Thursday, January 01, 2015

1 Jan - Blogs I'm Following II

10:37pm MST

Wretched ConservaDem Marty Chavez... Still Shilling For His Corporate Benefactors-- This Time Against Net Neutrality

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 36 minutes ago
*DWT* has been covering vile right-wing New Mexico Democrat Marty Chavez for a decade. When he ran for mayor of Albuquerque in 2005 he opposed raising the minimum wage and ran as an anti-taxing, anti-spending and anti-liberal faux-Dem. The DCCC has always been interested in getting him into Congress; he's their kind of guy. As mayor he managed to piss off unions, environmentalists and social progressives cobbling together a coalition of conservatives across party lines. He's remembered for having endorsed several Republicans in local races and for his endorsement of Republican Pet... more »

DARPA Projects To Watch In 2015

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 53 minutes ago
*Defense Tech:* *DARPA Projects to Watch in 2015* *WNU Editor: *A lot of cool tech being developed. For anyone who is interested in more .... the DARPA website* is here*.

Russian And Chinese News Agencies Are Starting To Compete Against The BBC

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 hour ago
*John Lloyd, Reuters*: Russian, Chinese ‘news’ coming to a TV near you *WNU Editor:* I have started to use both news services RT and CCTV this past year. And while I do not trust them for the news that they report within their own borders .... outside and on the global scene I do find that these agencies do provide a consistent counterpoint from the standard main stream media. But as regular readers of this blog know .... I always identify the sources that I used for this blog. On a side note .... another advantage with RT and CCTV is on the issue of copyright .... unlike some wes... more »

Ebola In Graphics

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 hour ago
(Click on Image to Enlarge) *Economist:* *Ebola in graphics - The toll of a tragedy* *WNU Editor:* This Economist post has an excellent collection of tables, graphs, and maps on the Ebola epidemic .... check it out.

A Look At Who Has Conquered The Most Territory In Syria In The Past 10 Months

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 hour ago
#Syria Map 1: March 10, 2014 Map 2: January 1, 2015 pic.twitter.com/neW5esfjWy — Pieter Van Ostaeyen (@p_vanostaeyen) January 1, 2015 *WNU Editor: *In short .... the Syrian Free Army has been crushed, the Syrian government has lost the east, the Kurds are getting squeezed at Kobani, and the Islamic State and Al Qaeda affiliated groups now control half the country.

The Failure of the Post-Colonial State in the Middle East: A Conversation with Chris Giannou

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 2 hours ago
*Wikipedia:* Chris Giannou (born 1949) is a Greek Canadian war surgeon and served chief surgeon for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) until December 2006. Giannou left his official post with the ICRC after 7 years as the head of Unit Surgery, and today carries out international surgical missions around the world on their behalf. He is the topic of the Cineflix film "On the Border of the Abyss" which covers his lifetime of work in helping less-fortunate people and in mastering the concepts of war surgery. The documentary was aired, as "War Surgeon: Chris Giannou"... more »

U.S. Military Vet Says That It Is Easy To Be Recruited To Fight Against The Islamic State In Syria

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 hours ago
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com *FOX News*: US vet says fighting in Syria was as easy as buying airplane ticket to Miami *WNU Editor: * I am not surprised .... *US vet says fighting in Syria was as easy as buying airplane ticket to Miami.* If supporters of the Islamic State could easily go to Syria to join the Islamic State .... why not for the other side. But what is disturbing about the above FOX report is that according to this U.S. military vet, many who do go there are not qualified to fight .... and for those who want to leave .... even for him .... there are obs... more »

MNN 'MENACE FROM WITHIN'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 3 hours ago
MENACE FROM WITHIN MENACE FROM WITHIN   Please post & distribute. Nia:wen. MNN, 1 Jan. 2015. The military sends in an advance force which is often sacrificed in battle. The band councils, national,... View on mohawknationnews.com Preview by Yahoo

Manly P. Hall: Author and Mystic

Mars Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 3 hours ago
*Manly Palmer Hall (March 18, 1901 – August 29, 1990) was a Canadian-born author and mystic. He is perhaps most famous for his work The Secret Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy, which is widely regarded as his magnum opus, and which he published at the age of 25 (or 27, 1928)* *He has been widely recognized as a leading scholar in the fields of religion, mythology, mysticism, and the occult.* *Carl Jung, when writing Psychology and Alchemy, borrowed material from Hall’s private collection.* ... more »

The Islamic State Is Winning The Hearts And Minds Of Fellow Islamic Radicals

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 3 hours ago
*NBC, Robert Windrem:* Is ISIS Winning Battle for Islamic Radicals' Hearts and Minds? *WNU Editor*: U.S. intelligence is clearly worried that this is a growing trend .... *The Pentagon Is Trying To Understand Why The Islamic State Is So Dangerous*. What's my take ... the Islamic State has a lot of enemies .... but they also have a lot of supporters. In this context Lt. General James Terry's remarks (see above video) makes sense .... it is going to take time for the Islamic State to be routed on the battlefield, and it is going to take even longer to extinguish their appeal among t... more »

Let's kick off the new year with an upbeat thought from psychologist Dacher Ketner: "We are built to be kind"

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
*"We are built to be kind"*: *A question that has intrigued UC Berkeley psychologist Dacher Keltner is why people, who we know to be motivated by self-interst to perpetuate the species, are "so frequently and routinely good, and generous, and sacrificing?" And he insists that nobody understood this better than Charles Darwin, who believed that "communities that have the most sympathetic members will flourish and raise the greatest number of offspring."* *by Ken* Hat tip to The Frisky's Rebecca Vipond Brink ("Here's Why Humans Are Built to Be Kind") for sharing this upbeat lesson f... more »

U.S. Intensifying Its Military Commitment To Iraq

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 4 hours ago
American troops and equipment have begun arriving at Al Asad Air Base in Anbar Province. American commanders say their goal is to train 5,000 Iraqi recruits every six weeks. Credit Ayman Oghanna for The New York Times *Washington Post:* *U.S. advisers in Iraq stay out of combat but see fighting edging closer* *WNU Editor*: U.S. soldiers who are on the ground may be staying away from the combat .... but the U.S. air force has certainly been busy over the skies of Iraq and Syria this past week .... *New Year bomb attack on ISIS: America launches TWENTY NINE air strikes over Syria an... more »

Crisis In Ukraine -- News Updates January 1, 2015

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 4 hours ago
*Bloomberg:* Ukrainian Army, Rebels Trade Blame Amid Warning of Hard 2015 *WNU Editor:* With both sides far apart on the key issues .... I do not see peace coming to eastern Ukraine. My prediction .... come springtime the war will restart with the ferocity of what happened last summer. For the rest of Ukraine .... the economy has .... for all intents and purposes .... collapsed. This will become the number one issue in Ukraine later this year .... aside from the war. *Ukraine Crisis -- News Updates January 1, 2015* Ukraine says rebels keep up attacks into New Year -- Reuters Kiev ... more »

Musical Interlude: Kevin Kern, “Dance Of The Searching Souls”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
Kevin Kern, “Dance Of The Searching Souls” - https://www.youtube.com/

"The Eternal Silence of Infinite Spaces..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
"The eternal silence of infinite spaces frightens me. Why now rather than then? Who has put me here? By whose order and direction have this place and time have been ascribed to me? We travel in a vast sphere, always drifting in the uncertain, pulled from one side to another. Whenever we find a fixed point to attach and to fasten ourselves, it shifts and leaves us; and if we follow it, it eludes our grasp, slips past us, and vanishes for ever. Nothing stays for us. This is our natural condition, most contrary to our inclination; we burn with desires to find solid ground and an ultima... more »

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
“Big, beautiful NGC 5584 is more that 50,000 light-years across and lies 72 million light-years away toward the constellation Virgo. The winding spiral arms of this gorgeous island universe are loaded with luminous young star clusters and dark dust lanes. Still, for earthbound astronomers NGC 5584 is not just another pretty face-on spiral galaxy. *Click image for larger size.* Home to some 250 Cepheid variable stars and a recent Type Ia supernova explosion, key objects for astronomical distance determinations, NGC 5584 is one of 8 galaxies used in a new study that includes additional... more »

