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Thomas Paine

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.

Friday, August 8, 2014

8 August - Blogs I'm Following

English: , (May 13, 2009) Builder 3rd Class Ad...
English: , (May 13, 2009) Builder 3rd Class Adrian Trollip, from Saratoga, New York. assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5, works on the roof of the Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan Combat Operations Center at Camp Leatherneck. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Corporal Aaron Rooks/Released) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
11:48pm MDST

After Iraq Is Afghanistan Next?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 36 minutes ago
The view is shown from a turret of a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle making its way back to Camp Leatherneck after a combat logistics patrol in Afghanistan's Helmand province, July 14, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex Roberts *Is Afghanistan Is Going the Way of Iraq? -- Joshua Keating, Slate * The killing of Maj. Gen. Harold Greene by an Afghan soldier on Tuesday doesn’t just mark the first killing of a U.S. general in a war zone since Vietnam. It’s also a disturbing example of a problem that coalition forces had seemed to be getting under control: so-called insi... more »

Musical Interlude: Chuck Wild, Liquid Mind: “VI Spirit - Through My Eyes (Nebulae)”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 41 minutes ago
Chuck Wild, Liquid Mind: “VI Spirit - Through My Eyes (Nebulae)” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HTgHuUuDQg&playnext=1&list=PLCC1D

"If You Caught A Glimpse..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 44 minutes ago
"If you caught a glimpse of your own death, would that knowledge change the way you live the rest of your life?" - Paco Ahlgren, "Discipline"

"The Dreamers Of the Day..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 44 minutes ago

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 44 minutes ago
“Barred spiral galaxy NGC 1365 is truly a majestic island universe some 200,000 light-years across. Located a mere 60 million light-years away toward the chemical constellation Fornax, NGC 1365 is a dominant member of the well-studied Fornax galaxy cluster. *Click image for larger size.* This sharp color image shows intense star forming regions at the ends of the bar and along the spiral arms, and details of dust lanes cutting across the galaxy's bright core. At the core lies a supermassive black hole. Astronomers think NGC 1365's prominent bar plays a crucial role in the galaxy's e... more »

"Even Darkness Must Pass..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 44 minutes ago
Sam: "It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I know... more »

The Poet: Theodore Roethke, "The Waking"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 44 minutes ago
*"The Waking"* "I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow. I feel my fate in what I cannot fear. I learn by going where I have to go. We think by feeling. What is there to know? I hear my being dance from ear to ear. I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow. Of those so close beside me, which are you? God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there, And learn by going where I have to go. Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how? The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair; I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow. Great Nature has another thing to do To you and me, so take the lively ... more »

"Remain True..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 44 minutes ago
"Remain true to yourself, but move ever upward toward greater consciousness and greater love! At the summit you will find yourselves united with all those who, from every direction, have made the same ascent. For everything that rises must converge." - Teilhard de Chardin

Chet Raymo, "Six Impossible Things"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 44 minutes ago
*"Six Impossible Things"* by Chet Raymo "It is morning. Early morning. I am sitting at my desk with my laptop open before me. The shelves are lined with books. At my elbow, the big glass windows looking out to Dingle Bay. On the sill, morning glories and tomatoes. At my other elbow, a mug of coffee. In an hour or two I'll have breakfast. This is my White Queen time. "But one can't believe impossible things," cries Alice, in frustration. "Why sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast," replies the White Queen smugly. If I can believe six impossible t... more »

Friday Nerd Blogging: Stata and Death

Steve Saideman at Duck of Minerva - 45 minutes ago
Fun post that sorts the patterns of life and death in Westeros and beyond. I am sure that some multivariate analysis is likely, but was not presented in the post.

How nice to have a straight person point out that "marriage is for procreation" isn't just legal but religious BS

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 47 minutes ago
*Sorry, Frank, that's just some silly old myth about love having anything to do with marriage. Now, Peg and Al Bundy, they were a bona fide married couple, because they were, of course, Married -- With Children. Of course, once they stopped procreating, however grateful the world would have reason to be, Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Paul Niemeyer probably would have had to blow the whistle on them. Not that Al would have objected.* *"In contrast to 'traditional marriage,' [Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Paul] Niemeyer said, same-sex marriage ignores 'the... more »

After Today's U.S. Air Strikes In Iraq, ISIS Is Now Calling On Jihadists To Attack US Interests Worldwide

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 50 minutes ago
*ISIS Threatens America: ‘We Will Raise The Flag Of Allah In The White House’ -- Daily Caller* The terror group President Barack Obama threatened to strike in Iraq Thursday evening is itself threatening to strike the American homeland. “I say to America that the Islamic Caliphate has been established,” Abu Mosa, a spokesman for the terror group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), told VICE Media in a video interview posted online Thursday. “Don’t be cowards and attack us with drones. Instead send your soldiers, the ones we humiliated in Iraq.” “We will humiliate ... more »

The Pingtung 172

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 54 minutes ago
On Monday the 4th of Aug I went down from Fangliao to Kenting in the morning to wait for Drew (post above this one). We were heading to Lanyu from Houbihu port in Kenting the next day, but in the meantime I wondered what could be done with the afternoon? Drew had the perfect answer: the Pingtung 172. *ROUTE NOTES*: The Pingtung 172 starts from the 199 just before the switchbacks. There's a sign for an archaeological site, turn right. The road runs southeast for about 15 kms until it hits the tiny hamlet of Fenshuiling, where you can get snacks and water. It has an easy rising gra... more »

"The Struggle..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 hour ago
"Life is given for wisdom, and yet we are not wise; for goodness, and we are not good; for overcoming evil, and evil remains; for patience and sympathy and love, and yet we are fretful and hard and weak and selfish. We are keyed not to attainment, but to the struggle toward it." - T. T. Munger ◆ And ... Monty Python, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBiLNN1NhQ

Health: "Stop Stress From Killing You"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 hour ago
"Stop Stress From Killing You" by Elizabeth Walling "What is stress? Physiologically, stress could be considered any event that triggers a marked response by the adrenal glands. In basic terms, this response is the release of cortisol. It's the body's natural reaction to any stressor. For occasional stressors, cortisol can provide a burst of benefits like increased energy, heightened reflexes and a higher threshold for pain. However, when stress is chronic, as it often is in modern society, cortisol levels can remain unnaturally high and lead to damaging effects, which include: • P... more »

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 hour ago
Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. Thanks for stopping by.

age of enlightenment

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 2 hours ago

NJ Guv Kris Krispy's hard-headed fiscal realism wows the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities -- or maybe not so much

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
*Garden State voters love Governor Krispy for his unflinching fiscal realism.* *"The Center says New Jersey could get on track if the governor and legislature produced forecasts together, worked with outside experts, and opened up those discussions to the public."* *-- from a report by WNYC News's Jessica Gould* *by Ken* Perhaps the reason we're hearing all this talk about a "comeback" for New Jersey Gov. Kris Krispy is that, rather than going all gooey and apologetic, he has by God *stuck to his guns* and thereby allowed Garden State voters to remember why they love him -- for hi... more »

If Iraq Falls The World Will Blame President Obama

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 3 hours ago
President Obama meets with his national security team today in the Situation Room. pic.twitter.com/vDJeYJOz9Z — The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 7, 2014 *The World Will Blame President Obama If Iraq Falls -- George E. Condon Jr., National Journal* *The White House is under intense pressure to use American force to save the people trapped by terrorists on the mountaintop. And it understands why.* The world will not blame the Iraqi government if the children and women huddled atop Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq die of hunger and exposure. Nor will Pope Francis blame Prime Minis...more »

What Is The Right Way To Use U.S. Air Power Against the Islamic State?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 4 hours ago
*The Smart Way to Bomb ISIS -- John Allen Gay, National Interest* *Obama is reportedly weighing attacks on the Islamic State. What factors should shape his decision?* The Obama administration is reportedly considering airstrikes against the Islamic State after several days of advances by the putative caliphate. Also under consideration is the delivery of humanitarian aid to minority groups that fled as ISIS approached, with thousands reportedly trapped without food or water in rough terrain and scorching heat. France and Turkey may be joining in an American intervention—apparently... more »

Friday Night Is Movie Night: Tonight's Movie Is Fail Safe (2000) World Nuclear Holocaust

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 4 hours ago
*WNU Editor:* This was broadcast live .... which is remarkable when one considers TV today. The use of black and white instead of color gives it that 1960s look .... but what I love about this film are the parade of stars who are in it. Sit back .... and enjoy. The Wikipedia entry for Fail-Safe (The Film)* is here*.

