10:30pm MDST
Musical Interlude: 2002, “Sea of Dreams”
2002, “Sea of Dreams” - https://www.youtube.com/
The Growing Importance Of Kaliningrad For The Russian Military
*Elisabeth Braw, Newsweek*: *Weapons Flood Into Putin's European Arms Depot* *While the world watched Russia’s North Fleet with trepidation as it launched surprise exercises near the Arctic Circle last week, Vladimir Putin has quietly been arming another area inside Europe’s borders: Kaliningrad, the Russian seaport city in a region sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, with convenient access to the Baltic Sea. Vessels from Russia’s Baltic Fleet have delivered fighter jets and Iskander missile launchers to the former German city, from where missiles could reach not just to Wars... more »
Russians Sees Better Times Ahead
*Arab News/AFP:* *Russia sees light at the end of tunnel* *MOSCOW: It's been a torrid time of late for the Russian economy as the fallout from Ukraine and tumbling oil prices have plunged the country into financial crisis.* *But an unexpected recent rebound by the ruble has partially reversed months of pain for the nosediving national currency and fired hope among harried officials in Moscow that there might be a light at the end of the tunnel.* *Few analysts were betting on a bounce after the ruble lost over 40 percent of its value in 2014 and carried on the slump into this year... more »
Cell Tower Problems to Know About
*Catherine J. Frompovich* - Cell towers in LA, which are cropping up like mushrooms after rain, have been able to unite citizens in a way that few issues probably would. The post Cell Tower Problems to Know About appeared first on Waking Times.
FAPA emerging leaders workshop Jun 21-26
This got sent around: Please help me to circulate FAPA Emerging Leaders Workshop announcement widely to all channels and groups you know in Taiwan. We like to recruit in young Taiwanese who are interested to learn more foreign relations, to join the workshop on June 21-26, 2015 in Washington, DC . RSVP deadline is April 14. Only 30 spots. Take a action to share, register or do both now. Thank you! _______________________ [Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to othe... more »
Catching up with the great Lee Camp
*by Ken* I feel bad about not keeping readers up to date with the doings of the great Lee Camp, the incredibly agile-minded, perpetually outraged, and fearlessly funny writer and comic. (I have to say "writer and comic," because as I've mentioned, you could read something Lee has written and think him a brilliantly incisive, poised stylist -- a wonderfully different effect from what we get when he *performs* his material.) The fact is, I haven't been keeping up so well myself. I've known from Lee's regular e-mails that he's become involved in some kind of regular telecast called ... more »
Ukraine Crisis -- News Updates March 30, 2015
*James Carden, National Interest*:* Ukraine's Bloody Civil War: No End in Sight* *Ukraine is falling apart at the rifts...* *MOSCOW–After spending several days in and around Donetsk last week, I found it hard to escape the conclusion that the second Minsk ceasefire is rapidly unraveling. Nearly continuous artillery shelling and machine-gun fire could be heard for the better part of Thursday morning in the city’s Oktyabrskaya neighborhood, not far from the airport, where fighting is said to have continued without surcease.* *The OSCE reported that the main railway station in the c... more »
NACCS WRITE-IN CANDIDACY
*Roberto Rodriguez, PhD – Write in Candidacy for the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies Chair-elect 2015* It’s not that I am declaring my write-in candidacy, but rather, this is at least the second time I’ve been nominated, but have been deemed to be ineligible by the NACCS board and its leadership. As a result, I have chosen to contest those rulings via the only recourse available: a write-in candidacy for Chair-elect for 2015. The following reasons are why I accepted the nomination from Josie Mendez-Negrete, past NACCS chair and professor at UTSA. I have been c... more »
Gardening in Eastern Ukraine
A special video about a woman in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine who is gardening to prepare for spring planting. In the midst of continued shelling by the US-NATO puppet regime in Kiev Zina keeps gardening because she wants to create something beautiful for her beloved community.
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Magnificent island universe NGC 2403 stands within the boundaries of the long-necked constellation Camelopardalis. Some 10 million light-years distant and about 50,000 light-years across, the spiral galaxy also seems to have more than its fair share of giant star forming HII regions, marked by the telltale reddish glow of atomic hydrogen gas. The giant HII regions are energized by clusters of hot, massive stars that explode as bright supernovae at the end of their short and furious lives. *Click image for larger size.* A member of the M81 group of galaxies, NGC 2403 closely resemble... more »
Hope Shining Through the Cloud
*Soren Dreier* - Since nobody seems comfortable, with just letting the time pass without filling it up with ‘stuff,’ we go a bit astray maybe. The post Hope Shining Through the Cloud appeared first on Waking Times.
“At Home In An Infinite Universe”
*“At Home In An Infinite Universe”* by Chet Raymo “They are questions that bedeviled thinkers for thousands of years: Is the universe infinite or finite, eternal or of a finite age? It is certainly hard to imagine a universe that extends without limit in every direction, or a universe without a beginning or end. It is equally difficult to imagine a finite universe; what is beyond the edge? Or a beginning or end in time; how can something come from nothing? how can what is cease to be? The problems are so intractable philosophically that their resolution has generally been left to ... more »
Shooting At NSA Headquarters -- News Roundup
*Reuters*:* One dead, two hurt as vehicle tries to ram U.S. spy agency gates* *(Reuters) - Two people tried to run their vehicle through the National Security Agency's gates near Washington on Monday before guards at the spy agency fatally shot one of them, said officials, who added there was no evidence of a link to terrorism.* *The second occupant of the vehicle was also shot, according to one official, and a police officer was injured.* *Both suspects, who were dressed in women's clothes and may be transgender, tried to drive their sport utility vehicle through an entrance at ... more »
Make me more Habby Hockey Gods!
Forty three wins for Carey Price because after this season he deserves a record. Same for Max Patches forty three goals please. And it never hurts to ask that we do not face Tampa in the playoffs
"Just Where You Begin Again..."
"When we're headed toward an outcome that's too horrible to face, that's when we go looking for a second opinion. And sometimes, the answer we get just confirms our worst fears. But sometimes, it can shed new light on the problem, make you see it in a whole new way. After all the opinions have been heard and every point of view has been considered, you finally find what you're after - the truth. But the truth isn't where it ends, that's just where you begin again with a whole new set of questions." - "Meredith", "Grey's Anatomy"
"We Must Ask Ourselves..."
''As Americans, we must ask ourselves: Are we really so different? Must we stereotype those who disagree with us? Do we truly believe that ALL red-state residents are ignorant racist fascist knuckle-dragging NASCAR-obsessed cousin-marrying roadkill-eating tobacco juice-dribbling gun-fondling religious fanatic rednecks; or that ALL blue-state residents are godless unpatriotic pierced-nose Volvo-driving France-loving left-wing communist latte-sucking tofu-chomping holistic-wacko neurotic vegan weenie perverts?'' - Dave Barry
“How Much Time Do Americans Spend Plugged Into The Matrix Every Day?”
*“How Much Time Do Americans Spend Plugged Into The Matrix Every Day?”* By Michael Snyder “The average American spends more than 10 hours a day using an electronic device. And most of that activity is not even interactive. The vast majority of the time we are just passively absorbing content that someone else has created. This very much reminds me of the movie “the Matrix”, but with a twist. Instead of humans being forcefully connected to “the Matrix”, we are all willingly connecting ourselves to it. There is a giant system that defines our reality for us, and the length of time t... more »
Save confusion
You may not undertand the importance of the Oxford comma, but the strippers do. [Hat tip Stephen Hicks] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Nigeria's National Elections: News Updates March 30, 2015
*CNN:* *Vote-counting underway in Nigeria in close presidential election* *Lagos, Nigeria (CNN)A few months before Nigeria's national elections, both main candidates embraced and promised a peaceful election. That pledge is now under serious threat.* *Protesters fired gunshots and torched a local electoral office in Nigeria's oil-rich Rivers state as they marched to protest national elections held to elect Nigeria's next President.* *"There's been so much violence in Rivers state that it's just not tenable," said Lai Mohammed, spokesman for the main opposition party, the All Prog... more »
"Finding Our Way Back..."
