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| Document seized from the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 by Iranian students (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| The CIA prepared a series of leaflets for use in Afghanistan Original caption: :"AL Qaeda do you think that you are safe..." (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| English: United States Central Intelligence Agency, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/maps/my-map.gif (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Burris Calls Out Common Core; Duncan-friendly EdPost Indignant
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are really good for American
education, but sadly, non-foundation-financed, public school administrators
like New York principal Carol Burris seem to have trouble coming around to
falling in live with those *higher standards*(c). In fact, Burris had a
fantastic opportunity on September 9, 2014, to Embrace the Common
Core. Unfortunately, she decided […]
Energy Econ 26: Dealing with Power Deficit in 2015
Independent think tank, Stratbase Research Institute (SRI) published
yesterday my paper, "Energy and Rice Deficiency: Reform Challenges for the
Last Quarter of the Aquino Administration."
I uploaded the paper in my slideshare account, 11 pages, check it there.
For this article, I will only discuss the part on power and energy.
President Aquino has officially requested for a Congressional Resolution to
deal with projected power deficiency next year, especially on the hot
months of March to May 2015, or just six months from now. I believe they
have a reason to panic.
Chart 1. Power ... more »
"The Power of Disengagement: Playing Mind Games"
*"The Power of Disengagement: Playing Mind Games"*
by The DailyOM
"Life should not be lived through a series of mind games, but from truth
and looking deep within. For better or worse, many people have been raised
to believe that communicating in an honest and open way will not get them
what they want. They have learned, instead, to play mind games or go on
power trips in the service of their ego’s agenda. People stuck in this
outmoded and inefficient style of communication can be trying at best and
downright destructive at worst. We may get caught up in thinking we have to
play th... more »
Chet Raymo, "Hanging On"
*"Hanging On"*
by Chet Raymo
"I change the desktop image on my laptop every now and then, generally when
I come across a new image I like. In the last year or so you'll remember
that I wrote about Caravaggio's "The Rest on the Flight Into Egypt" and
Vermeer's "The Milkmaid." Live with an image for a while and it's
inevitable that you learn something from it. Here is the painting I've had
as my desktop in recent weeks, Winslow Homer's "Snap the Whip", 1872, one
of America's sentimental favorites.
A simpler, more innocent time. Boys at recess, barefoot in the grass.
Hand-me-down clo... more »
"The Ultimate Choice..."
"That man can destroy life is just as miraculous a feat as that he can
create it, for life is the miracle, the inexplicable. In the act of
destruction, man sets himself above life; he transcends himself as a
creature. Thus, the ultimate choice for a man, inasmuch as he is driven to
transcend himself, is to create or to destroy, to love or to hate."
- Erich Fromm
The CIA Has Just Released A Trove Of Formerly Top Secret Documents
(Photo via cia.gov)
*New Trove Of CIA Articles On al-Qaeda, The Cold War And The Beiruit
Bombing, Among Many Subjects -- Washington Post*
The Central Intelligence Agency has released a new, extensive collection of
declassified articles from its in-house journal, providing glimpses into
the spy organization’s thinking on everything from Al-Qaeda’s secrecy
tactics in Afghanistan to how it has managed public relations crises.
The documents, posted on the agency’s website Thursday, are from “Studies
in Intelligence,” the CIA’s in-house professional journal. The
publication’s mission i... more »
AIT warns on Typhoon Fung-Wang this weekend
*h/t to James Lick for the image. Lick says it is falling in intensity at
the moment but has moved to a course that will take it directly over
Taiwan.*
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong
This Emergency Message is being issued to alert U.S. citizens residing or
traveling in Taiwan that the Joint Typhoon Warning Center and the Taiwan
Central Weather Bureau are tracking the development of Tropical Storm
Fung-Wong. The tropical storm is expected to strengthen as it moves north
and west toward Taiwan. It is increasingly likely the storm will pass over
Taiwan on Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, ... more »
The CIA Is 67 Years Old Today
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). © AFP 2014/ Saul Loeb
*Central Intelligence Agency -- RIA Novsoti*
MOSCOW, September 18 (RIA Novosti) - The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),
the principal US foreign intelligence and counterintelligence organization,
marks its anniversary on September 18.
The CIA is an independent agency responsible for providing national
security intelligence assessment to top US policymakers. It was established
by the National Security Act (NSA) of 1947, which was signed into law by
President Harry S. Truman on July 26, 1947, and came into force on
September ... more »
U.S. Congress Agrees To Arm Radical Terrorist Group ISIS Under The False Label of "Syrian Rebels"
*Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approves the U.S. Congress's
decision to arm ISIS.*
The U.S. Congress *has voted to officially arm the "Syrian rebels"* and
implement the Obama administration's strategy against ISIS, whatever that
is.
Technically, there is no such thing as "Syrian rebels." Those who wish it
was true because they want to see Assad overthrown so bad really need to
grow up and stop living in a fantasy world. It isn't true now, and it
wasn't true three years ago.
This is not something that basement dwelling conspiracy theorists believe,
but is a reality t... more »
Intersex Surgery in the 18th Century | New Republic
Sex-Change Surgery in the 18th Century | New Republic
">
According to Brand's report, published in 1787, he noticed an
“irregularity” in the patient’s “external parts.” After further
examination, he concluded that the child’s “part, which had the appearance
of the labia pudenda, was in fact the scrotum,” and suggested an “operation
to free the penis from its confinement.” He went ahead and made some
alterations, enabling the child—whose name is unknown—“to urinate standing
up, wear trousers, and enjoy the privileges of being a male.”
