - Greece , Italy , UK , Germany , Turkey. 3) Hurricane Matthew Hits Haiti , Lumbering Toward US. 4)
Markets.... *MarketWatch* @MarketWatch 2h 2 hours ago U.S. stocks finished lower following reports that the ECB could end quantitative easing efforts sooner than planned http://on.mktw.net/2dtogYJ *Myra Saefong* @MktwSaefong 2h 2 hours ago Here's what gold did in one session: http://on.mktw.net/2cPnneM *MacroTourist* @Gloeschi 5h 5 hours ago Blood bath in $gold and $silver miners -8.5% to -10% in the #ETF's *CBJOM* @cbjom 1h 1 hour ago Norm ignore #APIs but it smells right: crude draw = low #crude imports & ref runs still v strong. Hence,... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 4, 2016
An Indian Agni-II intermediate range ballistic missile on a road-mobile launcher. Wikimedia Commons/Antônio Milena *Rajan Menon, National Interest*:* How to Stop Kashmir from Spiraling into All-Out War* *India and Pakistan shouldn’t gamble with nuclear war.* Kashmir has again become the venue for a confrontation between India and Pakistan. On September 11, militants attacked an Indian military post in Poonch, and on September 18, another in Uri—both towns in Indian Kashmir. They infiltrated the so-called Line of Control (LOC), which separates the India- and Pakistan-administered p... more »
World News Briefs -- October 4, 2016
*Reuters:* *Syria peace efforts must continue despite break with Russia: Kerry* U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday efforts to end Syria's war must continue despite Washington's decision to break off talks with Moscow over what he called its "irresponsible" support for President Bashar al-Assad. The United States on Monday suspended talks with Russia on implementing a ceasefire deal in Syria, accusing Moscow of not living up to its commitments to halt fighting and ensure aid reached besieged communities. "We are not giving up on the Syrian people and we are not aba... more »
Julian Assange: WikiLeaks Will Release All US Election Docs By Nov 8
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has vowed to spill the beans on US presidential elections by releasing a trove of secret documents before 8th November. Following the cancellation of his ‘October Surprise’ Julian Assange appeared via video link at a news conference at the Volksbuhne Theater in Berlin on Tuesday to mark the 10th anniversary of WikiLeaks’ launch. RT.com reports: WikiLeaks hopes to be publishing documents “every week for the next 10 weeks,” Assange said. @wikileaks That was a TOTAL WASTE OF MY TIME. #FalseAdvertising Did he sell out??? Is he under threat? Was he boug... more »
New CBE Blueprint Thanks ESSA
New report by Chris Sturgis from CompetencyWorks, a spin-off of iNACOL. It's sponsored by the Gates Foundation, Nellie Mae, and the Carnegie Corporation. This is as close as you will come to a blueprint for how the oligarchs see their latest attempted takeover of K12 education playing out. Download and read* Reaching the Tipping Point: Insights on Advancing Competency Education in New England* here. This clip below is an excerpt from the introductory essay in this new report, just released, which explains the critical role ESSA will play in making CBE the next big thing in corp... more »
Child Poverty: It’s parents, not govt
Lindsay Mitchell makes an important point in response to the new Child Commissioner challenging government to reduce child poverty: *What about challenging individuals? Why not, for instance, challenge couples to stay together and committed to their children? Or challenge people who are dependent on benefits not to add more babies? Or challenge young people to finish their education, pay off their loans and get jobs before they start families?What a difference changing poverty-inducing behaviours would make.* It’s not governments who make children poor. It’s parents who make ... more »
U.S. Presidential Election News Updates -- October 4, 2016
*Washington Post*: *Tim Kaine and Mike Pence, perfect strangers meeting on largest stage either has seen* One phone call really stood out to Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) after Hillary Clinton selected him as her running mate. “Hey, welcome aboard,” Indiana Gov. Mike Pence told Kaine in late July. The Republican vice-presidential nominee’s greeting to the Democratic vice-presidential nominee is the only conversation the two men have ever had, according to Kaine. On Tuesday, the Indiana governor and Virginia senator meet for the first time face to face, sharing a stage in Farmville, Va.,...more »
The Plan : Destroy the GOP - Split the Dems
This is *The Plan.*
The Eleven Questions The Press Won’t Ask DiCaprio
By Paul Homewood Eleven questions that our supine press should be asking the hypocrite DiCaprio: 11 Questions the Press Must Ask Leonardo DiCaprio
Quiz
Nothing BBC bias-related here, but one for those who like British politics and love a good quiz.... Here's a wedding photo from 1964. Can you name the bridegroom, his best man (the chap with the glasses) and any of the other men in the photo [which can be clicked to enlarge, as usual]. Clue: Five are well-known (four still being alive), two nowhere near so well-known. 5/7 would be an excellent score. The answers can be found in the comments section below.
Midday Musical Interlude: Leonard Cohen, “Everybody Knows”
Leonard Cohen, “Everybody Knows” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lin-a2lTelg
Natural Health is a Silver Bullet to Medical Vampires
*Jon Rappoport* - The medical cartel promotes myths to serve their interests. The post Natural Health is a Silver Bullet to Medical Vampires appeared first on Waking Times.
Why Isn't Hillary Doing Better In Florida?
*How to guarantee that Florida millennials sit out the election* Swing state Florida looms large for both campaigns. Hillary is partially hampered by a moribund state Democratic Party that has been whittled down to a Debbie Wasserman Schultz incumbent protection racket. It barely functions in statewide races at all. Still, Hillary's RealClearPolitics polling average as of today is +2.0, not bad, considering Obama beat Romney 50.01% to 49.12. That was a 0.89% win-- a mere 74,309 votes giving Obama all 29 of Florida's electoral votes. In 2008, Obama won by a larger margin-- but still ... more »
NASA Cuts Live Feed As Another Blue UFO Approaches ISS
NASA has once again cut the live feed to the International Space Station (ISS) as a blue UFO approached its orbit. The space agency is planning to shutdown ISS’ live broadcast and has been accused by UFO hunters of covering up evidence of flying saucers and aliens. A mysterious blue-glowing UFO was sighted flying near the International Space Station (ISS) in low Earth orbit. HD cameras on board the ISS were shut down by NASA before the mysterious object came too close. There appears to be evidence of a cover-up in space by NASA, who has a hard time explaining all the UFO traffic, ... more »
Banditry and Violence in the Ottoman Empire
New academic year, a new season with the Sociology Research Seminar Series at the University of Derby. Opening for the semester was Baris Cayli, Research Fellow in Criminology with his paper, ‘Zones of Fragility: Outlaws and the Forms of Violence in the Ottoman Empire’. This was one of a series of interlocking projects spun off from Baris’s work in the old Ottoman archives scattered about its former territory. These range from the Grand Vizier’s office and Imperial decrees on foreign affairs hosted in Istanbul, to smaller collections of correspondence and edicts from governors and ... more »
People will not remember what you say, what you tell them. But they'll never forget how you make 'em feel...