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- August 8, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 4 hours ago
Kurdish peshmerga troops participate in an intensive security deployment against Islamic State militants on the front line in Khazer August 8, 2014. US warplanes bombed Islamist fighters marching on Iraq's Kurdish capital on Friday after President Obama said Washington must act to prevent 'genocide.' Azad Lashkari/Reuters *Obama Intervenes In Iraq: Lessons Learned From Benghazi And Rwanda -- Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor* *Benghazi and Rwanda, two crises where military intervention was not used, likely figured in the backdrop of Obama's decision on what to do about a ... more »

World News Briefs -- August 8, 2014 (Evening Edition)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 4 hours ago
*U.S. Bombs Islamic State After Obama Call To Prevent Iraq 'Genocide' -- Reuters* (Reuters) - U.S. warplanes bombed Islamist fighters marching on Iraq's Kurdish capital on Friday after President Barack Obama said Washington must act to prevent "genocide". Islamic State fighters, who have beheaded and crucified captives in their drive to eradicate unbelievers, have advanced to within a half hour's drive of Arbil, capital of Iraq's Kurdish region and a hub for U.S. oil companies. They have also seized control of Iraq's biggest dam, Kurdish authorities confirmed on Friday, which co... more »

The RV, Nesara, SwissIndo: Zooming out to see the template

Americani Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 5 hours ago
http://removingtheshackles.blogspot.com/2014/08/as-you-may-have-noticed-after-quite.html FRIDAY, 8 AUGUST 2014 *The RV, Nesara, SwissIndo: Zooming out to see the template* As you may have noticed, after quite a long absence, I have been hit with the "writing bug". lol For the past few months I have been focusing my attention and a large amount of my energy to working on the things that are "unseen". During this time, using the computer or writing at all was .... difficult. Not only did I literally feel something blocking me from writing, when I would open the computer, it would... more »

Dennis Kucinich on the Responsibility to Speak Out About Gaza

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 6 hours ago
AP/Lefteris Pitarakis This week on Truthdig Radio in association with KPFK: The former congressman says, “You can’t just stay silent when you see a massacre of people going on.” Also: Washington, D.C., will decide whether to legalize marijuana. *Listen to the show (Dennis Kucinich interview begins at 15:45):* (Trouble listening? Right-click to download the podcast here.) Guests, in order of appearance: Michael Cindrich, Dennis Kucinich. Subscribe to Truthdig Podcasts Subscribe directly: [image: iTunes] If you don't have iTunes, copy this address: Visit the Podcast A... more »

Cheerful . . .

Edstock at The Galloping Beaver - 6 hours ago

Forty Years and a Mule

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 7 hours ago
(By *American Zen*'s Mike Flannigan, on loan from Ari.) "Nixon was so crooked that he needed servants to help him screw his pants on every morning." - Hunter S. Thompson, *Rolling Stone* obituary for Richard Nixon, June 16, 1994 I was a mere, callow lad of 15 when Richard Nixon became the first US president to resign from office four decades ago today. During the early 70's, Dad had taken us on two vacations in Washington, DC and, politically speaking, it was like being in the middle of a highly-charged EMF Fear Cage. We lived in Maryland, Agnew Country, and the Capitol wa... more »

The RV, Nesara, SwissIndo: Zooming out to see the template

D ... Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 7 hours ago
As you may have noticed, after quite a long absence, I have been hit with the "writing bug". lol For the past few months I have been focusing my attention and a large amount of my energy to working on the things that are "unseen". During this time, using the computer or writing at all was .... difficult. Not only did I literally feel something blocking me from writing, when I would open the computer, it would "magically" die, or the internet would "magically" disappear- sometimes continuously for days at a time, lol. .... everyone around here began to ban me from hanging out, be... more »

CIA DRONE control Huts

Abraham Ben Judea at Abraham says - 8 hours ago
*CIA Drone Control Huts* These two "huts" were constructed in early 2007 outside the CIA main dining room. Each of the huts has 18 roof-top air-conditioning units, with 4 rows of 4 and 2 separately. This suggests 16 pilot drone controller cubicles each with its own AC units, with two addititional AC units for common areas. Cubicles are customarily self-contained with light and AC systems to shield from external light, noise and interference. While there appear to be no public photos of CIA drone operators, below are military drone cubicles. CIA operators allegedly train at milita... more »

Arguing on the Internet

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 8 hours ago
In this discussion topic, I argue that what is true about science is not undone by how science is abused, but that at the same time, what is false about religion remains false no matter how nice the intentions. This has descended into a testy exchange with the religious desperado "Fidel" who is having an argument with himself about the evils of corporate science. Occasionally he makes windy, but entirely meaningless claims for religion out of nowhere. I and three others have been trying to re-state the original point several times, to no avail. Here at Dr. Dawg's, Mandos is trying... more »

Stop Look Around, Something bad is going down

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 8 hours ago
What we know about celebrity its both gained and inherited and in both cases its an instrument of power and can be a great generator of lifesyles of the rich and famous wealth Celibrity is the silent lottery we all play no matter how hard we think about doing away with gambling Celebrity is all high school and the people that promote know that was were you traveled from kid stage to adolescence and that stage of life was a chrysalis to determine your final essence For most of us it did not go well, it was very awkward some of our group of elementary leaders tapped in to this well Not sa... more »

Massive US force in Persian Gulf for ISIS- WP pushes for wider war

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 8 hours ago
Is this a message to another nation? Let me throw it out there.... Iran? Update below- entertaining a possibility as to who is getting the message.. Massive US force in Persian Gulf The U.S. has assembled a massive force of eight ships and 104 aircraft in the Persian Gulf for the air campaign against ISIS in Iraq. The morning strikes involved two FA-18 fighter-attack planes that dropped 500-pound, laser-guided munitions on a mobile artillery place near Irbil, the Pentagon said. The jets for both strikes came from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, according to a Defense Depa... more »

Sometimes It's Hard To Distinguish Between Steve King And Peter King

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 8 hours ago
Long Island's terrorist-supporter and racist Peter King has long been fair game here at *DWT*. The man practically begs for it; he's never meeting a war that he didn’t like. His deranged crusade for the terrorists he likes, and his misguided attacks on the terrorists he hates with McCarthy-esque witch trial hearings against Muslim-Americans. But what makes King particularly repugnant is his brash, combative nature in the way he defends his asinine views. We have nothing against politicians with strong convictions but we'd like those convictions based on reality, not bigotry and ig... more »

Ignored By The West Libya Has Become A Failed State

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 8 hours ago
*Libya Crumbles As The United States Looks The Other Way -- Washington Post editorial* THREE YEARS after U.S. and NATO forces helped liberate Libya from the dictatorship of Moammar Gaddafi, the country is beginning to look a lot like another nation where an abrupt U.S. disengagement following a civil war led to chaos: Afghanistan in the 1990s. In Libya, heavily armed militias are battling for control of Tripoli and Benghazi as well as the international airport. The United States, France and other Western governments involved in the 2011 military intervention have evacuated their ... more »

Pawns of The Planet of The Apes: Return of The Last Caliph

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 8 hours ago
*Pictured: ISIS Jihadists rampaging across Iraq.* In the last two months northern Iraq has seen the mass exodus of ancient communities of Christians, Yezidis, and other religious minorities as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham has swept across territory, facing little resistance. A disastrous turn of events in the last week and a half around the Sinjar mountains in northwestern Iraq has caused an urgent humanitarian disaster and forced the Obama administration to act. Critics say it is too little too late. The White House has not done anything to contain this fire, and instead... more »

HIROSHIMA REMEMBERED AND UNDERSTOOD

Allen L Roland, Ph.D at Allen L Roland's Weblog - 8 hours ago
*The Clock Stopped at Hiroshima* *At precisely 8:15 AM on August 6th, 1945 ~ 200,000 people eventually died from an Atomic Bomb dropped by the United States on Japan and our world permanently changed, for at that moment man had discovered the ultimate means to destroy ourselves but now, 69 years later, we are still learning the intellectual and soul based moral bearings needed to control the fearsome murderous beast we unleashed on Hiroshima and then three days later on Nagasaki. Perhaps now we are ready to fully experience the life sustaining choice of love, social cooperation an... more »

Indy Corporate School Complex Gearing Up for IPS School Board Buyout

Doug Martin at Schools Matter - 9 hours ago
by Doug Martin Even though the filing deadline is not until the end of the month, the Indy Chamber has already handpicked candidates to elect to the IPS school board to completely turn the city’s schools over to the greedy. Readers who have read *Hoosier School Heist* know exactly what this means and are well aware of the group of billionaires and lapdogs who desire to turn Indianapolis into New Orleans, where no true public schools exist now. Indianapolis didn’t have a hurricane to take advantage of, but it did have Bush Family friend Al Hubbard, NJ hedge funder Alan Fournier, and ... more »

A3 Newsletter: How Long Can Injustice Endure (Aug. 8, 2014)

angola3news at Angola 3 News - 9 hours ago
Desmond Tutu says apartheid was such an injustice that it had to end. We wonder if the Palestinians in Gaza can have the same hope? The Angola 3 have long stood in opposition to colonization, oppression and genocide internationally as well as here at home. We painfully watch our US made F-16's dropping US made bombs on innocent civilians in an effort to drive the indigenous people from their land in spite of peace agreements and UN mandates. We have to question not just the prison industrial complex that keeps Albert ridiculously isolated in the worst possible circumstances in s... more »

Nigeria's War Against Boko Haram is Intensifying. Boko Haram Gains A 'Foothold' In Neighboring Cameroon

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 9 hours ago
File photo of Boko Haram militants. AFP *Nigerian Army Fights To Push Boko Haram Out Of Two Northeast Towns -- Reuters* Nigeria's military fought gun battles with Boko Haram Islamists in two key northeastern towns on Friday, after the militants killed dozens of people and drove soldiers out of Gwoza town two days ago, security sources and the military said. On Friday the military launched strikes to push the rebels out of Gwoza, the security sources said, and the garrison town of Damboa, which the militants sacked a month ago. Both towns lie on roads linking Nigeria to Cameroon a... more »

Christians flee Qaraqoush in Iraq as Islamic State takes over

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 9 hours ago
Christians flee Qaraqoush in Iraq as Islamic State takes over. Source: Middle East Eye. Date Published: August 8, 2014.

On Bombing ISIS

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 10 hours ago
War is politics by other, violent means. Proving the axiom right now is the arc of slaughter carving a great bloody crescent out of the Middle East. Start from the Mediterranean coast and move gradually in. The racist hysteria in Israel has found an outlet in the carefree pounding of the Gaza Strip. Civilians? Children? Collateral, Guv. Blame Hamas. Scan eastwards and we find Assad's regime just about clinging on. This secular but brutal monarchy has defended itself by any and all means at its disposal, be it torture, massacre and, arguably, chemical weapons. As despicable Israel's ... more »

Our Sacred Maiz is our Mother

Roberto Rodriguez at Dr Cintli - 10 hours ago
Electronic billboard at the main library at the U of Arizona... Nice way to be greeted after being away for the summer...

