Midnight MST
Tweet For Today
#NEWSGRAPHIC #2016 65.3 million people across the planet officially displaced @AFP pic.twitter.com/2ldZ9m0t0V — AFP news agency (@AFP) December 30, 2016
Is Russia A Hacking Superpower?
*Moscow Times*: *How Russia Became a Hacking Superpower* Moscow has finally got the geopolitical respect it demanded for years, but only after spooking Washington. Since the beginning of his first presidency, Vladimir Putin has made it a national priority to convince the West, and particularly the United States, to take Moscow seriously. This goal is largely to blame for the last decade of Russian foreign policy, which has grown more assertive, and militarized. For the longest time, Russia seemed incapable of breaking through Americans’ sense of invulnerability. When Moscow ann... more »
Syria's War Was Only Ever the Beginning
*January 2, 2017* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - With the liberation of the city of Aleppo in northern Syria, it appears that the Syrian government in Damascus is on its way to ending the highly destructive conflict now ongoing for nearly 6 years. But to assume the Syrian conflict is on the verge of resolution is to assume the Syrian conflict was fought in a geopolitical vacuum, disconnected from regional, even global agendas. In fact, the proxy war the West waged on Syria was considered for the years before it began, during its planning and preparation stages, as only a prerequisite f... more »
Picture Of The Day
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* Push Pals Sailors move a T-45C Goshawk aircraft on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 5, 2016. The Eisenhower was preparing for inspections and conducting carrier qualifications. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Anderson W. Branch
Migrants storm border fence in Spanish enclave of Ceuta per BBC News
This BBC report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38486584 once again reinforces my point about the way that the BBC's attitude towards entities varies. Ceuta and Melissa are described as Spain's North African enclaves, not as relics of colonialism or some other derogatory way that Gibraltar is described. It's also noticeable that the barrier between Ceuta and Africa is described as a fence when it seems to be as much of a wall as that which exists to protect Israel from invasion or infiltration by Palestinians. The institutionally anti Israel regularly decries the existen... more »
Presdient-Elect Trump's Incoming Press Secretary Wonders If U.S. Sanctions On Russia May Be Disproportionate
*Reuters*: *Trump aide says U.S. sanctions on Russia may be disproportionate* A top aide to President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview aired on Sunday that the White House may have disproportionately punished Russia by ordering the expulsion of 35 suspected Russian spies. Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on ABC's "This Week" that Trump will be asking questions of U.S. intelligence agencies after President Barack Obama imposed sanctions last week on two Russian intelligence agencies over what he said was their involvement in hacking political groups in ... more »
Most Democrats Want A Return Of The 50 State Strategy— A Test In Virginia In Just Over A Week
*Ryant Washington* A few weeks after the Trump/Putin win, we talked about the special elections coming up in Virginia in January. It’s January. One of the three races is *extremely* hard— and extremely important. If the Democrat, Ryant Washington, wins, the GOP will be in no position to continue gerrymandering the state’s legislative and congressional districts regardless of who wins this year’s gubernatorial election. The 22nd senatorial district encompasses part of Lynchburg and all of Amherst, Fluvanna, Goochland, Prince Edward, Appomattox, Buckingham and Cumberland counties and ... more »
New Funding Opportunity from U.S. DOE
A new funding opportunity from the Advanced Manufacturing Office, U.S. Department of Energy, incudes a subtopic on Atomically Precise Manufacturing
Russian Diplomats Expelled By President Obama Have Left The U.S.
*Daily Mail:* *Russian 'special squadron' plane arrives to evacuate 35 of Putin's 'spies' from the US as it emerges one of them is a consulate CHEF and embassy staff call Obama's last-gasp expulsion 'ridiculous' * * President Obama gave 35 Russian diplomats until New Year's Day to leave the US as punishment for the country's 'meddling' in the election * A Russian plane landed at the Dulles International Airport in Virginia on Saturday to pickup the diplomats * U-Haul trucks were seen pulling up to the aircraft as it was packed down with the diplomats' belongings * Plane, an Ilyushi... more »
I'M ANGRY EVEN IF THAT DAMN LAPTOP IN VERMONT WASN'T CONNECTED TO THE POWER GRID
I hate the way this story is being reported: The Washington Post has corrected a story that originally said Russian hackers penetrated the U.S. electric grid by breaching a utility company in Vermont. “An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that Russian hackers had penetrated the U.S. electric grid. Authorities say there is no indication of that so far. The computer at Burlington Electric that was hacked was not attached to the grid,” an editor's note attached to the original article said.... According to the report, which cited anonymous senior administration officials... more »
The U.S. May Deploy Weapons In The South China Sea
M777 Light Towed Howitzer. Wikipedia *Scout Warrior:* *U.S. May Put Weapons in South China Sea* Tactics would involve a new use for artillery weapons which have historically been offensive land-attack weapons Senior Army and Pentagon strategists and planners are considering ways to fire existing weapons platforms in new ways around the globe – including the possible placement of mobile artillery units in areas of the South China Sea to, if necessary, function as air-defense weapons to knock incoming rockets and cruise missiles out of the sky. Alongside the South China Sea, more m... more »
Socio-Political Analysis of the Racism Charge against Outing of Racism
By Denis G. Rancourt, PhD (This article was first published on Dissident Voice.) When one is critical of the human-rights violations of the state of Israel, there follows a vehement charge of “antisemitism”. When one supports institutional measures to counter systemic racism, there follows a charge of “reverse racism”. And when a white person is critical of a black person’s apparent support for
The Letters of Ayn Rand
*Letters of Ayn Rand* *Edited by Michael S. Berliner* When Senator Barry Goldwater sent Ayn Rand an autographed copy of *The Conscience of a Conservative* in May 1960, Ayn Rand was “profoundly disturbed” by the book, and she wrote a lengthy letter to Senator Goldwater to explain the philosophical roots of capitalism. Here’s an excerpt from Rand’s letter, which is published in 6-pages (Page 565 to 572) in Letters of Ayn Rand: “The major contradiction in your book is between Chapter 1 and the rest of the book’s content. More specifically, it is between the fight for capitalism and t... more »
Musical Interlude: Liquid Mind, “Gold In The Shadows (Terra, Earth)”
Liquid Mind, “Gold In The Shadows (Terra, Earth)” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5IWJWEOIDg
In 2015 A 30 Year Old French Nuclear Submarine Was Succesful In 'Sinking' A U.S. Aircraft Carrier In A Naval Exercise
French submarine Saphir (S602). Wikipedia *Kyle Mizokami, National Interest*: *In 2015, a 30 Year Old French Nuclear Submarine 'Sank' a U.S. Aircraft Carrier* In March 2015, one of the largest nuclear-powered warships in the world was “sunk” by one of the smallest. The Saphir, a French nuclear attack submarine, reportedly penetrated the defenses of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and scored simulated torpedo hits on her. The incident, originally reported by the French Navy, was later suppressed. On March 4th, 2015 the French Navy announced in a blog post that the subm... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Across the heart of the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies lies a striking string of galaxies known as Markarian's Chain. The chain, pictured above, is highlighted on the upper right with two large but featureless lenticular galaxies, M84 and M86. Prominent to their lower left is a pair of interacting galaxies known as The Eyes. *Click image for larger size.* The home Virgo Cluster is the nearest cluster of galaxies, contains over 2000 galaxies, and has a noticeable gravitational pull on the galaxies of the Local Group of Galaxies surrounding our Milky Way Galaxy. The center of the Virgo C... more »
"The Invitation"
*"The Invitation"* "It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mi... more »
The Universe
“It's no accident that when you look closely into the eyes of another, the very first thing you see, is yourself. That when you hold their hand, you can feel your own warmth. And that when you give of yourself, you give to yourself. Because, quite simply, both you and they are me. Freaky? Maybe. An accident? No.” “Let's get it started, uh-huh -” The Universe “Thoughts become things... choose the good ones!” - www.tut.com
"Three Things..."