*from Rush Limbaugh.* I usually have conservative talk radio on while I'm working around the house. In the morning it's Rush, and starting at noon it's Sean Hannity. Three o'clock ushers in Glenn Beck, who is slowly going insane. I sometimes leave him on because it's a bit like watching a car wreck in slow motion. A number of days ago Rush said something that jumped out at me. I thought it was so important that I searched his archives to see if I could find the exact quote. I did, and I've posted it below so you can read it in context. The main thrust of his comments were enca... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- October 4, 2016
U.S. Marine Corps and Philippine Marine Corps personnel link arms during the opening ceremony of annual Philippines-US amphibious landing exercise (PHILBLEX) inside the marines headquarters in Taguig city, metro Manila, Philippines October 4, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco *Reuters*: *Philippine-U.S. war games underway as doubts hang over alliance* The Philippines and the United States launched annual joint military exercises on Tuesday, barely a week after the new president in Manila said they would be the last. President Rodrigo Duterte has angrily rejected U.S. concerns over the bl... more »
Donald Trump On U.S. Airstrikes On ISIS: 'Who Knows What They Are Hitting?'
Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at an American Renewal Project event at the Orlando Convention Center in Orlando, Florida August 11, 2016. REUTERS/Eric Thayer *CNN:* *Trump on US airstrikes against ISIS: 'Who knows what they are hitting?'* Washington (CNN)Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump questioned Monday whether airstrikes conducted by the US military and its coalition allies are actually hitting ISIS members. "We don't have victory. We're dropping things all over the place. Who knows what they are hitting? Who knows how many people are being ... more »
Russia: US, Allies To Blame For Russian Embassy Attack In Damascus
Russia is holding the US and its allies responsible for the attack on its embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus, saying they are fueling violence in the war-stricken country by colluding with militants and extremists. The Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement on Tuesday confirming a mortar attack against the Russian embassy in Damascus. One of the mortar shells hit the area near the mission’s residential compound, while two others landed close to the embassy building. “It’s a blatant act of terror meant to scare those who support the battle against terrorism,” the Foreign... more »
Flint Now Facing Highly Contagious Bacterial Outbreak
Just two years after residents in Flint, Michigan were exposed to unsafe levels of lead contamination in their drinking water and an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, local officials report an outbreak of a highly-contagious gastrointestinal illness, shigellosis. The illness is caused by a bacteria and spread person-to-person, sparking an estimated 500,000 cases nationwide annually, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still afraid and mistrustful of the water, residents in Flint, who are still forced to use either filtered or bottled water because of... more »
Oh, well — “love hormone” doesn’t reduce psychiatric symptoms, say researchers in request to retract
It turns out, snorting the so-called “love hormone” may not help reduce psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety. At least, that’s the conclusion the authors of a 2015 meta-analysis, which initially found intranasal doses of oxytocin could reduce psychiatric symptoms, have now reached. After a pair of graduate students pointed out flaws in the paper, […] The post Oh, well — “love hormone” doesn’t reduce psychiatric symptoms, say researchers in request to retract appeared first on Retraction Watch.
The Battle For The Syrian City Of Aleppo Continues
*Al Jazeera*: *Aleppo battle: Assad sends thousands of reinforcements* *The Syrian government has deployed thousands of extra fighters in an attempt to reverse rebel gains in the city.* The Syrian government has sent thousands of reinforcements to mount a counterattack in Aleppo after rebels broke through government lines two days earlier, a monitoring group said. The Lebanese Shia Hezbollah movement and the government have mobilised more than 3,000 troops and militia fighters for an attempt to recapture the areas where the rebels made their breakthrough, according to the Britain... more »
U.S. Serviceman Killed In Action in Afghanistan
*Washington Post:* *U.S. service member killed in Afghanistan in an operation targeting ISIS* A U.S. service member was killed Tuesday in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province during an operation against the Islamic State, defense officials said. The death occurred in Nangarhar’s Achin district, a few miles from the Pakistan border. Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr., the senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said it happened during a “larger United States-Afghan counterterrorism mission targeting the Islamic State, Khorasan” — a reference to the group’s Afghan branch. “On behalf of ... more »
The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: 5 Years On, Fukushima Nuclear Radiation Has Contaminated The Entire Pacific Ocean, And Its Going To Get Worse
With all of the focus of the Jew spew media, and many alternative media sites, on both the criminal US/Israel/NATO war against the innocent nation of Syria and of course the US circus "election" campaign, I figured I would concentrate on something that has been severely overlooked for some time and is absolutely still a very dangerous issue... And that is of course the still ongoing nuclear disaster at Fukushima Japan... It has now been well over 5 and 1/2 years since 3 out of 4 nuclear reactors at Fukushima went critical with at least 2 going into total meltdown.... Those meltdowns... more »
The Battle For The Afghan City Of Kunduz Rages For The Second Day
*NYT*: *Afghan Forces Push Taliban Out of Kunduz Center, Officials Say* KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan officials said on Tuesday that their commando forces had reclaimed the main city square in Kunduz from the Taliban and were making gains elsewhere in the vital provincial capital, where the insurgents overran central neighborhoods on Monday. Residents and local police officers reached by telephone said that clashes were continuing, with the insurgents focusing on the police headquarters and the governor’s compound. Ahmad Javed Salim, a spokesman for the Afghan Army special forces in...more »
Philippines Death Squads Are Now Being Linked To The Police
*The Guardian:* *Philippines secret death squads: officer claims police teams behind wave of killings* Exclusive: Thousands of people have been killed since Rodrigo Duterte became president and, according to one officer, secret police teams are partly responsible “We are not that bad policemen or bad individuals. We are just a tool, we are just angels that God gave talent to, you know, to get these bad souls back to heaven and cleanse them.” The words flow unnervingly from the mouth of the policeman, a senior officer in the Philippines national police (PNP), as he explains his ro... more »
Philippine's President Duterte Tells President Obama To 'Go To Hell'
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte (C) clenches fist with members of the Philippine Army during his visit at the army headquarters in Taguig city, metro Manila, Philippines October 4, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco *Washington Post:* *Philippines President Duterte tells Obama to ‘go to hell’* If it's Tuesday, Rodrigo Duterte, president of the Philippines, must be swearing at President Obama. In a profanity-laced speech in Manila, Duterte lashed out once again at the U.S. for criticizing his self-proclaimed "drug war," saying Obama can "go to hell." The European Union, he added, "b... more »
Nixon still won on the radio!
*TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016The press corps loves its old tales:* Brian Williams will be in action tonight, killing time before and after the ballyhooed Kaine-Pence match. We were struck by something Brian said to Michael Beschloss after last Monday's debate. We thought the corps had stopped telling this treasured old story. As it turned out, we were wrong: WILLIAMS (9/26/16): And Michael, what about the conversation Rachel and I were having at the top of the evening? *We were talking about Nixon-Kennedy,* and all kinds of aspects of Nixon-Kennedy, *Nixon's sweatiness for televisio... more »
BWorld 83, Climate change, the UN and 'Clexit'
* This is my article in BusinessWorld last September 08, 2016 Last weekend, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon declared during the G20 summit in China that “climate change scepticism is over.” This statement is wrong on two counts. First, the term climate change (CC) skepticism or “CC denial” is wrong because skeptics recognize climate change, having happened in the past and currently taking place in the present. However, skeptics only believe that climate change is natural and cyclical, or it is “nature-made” and not man-made. Thus, the appropriate term should be “anthropogenic/man-... more »
Russia Begins 'Large Scale' Defense Drill Involving 40 Million Citizens
© mchs.gov.ru *RT:* *40 million Russians involved in annual 4-day defense drills* This week Russian authorities are conducting massive civil defense training involving 40 million people nationwide. The drill comes amid a spike in tensions between Russia and the US after the collapse of the two nations’ cooperation in Syria. The four-day exercise launched on Tuesday includes 200,000 rescue professionals. Almost 50,000 vehicles are part of the drill. “Our priority during the drill is to train evacuation of the civilian population from potentially-risky areas,” Emergencies Minister V... more »
Two Ex-CIA Detainees Describe Four Previously Unknown Interrogation Tools
The lobby of the CIA Headquarters Building in McLean, Virginia, August 14, 2008. REUTERS/Larry Downing *Washington Post:* *CIA prisoners allege they faced version of waterboarding* Two men who were held at a CIA prison in Afghanistan have told a human rights group that they were subjected to a version of waterboarding at a detention site where the agency has insisted the brutal method was never used. The allegations were detailed in a report released Monday by Human Rights Watch based on extensive interviews with two Tunisian men who were returned to that country last year after ... more »
Fears Of New Ice Age By 2019 As Sun Goes Blank
The sun‘s surface has gone completely “blank” without any sunspots. Resent NASA images show no evidence of dark cores on the sun’s surface representing sunspots. It is the fourth time this year that the star has gone “blank” with sunspot activity at its lowest rate for 10,000 years. There is also a sharp decline in solar activity which may herald the start of a new ice age by 2019. The Daily Star reports: Sunspot activity is like a pendulum, swinging back and forth within a period of 11 or 12 years, according to SpaceWeather. But experts say solar activity is falling more rapidly... more »
Industrial Farming Is Destroying Our Health and Environment
*Dr. Mercola* - There is a high cost to pay for cheap food. The post Industrial Farming Is Destroying Our Health and Environment appeared first on Waking Times.
President Duterte and Hitler
Reposting another good insights from a friend, Bernard Ong, posted in his fb wall last Sunday. --------- DUTERTE IS NOT (YET) HITLER by Bernard Ong, October 03, 2016 Apologies. Long post, driven by the gravity of the issue. First let’s lay out what he said verbatim: Sept 30: "Hitler massacred 3 million Jews. Now, there are 3 million drug addicts... I'd be happy to slaughter them… At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have (me). You know my victims, I would like to be, all criminals, to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition." ... more »
[Bill] Clinton Derangement Syndrome!
*TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016The weirdness of the press:* If you write about the mainstream press, you *will* end up sounding crazy. That's because of the masterful strangeness of our high-end press. If you write about their work, it's hard to avoid wondering if they're secret invaders from some foreign realm. That makes it seem like *you're* the nut. We'll cite two recent examples. The first example comes from the Outlook section of Sunday's Washington Post. We refer to the strange review of Joe Conason's new book, Man of the World: The Further Endeavors of Bill Clinton. Conason wri... more »
Manufacturing Dissent: How The New York Times Covered the Brexit Vote
The following is a guest post by Nives DolÅ¡ak, Professor, School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington, Seattle, and Aseem Prakash, Professor, Department of Political Science and Walker Family Professor for the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle. The Brexit vote has come and gone. After the initial shock, the world seems to […]
Open Thread on International Development Syllabi
In previous posts on the environment and health, I highlighted lacunae in the field, which I attributed in part to there being few courses in those substantive areas. By providing a few exemplar syllabi, I thought more of us might find it easier to offer courses on those topics. At the very least, some might find inspiration for courses and […]
Global Health Governance Syllabi Open Thread
So, I noted in a post a few weeks ago during APSA that I thought the discipline doesn’t pay enough attention to global environmental politics. Part of this is a function of training. I didn’t have a global environmental politics course to take during graduate school, but I teach one now. I posted a few […]
Syria: An Option Remains
With the bombing of the UN aid convoy in Syria and fresh attacks on Aleppo after the Assad regime declared the ceasefire over, American and UN officials are in need of a Plan B. Now that trust between the U.S. and Russia is at a new low after Russia allegedly carried out the convoy attack, […]
Empathy, Envy and Justice: The Real Trouble for Algorithm Bias
Rousseau once remarked that “It is, therefore, very certain that compassion is a natural sentiment, which, by moderating the activity of self-esteem in each individual, contributes to the mutual preservation of the whole species” (Discourses on Inequality). Indeed, it is compassion, and not “reason” that keeps this frail species progressing. Yet, this ability to be […]
It’s That Time Again: A Call for New Guest Bloggers
We’re kicking off a new school year, and we wanted to send out an invitation for a new crop of guest bloggers. We’re really hoping the Duck will continue to be a place for diverse perspectives on international relations. As you may recall from our last call to arms, here is our policy on a […]
Big Theory? The Past Is Not What You Think It Is
Today, Dan Drezner pulled on my chain more effectively than damn near any other scholar I respect. I should keep quiet (not my strength) as I have an article* I am revising for resubmission that addresses this very argument–that big IR theory has gone away somehow. But I cannot help but respond, partly because this […]
Is there a connection between the Northwest Passage and the South China Sea?