AFTER THE BOMBS FALL...

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 10 hours ago

STIRING SHIT UP

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 10 hours ago

Russian Bombers Are Increasingly Testing U.S. And Canadian Airspace (Updated)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago
In September 2006, a U.S. F-15 Eagle from Elmendorf Air Force Base intercepted a Russian Tu-95 Bear bomber on a training exercise near the west coast of Alaska.(Photo: U.S. Air Force) *Russian Bombers Increase Flights Near U.S. Airspace -- USA Today* For the second time since June, Russian nuclear bombers escorted by fighter jets have flown near U.S. and Canadian airspace around Alaska in recent days, prompting precautionary intercepts by American warplanes. The encounters come amid Russian war games along the border with eastern Ukraine, raising Western concerns that Moscow might ... more »

World Health Organization (WHO) Has Declared Ebola 'An International Emergency'

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago
*WHO: Ebola 'An International Emergency' -- BBC* The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the spread of Ebola in West Africa is an international health emergency. WHO officials said a co-ordinated response was essential to stop and reverse the spread of the virus. In Nigeria, one of the latest countries to be affected, President Goodluck Jonathan has declared a national state of emergency. More than 960 people have died from Ebola in West Africa this year, two of them in Nigeria, the WHO says. There were 68 new cases and 29 deaths reported over the course of two days this w... more »

Afghanistan's Presidential Candidates Agree To Cooperate In A Future Government

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) speaks next to Afghan presidential candidates Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah Abdullah (R) during a news conference in Kabul August 8, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Omar Sobhani *Afghan Presidential Candidates Endorse Plan for Broad-Based Government -- Wall Street Journal* Candidates Vow to Step Up Cooperation So New President Can Take Office By Month's End KABUL—Afghanistan's two presidential candidates on Friday formally endorsed a political agreement that paves the way for a broad-based government, giving new life to a deal facilitated by Secr... more »

“Xbox Live Among Game Services Targeted by US and UK Spy Agencies”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
*“Xbox Live Among Game Services Targeted by US and UK Spy Agencies”* NSA and GCHQ collect gamers' chats and deploy real-life agents into World of Warcraft and Second Life by James Ball "To the National Security Agency analyst writing a briefing to his superiors, the situation was clear: their current surveillance efforts were lacking something. The agency's impressive arsenal of cable taps and sophisticated hacking attacks was not enough. What it really needed was a horde of undercover Orcs. That vision of spycraft sparked a concerted drive by the NSA and its UK sister agency GCHQ t...more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago

Cutest of cute

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 11 hours ago
*Bai Yun and Yun Zi - photographer unknown*

The Grocery Store Rebellion: Here’s What We Ate During Week 1

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 11 hours ago
Daisy Luther My family and I decided to embark on a revolution. We have banished the grocery store from our lives for the next 3 months. Our Grocery Store Rebellion began on August 1, and this is an update on our first week. The week began with two major upheavals. Our SUV went into the shop, and the cow in which we have milk shares died. Luckily, we had some extra milk on hand, frozen, while our dairy farmer works on getting a new cow. We have about a 2 week supply of milk left, so we’re either going to have to wait, find a new source, spend a whopping $18 per gallon at the loca... more »

U.S. CREATES ISIS AND THEN BOMBS IT

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 11 hours ago
US military aircraft have conducted an airstrike on artillery used by the forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). The real goal is Iraq is to break it up into three separate countries.

Russian Sanctions Expose West's "Global Disorder"

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 11 hours ago
Tony Cartalucci In a report by the Sydney Morning Herald titled, "Julie Bishop says 'petulant' Russian sanctions reflect its lack of acceptance for role in MH17 disaster," it claims: Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says Russia's "petulant" trade sanctions on Australian food imports is yet another example of Moscow trying to evade responsibility for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. However, Bishop fails to indicate why Russia should or would accept responsibility for downing an aircraft when no evidence whatsoever even suggests such culpability. Canberra, Washington, Lo... more »

Implausible Deniability - West's ISIS Terror Hordes in Iraq

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 11 hours ago
image - Wikipedia Tony Cartalucci The US has pledged assistance for victims of and even possible "airstrikes" against terrorists who have surrounded and threaten to eradicate thousands of religious minorities in Iraq. However, the terrorists themselves are a product of US foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa, and instrumental in achieving Western objectives across the region. Punitive strikes and aid to the victims of what is essentially a Western mercenary army is part of maintaining plausible deniability. The terror hordes originated from NATO territory and have i... more »

Iraq's Refugee Crisis Now Numbers One Million Internally Displaced Persons

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
*Iraq's Displaced Top One Million -- Voice of America* GENEVA — The International Organization for Migration reports fighting in Iraq between Islamic State rebels and Kurdish Peshmerga military has pushed the number of internally displaced people in Iraq to over one million. IOM says this is the highest number of IDPs in Iraq since the Islamist advance began in January. According to IOM, more than 54 percent of Iraq's displaced have fled their homes since June. That is when Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, began an accelerated push for te... more »

Ukraine Preparing To Halt Russian Transit Gas Flows To Europe

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
The list of possible sanctions includes a “complete or partial ban on the transit of all resources,” Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told reporters in Kiev today in response to a question about halting gas flows. Photographer: Vincent Mundy/Bloomberg *Ukraine Open To Halting Gas Flows In Russia Sanctions -- Bloomberg* Ukraine said it’s open to halting Russian gas supplies to Europe through the country as it plans sanctions on President Vladimir Putin’s government as part of its battle against pro-Russian separatists. The list of possible sanctions includes a “complete or partial b... more »

Ukraine Is Preparing For A Very Cold Winter

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
Reuters / Gleb Garanich *Kiev Turns Off Hot Water Amid Fears Of Winter Gas Shortage -- RT* Kiev has turned off hot water throughout the city in an attempt to save gas for the winter months. The Ukrainian government is unsure how long people will be affected, or whether the measure will be enough to ensure winter heating. Utility company Kievenergo cut gas supplies to all thermal power plants that warm the water supplied to households, adding that it received the order from the Ministry of Energy and Coal Mining. “All the thermal power plants have had their gas supply cut as of Aug... more »

Mandatory Conscription Is Bringing The War Home For Thousands Of Ukrainians

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
*Photo*: Kiev investment manager Andriy Gerus may be drafted any day. Volodymyr Verbyany *Ukraine's Military Draft Brings War Home for Thousands -- Bloomberg* The knock on the door for Andriy Gerus came on a Monday morning in July. Fresh from getting his MBA in London, Gerus, a managing director at Ukrainian investment company Concorde Capital, was preparing to take his baby for a stroll in the pleasant Holosiyevo district of Kiev. Instead, the surprise visitor handed him orders to report to the Ukrainian army’s commissariat, the agency in charge of the draft. Gerus says his heart ... more »

August interlude: Upon our return from Maine!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 12 hours ago
*FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014* *Bogus grades, fraudulent wine:* On our Amtrak-enabled sojourn to Maine, we learned an array of valuable lessons. Among them: You can’t convince a 2-year-old that fireworks are actually fun. Also, a bit more complicatedly: If an 8-year-old is actually funny, and if she can do an array of voices, she’ll hear your laughter as a request that her program continue for hours. The next day, she’ll be doing her impression of a blues singer from a raft in a swimming pool! As her Uncle Brendan asked at one point, “Where do they *get* this stuff?” He was live and d... more »

Standing Up For Jeff Merkley (D-OR)... Because He's Always There For Working Families

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
Click here to contribute today Yesterday we helped out with a Jeff Merkely money bomb. 2,528 contributors from all over the country helped raise $73,168.30 for Jeff's campaign. The Koch brothers' candidate, Monica Wehby, has already raised $2,049,732 but that isn't what worried progressives up in Oregon. What does is the limitless funds that anti-democracy plutocrats like the Kochs, the Adelsons and like-minded reactionaries can pour into the race. In 2008, when Jeff first beat Republican incumbent Gordon Smith, Smith raised $13,297,429 to Merkley's $6,512,231 but Merkley beat him a... more »

Ukraine Civil War News Updates -- August 8, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
*Ukraine Troops Break Out Of Encirclement, 15 Troops Killed -- Reuters* (Reuters) - Ukrainian army units which had been trapped by separatists on the border with Russia broke out of the blockade on Friday and rejoined government forces, but 15 soldiers and border guards were killed in the operation, the Ukrainian military said. Military sources quoted by Ukrainian media said Ukrainian units had been effectively encircled by the rebels on a section of the border with Russia south of the town of Luhansk and east of the main regional city of Donetsk. After government forces opened up... more »

World News Briefs -- August 8, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
*Gaza At War Again After Militants Fire Rockets Into Israel And The Jewish State Responds, Killing A Ten-Year-Old Palestinian In Mosque Air Strike -- Daily Mail* * At least 10 rockets fired into Israel as negotiators failed to extend ceasefire which expired at 8am today (5am GMT) * Israel declared truce over and hit 'terror sites' in new strikes as minister warned ground troops could invade again * Wave of attacks from land, air and sea hit Nour al-Mohammadi Mosque in Gaza City, killing boy and wounding five * Palestinian factions negotiated until 4am but would not extend truce un... more »

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- August 8, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
*The New U.S. Military Mission In Iraq: What We Know Now -- Washington Post* President Obama said Thursday night that he has authorized two new, major actions by the U.S. military in Iraq: airstrikes against militants with the Islamic State if U.S. interests or personnel are threatened, and humanitarian assistance for thousands of civilians who have fled the Islamist advance in northwest Iraq and are now trapped on a mountain. Even those two specific missions are more complicated than that, however. First, the U.S. humanitarian mission on Mount Sinjar began Thursday with airdrops ... more »