The Universe

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
"What you pay for in life, you get. What you don't pay for, you don't get. The currency is a concerted, persistent effort in thought, word, and deed. Each designed to raise expectations, instill optimism, and imply your inevitable success. And to make "things" happen even faster, understand to the absolute core of your being that this is how you created everything now in your life. What you pay for in life, you get." "You buy that?" The Universe "Thoughts become things... choose the good ones!" www.tut.com

"And Never, Never Forget..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget." - Arundhati Roy

Chet Raymo, “Pointless?”; “They Don't Know Neither Do I So There You Are”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
*“Pointless?”* by Chet Raymo "Theresa drew our attention to the Templeton Foundation's two-page ad the New York Times that gave the responses of a dozen prominent scientists and scholars to the question "Does the universe have a purpose?" You can read the complete essays here. I am reminded of a previousMusing* in which I put the question to three famous (fictional) characters. Specifically, I asked for a response to Nobel prize-winning physicist Steven Weinberg's famous remark near the end of his 1977 best-selling book, "The First Three Minutes": "The more the universe seems comp... more »

"The Question To Ask..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
"Don't spend your precious time asking "Why isn't the world a better place?" It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is "How can I make it better?" To that there is an answer." - Leo Buscaglia

"No BS Theory of Life"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
* "No BS Theory of Life"* by Dr. Robert Lanza "Forget the self-help books. No book or person can promise you happiness. Christmas time is the mostly likely time of the year to experience depression. We share our love with friends and family, and get lots of gifts. So why aren't we all joyous? What the hell is going on? Did you ever wonder why people like Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson didn't fare any better than you or I despite all their money, fame, and access to people of wisdom? The answer lies in your own backyard. Look at the shrubs, tangled with vines, with here and there... more »

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
Prescott Valley, Arizona, USA. Thanks for stopping by.

"Intellectual Prostitutes!"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
"There is no such thing, at this date of the world's history, in America as an independent press. You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions, and if you did you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid $150 a week for keeping my honest opinion out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for things, and if any of you would be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my pape... more »

“Cold-War-Style Propaganda Posing as News”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
*“Cold-War-Style Propaganda Posing as News”* by Dave Lindorff “As shameful a propagandist for Washington’s war machine as the New York Times has been over the years, sometimes I still cannot believe the brazenness of its abandonment of even a pretext of dispassionate journalistic standards. One of those moments came today, when I read the left-column page-one article by Jim Yardley and Jo Becker headlined “How Putin Forged a Pipeline Deal that Derailed.” In this Putin hit piece, the two journalists write that the pipeline in question, the so-called South Stream, which was intended ... more »

India - Pakistan Border Clashes Continue

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 6 hours ago
*Voice of America:* India, Pakistan Trade Deadly Fire in Kashmir *WNU Editor*: I have lost count on the number of gun battles that have occurred on this disputed border. But this one was intense .... and both sides are not backing down. *More News On The Border Clashes Between India And Pakistan* Five dead in New Year's Eve clashes on India-Pakistan border -- Reuters Kashmir: Five troops killed in India, Pakistan clashes -- BBC Skirmishes Flare on India-Pakistan Border -- NYT 3 soldiers killed in Kashmir gunfight between India and Pakistan -- CNN India and Pakistan exchange deadly fi... more »

"The Ultimate Choice..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago
"That man can destroy life is just as miraculous a feat as that he can create it, for life is the miracle, the inexplicable. In the act of destruction, man sets himself above life; he transcends himself as a creature. Thus, the ultimate choice for a man, inasmuch as he is driven to transcend himself, is to create or to destroy, to love or to hate." - Erich Fromm

Ring In The New Year With “Tubular Bells”!

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 7 hours ago
Mike Oldfield, “Tubular Bells” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5gDGcXIEQE

Waking Times’ Top 20 Most Popular Articles of 2014

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 7 hours ago
*Dylan Charles* - 2014 was a phenomenal year in so many ways, and it is with abundant gratitude and appreciation that we say thanks The post Waking Times’ Top 20 Most Popular Articles of 2014 appeared first on Waking Times.

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 7 hours ago

Rip-off News round-up 2014. Our pick of the last year's media

Hari at Ripped-off Britons - 7 hours ago
Welcome to our eye-watering compilation of some of the rippingest rip-offs of 2014 January RBS payouts to UK staff expected to total £500m despite an £8bn loss The bank is now expected to show an £8bn loss after announcing that mis-selling scandals and legal bills in the US were forcing it to take a £3bn hit. Analysts at Credit Suisse calculated the bank's total losses since the 2008

"Letters to the Future"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 7 hours ago
* "Letters to the Future"* by Olaf Stapledon “In 1917 the author Olaf Stapledon published “Letters to the Future,” a series of 4 letters addressed to his great grandson in the year 1999. This post is Letter 1, excerpted. How remarkably relevant they seem today... “To my Great Grandson in early manhood. Sir, If ever you come upon this letter, forgive its preglacial dialect, and have patience to spell out its meaning. How gladly would I address you in whatever speech lives in your ears! The thoughts which follow must, I know, reach you only as dead and fragile specimens; but today th... more »

Professor Richard Bulliet: Religion and the State in Islam: From Medieval Caliphate to the Muslim Brotherhood

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 7 hours ago
*Wikipedia:* Richard W. Bulliet is a professor of history at Columbia University who specializes in the history of Islamic society and institutions, the history of technology, and the history of the role of animals in human society *Amazon Biography of Richard W. Bulliet:* I have been teaching at Columbia University since 1973. Before that I taught at Harvard for six years and at UC Berkeley for two. All that redeems me from being identified as a pure academic is the enjoyment I derive from writing fiction. My first novel, Kicked to Death by a Camel, was nominated for an Edgar in... more »

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 1, 2015

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 7 hours ago
*Top Story:* Obama Envoy John Allen: No 'Short-Term Solutions' for Stopping Islamic State -- Interview Conducted By Matthias Gebauer and Holger Stark, Spiegel Online *Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 1, 2015* Iran in Iraq and Syria: Death of a general -- The Economist Will President Obama's strategy on Iran work? -- Adam Garfinkle, American Interest Saudi King in Hospital: Succession Crisis Looms -- Simon Henderson, Washington Institute Palestinian statehood: a lost cause? -- Inside Story/Al Jazeera Afghan War is over (except that it's not) -- Jules Witcover, ... more »

Crackpot Utopia: The Year in Republican Crazy, Part 10

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
*• Newsmax -- Beyond Drudgery* *• Crazyspeak of the Year nominees Nos. 12 and 13: Michele Bachmann, Kimberly Guilfoyle* *Newsmax, says Noah, "tells republicans what they want to believe." (See No. 1.) And the way Newsmax sees it, who better to tear President Obama down than "political analyst" Dick Morris? In this segment (watch it here), Dick's "news" is that Obama is blowing off national-security briefings -- part of his determined effort to undermine national security.* *Crackpot Utopia:* *A dream world as envisioned by republicans; a manifestation or expression of the deranged,... more »

“The Secret To A Happy Life- Courtesy of Tolstoy”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 7 hours ago
*“The Secret To A Happy Life- Courtesy of Tolstoy”* by Roman Krznaric “Tolstoy, who was born in 1828 and died in 1910, was a member of the Russian nobility, from a family that owned an estate and hundreds of serfs. The early life of the young count was raucous, debauched and violent. "I killed men in wars and challenged men to duels in order to kill them," he wrote. "I lost at cards, consumed the labor of the peasants, sentenced them to punishments, lived loosely, and deceived people…so I lived for ten years." But he gradually weaned himself off his decadent, racy lifestyle and rej... more »