“To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special. I just got one last thing... I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have.” -... more »
Dilbert Watch: Okay, "it's called leadership," but is a manned mission to Mars launched by Dilbert's Pointy-Haired Boss a good idea?
*"Two ways to win and no way to lose"? Really?* *DILBERT by Scott Adams* *"Volunteers for Mars Trip" (Monday, Dec. 26)* [*Click on any strip to enlarge.*] *by Ken* I don't think any additional comment is required for this lovely *Dilbert* sequence, which I first assumed was completed Friday (but see below). The one thing I would perhaps like to note is that the last time I shared a *Dilbert* strip, I was actually happy that a commenter registered surprise at seeing *Dilbert* on DWT, given creator Scott Adams's political views. I was happy because it's a discussion-worthy issue.... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom. Thanks for stopping by!
2016: How Truth was Destroyed So You’d Buy the Government’s Propaganda
[image: information]Absurdity went full tilt in 2016, and thanks to the utterly fake issues of fake news and Russian hackers, we're now in danger of losing freedom of speech and the press.
For The First Time Since The Second World War There Are No U.S. Aircraft Carriers At Sea
Sailors view the San Diego-based aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson from the hangar bay of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, April 13, 2015. US Navy *Zero Hedge*:* For The First Time Since World War II, No US Carriers Are Deployed Anywhere In The World* Last weekend, when commenting on China's public demonstration of its one and only aircraft carrier, which China then proceeded to sail in close proximity to Taiwan to make a clear diplomatic "statement", we noted something tangentially troubling: " a quick look at the latest positioning of US aircraft carriers, amphibious ... more »
"Unprecedented Times!"
*"Unprecedented Times!"* by Bill Holter “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, fo... more »
The STENDEC Puzzle
*The STENDEC Puzzle* Ever since BSAA Avro Lancastrian Star Dust vanished on a flight from Buenos Aires to Santiago, the ending of its final transmission - STENDEC - has continued to puzzle experts and amateurs alike. Star Dust, registration G-AGWH, an Avro 691 Lancastrian 3, departed Buenos Aires for Santiago at 13.46 on 2 August 1947. It was not seen again until wreckage was discovered in 1998 by two mountaineers climbing Mount Tupungato. The wreckage was found about 50 miles (80 km) east of Santiago. read more
First, Robots Could Think Like Us. Now, They Can Move Like Us.
DURUS replicates human locomotion and can land on the heels of its feet. The post First, Robots Could Think Like Us. Now, They Can Move Like Us. appeared first on Futurism.
There Are No U.S. Aircraft Carriers In The Middle East (And Probably For The Next Few Months)
*USS John C. Stennis in the Arabian Sea.* U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Jan. 5, 2012) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) operates in the Arabian Sea during sunset. John C. Stennis is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Yeoman 3rd Class James Stahl/Released) *Defense News*: *Middle East Now Without a US Carrier* WASHINGTON — The Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group chopped ou... more »
An Analysis On What Is Next In The Middle East
*Patrick Cockburn, The Independent:* *Isis will eventually lose the battle for Mosul – but by then it will look like Aleppo* *As winners and losers emerge in the wartorn Middle East, Patrick Cockburn analyses the prospects for 2017.* Winners and losers are beginning to emerge in the wars that have engulfed the wider Middle East since the US and UK invaded Iraq in 2003. The most striking signs of this are the sieges of east Aleppo in Syria and Mosul in Iraq, which have much in common though they were given vastly different coverage by the Western media. In both cities, Salafi-jihadi... more »
Pushing for War with Russia
Ukraine's fascist madman Poroshenko gives 'award medals' to US madmen Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Later Graham told the media that 2017 should be a 'year of offense' against Russia. These cats are out of their minds but are now in power in Washington. Katie - bar the doors!
Water protectors climb rafters, hang giant banner during Vikings-Bears game
At the Vikings’ final home game against the Bears, two water warriors climbed the rafters of US Bank Stadium and unfurled a sign that read “Divest #NoDAPL.” The action continued through the game, though play was unaffected. The banner, which read “Divest #NoDAPL” and carried the US Bank logo, was hung in the US Bank Stadium by two people. One of the water warriors, wearing a No4 Brett Favre Vikings uniform, rappelled down the banner. Members of the media were reportedly sent a message that said the stunt was designed to urge US Bank to divest from the pipeline project, which is ru... more »
A Turkey - Russia Military Alliance?
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan meets with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow on Sept. 23. (Photo: Cihan) Daily Mail/AFP: *Turkey urges Russia to launch joint military operations against ISIS in Syria one day after threatening to leave NATO * * Turkey has urged Russia to launch joint operations to crush ISIS in Syria * Came after talks between Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Erdogan * NATO member Turkey has been criticised in past for not doing enough to defeat terror group Turkey has called on Russia to team up and carry out joint military operations in a bid to... more »
A Look At The Ongoing Economic War Against The Islamic State
*Washington Post*: *Inside the economic war against the Islamic State* The Islamic State starts the new year with a drastically depleted bank account, counterterrorism officials say, following months of intensified efforts to deprive the Islamists of oil profits and other revenue used to finance military operations and terrorist attacks abroad. Coalition aircraft in the past 15 months have destroyed more than 1,200 tanker trucks — including 168 vehicles struck in a single air raid in Syria in early December — while also using new weapons and tactics to inflict lasting damage on th... more »
New Year’s Concert 2010: Georges Prêtre, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra: Blue Danube (2010) + Daniel Barenboim: Radetzky March (2009)
dandelionsalad at New Year’s Concert 2010: Georges Prêtre, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra: Blue Danube (2010) + Daniel Barenboim: Radetzky March (2009) – Dandelion Salad - 8 hours ago
Dandelion Salad Happy New Year! Peace and blessings to you all. Love, Lo sternmike30 January 01, 2010 Beautiful pictures and the best orchestra in the world, latest new years concert 2010, Vienna. *** Neujahrskonzert 2009 – Radetzky Marsch Kanal von lisa2706 January 05, 2009 Johann Strauss – Radetzky March Daniel Barenboim – Wiener Philharmoniker Neujahrskonzert […]
The U.S. Government Has Essentially Created A Ministry of Truth
dandelionsalad at New Year’s Concert 2010: Georges Prêtre, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra: Blue Danube (2010) + Daniel Barenboim: Radetzky March (2009) – Dandelion Salad - 8 hours ago
Dandelion Salad TheRealNews on Dec 31, 2016 Obama’s Recently-Signed National Defense Authorization Act Includes A ‘Countering Disinformation and Propaganda Act’. The Intercept’s Alex Emmons Explains. Transcript see also: S.2943 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 from the archives: Chris Hedges: A New McCarthyism Pieces of Truth Forged Into Daggers of Deception + ‘Fake […]
Battle For The Iraqi City Of Mosul -- News Updates January 1, 2016
*RUDAW:* *Mosul operation will drag on into early, mid-2017, analysts predict* As the campaign against ISIS in Mosul entered its second phase on Thursday, analysts consulted by Rudaw English estimated that the entire operation to retake the city will continue into mid-2017 at the latest. This comes shortly after the commander of the US campaign against ISIS, Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, said that the entire war against ISIS, the recapture of both Mosul and Raqqa, will last as long as two years. “People need to rest,” Townsend told The Daily Beast. “They need to assess how thin... more »
And the new year is off to a bang of a start
*You really want to see this slide show? Okay, click here. Want more? You'll find another slide show here.* *"One person first kills the police officer outside, and then a civilian. Inside he rained bullets brutally, mercilessly over innocent people who were there just to celebrate the new year and have fun.”* *-- Istanbul Province Gov. Vasip Sahin* *by Ken* By the time you read this, I suppose we'll know more about the Istanbul perps. Given the assorted messes in present-day Turkey, one shudders to think. At a guess, though, the attackers were ticked off about something and recko... more »
Sean Spicer, incoming White House press secretary, is attacked on a Sunday show by sneering MSM host...