Ed Delaney’s Son's 2012 Senate Race Funded by Corporate Ed

Doug Martin at Schools Matter - 13 hours ago
by Doug Martin Although state representative Ed Delaney has been a friend to public education so far, we better keep a close eye on his son, Democrat Edward Timothy Delaney—or simply Tim, if he decides to run for the Indiana state Senate in the future. Although he lost the election, Edward Timothy Delaney's 2012 campaign was highly funded by many of the hedge fund managers and billionaires across the country deeply involved in turning our schools over the those with the most greed. In 2012, hedge fund manager David Tepper gave $1,000 to both to Tim Delaneyand Mary Ann Sulliva... more »

The Economy: "One of the All-Time Greatest Investment Myths Exposed"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
*"One of the All-Time Greatest Investment Myths Exposed" * by Bill Bonner Let's begin with a quote in Latin. That will put us in the right mood – reaching for the eternal verities: “Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt.” That was penned by Julius Caesar in De Bello Gallico, his account of the Roman conquest of Gaul. We didn't know what it meant either, until last night. In case your Latin is a little rusty, we will give you a little WD-40. It means "Men willingly believe what they wish to be true." At least, they believe it as long as they can... As long as stocks rise, for... more »

Nagasaki: The Worst War Crime Ever

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 14 hours ago
August 9th 2014 marks the 69th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Nagasaki.... On this date, some 69 years ago, a US B29 nicknamed "Bocks Car" was running low on fuel and had to abort its original target of Kokura due to heavy cloud cover (The accompanying B29 aircraft "Great Artiste" was carrying camera equipment to record the gruesome event for posterity) and was therefore diverted to its secondary target being Nagasaki. However, when Bocks Car arrived over Nagasaki, it had almost overcast cloud conditions as well. There was talk about aborting the drop a... more »

Troops to Teachers is a failure. That kind of sucks.

Shaun Johnson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 14 hours ago
I learned just now that the military’s initiative to encourage former soldiers to become teachers, called Troops to Teachers, has been a failure. There are legitimate critiques of the program, although not all veterans are coming from combat. Nevertheless, I first encountered mention of this program when I was looking for potential solutions to the […]

Bill Whittle: The Murderer in the Kremlim...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 14 hours ago
*you need to know who you're dealing with when you deal with Russians. * Russia is on the move. But as Bill Whittle shows in this searing FIREWALL, Americans simply cannot wrap their minds around the history of terror and murder of the Russian Secret Police. Bill presents that history in horrific fashion, and shows the West just what it is up against. I'm off to work. See you all later.

Why President Obama's Current Strategy On Using Air Strikes To Stop ISIS Will Fail

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
*Obama’s Iraq Plan Has a Killer Flaw—and Airstrikes Alone May Not Save It -- Jacob Siegel, Daily Beast* The U.S. gambled on local militias to keep ISIS in check. The president’s authorization of airstrikes is an admission that bet didn’t pay off. Friday morning, with a humanitarian mission already underway, the United States began airstrikes on ISIS in northern Iraq. What had been the U.S. policy—to rely on local forces to contain ISIS while waiting for a new Iraqi government to reach a political solution—is finished. The new policy is still taking shape, but it may eventually lea... more »

Contract interpretation a question of mixed fact and law

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 14 hours ago
In Sattva Capital Corp. *v.* Creston Moly Corp., 2014 SCC 53 the Supreme Court has changed a long held view that contractual interpretation raises a question of law. The Court does so on the basis, in part, that when the rule was created jurors were often illiterate. Some might wonder at how illiterate an English commercial jury of the 1700s was? Indeed, some might suggest such juries might have greater literary expertise than a typical modern Canadian jury. Regardless the change has been made: [43] Historically, determining the legal rights and obligati... more »

Ed Delaney's Corporate ED Funders: SERIOUS ALERT

Doug Martin at Schools Matter - 14 hours ago
by Doug Martin When Indiana Senate Democrat Ed Delaney and his daughter never returned emails I sent to them when I was shopping for a lawyer for *Hoosier School Heist*, I figured Delaney didn’t need my business or my money, but now I know there is more to the story. Although Delaney has been a friend to public education so far, we better keep a close eye on him in the future because Delaney's 2012 campaign was highly funded by many of the hedge fund managers and billionaires across the country deeply involved in turning our schools over the those with the most greed. In 2012, ... more »

Everywhere Is War: World Edition

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 15 hours ago
America is one hell of a schizophrenic bastion of phony democracy. Depending upon geography, the ethnicity of the target populations, and the politicians being bribed, America the Exceptional either drops proxy bombs on people (Gaza), direct-drones people ("tribal" areas), or drops packages of food, water and medicine on a carefully vetted few (a remote mountaintop in Iraq) as P.R. cover for a bombing campaign that benefits multinational oil companies ("American interests.") To be fair, if ISIS was attacking the Gaza Strip instead of Northern Iraq, I think President Obama would als... more »

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 15 hours ago
*Saints Game Day in the Who Dat nation, photos ~WVUE* *B&B Vs. Airbnb: Competition And Common Ground Between Traditional Inns And The New Sharing Economy ~Nina Feldman, WWNO* *Hurricane season starting to look more quiet than usual, NOAA reports ~Amy Wold, The Advocate * *Breeding the perfect oyster? ~Thanh Truong, WWLTV * *National Oyster Day! ~NOLA DEFENDER*

War Returns To Gaza

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
*Cease-Fire In Gaza Expires, And Strikes Resume -- New York Times* JERUSALEM — As a 72-hour truce in Gaza expired at 8 a.m. Friday, Palestinian militants fired barrages of rockets into Israel and the Israeli military responded with airstrikes, one of which killed a 10-year-old boy, according to relatives. The renewed hostilities interrupted the indirect talks in Cairo, brokered by Egypt and backed by the United States, for a more durable cease-fire agreement. While the rocket fire signaled Hamas’s refusal to extend the temporary lull and its desire to apply pressure for its demand... more »

Why We Must Worry About The Terrorist Havens That Now Exist In Iraq And Syria

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
*Terror Havens In Syria And Iraq: Five Reasons The West Should Worry -- Paul Cruickshank, CNN* (CNN) -- The Sunni Muslim extremist group ISIS has torn through eastern Syria and northern and western Iraq in recent months, seizing territory for what it says is its new Islamic caliphate and butchering those who stand in their way. The situation has become especially dire for minority groups. Iraqi Christians are on the run, with ISIS taking over their largest city, Qaraqosh, and giving them an ultimatum: Convert to Islam or die. In addition, thousands of families from the Yazidi min... more »

U.S. Launches Airstrikes Against ISIS In Iraq (Updated)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 16 hours ago
*U.S. Bombs ISIS Fighters In Iraq -- CBS News* The U.S. military backed up the Obama administration's vow to keep ISIS militants in Iraq out of a key northern city with at least one 500-pound laser-guided bomb dropped from American F/A-18 fighter jets on Friday. Sources confirmed to CBS News that two of the American jets targeted an ISIS artillery piece that was shelling Kurdish forces near Erbil. Both jets returned safely to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush after the strike. Sunni Islamic militants have stepped up efforts to expand their territory in northern Iraq, and ... more »

It's Not Working

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 16 hours ago
http://news.nationalpost.com/ Justin Trudeau's autobiography will soon hit the bookstores. It's probably been ghost written and -- because it's appearing now -- it's a blatantly political document. Predictably, Conservatives are not impressed. Tasha Kheiriddin writes: Writing an autobiography at a young age is fine if your experiences give you something valuable to teach others. Malala Yousafzai is 16, but she survived getting shot in the head while campaigning for girls’ education rights in Afghanistan. Anne Frank was only... more »

Real Democrats Don't Run Away When Right-Wingers Attack-- Meet Ohio's Michael Wager

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
OH-14, just east of Cleveland, is another swing district that Steve Israel is ignoring. It's a winnable seat and there's an exceptionally good Democratic candidate, Michael Wager, and a weak and vulnerable Republican, David Joyce. Joyce, a backbencher who other Republicans have noted is just a puppet of Boehner and the Republican Beltway Establishment, isn't well known by his constituents, who tell pollsters that are very much open to replacing him with a Democrat. Yesterday morning Michael Wager was on the radio with Bill Press (above) and when Press asked him, he immediately ... more »

12 Ways to Repurpose a Crib

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 16 hours ago
Whenever I see that somebody is getting rid of an old crib, I have a hard time not snapping it up. There are SO many amazing things that can be made with old cribs, and many don't require that much work. Here are some of my favorites! Kids Art enter on Egnash Family. Crib Garden Trellis by Dandelions in my Vase. Bench made out of a Baby Crib by Cassandra Design. Craft Tool Station from Crafty Nest. Picnic Wagon from Tidbits Memory Board from The Painted Parsonage. Crib to Book Storage from DIY Home Sweet Home Crib to Chalkboard by the Red Kitchen. Jewelry Organizer by Infarran... more »

USA's Air-Strikes on ISIS

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 17 hours ago
So, Wall Street puppet and imperialist shill Barack Obama has decided that the menace of the fundamentalist murderers of ISIS requires US airstrikes in Iraq to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe? I put forward some of my thoughts on these Sunni militants at this post. Basically, I'm just saying that there's a large portion of bullshit in this crisis. This post is just one of many wherein I announce my knee-jerk opposition to any and all cases for Western humanitarian intervention. Our leaders are vile, inhuman scum-bags who can't be trusted. There's just no way in hell that US satel... more »

President Obama Orders Contractors To Disclose Labor Violations, Stop Mandatory Arbitration