This is a guest post from Hannes Hansen-Magnusson, a Lecturer in International Relations at Cardiff University (contact by email: Hansen-Magnusson”at”Cardiff.ac.uk or via twitter: @HansenMagnusson) For centuries the political struggle over the legal status of global oceans was presented as one of mare clausum vs. mare liberum. These concepts concerned the possibility of movement as well as rights […]
Remembering 9/11: Open Thread
What were you doing 15 years ago on 9/11? What do you remember? How should we remember that day, given the momentous impact the event had on the direction of U.S. foreign policy and global politics? I woke up in my Adams Morgan basement room in the house where I was living to the sound […]
Unsolicited Job Talk Advice
Seems to be the time of year when folks post their advice for aspiring professors on how to succeed at the job talk. While there are other parts of the process–being interviewed one on one by various members of the department or getting grilled by a committee (something that happens far more in Canada than […]
I Broke Up With Michel Foucault*
I broke up with Michel Foucault. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. I sort of ghosted him. Let me explain. When I was in grad school I fell in love with Foucault. He was just exactly what I was looking for- he made me see gender differently, and he helped me to finally piece together what […]
Global Environmental Governance Syllabi – Open Thread
As I blogged earlier today, climate change has not gotten sufficient attention from political scientists. Part of the problem is that few people teach graduate classes on the environment. I didn’t take one in graduate school and basically had to teach myself the topic. This past spring, I taught a full 15 week graduate class […]
Climate Change and #APSA2016
With the G20 set to commence in Hangzhou, the United States and China today ratified the Paris Agreement, making it increasingly likely that it will enter into force by year’s end. This is a momentous occasion in climate diplomacy and speaks to the increasing political salience of this topic. Yesterday, here at APSA, there was a […]
Twitter auto-post attempt #2
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APSA Tweetup
As has become a tradition, political scientists who are active on twitter are meeting up at the APSA: Thursday, 7pm at Pennsylvania 6, a nearby bar. The idea is to get a chance to chat with people you may “know” online but have not met in person. I hope to see you there.
Testing to Twitter
Hey, our auto-tweeter hasn’t been working so I’m trying to fix it. This is a test…
What Am I Reading? Inaugural Feature on Global Health #1
I’m on leave this year so my regular blogging might be a little scant, but I thought I’d introduce a new feature which is a periodic series “What Am I Reading?” I’d like to flag what I’m reading on different topics, namely health, the environment, and foreign policy. This first one is on health. Zika […]
We Need More Metal! The Political Economy of Heavy Metal
The following is a guest post by Dr. Robert G. Blanton, Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. For as long as it has existed, heavy metal music has been associated with controversy – the aggressive nature of the music and lyrics arouses seemingly constant suspicion and often deep dislike, and metal bands have […]
The Anglosphere, Dominance in Global Finance, and the Consequences of Brexit
This is a guest post by Jan Fichtner, Postdoctoral Researcher in the CORPNET project at the Department of Political Science of the University of Amsterdam. So far, International Relations and International Political Economy have not dedicated much attention to analyzing the group of the Anglophone countries together (notable exceptions are Andrew Gamble, Jeremy Green, […]
Gearing up for the Academic Job Market: Don’t Dabble
There are many things worth dabbling in: Pokeman Go!, the arts, alternative medicine, old films, astrology, gourmet cuisine….the list could go on and on. I really like when people, including graduate students, tell me they are dabbling in these things or other hobbies. It’s probably going to help both their productivity and their overall happiness. […]
Why The B-52 Bomber Is Still A Feared Bomber
A B-52H Stratofortress takes off after being taken out of long-term storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. Flickr/U.S. Air Force *Sebastien Roblin, National Interest*: *Why America's Enemies Still Fear the B-52 Bomber* We’ve already examined the *colorful analysis* offered by Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte regarding his country’s new jet fighter, so let’s today look at the aviation insights offered by a politician on our home shores. In the September 26 presidential debate pitting Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump, when questioned about nuclear doctrine, Trump ... more »
Arctic Ice Extent In September
By Paul Homewood http://ocean.dmi.dk/arctic/icecover_30y.uk.php DMI now have the September numbers out for Arctic ice extent. They confirm that average extent over the month is one of the highest in the last decade. Far from being in a death spiral, September ice is clearly on the increase I doubt whether you will hear any […]
The CIA's Blackbird Was The World's First Operational Stealth Plane
LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD Role: Strategic reconnaissance aircraft Manufacturer: Lockheed, Skunk Works division Status: Retired The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is a long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft that was operated by the United States Air Force.[1] It was developed as a black projectfrom the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by Lockheed and its Skunk Works division. Renowned American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the design's innovative concepts. During aerial reconnaissance missions, the SR-71 operated at... more »
'Water is Life' rings out at North Dakota Governors Debate
Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016: Breaking News: Water Protectors Boldly Disrupt Governors' Debate Speaking Truth to Power Tonight in Bismarck "We will never allow this pipeline - Not Now - and Not Ever!" #NoDAPL Share if you agree that we will defeat the Dakota Access Pipeline! Video credit: Johnny K. Dangers #MniWiconi #WaterisLife