*why?* The rhetorical questions I keep asking seem logical and easy to answer to a conservative, but somehow libtards don't "get it." Typical MSM type, Jonathan Karl (filling in for George Stephanopoulos), ignores everything Sean Spicer says, and keeps repeating questions that have already been answered. Is this in any way productive for the citizens of this country? To his credit, Sean Spicer is not accepting the premises Mr. Karl is putting forth. Always remember to not accept false premises. and remember All news is fake news until proven otherwise.
#TopTen | No. 7: Time for SOLO to change its name
*Last year I wrote and posted 801 posts. (So readers, I guess “we are the 801s”). Of all those posts, this from 31 August was the seventh most popular, a reluctantly-written report that became sadly necessary to write about an Objectivist website gone bad. Sad, because I was once associated with a site that’s now a cesspool. Necessary if only to say “it’s not what it says on the label.”* * And for reasons that should become obvious, I start with some joyous words of wisdom and conclude with a picture of a Muslim smiling …* ------------------------------ *Time for SOLO ... more »
Blood Feuds Are Going To Last For Generations When The Syrian War Is Finally Over
Deir al-Zour, like many sites in Syria, has been laid waste by the war, leaving more Syrians fleeing as aid runs low. Credit Khalil Ashawi/Reuters *Batoul Karbijha, Al Jazeera:** How blood feud is growing among the Syrian youth* The schism in the fabric of Syrian society is very evident and yet intricate at the same time. "We will take revenge from everyone who kept silent and everyone who applauded the death of all innocent immaculate souls in Aleppo," Hosam Al-Bakri, a teary-eyed youth refugee told me, referring to the recent recapture of Aleppo, considered as a fateful victory... more »
Syria War News Updates -- January 1, 2016
*Al Jazeera:* *Hundreds flee fighting near Syria capital despite truce* *The Barada Valley region is not part of the ceasefire because of the presence of the rebel group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham* Hundreds of civilians fled a mountainous region outside the Syrian capital on Sunday where government forces battled several insurgent groups, including one excluded from a recent nationwide ceasefire. The Syrian military said some 1,300 people fled the Barada Valley region since Saturday. The region has been the target of days of air strikes and shelling despite the truce, which was brokered... more »
A rare lynx walks through a stunned crowd of skiers and snowboarders
No need to blink, that really is a lynx strolling casually across a Colorado ski slope. A rare Canada lynx stunned onlooking skiers and snowboarders earlier this week when it crossed a run at Purgatory resort near Durango. The lynx’s hijinks happened on the resort’s Demon run and was captured on video by a resort patron identifying himself as Airrick Hix, who posted it to Facebook with the message, “That just happened!!! The majestic Lynx!!!” A spokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the lynx on the video looks healthy and doesn’t appear to be suffering from an injury. The l... more »
Notable Deaths In 2016
Notable deaths in 2016 https://t.co/Ygc65AjNfB — Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) January 1, 2017
“Predictive Linguistics: 2017 Predictions on Everything”
*"Clif High-2017 Predictions on Everything" * "Internet data mining expert Clif High uses calls what he does “Predictive Linguistics,” to mine the Internet and collects billions of data points to produce forecasts of the future. High has predictions on Trump, gold, silver, housing, stocks, bonds, the dollar, interest rates and even new discoveries that will change the world that are coming out of Antarctica." Join Greg Hunter of USAWatchdog.com as he goes One-on-One with Clif High of HalfPastHuman.com. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVAI07f-5M0
The spice of life
Another very interesting piece in this week's *Spectator *- Looking homeward: Isolationism is a long and noble American tradition by Bill Kauffman - got me thinking about Radio 4's *A Point of View *and its excessive reliance of the occasionally hysterical left-liberal writer Adam Gopnik, whose anti-Trump, anti-populist diatribes are becoming regular features of Friday night and Sunday morning on BBC Radio 4. The obvious question is: why not offer Radio 4 listeners a range of different North American voices to 'represent' Radio 4's 'point of view' - including, say, Mr Kauffman, w... more »
"As We Enter 2017, Keep The Big Picture In Mind"
*"As We Enter 2017, Keep The Big Picture In Mind"* by Chris Martenson "The ‘meme’ circulating the internet and among my personal friend group is that 2016 was something of an awful year. Between a poisonous US election cycle, horrifying acts of senseless violence caused by refugees driving trucks in Europe, nightclub and other shootings, and high profile celebrity deaths it all conspired to create a sense of 2016 having been a bad year. Truthfully, there’s a lot about which we should all be concerned, and I think that people’s sense of unease heading into 2017 is well-deserved, if ... more »
“Hottest Year Evah” Update
By Paul Homewood Supposedly 2016 was the banner year for global warming. So what has it brought? Arctic sea ice extent finishes the year at the level of the last few years: http://ocean.dmi.dk/arctic/icecover.uk.php NH snow extent was at the second highest on record this autumn: http://climate.rutgers.edu/snowcover/chart_seasonal.php?ui_set=nhland&ui_season=4 Greenland’s […]
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 1, 2017
*The Telegraph*: *2016 in review: World events that changed history * As a tumultuous year draws to a close, the Telegraph Foreign Desk looks back at some of the main events that have made headlines in the past 365 days. From the seemingly unstoppable lone-wolf terror attacks by Islamic State extremists in France, Belgium and Germany, to the ongoing challenges of the migrant crisis, the destruction of Syria, and the rise of the populist Right in Europe, 2016 has changed large swathes of the world beyond recognition. And that's before we've mentioned the political earthquake caus... more »
Question of the Day: Am I a feminist?