“Biology says that we are who we are from birth. That our DNA is set in stone. Unchangeable. Our DNA doesn't account for all of us though, we're human. Life changes us. We develop new traits. Become less territorial. We start competing. We learn from our mistakes. We face our greatest fears. For better or worse, we find ways to become more than our biology. The risk of course is that we can change too much to the point where we don't recognize ourselves. Finding our way back can be difficult. There's no compass, no map. We just have to close our eyes, take a step, and hope to God w... more »
"Why We are Susceptible to Manipulation"
"Why We are Susceptible to Manipulation" by George Washington "Biologists and sociologists tell us that our brains evolved in small groups or tribes. As one example of how profoundly the small-group environment affected our brains, Daily Galaxy points out: Research shows that one of the most powerful ways to stimulate more buying is celebrity endorsement. Neurologists at Erasmus University in Rotterdam report that our ability to weigh desirability and value doesn’t function normally if an item is endorsed by a well-known face. This lights up the brain’s dorsal claudate nucleus, whic... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Coppenbrügge, Niedersachsen, Germany. Thanks for stopping by.
Just When You Thought it Was Safe to Come Out of the Closet
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act? Seriously? More like the Sexual Bigotry Free Card Act. By fall 2010, only five states had gay marriage. A little over four years later, so many states have it that it's hard to count and the answer depends on whom you ask (I think the latest number I saw was 37). During the Obama administration, DADT had fallen, rights and benefits were given to same sex federal employee couples and there are more gay people in elected office than at any time in US history. Anyone of even local notoriety or authority using anti gay slurs are ofte... more »
Another peek behind the neoliberal corporate education curtain
*“Yes! Of course they [public schools] can, but my charter (school) friends don’t like it when I say that.” — Paul Vallas* [image: Paul Vallas admitting that he wants no teachers with at least a decade of experience.] The only nice thing about the right wing is that they don't obscure the reasons behind corporate education reform. Devoid of empathy, compassion, or even an inkling of the notion that human need should trump corporate greed, devotees of Randian "thought" are often entirely honest about motives of neoliberalism. Contrasted to leadership in the Democratic Party, who tr... more »
Untitled
*New Orleans City Park whines of legal action against new protester trying to block its new golf course Field of Greens ~Della Hasselle * *Ten Years After The Flood: A Letter From Our News Director ~WWNO* *16 year old helps rescue children from Pearl River ~WVUE* *Metro area million-dollar mansions are a hot commodity ~WWL* *Weeks Marine secures Lake Pontchartrain contract ~Dredging News*
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 30, 2015
*Tom Lister, CNN:* *Yemen in freefall: How chaos could spiral into all-out regional war* *(CNN)Foreign intervention in Yemen's chaos has dramatically raised the stakes in the Arabian Peninsula, threatening to expand what is already a civil war into a conflict pitting Iran against Saudi Arabia and an Arab coalition.* *The Saudis launched Operation "Decisive Storm" last Wednesday with dozens of airstrikes in an effort to blunt the advance of Houthi militia and allied army units on the port of Aden -- and to protect the last bastion of Yemen's internationally-recognized President Ab... more »
We see what we see
The broadbeans and peas are putting on a little height, and the pear trees are in bloom. Three more flats of the stunted greens -- collards, cabbage, turnips, kale, bok choi, chard and lettuce -- are added to the three beds. The beds are wider than they look here because the paths have slopped over onto them. So I'm comfortable with planting right next to the paths. Slugs have been absent, oddly enough, though this is the kind of environment that thrills them. But I am getting some damage from escargot-sized snails. I go back and plug a new plant into each gap. Starlings have been... more »
World News Briefs -- March 30, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*AFP*:* Iran talks stretch into the night hours before deadline* *Lausanne (AFP) - Marathon talks aimed at curtailing Iran's nuclear programme stretched into the night Monday as negotiators grappled with the remaining "tricky issues" blocking a deal with a deadline just hours away.* *"There still remain some difficult issues," Kerry told a CNN reporter in his luxury lakeside hotel in the Swiss town of Lausanne.* *"We are working very hard to work those through. We are working late into the night and obviously into tomorrow."* *MIDDLE EAST* Iran and six powers entrenched as* clo... more »
Pink Skies at Day Break
TBS cam is now down Strangely foggy on TEPCO cams. Fog can be seen via Futaba cam, although the rising sun may burn it off (its 6:52 am), presuming its normal fog. Rising sun is making the air above the site sickly pink: I'm not sure the fog is "normal." My screenshots from earlier this morning indicated very heavy emissions from unit 3 area, which has just had a problem with the gate for the spent fuel pool (see Enenews). No fog was visible at that time. The pink glow now visible on the Futaba cam has coincided with documented rising radiation levels in the past. But, vehicles ... more »
Dreamcar Connector
This 2011 SAAB is a fine looking car and if you read the description you cant help but want one. WTF GM how could you kill both SAAB and the Electric car? If your a car nut who wants to take a crack a spending a fortune or in some cases less than ten thousand, do some searches and drool.
Does Fracking Bring Opportunities or Danger?
*Video - *A video that focuses mostly on the ongoing debate about fraking, how it may address our growing demand for energy versus the dangers it poses to our drinking water. The post Does Fracking Bring Opportunities or Danger? appeared first on Waking Times.
Scott Walker-- Serial Flip-Flopper
*by Zach Wisniewski* Throughout his career in politics-- a career that has spanned virtually his entire adult life-- Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has tried to portray himself as a man of principles who can't and won't be intimidated by standing up for what he believes. In fact, Gov. Walker is so desperate to convince folks outside Wisconsin that's he's got the mettle necessary to be president of the United States that he titled his ghostwritten memoir *Unintimidated: A Governor's Story and a Nation's Challenge*. However, while Scott Walker wants us all to believe he's an unintimida... more »
Interstellar Lincoln Continental
Matthew McConaughey is banging the bongos somewhere tonite. To be fair to Ford I find the style of most cars has been lost. This is the only Ford car I like the look of. That Grill should be on all Lincolns as a start. H/T Autoblog
Social Media now the prefered weapon of Kabuki Warfare
Who wants to fold the planet like a black swan of fascist origami? The people who comment on facebook seem like prime candidates addicted to high school it makes them malleable when the MAN is the teacher.