The child's wishes were of course deemed irrelev... more »
How Artillery Was Used In The Ukraine Civil War
The outskirts of Mariupol on Sept. 4, 2014 under pro-Russian separatists
heavy artillery action. Montreal Gazette
*The Right (And Wrong) Way To Use Artillery: Ukraine Edition -- Popular
Mechanics*
*When Russia-Ukraine becomes an artillery war, everyone loses.*
It just wouldn't be a European war without the bang-whistle-bang of
artillery shells flying back and forth. Maybe it’s something about nations
warring with their neighbors, but European militaries have taken to
bombarding each other with alarming frequency ever since the cannon was
invented. That goes for the current battle ... more »
"Governments can err, presidents do make mistakes, but the immortal Dante tells us that Divine justice weighs the sins of the cold-blooded and the sins of the warm-hearted on different scales."
*Speech before the 1936 Democratic National Convention*
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
June 27, 1936
A Rendezvous With Destiny
President Roosevelt:
"Senator Robinson, Members of the Democratic Convention, My Friends: Here,
and in every community throughout the land, we are met at a time of great
moment to the future of the nation. It is an occasion to be dedicated to
the simple and sincere expression of an attitude toward problems, the
determination of which will profoundly affect America.
I come not only as a leader of a party, not only as a candidate for high
office, but as one upon... more »
As Ukraine Disintegrates, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko Gets A Standing Ovation In The U.S. Congress
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko addressing a joint meeting of Congress
in the US Capitol in Washington. © REUTERS/ Kevin Lamarque
*As Poroshenko Gets Standing Ovations in Western Capitals, Ukraine
Disintegrates -- Dmitry Babich, RIA Novosti*
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is touring the United States and
Canada, addressing legislatures and getting standing ovations. The problem
is, however, that such an enthusiastic reception in North America and the
West in general is usually seen as sort of a bad omen for political leaders
from the former Soviet Union.
Nearly ten year... more »
According To CNN The Scottish Referendum Vote Result Is 58% Yes, 54% No
*My Comment:* It looks like someone is definitely excited in CNN on
Scotland declaring independence with 110% of the vote.
*Hat Tip*: Zero Hedge
TV Watch (sick-day edition): Binge-watching Season 3 of TNT's "Dallas"
*The 2012-14 (and beyond) Ewings: Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), Bobby (Patrick
Duffy), John Ross (Josh Henderson), and Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe)*
*"You selfish bastard! Lying and cheating were the only two things you were
good at, and now you've failed at them too!"*
*-- Pamela Barnes Ewing, after slapping terminallyestranged husband John
Ross, in "Victims of Love," Episode 12 of Season 3 of Dallas (2012)*
*by Ken*
I love that line, even if I'm not sure Julie Gonzalo has read it quite
right. Surely Pamela means to stress the "them too," but she kind of
half-stresses "failed" and "to... more »
Ukraine President Poroshenko Leaves The U.S. With No Commitment To Lethal Militatry Aid
*Ukraine Leader Gets Support In U.S., But Not Lethal Aid -- CNN*
Washington (CNN) -- American leaders offered Ukrainian President Petro
Poroshenko a high-profile platform Thursday to advocate for greater support
to his besieged military, though the levels of assistance ultimately
offered by the United States fell short of his requests.
After an address to a joint session of Congress, Poroshenko met with
Secretary of State John Kerry and later with President Barack Obama in the
Oval Office, where he requested help arming his troops to battle Russian
separatists in eastern Ukraine -... more »
First Results Declared In Scottish Referendum: No 54%, Yes 46%
*Scottish Independence: First Referendum Results Declared -- BBC*
*The first results are coming in for the referendum to decide whether
Scotland should stay in the UK or become an independent country.*
Clackmannanshire was the earliest to declare, with "No" winning 19,036
votes and "Yes" on 16,350 on an 89% turnout.
Counting will be carried out through the night, with individual results
announced for each of Scotland's 32 local authority areas.
The final national result is expected after 06:30 BST (05:30 GMT) on Friday.
A YouGov on-the-day survey published shortly after polls clos... more »
AWAY TO THE FAIR
I'm leaving early in the morning for Unity, Maine to work at the Common
Ground Fair all weekend.
Our chapter of Maine Veterans for Peace will have a booth at the fair so I
will be helping to staff that throughout the weekend. In particular we'll
be promoting our coming Maine Walk for Peace & a Sustainable Future. Tens
of thousands of people come from all over Maine and New England to the
event so it is a great place to do outreach.
While there I've got to buy some garlic to plant in our garden as that crop
goes in during the fall for an early spring surprise - the first crop th... more »
9/11: “Anatomy of a Great Deception”
*9/11: “Anatomy of a Great Deception”*
By David Hooper
“This “docu-thriller” from father-turned-filmmaker, David Hooper takes us
on a journey of awakening that begins with an innocent question. Soon, his
life is turned upside down as he grapples with the life-changing
conclusions of his findings. The film was made to wake up his friends and
family. Now, it’s poised to wake everyone else.”
- http://www.globalresearch.ca/
◆
“Did Chimpanzees Just Reveal the Origins of Human Violence?”
*“Did Chimpanzees Just Reveal the Origins of Human Violence?”*
By Lynn Stuart Parramore
“Where does violence come from? Is war a strictly human phenomenon, or do
other animals have warlike capacities? Researchers studying chimpanzees
have long noticed that sometimes the animals attack and kill one another.