From Helen Pluckrose’s article ‘Why I No Longer Identify as a Feminist'’ *“I think it’s time I accepted that ‘feminism’ no longer means ‘the aim for equal rights for women’ but is understood to refer to the current feminist movement which encompasses so much more and very little that I want to be associated with. I posted this on Twitter recently:* [image: bb54e-am2bi2ba2bfeminist_thumb[1]] *“The serious issues faced by … the disempowerment of young women can [now] only be opposed, sadly, by opposing feminism itself.”* [Hat tip Stephen Hicks who comments, “Good essay: How ... more »
World News Briefs -- January 1, 2016
*CNN:* *Istanbul nightclub attack: Manhunt underway for shooter* Istanbul (CNN)A manhunt is underway in Turkey for an unknown attacker who opened fire on New Year's revelers in an Istanbul nightclub. At least 39 clubgoers were killed and nearly 70 were hospitalized after the suspect entered the Reina nightclub early Sunday and started shooting. Turkey's Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, said he believes the attacker will be found soon. "There is strong coordination and we will find him, no delay," he told reporters gathered outside an Istanbul hospital, where Yildirim had been visi... more »
"2017: How We Really Hope It Will Be; How It Probably Really Will Be"
If past is prologue, and it is, what can bold Humanity expect economically, socially, militarily, environmentally as it charges into 2017? *How We Really Hope It Will Be:* Louis Armstrong, "What A Wonderful World" *How It Probably Really Will Be:* la charge de la brigade légère (Errol Flynn) 1936 *by dictys*
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 1, 2017
Northrop Grumman features its conceptual sixth-generation fighter jet of the future in a new commercial likely to air during the Super Bowl. (YouTube image) *Dan Lamonthe, Washington Post*:* These were the top military stories on Checkpoint in 2016* U.S. news was dominated in 2016 by the presidential election and Republican nominee Donald Trump’s rise to the top, but a variety of other stories also captured the fascination of readers on Checkpoint, The Washington Post’s military site. The stories span from tales of misdeeds at home to analysis of weapons used on the battlefield i... more »
A Personal Note
Even as I clean up from NY Eve and and box the Christmas stuff, it's all getting packed for moving instead of going to a place in the garage. Big doings as I CALEXIT. My daughter Kelly and my three lovely granddaughters will be moving out of the mansion this week and will move to Arizona. I will miss them very much. You can see them (right) partying like it's 2017. Between the ice cream and goodies, I'm shocked that they were able to sit still for this selfie that Kelly managed. LL, headed off to work. For those of you who know the girls, Emilie is still home and is patching up t... more »
STANDING ROCK TO THE WORLD: 10 INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL STRUGGLES TO SUPPORT 2017
Photo by Greg Harman 10 INDIGENOUS AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRUGGLES YOU CAN SUPPORT IN 2017 THE PLACES THAT NEED HELP MOST, AND ALL WAYS TO SUPPORT THEM. The Black Snake is not yet dead. Far from it. The corporations behind the Dakota Access pipeline made it clear that they “fully expect to complete construction of the pipeline without any additional rerouting in and
ROLAND ORGANIC JUICING OPTIMAL HEALTH PROGRAM / HAPPY NEW YEAR
*Since I am a disabled navy veteran with a service related pulmonary disability related to my carrier duty. My wife Keiko has implemented an organic juicing optimal health regimen which we have done daily for over a year which has resulted in remarkable health benefits including weight loss, energy gain and immune system improvement for both of us. We share it with you as a New Year's gift in the spirit of universal brotherhood, and hope in a time of despair: Allen L Roland. PhD* *“Juices of fruits and vegetables are pure gifts from Mother Nature and the most n... more »
Russia Has A ‘Colossal’ Supercomputer
Building of Russian Ministry of Defence at Frunzenskaya Embankment. Moscow, Russia. Wikipedia. Wikipedia *RT:* *Army’s brain: Russia’s ‘colossal’ supercomputer helps predict wars, defense minister says* A “colossally powerful” supercomputer installed at Russia’s military headquarters helps the country’s armed forces tackle emerging threats by analyzing previous conflicts, such as the Yugoslavian war and the like, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said. The supercomputer is a key part of the headquarters’ IT infrastructure and is so powerful that the military uses less than half of it... more »
Slashing The Defense Budget Will Not Be Easy For President Trump
A very interesting read. Unfortunately, so much is true. https://t.co/ER2BoM765M — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2016 *Patrick Watson, Business Insider/Mauldin Economics:* *Trump can't slash the defense budget even if he wants to* This month, President-elect Trump annoyed some people when he criticized two top defense contractors on Twitter. Wall Street isn’t used to presidents publicly criticizing major US companies. The tweets caused shares to tumble a few points for both Boeing (BA) and Lockheed Martin (LMT), which makes the F-35 fighter planes. The stocks re... more »
Hogmanay
Just a few things I picked up from an old *Archive on Four* - as they are just right for New Year's Day. (You probably already know most it though)... Hogmanay - or Old Year's Night - has long been something special in Scotland, partly because Christmas *hasn't* been. Christmas* used *to be as popular as New Year, before the Reformation in Scotland. Thereafter the Kirk took strongly against it, calling it "popish and superstitious". They stamped on it, even fining people who tried to keep the traditions of Christmas alive. The Kirk succeeded. Even in the early decades of the las... more »
There is now no solid evidence that Russia has hacked the US Presidential election, nor is it likely that such evidence will ever be produced. In any event, John McAfee will guide you through the dark ways that hacking is done. You may be suprised.
------------------------------ *https://youtu.be/aDTKKmBjlwE* In this episode of Politicking, political activist, tech pioneer and CEO of MGT Capital Investments John McAfee joins Larry King to bring us his valuable insight regarding issues of cybersecurity and the ominous encroachment of mass surveillance and vulnerability of big government agencies. But first, Bill Marczak, senior research fellow at the Citizens Lab at the University of Toronto's School of Global Affairs, explains his frightening discoveries in the field of phone-commandeering spyware in the course of his acti... more »
New Years Resolution 2017
*Click image for larger size.*
January 1: No forecast - just fear.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israelis-won-t-miss-being-lectured-by-obama-and-kerry-derek-stoffel-1.3915146 Usually, any criticism of news media that I have is directed against the privately owned news media. I have no apology for that. They are far, far the worst offenders in lying, distorting, propagandizing and, in the case of the irving press, giving no useful news at all. But the CBC has, occasionally, been known to sin. And the opinion piece recorded above is a gem of an example. The creation of the state of Israel in 1948 may well have been the most foolish (and racist) act of... more »
Nuclear Utilities are Risk Externalizing Machines: We the People are Increasingly Homo Sacer
TEPCO has been saved from bankruptcy by the Japanese government, which assumed most of the utility's liabilities associated with the Fukushima disaster. In the final days of 2016, as the Fukushima region was jarred by another significant earthquake (see here), TEPCO proposed its first bond sale since the 2011 disaster: Exclusive: Tepco, investors discussing first bond sale since Fukushima – sources. December 27, 2016. Channel News Asia, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/exclusive-tepco-investors-discussing-first-bond-sale-since-fuk/3396580.html TOKYO: Tokyo Electric... more »
Ready To Bet On A Trump Stock Market?
The Wall Street cheerleaders at CNBC would like you to think 2017 is going to be another great year for stick investors. I’m less certain and, in fact, scheduled a meeting with my financial advisor to discuss just that. The market seems dangerously inflated to me. And it looks to me like the pros are sucking in the buy-high/sell-low crowd now, in preparation for a… correction. CNBC see something different (with the usual caveats) than what I perceive: “The bull market enters the new year with a bit more spring in its step, but 2017 is not without its risks.” Republican policies un... more »
President-Elect Trump: 'I Want Them to Be Sure' About Russia Hacks
*NBC News*: *Trump Says of U.S. Intel 'I Want Them to Be Sure' About Russia Hacks* President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday again expressed skepticism about U.S. intelligence conclusions that Russia was involved in a covert campaign to interfere in the presidential election, and said "hacking is a very hard thing to prove." Trump made the comments to reporters outside his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, where the president-elect was holding a New Year's Eve bash. "I just want them to be sure, because it's a pretty serious charge, and I want them to be sure," Trump said of assessments... more »
NOT QUITE HOW WE GOT HERE, BY ROSS DOUTHAT AND NICHOLAS KRISTOF
I'm back. Thank you, Yastreblyansky and Crank, for filling in while I was gone, even if that last post was uncharacteristically optimistic for this blog. Then again, we're to the point where foreseeing the possibility a military coup counts as optimism, so I think America is justifying my grumpy worldview. Right now I'm over at the *New York Times* op-ed page and I see Ross Douthat confessing, among other things, that he misjudged the Republican establishment: The more time you spend complaining about a given feature of the political or cultural landscape, the more you can come to ... more »
North Korea Kim Jong-Un Hints That His Country Is Preparing To Test An ICBM System
*DW*: *North Korea's development of long-range missiles in 'final stages', leader Kim Jong-un says* North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says his country's development of banned long-range missiles is in its "final stages". In a televised New Year's address, Mr Kim said Pyongyang is close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). "Research and development of cutting-edge arms equipment is actively progressing and ICBM rocket test launch preparation is in its last stage," Mr Kim said. *Read more *.... *More News On North Korea Kim Jong-Un Hinting That His Count... more »
Terror Attack On An Istanbul Nightclub That Was Celebrating New Years Eve Kills 39 And Wounds 69
*New York Times*: *Terrorist Attack at Nightclub in Istanbul Kills Dozens* BURSA, Turkey — At least 39 people were killed and dozens more were wounded when a single gunman attacked a crowded Istanbul nightclub about an hour after midnight on New Year’s Day, Turkish officials said. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu called it an act of terrorism and said the gunman was still being sought early Sunday. Sixteen of the people killed were foreigners, the Foreign Ministry said; it was not clear if any were Americans. At least 69 people were being treated at hospitals, Mr. Soylu said. No ... more »
Clinton Foundation CEO Declared ‘Missing’ By the Internet After Going Public Saying ‘Follow the Money’
[image: missing]Eric Braverman, the former CEO of the Clinton Foundation, has been silent since he blew the whistle in October, the internet wants to know why he's missing.