Alexander Dugin: The Fourth Political Theory & Western Liberalism
For some reason this gentleman's name caught my eye? Where had I seen it before? Possibly Saker's place? I'm not sure? No matter! Where ever it was, I saw the name, recalled it and thought what the heck, give it a listen. So glad I did! This fellow is quite interesting... really! * Thanks to Henrik at Red Ice*, for conducting this brilliant interview for us all to enjoy. It really provided me with much food for thought. And if anyone else can provide me with some insights or direct me towards additional interviews with him I would just love to listen to more! *"Aleksandr Dugin is one... more »
Pakistan Wakes Up, Turns It Back On Saudi Wahhabi Fundamentalists Who Are Bombing Yemen To Gaza-Like Rubble
*An excerpt from, "Pakistan to sit on the fence for now" Pakistan Today, March 31, 2015:* While the top civil and military leadership reiterates pledge for “supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia”, severe public and media pressure and lack of political support has however compelled the federal government to put off, at least for time being, its previous decision to send military troops to join allied forces against Yemeni rebels. Rather than joining any of the warring factions, Pakistan has decided to play a role for mediation between both the parti... more »
what i'm reading: three books by richard ford
I've been meaning to read Richard Ford for years - actually, for decades. Both the 1986 novel *The Sportswriter* and 1995's follow-up *Independence Day* have been languishing on The List since they were published. When *Canada* came out in 2012, and reviews made me want to read it, it was time to dig up those earlier titles and finally discover Ford. I recently put all three titles on hold in my library, and read them in order of publication. (An aside: there was only one copy of *The Sportswriter* in our system, so my borrowing it probably saved that book's life for a time. At leas... more »
Iran Rejects Key Demand In Nuclear Talks
Foreign ministers from other world powers joined Secretary of State John Kerry in an effort to reach the outlines of a nuclear accord with Iran by a midnight Tuesday deadline. Credit Pool photo by Brendan Smialowski *New York Times:* *Iran Backs Away From Key Detail in Nuclear Deal* *LAUSANNE, Switzerland — With a negotiating deadline just two days away, Iranian officials on Sunday backed away from a critical element of a proposed nuclear agreement, saying they are no longer willing to ship their atomic fuel out of the country.For months, Iran tentatively agreed that it would se... more »
Pakistan Will Join The Saudi Military Coalition Against Yemen Rebels
*Reuters:* *Pakistan to join Saudi coalition against Yemen rebels - senior official* *(Reuters) - Pakistan will send troops to Saudi Arabia to give military support to a coalition of mainly Gulf states fighting Yemeni Houthi rebels, a senior government official said on Monday.* *Largely Sunni Muslim Pakistan - a regional ally of Saudi Arabia, the Gulf's main Sunni Muslim power - would join a Saudi-led military coalition conducting air strikes against Shi'ite Houthi forces, the official said.* *The air strikes are targeting the rebels' southward advance on the port city of Aden,... more »
Many Killed In Airstrike On UN Refugee Camp In Yemen
*Washington Post:* *Scores killed in apparent airstrike at U.N. refugee camp in Yemen* *SANAA, Yemen — An apparent airstrike killed scores of people at a United Nations refugee camp in northern Yemen on Monday amid escalating air raids by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition that are targeting Shiite insurgents across the war-ravaged country.* *As many as 40 people died and some 200 were wounded in an attack on the Mazraq camp in Hajjah province, said Joel Millman, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which runs aid programs at the facility.* *It was not i... more »
March 30: Values
Beware of politicians who talk of defending our "values" and our "culture". The words sound good. But nobody knows what they mean. The Parti Quebecois fought, according to its statements, to preserve Quebec culture and values (the two words are commonly used to mean the same thing) - but culture and values mean whatever the speaker thinks they mean. Quebec now makes a beg deal out of banning religious symbols in public. This, we are told, is preserving Quebec culture. In fact, for half of my life, crucifixes hung in every Catholic classroom, courtroom and government office in the pr... more »
In The Battle For Tikrit 400 Islamic State Fighters Are Holding Back 30,000 Iraqi Troops And Militia Fighters
*Ken Hanly , Digital Journal*: *In Tikrit 400 IS fighters hold back 30,000 Iraqi troops* *Tikrit - A force of Islamic State fighters believed to number about 400 according to one general, is holding at bay about 30,000 Iraqi troops and militia.* *After the offensive launched without US air support and led by an Iranian general stalled on the outskirts of Tikrit, the Shia militia and the Iranian commander who was heading the offensive have faded into the background. However many militia remain in the surrounding area and even a few checkpoints on the outskirts of Tikrit. For the l... more »
Thinking Aboot Translation
The translation of ISIS into English is SAS. Into American CIA. Into Canadian our only hope of being relected. Someone is a conspiracy theorist. Which begs the question should someone not clip their pilot wings I do not want to fly with no tinfoil either on the fusalage or in the pilots head
Supplemental: College student addresses the Times!
*MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015Paging noble Nestor:* Right there in yesterday’s Sunday Review, the New York Times published seven letters about a piece from the week before—Judith Shulevitz’s essay about “safe spaces” in college. As we noted this morning, two letters clobbered These Kids Today for their alleged fear of “scary ideas.” In four other letters, college professors defended These Kids and their own professorial practices. Our view? In principle, there’s nothing wrong with turning classrooms into “safe spaces” for college students who may have therapeutic issues—far from it. Thi... more »
Iraq's Shiite Militias Rejoin The Battle For Tikrit After Receiving Assurances That The U.S. Will Stop Air Strikes
Military vehicles of Iraqi security forces are seen in Tikrit March 28, 2015. Reuters / Thaier Al-Sudani *Washington Post:* *Shiite militias in Iraq say they have assurances that U.S. will stop strikes* *BAGHDAD — Shiite militia leaders claimed Monday to have received reassurances from Iraq’s prime minister that there would be no more U.S.-led airstrikes on Tikrit, opening the way for their fighters’ return to the battlefield.* *Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi met with leaders of Iraq’s “popular mobilization units” Sunday night to discuss the ground offensive to reclaim Tikrit f... more »
Schiller - I Feel You
Haven't really got the time for a proper post tonight. Instead I'm going to share this.
BIW Lenten Vigils - Last Call
*George & Maureen from the Smilin' Trees Disarmament Farm in Hope, Maine keep these vigils at BIW going* *The regulars in the snow on a cold day last Saturday**The Navy's new 'stealth' Zumwalt destroyer peeking out from Bath Iron Works. Reports are that the ship launching will be delayed due to major problems with the complicated and expensive technology on-board. This warship is costing more than twice as much as past destroyers at the shipyard.* *Suzanne and Mary Beth waiting for BIW workers to leave at noon last Saturday. The message of conversion of the shipyard to building ra...more »
What ISIS Really Wants
*ISIS flag (source and analysis)* *by Gaius Publius* I found the following piece, by Graeme Wood writing at *The Atlantic*, a compelling and riveting read. First, it attempts to answer the question: *What is ISIS, really?* Second, it sounds an alarm — that misunderstanding ISIS has accounted for, and will account for, major American policy and strategic mistakes. As you'll read below, the author says (my emphasis): “We have not defeated the [ISIS] idea,” [the U.S. Special Operations commander in the Middle East] said. “*We do not even understand the idea*.” In the past year, Presi... more »
Does Iran Have A Secret Nuclear Cooperation Agreement With North Korea?
North Korea Deputy Foreign Minister meets with Iran's Ambassador to North Korea Photo from IRNA *Gorodn G. Chang, Daily Beast:* *Does Iran Have Secret Nukes in North Korea?* *Washington’s nuclear deal with Tehran depends on aggressive inspections inside Iran. But the mullahs may well have a secret program outside their borders.In October 2012, Iran began stationing personnel at a military base in North Korea, in a mountainous area close to the Chinese border. The Iranians, from the Ministry of Defense and associated firms, reportedly are working on both missiles and nuclear wea... more »
Poll: Some Americans Say Obama More Of An 'Imminent Threat' Than Putin
U.S. President Barack Obama (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst) and Russian president Vladimir Putin (RIA Novosti/Sergey Guneev) *Reuters:* *Americans see Putin as only slightly more imminent threat than Obama, poll says* *People in the United States feel under threat, both from beyond our borders and within them. In fact, when asked about both U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin, it was a pretty darn close call — 20 percent saw Putin as an imminent threat compared to 18 percent who said the same about Obama.* *A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll asked more than 3,000 Am... more »
G20 World Leaders Personal Details Accidentally Leaked
*The Guardian*: *Personal details of world leaders accidentally revealed by G20 organisers* *Exclusive: Obama, Putin, Merkel, Cameron, Modi and others kept in the dark after passport numbers and other details were disclosed in Australia’s accidental privacy breach* *The personal details of world leaders at the last G20 summit were accidentally disclosed by the Australian immigration department, which did not consider it necessary to inform those world leaders of the privacy breach.* *The Guardian can reveal an employee of the agency inadvertently sent the passport numbers, vis... more »
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Germanwings Final Update
*The Minsk Miscreants Punished?* UPDATE: MARCH 30, 2015 - Here is the latest update on the false flag/hoax/ *whatever* crash of A320. This has been one of the more disgusting bogus news stories we've had to endure lately. IMO a combination of the following *and perhaps more*: a real nasty *message drill* for the main$tream media; a *humiliating bitchslap* for Merkel and Hollande; a failed 24 March US Air Force test of its High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS) for the US military; and a *take down of French(Airbus)/German(Germanwings) airline competition*. I'm sure... more »
Step 2 Igloo Wagon Giveaway!