World News Briefs -- January 1, 2015

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 8 hours ago
*Top Story:* World Welcomes 2015 With Cheers, Fireworks, Hopes *MIDDLE EAST* U.S., partners hit *Islamic State in Syria, Iraq*. Civilian death toll in Iraq doubles to *17,000 in 2014 'due to rise of ISIS'*. Syria's war *'killed 76,021' in 2014*. Over 76,000 killed in *Syrian war in 2014: NGO*. Syrian president visits front line *of civil war on New Year's Eve*. Syria opposition group: *Assad must go for any peace plan to work*. Lebanon hit hard by Syrian war, *growing ISIL support*. Death toll of Yemen anti-Huthi *bomb blast rises to 49*. Suspected 'terrorist' arrested *near P... more »

happy new year from wmtc

laura k at wmtc - 8 hours ago
"Hey Diego, wanna hear a secret...?"It's been an exciting year here in wmtc-Joy of Sox-land: me working full-time in my new career, completing a year as a youth-services librarian, Allan publishing a new book, which was well received and got great reviews. It looks to be an exciting year ahead, too: I was recently elected head of our library workers' union. Our membership finally has an appetite for a stronger union, and we have a revamped leadership team to show for it. I expect all my accumulated experience and skills will be put to the test as I navigate some brand-new territory.... more »

Me at the ASSA Meeting

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 8 hours ago
I have a busy few days at the upcoming ASSA meeting in Boston. For those interested, I will be involved in the following public events: Jan 03, 2015 8:00 am, Sheraton Boston, Independence Ballroom American Economic Association *A Discussion of Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the 21st Century"* (D3) *Presiding*: N. Gregory Mankiw (Harvard University) Capital and Wealth in the 21st Century David N. Weil (Brown University) [Download Preview] TBD Capital Taxation in the 21st Century Alan J. Auerbach (University of California-Berkeley) Kevin Hassett (American Enterprise Institute)... more »

What armed struggle?

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 9 hours ago
Current media coverage of the Israel / Palestinian conflict roughly boils down to whose word is trusted and believed. Who said what. “One side said this; the other said that.” Not that I count this blog as actual ‘media coverage’, but I’m aware that the principle ‘whose word do I trust” applies to me too, but I might boast that I try to look below the surface where many others appear not to bother In the absence of objective historical research combined with a lack of intellectual curiosity on the part of BBC bosses, we’ve ended up with a BBC consensus that has opted, on some sort ... more »

Daisy Alliance

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 9 hours ago

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 1, 2015

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 9 hours ago
*IBTimes: **ISIS Update: Iran, Iraq Agree To Military Pact To Combat Islamic State Militants* *WNU Editor: *I guess the Iraqis do not have confidence in U.S./allied promises and commitments to train their military and to combat the Islamic State. *Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 1, 2015* Iranian military commander: We have forces in Syria, Yemen and Iraq -- Middle East Monitor Iran Holds Navy Parade Marking End of Six-Day Military Drills: Reports -- Sputnik US aims to quickly train Iraq forces for anti-IS fight -- AFP US Ends 2014 with More Airstrikes in Iraq a... more »

Over 17,000 Iraqi Civilians Killed From Warfare And Terrorism In 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 9 hours ago
24 civilians killed in #Iraq 31 December. 1,190 in December. 17,073 in 2014. — Iraq Body Count (@iraqbodycount) January 1, 2015 *RT*: Civilian death toll in Iraq doubles to 17,000 in 2014 'due to rise of ISIS'. *WNU Editor:* Here is an easy prediction .... expect this number to double by years end. *More News On This Year's Civilian Death Toll In Iraq* Report says Iraqi civilian deaths roughly doubled last year, driven by ISIS -- CNN More than 17,000 Iraqi civilians killed in 2014 by ISIS and its enemies, NGO says -- Haaretz Iraqi civilian deaths spike in 2014 -- The Hill Over 15... more »

Jan.1: Oh-my-God...

Graeme Decarie at The Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad - 9 hours ago
The front page, banner headline in the TandT is, "Spirit of Moncton is newsmaker of the year". That is surely an embarrassing reminder of the worst of the small-town boosterism of the 1920s. Yeah, greatest little city in the world. Yeah. Great new hockey rink that will bring the world to our doorstep, too. And, hey, buy yer forests here - cheap. Look, there are cities in this world that have suffered the deaths of innocent people in the hundreds of thousands - and have survived. Moncton is not unique. When policemen were murdered, what did the editors think would happen? That eve... more »

Did Ancient Egyptians Have Airplanes?

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 10 hours ago
It is completely plausible that an individual inventor tackled the problem of flight using mechanical contraptions. After all, we did when our Iron Age was still pretty crude. Such an inventor would and could make simple hand models as gifts and teaching tools. We can also be sure that some form of kite making also existed in Egypt. After all they did have papyrus. Even the paper airplane worked with that. What was lacking of course was a light weight power plant. All experiments were thus tentative and suggestive only. Yet ample enough to generate the clear evidence we see. T... more »

Even in Colour, Comet 67P is Grey

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 10 hours ago
So far, so good. As i have posted long before, I expect to have a great deal of elemental carbon which does not lend itself to easy analysis. All evidence conforms to comets been formed from what we class as volatiles which also includes water obviously. Yet water does not have to be nor is likely to be the dominant component at all. That is much more likely to be methane. Thus when such a body passes close to the sun, the surface temperature sky rockets and the methane and every other organic breaks down driving of the hydrogen while leaving elemental carbon. The elemen... more »

A Look At The Syrian Civil War From Space

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago
Nighttime light in Syria, as viewed from space in March 2011 (top image) and February 2014 (bottom) ( Xi Li/Deren Li ) *The Atlantic: **The Syrian Civil War, From Space* *My Comment:* So .... this is what a disintegrating country looks like from outer space .... and I suspect that if a satellite image was taken today (the image above was taken in February) .... there will be even less light.

Top false flag stories of this week - and of 2014!

Kevin Barrett at truthjihad.com blog - 10 hours ago
*TODAY’S NEWS STORIES AND THEIR SOURCE LINKS* *False-flag to trigger collapse in 2015?* *1) 2015 collapse will be unprecedented* http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/chain-reaction-of-problems-coming-in-2015-collapse-will-be-on-a-scale-that-is-many-magnitudes-greater-than-2008_12292014 2) Economy isn’t going to recover and government preparing in not nice ways http://investmentwatchblog.com/the-economy-isnt-going-to-recover-u-s-government-preparing-for-collapse-and-not-in-a-nice-way/ 3) Markets panic over possibility of democracy in Greece http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/29/135... more »

2014 Deadliest Year In Syria's Civil War, 76,021 Reported Killed

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago
A Free Syrian Army fighter sprays graffiti on a wall prior to the new year in Aleppo December 31, 2014. Jalal Al-Mamo/Reuters *Al Jazeera:* *Syria's war 'killed 76,021' in 2014*. *WNU Editor: *This has been the deadliest year in Syria's civil war .... and the prediction is that 2015 will be even more bloodier. *More News On The Death Toll In Syria's Civil War* Syria's war killed 76,021 in 2014 - monitor -- Reuters Over 76,000 killed in Syria war in 2014, deadliest year yet: monitor -- AFP Syrian Conflict Death Toll: 76,021 People Killed In 2014, Report Says -- IBTimes 2014 deadliest... more »

100 imágenes hermosas para empezar el año con alegría

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 11 hours ago
Hola mi gente bonita! Para empezar el año con el pie derecho, nada mejor que una sobredosis de imágenes bonitas sobre diversos temas. Espero que esta colección le ayude a ver el mundo de una manera diferente y que juntos avanzamos día con día disfrutando de nuestra enorme biodiversidad. Saludos en la distancia. -José Luis Ávila Herrera

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 11 hours ago
*Video: Saints coach Sean Payton talks about what the team did right and wrong this season ~Advocate * *Bears request permission to interview Saints’ Ryan Pace ~Mike Triplett, ESPN* *Much of David Duke’s ’91 Campaign Is Now in Louisiana Mainstream ~Jeremy Alford, NYT* *Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance Working To Create Affordable Housing ~Eve Abrams, WWNO* *Historians: Battle of New Orleans crucial for US ~Cain Burdeau, AP* *'Apes' visual effects team turns New Orleans into San Francisco ~Patrick Kevin Day, LA Times*

The main headline on the BBC early evening news, why?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 11 hours ago
Three Egyptian journalists will get a retrial. Why is that the most important news story for the BBC? Is it anything to do with the BBC's obsession with promoting the interests of the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamism?

Hasn't Anybody Heard Of Blowback?