"Is it perfume from a dress/That makes me so digress?"
One thing that's striking about the New Year's Day schedules of BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 is how highbrow they've gone today (except for Tim Vine). BBC Radio 4 is broadcasting all the English language poems of that modernist giant T.S. Eliot (best known for 'Cats') and BBC Radio 3 is focusing on the music of those other modernist giants Schoenberg, Berg and Webern (best known for putting millions of people off modern classical music). That's admirably ambitious, and just what the BBC should be doing. Happy New Year! *Update (evening)*: If Twitter is anything to go by (and ... more »
Sunday Morning Links
This and that to start your 2017. - Ideas examines how the assumptions underlying far too much economic theory have produced disastrous real-world results. And Harold Meyerson writes that research is proving that skeptics of corporate-driven free trade have been right all along. - Gary Younge writes that the rise of populist right-wing politicians can be traced largely to the failure of opponents to put forward a strong and substantive alternative. And John Harris traces the Brexit vote and U.S. election results in part to the sense that society has grown too complex to either bene... more »
New Years Celebrations Around The World
*DW:* *How the world brought in New Year 2017* DW has followed celebrations across the globe. As the world welcomed in the new year amid heightened security, celebrations were overshadowed by a deadly armed attack on an Istanbul nightclub. *All updates in Universal Coordinated Time (UTC)* 1100 Hawaii was one of the last places to welcome 2017. Meanwhile, Samoa marked the second day of January. 0800 In downtown Los Angeles, some 50,000 joined New Year's celebrations at Grand Park, where dancing ensued in the streets. At least 600 police officers from various law enforcement agenci... more »
Artificial Intelligence: What It Is and How It Really Works
Artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to reshape our world—so it's incumbent upon us to understand just what we mean by that expansive phrase, and how it all works. We break down the forms of AI, machine learning, and deep learning, and examine just a few of the ways this technology is being applied in real-world situations. The post Artificial Intelligence: What It Is and How It Really Works appeared first on Futurism.
Trump in impromptu New Year's Eve Presser: Don't trust computers ...
*I've been saying that for years!* It astounds me what people will put on Facecrap, Instagram, and in an email.
Not a witness, silent or otherwise
The previous post mentioned *Holby City. * I only watched that (or the bit that mattered) because I'd read numerous people complaining about its anti-Brexit bias elsewhere. I'm actually rather allergic to 'serious' BBC dramas of this kind. Years back I started to find them a bit preachy. Enduring episodes of them at other people's houses only confirmed that feeling (especially a fateful episode of *Judge John Deed*). But still, it has to be said that as I very rarely watch BBC dramas I'm not really able to comment on the bias found (or not found) therein. A commenter at *Biased ... more »
Musings On Iraq In The News
I was cited in “The Fall of Aleppo Is a Huge Gift to ISIS” by Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan in the Daily Beast and in "Batalle de Mossoul: Des Combats De Rues Sanglants Entre L'Armee Irakienne Et Les Djihadistes De Daech" in France Soir.
Mosul Campaign Day 76, Dec 31, 2016
There was more progress made inside and out of Mosul on December 31. The second part of Quds and Sinai were freed, and a townoutside the city in the north as well. There was contradictory news about the Hadbaa neighborhood in the north. Most reports said that the Iraqi forces hadn’t entered it yet, but one said that it had been liberated. Since November there have been several reports that the area had been reached, but all of those appeared to be exaggerations. Jadaydat al-Muftiand Qadisiyahwere also attacked. The Rapid Reaction police arrived in Intisarto help the 9th Division, a... more »
Texas Cop Arrested, Charged with Repeatedly Raping 13-year-old Girl
[image: sexual]A Texas law enforcement officer has been arrested for the repeated sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl over a period of several months.
Cop’s Body Cam Catches Him Brutally Attack & Taser Man Walking His Bike on the Sidewalk
[image: BIKE]A Mesa, Arizona, man and his attorney — a former cop — are alleging excessive force after a cop pulled up and shoved him to the ground and repeatedly tasered him for no reason.
Father Arrested & Charged After Child Accidentally Walked to School on a Saturday
[image: school]A dad was arrested for child endangerment because his 5-year-old son walked to school by himself — but the ridiculous charges are part of a troubling trend.
Top 100 Independent Tweeting Bloggers 2016
Another revolution of the sun completed, which means time for the top 100 independent tweeting bloggers' list! As always, here are the criteria. As per the annual compilation of tweeting commentators, quality has nothing to do with the rankings. Let me say that again. *This is not a beauty contest*. It pays no attention to the positions put forward by listees or their skill as writers. It's a pure exercise in listing people according to their number of followers on our favourite social media platform, Twitter. That is all. Second, my definition of an "independent" is quite loose: it... more »
Out With the Old, In With the Lewd
*Donald Trump in his gilded War Room* (By *American Zen*'s Mike Flannigan, on loan from Ari Goldstein) *S*o we now have an incoming Commander in Chief who's more interested in screaming from his Twitter perch at 3 AM about non-existent porno movies by a former Miss Universe and a *Vanity Fair* food review of his glorified TGI Fridays restaurant at Trump Tower than he is in setting up a new government (aside from installing 1% assholes in his 5th Column Cabinet). Five blocks from the White House is a converted post office that's flawlessly symbolic of the slow GOP takeover of tha... more »
Landmark State Court Ruling Says THC in Blood is NOT Sufficient Grounds for DUI
[image: driving]Instead of assuming a person is driving impaired based on an arbitrary, unscientific number, the state now has to prove impairment through 'expert testimony.'