Just in time for summer, I have an awesome wagon giveaway for you today! Find the information below! *Welcome to the Step2 Igloo Wagon with Cooler Giveaway, *hosted by Thrifty Nifty Mommy and Viva Veltoro and sponsored by Step2! Spring is here and if your little ones are ready to get outside and play, we've got just the thing for you! Step2 has just released their NEW Igloo Wagon with Cooler and they've combined two great things into one - a wagon AND an Igloo cooler! Here's some information about this COOL new product from Step2: The Igloo® Wagon with Cooler by Step2 is the perfe... more »
"There Comes A Time..."
"There comes a time in the life of us all when we must lay aside our books or put down our tools and leave our place of work and walk forth on the road to meet the enemy face-to-face. Once and for all and at last." - Edward Abbey
David Gross' NYU lecture
I think that this 97-minute-long public lecture by David Gross at New York University hasn't been embedded on this blog yet: It is not just another copy of a talk you have heard five times. He has talked about the Standard Model's being nano-nanophysics, QCD, Higgs, some signs of SUSY (and perhaps unification) at the TeV scale that we may already be seeing, the future colliders (probably in China), and Schrödinger's dogs, among other things. There were some questions at the end, too.
The Economy: "My Recent Trip to Mars"
*"My Recent Trip to Mars"* by Bill Bonner Gualfin (“End of the Road”), Argentina - “This weekend, we went to Mars. We’ll tell you more about that in a minute. First, catching up with the markets, we find that US stocks stabilized on Friday. But as we’ve been warning, US stocks are vulnerable to a sharp correction. Valuations are stretched, to say the least. And the negative news is coming in like drone attacks. *Get Out While the Gittin’s Good:* US GDP grew at an annual rate of just 2.2% in the fourth quarter. And after-tax corporate profits fell 1.6%. World trade relies heavily ... more »
Two Suicides in Missouri
Hey I dont know what to think the police have investigated and everybody is clean people who write otherwise are just mean or wearing the crazy tinfoil Its all just coincidence the Auditors office just hit the negative lottery. I mean if you believe that these deaths were a political assasination then logicaly the same conclusion would come to 911 and despite 15 years of dogged investigation not one I has been found without the correct dot and no T was not crossed Thats the truth.
From Inside the Corporate Ed Reform School Cult
Posted at Education Matters by a former corporate ed reform advocate, Jorge Cabrera. ht to Peter Farruggio For nearly three years, I had been involved in what has often been referred to by some as the “education reform movement” in Bridgeport. In 2012, I was presented with a unique opportunity to work for a new local organization that would work “with the community” to reform the public schools. The mission was to work towards helping Bridgeport students increase their academic performance and by extension, I thought, lower the dropout rate, increase the rate of college attendanc... more »
Thales to develop robot to neutralise underwater IEDs
The UK and French defence departments have jointly awarded engineering firm, Thales, with a contract to develop an autonomous system for the detection and neutralisation of sea mines and underwater improvised explosive devices (UWIEDs). Thales will work in collaboration with BAE Systems and partners in France (ECA Group) and in the UK (ASV, Wood & Douglas, SAAB). The Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) contract includes three stages, starting with a first phase for design and is expected to deliver an autonomous, remotely operated mine countermeasure solution. Read more
“33 Strange Facts About America That Most Americans Would Be Shocked To Learn”
*“33 Strange Facts About America That Most * *Americans Would Be Shocked To Learn”* by Michael Snyder “Did you know that about one-fourth of the entire global prison population is in the United States? Did you know that Apple has more money than the U.S. Treasury? Did you know that if you have no debt and also have 10 dollars in your wallet that you are wealthier than 25 percent of all Americans? Did you know that by the time an American child reaches the age of 18, that child will have seen approximately 40,000 murders on television? There are some things that are great about the... more »
Categorising Islam
Oh Good, Nick Robinson is well enough to blog. Best wishes Nick, and I hope you’re back on our screens soon. Norman Smith doesn’t ring true. He’s like a man who fears he’s gonna be found out at any moment. Anyhow, Nick Robinson’s blog is welcome, but it’s also quite troublesome. He writes in simple language and breaks up the text into paragraphs of no more than four lines. It must be aimed at those of us with learning difficulties. He poses some helpful questions to assist us with exercising our voting rights. It is rather like those quizzes that are supposed to determine what so... more »
More REAL History Revealed: 14 Days That Saved The World - How Hitler's Barbarossa Invasion Of The Soviet Union Saved Europe From Communist Domination!
Being a true student of REAL history, I have become totally disgusted by the intense bullshit that our fraud "education" system has been shoving into the minds of our young people... The brainwashing is so intense and to me it has been done on purpose... The real criminals that are out for our enslavement do not want their slaves to be to understand their true history and what it means for their future.... I have therefore made it my purpose to present at this blog as much factual information about our true history if and when that information becomes available... When I was a youn... more »
Economic Blackmail: The New McCarthyism in Indian Country News
John Kane, Mohawk Does truth-telling in the media now mean that you have to work for free in America? By Brenda Norrell Censored News It is sad that John Kane, Mohawk, can not find any sponsors to keep his radio show, 'Let's Talk Native,' going. Is this what happens now to the truth-tellers in the media? Does telling the truth in the media now mean that you have to work for free in America
3 Ingredient Berry Lemonade Pie
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PourMoreFun #CollectiveBias [image: 3 Ingredient Lemonade Pie | HousewifeEclectic.com] I am a big fan of lemonade pie. It is creamy and full of summery fun flavors. It makes me want to grab a blanket and read outside while I enjoy it. I have always made this pie using pink lemonade and while it is good, I LOVE it with the Country Time Berry Lemonade, it just adds something extra summery to the flavor. The absolute best thing about this pie is how fast and easy it is to prepare.... more »
World News Briefs -- March 30, 2015
*Bloomberg:* *Iran Deal Unlikely Before March 31 as Russia Leaves Talks* *(Bloomberg) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov planned to leave talks on Iran’s nuclear program and only return if an accord is in sight, suggesting that negotiations will continue into the final hours before a March 31 deadline.Diplomats said obstacles remain after foreign ministers from the six powers jointly met Iranian envoys for the first time in the latest round of talks in Lausanne, Switzerland. Lavrov will return if there’s a “realistic understanding of a deal,” Russian Foreign Ministry spok... more »
NO STATISTICS NEED APPLY: The New York Times can’t handle stats!
*MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015Part 1—A fiery professor’s response:* Last Sunday, March 22, the New York Times ran a somewhat snarky opinion piece about These Kids Today—more specifically, about their attitude toward “safe spaces.” The piece was written by Judith Shulevitz. Last Thursday, we discussed the part of the essay which concerned a debate at Brown about sexual assault on college campuses. Yesterday, that same New York Times published seven letters about the Shulevitz piece. One of the letters came from a professor at Wisconsin’s Madison campus. For us, that letter capped a wee... more »
The Attempted Gaslighting of Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren has the reverse Midas touch: every plutocratic nerve ending that she touches turns into a jello salad heavy on the fool's gold nuggets with some harmlessly dull razor blades thrown in for an added taste sensation. You shall know the elite owners of the American political system by their desperation. The latest futile attempt to destroy the increasingly popular Warren is to cast her as the left wing mirror image of Ted Cruz. This exercise in false equivalency by the golden fools of the Extreme Center comes right on the heels of threats by big bankers to withhold a co... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 30, 2015
*BBC:* *Arab League agrees to create joint military force* *The heads of Arab League countries meeting in Egypt have agreed to create a joint Arab military force.The League has been meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh amid a crisis in Yemen and the threat of jihadists who have made major gains in Iraq, Syria and Libya.However, establishing the make-up and remit of the force could take months, analysts say.A 10-nation, Saudi-led coalition is currently carrying out air strikes against rebels in Yemen.* *Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 30, 2015* Arab League Unveils Joint ... more »
Hillary, about those iris scans
Hillary, about those iris scans By Brenda Norrell Censored News Hillary Clinton has deleted all her e-mails, leaving me with two questions. First, with all the NSA spying going on, aren't those e-mails stored in some cryptic tomb somewhere? Also, I am wondering about those iris scans that Hillary, while Secretary of State, asked her Ambassadors to collect. The iris scans, and personal
When leaders defeat pander bears everyone wins!