Some scientists think that this violence is a result of human impact on
their environment. Not so, says Harvard University evolutionary biologist
Richard Wrangham, senior author of a new paper that has sparked heated
discussion in the scientific community.
The work of Wrangham an... more »
The Economy: “Guess What: The States (And Scotland) Have The Hammer”
*“Guess What: The States (And Scotland) Have The Hammer”*
by Karl Denninger
“Here's an interesting take on the whole "Scotland" breakaway issue, and it
directly bears on the United States as well. We often hear that a state
"can't" secede successfully, for the simple reason that the Federal
Government controls too much of the economy and that if, say Texas, was to
say "**** you" the result would be the immediate collapse of the
Texan-cum-nation economy. Not so fast, kemosabe.
There is a downside to massive debt accumulation by a sovereign and
so-called "modern finance", and it is t... more »
Scotland Referendum: Live Updates
*WNU Editor:* This post on the results of Scotland's referendum will stay
on top for the next 12 hours. For new posts/news stories .... scroll down.
*Scotland Referendum On Independence: Live Updates*
BBC 5: LIVE -- BBC Radio
Scottish independence: Live blog -- Scotsman
Scotland Decides: Live -- BBC
Scottish referendum: Live -- Reuters
Scotland referendum: Live Report -- AFP
Scottish referendum: Scotland decides 'yes' or 'no' to independence - live --
The Guardian
Scottish independence referendum live: Latest news as Scotland decides Yes
or No -- Independent
Scottish Independence Vot... more »
Breaking Bread: Student Punished for Sharing Lunch
KRCR TV News Heather Callaghan
*Lunch police: No sharing allowed!*
Here we have a school that has a policy, not with safety in mind - only as
an afterthought - but one that hinges on strict adherence to said policy.
Two students were given two different school-prepared lunches. One of the
lunches was obviously inadequate, so the classmate gave of his own plate -
and was met with detention.
The problem this writer has with it is the use of zero tolerance force in
the lunch room of all places. And when trauma and guilt are inflicted on a
student who would otherwise be praised for... more »
ABBOTT GOES FOR THE JOHN HOWARD PLOY ON TERRORISM
According to this *Guardian *report Abbott has ‘played down the possibility
that Australia’s renewed involvement in Iraq would increase the chance of
terror plots against Australian targets. He said Australia was targeted in
Bali in 2002 before any involvement in the previous Iraq war’.
This is utter nonsense. All Abbott is attempting here is to mimic John
Howard’s ridiculous attempt to hoodwink the Australian people over the
reasons for the Bali bombings.
Today’s terror threats – if, indeed, there really are any – are as a direct
result of this government’s plans to send Australia... more »
Textbooks and the Texas Taliban
a clip from Alternet:
. . . .The latest battle in the ongoing war to turn public schools into
propaganda machines for the right is being fought in the state of Texas.
The state is often at the center of conservative-fomented education
controversies, as right-wingers there keep trying to sneak creationism into
the science classroom. Texas also continues to maintain its abysmally high
teen pregnancy rate by pushing sex “education” that usually doesn’t bother
to mention contraception. While the right has been losing some ground on
those two issues, a new report from the Texas Freedom ... more »
Everything You Need to Know About the CIA Torture Report in Under 4 Minutes
*Activist Post*
If someone tries to hide something from you for ten years, it's probably
pretty embarrassing or shameful. Over the past ten years, the CIA has
misled Congress about their post-9/11 torture program, withheld evidence
and tried to cover up the facts. In the next few weeks, a new bipartisan
Senate report is expected to reveal the truth about the CIA's torture
programs. Here's why you want to know what's in the Torture Report:
Subscribe to ReThinkMediaInfo's Channel
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NSA Recruiter Confronted at University of New Mexico
*Andy Beale*
What happens when an NSA college recruiter gets confronted on the legality
of the agency's data collection on Americans? Hint: They attack and then
retreat.
*Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.*
Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email
Sen. Rand Paul Argues Against U.S. Arming Syrian Rebels on Senate Floor
*Sen Rand Paul*
Paul says "Here's the great irony of this...we could use the 2001
Authorization of Force that they predicate this vote on...to attack the
same people we're giving the weapons to. Think about the insanity of this!"
*Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.*
Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email
The Popular "Solution" to Gun Violence in America
*Carey Wedler*
Visit InRogue.co
*Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.*
Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email
Sheikh Imran Hosein: "Israel Is Now Ready To Wage A Big War"
"This is what I explained in my lecture twelve years ago in Sydney. It's to
create conditions which would allow the world to feel that Islam is rising
once again as a force in the world, and the Islamic Caliphate will be
returning. And that the Muslims are going to now slaughter the Jews in
Israel. And if Israel does not do something to defend itself Israel will be
destroyed, and, more than that, all of mankind are now going to be
threatened by this evil force called Islam. It's a propaganda offensive.
And in order to succeed with that propaganda offensive you don't need more
than... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 18, 2014
*‘Scotland Will Never, Ever Be The Same’ -- Corinne Purtill, Global Post*
*Scotland finally has its chance to seize independence. Will it take it?
Nobody here feckin knows.*
LOCHGELLY, UK — A gray drizzle slicked the pavement outside as Gavin Loudon
dropped into a chair at the public library in this Fife, Scotland town.