Op ed
White Van Man v Lady Nugee I was just reading an interesting piece in *The Spectator *by Bryan Appleyard on how British snobbery is back with a vengeance, with parts of the losing side in the EU referendum showing either pity or disdain for parts of the winning side - the poor parts. "Suddenly it was OK to believe that there was something fundamentally wrong with people worse off than you," he writes. The BBC doesn't seem to me to have been innocent of that either. From Emma Jane Kirky's manipulative *Brexit Street* series on *PM *(making some of its Leave-voting 'vox pops' sound... more »
Untitled
*From Jenna Orkin Glenn Greenwald on "Russian Hacking of Grid" *A giant wave of store closures is about to hit the US Iceland's 'crazy' year ends without a government Scientists conducted the first expedition to a toxic, neon-yellow landscape in Ethiopia Scientists are attempting to bring back an ancient elephant-sized cow Bilderberg Website Taken Over By Anonymous Hackers SCIENCE WARNING: Messing with genes could WIPE OUT geniuses from the earth Drudge Report Suffers "Biggest DDOS Attack Since Inception" As Obama Unveils Russian Sanctions Do you care about the truth? Help t... more »
Carry On Being Biased Again
First footing - James Naughtie arrives in the Radio 4 studio The next Radio 4 current affairs staple, *The World This Weekend*, was also dominated by a panel discussion. Under discussion were globalisation, Trump and Brexit. Again, the panel consisted of three expert guests (Haroon Moghul, Brian Klaas and Ngaire Woods) whose articles, videos, Facebook entries and Twitter feeds reveal them *all* to be strongly anti-Brexit and strongly anti-Trump... ...knowing which (in advance, thanks to Google) helped me make sense of just where their contributions were 'coming from' today. (The ... more »
Carry On Being Biased
My expression *before* listening to this morning's 'Sunday' The first of Radio 4's current affairs staples to hit the airwaves in 2017 was the station's reliably left-liberal *Sunday.* Would it show that the overnight flip from 2016 to 2017, marked by fireworks and new calendars, had wrought an immediate and miraculous Ebenezer Scrooge-like change in the BBC from biased to unbiased? Would we all be be able to cry, "God bless us, every one!"? Well, besides the stuff to mark Hull becoming UK City of Culture and the former Bishop of Liverpool on Hillsborough and Lyse Doucet on her exp... more »
Anthony Bourdain Helps Us Ring In 2017
Although Anthony Bourdain is a legitimate chef, he’s best known— certainly outside of NYC— as the host of some notable TV series, the Travel Channel’s *No Reservations* and, more recently, CNN’s *Parts Unknown*. You can watch the recent episode of Bourdain with President Obama in Hanoi above. Bourdain seems obsessed with the smells of Vietnam. Remember, he dedicated one of his best-selling books, *The Nasty Bits*, to Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee. Hs loved the early punk music of NYC and has joked that playing schlocky commercial music by Elton John, Abba and Billy Joel would get you f... more »
Origins of the British - Wilson/ Blackett and Oppenheimer/Cunliffe - The British original sea-faring Khumry?
Examine the above map and notice that the missing-link British People known as the Khumry might have come via the mediterranean seaways to Britain, from Syria... this also ties in with genetic research on the 'fathers of the ancient british geneline' by researchers such as Stephen Oppenheimer and Barry Cunliffe. The *Khumry* (Cymru means Welsh) are recorded in numerous historical documents in Latin, Greek and other languages as a sea-going race tracked from Syria or Egypt up the Atlantic trade route to Wales at least a 1,000 years before the birth of Christ. The Khumry's ancient ... more »
Istanbul NightClub Shooting Heralds Year of Bloodshed in Turkey
*Following up on last nights breaking news..* Famous Istanbul Night Club- 2 Santa Gumen, New Years Eve Attack The early reports of 2 shooters changed in very short order to one- There was one dead police officer found at the club- In this case it seems quite likely that one shooter might have been the dead cop. *Assuming he attempted to return fire?*-* No jumping to false flag assumptions* when there are many, many good reasons this is for real- Example the attendees- *The upper crust of Turkish society and foreigners.. The gloating media* TIME *choosing *the word *herald* and* using*... more »
Untitled
*The Saga of the Nutty Professor and Drexel University* On Christmas day, Drexel University Professor George Ciccariello-Maher was caught with a twitchy tweet finger by American Thinker Editor Thomas Lifson, who published the professor’s Christmas message: All I Want for Christmas Is White Genocide -- George Ciccariello (@clccmaher) December 25, 2016 Lifson had the presence of mind to capture an actual screen shot of Ciccariello’s tweet before it was removed: But wait -- there’s more. On Monday, Mr. Ciccariello-Maher walked back his comment, indicating it was merely satirical, p... more »
Untitled
*What does Greenland's Petermann glacier tell us?* *Warming evangelist Chris Mooney below focuses on a glaciologist, Andreas Muenchow, who studies the Petermann glacier and notes that Muenchow has become more convinced that, over time, the glacier has been shrinking. It probably is. Glaciers advance and retreat all the time. As some melt, others will be advancing -- usually in response to movements in precipitation. So you can make no valid generalizations from what one glacier does.And the amusing part is that the Petermann is a SHELF -- floating ice -- and we h... more »
Free Planet from Oxford UK to the Rest of the World.
Here's wishing you all a 2017 that includes the concept *Free Planet*. "Free Planet," to you and yours in 2017. *Be who you were always meant to be*, not this dreadful and limiting 'cog in a corporate wheel' nonsense of skill I can profit from... not this drone, this zombie, this attack-dog of those who believe they have a patent-claim over your personal-sovereignty.
A New Name for Greed
I am not fond of 'labels', particularly political labels, they tend to be far to generalized and invariably lump a wide range of views under one label that is often cannot clearly define all the views encompassed by the generality. After all does 'Liberal' define all liberals or 'Conservative' cover all the various shades of grey surrounding that 'label'? One label that has seen a massive (doubled in the last year according to google) increase is ' neoliberalism', a simpler description would seem to me to be 'greed' or more specifically Corporate Greed with its closely associated Gr... more »
It Matters Not?
*Extraordinary Denial* *It Matters Not?* by Alfred Lehmberg With regard to UFOs, and at the risk of being *"entirely incomprehensible"* to the *much too easily* *dismissive*... or the most conveniently "*baffled"... ...*the *"inordinately and so tediously prosaic," *or the *too reflexively *and so very predictably nonplussed, and *ready*, reductionist... I protest *again* that we are—all of us—betrayed by a "*hijacked mainstream*" and a "base *criminal culture"* to a tragic, destructive, if facile *ignorance *in their regard. ...Never more plain than now, eh? . T'was that, *ever... more »
Tell Your (Autism) Story
By Cathy Jameson I came across a headline last week that caught my eye. From a magazine that I no longer subscribe to, but happened to get an email from in my spam folder, the headline said, “Tell Us Your...
Lindzen, me: U.S. climate science needs to shrink by 80-90 percent
The new, Trump administration brings a lot of hope when it comes to the climate change. Perhaps, hundreds of billions of dollars won't be wasted – as they are today – for much more expensive forms of energy and much more expensive alternatives to common things. The climate hysteria has been costly. But the unnecessary economic costs were not the only problem. Climatology as a discipline of pure science has suffered, too. Well, even the climate scientists aren't cheap. The U.S. spends some $2.5 billion paid through 13 government institutions to fund the American climate scientists. T... more »
The Great Green Guzzler Con
By Paul Homewood h/t Philip Bratby http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4078820/The-great-green-guzzler-Monster-digesters-meant-guzzle-waste-churn-eco-friendly-energy-fed-CROPS-produce-pitiful-levels-power-cost-216m-subsidies-HARM-environment.html?ito=email_share_article-top David Rose has this damning assessment of anaerobic digesters: Shortly before midday on March 16, 2016, Richard Whittemore opened the gate of a 20-acre field near Plaistow in West Sussex to find a scene of devastation. The babbling stream that flows through it had […]
The Hottest Year on Record? A lot of hot air, more like–Booker
By Paul Homewood The Hottest Year on Record? A lot of hot air, more like Booker’s on form today: Inevitably, as 2016 neared its end, the usual suspects, such as the BBC, were all piling in to remind us that it was “the hottest year on record”, with particular focus on […]
Five Most Popular Posts in December
The five most-read last month were: 1. Individualism and Neoliberalism 2. French Lessons for the Centre Left 3. Remembering Lily Jayne Summers 4. Top 100 Tweeting Politics Commentators 2016 5. Politics After Richmond Who'd have thought a book review would come top last month? Well, it did and rightly so. Ralph Fevre's *Individualism and Inequality* is an important contribution to ongoing work around neoliberalism, and offers ways of thinking about different kinds of individualism that should be embedded at the heart of progressive (or socialist) politics. A must read. Coming in sec... more »
Standing Rock Water Protectors Celebrate 2017 In Solidarity
It was time to celebrate 2017 on this New Year’s weekend at Standing Rock. With temperatures in the teens on New Year’s Eve, the water built a huge bonfire under the hill that was illuminated by the lights that burn every night courtesy of the construction company building the Dakota Access pipeline. “Happy New Year from Turtle Island. It’s a happy new year here. Boy, I love it here with all these great people,” said Lee Sprague (Pottawaomi/Ottawa), who has been at Standing Rock since the first week of November. Sprague, who is the former tribal ogema (chair) of the Little River Ban... more »
"4 WORDS THAT SILENCE WHITE LIBERALS"
https://youtu.be/Ym6Hrk3tt7o "where do you live" are the four words. In the UK they'd work just as well on many at the BBC and the likes of Billy Bragg.