Manifesto Joe at Manifesto Joe's Texas Blues - 11 hours ago
The resilience of the Baghdad government has admittedly surprised me. I didn't expect it to be here by now. One big reason it has survived is that the Islamic State extremists are bigger fools than I thought, as well. They've managed to alienate enough people in the Middle East to ensure that they won't have the success that, say, the communists had in Southeast Asia. I was wrong to compare the Baghdad government to the Saigon government. I admit it. Plus, the ISIL militants have proved so barbaric in their standard practices that they can't be ignored. It can be argued that they ar... more »

Syrian Presidency Releases Video Showing Assad (In A Rare Public Appearance) Visiting Soldiers

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
*Voice of America*: *Syria's Assad Visits Troops on Front Line Near Damascus* *WNU Editor:* This conflict is now entering the fourth year and everyone is getting tired of the never-ending war .... he had to show up .... morale is bad enough .... failing to show his face would not be helping the situation. *More News On Syrian President Assad Visiting Soldiers On The "Front Lines Near Damascus"* Syria's Assad visits embattled Damascus district: presidency -- Reuters Syrian President Bashar Assad makes rare appearance, visits front lines in Damascus -- AP Assad eats hummus with troo... more »

Video Shows Iranian Aircraft 'Buzzing' U.S. Navy Destroyer Near The Strait Of Hormuz

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
*Aviationist:* *Video shows Iranian Aircraft buzz U.S. Navy Destroyer, warn it to leave exercise area in Strait of Hormuz* *WNU Editor: *It looks like the video was taken by the co-pilot in the Iranian aircraft .... and they are indeed flying very close to the U.S. destroyer. From the U.S. destroyer's perspective, the Iranian Fokker 27 would *look like this.* *Update:* Iranian Navy's Warning Pushes Back US Warships -- Military.com/FARS News Agency

Very Different Kinds Of Republican Party Purges In Arizona And Hawaii

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
You may have heard that McCain, in preparation for his reelection run in 2016-- if he wins, he'd be 86 when his term expires-- is trying to purge the Arizona GOP of extremists. Aside from "who would be left?" we might wonder what McCain is afraid of. And, of course it's a primary challenge by a teabagger like Dave Schweikert or Matt Salmon. McCain is trying to purge the party apparatus of the worst of the fascists and racists who dominate it. Prior to Aug. 26, when the races for the party offices were held, the vast majority of the 3,925 precinct slots were filled by people McCai... more »

HarperCollins omits Israel from school atlas

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 12 hours ago
The Telegraph reports http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/11318286/HarperCollins-omits-Israel-from-school-atlas.html that Harper Collins omitted Israel from a map with this explanation... '... Collins Bartholomew, the subsidiary of HarperCollins that specialises in maps, said that including Israel would have been "unacceptable" to their customers in the Gulf and the amendment incorporated "local preferences".' Well they are correct because to a vast number of Muslims in the Middle East, and beyond, Israel's presence is "unacceptable" and their preference ... more »

Collins Bartholomew Wipes Israel From Its Maps

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
Omitted: The map in the Collins Bartholomew atlas, sold to English-speaking schools in the majority-Muslim Gulf, omits Israel *The Tablet:* *Publisher HarperCollins omits Israel from school atlas 'to meet local preferences'* *WNU Editor:* If it is not on the map .... it does not exist. What a novel way of approaching the world and teaching in school .... to say that this is stupid is an understatement. *More News On Collins Bartholomew Deleting The State Of Israel From Its Maps* Publishing Giant HarperCollins Apologizes for Middle East Atlas That Wiped Israel Off Map (UPDATE) -- ... more »

Self-Evident Truths?

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 12 hours ago
[exaggerating for effect]"EnMasse" has dwindled to about 10 regular users, but it's still managed to attract some of the stupidest fucking people on the fucking planet.[/exaggerating for effect] Check out this quote from one of my bête noires, the anarchist super-radical "Slumberjack." In response to my assertion that we on the left have to come up with a revolutionary agenda equal in significance to the bloody tragedies of the World Wars and the Great Depression, because Thomas Piketty has pretty convincingly demonstrated that they and they alone produced the only real change in th... more »

Khorasani Brigade Another Iraq Militia That Returned Home From Syria To Fight The Insurgency

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 13 hours ago
There are now a plethora of militias operating in Iraq. Some have been around a long time like the Badr Organization that was formed in the 1980s, while others are relatively new. One of the latter is the Khorasani Brigade, which first came out into the public eye at the end of 2013. It was one of many pro-Iranian Iraqi militias deployed to fight the rebels in Syria. It has now moved to Iraq where it has taken part in some of the most recent security operations. Two of those were in Tuz Kharmato in Salahaddin and Jalawla in Diyala. Now the brigade is involved in a dispute between ... more »

The Price To Buy Venezuelan Oil Has Collapsed To $48 Per Barrel

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*Latin American Herald Tribune*: *Maduro Says Venezuela Oil Prices Drop to $48 Per Barrel, Blames the U.S.* *WNU Editor:* If this keeps up .... Venezuela will face default on its international debt obligations later in 2015. And if that happens .... the crisis in Venezuela will then certainly explode. On a side note .... the faithful in the revolution still believe in the "cause", but they are getting old .... *Latin American Leftist Exiles Hold Faith in Maduro's Venezuela* (VOA) *More News On The Impact Of Falling Oil Prices On Venezuela* Maduro blames plunging oil prices on U.S... more »

Hugh Hendry declares he's taking the blue pills now - First , what further proof do we need that fiction is becoming part of our new normal reality ? Second , that investors should think hard as to where they place their funds in 2015 !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 13 hours ago
*fred walton* ‏@fredwalton216 4m 4 minutes ago Hugh Hendry Embraces The Central-Planning Matrix: "I Am Taking The Blue Pills Now" http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-3 1/hugh-hendry-embraces-central-planning-matrix-i-am-taking-blue-pills-now … *fred walton* ‏@fredwalton216 2m 2 minutes ago @fredwalton216 Message to Hugh - You have been down that road before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlztKOlqiEQ … YouTube Matrix 01 You have been down that road before "You have been down that Road Before" View on web Hugh Hendry Embraces The Central-Planning Matrix: "I Am Taking Th... more »

White House Stung By Cuba's Recent Crackdown On Dissidents

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*Washington Times*: *Obama administration stung by Cuban crackdown on dissidents, complicating detente* *WNU Editor:* They are stunned?!?!?!?! The Castro brothers have been running a communist dictatorship for almost 55 odd years .... they thought that by recognizing them they would then change? *More News On U.S. Reaction To Cuba's Crackdown On Dissent* United States 'deeply concerned' by Cuba dissident arrests -- BBC U.S. condemns Cuba's reported arrest of 6 dissidents -- CNN Cuba Dissident Sanchez Says She Was Arrested Before Rally in Early Test of U.S. Deal -- Bloomberg Cuban A... more »

Sol goes bottomless.... and topless?

D ... Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 15 hours ago
I am posting these pictures of Sol, without any comment..... because I seriously have never seen anything like this before and given the videos last week with the sun's "lightening storm", I'm sitting here sorta scratching my head and saying "WTF?!" December 29 2014 I have never seen coronal holes like this before. I mean, we've seen huge ones in the past, but not with the entire bottom of the sun encompassed by a Coronal hole. If that isn't weird enough, chick out the video of the bizarre lightening "storm" coming from the sun. *Published on Dec 23, 2014* UPDATE: W.T.F... more »

Guess Who's Watching The Hen House?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
During the election, we talked a bit about how the CIA and other spy agencies worked hard to insert their own operatives into Congress as members, with the object of getting control over oversight of their own agencies. There were some successes (William Hurd in Texas) and some failures (Kevin Strouse and Bobby McKenzie) but electing Members of Congress isn't the only way the National Security State can keep control of their shit. This week, investigative journalist Lee Fang, writing for *Republic Report*, exposed another: high-paid lobbyists being hired by Intelligence shills to ... more »

Top 100 Independent Tweeting Bloggers 2014

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 16 hours ago
I know at least two people have been looking forward to this year's independent bloggers' list. Sure, it's a bit different from the curmudgeonly elder sibling, but that's all for the good. Here's where blogging folk are keeping it real and (mostly) doing it because it's a passion, not a payslip. If you want to geek out over definitions have a look at last year's. If the commentators list is the top 40 as revealed by Radio 1 every Sunday afternoon, then think of this as your alternative/indie chart tucked away in the pages of the *NME*. Enough of that. Here's the list for 2014. How ... more »

Breaking: New Year dawns on schedule!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 16 hours ago
*THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015With us in a distant locale:* Yesterday, we journeyed to the Hudson Valley to attend a bit of a memorial service. The new year has dawned bright and clear in this locale. With apologies, we expect to resume our current series on Saturday.