Why No Wells Fargo Executive Will Be Prosecuted
*Cartoon by Steve Sack ©2016, The Minneapolis Star Tribune (source)* *by Gaius Publius* A follow-up to this recent piece — "A Clinton Speech to Millennials That Will Work" — in which my hoped-for Hillary Clinton says, among other things, that she will start a criminal investigation of Well Fargo executives for criminal fraud. In that (sadly, fictional) speech she cites several recent Justice Department investigations of banking heavyweights that found criminal behavior, yet produced no indictments. That information came from this piece by Jesse Singal in *New York Magazine*, and i... more »
Argentina: CEFAE Holds Conference on Aerospace Phenomena Research Methods
*Source: PLANETA UFODate: 10.04.2016* *Argentina: CEFAE Holds Conference on Aerospace Phenomena Research Methods* By Lic. Florencia Sosa *Commodore (R) Ruben Lianza, a specialist on the subject, offered a talk at the Centro Cultural de la Ciencia* On September 15, the head of the Aerospace Phenomena Study Commission (CEFAE), Commodore (R) Ruben Lianza, held a talk on the subject of "aerospace phenomena research methods" at the Centro Cultural de la Ciencia in Buenos Aires's Palermo district. The purpose of CEFAE is to research the possible causes of unidentified flying object si... more »
Authenticity and “Passing”
I originally wrote most of this as a comment to another blog I follow. But I realized it’s useful and wanted others to have the chance to consider this as well. I really really dislike the term “passing” but I’m going to use it here because so many people in the community understand it. I […]
MUSIC: Tony Palmer and Breeds 'Defend the Sacred' Standing Rock: Free download
. By Tony Palmer and Breeds Censored News Aho!Oyate Music Group Recordings released the new song Defend the Sacred (Standing Rock) by NAMMY award winning artist, Tony Palmer and Breeds on 10/03/2016.This song is a tribute to the warriors defending against the DAPL for ALL PEOPLE!I have included a link for a free download. A "mastered" .wav file is available upon request for broadcast.Thank
Argentina: Alleged UFO Reported over San Luis at the Feast of Our Lady of Cobrera
*Source: PLANETA UFO and Misiones Online.NetDate: 10.04.16* *Argentina: Alleged UFO Reported over San Luis at the Feast of Our Lady of Cobrera* A woman taking photos during the feast of Our Lady of Cobrera in San Lusi noticed a strange presence in the images that is comparable to a UFO. Maria del Carmen Gil took photos during the festivities and upon reviewing them, became aware of the odd element. "I touched the screen to see if it was dirty, showed it to my relatives and no one could make heads or tails of it," the woman told Cadena 3. [*Translation (c) 2016, IHU with thanks ... more »
Oops — journal retracted the wrong article
Sometimes you have the right guy, but charge him with the wrong crime — like nabbing someone for not using a turn signal after he just ran through a red light. A reproductive sciences journal has admitted to mistakenly retracting the wrong article last year — and is now pulling the previously issued retraction notice, along […] The post Oops — journal retracted the wrong article appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Perkins: This Time They're Coming for YOUR Democracy
Excellent interview and discussion: More Confessions Of An Economic Hit Man: "This Time, They’re Coming For Your Democracy" http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-10-03/more-confessions-economic-hit-man-time-they%E2%80%99re-coming-your-democracy Related Posts *Majia's Blog: Dispossession* *Majia's Blog: Dispossession: Liberalism's Crisis* *Majia's Blog: Dispossession: Liberalism's Crisis Part III* *Majia's Blog: LINKS: PLUTONMY, DESPOTISM, DISPOSSESSION* *Majia's Blog: Imperial Western World Order?*
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*From Jenna Orkin* Slowly Killing Social Security: Death By A Thousand Cuts Police In Thailand Lay Down Vests and Barricades In Solidarity With ProtestorsJapanese Researcher Wins Nobel Prize In Medicine EU, US Stocks Slide After Deustche Bank Default Risk Spikes To Record High On Disappearing 'Deal' Hype Protests Erupt In L.A. For Second Night After Police Fatally Shoot Armed Teen "October Surprise" Is Back - Wikileaks' Assange Confirms Tuesday Video AppearanceLead Whitewater Lawyer Chertoff Endorses Clinton In Shocking Referendum Vote, Colombia Rejects Deal To End Rebel War: Future ... more »
The Syrian War To Free Itself From The Evil US/Israel/NATO Criminal Cabal: Aleppo - How Americans Are Being Lied To
**First a quick note - I have been ill these last few days with a severe bout of cold and sinus infection. It seems to always happen to me this time of year with the rapid change in weather in these parts of central Canada. However, this year has not been as severe as previous years simply because I have been taking proper vitamins and other supplements to fight this cold and have absolutely avoided an "antibiotics" pushed by the quacks in our "medical system". I finally feel a bit better today and I do have once again a bit of catching up to do here....* Over the last few days,... more »
"The Line Dividing Good And Evil..."
"If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart? During the life of any heart this line keeps changing place; sometimes it is squeezed one way by exuberant evil and sometimes it shifts to allow enough space for good to flourish. One and the same human being is, at various ages, under various circumstances, a totally different human being. ... more »
"40 Million Russians To Take Part In "Nuclear Disaster" Drill, Days After US General Warns Of War With Moscow"
*"40 Million Russians To Take Part In "Nuclear Disaster" Drill, * *Days After US General Warns Of War With Moscow"* by Tyler Durden "As relations between Russia and the US disintegrate as a result of the escalating proxy war in Syria, which today culminated with Putin halting a Plutonium cleanup effort with the US, shortly before the US State Department announced it would end negotiations with Russia over Syria, tomorrow an unprecedented 40 million Russian citizens, as well as 200,000 specialists from "emergency rescue divisions" and 50,000 units of equipment are set to take part in... more »
WHERE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS ARE: On to the PISA!
*TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016On to the PISA next week:* Are U.S. public schools an embarrassing mess as compared to schools in the rest of the world? How about as compared to schools in the rest of the *developed* world? Are American schools an embarrassing mess as compared to them? That impression is constantly given within the American discourse. It's done through comparisons to the miracle schools of miraculous Finland, a small, middle-class, unicultural nation whose kids tend to outscore their American peers on international tests. It's also done through comparisons to the world's... more »
Iraq’s Kurdistan Falls Behind In Payments To Oil Companies
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is facing an economic crisis just like the rest of Iraq. Almost all of its revenues comes from the sale of oil. To maintain production it has been trying to pay the energy companies that operate in the region each month. It was accomplishing that, but then a sudden drop in exports and revenue meant that it fell behind for two months during the summer. Most of the oil companies working in Kurdistan have not been paid for their July and August work. Genel Energy and DNO were just paid at the end of September and start of October for their Jul... more »
UOO, AFT, and NPE Convergence on Charter Schools
In a recent advertisement by United Opt Out for their Houston conference with the AFT affiliate there, the UOO's rhetorical shaping along AFT party lines was obvious. Part of the reason that you should give money to UOO, it would seem, would be to halt "the proliferation of for profit charters" that occurs when public schools are shuttered due to low test scores. Now compare that language to NPE's positions, which does not mention charter schools at all but, rather, states Ravitch's opposition to "for-profit management of schools." And, of course, we see the same the same lan... more »
The Changing Arctic – November 1922
By Paul Homewood What has been called the “Warming in the North” is well recognised as one of the major climatic shifts of the 20thC. Sometime around 1920, temperatures began rising rapidly across the Arctic, and both sea and land ice disappeared. Below is an account from NOAA’s monthly weather review in November 1922: […]
Pumping Up War with Russia
Here is part of the CBS TV *60 Minutes* program that ran two weeks ago pumping up the potential for war with Russia. First they demonize Russia and lie about what really happened in Ukraine and Crimea. They bring on the show recently retired NATO Commander Gen. Philip M. Breedlove who is a war hungry joker. During and after the US coup d'etat in Ukraine Breedlove was repeatedly found by German media to be making highly provocative statements toward Russia. Yesterday I found two articles reporting that Russia was holding a nuclear evacuation drill involving 40 million people acr...more »
Two US Warships Dock In Vietnam
Two US warships have docked in Vietnam for the first time since the war in a move which is expected to cause further tensions with China The warships docked at a Vietnamese naval base, in the first such port call since the normalization of relations 21 years ago. Press TV reports: Submarine tender USS Frank Cable and guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain entered a deep water base in Cam Ranh Bay in Khanh Hoa province on Sunday, the US Navy said in a statement on Tuesday. Before entering the Cam Ranh Bay, USS John S. McCain also made a port call in nearby Da Nang City, accordi... more »
Vanuatu peopled from Taiwan and Philippines
*If you weren't outdoors this weekend, you missed out.* This news is making the rounds: Back in 1985, archaeologist Peter Bellwood of the Australian National University in Canberra proposed that the Lapita had roots in farming cultures in East Asia. Based on dating of Lapita sites, he proposed that they moved rapidly from mainland China to Taiwan and the Philippines, then out across the open ocean from Vanuatu to Samoa, covering 24,300 kilometers in about 300 years. This “express train” picture fit with linguists’ models, in which Austronesian languages spread from East Asia into O... more »
You cited which paper?? Reference errors are more common than many realize
We all make mistakes – but when it comes to the scientific literature, too many authors are making critical mistakes in their list of references, making it difficult for readers to retrieve a cited paper. We spoke with Marilyn Oermann, the Thelma M. Ingles Professor of Nursing at the Duke University School of Nursing, who […] The post You cited which paper?? Reference errors are more common than many realize appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Halloween Crafts with Kids
Halloween is just around the corner. We are making costumes and all sorts of fun kids crafts! We have made more Halloween crafts this year than in years past and it is only the first of the month! Here are some of our favorites! Hand Prints Bats Spider Hand Prints Monster Paper Bags Easy Mummy Cupcakes Pumpkin Jar Luminaries Frankenstein Footprints Witch Garden in a Pumpkin Pumpkin Patch hand and foot prints Curled Paper Pumpkins Witch and Black Cat hand prints Tissue Box Monsters Ghost and Candy Corn Foot Prints What are you making with your kids this year? [... more »
Editor's Note
Stuck doing a lot of personal business this morning. Blogging will return in a few hours. Military and Intelligence News briefs and World News Briefs will posted later today.
Russian Embassy in Damascus Shelled By Terrorists
The Russian embassy in Damascus came under fire on Tuesday from an area controlled by militant groups, including Al-Nusra Front and and Faylaq al-Rahman. The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that one of the mortar shells fired at the embassy complex hit the residential area, while two others landed near the embassy building. “It’s a blatant act of terror meant to scare those who support the battle against terrorism,” the Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Nobody was injured by the explosions according to reports. Sputnik news reports: The Ministry said the shelling was conducted... more »
New Hampshire Is Crucial In The Battle For The White House, The Senate And The House Of Representatives
New Hampshire is, in a partisan sense, one of those 50-50 states. It swings, sometimes madly, between Democrats and Republicans. Bill Clinton started a presidential winning streak in 1992-- interrupted for one election, in 2000, in favor of George W. Bush who beat Gore by a mere 7,211 votes (which gave America Bush-Cheney). Right now the state has a Democratic governor and a state legislature controlled by the GOP. There are 238 Republicans and 160 Democrats in the state House and 14 Republicans and 10 Dems in the state Senate. There's one U.S. senator from each party and one mem... more »
A Little Chopin
I left Edmonton this past Saturday morning for a trip down to Edmonton to see my first concert of the season with the Calgary Philharmonic and what a treat it was. This concert marked the 3rd time I have heard Polish-Canadian pianist Janina Fialkowska perform, the previous occasions being a performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto #4 back in March in Edmonton and several years ago when I was attending university in Windsor, Ontario. Fialkowska does have a pretty inspirational back story which made the evening's performance extra special. Back in 2002, she was diagnosed with a... more »
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*Trump: ‘Common Core Will Be Ended, and Disadvantaged Children’ Will Go to the School of Their Choice* In a campaign speech in Bedford, N.H., GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump said Thursday that in his administration, Common Core state educational standards will be ended, and disadvantaged kids will be able to choose what school they want to go to. “Common core will be ended, and disadvantaged children will be allowed to attend the school of their choice,” Trump said, adding that “the catastrophe known as Obamacare will be repealed and replaced, and it’s dying of its own voli... more »
Fake News & False Flags: US Paid 660 Million Dollars For Propaganda
*This expose is getting very little coverage.* This morning, *according to Google, there were just 42 articles on this scandal**. *( As of 9:12 EST am the article count is up to 46*) * *Not one main stream!* *No CNN, NBC, CBS, BBC, ABC. CBC, PBS, Guardian etc.,* *Why would the media be avoiding this like the plague?* *Because they are completely complicit. Fully aware and participatory in the dissemination of this fake news/false flag propaganda. * *I've assembled information from three sources* *1st: Fake News and False Flags *:* the original investigation, undoubtedly a limited ...more »
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*Seven bee species are placed on the endangered species list* *There are around 20,000 species of bee so the scare about crops not being pollinated is just the usual Greenie dishonesty* Wildlife authorities in the US have added bees to its list of endangered and threatened species, a first time for any bee. Among those insects in trouble are seven species of yellow-faced bee, Hawaii's only native bees. The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced the listing last week after years of study by the conservation group Xerces Society, state government officials and independent researche... more »
Russia and US Relations Update: *Flush*
So the Russia vs US bullshit continues.... I published an article on Sunday outlining Russia's announcement of a massive drill, October 4-7th. Since then everything is blowing up rather quickly: Leaked recording proves John Kerry pushed for massive war in Syria, while Saudi Arabia and Turkey funded Al Qaeda http://theduran.com/leaked-recording-proves-john-kerry-pushed-for-massive-war-in-syria-while-saudi-arabia-and-turkey-funded-al-qaeda/ Putin has suspended the agreement with the US Plutonium Disposition Подробнее на РБК: http://www.rbc.ru/politics/03/10/2016/57f214889a794737691... more »
Could We Have Been Had?