He wore a crossing-guard-style blue vest emblazoned with the Yes logo of
Scotland’s pro-independence campaign. He also had a Yes messenger bag, Yes
bracelets ringing both wrists and a stack of Yes pamphlets under one arm.
The former boxer looked tired but dogged, h... more »
The Scottish Referendum
*Scottish Highlands*
In 1986 my family and I toured the British Isles. I was expecting to be
moved emotionally when we drove around Ireland…the land of my ancestors…and
I was. In County Clare I was reduced to tears when I saw the fields… as far
as the eye could see, bordered with waist high rock fences…put there by the
starving Irish peasants, working for a penny a day. When I told the Irish I
was of Irish ancestry, they would grab me by the shoulders, pull me close,
look into my eyes and say “You’ve come back!” Such was their grief at the
loss of millions of emigrants due to th... more »
Breaking News: Scotland Exit Poll Suggests 54% Scots Voted No, 46% Voted Yes
*WNU Editor*: This news is from *The Guardian.*
Untitled
*New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings: Should Sean Payton Test Out SJB
and Dixon? ~Andrew Shuster, Who Dat Dish*
*Corps of Engineers to buy 703 football fields of sod to 'armor' New
Orleans area levees ~Mark Schleifstein*
Concerned, from Epsom [updated]
We each have our hot-button election issues.
Mine is property rights.
Has been for years.
For years I’ve been saying the Resource Management Act (RMA) is an abuse of
property rights and has to go. It has empowered councils to take your
property rights under all their thoroughly meddling district plans and
directives, and has to go.
It has to go, I’ve said, to be replaced with common law protection of
property rights – protecting private property rights *and* the environment,
in which the common law can point to several hundred years of success.
No major party has followed that... more »
Not Your Grandparents’ Mathematics: Good Mathematics Education Drives Americans Crazy
“The proof of Theorem 3-6 is elementary but rather complicated; that is,
we have used quite basic results, but we have used them in an involved
sequence. You might contrast this proof and the skills you need to follow
it with the numerical computations you once considered typical of
mathematics. This proof provides a […]
Reprise: Re-Review of Paul Tough's Biggest Hit
When I looking this morning for the publication date of Paul Tough's
neo-eugenics manifesto, *How Children Succeed *. . ., I saw that it is #1
at Amazon in the area of Educational Psychology.
I felt the need to re-post this review, which appeared first at Substance
News.
*Paul Tough, KIPP, and the Character Con: A Review of How Children Succeed:
Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character*
*When we look at these kids and their behavior, it can all seem so
mysterious….But at some point, what you’re seeing is just a complex series
of chemical reactions. It’s the folding of a... more »
World News Briefs -- September 18, 2014 (Evening Edition)
*Scottish Independence: Counting Begins In Referendum -- BBC*
The polls have closed and counting is under way in the referendum to decide
whether Scotland should stay in the UK or become an independent country.
Counting will be carried out through the night, with individual results
announced for each of Scotland's 32 local authority areas.
The final national result is expected after 06:30 BST (05:30 GMT) on Friday.
A YouGov on-the-day poll published shortly after polls closed suggested
"No" was on 54% and "Yes" on 46%.
A "Yes" vote in the ballot would end the 307-year-old union be... more »
Is Hamas About To Recognize Israel?
*Hamas Would Abide By PLO Recognition Of Israel, Legislator Says -- Chicago
Tribune/Bloomberg*
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Hamas will keep trying to join the Palestine
Liberation Organization even though it would be required to honor the PLO's
recognition of Israel, a lawmaker representing the militant Islamist group
says.
Ahmad Attoun, elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council from east
Jerusalem in 2006, said in an interview that Hamas wants to move beyond the
unity agreement it struck in June with President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah
party to govern the West Bank and Gaza together. ... more »
Russian President Putin 'Privately Threatened To Invade Poland, Romania And The Baltic States'
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (L) and Russian President Vladimir
Putin talking during 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings at Benouville
Castle, France. Regis Duvignau / Reuters
*Putin 'Privately Threatened To Invade Poland, Romania And The Baltic
States' -- The Telegraph*
German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung reports that Ukrainian President Petro
Poroshenko told European Commission that Putin made the threat in a recent
conversation.
President Vladimir Putin privately threatened to invade Poland, Romania and
the Baltic states, according to a record of a conversation with... more »
A Monroe Doctrine for NATO
The 19th-century strategy provides a model for how to protect Ukraine and
other* vulnerable* states
Uncle Sam carrying his big stick- for head bashin'Took some time to read up
on the Monroe doctrine- which by all appearances looked to be a way the US
controlled/dominated all of South America-
Using NATO as a very big stick, a global tyrannical army, this "Monroe
Doctrine" looks to be an agenda for controlling/dominating just about the
entire globe- Frightful stuff
Speaking in Tallinn, Estonia, President Barack Obama earlier this month
affirmed America's commitment to defend NATO a... more »
As the polls close...
As the polls close in the Scottish independence referendum, here are a
selection of topical jokes that you are very unlikely to have heard on
Radio 4's *The Now Show. *
They might be Frankie Boyle jokes. Or they might not be. Probably the
latter...