Forty years ago today Pierre Elliot Trudeau passed into law a best practise that was not only scientific it also took great political courage Cold turkey Canadian would now be forced to take their temperature in Celsius thus exiting the club of measurement stupidity whose members explain the shame no longer would Canada be measured by the feckless approach to civilisation practised by United States, Liberia, Brunei, Yemen, Burma. Fourteen years later the great betrayer lying Brain Mulroney who many suspect was a CIA mole surrendered to the wedge and the pander bear. Me... more »
SUV Rams Gate At NSA headquarters. Shots Fired. Two Injured
#BREAKINGNEWS officer involved crash/shooting #FortMeade appears at least one fatality #breaking pic.twitter.com/tBqM5ZOZjL — Brad Freitas (@NewsChopperBrad) March 30, 2015 *Daily Mail:* *BREAKING NEWS: Shooting reported outside NSA headquarters on Fort Meade after SUV tried to crash through front gates * ** Incident happened about 9.30am outside gates of Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County, Maryland* ** Fort Meade is home to NSA, as well as the US military's Cyber Command and other sensitive agencies* ** At least one government worker was seen being loaded into an ambulance * *A sh... more »
Webcam Update March 30 2015
It is NOT raining yet there are heavy emissions visible on the TEPCO Cam 1 Trucks are still headed for the Daiichi site (notice dry pavement): TBS CAM looks ORANGE for some reason today Radiation levels have been slightly higher than moderately elevated in Northern Japan and around Tokyo for the last few days. Levels are trending upwards but still moderate on US west coast.
Murder and manslaughter; what's the difference?
Homicide is when someone kills another human being. Sometimes homicide is not criminal - it can be an accident without fault or a legally justified killing. Canadian law distinguishes between justifiable, accidental and culpable homicide. If a death culpable homicide, it falls under one of four categories. First degree murder Definition: A culpable homicide that is planned and deliberate — both aspects must be demonstrated in order for the homicide to be considered first-degree murder. Some homicides are automatically considered first-degree murder — even if they were not intentio... more »
Iran Claims U.S. Drone Strike Killed Two Military Advisers In Iraq
A MQ-1B Predator. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson) *IBTimes:* *Iran US Drone Strike: Revolutionary Guard Claims America Killed 2 'Advisers' In Iraq* *Iran is claiming the U.S. military killed two members of its Revolutionary Guard force in a drone strike in Iraq, the Associated Press reported. The accusations, which the U.S. denied, came a day before the deadline for the U.S. and four other countries to reach a deal on Tehran’s nuclear program.* *The Revolutionary Guard said a U.S. drone strike killed two of its advisers, Ali Yazdani and Hadi Jafari, last week. During that time, the U.S. ... more »
The Battle For Tikrit Continue -- News Updates March 30, 2015
*Radio Free Europe*: *Iraqi Ground Forces, U.S. Air Strikes Focus On IS-Held Tikrit * *Iraqi security forces continue to battle Islamic State (IS) militants in central Tikrit as the United States and its allies provide air support.* *But local officials warn that the battle to retake the Sunni Muslim city and hometown of the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein will not be quick.* *Mayor Osama al-Tikriti has said it will be too difficult to achieve a rapid advance into the city because the ground is littered with bombs and booby-traps.* *Further complicating the ground assault on T... more »
Parent Offers Good Reasons for Opting Out
*A clip from here:* *. . . .Our students’ independence is slowly but surely being crushed by an endless scholastic bombardment of carrots and sticks, reminders to stay on the state-mandated track and learn the state-mandated information. No zig, no zag, no time to stop and enjoy the view. Students are to be compliant and obedient. They are not to question the authority of leaders in the system. Students are inculcated, from a very early age, with the sense that they do not own their education.* *At the same time, their sense of community is being damaged by the very system designed...more »
Casualties Continue To Drop In Iraq 4th Week of March 2015
Casualties continued their downward trend in Iraq during the 4th week of March 2015. The number of dead and wounded has gone down each week of the month. That was despite a slight increase in attacks. On the battlefront fighting remained stalemated in Anbar. Diyala saw a large jump in violence, some of which might have been by the Hashd al-Shaabi forces. The Kurds continued their push south into Kirkuk, and the Iranian-Hashd plan for Tikrit failed as Baghdad asked for Coalition air strikes. The government forces have regained the initiative in the war, but the fighting shows how h... more »
US: Master of Space
During the taped interview I also talked about some things that were left on the cutting room floor. One of them was the growing problem of space debris. There are now more than 25,000 tiny bits of junk whirling through space at 15,000 mph and this problem would be accelerated if any country was to attack another with an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon. The International Space Station (ISS), which cost taxpayers $100 billion, has to often be moved to avoid space debris that is coming dangerously close. Some scientists have predicted that someday the ISS will be hit by flying space... more »
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on 60 Minutes
*CBS 60 Minutes*: *Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on 60 Minutes* *Charlie Rose interviews the Syrian dictator as a four-year-old civil war drags on in which his regime has been accused of devastating attacks on civilians* *The following is a script from "Bashar al-Assad" which aired on March 29, 2015. Charlie Rose is the correspondent.* *Four years ago, the Obama administration declared that Syria's Bashar al-Assad must go. Today, President Assad is still there, but much of the country has gone. Assad's Syrian government has lost control over significant amounts of its territ... more »
Mike Pence-- Pandering To The Worst Of The Republican Party Base
C.S. Lewis, probably best known for *The Chronicles of Narnia*, died on November 22, 1963, the same day Aldous Huxley died and the same day JFK was assassinated. When Lewis passed away, Mike Pence, who went on ABC's *This Week* to insist he isn't a bigot, was just 4 years old. Perhaps when he was 4, he wasn't a bigot. But he has been for his entire public career. Lewis could well have been referencing the future Mr. Pence when he wrote *Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for there good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than ... more »
In A Major Defeat For The Assad Government, The Syrian City Of Idlib Has Fallen To Rebel Forces
*Al Jazeera*: *Fall of Idlib: Turning point for rebels in Syria?* *Coalition of rebel groups, including al-Qaeda linked Nusra, take key city in biggest blow to Assad forces in two years.* *It was not that long ago that forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were making rapid gains across Syria.* *But the capture of Idlib by a rebel coalition, including the al-Qaeda linked Nusra Front, marks a major defeat for the Syrian government.* *The fall of the city may be an indication that Assad's forces are struggling to keep the momentum they gained on the battlefield last year.* *... more »
Yemen War News Updates -- March 30, 2015
*Al Jazeera*: *Fighting grips Aden as Houthis continue to push south* *Clashes continue in Yemen's coastal city, as bombing by Saudi-led coalition targets Houthis' air-defence capabilities.* *Fierce fighting has been reported in Yemen's coastal city of Aden as Houthi rebels continued their push south despite a fifth night of Saudi-led airstrikes against the group's positions.* *Clashes were reported in the Dar Saad district of Aden on Sunday as fighters loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi battled Houthis trying to push their way to the city's northern gate.* *Hadi loyalists... more »
Why ”Sustainable” Earth, But Not Sustainable Health and Freedom?
*Bernie Suarez* - Consider this: Why is the control system so eager to push for "sustainable" earth but nothing else apparently needs to be sustainable? The post Why ”Sustainable” Earth, But Not Sustainable Health and Freedom? appeared first on Waking Times.
Moral Clarity?
https://www.youtube.com/ Minister Foreign Affairs Rob Nicholson has declared that extending Canada's war effort into Syria is a matter of "moral clarity." After reviewing the results of military incursions into Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, Gerald Caplan writes: Lesson learned? We’re living them. They’re in the headlines every day. The consequences expected of military intrusions are rarely achieved. On the contrary: overwhelmingly, when the west has intervened in foreign lands with little understanding of local conditions and no ... more »
World’s Hunger for Meat is Causing the Superbug Apocalypse
*April McCarthy* - Governments around the world consider antimicrobial-resistant bacteria a major threat to public health. The post World’s Hunger for Meat is Causing the Superbug Apocalypse appeared first on Waking Times.