Donna Ballman at Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home - 17 hours ago
In a gutsy and controversial move, President Obama signed an executive order placing new tough restrictions on federal contractors. If your employer contracts with the federal government it may have to disclose all labor violations in order to bid, and also have to stop mandating arbitration of employment disputes. The pre-bid disclosure language is tough. It requires anyone bidding for a contract of $500,000 or greater to disclose: [A]ny administrative merits determination, arbitral award or decision, or civil judgment, as defined in guidance issued by the Department of Labor, ren... more »

Russian Arctic Helicopter Ready for Deliveries in 2015 - Source

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 17 hours ago
[image: Mi-8 Hip]Deliveries of the Mi-8AMTSh-VA helicopters, a variant of the Mi-8 medium twin-turbine transport helicopter modified for use in the Arctic, may begin as early as next year, Leonid Belykh, managing director of the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (UUAP), said Friday. “Basically, everything is ready. A prototype model is in the works, and it is all up to the Defense Ministry now. If we sign a deal this year, then we will start [the deliveries] next year,” Belykh told RIA Novosti. The aviation plant reported that the helicopter meets all the requirements in order to excel in the... more »

India offers to buy more U.S. helicopters, hopes to drive down costs

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 17 hours ago
[image: AH-64D Apache Longbow]India has offered to significantly increase an order for U.S. attack helicopters, Indian officials said, as U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel began a visit to New Delhi on Thursday aimed at boosting defence and strategic ties. The Apache gunships and a deal for Chinook helicopters, both built by Boeing, will top the agenda in Hagel's talks on Friday with the new administration led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India has offered a follow-on order of 39 AH-64D Apache helicopters in addition to the 22 now being negotiated, a Defence Ministry official s... more »

Poland Retains Su-22s, Wants New Attack Helicopters

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 17 hours ago
[image: Su22M4 Fitter]Faced with a worsening security situation in neighboring Ukraine, Poland has issued a requirement for new attack helicopters that could be worth more than $1.3 billion. Meanwhile, however, the country’s choice of 72 new multirole helicopters worth nearly $2.7 billion is still undecided. Budget problems continue to frustrate the armed forces’ desire for new equipment. Earlier this year, Poland decided to retain one squadron of aging Su-22 strike aircraft for up to 10 more years, since it cannot afford a replacement. Read more

The Pathetic Hypocricy of Israel and USA on Palestinian ICC Plans to Probe War Crimes in Gaza

noreply@blogger.com (Christian Munthe) at Philosophical Comment - 18 hours ago
I've touched before on the hypocritical attitude of the USA regarding the activities – or lack of activities – of the International Criminal Court, ICC with regard to international conflicts: here and here. In that case, the conflict in question pertained to Syria. Now, a few days ago, there were news of an official visit of the foreign minister of the Palestinian Authority, Riad al-Malki, to the ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, where the former urged the ICC to probe alleged war crimes of Israeli soldiers, IDF high officers, state officials and politicians during the recent and ong... more »

Gold and silver Update ( August 8 , 2014 ) - Chins demand still going strong - total chinese gold reserves now at 15,000 tons , numerous items from GATA touching on the precious metals !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 18 hours ago
https://www.bullionstar.com/article/chinese%20gold%20demand%201063%20mt%20ytd Chinese Gold Demand 1063 MT YTD Total Chinese Reserves Reach 15,000 Tonnes Published: 04-08-2014 20:32 [image: Chinese Gold Demand 1063 MT YTD] For ten days I've been on vacation without internet, hence I missed one week to report on withdrawals from the Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE) vaults. Here is a quick overview of what happened in the Chinese gold market in week 29 and 30. In week 29 (July 14 -18) 32 metric tonnes were withdrawn from SGE vaults and in week 30 (July 20 - 25) 33 tonnes were withdrawn. Both... more »

Obama: "America is coming to help" Airstrikes on Iraq, alone?

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 18 hours ago
*UPDATES HAVE BEGUN!* *Scroll down* *Obama- the man makes me want to vomit!**CBC-* *"America is coming to help,*" Obama said during a *(late night)* news conference in the White House dining room. Why a late night conference? Coming to help who and for what? And how is it that airstrikes really ever help anyone? We can already notice the contradictions? *Reuters photographs showed what appeared to be Islamic State fighters controlling a checkpoint at the border area of the Kurdish semi-autonomous region,* little over 30 minutes' drive from Arbil, a city of 1.5 million that is hea... more »

Bipartisan Duo Push Criminal Justice Reform With REDEEM Act

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 18 hours ago
Republican Senator Rand Paul has joined forces with Democratic Senator Cory Booker in pushing for reform of the way that the U.S. criminal justice system treats non-violent youthful offenders. It is encouraging in these twisted times of toxic political acrimony to actually see signs of forward thinking senators rise above the trench warfare to advocate for a higher cause. It is a cause that represents the best interests of our shared society in the long-term rather than just the capsule of an election cycle. The duo are working on getting legislation enacted that would remove the ... more »

I Looked In..... by Rumi

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 19 hours ago

Aisha North: A short update on the energies

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 19 hours ago
http://aishanorth.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/a-short-update-on-the-energies-53/ A short update on the energies by Aisha North August 7, 2014 As you all know by now, the highway lies before you ready to be taken into full use. And what do we mean by that? Simply that now it is up to each and every one of you to determine the speed you want to go at, for this time, there will be no limits at all as to how fast you can proceed into this brand new territory that lies before you. You see, the gates are open and the signal has been given, and as such, you can take off at any time you want ... more »

Greg Hunter, “Weekly News Wrap-Up 8.8.14”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 19 hours ago
*“Weekly News Wrap-Up 8.8.14”* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com “Every story I have could have been the lead story, but I am starting with the Ukraine crisis. I told you that the downing of Malaysian flight 17 would not have any effect on what was coming. The investigation has been halted because of fighting in the area, and it really makes no difference who shot it down because war is coming no matter what. Right now, the economic war has intensified with Russia imposing its own sanctions on the EU and the U.S. It will be stopping many different agricultural products from enterin... more »

Sometimes We Seek Too Much . Author Unknown.

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 20 hours ago

Russian Sanctions Expose West's "Global Disorder"

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 21 hours ago
*August 8, 2014 *(Tony Cartalucci - LD) - In a report by the Sydney Morning Herald titled, "Julie Bishop says 'petulant' Russian sanctions reflect its lack of acceptance for role in MH17 disaster," it claims: *Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says Russia's "petulant" trade sanctions on Australian food imports is yet another example of Moscow trying to evade responsibility for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.* However, Bishop fails to indicate why Russia should or would accept responsibility for downing an aircraft when no evidence whatsoever even suggests such culpability... more »

Would the President deliberately float amnesty to bait the GOP ? ( August 8 , 2014 ) -- While the country waits to see what Amnesty Executive Order is rolled out in the near term , consider these highlights on the restive Border Lands of the US .....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 21 hours ago
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/384920/amnesty-impeachment-bait-charles-krauthammer AUGUST 7, 2014 8:00 PM Amnesty as Impeachment Bait The president’s breathtakingly cynical plan to ward off a midterm shellacking By Charles Krauthammer - Archive - Latest - RSS - Send (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Print Text Comments 104 Charles Krauthammer President Obama is impatient. Congress won’t act on immigration, he says, and therefore he will. The White House is coy as to exactly what the president will do. But the leaks point to an executive order essentially legalizi... more »

Australia slides into Police State Mode ( August 8 , 2014 ) ---- Australia's metadata debate is an utter shambles The goalposts are moving hourly and ministers are contradicting intelligence agencies and themselves ......

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 21 hours ago
What the heck is Australis doing ???? http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/06/australias_metadata_debate_is_an_utter_shambles/ Australia's metadata debate is an utter shamblesThe goalposts are moving hourly and ministers are contradicting intelligence agencies and themselves By Richard Chirgwin, 6 Aug 2014 43 RELATED STORIES - Spooks, cops, say Oz metadata push is for consistency, not data grab - *POLL* Help Australia's PM and attorney-general to define metadata - A modest proposal: Australian ISPs should JUMP at the chance to store metadata - Yes, Australia's govern... more »

Su-25 Attack Aircraft Production May Resume at Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 21 hours ago
[image: Su-25 Frogfoot]The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (UUAP) may resume the production of Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jets, the plant’s managing director Leonid Belykh said. “We used to produce the Su-25 jets and today our equipment is still in good condition, so the question is under consideration. S ome serious investment will be needed, and it is likely that another factory will take up the production. But if the government orders us to do it, we shall do it. If the production is to be transferred to somebody else, so be it,” Belykh told RIA Novosti. Read more

Implausible Deniability - West's ISIS Terror Hordes in Iraq

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 21 hours ago
*August 8, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - The US has pledged assistance for victims of and even possible "airstrikes" against terrorists who have surrounded and threaten to eradicate thousands of religious minorities in Iraq. However, the terrorists themselves are a product of US foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa, and instrumental in achieving Western objectives across the region. Punitive strikes and aid to the victims of what is essentially a Western mercenary army is part of maintaining plausible deniability. The terror hordes originated from NATO territory and... more »

Shaping a Global A330MRTT Fleet: Shaping Sustainable Airpower Reach

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 21 hours ago
[image: A330 MRTT]An insertion force is characterized by strike, defense, lift, tanking and air battle management that can be effectively integrated to get to an objective area, and then to operate over and within until mission success. Sustainable reach is a fundamental operational objective. This means that lift and tanking assets are much more than “support” assets, they are part of the overall sustainable assault force. Read more