*Hearing the independence vote is going to be incredibly tight. **So
definitely Scottish then.*
*How many Scots does it take to screw in a light bulb? **None. From
Thursday they will be back to candles.*
*Alex Salmond needs to find a way of keeping voters out of pubs and get
them into the polling stations in Glasgow on Thursday. **The... more »
The DCCC Won't Acknowledge Him, Let Alone Help Him, But There Is A Democrat Running Against John Boehner This Year
As I've mentioned before, Steve Israel protects his own vulnerable seat by
never allowing the DCCC to challenge any Republican leaders or committee
chairs, not even the ones in blue-leaning districts like Fred Upton (R-MI),
John Kline (R-MN) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). When Blue America worked
hard to help Justin Coussoule run against Boehner, the DCCC went beyond
being not helpful to being downright insulting to an Afghan War vet and
decorated West Point grad. They didn't help him; they disparaged him and
did everything they could to humiliate and discourage him. After that, n... more »
Western Sanctions Are Hurting The Russian Economy
*Russian Economy Reeling After New Western Sanctions -- Voice of America*
WASHINGTON — A new wave of Western sanctions is hitting Russia’s economy
hard. State-owned energy firms continue to bleed profits and Russia’s
national currency plunged to a new low this week after the U.S. and the
European Union announced new sanctions to punish Russia's aggressive stance
in eastern Ukraine. The sanctions could also prove costly for European and
American companies.
While some worry the country’s weak currency will fuel higher prices,
others say Russian consumers, who tend to buy few imports... more »
This Is What the U.S. Miltiary Will Be Facing When They Go To Africa To Fight Ebola
*The US Military Is Going to Africa to Fight Ebola. Here's What It's Up
Against. -- Mother Jones*
The virus isn't the only threat troops will face.
On Tuesday, the White House officially announced that it would be sending
US troops to Liberia to fight the Ebola outbreak. The military has already
requested to use $500 million from its Overseas Contingency Operations
budget to deal with Ebola in West Africa and ISIS in Iraq, and plans to
request another $500 million to combat the epidemic, which United Nations
officials have said is needed to keep the number of cases in the "tens of... more »
"Long-term house policy"
I couldn't agree more with James Delingpole about this morning's *Today*,
which after some glimmers of hope in recent months, found the BBC firmly
back where they clearly feel most comfortable - and deflecting attention
away from the real problem:
Here is the news: in Australia, a plot by Islamic State sympathisers to
capture random members of the public and chop their heads off has been
foiled by security services; in Syria, two Americans and a British hostage
have been beheaded by an Islamist nicknamed Jihadi John - and another
innocent Briton (a taxi driver captured while worki... more »
Supplemental: Sometimes you just have to laugh with the Times!
*THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014Which part of the Ngogo group don’t you
understand:* This morning, we were hard at work reading our “National”
section in the New York Times.
Suddenly, it happened! Beneath the report about testosterone drugs, a
headline caught our eye:
“Lethal Violence in Chimps Occurs Naturally, Study Suggests”
Based on that headline, it seemed like the study hasn’t nailed anything
down. But the study was at least prepared to *suggest* that violent chimps
have absolutely no one to blame but themselves!
We’ll admit it—they had us at “lethal violence in chimps.” We ha... more »
Gal on motorbike targets trash tossers
* Funny.*
A gal after my own heart (cause I hate garbage tossers) Use a trash bin
you lazy arses! Or take it home with you.
War on ISIS Or Assad? Obama's Open-Ended Missions Will Lead To A Bigger Mess And A Larger U.S. Footprint In The Near East
1. An excerpt from, *"U.S. commandos quietly train Yemeni military"*
Tactical-Life.com, September 16, 2010:
"Seldom visible in the Yemeni mountains, the elite U.S. commandos training
the Yemen’s military represent the Obama administration’s quest to fight
terrorism without inflaming anti-American sentiment.
*That balancing act has become an administration trademark, funneling
millions of dollars in aid and low-profile military trainers to countries
such as Pakistan and Yemen* in order to take on a more diverse, independent
and scattered al Qaeda network.
The scope and amount of... more »
AMS in PRL: the positrons do stop increasing
*...but the evidence for an actual drop remains underwhelming...*
In April 2013, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02), a gadget carried
by the International Space Station that looks for dark matter and other
things and whose data are being evaluated by Nobel prize winner Sam Ting
(MIT) and his folks, reported intriguing observations that were supposed to
grow to a smoking fun proving that dark matter exists and is composed of
heavy elementary particles:
AMS-02 seems to overcautiously censor solid evidence for dark matter
------------------------------
AMS: the steep drop is ver... more »
The Death Toll From The Ebola Epidemic Continues To Rise -- News Updates September 18, 2014
*U.N. To Deploy Ebola Mission As Death Toll Reaches 2,630 -- Reuters*
(Reuters) - The United Nations unveiled plans on Thursday for a special
mission to combat the worst Ebola epidemic on record in West Africa, as the
death toll hit 2,630 and France became the latest Western nation to step up
its support.
French President Francois Hollande announced the deployment of a military
hospital to remote Forest Region of southeastern Guinea, where the outbreak
was first detected in March.
Since then the virus has infected at least 5,357 people, according to World
Health Organization (WHO... more »
Indigenous denounce Climate Summit, Indigenous World Conference
Indigenous
denounce Climate Summit, Indigenous World Conference
By Brenda Norrell
Photo by La Via Campesina
While the corporate interests hijack the upcoming UN Climate Summit, and
frauds attempt to take control of the upcoming UN Indigenous World
Conference, both in New York, Indigenous around the world are speaking
out to denounce those who are co-opting their struggles for personal
The Growing Rift Between President Obama And His Generals
White House photos 2/27/09 by Pete Souza
*The Rift Between Obama And His Generals On ISIS -- Zack Beauchamp, VOX*
There's no mistaking what President Obama's Wednesday speech at MacDill Air
Force Base was: a gigantic slap in the face to the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey. But to be fair, Dempsey slapped
first when he publicly dissented from the administration's position on
deploying combat troops to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
(ISIS). Obama's latest speech shut him down.