Iran Nuclear Talks Continue -- News Updates March 30, 2015
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L), British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond (2nd L), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (4th L), German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier (7th L), French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius (8th L) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang... Reuters/Brendan Smialowski/Pool *Reuters:* *Setbacks and progress as Iran, six powers meet to end nuclear impasse* *(Reuters) - The foreign ministers of Iran and six world powers met on Monday in a final push for a preliminary nuclear accord less than two days before their deadline as Tehran showed signs of ... more »
The reality of back to back brutal winters in the Atlantic/Great Lakes area
Following up on yesterday's post. Where hopefully you all read about yet another AGW lie, biting the dust? * AGW/Global Warming DOES NOT CAUSE EXTREME WINTERS!* That lie that died, warming = cooling, was the one created to explain away the ever cooling temperatures and extremely frigid winters that have occurred back to back in North America. Extending down to Mexico, parts of the UK. Spain. Lebanon. Syria. And many, many other areas of the globe. Just the fact that the Atlantic ocean froze up to the extent it did is indicative of the extreme cold temperatures, due to the fact *th... more »
BPA Cuts Fertility in Fish Three Generations Later
*Jeff Sossamon*The offspring of fish exposed to BPA have decreased fertility and increased embryo mortality for three generations. A new study suggests that exposed humans and their children could be affected in the same way. The post BPA Cuts Fertility in Fish Three Generations Later appeared first on Waking Times.
Untitled
*Fascist British education authority bans HOME playing of Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty games* Parents are in danger of being reported to police by their children's head teachers if they allow them to play video games for over 18s. A letter sent by a group of schools in Cheshire raised concerns about the 'levels of violence and sexual content' young people are being exposed to by playing games such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, which are renowned for their violent characters and have an 18 classification. It warns that if teachers are made aware their pupils have been p... more »
Untitled
*Harmless pesticide still used in Australia -- ozone "hole" regardless* *In their role as sand in the gears of civilization, Greenies constantly find reasons to ban useful chemicals, making pest and weed control difficult and raising costs. We need therefore to look at where a ban is really needed. In this case the reason for the ban is a laugh. Methyl bromide was banned because it allegedly harmed the ozone layer. But even though the ozone layer "protections" were put in place long ago, the "hole" in the ozone layer waxes and wanes as it always did. The "protections" ha... more »
More Competition
Ben Bernanke has started a blog. Where did he ever come up with that title?
With this Simple Act, This Young Man Made a Difference
*Video - *Here’s an inspiring video about how Josh Yandt’s simple act of kindness changed his life, left a dramatic impact on the hearts and minds of everyone around him, and how he continues to inspire others. The post With this Simple Act, This Young Man Made a Difference appeared first on Waking Times.
OPERATION JADE HELM: AMERICANS BEING ROUNDED UP CAUGHT ON CAMERA
* { here is some information that we all should take note: remember the NDAA that was passed in recent years and reapproved each year? Things are not hunky-dory, imo . . Part of the magic spell that is cast is the amazing illusion world that is presented to us, day by day . . .everything is fine, right? It really is fairly obvious to me after several years of trying to figure out ways to convince people that the world we live in is not real . . * *my only advice right now is IF/WHEN you hear about the next huge event that "might" be a False Flag, be ready . .* *on the other sid... more »
Economic News , Data and Views ( March 30 , 2015 ) - Greece continues to be center of focus as Reforms List Talks Faltered Over The Weekend..... Japan Industrial Production falls sharply for February , While China sees housing prices collapse ...... Iran deal could impact price of oil if Tehran floods markets..... Australia to start taxing bank deposits .... Additional items of interest !
Tweets..... *Sputnik* @SputnikInt 7m 7 minutes ago #Greece and #Germany in open hostility over bailout program http:// sptnkne.ws/av7 [image: Embedded image permalink] *The Greek Analyst* @GreekAnalyst 4m 4 minutes ago Let the "#Syriza Hunger games" begin! http:// gu.com/p/474ct/stw#block-551929dde4b04783d0da01ae … via @graemewearden [image: Embedded image permalink] *Hugo Dixon* @Hugodixon 4m 4 minutes ago Tsipras needs rupture with his far-left faction, not euro. My latest @ *Breakingviews* column http://reut.rs/1ETU5hf *The Greek Analyst* @Gre... more »
One Peoples Roundtable with Mel Ve and Sacha Stone
Edited 3/30/2015 at 5:32 to add: The time for the One People Roundtable Discussion has been changed to 8PM GMT!!! Tonight night on the One People Roundtable Discussion, Lisa, Brian and I talk to Sacha Stone and Mel Ve Oh What a show it is going to be, or should I say: is !!!! This weeks One People Roundtable Discussion is a doozy that you don't want to miss! We pre-recorded the show yesterday for tonights - prerecorded because we couldn't get everyone together at the same time, lol- and it has been an incredible morning of awesome conversations with amazing people. For ove... more »
The Uses of War and Poverty
Lots of poor people would ordinarily be an indictment of a ruling elite's abilities. Unless they resort to that time-tested response of blaming the poor for their poverty. Lots of poor people means a more docile labour force. Lots of poor people means more cannon fodder for the military. Lots of poor people means a more docile electorate. War directs anger outwards towards official enemies and inward to domestic traitors, saboteurs and spies. Wars justify military spending. Wars distract the electorate. (Or at least stephen harper hopes so now!) Such cynical evil policies to pro... more »
Pakistan sends plane, frigate to evacuate citizens from Yemen
[image: F-22P class FFG]Pakistan authorities has sent a jumbo jet and a naval frigate initially to evacuate its citizens and diplomatic staff stranded in war-torn Yemen, as Saudi-led air strikes hammered Shiite Huthi rebel targets, officials said Sunday. "The plane has landed at Al-Hudaydah and boarding has started. On seeing the plane landing, stranded Pakistanis expressed their happiness by clapping," the ambassador told state channel. Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif was personally monitoring the evacuation and had directed the officials to ensure safe return of every citizen, a ... more »
NATO Sets Up Information Warfare HQ in Latvia
[image: NATO flag]The Latvian capital of Riga has recently become the new home of a branch of NATOChannel, a media content provider creating, video, audio, and internet content for the alliance, Latvian media reports. The office, its staff relocated to the country from Kabul, Afghanistan, is set to join two other NATOChannel offices in Europe, located in Belgium and Spain. NATO Communication Coordination, Public Diplomacy Division Chief Stephen Mehringer told Latvian business newspaper BB.lv that the Riga office will contain a regular contingent of only 3-4 journalists, set to repor... more »
South Korea picks KAI, with Lockheed, for $7.9 billion fighter jet development project
[image: KF-X mid-level fighter jet]South Korea chose on Monday Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., which expects to partner Lockheed Martin Corp., to develop a midlevel fighter jet that will cost around 8.7 trillion won ($7.88 billion). The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) also confirmed its decision to upgrade South Korea’s Patriot missile system, with Raytheon Co. chosen to upgrade the launch systems. PAC-3 missiles will be bought from the United States. South Korea has been trying to bolster its arsenal in the face of a missile threat from North Korea. Read more
The MU90 torpedo operational on NH90NFH
[image: MU90 torpedo]The French Navy has declared initial operational capability for the NH90 NFH Caiman helicopters operating in the anti submarine role. The French Navy operates 13 NH90 NFH in Lanveoc Navy Base and Hyeres Navy Base. One French NH90 NFH is currently deployed with the French aircraft Carrier on the Chevalier Paul Frigate. Read more
ABB Azipod D — New Marine Electric Propulsion System Uses 25% Less Installed Power
An impressive new offering for the good of marine electric propulsion systems was recently unveiled by ABB — one that requires, quite impressively, up to 25% less installed power than earlier models. ABBThis new model, known as the Azipod D, also allows for greater design flexibility, as compared to other systems — as the design precludes the need for rudders, stern transversal thrusters, and/or long shaft lines. “We’re excited to expand the Azipod propulsion family and make the benefits of electric propulsion available to a wider range of ships. Shipowners and operators demand sol... more »
Defence Minister prepares plan to save Australian shipbuilding industry
[image: Hobart class DDG]Australia's embattled naval shipbuilding industry will be thrown a lifeline by Defence Minister Kevin Andrews, who will present a plan for continuous construction of warships to avoid periodic job losses and shore up political support across three states. Mr Andrews will on Tuesday reveal the Abbott government is considering "a continuous build strategy" for more than $100 billion in new warships, submarines and other naval vessels over the next 20 years. But he will warn that the industry must lift woeful productivity on existing big ship projects, that the... more »
Chinese navy evacuates Chinese nationals from war-torn Yemen
[image: PLA Navy Type 903A replenishment ship]China had started evacuating its 590 citizens from war-torn Yemen, Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed yesterday, as Arab leaders vowed to continue Saudi-led air strikes against Shiite rebels. "We have about 500 compatriots in Yemen, and we are concerned about every one of them," China National Radio quoted Wang as saying on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province. "They will soon be on their way home safe and sound." Read more
Will India Lease Another Russian Nuclear Submarine?