Untitled

JR at GREENIE WATCH - 16 hours ago
*Climate change caused the AirAsia crash* *You knew it, didn't you?* The AirAsia jet in which 162 people lost their lives this week behaved in ways "bordering on the edge of logic" according to Indonesian aviation analyst Gerry Soejatman citing leaked information from the air crash investigation team. The Airbus 320-200 climbed in a way that was impossible to achieve by the pilot, adding that it subsequently "didn't fall out of the sky like an aeroplane", he told Fairfax Media. "It was like a piece of metal being thrown down. It's really hard to comprehend … The way it goes down... more »

Ukraine - Russia Situation - After the travails of 2014 , what lies ahead for 2015 ? Recent items of note touching upon the complicated geopolitical situation of Russia and Ukraine.

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
Tweets...... *Al Arabiya English* ‏@AlArabiya_Eng 7m 7 minutes ago Oil falls towards $57 as demand concerns outweigh supply disruptions http:// english.alarabiya.net/en/business/en ergy/2014/12/31/Oil-falls-towards-57-as-demand-concerns-outweigh-supply-disruptions.html … [image: Embedded image permalink] *zerohedge* @zerohedge · 11h11 hours ago Guest Post: 2014 - A Russian Viewpoint http://www. zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-31/guest-post-2014-russian-viewpoint … *Holger Zschaepitz* @Schuldensuehner · 43m43 minutes ago #Lithuania Adopts #Euro as #Russia Worries Rattle ... more »

Untitled

jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 16 hours ago
*Student, 13, Shares Lunch, Gets Detention * A 13-year-old boy at Weaverville Elementary School in California shared his school lunch — a chicken burrito — with his friend who was hungry. For this, he got detention. The food-sharing miscreant, Kyle Bradford, told KRCRTV: “It seemed like he couldn’t get a normal lunch so I just wanted to give mine to him because I wasn’t really that hungry and it was just going to go in the garbage if I didn’t eat it,” said Bradford. But the Trinity Alps Unified School District has regulations that prohibit students from sharing their mea... more »

Election Expulsions

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 16 hours ago
[image: DSC03693] *Bike paths to nowhere: this boondoggle travels along the HSR right of way in Miaoli for a kilometer and then dies. Brilliant.* Sorry about the light blogging, but I am swamped with work. Well, it's a new year, but same old politics. First, Clara Chou, the talk show host who accused the President of getting under the table money, six million US bucks worth, from the Ting Hsin Group, has been expelled from the KMT. The TT reports: The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday denied media personality Clara Chou (周玉蔻) a chance to present herself at the party’s Centra... more »

Echo Chambers

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 17 hours ago
Just a passing thought about the BBC News website's busy *Echo Chambers * blog. It's strapline is "Blogging global opinion, clearly" and its "About this Blog" mission statement reads: Echo Chambers unscrambles the noise of the global debate, from social media to scholarly journals, Kansas City to Kathmandu. Well, let's just put it this way: You won't read much from Kathmandu at *Echo Chambers. *It's Kansas City all the way, being almost entirely a blog about the U.S.A. It's strapline should, therefore, be changed to "Blogging U.S. opinion, clearly" and its "About this Blog" missio... more »

Iraq / Syria Regional War ( January 1 , 2015 ) - Battlefield and political news of note touching on Iraq and Syria .....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 17 hours ago
Links..... *Can ISIS Extend Current Momentum In 2015?* *Shi'ite Militias Redraw the Map in Central Iraq* *Jordan Stopped ISIS Airstrikes After Pilot's Capture* *US Begins Training Recruits; 231 Killed Across Iraq* Syria Rebels: Obama Administration Ignored Early Plan to Stop ISIS Is ISIS Winning Battle for Islamic Radicals' Hearts and Minds? British Woman Held Over Syria Terror Offenses Tweets.... *Rudaw English* @RudawEnglish · 3h3 hours ago Pictures of #Peshmerga-ISIS confrontations on New Year's Eve http:// fb.me/77n3ZkQ95 *Rudaw English* @RudawEnglish · 3h3 hours ago #S... more »

Tugging at the heartstrings

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 17 hours ago
Here's a well-made point from Biased BBC: deegee December 31, 2014 at 12:50 pm [image: Child-with-flag.png] The BBC ends the year as it intends to continue. Above is a screen grab from the BBC News homepage (International edition). Surely this fails every test for neutrality? The ‘brave’ child with the Palestinian flag ‘confronts’ armed Israeli soldiers. Tugs at your heartstrings. Some might call that *child abuse* but in reality the child was in no danger unless, of course, someone off camera decides to up the ante. I would call it blatant propaganda. UN Security Council rejects Pal... more »

Here's to 2015!

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 17 hours ago
Well, here it is then, 2015. Hope it's a good one! ***** BBC Radio 4 is beginning the year by paying handsome tribute to one of its star presenters, James Naughtie. In honour of his famously long and elaborate questions on *Today* - each consisting of a minimum of six sentences, an-over-50-words-long main clause and at least 30 subordinates clauses - the station is broadcasting a day-long dramatisation of the book which the *Today* man's questions most frequently bring to the listener's mind: Tolstoy's *War and Peace*. *War and P*e*ace *is often said to have a conservative bias ... more »

Happy New Year!

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 17 hours ago
A.D. 2014 has been a great year. First of all, my mother celebrated her 69th birthday on December 6th. In 2005, when she was 59, she went missing for a week during Hurricane Katrina. When the storm hit, she was alone at my sister’s house in Meraux, which filled with water in five minutes as […]

I Survived Another Happy New Year!

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 17 hours ago
WNU Editor: Groannnn .... I am getting too old for this .... blogging will resume when I wake up.

Cartoon For Today

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 18 hours ago
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)*

Videos: The Strength of The Egyptian Military In Egyptian Politics And Its Controversial Reconciliation With Qatar

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 18 hours ago
*"Supporters of Egypt's military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi set fire to a Qatari national flag during a demonstration outside the Qatari embassy in Cairo on November 30, 2013 (AFP Photo/Mahmoud Khaled)" [Source: AFP, "Egypt, Qatar plan reconciliation summit: diplomat" December 24, 2014].* *Title: Mona El-Ghobashy on the Egyptian Military's Role in Curtailing Democratization. Source: DU Center for Middle East Studies. Date Published: September 21, 2014. Description:* CMES Director Nader Hashemi sits down with Mona El-Ghobashy, former Assistant Professor at Barnard College, to discus... more »

Johnny Palacios Hidalgo - natural surrealism - sublime

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 18 hours ago
*Peruvian painter Johnny Palacios Hidalgo [1970] was born in Lima, Peru and studied art between 1988-1998 in the National Art Museum and the National School of Fine Arts.* [source TUTTART] The only thing Free Planet can say about Johnny's work is, "Sublime."

Did President Obama Free A Nuclear Terrorist From Guantanamo?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 18 hours ago
*Photo:* Former Gitmo detainee Mohammad Zahir *Frontpage Magazine:* *Obama Frees a Nuclear Terrorist* *WNU Editor:* The 4 Guantanamo detainees who were recently released to Afghanistan were let go on the recommendation of the Guantanamo Review Task Force who deemed them .... "cleared for release." The implication is that they had been "cleared" of any wrongdoing and their release is risk-free. Apparently that is not true. The Long War Journal did some digging and found a very different story .... *4 Gitmo detainees transferred to Afghanistan are veteran insurgents, files allege*.... more »

Free Planet resolution - Pancakes Tomorrow - real life choices

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 18 hours ago
*image from Bee Movie (2007)*"Pancakes Tomorrow," that's what I said last night, and I meant it. Pancakes, here in England, is not something one normally has for breakfast. But last night I made the effort to 'make it happen'. I had the recipe, I had the ingredients, I had the Canadian maple syrup. I had the intention to make pancakes. Well, I didn't. The wife did. She did all the work on this one. *Pancakes Tomorrow* was her idea. But it was a revelation (and, by jove, they were tasty) in the sense that it was one of those moments in life where you go... a Road to Damascus moment... more »

Government austerity cuts are being carried out without thought or care. So say top civil servants with no axe to grind. What are you going to do about it in this General Election Year?