Federal government scraps plans to buy four new spy planes

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 22 hours ago
[image: CP-140 Aurora]The federal government is scrapping plans to purchase as many as four new manned spy planes for domestic and international surveillance missions. The Department of National Defence notified military contractors on Tuesday that Ottawa is no longer considering purchasing the new planes, citing “security and technical feasibility” reasons. Rather than purchase the new planes, the department said it anticipates buying “some elements” in a competitive bidding process, and others directly from the United States government. Read more

Japan, US to develop fuel-cell submarine: report

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 22 hours ago
Japan and the United States will jointly develop a fuel-cell powered submarine that can run for a month under the sea on a single charge, a report said on Friday. The top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the unmanned, 10-metre (33-feet) long sub would be able to chart a pre-programmed course before returning to base. The story, citing unnamed Japanese defence ministry officials, comes as Tokyo and Washington look to beef up their security alliance as they warily eye an increasingly assertive China. Read more

NATO set to cut three aircraft from AWACS fleet

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 22 hours ago
[image: NATO E-3A Sentry]NATO looks set to reduce its E-3 Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) fleet from 17 to 14 aircraft, according to an upgrade contract awarded to Boeing on 6 August. The USD250 million contract will see the flight decks of 13 AWACS aircraft modernised to make them Global Air Traffic Management (GATM)-compliant. This is in addition to one engineering manufacturing and development (EMD) aircraft, which is due to enter flight testing later this year. Read more

Assessing China's airborne early warning and control systems

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 22 hours ago
[image: KJ-2000 Mainring]China has successfully developed it own airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system, with the KJ-2000 and the KJ-200, reported overseas Chinese news outlet Duowei on Aug. 4. After China's initial attempts to develop its own system in the 1970s, the nation looked to Russia but the price was too high and the functionality fell short of China's expectations. An attempt to import the Israeli A-501 in the mid-1990s was blocked by the US and eventually fell through. In 2002, China stopped importing Russian AEW&C systems and developed its own, the KJ-2000 an... more »

Obama authorizes airstrikes in Iraq

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 22 hours ago
[image: F/A-18 Super Hornet]The United States intervened militarily in Iraq early this morning for the first time since Islamist militants seized control of nearly half the country, dropping humanitarian supplies to tens of thousands of people who fled their homes when the Islamic State captured the city of Sinjar in northern Iraq. In a nationally televised address, President Barack Obama said he had also authorized targeted airstrikes “to protect American personnel,” citing an Islamic State advance on the city of Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government... more »

Navy to base 6 littoral combat ships at Mayport

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 22 hours ago
[image: USS Freedom (LCS 1) & USS Indepencence (LCS 2)]The Navy made it official Thursday: Six littoral combat ships will be homeported at Mayport Naval Station starting in 2016, and more of the Navy's newest ships could be assigned there by 2020. The six ships would bring 900 sailors and support personnel to the Mayport area. The ships are the future Little Rock, Sioux City, Wichita, Billings, Indianapolis and LCS 19 (name pending). "Naval Station Mayport should be the rightful home of the Navy’s cutting edge ships and technologies, and I’m pleased by what the LCS will mean for Fl... more »

Last of deactivated Malmstrom missile silos eliminated

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 22 hours ago
[image: Deactivated ICBM silo]The last of the deactivated intercontinental ballistic missile silos operated by Malmstrom Air Force Base were eliminated Tuesday. The silos were previously activated by the 564th Missile Squadron, which was deactivated in 2008. Under New START, a nuclear arms-reduction treaty with Russia, those empty silos counted as nondeployed missile launchers. New START, which was ratified in 2011, limits the U.S. and Russia to 800 nondeployed launchers. Read more

Russian Strategic Bombers Conduct More Than 16 Incursions of U.S. Air Defense Zones

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 22 hours ago
[image: Tu-95 Bear]Russian strategic nuclear bombers conducted at least 16 incursions into northwestern U.S. air defense identification zones over the past 10 days, an unusually sharp increase in aerial penetrations, according to U.S. defense officials. The numerous flight encounters by Tu-95 Russian Bear H bombers prompted the scrambling of U.S. jet fighters on several occasions, and come amid heightened U.S.-Russia tensions over Ukraine. Also, during one bomber incursion near Alaska, a Russian intelligence-gathering jet was detected along with the bombers. Read more

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JR at GREENIE WATCH - 22 hours ago
*The hidden “persuaders” of the environmentalist elite* *We can scarcely imagine the countless ways the ultra-rich Big Green / Big Government movement acts in consort to control our lives – at the behest of the 0.01% of uber-elites ... and at the expense of the 99% of American taxpayers, consumers, workers and citizens. Even worse, just when we think we are beginning to grasp the enormity of the problem, another report emerges to demonstrate that we still don’t know the half of it, or even the fiftieth. In this article, Washington Examiner columnist and Center for the Defense of Fr... more »

"A Sign Of The Times: Real Church Sign"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 22 hours ago
"Yeah, we're doing great, thanks for asking..."

"A Sign of The Times: Real Church Sign"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 23 hours ago
"Yeah, we're doing great, thanks for asking..."

"Human Nature"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 23 hours ago

"The Trojan Horse Of Our Demise"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 23 hours ago
*"The Trojan Horse Of Our Demise"* by Former meretricious traveller of the IPC "Equo ne credite, Teucri. Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes." (”Do not trust the Horse, Trojans. Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even bearing gifts.”) –Virgil, "The Aeneid" "The Trojan horses of our demise: ignorance, arrogance, violence and greed. If we seek analogies for our financial collapse, Trojan horses are more instructive than horsemen of the apocalypse. The latter may be useful to the Fundies with their tiresome end-time fantasies. The horsemen externalize evil; they are children’s... more »

"Be My Friend..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 23 hours ago
“Do not walk in front of me... I may not follow, Do not walk behind me... I may not lead, Walk beside me and just be my friend.” - Author Unknown

Inner Peace - A Guest Post by Saker Saloum

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 23 hours ago
Source: *https://plus.google.com/+SakerSaloum1973/posts?cfem=1&hl=sv*

'Jihadist' flag flown in east London | World | The Guardian

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 23 hours ago
When even the Guardian reports this sort of story you know the situation is getting bad. ' A black flag with white Arabic writing, similar to those flown by jihadist groups, was flying at the entrance of an east London housing state near Canary Wharf. In a highly provocative gesture, the emblem was planted on top of the gates of the Will Crooks estate on Poplar High Street, and is surrounded by flags of Palestine and slogans. The jihadi flag outside the Poplar estate showing the Arabic script The Arabic script on the flag The flag bears similar writing to the jihadi flags that ha... more »

Beware: Israel the Eager Provocateur

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 1 day ago
*August 8, 2014 *(Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - With hostilities once again erupting between Israeli forces and Palestine, onlookers must keep in mind the greater agenda in which the current violence is playing out and the stated agenda of achieving hegemony over the Middle East in which Israel plays a pivotal role - as the "unilateral aggressor." *FOB Israel * Of course, Israel does nothing unilaterally. It is a stunted, militaristic faux-state that depends entirely on the West for its continued existence. From the funds it builds its military with, to the very hardware it buys and ma... more »

Friday Afternoon Ramble: A Late Edition

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 1 day ago
*Yeah, it’s a bit late today. So shoot me.* Labour and the Greens don't understand why their Capital Gains tax doesn’t do overseas what they claim it will do here. But they'd implement it anyway. *Capital gains tax not 'panacea' for housing crisis, Labour admits* – ROYAL NZ HERALD “"Ms Devoy may not know that the process of removing race from the laws of a country is actively underway in other countries [including Fiji]. These countries are concerned by the divisions and injustice caused by laws based on race." Actually, most NZ journalists don’t know it either, going by their ... more »

Sum rule constraint on BSM models

LuboÅ¡ Motl at The Reference Frame - 1 day ago
*Guest blog by Paul Frampton, paper by PF and Thomas Kephart* It is good to back after my unexpected sabbatical of 2 years and 4 months in South America. During that time the BEH scalar boson (called \(H\)) was discovered on July 4th, 2012 at the LHC by both the CMS and ATLAS groups. The subsequent experimental study of the production and decay of \(H\) provides particle phenomenology with the first really new data for decades. Physicists who are less than 50 years old cannot remember the excitement in particle phenomenology of the 1970s. In the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s which included...more »

Will The Ugliness Of The GOP Primary In Mississippi Swamp McConnell In Kentucky?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
On top of the court case he filed last week to vacate the results of the Mississippi Senate election, Tea Party sore loser Chris McDaniel has been trying to pick a new fight-- this time with poor, embattled Miss McConnell, threatening to turn Kentucky's far right fringe-- which he so desperately needs in his neck-and-neck fight against Alison Lundergan Grimes-- into a pack of stay at home protestors in November. McDaniel is mad at the world-- especially after the state GOP told him to go pound sand last night. “As Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell has the opportunity to sho... more »

Vegan Recipe & Cookbook Review - Raw Lime Parfait from The HappyCow Cookbook (#HappyCowRoadTrip)

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 1 day ago
When I first became vegan, eating out was difficult. There weren't many veg-friendly restaurants, let alone vegan establishments. Servers typically didn't know what the word "vegan" meant and had no idea what was in the meals they served. We were relegated to picking and choosing items off the "a la carte" menu ... workable but not ideal. The *HappyCow* site is a valuable tool for vegetarians and vegans. Simply type in the name of a city and it will list vegetarian, vegan, and veg-friendly establishments in the area. It's a great resource for traveling or simply keeping up with rest... more »

Israel Confirms That Rockets Have Been Fired Form Gaza Thereby Violating The Cease-Fire (Updated)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Israeli military: Rockets fired from Gaza violate cease-fire -- CNN* Gaza City (CNN) -- Rockets from Gaza hit Israel early Friday morning, breaching a cease-fire that had held for more than two days, the Israeli military said. "Moments ago, 2 rockets fired from Gaza hit southern Israel. Terrorists have violated the cease-fire," the Israel Defense Forces wrote on Twitter. It wasn't immediately clear how Israel would respond. The IDF pulled its ground forces out of Gaza on Tuesday but said they were maintaining "defensive positions" around the territory. Earlier, negotiators in Ca... more »