Tom Walkom gives the Trudeau government some credit for reversing the direction of the previous government: The new Liberal government negotiated a deal with the provinces to expand the Canada Pension Plan, something the Harper Conservatives were dead-set against. It also replaced Harper’s universal baby bonus with one targeted to income. It established the inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women that Harper refused to set up. It reduced the eligibility age for full old-age security back down to 65. But in many ways, the new government is very much like the one it rep... more »
What Happened In Cuba When The Oil Ran Out
By Paul Homewood Old Havana According to the Guardian’s Andrew Simms: In terms of what is possible in times of economic stress and isolation, Cuba provides an even more embarrassing example to show up our national tardiness. In a single year in 2006 Cuba rolled-out a nationwide scheme replacing inefficient incandescent lightbulbs with […]
Harvard Scholars on President Obama
The Harvard Gazette surveys a bunch of faculty.
Thouless, Haldane, Kosterlitz win the 2016 Nobel in physics
Topological phases and topological phase transitions have won the 2016 Nobel prize in physics. David J. Thouless of Seattle won 50%, F. Duncan M. Haldane of Princeton won 25%, J. Michael Kosterlitz won 25%. All three men were born in Britain and have moved to America. The condensed matter insights are genuine and very important – the main 1973 theoretical paper has almost 9,000 citations while Haldane's 1983 paper on the Haldane gap in 1D Heisenberg anti-ferromagnets (chains) has over 2,400 citations – but I believe that this choice is a surprise for virtually everyone, anyway. ... more »
Police: Kim Kardashian Paris Robbery Was An ‘Inside Job’
French police are now treating Kim Kardashian and Kanye West as suspects in the Paris robbery case as evidence has emerged suggesting the jewelry theft was an inside job. Police have serious questions regarding how Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint while in a hotel room alone with over $10 million worth of jewelry. However Kardashian fled France before answering police questions, leading to suggestions she knew she had been rumbled. “French police suspect that the five alleged robbers had some contact with her security and were tipped off about her procedures,” says the source.... more »
Massive New Study Proves The Pill Is Linked To Depression
Are you on the Pill? You’re more likely to suffer from depression: Women who use the contraceptive pill are up to 70% more likely to be on antidepressants, with the number even higher among adolescents. The news is based on just released data from the largest ever study conducted into side effects related to female contraceptives. More than 1 million women aged 15 to 34, with no prior history of depression, were included in the European study. The research, conducted by the University of Copenhagen and published in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA Psychiatry, has concluded w... more »
“Revealed: ‘Bucket of Losers’- Hillary’s Transcripts with Goldman Sachs”
*“Revealed: ‘Bucket of Losers’- * *Hillary’s Transcripts with Goldman Sachs”* by Max Insider "Someone allegedly mailed Donald Trump’s Taxes to the New York Times. At the same time, someone else sent us what are allegedly transcripts of a board-room meeting with the senior executives of Goldman Sachs and Hillary Clinton in 2014. This was happening in late October (she did address GS that day) and apparently, after her private address of the firm, repaired for a secret address of the most senior executives and Managing Directors. What she describes is, in the run-up to the campaign, a... more »
Putin Orders 40 Million Citizens To Prepare For ‘Nuclear Bombardment’
Vladimir Putin has ordered every city in Russia to take part in an urgent civil defense drill starting today. 40 million people – almost a third of the country – will take part in the exercise to prepare Russian citizens from imminent nuclear bombardment. Russian intelligence sources believe an attack is more likely than it has been for decades. Government and media have begun warning the people to prepare for nuclear Armegeddon, after the U.S. explosively announced it was “cutting ties” with Russia regarding the Syrian war. Military and strategic experts have been warning that the... more »
Can't we just Drone this Guy?
[image: sweden_assange222] This is disturbing. She clearly meant it and it was a go to solution in her mind. Worse than that it surprised those listening who made the natural assumption first that she was joking, then back tracked when it became clear she was serious. Also understand that this is not a declared terrorist who has taken up deadly force against the USA or anyone else. It is against an inconvenience to her department and by extension to her. The world did not end when all that material was released. Yet Assange was identified in her own words as a 'sof... more »
the Peopling of the Hawaiian Islands
This documentary gets it right. It even includes a proper recognition of the work of Thor Hyerdhal on this topic long before Kon Tiki. He wrote an important book on the subject long before he was famous that is scholarly and massive in size What surprised me from the oral tradition is that the actual travel was two way. It was still far too arduous unless it was meant to be permanent, but it means that knowledge of the Hawaii Archipelago existed in Haida Gwaii on the NorthWest coast as well as the obvious language roots. All this apparently happened 2200 years ago and the foun... more »
Gang Members Implicate U.S. Gov’t in Dumping Crates of Guns in Chicago
This is a particularly disturbing claim. The exact reality is that no serious supplier or manufacturer sells this stuff except to governments. That they are been freely dumped into obviously dangerous neighborhoods speaks of deliberate provocation and POLICY by a government agency. Just recently we had an outbreak of severe violence in North Carolina in which it appears agitators trooped in to bring it all to a boil. This led to the National Guard been called out and that was the likely intent. Obviously something like this is also been brewed up in Chicago a little later. The... more »
Neurosurgeon Reveals Radiation from Wi-Fi, Smart Meters and Cell Phones Cause the Blood-Brain Barrier to Leak
This work is disturbing but may well be ameliorated by the distance to exposure and repetition. The danger comes from holding the device to your head when it is transmitting. I do not think the background is otherwise likely to be significant. All this also begs the question of just what direction is your cell phone sending? They are all networked anyway and some direction control could be worked around. What is described is awful, yet it is not clear that we have seen a clinical shift during the past twenty years. For some reason we are doing better than those rats. That ha... more »
Picture Of The Day
Marine Corps Cpl. Eduardo Osorionunez fires an M777 howitzer during a battle drill at Fire Base Burt, Calif., Oct. 1, 2016. Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 hosted the drill as part of a seven-week training event. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Abraham Lopez
Tweet For Today
"I cannot find words to describe it." Syrian fighter returns to the jail where the IS group tortured him pic.twitter.com/QyiR81usUx — AFP news agency (@AFP) October 3, 2016
Did Russian Officials Drug Two U.S. Diplomats In St. Petersburg Last Year?