Jake at Ripped-off Britons - 19 hours ago
The Welfare State was hard won by generations of Britons before us. It is as much an inherited right as is the unearned income received by some from their inherited property and financial assets. Doubtless the Welfare State can be reformed and improved. However, evidence from independent top civil servants shows government reforms of the Welfare State are not driven by well considered

When Worlds Collide.

Zoe Brain at A.E.Brain - 19 hours ago
World-views anyway. Here are two therapeutic handbooks, both widely used in psychological counseling. The first is The Christian World View of Psychology and Counseling www.reformation.net/COR_Docs/Christian_Worldview_Psychology.pdf Mr. George C. Scipione, Th.M., M.A., Chairman Dr. Lawrence Crabb, Ph.D., Co-Chairman Dr. Ed Payne, M.D., Co-Chairman With contributions by members of the Psychology and Counseling Committee of The Coalition on Revival Dr. Jay Grimstead, D.Min., General Editor Mr. E. Calvin Beisner, M.A., Assistant to the General Editor *6. Scientific MethodWe affi... more »

The Pentagon’s Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 19 hours ago
The Pentagon’s New Year’s Resolutions -- Time You make them, I make them, we all make them…but few of us keep them. In keeping with the seasonal delusion, let’s imagine our favorite world’s biggest office building is a sensate creature, and suffered shortcomings and regrets just like the 25,000 humans who toil there: Read more .... My Comment: This list is from 2012 .... but it is still appropriate for today.

Five Most Popular Posts for December

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 19 hours ago
Most read this last month were: 1. Top 100 Tweeting Politics Commentators 2014 2. *The Sun* vs Russell Brand 3. Man Haron Monis: It's Not About Islam 4. How Not to Start a Trending Topic 5. Market Socialism: Basic Ideas No prizes for guessing that my annual link-baity list came tops in December. *It does so every year*. And the rest speak for themselves. As I'm a touch hung over from last night's festivities, I'll eschew the usual rambling and leave it there.

CIA Admits That They Were Responsible For At Least HALF Of All UFO Sightings In The 1950's And 60's

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 20 hours ago
#1 most read on our #Bestof2014 list: Reports of unusual activity in the skies in the '50s? It was us. http://t.co/BKr81M5OUN (PDF 9.26MB) — CIA (@CIA) December 29, 2014 *Daily Mail:* CIA says at least HALF of all UFO sightings in the 1950's and 60's were spy planes, NOT aliens *WNU Editor*: OK .... so they were responsible for half .... what about the other half? *More News On The CIA Admitting That They Were Responsible For At Least HALF Of All UFO Sightings In The 1950's And 60's* CIA Behind UFO Sightings in 1950s and 1960s -- Newsweek UFO or CIA? Agency takes credit for '50s ... more »

2015: International Year of Light and Soils

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 21 hours ago
*Man's evolving understanding of light* Welcome to the year 2015 = MMXV = 13*5*31 (it took me a minute to write the product in this nicely symmetric way). Hours ago, my hometown of Pilsen (along with Mons, Belgium) became the European Capital of Culture. One of the minor advantages is that whatever I will write on this blog in this year will automatically become the official opinion of the European Union. I could talk for hours about every place shown in this video. For example, around 2:34-2:36, you see the spot where I enjoyed a collision with a big dog in the summer. ;-) Big ce... more »

End of year notes

The Realist Report at The Realist Report - 21 hours ago
Well, this past year was certainly eventful. Some ups, some downs, some progress, some setbacks, all of which is to be expected as we continue on this journey. I'd like to close out 2014 with the following blog post which will give readers some updates and include some final thoughts for the year from yours truly. I'll keep this brief. *First of all*, I am not hosting a radio program at the moment, obviously. I simply do not have the time in my schedule right now. Also, I've felt a bit fatigued lately. I just don't have the passion and energy at the moment, and haven't for at least ... more »

Watch A Stunning Video Of Jets Being Launched From A U.S. Aircraft Carrier

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 21 hours ago
*Business Insider/The Aviationist*:* Stunning GoPro Footage Brings You Aboard An Aircraft Carrier During Fighter Launches* *WNU Editor:* When we see airplanes on carriers .... it is usually from the pilot's perspective. This one is different .... it is from the perspective of the crew that prepares the jet for its launch. From *YouTube*: The Catapult Topside Petty Officer's job is to ensure the safety of all personnel on the flight deck during launching operations, and to ensure the proper hook-up of the aircraft to the catapult. The video starts with about one minute until launch... more »

2015 A Pivot Year.

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 21 hours ago
Another year is upon us and in the midst of all the turmoil out there, i think it is appropriate to make a few important predictions. Quite honestly the pivot has already occured with the abrupt decline in the price of oil from $95 to $50. Most expect a recovery. Do not count on it. Better yet, organize your life to accommodate the removal of oil from all our lives. Simple mass manufacturing can displace every oil based engine inside of five years. There is nothing we do on Earth that is more capable of changing how we all live than the removal of the oil industry that pre... more »

Harvard Study: This is What Meditation Literally Does to the Brain

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 21 hours ago
Good advice here also. It is really easier than most make it into. we need to step back and not stress the mind. That is how it really works best. What we continue to show is that the process of relaxation and *intention *guides the brain to enhance itself beneficially. I see no reason to describe this process any other way. Intent is the one factor that everyone has left out yet is is obvious. Intend to become smart and voila, it occurs. A physical assist is also available by hanging a northward pointing magnet around your throat to stimulate the pineal g... more »

Problems Continue With The F-35. Program May Be Delayed For Four More Years!

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 22 hours ago
Reuters *Daily Beast (Dave Majumdar)*: *New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019 * *WNU Editor*: Apparently the software is 4 years behind!?!?!?! And while the F-35 will still be armed with missiles, its 25 mm cannon will not be functional?!?!?! So much for the advocates of this program who have been stating repeatedly that the F-35 is the *plane of the future for protecting ground troops .... not the A-10*. More at this link .... *The Air Force's Rationale For Retiring The A-10 Warthog Is Bullshit* (Fox Trot Alpha). *More News On The F-35 Program's Problem In Not being ... more »

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Says He Is Open To High Level Talks With South Korea

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 23 hours ago
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guides the multiple-rocket launching drill of women's sub-units under KPA Unit 851, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang December 30, 2014. Credit: Reuters/KCNA *Bloomberg*: *Kim Jong Un Says Open to ‘Highest-Level’ Talks With South Korea* *WNU Editor:* This is not the first time that the two Koreas have gone down this road. If the past is any indication .... my advice will be to not be optimistic. *More News On North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Saying He Is Open To High Level Talks With South... more »

Happy New Year 2015

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*WNU Editor*: Wishing everyone a Happy New Year! And my prediction for the new year is a simple one .... it is going to be an interesting 2015.

Lying Liars Still In Charge (Don't Ask - It's Really A Little Bit Late for the Citizens To Get Incensed)  But Some Are Trying To Shine A Light

Happy Birthday, Patti Smith! 2015 will ring in either the wake-up call we've all been awaiting since the election of our non-progressive nightmare in 2008 or it will be the final death knell of representative democracy in the United States of America. And there is nothing that can be done about it. (If a largely turned-off or apathetic out of political PTSD population doesn't get involved

The Next Generation Of NYPD Looks To Be About As Rotten As The Current One

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
Over the past few days we talked about the corrupting nature of the culture of policing-- from the perspective of victims and from the perspective of good apple police officers who were sickened by the entire filthy enterprise. By now, everyone has read about the spoiled brat attitude the police took in turning their backs on Mayor De Blasio last Saturday at the funeral of slain policeman Rafael Ramos. Monday, De Blasio spoke at Madison Square Garden at the graduation ceremonies for 884 new police officers from the city's Police Academy. The assholes booed and heckled him, while h... more »

Celebrity Deaths 2014 (Video)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*WNU Editor:* I know that this video has nothing to do with wars and conflicts .... but culture and entertainment does have an impact on all of our lives .... and this is that one time in the year that this blog acknowledges it.