[image: Akula II Class (RS Nerpa - INS Chakra)]In December 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to India, traditionally a major consumer of Russia-made military equipment. In New Delhi, Putin met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the two pledged to deepen their defense ties. During that visit, Russia’s trade minister, Denis Manturov, hinted that Moscow would eagerly lease a nuclear submarine to India if there was interest: “If India decides to have more contracts to lease nuclear submarines, we are ready to supply,” he noted. Read more
Viraat decommissioning will not hit operations
[image: INS Viraat]The proposed decommissioning of the aircraft carrier INS Viraat next year will not affect the Navy’s operational plans, readiness or capability, says Vice-Admiral S.P.S. Cheema, outgoing chief of the Southern Naval Command. Vice-Admiral Cheema will take over the Mumbai-based Western Command, the sword arm of the Navy, early next month. Both carriers operated by the Navy — Viraat and Vikramaditya — are part of its potent Western Fleet. Read more
Vietnam's Submarines to Counter China?
[image: Hanoi class SSK]Vietnam and China have long contested claims over the Spratly and Paracel islands, including last year's dispute over China's attempted oil drilling and clashes between Vietnamese fishermen and Chinese boats. As Beijing presses territorial claims in the South China Sea, Vietnam is arming itself for a potential air and sea confrontation with its larger neighbor. Despite the difference in size between the two nations, particularly in terms of military power, Vietnam is not backing down. Read more
India interested in buying Japan’s Soryu-class submarines
[image: Soryu class SSK]Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar has expressed his readiness to consider acquiring Soryu-class diesel-electric submarines used by the Maritime Self-Defense Force. “We are very much interested in Japan’s technologies,” Parrikar said in an exclusive interview ahead of his visit to Japan from Monday. The issue may be taken up at his meeting with Defense Minister Gen Nakatani the same day, according to Parrikar. “Everything is on agenda. We can discuss that issue,” he said Saturday. Read more
Take a Sneak Peak at Israel's Secret Submarine Fleet
New footage from the Israeli Navy showcases the most advanced submarine in the IDF's arsenal: the Dolphin-class INS Tanin (Crocodile). The nuclear-capable submarine boasts an array of sophisticated weaponry, as well as the latest in intelligence-gathering technology. It stands at a whopping 68 meters long, compared to 57.3 meters on average for other submarines. Read more
General Election Lions - they don't like it up 'em - enough is enough!
*when the many confront the few* hey, it's voting season... you know, that time of the decade where we vote for some political party because they have policies and ideas THAT WE LIKE and/or if we don't like them they CHANGE THEIR POLICIES until we do. Oh, sorry, that's not how it works, is it - we vote for parties that we support. Oh, that's not how it works either. What tends to happen, and this is rife across The Economic European Union of Banks and Lobbies is that we the Voters are dissatisfied with being lied to forcing a Hung Parliament in every locality and then 'european royal... more »
(Social Costs Of Capitalism Are Destroying Earth’s Ability To Support Life) In Which the Would-Be Enforcement Official Cravenly Compliments the Industry He Supposedly Polices and Then Jokingly Puts Forward His Own Son As a Candidate for Job in Private Equity (Financial Feudalism Explained)
What’s Wrong with the Economy — and with Economics? Wait, you mean the gutting and deading of extreme capitalism has had a few downside social costs? And WTF are social costs? (And who cares anymore anyway?) Aren't we the noveau Richie Riches now? (It's good to be king.) . . . the external cost imposed on the climate by fossil-fuel use is the source of the life-threatening crisis that
Might Makes Right? US Can Save Fleeing Presidents, But Russia Cannot
Yemen, Ukraine, and the Hypocrisy of ‘Aggression’ *March 30, 2015* (Eric Draitser - NEO) - The military intervention in Yemen by a US-backed coalition of Arab states will undoubtedly inflame the conflict both in Yemen, and throughout the region. It is likely to be a protracted war involving many actors, each of which is interested in furthering its own political and geopolitical agenda. However, it is the international reaction to this new regional war which is of particular interest; specifically, the way in which the United States has reacted to this undeniable aggression by its... more »
Harper's Perps with Perks #15
Welcome Vic Toews to Stephen Harper's Perps with Perks for "giving patronage a bad name", as Dan Lett wrote in the Winnipeg Free Press two days ago, . Appointed to the Queens Court by Justice Minister Peter MacKay in March last year eight months after leaving the Cons cabinet, Toews - a former Justice Minister, Public Safety Minister, and head of the Treasury Board - has spent his time on the Manitoba bench making his presumed future appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada next year a tad more tricky for the Cons. "Toews has had his wages garnisheed under an order from a Queb... more »
Former Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Saleh: The Arab Spring Was a Zionist-Western Conspiracy (2014 Interview)
Saleh on the region-wide anarchy brought about by the Arab Spring: "I was one of the rulers, but I hoped that they would give rise to someone who would function better than me and my government. But it brought nothing but anarchy, the disintegration of nations, the destruction of the infrastructure and the economy, and the deterioration of the army and security services. The Muslim Brotherhood entered the units of the army and security services with no training, qualifications, or organization. Anarchy! That is why I called it the Zionist Spring." - Former Yemeni President Ali Abdal...more »
Putting Sanctions On Saudi Arabia
Iraq invaded its neighbour Kuwait and the empire of the age came knocking, bringing the house down. Saudi Arabia invades its neighbour Yemen and nothing. No knock. Not even a note by the window. A responsible, impartial, and consistent global cop, as Washington claims it is, would put sanctions on Saudi Arabia right about now. If the U.S., Pakistan, Egypt, and other members of the coalition of failed states attacking Yemen were smart they would've cut ties with the senile Saudis years ago. Saudi Arabia has been nothing but trouble for Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, the Middle East, and... more »
"We're Number 11 ... We're Number 11" ... (Canada slips to 11th place of developed nations in the world under Harper)
Canada drops out of top 10 most developed countries listThe United Nations human development index now ranks Canada as 11thCanada has slipped out of the top 10 countries listed in the annual United Nation's human development index — a far cry from the 1990s when it held the first place for most of the decade. The 2013 report, which reviews a country's performance in health, education and income, places Canada in 11th place versus 10th last year. A closer look at the trends shows Canada actually did better than last year, but other countries such as Japan and Australia improved at a g...more »
The Law of Unintended Consequences makes another unexpected appearance online
The unintended consequences of security theatre imposed on airline travel is replicated in the security theatre of mass online state surveillance – also supposedly for our protection against terrorists, but whose indiscriminate application has encouraged tech firms to improve encryption for perfectly legitimate non-terrorists, making surveillance of *any* real threat *more* difficult rather than less. A European police chief says the sophisticated online communications are the biggest problem for security agencies tackling terrorism… "[Tech firms] are doing it, I suppose, because... more »
You probably think this picture is a mistake. That's how much you know. It's hip contemporary design! (With a brief "Godfather" "explanatory update")
*You're probably figuring that the person who cropped this photo for publication was either thinking about something else at the time, or maybe drunk, or just plain stupid. Well, surprise! Apparently this is "contemporary design." (I know I shouldn't have centered it here, but old habits die hard.)* *by Ken* Awhile ago, as some of you may remember, I got myself enmeshed in a profiile of defrocked Russian plutocrat Mikhail Khodorkovsky, by Julia Ioffe, which appeared in the January 12 *New Yorker*. Accompanying that profile was the above, er, photo. Maybe I should say "image," sinc... more »
“Leading conspiracist intellectual” thanks French President
*Dear President Holland,* I am writing to thank you for deeming me one of the four leading “conspiracist intellectuals” in North America. I am also flattered by your suggestion that my “conspiracy theories” should be banned by the French and European governments, and globally by international agreement as well. I had no idea I was so important. Your anti-conspiracy outbursts appear to be targeting my new book *We Are Not Charlie Hebdo: Free Thinkers Question the French 9/11*. Are you *really* considering banning my book? That would be* incroyable*, *etonnant*, even *merveilleux*. ... more »
Israel's Brutality Against Palestinian Children
Palestinian children on the radar - as video emerges showing masked Israeli soldiers raiding West Bank homes at night and interrogating young boys.