The font of the disagreement was Dempsey's Tuesday testimony at a S... more »
Sept. 18: Our private news media - from one who knows...
The name of Ray McGovern isn't well known these days. But for over thirty
years he was a top analyst for the CIA, and he was a Washington insider at
the highest levels. In the days of President Reagan, he was the man who
briefed the president every day.
He knew all that was going on; and he came to realize how immoral and
destructive it all was. So, after retirement, he founded Veteran
Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. One of his conclusions is that
American (and he could have included Canadian) news media are thoroughly
corrupted. Like the Irving press, almost all - newspaper,... more »
After Scotland's Independence Vote, Who Is Next In Europe?
*If Scotland Breaks Away, These 8 Places In Europe Could Be Next --
Washington Post*
Given Europe's complicated history and cultural diversity, the existence of
independence-minded groups and regions is understandable. Even so, the
sheer number of separatist movements in Europe may surprise you.
Some of these groups have transformed their desire for separation into
successful political movements; others are operating at a far lower level.
Some are more violent (even building their own tanks, as was the case in
Northern Italy) than others (as in Bavaria, where beer seems to be the ... more »
Shocking Climate-Change Update (As If the News Could Get Worse)
Rebecca Solnit at the TomDispatch holds out the candle for us: Just when no
one needed more lousy news, the U.N.’s weather outfit, the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO), issued its annual Greenhouse Gas
Bulletin. It offered a shocking climate-change update: the concentrations
of long-lasting greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere (carbon dioxide,
methane, and nitrous oxide)
Supplemental: The tragedy, and the scourge, of Salon!
*THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014Sorbonne scholar cons liberal readers:* Last
night, we watched part of Bill O’Reilly’s segment about the spanking
debate.
(As the segment continued, we clicked back to Chris Hayes’ two-segment
interview with Naomi Klein.)
Just now, we read Salon’s account of O’Reilly’s segment. We’re not sure
when we’ve seen a clearer example of the ongoing tragedy, and the scourge,
of the new, dishonest Salon.
The author of Salon’s piece on the segment is the brilliant young scholar,
Joanna Rothkopf. By every standard reckoning, she has had all the
advantages.
Aft... more »
If Scotland Votes 'Yes' How Much Gold Will They Get From The The Bank Of England?
Gold bullion in the vaults at the Bank of England. The posters on the walls
remain from the time during World War II when it was used an underground
staff restaurant. Daily Mail
*Ownership Of UK Gold Up For Negotiation If Scotland Votes "Yes" -- Reuters*
(Reuters) - An independent Scotland could lay claim to a part of the United
Kingdom's 310-tonne gold reserves if votes go in favour of the "Yes"
campaign this month, with ownership of Britain's bullion hoard up for
negotiation along with other assets.
"The distribution of the UK's assets in the event of Scottish independence
would... more »
Will Scotland Vote For Independence?
*My Comment: *I do not live in Scotland .... and I will confess that I am
slightly ignorant on the issues that have framed this independence vote.
But .... I have experienced and lived through independence votes in the
past (Ukraine, Quebec) ... and it is in this context that I am making this
analysis. To begin .... I just do not feel that the passion is there for a
Yes vote to succeed. There is also a great deal of uncertainty ....
especially on economic issues. People want and need to feel reassured that
if they vote for a change .... their standard of life will not change ....
... more »
World News Briefs -- September 18, 2014
*Four Hours To Save The Union: Queues Expected At Polling Stations As Scots
On Their Way Home From Work Cast Their Vote On Historic Day -- Daily Mail*
* Millions have headed to the polls today to decide the fate of Great
Britain as voting across the country opened at 7am
* Voters have until 10pm to cast their vote in the historic referendum to
decide the fate of the 307-year Union
* Thousands of police officers are at polling stations as the separatists
are expected to use menacing tactics
* For the first time in history 16 and 17-year-olds will have their say,
with students stoppin... more »
Arctic lost symbolism that makes Canada PUKE
.jpg)
I write you all a message and mostly if I am not in panic it has a touch
of the dramatic.
Who the fuck is going to ever intrepert the face book messages of Steve
Harper
i expect in the equivalent of history books of 2024 he will be recorded
as an Arctic Warrior without a spear
who choose to die before
eating seal
Kentucky Senate candidate: "With Jews we lose"
*Robert Ransdell*, who recently appeared as *a guest on The Solar Storm
with Kyle Hunt*, is running for Senate in the state of Kentucky with a
controversial and catchy, yet entirely accurate, campaign slogan: *"With
Jews we lose."*
Ransdell's website, *The White Guard*, briefly summarizes his campaign's
main message:
*Always Remember: With Jews We Lose*
Through his campaign for US Senate in Kentucky, Robert Ransdell seeks to
show White people the facts regarding the Jewish role in America's decline
as well as highlight the destructive effects that multiculturalism,
diversity, and ... more »
Healthy Lunches: The Little Mermaid Lunch
I will always be amazed how much a difference the presentation makes in the
world of getting my picky eater to eat. The Cinderella Lunch is one of her
absolute favorites, but coming in a close second is this one, inspired by
The Little Mermaid. It gets her to eat and try new things. This one is
really simple to make and uses mostly all things I have one hand.