Happy New Year To All Of My Readers

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 1 day ago
I have been laid up, so to speak, for the last few days with one heck of a cold... But I am a stubborn and persistent blogger, and I want to send this message off to everyone... Happy New Year to all of my readers.... I am truly crossing my fingers that this year will be one of good fortune for everyone.... But with the Jews and their plans to implode the entire world economy this year, it could be one of hardship and uncertainty.... Again, let us all hope for the best for this coming year... But always be prepared for the worst! More to come NTS

RT Wraps Up The Events That Shaped 2014 (Video)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*WNU Editor: *A link to even more videos from RT on the events that shaped 2014 *are here*.

Site C Dam Not Required, British Columbia Could Save $15 Billion Dollars

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 1 day ago
That`s my answer to all provincial political parties, I would never give money to the corrupt BC Liberal Government or party, the Greens are not a political force as of yet and the BC NDP is lost in the wilderness, although that hasn`t stopped them from sending me at least 300 emails in the last two months asking for money...Requests coming in Carole James, David Eby, John Horgan`s name and a dozen others, plus continual asks from the Federal side of the NDP party for casholla.... *The answer is HELL NO...!* To be perfectly clear, Thomas Mulcair squandered Jack Layton`s foot in t... more »

Sandra Rambler 'Born and Die Apache'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
By Sandra Rambler, San Carlos Apache Traditionally Speaking Photo Jennifer Johnson Apache Messenger                 "The words of our ancestors still hold true today, 'You are born an Apache!  You will die as an Apache! Don’t ever act like the White Man—the enemy!'"             How do you respond to a White Man whose name is Paul Gosar, an Arizona Congressman who recently said, “

The Tender Carnivore

What Is Sustainable at What Is Sustainable - 1 day ago
Paul Shepard was an animal with a PhD who made the astonishing discovery that he really was an animal, and so was everyone else. This sort of thinking makes us sweaty and nervous, because we prefer to believe that we are the creator’s masterpiece — not the cousins of disgusting baboons and orangutans. It’s insulting to call someone’s kid a cute animal. Two-legged primates evolved as hunters and gatherers in healthy wild habitats, living in groups of a dozen or so. These highly intelligent animals were perfectly at home in natural surroundings, but today’s two-legs are overwhelme... more »

G.I.Joe

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago

The 50 Most Unforgettable Photos Of 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
In June, ISIS took over the Iraqi city of Mosul. Kurdish peshmerga fighters have led the fight against ISIS in Iraq. Here, a fighter held a grenade launcher overlooking the edge of Mosul in September. *WNU Editor:* The link to these 50 photos* is here*. *Update: *Photographers Reveal The Stories Behind 2014's Most Powerful Pictures (Business Insider).

"Party Like It's 1969!"; plus five New Year's wishes

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
*AMC sez, "Party Like It's 1969":* *This is no ordinary New Year's libation. It's the Mad Men Champagne Cocktail.* *by Ken* From the folks at Mad Men Social Club (links onsite): *The Mad Men Cocktail Guide: Party Like It's 1969!* Want to make this evening's New Year's Eve bash a memorable one? Ditch the pedestrian champagne flutes and mix things up with the *Mad Men* Cocktail Guide. From Gimlets to Greyhounds, Mai Tais to Manhattans, you'll find inspiration, ingredients, and instructions that'll have you ready for a midnight toast to remember all year long. So when it's time to be... more »

U.S. Department of Defense: 2014 Year In Photos

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
U.S. special forces soldiers provide security while an Afghan special forces soldier directs other Afghan soldiers during a firefight with insurgents in the Gelan district in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, Feb. 8, 2014. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. David Devich *WNU Editor*: The link to this impressive photo gallery *is here.*

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
Happy New Year, folks! Wishing you the very best in 2015, and thank you all for stopping by!

Dec. 31: "Tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow"

Graeme Decarie at The Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad - 1 day ago
"Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time;" The lines above are proof that William Shakespeare must have read the Irving press every day. That is probably why he became aware of creeping in this petty pace. The editorial advises us to "..reflect on 2014'. But the reflection is pretty narrow, strictly local, stuff. The whole thing is really just staring at the editor's unattractive belly button. Its closing advice is to start a new slate to find solutions to issues. How's that for thoughtful and precise advice? And we all know that if anybod... more »

The White House Releases 'Best Photos Of 2014'

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
"The President sits for a 3D portrait being produced by the Smithsonian Institution. There were so many cameras and strobe lights flashing but the end result was kind of cool. See the video at here." (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) *WNU Editor:* The White House link *is here*. *Update #1:* From President Obama's emotional embrace with an Ebola survivor to the First Lady's trip to China with her daughters: The White House releases best photos of 2014 -- Daily Mail *Update #2:* Bill Murray, Corvettes, and 3D portraits: these are the White House's photos of the year -- The ... more »

NY Theater

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 1 day ago
My family and I have spent the past several days in New York City enjoying some theater (and fine dining). We much enjoyed *A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder*. But the revival of *Cabaret* with Emma Stone as Sally Bowles and Alan Cumming as the Emcee was amazing. It is open only for a few more months. I strongly recommend you see it if you can.

The Verge 50: The Most Important People Of 2014 (Video)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*WNU Editor:* A non-political/non-business list of the top 50 for 2014.

A Look At Some Of The Top Stories Of 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Top News Stories For 2014* World in 2014: the stories of the year -- The Telegraph The Top 5 Events of 2014 -- George Friedman, Stratfor Year in Review: The Top Stories of 2014 -- NBC 2014 Year in Review: The Events That Shaped a Turbulent Year -- Wall Street Journal Top International Stories of the Year 2014 -- Chosun Ilbo 2014: not such a bad year after all -- The Guardian What (not) to look forward to in 2015: ISIS, life on Mars, Europe's mood -- Tim Lister, CNN Here are the top military stories on Checkpoint in 2014 -- Washington Post Stripes.com's top 10 most read stories... more »

man's failure

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago
All war is a symptom of man's failure as a thinking animal. John Steinbeck

Musical Interlude: 2002, “Falling Through Time”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
2002, “Falling Through Time” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn5SjXaxc74

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
“Drifting through the one-horned constellation Monoceros, these dusty streamers and new born stars are part of the active Monoceros R2 star-forming region, embedded in a giant molecular cloud. The cosmic scene was recorded by the VISTA survey telescope in near-infrared light. Visible light images show dusty NGC 2170, seen here just right of center, as a complex of bluish reflection nebulae. *Click image for larger size.* But this penetrating near-infrared view reveals telltale signs of ongoing star formation and massive young stars otherwise hidden by the dust. Energetic winds and r... more »

The Poet: John Gillespie Magee, Jr., "High Flight"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*"High Flight"* "Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air... Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew — And, while with silent lifting mind I have t... more »

"Pass It On..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
"Have you had a kindness shown? Pass it on; 'Twas not given for thee alone, Pass it on; Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe another's tears. Pass it on." - Rev. Henry Burton

"Our Best Choice..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
"Good or bad, everything we do is our best choice at that moment." - William Glasser

1 Jan - Quick Notes





Under a new memorandum of understanding, DFO gives up control of habitat protections along pipeline corridors to the National Energy Board.
commonsensecanadian.ca







Academi, formerly and more popularly known as Blackwater, is back in the news as reports are trickling in that they’ll train an “experimental battalion” of 550...
us.sputniknews.com




The F-35 fighter jet was supposed to do everything. Instead, it can barely do anything.
theatlantic.com




Police the Police - (A Community Project)
Think you might be safer in America without police? You might be right... This is truly horrifying.
Sources: http://econ.st/1qFF5Te / http://read.bi/1nRTVzw / http://wapo.st/12kSCUL / Killed By Police
Created by: www.fb.com/policethepoliceacp
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PolicePoliceACP

GPS trackers are bringing us some added security, 1984 style.
theantimedia.org

 The Free Thought Project.com
The American Medical Association is a mafia and they have very little concern for prevention but focus on the treatment after we get sick because that's where the big bucks are.
Join us >> www.fb.com/thefreethoughtprojectcom
Follow us >> https://twitter.com/TFTPROJECT

Apparently the government doesn't like when people use seed banks to save and trade their crops.
theantimedia.org

Haha this cracks me up


Developments in the world's oil trade reveal that the standoff between the US and Iran may have little, if anything, to do with nukes.
caseyresearch.com

The number of Palestinian properties destroyed by Israeli bulldozers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem so far this year is 561, displacing more than 1,165 people, according to UN figures. 