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
"What's that in front of Orion? Forty kilometers north of Kahta, Turkey, lies Mount Nemrut, a mountain adorned with the fragments of vast statues built over 2000 years ago. The stone sculptures once stood nearly 10 meters high and depicted lions, eagles, various ancient gods, and King Antiochus I Theos, who ruled Commagene from 86 BC to 38 BC. Ruins of the bodies of several sitting figures are visible on the hill above, illuminated by moonlight. Zeus' head can be found near the above image's center, while the king's head is seen next closest to the horizon. *Click image for larger si... more »

"The Object Of Life..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." - Marcus Aurelius

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Makes A Surprise Visit To Afghanistan To Promote Power-Sharing Agreement

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Kerry In Kabul To Try To Break Deadlock Over Afghan Presidency -- Reuters* KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Afghanistan on Thursday for his second visit in under a month to push a deal between the country's two presidential candidates on how to share power after an audit of a disputed election is complete. Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah shook hands on an agreement to resolve the election row after Kerry's visit in July but they remain far apart on critical components of their pact to form a united government. Although a painstaking audit of all ... more »

President Obama Gets It Right On Iraq; US Military Should Airlift Maliki Out of The Green Zone And Drop Him In The Mountains

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 1 day ago
*Iraq's religious and political leaders are telling Prime Minister Maliki to stop with the blame game. Eight years in power is enough. * President Obama Makes a Statement on Iraq. Source: The White House. Date Published: August 7, 2014.

We Are At War With Radical Islam

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*The Geography of Horror -- Peter Berger, American Interest* We are in effect at war with Islamist radicalism. It is very unhelpful if this reality is denied, as the Obama administration has tried to do. Two news items, spread within days over all the media, must be seen together so as to disclose an ominous reality. One was the news that Meriam Ibrahim and her family had finally arrived safely in the United States. The other news was that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was proclaimed Caliph of the new Islamic State. The story of Meriam Ibrahim tells of yet another horrendous cruelty perpet... more »

An Epic Slaughter Is Now Engulfing The Entire Middle East

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Apocalypse Ignored: As Gaza Grabs The Headlines, Epic Slaughter Engulfs The Rest Of The Region. But Where Are The Protests? * The fragile ceasefire in Gaza was still holding last night after three days, offering a glimmer of hope that the brutal conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas might be at an end. Israel believes it has killed more than 700 Hamas fighters in the past four weeks and destroyed at least 32 of the underground passages through which Hamas smuggles weaponry and launches terrorist attacks on the country. In their cold-bl... more »

The Islamic State’s Bloody Campaign To Exterminate Minorities

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*The Islamic State’s Bloody Campaign To Exterminate Minorities: ‘Even Genghis Khan Didn’t Do This’ -- Washington Post* In the back of a cavernous hall, standing behind rows of solemn-looking men, an Iraqi politician known for her passion began to shriek. Her name was Vian Dakhil: the lone representative of the Yazidi people in Iraq’s parliament. And she was asking for someone, anyone, to listen. The Islamic State had just expelled thousands of her people from the northern town of Sinjar. Stranded on a barren mountain without food or water, they faced extermination. Women, she said... more »

Breaking News: Gaza Ceasefire Broken. Mortars Have Been Fired At Israel Hours Before End Of Cease-Fire

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*WNU Editor*: From Haretz: *Mortars fired at Israel, hours before end of cease-fire* *Update #1*: Al Jazeera is reporting explosions *in northern Gaza*. *Update #2:* *Two rockets strike near Eshkol, violating ceasefire *-- Times of Israel *WNU Editor*: This ceasefire is collapsing.

Does Jindal Have a Case with Common Core as Federal “Scheme”?

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
It is no secret that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has aspirations for the White House. On June 13, 2014, Jindal visited the “presidential testing ground,” Iowa. Many in Iowa did not know who he was. To me, a Louisianian, it is absolutely no surprise that Jindal said that a 2016 presidential run is “something” he […]

Obama Authorizes Targeted Airstrikes In Iraq

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
Source Brandon Turbeville President Barack Obama has now authorized airstrikes in Iraq for the purposes of allegedly targeting Sunni extremists and ISIS militants currently running rampant across the country. Obama can now authorize the strikes if it is deemed necessary to “prevent a potential act of genocide.” "I therefore authorized targeted air strikes if necessary to help forces in Iraq as they fight to break the siege and protect the civilians trapped there,” Obama said. Obama reassured Americans that he will “not allow the United States to be drawn into fighting another... more »

"Hope..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
"Hope gives us the courage to confront our circumstances and the capacity to surmount them." - Jerome Groopman

"Twilight of the Psychopaths"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*"Twilight of the Psychopaths"* by Dr. Kevin Barrett "Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it." - John Lennon When Gandhi was asked his opinion of Western civilization he said it would be a good idea. But that oft-cited quote is misleading, assuming as it does that civilization is an unmitigated blessing. Civilized people, we are told, live peacefully and cooperatively with their fellows, sharing the necessary la... more »

"Why Bother?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
"Still and all, why bother? Here’s my answer. Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.” - Kurt Vonnegut

Rating Schools: Use Library Quality

skrashen at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
--> Response to LA Times editorial: Grading California's Schools, August 7 More relevant than using outcomes (test scores, graduation rates) in rating schools is an "input" factor: the quality of the library. Study after study shows that that students living in states with better school libraries do better on tests of reading achievement. California ranks near the bottom of the country in school library quality and is dead last in the ratio of school librarians per student. Our students get little help from the public library: According to the latest "most literate cities" rep... more »

Adventures in pressure canning: Today's Romano green beans...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 1 day ago
*first time with the new pressure canner. It was fun.* *We'll talk about Odumbo being an a-hole some other time. * After finishing weeding the veggie garden, I picked two big bowls of Romano style green beans. Roma's are a large flat bean, very tender with lots of flavor. To cook, I steam them for a very short time, maybe 5 minutes, slather on the ghee, salt, and pepper. Like eating candy! But these critters were headed to my new pressure canner. I had the gauge checked at the Kootenai County Extension office on Tuesday, and I'm doubly glad I did. The gauge was a pound shy,... more »

“When the Money Runs Out... So Does the Empire”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*“When the Money Runs Out... So Does the Empire” * by Bill Bonner "In 2006, we wrote a book with Addison Wiggin called "Empire of Debt: The Rise of an Epic Financial Crisis." The idea of the book was as follows: Empires are not the result of conscious thought; they happen when a group is large enough and powerful enough to impose itself on others. But empires are expensive. They are typically financed by theft and forced tribute. The imperial power conquers... steals... and then requires that its subjects pay "taxes" so that it can protect them. The US never got the hang of it. It ... more »

Sean Hannity Is The #1 Israel Shill In The United States

Big Dan at Big Dan's Big Blog - 1 day ago
Above: Sean Hannity with his wannabe lover or blackmailer or employer Bibi Netanyahu. Monday through Friday this week, I turned on my local rightwing radio channel 94.3 "The Talker" on my way home from work at 5pm. Hannity devoted 100% of his shows this week to being blatantly, rabidly, embarrasingly pro-Israel. While every word out of his mouth was being an apologist for Israel, every single one of his guests was like an infomercial for Israel. One day he had on the mother of one of the 3 Israeli teens that were killed which supposedly gave "the reason" for Israel to start their ... more »

President Obama Has Authorized Airstrikes Against Islamic Militants In Iraq

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Obama Authorizes Targeted Airstrikes In Iraq -- CBS* President Obama authorized airstrikes "if necessary" against Islamic militants who have advanced into the Kurdish region of Iraq and seized the country's largest dam Thursday. The president also announced that the U.S. launched air drops of food and water on a mountain in northern Iraq on Thursday where a religious minority group remains trapped by Islamic militants. "At the direction of the Commander in Chief, the U.S. military conducted a humanitarian assistance operation in Northern Iraq to air drop critical meals and water... more »

U.S. Drops Aid to Iraqis (Update: President Barack Obama Has Authorized Airstrikes In Iraq To Protect U.S. Personnel)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*U.S. Drops Aid to Iraqis; Militants Are Hit -- New York Times* WASHINGTON — United States military aircraft on Thursday dropped food and water to thousands of Iraqis besieged by Islamic militants on a mountaintop in northern Iraq, a senior Pentagon official said. The military made the announcement after the supplies had been delivered and the planes had left the area. President Obama was scheduled to discuss the mission in a televised address Thursday night. Kurdish and Iraqi officials said that airstrikes had begun Thursday night on towns in northern Iraq seized by the Islamic S... more »

nudity

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago
If we were all nude there could be no war nudity

Iraqi Officials Claim US-Led Airstrikes Begin Against ISIS Militants in Iraq

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
*Nick Bernabe | The Anti-Media* *Image credit: Ian Vaughan* According to the New York Times, Iraqi and Kurdish officials say that US airstrikes have begun in northern Iraqi areas controlled by ISIS militants, *“Kurdish and Iraqi officials attributed the bombing campaign to American forces. An announcement on Kurdish television of what was described as an American intervention prompted street celebrations and horn-honking by residents of towns under siege by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.”* Pentagon officials have denied these claims. ISIS, now known as IS or the Isla... more »