You will need:
- a croissant for the crab sandwich
- sandwich fillers, for us this is veggies and cheese as my little girl
won't eat meat
- toothpicks
- sliced olives
- fish cracker
- blueberry Greek yog... more »
U.N. Agenda 21 Testing Ground: Malaysia's 10 Ideas For Sustainable Development
Dees Illustration Kevin Samson
The full implementation of Agenda 21 is nearing completion as the global
Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations are set on a 2015
timeline. There are already many hints available at the wide-scale
transformation set to take place, as multiple locations in the United
States continue doing battle with the arrival of sweeping bureaucratic code
enforcement.
Agenda 21 is a U.N.-directed action plan that has so many tentacles, it is
often difficult to see this creature in its entirety. Essentially, using
the threat of climate change and ov... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- September 18, 2014
*U.S. Ready To Strike ISIS In Syria, Military Officials Say -- CNN*
Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. military has everything it needs to strike
ISIS inside Syria and is awaiting President Barack Obama's authorization to
do so, U.S. military officials tell CNN.
For weeks, intelligence and military targeting specialists have been
working around the clock on a list of targets. It's expected the list will
be presented to the President one more time, with some analysis of the
risks of bombing inside Syria, as well as possible rewards in terms of
destroying and degrading ISIS, according to ... more »
Climate March, World Conference and Indigenous Resistance
Carrying forward the work of Censored News, your favorite writers and voices at these two new blogs
New at Indigenous Resistance
▼ 2014 (108)
▼ September (14)
Watch Secwepemc Webinar: Indigenous Resistance to ...
Mohawk Nation News 'Haggis vs. Poutine'
Indigenous denounce Climate Summit, Indigenous Wor...
Guatemala: Indigenous denounce upcoming UN World C...
Indigenous and Via Campesina
House Republicans Have Another Problem-- Rampant Cocaine Abuse
Northeast Ohio's very own 2 Live Crew
Yesterday, according to Fox DC Bureau Chief Chad Pergram, Boehner was
whining about how the House Republican conference is filled with
"knuckleheads." He didn't name any and everyone-- including everyone here
at *DWT* just assumed he was talking about the Members that don't get
bought off by corruption, guys like Justin Amash and Walter Jones, who
Boehner hates for their refusal to allow him to bioss them around. No one
suspected he might be talking about the House Republicans' massive drug
problem. The GOP conference is riddled with coke addicts... more »
WHO SHOT IT DOWN?
- The Russian Union of Engineer's report on MH17. Why is it taking so
long for western investigators (Holland and England) to make a report?
- Rick Rozoff from Stop NATO writes:
*US may give Ukraine $350 mln worth of military assistance in 2015 – bill*
The United States may give Ukraine $350 million worth of military and
technical assistance in 2015, including anti-tank weapons,
counter-artillery radars, unmanned aerial vehicles, and communications
equipment.
This is stated in a bill posted on the Web site of the U.S. Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations, which... more »
Poroshenko in the U.S. Congress
*The Americans' stupidity is staggering*
I have always belonged to the top 1% of my nation and other environments
(including the Harvard environment) when it came to the defense of America,
Americans, their record, their views, and their values. Of course that I
often had to point out some other, bigger advantages that compensate most
of the Americans' complete misunderstanding of the world geography and the
reality outside the U.S. borders in general.
After I completed watching this 43-minute speech of Ukrainian president
Petro Poroshenko in front of the U.S. Congress, you will p... more »
Shanghai gold trading platform given surprise launch date
http://www.resourceinvestor.com/2014/09/16/shanghai-gold-trading-platform-given-surprise-laun
Shanghai gold trading platform given surprise launch date
BY MARK O'BYRNE
September 16, 2014 • Reprints
Tuesday the Chinese government backed Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE) brought
forward the launch date of its international gold trading platform which is
hosted in the city’s free trade zone (FTZ). The gold trading platform will
be known as the ‘international board.’
In a surprise announcement, the SGE said today that the international board
will go-live this Thursday September 18, eleven ... more »
Australia Launches Massive Police Raids To Disrupt Alleged Terror Plot
*Terror Raids To Continue In Sydney Suburbs -- Sydney Morning Herald*
Backyards will be upturned and homes searched as the largest anti-terrorism
raids in Australia's history continue.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP)has not ruled out further arrests
following raids in Sydney and Brisbane on Thursday.
Police are expected to continue searching some properties on Friday as part
of the major operation into alleged terror plots.
AFP acting commissioner Andrew Colvin said police would take their time
digging up backyards and combing homes for "hides" - stashes of cash or
firearms t... more »
What Will Be The Impact On The U.K. Military If Scotland Votes For Independence
*British Military Mulls Implications Of Vote For Scottish Independence --
The Guardian*
Much negotiation lies ahead if Scotland leaves the UK, not least a debate
about the strategic benefits of nuclear weapons
A vote for Scottish independence would place a question mark over the
future of Trident and infuriate the US, the UK defence establishmentand the
Royal Navy's top brass in particular. However, the likelihood is that an
accommodation would have to be reached over conventional defence issues,
such as air defence, maritime surveillance bases, radar stations, and
air-sea rescue... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials On Scotland Going To The Polls To Vote On Independence
*Scotland's Faultlines: What The Yes And No Camps Think Of Their Country's
Future -- Dara Doyle, Ben Sills and Svenja O'Donnell Sydney Morning Herald*
Scotland is divided on critical issues about the country's future. We take
a look at the positions of the Yes and No camps.