Ipagbawal ang GDP Growth, Part 2
A friend, Prof. Bong Mendoza, posted this news report last January 30, 2015. The reporters, Rina Chandran and Sharon Chen, were at the Ayala-UPSE forum at Intercon Hotel in Makati last January. I was there too. It was NEDA Sec. Arsi Balisacan who said "no longer sick man of Asia", not the reporters, not their editor/s. The article makes sense. The sections on consumption boom and population boom, it's true. Our big, young population is an asset, not a liability. More population means more producers and consumers, more entrepreneurs and workers. Thailand -- and Japan, S. Korea, H... more »
Houthi Official Khaled Al-Madani: Yemen Will Be the Graveyard of the Saudi Invaders
*Title: Houthi Official Khaled Al-Madani: Yemen Will Be the Graveyard of the Saudi Invaders. Source: MEMRI TV. Date Published: March 28, 2015. Description:* In a speech delivered at a rally on March 26, 2015, Houthi official Khaled Al-Madani of the Supreme Revolutionary Council said: "The horn of Satan [i.e., Saudi Arabia] has hired mercenaries to attack Yemeni soil, but Yemen will become their graveyard." The crowds chanted "Death to America" and "Curses upon the Jews." The rally was broadcast on Mayadeen TV. " The Yemeni people fear none but Allah. . . We do not want the blood o... more »
What an uneventful weekend
So nothing really happened over the weekend, did it. Very uneventful altogether. Nothing on. Completely tranquil. Just your regular ordinary weekend with nothing special about. Nothing at all to see. Not a single thing. Right? Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Was there anything Liberal about the Tory/LibDem Coalition?
As the most wretched government in living memory shuffles off into the history books, let's take some time to reflect. For all intents and purposes, at least where this blog is concerned, it was a Conservative government. It was hard to remember that this was actually a coalition between two parties that came together, they claimed, because the national interest demanded it. For their part, the line the Liberal Democrats are peddling is their contribution knocked the sharp corners off the Tories. Were the Conservatives governing alone, their policies would have been extreme and pun... more »
Garry Wills, contemplating Pope Francis and his critics, says there are "two forms of Christianity now on offer" -- and it's up to Catholics to choose
*A homeless man uses an umbrella to shield himself from the water from the system installed by San Francisco's Cardinal Sal "The Faucet" Cordileone to drench riffraff trying to sleep under the overhang of St. Mary's Cathedral -- in Jesus's name, of course.* *"I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars. You have to heal the wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds."* *-- Pope Francis, in an August 2013 interview,quoted in a new NYRB blogp... more »
March 29: Just a short one...
First, there's very good news from Montreal. Some European-based groups were planning to march through a largely Muslim district of the city with a message of bigotry and hatred, making it a point to announce they intended to make the mosque a target. Now, Montreal has historically been a city of bigotries and hatreds aimed at anyone different. And both English and French have been guilty - including the most prominent families (in fact, especially the most prominent families.) And immigrants commonly have settled into distinct districts in the city, partly for access to their own h... more »
Editor's Note
I am traveling today. Blogging will return tomorrow morning. *Update Monday, 7:30 EST:* Suffering from jet-lag. Blogging will be "slow" today.
Rightwing Nuthouse: “4 Right Wing Lunacies this Week: Phil Robertson's Insane Bloody Atheist Fantasy”
*“4 Right Wing Lunacies this Week: * *Phil Robertson's Insane Bloody Atheist Fantasy”* And an Arizona Senator proposes a law requiring everyone to go to church. By Janet Allon *“1. Phil Robertson is a deeply disturbed man with a fantasy about beheading atheists.* Apparently, the version of Christianity that ‘Duck Dynasty’ patriarch Phil Robertson believes in is a very bloody, vengeful, sexually sadistic and psychopathic one. Either that, or the dude is just insane. The right-wing darling got off this week on spinning out a fantasy involving raping, decapitating and castrating an ath... more »
Let Luke Flynt Clearly Explain How Value-Added Test Evaluation Works
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Arab League Agrees To The Formation Of A Unified Regional Military Force
Snapshot from State TV of the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi specks during the closing session of Arab Summit, in Sharm el Sheik, South Sinai, Egypt, Saturday, March 28, 2015 (Photo: State TV) *IBTimes/Reuters: **Arab League Summit: Leaders To Announce Unified Force To Counter Security Threats* *SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) -- Arab leaders at a summit in Egypt will announce the formation of a unified regional force to counter growing security threats, according to a draft of the final communique, as conflicts rage from Yemen to Libya. The summit will also call on Ira... more »
Sunday Classics snapshots: Count Almaviva goes a-wooing, then and now
*Urged on by Figaro (Ross Benoliel), "Lindoro" (Luigi Boccia as Count Almaviva) identifies himself to Rosina (Stephanie Lauricella), with Enrico Granafei playing the guitar and Jason Tramm conducting, at New Jersey State Opera, June 2012. (For English text, see below.)* *by Ken* I'd like to think we established the premise well enough in last week's "snapshots" post, "Rosina I and Rosina II," where we heard aural snapshots of young Rosina first as the spitfire being wooed by the supposed poor student Lindoro in the opera Rossini fashioned from the popular Beaumarchais play *The Ba... more »
Seed Sharing Deemed Illegal in the United States
By Growing Your Greens John from Growing Your Greens breaks the news that seed sharing in the USA has been deemed not legal and certain organizations are prohibited from freely sharing seeds... In this episode, John interviews Lawyer, Neil Thapar of the Sustainable Economies Law Center on how seed sharing has been deemed Illegal by certain states in the USA and how you can help change this. Sign the Seed Sharing Petition at: http://www.saveseedsharing.org/ Learn more about Seed Sharing Legalities: http://www.theselc.org/ Learn how to start a seed sharing library: http://www.seedl... more »
The USrahelli Nuclear Winter Is Coming To The Middle East
Most polls show that the majority of the American people support the nuclear negotiations with Iran. Only a tiny, ideological fringe within the U.S. establishment, which is very close to Israel, wants a war. You know what this means, right? A new false flag in America to rally the American people against Iran and Islam is around the corner. But the craziness and criminality won't end there. The only two states crazy enough and powerful enough to use nuclear weapons against civilians are America and Israel. When America used nukes the first time, it was just for kicks, to show off ... more »
Top Ten Pet Peeves About Literary Agents
Yeah, I know I'm a bad blogger, No Cheetos. Specifically, I'm a bad political blogger and I honestly do feel guilty about disappointing what few faithful readers I have by not providing content on a regular basis that would, however inadequately, justify the donations I've been receiving for the last six years. And I *will *get to Ted Cruz, Mike Pence and his piece of shit anti-LGBT law and so forth in good time. But the annual round of submissions of *Tatterdemalion *to literary agents, something I hadn't done in a year, has built up a lot of resentment in m
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