Russian harassment of American diplomats in Moscow is 'increasing' Credit: Reuters *Rradio Free Europe*: *Two U.S. Diplomats Drugged In St. Petersburg Last Year, Deepening Washington's Concern* WASHINGTON -- Two U.S. officials traveling with diplomatic passports were drugged while attending a conference in Russia last year, and one of them was hospitalized, in what officials have concluded was part of a wider, escalating pattern of harassment of U.S. diplomats by Russia. The incident at a hotel bar during a UN anticorruption conference in St. Petersburg in November 2015 caused con... more »
UK faces critical shortage of homes to rent, says Rics per BBC News
The BBC manage to report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37547912 on a shortage of rental properties without mentioning the factor increasing demand for rental properties: immigration.
The One People: Russia Rumbles, World Wobbles & Shit Shifts
Oh What an Interesting Weekend, eh? This week on the One People Show, we discussed the latest rumbles out of Russia, the world wobbling with a gut wrenching whirl, and a huge amount of fuckery that played out during the weekend in the world of politics, religions and other bullshittery. Interesting days my friends! d The One People Show: The One People: Russia Rumbles, World Wobbles & Shit Shifts by breakingthesilence on Scribd
What If The U.S. Used Nuclear Weapons During the Korean War?
*Robert Farley, National Interest:* *What If America Used Nuclear Weapons During the Korean War?* In 1950, as U.S. forces retreated from China’s onslaught across the Yalu River, General Douglas MacArthur called for strategic air attacks against China. Many believed that this would necessarily include the atomic bomb, America’s “asymmetric advantage” of the time. America’s large arsenal of atomic weapons, and the fleet of strategic bombers necessary to deliver those weapons, was the central military advantage that the US enjoyed over the Soviet Union in 1950. The large, battle tes... more »
U.S. - Russian Ties Are At The Worst In Decades
Obama and Putin, not on the same page. (Photo: Reuters) *Kambiz Foroohar & Toluse Olorunnipa, Bloomberg:* *U.S.-Russia Ties Crumble Under Weight of Syria, Nuclear Pact* * ‘Everybody’s patience with Russia has run out,’ Earnest says * Putin decree on arms treaty cites U.S. threats to ‘stability’ Ties between Russia and the U.S. deteriorated further on Monday after the Obama administration proclaimed bilateral peace talks over Syria dead and Moscow suspended a 16-year-old treaty meant to reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation. “Everybody’s patience with Russia has run out,” White H... more »
Newsnight causes "outrage"
The closing discussion on last night's *Newsnight* - which discussed Mrs May, the Tories and Brexit - drew the following pair of tweets from Tim Montgomerie: The *Daily Express *has an article about it with the headline: The Remain-backing panellists were Jenni Russell, Danny Finkelstein, Heidi Allen MP and Andrew Rawnsley. The main interview of the programme, however, was with David Gauke MP, another Remain-backer, and Evan Davis spent quite a bit of time discussing Brexit with him too, asking him (anti-Brexit) questions like: These are brave face word you're putting on. Can y... more »
Musical Interlude: 2002, “Overheard in a Dream”
2002, “Overheard in a Dream” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA40zKrMKvw
"A Look to the Heavens"
“These three bright nebulae are often featured in telescopic tours of the constellation Sagittarius and the crowded starfields of the central Milky Way. In fact, 18th century cosmic tourist Charles Messier cataloged two of them; M8, the large nebula left of center, and colorful M20 on the right. The third, NGC 6559, is above M8, separated from the larger nebula by a dark dust lane. All three are stellar nurseries about five thousand light-years or so distant. * Click image for larger size.* The expansive M8, over a hundred light-years across, is also known as the Lagoon Nebula. M20'... more »
The Poet: Aldous Huxley, "Lightly"
*"Lightly"* "It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. I was so preposterously serious in those days, such a humorless little prig. Lightly, lightly– it’s the best advice ever given me. When it comes to dying even. Nothing ponderous, or portentous, or emphatic. No rhetoric, no tremolos, no self conscious persona putting on its celebrated imitation of Christ or Little Nell. And of course, no theology, no metaphysics. Just... more »
"Lifting Pain's Veil: Bitterness"
*"Lifting Pain's Veil: Bitterness"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM "Bitter feelings allow us to become perfect victims in that we no longer feel obliged to work toward healing. It is natural to feel resentment or anger when life does not unfold as expected. We consciously or unconsciously anticipated one experience, and we grieve for the loss of it when the universe puts something else in our path. Most of the time, we work through these feelings and they pass. Occasionally, our anger and resentment do not fade and are instead transformed into bitterness. Bitter feelings allow us t... more »
Chet Raymo, "Six Things"
*"Six Things"* by Chet Raymo "My mother was part of the last generation of Americans who were welded into a national cohesiveness by the classroom memorization of poems by English language poets- Longfellow, Whittier, Riley, Lowell, Field, and all the rest. All her life, lines of verse were on her lips... "All at once, and nothing first, Just as bubbles do when they burst." Oliver Wendell Holmes, "The One Hoss Shay" "Each morning sees some task begin, Each evening sees it close; Something attempted, something done, Has earned a night's repose." Longfellow, "The Village Blacks... more »
A Case For Zephyr Teachout, Congressional Candidate In NY-19
Records are important. Political figures like Bernie have spent decades building-- what amounts to-- platforms to run on. When Blue America first started urging people to contribute to Bernie, he was a member of the House, a member of the House who had started and led to Congressional Progressive Caucus and who had been working diligently to push a progressive perspective on issues from economic inequality, criminal justice reform and money in politics to issues around war and peace and equal justice for minorities. These are the things that motivated Bernie's public life. When h... more »
Blog stats for September ‘16
When I have time, I like checking out this blog’s monthly stats … [image: Stat1] I started posted my blog stats here again a few months ago because a few donors were asking. (How do you become a donor? Good question: Here’s your PayPal link.) So right up there is what Google says my stats are for last month, which were wildy overblown but are now beginning to look more likely. (and how cool is seeing that it’s now ticked over 8 *million* all-time page views! I’ll take that.) Statcounter has the more reliable figures here: [image: Stats2] If you’re wondering about the reac... more »
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