Happy New Year!
WNU Editor: I say the same thing every year .... another year .... another 10,000 posts .... 1,000,000+ visitors .... 2,000,000+ page views .... reaching an worldwide audience that (and this is what always amazes little me) includes Generals, diplomats, soldiers, intelligence officials, foreign governments and their military organisations, politicians, students, teachers, well known cartoonists, actors and actresses, journalists and bloggers, and finally .... the average Joe and Jane. Yup .... it's been an interesting year. But first things first .... I want to wish a Happy New Year... more »
Michael Brenner’s: “America, The Disgraced Super-power”
Another great piece that conveys the severity of our situation is “America, The Disgraced Super-power: The America we have known and imagined is ended. It never will return,” The Huffington Post, November 16, 2016, by Michael Brenner, Senior Fellow, the Center for Transatlantic Relations; Professor of International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh. Brenner’s thesis is that, although America has always been a seriously flawed nation, the USA has taken a cataclysmic turn, and it is slowly becoming a failed state. Here are a few excerpts: http://ieet.org/archive/n-MUSSOLINI-628x314.jpg
NYT publishes new Russophobic fake news against Czech president
*Happy New Year 2017, dear readers!* One advantage of 2017 is that it is easy to remember its factorization into primes. Like 2003 and 2011 – and no other year in this century so far – 2017 *is* a prime. Note that the probability that a number of this approximate magnitude is a prime is around \(1/\ln(2017)\) i.e. about 13%. Let's hope that it won't be the only sense in which 2017 will be a prime year. In three weeks, many things in the world should start to improve from the viewpoint of most of us. Among other things, a well-known German economic institute, ZEW, has praised Trump's... more »
Could a drug prevent depression and PTSD?
The path to better medicine is paved with accidental yet revolutionary discoveries. In this well-told tale of how science happens, neuroscientist Rebecca Brachman shares news of a serendipitous breakthrough treatment that may prevent mental disorders like depression and PTSD from ever developing. And listen for an unexpected — and controversial — twist.
Do U.S. Soldiers Drink Too Many Energy Drinks?
Spc. Kyle Lauth, of Calverton, N.Y., sips an energy drink in preparation for a dismounted patrol through the Hussaniyah town of the Istaqlal Qada, Dec. 29, 2008. U.S. Army photo *Task & Purpose*: *DoD Health Experts Want Troops To Cut Back On Energy Drinks* Recent research shows nearly 45% of deployed service members consumed at least one energy drink daily. *Editor’s Note: This article by Matthew Cox originally appeared on Military.com, the premier source of information for the military and veteran community.* U.S. military health officials are warning service members that chugg... more »
Happy New Year - 2017
It's time to throw the runes again and when that doesn't work, consult the tea leaves as we prognosticate the coming year. I will share a few thoughts. Chime in if you would like with predictions of your own: * Mainstream media ratings will continue to decline as they make themselves increasingly irrelevant. All of their foot stomping, grasping of therapy pets, crying towels, and wearing onesies in their safe spaces didn't do much for their anointed queen. Their hatred for President Trump won't translate into public opinion as he delivers on promises to help make America great agai... more »
Are America's Nuclear Submarines Obsolete?
*Sebastien Roblin, National Interest:* *Did Sweden Make America's Nuclear Submarines Obsolete?* Nuclear-powered submarines have traditionally held a decisive edge in endurance, stealth and speed over cheaper diesel submarines. However, new Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology has significantly narrowed the performance gap on a new generation of submarines that cost a fraction of the price of a nuclear-powered boat. A conventional submarine’s diesel engine generates electricity which can be used to drive the propeller and power its systems. The problem is that such a combus... more »
Tweet For Today
The year in photos: Looking back on the most arresting images of 2016. https://t.co/65MJqjcdNS pic.twitter.com/fQupNFa1ml — Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) January 1, 2017
President-Elect Trump's New Year Message
Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don't know what to do. Love! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2016 WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. This is not going to be boring political year in the U.S..
White House Photographer Shares His Favourite Images Of President Obama In 2016
The president meets with the National Security Council in the Situation Room on March 18, 2016. Souza said it was a difficult room to shoot in since he has trouble moving around *Daily Mail*: *Bye, bye Barack! White House photographer shares his favorite images of Obama in 2016 as his presidency draws to a close* * Chief White House Photographer Pete Souza upheld annual tradition of culling his favorite images of the year * Some photos document historic events, while others offer a personal, behind-the-scenes glimpse at Obama * Souza acknowledged the end of Obama's two terms, callin... more »
Hopiest. New. Year. Ever
This might be a silly question. But would all the pseudo-mourners who seem blissfully exempt from any real trauma in their own lives be proclaiming that 2016 was the worst year ever if Hillary Clinton had won the election? Correction: make that *The. Worst. Year. Ever.* Because enlarging the font to apocalyptic proportions and adding superfluous periods in between words is the cool way for serious churnalists to broadcast their rhetorical expertise. Lake Superior State University has just come with its annual list of banished words and phrases. But in my opinion, they jumped the gun... more »
Year In Pictures 2016
Two days after the election, Obama sat down with president-elect Donald Trump. Obama called Trump a 'very good man' while the business tycoon said they had 'great chemistry' *WNU Editor*: A year in pictures from a number of news sites. I will be updating this post throughout New Years Day. Year in pictures 2016 -- BBC Pictures Of The Year -- Reuters The year In Pictures 2016 -- New York Times The Year in Photos -- Washington Post The Year In Photos -- Foreign Policy The Year in Pictures: 2016 -- NBC 2016: The year in pictures -- CBS News The Year in Photos 2016 -- US News and World Re... more »
Trump Ain’t Bringing Any Jobs Back— Quite The Opposite
Trump has always made a big deal about how brilliant he is— high IQ, great college education, “all the best words,” etc— but in reality, he has a very average IQ, higher than his supporters, of course, but probably the lowest of any legitimate American president. As for his education… he flunked out of Fordham, which isn’t a top school to begin with, and his daddy then bought him a spot in a "special" real estate program at Wharton, where he failed to make any kind of impression on anyone for the months he was there. And, it isn’t likely he learned much at Wharton or in the greate... more »
DOE office focusing on atomically precise manufacturing
Longtime Foresight member Dave Forrest is leading DOE's Advanced Manufacturing Office in advocating atomically precise manufacturing to transform the U.S. manufacturing base.
Ten Elections To Watch in 2017
*James M. Lindsay, Council of Foreign Relations:* *Ten Elections to Watch in 2017* Millions of people around the world went to the polls this year. The results provided plenty of surprises. British voters defied the pollsters and voted to leave the European Union. Colombians did much the same in rejecting their government’s peace deal with FARC, though Colombia’s president found a way to complete the deal a few months later without a vote. The biggest electoral surprise of all might have been in the United States, where Donald Trump defied the political experts and defeated Hillar... more »
Bonus Quote of the Day: Here, now
“*It’s a rare gift, you know, to feel reverence for your own life and to want the best, the greatest, the highest possible, here, now, for your very own. To imagine a heaven and then not to dream of it, but to demand it.”* — from *We the Living*, by Ayn Rand [Hat tip Anoop Verma] [image: Posted with Blogsy]Posted with Blogsy Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Permission to republish is granted, with attribution.