Only 14 percent of East Jerusalem land is zoned for Palestinian residential construction, while one-third of Palestinian land has been confiscated since 1967 to build illegal Jewish-only settlements, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel says.

Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem live within territory Israel has unilaterally annexed, they lack citizenship rights and are instead classified only as "residents" whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for more than a few years.
The number of Palestinian properties destroyed by Israeli bulldozers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem so far this year is 561, displacing more than 1,165 people, according to UN figures.
Only 14 percent of East Jerusalem land is zoned for Palestinian residential construction, while one-third of Palestinian land has been confiscated since 1967 to build illegal Jewish-only settlements, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel says.
Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem live within territory Israel has unilaterally annexed, they lack citizenship rights and are instead classified only as "residents" whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for more than a few years.

Drilling for oil in occupied Golan is part of a larger plan to increase Israeli settlement activity, rights groups say.
aje.io|By Creede Newton, Patrick Strickland

This is called "Perlemorskyer" in Norway or we would call it Polar Stratospheric Clouds or nacreous clouds. This photo was taken by Elin Fumuholt in Norway. They're rare because the stratosphere doesn't hold much moisture and they need to be lit from sunlight below meaning this happens around dawn or dusk. WILD! A detailed explanation of these clouds is found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_stratospheric_cloud
December 30, 2014 - Radioactivity from Japan's crippled nuclear reactors has turned up off the British Columbia coast and the level will likely peak in waters...
leaderpost.com|By Margaret Munro
 

Eight Pseudoscientific Climate Claims Debunked by Real Scientists

Most people who deny that human activity is warming the planet just dismiss a massive body of scientific evidence as a big hoax.
But there’s a more sophisticated set of climate “skeptics” who make arguments that, at least to the lay ear, sound like they’re grounded in scientific evidence. And because most of us lack the background to evaluate their claims, they can muddy the waters around an issue that’s been settled in the scientific community.
So, as a public service, we gathered eight of the most common of these pseudoscientific arguments and asked some serious climate scientists — all working climatologists who have been widely published — to help us understand what makes these claims so misleading.

“almost all working climate scientists — 97 percent — accept the consensus view.”
It’s hard to get somebody to go against the flow when his job is on the line. That’s why resistance from those past the need to secure employment is so significant…and from those in related disciplines who need not conform to ‘expectations’. Nor do allegations about ‘deniers’ make any sense when talking about unaminity – unless one cherry picks the qualified to quip. How does that conform to ‘scientific method’, I wonder ?
When I read ‘working climate scientists’ I read what you write – and note the precision with which you select those ‘qualified’ to think for themselves.

Innumerate Claim of the Day: NASA Scientists Dispute Climate Change



The letter simply chastised NASA for crossing the line between science and advocacy. They stated that:
“We believe the claims by NASA and GISS, that man-made carbon dioxide is having a catastrophic impact on global climate change are not substantiated, especially when considering thousands of years of empirical data. With hundreds of well-known climate scientists and tens of thousands of other scientists publicly declaring their disbelief in the catastrophic forecasts, coming particularly from the GISS leadership, it is clear that the science is NOT settled.”
There was no reference to a scam, only that they did not believe the science was settled and that NASA’s strident claims to the contrary were not consistent with an organization based upon scientific principles.
In order for the science to be settled, you need an actual hypothesis to be tested. Then you need an actual system which when applied can prove the hypothesis true or false. The problem here is the hypothesis is morphing. Is that human activities are making the planet warmer? Changing the weather? Which one?
Beyond there is no experimental system which can be used to test any of these hypotheses. Left with no system to prove predictions of climate catastrophe driven by human endeavors, it is perfectly reasonable to be skeptical of those who appear to be driven by advocacy, not science and apear to be oblivious to the unintended consequences such an effort might spawn.
This is not about simple math. Science is not settled by political or democratic means. Consensus is not truth.
Sorry to disturb the group think operating here.
BTW – no money from the Koch Brothers.
http://georgiacontrarian.blogspot.com/

My Uncle signed this. And, of course they’re a lot more than 49 that agree with them and didn’t sign. NASA has politics just like any organization. I’ve told him to forget about this many times, but its hard to convince someone that was on a team that went to the Moon that he can’t make a difference. I don’t know about AGW (not a climate scientist) , but it is fun to ask all kinds of questions and find out how they did things. He was on the teams that investigated accidents from the Apollo fire to the shuttle failures. Why the US used pure oxygen and the Russians didn’t? He was on the team that drew up the procedure for Apollo 13 CO2 scrubbers. When he heard about the accident and that they were going to use the Lunar module as a life raft, the first thing he thought was they were going to have trouble with the canisters. Also how the suits were constructed and how they protected against possible micro meteor impacts, and how heating and cooling were done with the massive temperature contrasts. The surprising thing is the different projects he worked on, how they solved the endless problems, and the often time simple solutions and every day materials they used. Many NASA engineers were first generation college graduates: a bunch bright farm boys that went to the Moon.

A7L-B
AGW models are imperfect, sometimes significantly flawed. This is a key reason why many reputable scientists, even climatologists, have concerns. Science is not about popularity, or feelings, rather, about facts.
One need not be a climatologist to recognize flawed methodology. Like it or not, virtually every tenet of AGW can be reasonably challenged, and should be. If the AGW computer models withstand continued scrutiny, they will become accepted as mainstream.
That’s what good science is about. Making your data available, and subjecting it to scrutiny, often from a wide range of scientific disciplines, including the astronomers and comparative planetologists, who have indeed found significant shortcomings in the models developed by earth-centric climatologists.
You may want to believe in the popular theory du jour, but science is not a popularity contest, as Galileo sadly discovered, it about facts which withstand continued multidisciplinary scrutiny. Many early assumptions of the AGW crowd have been disproven. More will follow. As a reality check, which climate scientist can accurately predict climate conditions for even next week?
Can even one of them? No. Food for thought… More and better research is needed, including an accurate accounting of the observed temperature variations seen on other planets and their moons.
~~~
BR: As George Box pointed out: “All modes are wrong, some are useful.”
My suspicions run against those “Skeptics” who are paid to be skeptical, funded by the Oil & Coal indusrty


GMO's stranglehold on Hawaii

Staff on 19 June 2011 for the Molokai Dispatch- (http://themolokaidispatch.com/hawaii-s-one-sided-love-affair-gmos) Image above: Cartoon by Matt Collins of scientists being over-ruled by GMO corn companies.From (http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.scientificamerican.com/media/inline/do-seed-companies-control-gm-crop-research_1.jpg).

 Clearly the GMO corn seed companies have cultivated a love affair with Hawaii’s legislators and governing agencies with a crop of alluring promises of tax and employment benefits. Instead, this love affair has birthed unrestricted and unregulated access to our scarce agriculture resources of water and land for Monsanto, Pioneer, Syngenta, Dow and BASF, with no oversight, no inspections and no protections against unintended – but sure to happen - consequences. The GMO seed companies are the ultimate self-licking ice cream cone; with no consumer demand for the non- food product, the companies created an artificial demand called “crop improvement”, then manipulated genes to create new patented life-forms, then controlled all research, production, sales, distribution and ultimately replanting. The global protest against GMOs challenges its science and seeks to abolish GMOs worldwide. Meanwhile, our `aina has become the laboratory test bed for both GMO seed production and also high risk, open-field, bio-pharmaceutical research with the unfortunate result that GMO corn seed – a non-food commodity - is now Hawaii’s highest valued agriculture crop. Shame on us!!


Kids' Movies Actually Are Full of Death - The Atlantic