THE GAZA CONFLICT: IRRISISTIBLE FORCE MEETS IMMOVABLE OBJECT

It doesn’t look good for the people in the Gaza Strip. It’s unlikely that the present ceasefire will hold long enough for there to be any meaningful outcome for both the Israelis and the Palestinians. The Israelis are demanding the Palestinians disarm and the Palestinians flatly refuse to do so. It is an all too familiar tactic that the Israelis have always employed when dealing with the Palestinians whereby they make an unrealistic offer which they know the Palestinians cannot possibly accept and then, when the Palestinians reject the offer, the Israelis and their backers blame th... more »

Tomorrow night, for the 40th anniversary of Nixon's abdication, Dick Cavett shares his bird's-eye view of Watergate

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
"With the exception of the nightly network news shows, no one on television devoted more airtime to Watergate than talk show host Cavett. From 1972 to 1974, America watched the Watergate scandal unfold on *The Dick Cavett Show* as Cavett interviewed nearly every major Watergate figure — on both sides of the crisis — including John Ehrlichman, Alexander Haig, G. Gordon Liddy, Jeb Magruder and members of the Senate Watergate Committee: Senators Howard Baker, Daniel Inouye, Herman Talmadge, Lowell Weicker, and more." *-- from the PBS preview materials for Dick Cavett's Watergate,whic... more »

No Agreement To Extend Gaza Cease-Fire As Deadline Looms (Update: Hamas Will Not Extend Cease-Fire)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Mediators Race Against Clock To Extend Gaza Truce -- Reuters* (Reuters) - Mediators worked against the clock on Thursday to extend a truce between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, as the three-day ceasefire entered its final hours. Israel said it was ready to agree to an extension as Egyptian go-betweens pursued talks with Israeli and Palestinian delegates in Cairo on ending a war that has devastated the Hamas-controlled enclave. Palestinians want an Israeli-Egyptian blockade on Gaza lifted and prisoners held by Israel to be freed. Hamas's armed wing said it wa... more »

NSA Leaker Edward Snowden Has Been Given Russian Asylum For 3 Years

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Russia Extends Snowden’s Asylum For 3 Years – Lawyer -- RIA Novosti* MOSCOW, August 7 (RIA Novosti) — Russian authorities have extended the temporary asylum for fugitive National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden for three years starting from August 1, his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said Thursday. Russia’s Federal Migration Service refused to comment on the report. Political asylum is not under consideration. In this case, a decision was made about his residence permit. The permission was issued for three years with a possibility of extension for another three year... more »

How Longterm And Widespread Corruption In Ukraine Brought About The Crisis Of Today

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
Banknotes of Ukrainian hryvnia are seen in Kiev in this May 23, 2012 file photo. Credit: REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/Files *Special Report: How Scams And Shakedowns Brought Ukraine To Its Knees -- Steve Stecklow, Elizabeth Piper and Oleksandr Akymenko, Reuters* (Reuters) - Late last year, Ukraine’s consumer protection agency began filing lawsuits against Foxtrot, the country’s largest electronics retailer. By early March, Foxtrot faced at least 231 separate suits that demanded fines totaling more than $150 million. Many of the suits accused the company of minor violations of Ukraine’s l... more »

Russian Bombers Are Testing U.S. Air Defenses

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
Russian Tu-95 bombers (Reuters/Shamil Zhumatov) *Russian Strategic Bombers Conduct More Than 16 Incursions of U.S. Air Defense Zones -- Washington Free Beacon* ‘Spike’ in Bear H flights over past week seen as test of U.S. air defenses Russian strategic nuclear bombers conducted at least 16 incursions into northwestern U.S. air defense identification zones over the past 10 days, an unusually sharp increase in aerial penetrations, according to U.S. defense officials. The numerous flight encounters by Tu-95 Russian Bear H bombers prompted the scrambling of U.S. jet fighters on severa... more »

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: Iraq ‘Falling Apart,’ ‘Not The Way It Was Supposed To Be’

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Wolf Blitzer: Iraq ‘Falling Apart,’ ‘Not the Way It Was Supposed to Be’ -- Washington Free Beacon* CNN’s Wolf Blitzer described to viewers the grim reality Iraqis face. Speaking on television Thursday afternoon, Wolf said, “The whole country of Iraq is seemingly falling apart right now. This was not the way it was supposed to be after President Obama announced that all U.S. forces would be leaving. He was hoping obviously, that there would be some peaceful transition there.” He continued, “Iraq right now falling apart and tens of thousands of minorities- Christians and Yazidis a... more »

US participating in international Eager Lion exercise in Jordan - News - Stripes

Paul Coker at News Spike - 1 day ago
AMMAN, Jordan — Eager Lion, a 12-day annual military exercise involving 8,000 personnel from 19 countries, is underway as the civil war rages next door in Syria. About 5,000 Americans from all services are participating in the Jordanian-led exercise, which will focus on “issues such as integrated air and missile defense and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to address current and future conflicts’ security issues,” said Maj. Gen. Awni al Adwan of the Jordanian army and chairman of the joint task force. Jordanian and U.S. officials played down any link between the exercise an... more »

Time to stick a stake through the heart of the Resource Management Act

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 1 day ago
[image: Whose_Bloody_Land_is_it_Anyway] I’ve waited twenty f’ing years for a mainstream politician to say this, and when they finally do it’s when their party is heading down the gurgler. But at least it’s finally being said: *Resource Management Act - It’s a failure - time to chuck it out – start again* "It is time the politicians admitted the RMA is a failure." said ACT Leader Dr Jamie Whyte. " National's Nick Smith has promised another series of minor amendments to the RMA saying the law is holding back the country's economy. He is just tinkering with a wreck. No one thinks... more »

Ukraine situation ( August 4 , 2014 ) - a detailed look at the state of play in the ongoing civil war , sanctions and counter sanction watch , economic impacts - intended and unintended !

Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2014/08/ukraine-sitrep-by-gleb-bazov.html MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2014 Ukraine SITREP by Gleb Bazov *The Shrinking Cauldron - The Surrender of the 72nd Brigade* The Southern Cauldron has entered the final stages of its existence; the agony of the units deprived of provisions has begun. The Surrender of the 72nd Brigade Original: Colonel Cassad LiveJournal Translated from Russian by Gleb Bazov Today, the remnants of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade fled into the territory of the Russian Federation. According to Russia Today: Four hundred and thir... more »

Iraqi And Kurdish Sources Are Reporting That U.S. Airstrikes On ISIS Militants Have Begun (Update: Pentagon Denies)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
Islamic State militants stand guard after controlling a checkpoint in Khazer at the border area of the Kurdish semi-autonomous region, August 7, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Stringer *Airstrikes On ISIS Militants Have Begun, Kurds and Iraqis Say -- New York Times* WASHINGTON — Airstrikes on towns in northern Iraq seized by Islamist militants began late Thursday in what Kurdish and Iraqi officials called the first stage of an American-led intervention to blunt the militants’ advance and provide emergency aid to tens of thousands of refugeeds. The Pentagon firmly denied that American force... more »

As Bombs Away in Iraq, Cass Sunstein/CIA Committee Prepares Snowden Response???

Isn't Cass short for Cassandra? Or just Miss Info? “Statement by the Press Secretary on the Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technology – On August 9, President Obama called for a high-level group of experts to review our intelligence and communications technologies. Today the President met with the members of this group: Richard Clarke, Michael Morell, Geoffrey Stone,

Russia Is Calling Up It's Military Reserves

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
Russian servicemen march during the Victory Day parade in Moscow's Red Square May 9, 2014. Grigory Dukor / Reuters *Russia Calls Up Military Reserves -- Guardian Liberty Voice* Russia’s Defense Ministry is calling up military reserve units for training and drills. The Defense Ministry website indicates that exercises and tactical training will be conducted from now through October. The notice gives details on the units, where they will train, and the nature of their exercises. Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko, began calling up Ukraine’s reservists last week, and the Ukrainia... more »

Top Ukrainian Rebel 'Prime Minister' Of Donetsk Region Resigns

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
Alexander Borodai (left), the former leader of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic", shakes hands with his replacement, Alexander Zakharchenko. Credit: Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters *Donetsk People’s Republic Prime Minister Resigns, Names Field Commander as Successor -- RIA **Novosti* MOSCOW, August 7 (RIA Novosti) — The prime minister of Donetsk People’s Republic, Alexander Boroday, announced his resignation Thursday. «I came here as a crisis manager, a startuper if you wish. A lot was done in the past days, and DPR has proven itself as a state. Now I cede my place to a res... more »

Ukraine Civil War News Updates -- August 7, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Ukraine’s Donetsk Becomes Ghost Town As National Forces Shell Separatists -- FOX News* DONETSK, Ukraine – Residents of this eastern Ukrainian city are fleeing in droves as national forces step up mortar attacks aimed at dislodging the pro-Russian separatists who are clinging to control of a city once populated by 1 million people. An eerie calm has descended over the nearly deserted city center and suburbs alike, the silence broken only by the sporadic shelling that becomes heaviest at night. Those Donetsk residents who have remained are on edge, as forces sent by Kiev have step...more »

Mahdi al-Harati (CIA/AQ/ MB) Selected mayor of Libyan capital Tripoli ?

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 1 day ago
*What a fortuitous turn of events for the NATO global war machine*!! To have their man in place in Tripoli, the Libyan capital..... WOW! AQ/CIA/Mossad/NATO- Mahdi is their man *The 'rebel warrior' Mr al Harati Mayor of Tripoli. Not really elected. Mahdi al Harati was S-elected.* *“An Irishman who commanded rebel groups in both Libya and Syria has been elected as the mayor of Tripoli, it has been reported.* *Mahdi al-Harati, an Irish citizen from Firhouse in Dublin, was chosen as the city head by the Libyan capital’s new municipal council on Wednesday, state news agency Lana said.* ... more »

Why Only Morons Will Buy Into Another US War

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the ... more »

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