China Issues Its 'Red Lines' For 2017
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a New Year speech at 7:00 o'clock Beijing time on December 31, 2016.[Photo: Xinhua] *Bloomberg:* *China’s Xi Vows to Defend Maritime Interests, Sovereignty in ’17* * New Year’s speech focuses on reforms to help more people * Nation will adhere to peaceful development in new year: Xi Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country will deepen reforms as he vowed to safeguard its sovereignty and maritime interests in 2017, a year that will present fresh international and domestic challenges for the leaders in Beijing. In a New Year’s speech publis... more »
A Look Inside Liberated Aleppo
French reporter Charlotte d'Ornellas shares what she learned from Aleppo. What she saw there is not what western mainstream media have been saying in the last weeks.
Nigeria's Boko Haram Leader Vows To Continue The War
*The Hill:* *Leader urges Boko Haram members: 'Kill, slaughter and abduct'* The leader of terror group Boko Haram instructs fighters to "kill, slaughter and abduct" in a new video message, according to the Associated Press. "Kill all the infidels and detonate bombs everywhere," Abubakar Shekau says in the video. "Yes! I want you to kill, slaughter and abduct." Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari said earlier this week that “the terrorists are on the run,” claiming the military had pushed Boko Haram out of its last territory in the northeast part of the country. *Read more* .... ... more »
Massacre At Istanbul Nightclub That Was Celebrating New Years Eve
*Daily Mail*: *Terrorist caught on CCTV dressed as Father Christmas shoots 35 dead and wounds 40 in Istanbul celebrity nightclub as terrified New Year's Eve revellers dive into Bosphorus to survive * * The gunmen appear to be wearing Santa costumes in CCTV footage * The pair opened fire in the Reina nightclub, one of Istanbul's most popular venues * The city's governor said 35 people were killed in the New Year's Eve attack * A police officer is among the dead, Vasip Şahin revealed * An estimated 17,000 police officers are believed to be on duty tonight in Istanbul * Nightclub owne... more »
Happy New Year from all of us here at DWT!
*by Ken* For this new year, I thought I'd bring back a Sunday Classics triple toast (with trimmings) I whipped up for last New Year's, with assists from assorted participants in that greatest of operettas, Johann Strauss Jr.'s *Die Fledermaus*, beginning with this immortal (if hard to translate-in-song) pearl of wisdom: *Richard Leech (t), Alfred; Kiri Te Kanawa (s), Rosalinde; Vienna Philharmonic, André Previn, cond. Philips, recorded November 1990* [in English] *Richard Tucker (t), Alfred; Marguerite Piazza (s), Rosalinde; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy, cond. Li... more »
Happy New Year 2017!
Happy New Year, folks! Live long, and prosper! "May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder." - John O'Donohue
On The Front-lines In Ukraine
President Poroshenko, U.S. Senators visit command post near Shyrokine in Donbas. Facebook.com/pg/petroporoshenko *Daily Mail*:* It looks like a scene from WW2 but this is the frontline in Ukraine at Xmas 2016 as troops take to TRENCHES in the fight against pro-Russian rebels* * Ukrainian soldiers using trenches to fight pro-Russian rebels in country's east * Images show troops sheltering in icy man-made ditches near Luganske village * It comes amid reports of gunfire between the two sides despite a recent truce These are the crude battle trenches being used by Ukrainian troops on ... more »
Team Optimist
Image via verywell.com.On behalf of Steve's holiday relief squad, and seeing as how Steve is a world-class pessimist, one of the things I try to bring here is a touch of sunny idiocy, as contrast, especially appropriate for the season of fresh starts and resolutions. And pretty challenging this time around, if we're talking politics, as we lurch into what seems certain to be the worst US presidential administration at least since Buchanan's, probably ever, led by a walking personality disorder in an impasto of pumpkin-colored pancake makeup. And that's just for starters. Is it pos... more »
Sentineli
I have a story to tell, a story about freedom, and a wild society we call the Sentineli. In an age of big craziness, they inspire pleasant daydreams. It’s almost impossible for me to imagine how perfectly free they are, or to comprehend just how far modern society has drifted from the freedom enjoyed by my wild ancestors. The Andaman archipelago lies in the Bay of Bengal. These tropical islands are part of India. North Sentinel Island is inhabited by the Sentineli, a society of negrito pygmies who have short stature, dark skin tone, and peppercorn hair. Outsiders can somet... more »
Famous Istanbul Night Club- 2 Santa Gumen, New Years Eve Attack
* CTV* *I just had a feeling.....When no one is paying attention- * ISTANBUL -- Turkey's state-run news agency says an armed assailant has opened fire at a nightclub in Istanbul during *New Year's celebrations*, wounding several people. The Anadolu Agency said the attack occurred in Istanbul's Ortakoy district. Footage from the scene showed at least six ambulances with flashing lights and civilians being escorted out. Media reports said police have cordoned off the area and an operation is ongoing. * Link * Gunmen have attacked a famous nightclub in Istanbul during New Year's Eve c... more »
Nuclear Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) Does Not Protect People in India (Nor elsewhere)
India signing the CSC (Convention on Supplementary Compensation) was pushed for by the US-India Business Council when India-American Richard Verma … Continue reading →
Everybody Is Taking Selfies In The Battle For Mosul
Lt. Gen. Abdel Wahab Saadi, Iraqi Special Forces commander, center, does not have a Facebook account but has posed for enough selfies that troops recognize him - and request more. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times) *Chicago Tribune/L.A. Times:* *In the battle for Mosul, everybody's taking selfies — and some of them may be incriminating* With the offensive to reclaim the Iraqi city of Mosul now in its third month, smartphones are everywhere on the battlefield, where the appetite for selfie photos is proving to be irresistible — and problematic. Troops and commanders pose ato... more »
The Battle For The Iraqi City Of Mosul -- News Updates December 31, 2016
*Reuters*: *Baghdad blasts kill 29 as Mosul fighting intensifies* Three bombs killed 29 people in Baghdad on Saturday as fighting intensified in the northern city of Mosul, where Iraqi government forces are trying to rout Islamic State militants from their last major stronghold in the country. Blasts, including one suicide attack, tore through a busy market in the Sinak neighborhood, police said. A pro-Islamic State news agency said the target was Shi'ite Muslims, whom the militants regard as apostates. A third blast later in the day killed four people in the eastern New Baghdad ... more »
Water Is Life: Standing Rock light show illuminates Times Square in New York City
This billboard has been live in Times Square in New York City since Dec. 24th and will be there for the New Year's Celebration! Indigenous Environmental Network, Honor the Earth and Sacred Stone Camp sourced up funding for this billboard in collaboration with the International Indigenous Youth Council. Divestment campaigning in the financial and trading centre of the United States and world... Times Square in New York City became a stage for images of the water protectors. Brilliant signs were held by the protectors with the slogans "Water is life" and "Keep the oil in the soil."... more »
Gerald Celente: Big Trends for 2017–Economic Disorder, Trump’s Corporate Cabinet, China and Russia
dandelionsalad at New Year’s Concert 2010: Georges Prêtre, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra: Blue Danube (2010) + Daniel Barenboim: Radetzky March (2009) – Dandelion Salad - 1 day ago
Dandelion Salad RT on Dec 31, 2016 In this New Year’s Eve episode of the Keiser Report Max and Stacy discuss the outlook for 2017: from Trump’s first 100 hours, not days to fake news and a market crash following the biggest rally since Hoover. In the second half Max is joined by Gerald Celente […]
India Must Black-list French Nuclear Suppliers: Former Power Secretary writes after Exposé in France
Via Dianuke.org: “India Must Black-list French Nuclear Suppliers: Former Power Secretary writes after Exposé in France NOVEMBER 23, 2016 E.A.S.Sarma 14-40-4/1 … Continue readi
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