*Currency*
*Yes* Alex Salmond says the pound is just as much as Scotland's currency as
the rest of Britain. The Bank of England will continue to decide monetary
policy day to day, with Scotland seeking input in the bank's remit and
governance.
*No* If Scotland leaves the United Kingdom it loses the pound. It s... more »
SALEM VILLAGE AND CABLE NEWS: Another perfect pundit performance!
*THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014Part 3—Sunny Hostin delivers:* In yesterday’s
post, we saw Mike Pesca, a good decent person, deliver a bit of perfect
pundit behavior.
On Monday’s Anderson Cooper show, another such performance occurred. It was
delivered by Sunny Hostin, a “hang ’em high” former prosecutor with a warm,
sunny smile.
Hostin is a familiar type of cable pundit. She’s a youngish, conventionally
attractive, female former federal prosecutor for whom all people are
plainly guilty and in need of extensive punishment.
Nancy Grace invented the type. By now, this type of casting... more »
STUCK IN THE BIG MUDDY
Yesterday the House of (Un)Representatives voted by a margin of 273-156 to
arm the Syrian "rebels". This means of course arming the kind of
out-of-control ISIS type of radical Islamic forces that are trying to take
down the Syrian government. (You know, the kind of terrorists that are
supposed to be our enemies.) Our two members of Congress in Maine (Pingree
and Michaud) voted against the proposal but it passed with the help of 114
Democrats.
Next it goes to the Senate where it will surely pass and then Obama will
have the Pentagon ship more weapons to the madmen in the Middle E... more »
Scotland Goes To The Polls To Vote On Independence
*Scots Vote On Independence, United Kingdom's Fate On Knife-Edge -- Reuters*
(Reuters) - Scotland voted on Thursday on whether to stay within the United
Kingdom or end the 307-year-old union with England and become an
independent nation in a finely balanced referendum with far-reaching
consequences.
From remote highlands and islands to the tough city estates of Glasgow,
people were almost equally divided over a vote watched closely by Britain's
allies, investors and restive regions at home and abroad.
Pre-voting opinion polls gave the "No" campaign - those in favor of
remaining i... more »
Thank you Jack White for the Fiber Optic Jesus that you gave me!
The thing about Jack White is that he is an incredible talent. Not to
date fulfilled!
Okay Stupid Dumb Fucks
You know who your are
you voted against
women having the vote
let alone the horrific record
of slavery that democratically
was certified as prime beef
Yes there are a near majority
of dumb fucks
We see this time and again
even in the 21st century
yeah we should all be in flying
cars and everyone on this earth
as a kid
should have an interface that
makes their future way beyond
mind control
As it exists today the struggle between
capitalism and communism is a
landslide victory
for the commies
they do not mess around
they take any market
that interests them
and apply with capital
a winn... more »
From Fukushima to Hiroshima
*ORDER HERE* *Activist Post*
Regular readers of Activist Post are likely familiar with the work of Richard
Wilcox, PhD. His on-the-ground reports and intensive research into the
Fukushima disaster have been instrumental in raising essential questions
about the history of nuclear power. In fact, he asserts that the Fukushima
explosions and the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings are intimately connected
events.
Dr. Wilcox and a team of editors are helping to present a comprehensive
exploration of this nuclear will to power that holds little regard for life
itself. They recently have... more »
City of London vs. Scottish Independence
James Hall
Scotland has a long and noteworthy history of banking. Money, savings and
investing is entrenched in the culture and society. Edinburgh is the fourth
largest financial center in Europe (after London, Frankfurt and Paris).
Much of this reputation has arisen from its history of innovation over the
last three hundred years. The Bank of Scotland, established in 1695, one
year after the Bank of England by an Act of the Scottish Parliament,
illustrates the prevailing attitude to the creation of money in that era. A
list of banking innovations is a useful background of Scottis... more »
Terronoia Theater Presents: Staged ISIS Attacks
*Provoking war abroad raises specter of staged attacks at home. *
Tony Cartalucci
The FBI has foiled yet another entirely fabricated terror threat of its own
creation, with missing mechanisms in two firearms provided to a potential
terrorist being the only thing that prevented this latest case of
entrapment from going "live."
A Rochester man, Mufid A. Elfgeeh, is accused by the FBI of attempting to
provide material support to ISIS (undercover FBI agents), attempting to
kill US soldiers, and possession of firearms and silencers (provided to him
by the FBI). The FBI's own official ... more »
The Strain
I am a B movie affectionate. Ideas not worth a big investment. Yet look at
the Night of the Living Dead. Is there a more infantile movie taken root in
the twenty first century? Why is that? I have been thinkingaboot it and now
will explain. The first edition was all about nuclear war and what
mutations we would find on the driveway. Today the audience is much more
sophisticated. Thats why we have a viseral fear now backed up by science
that we are killing this planet.
Sure we can not destroy life easily but through simple acceleration of
human
activity we can eliminate our species... more »
CDC whistleblower: “I’ve stopped lying.”
Anthony Freda Art Jon Rappoport
Explosive…explosive…explosive…
What more could anyone want in the way of evidence for an ongoing crime?
There is a video posted at the autism media channel/YouTube, and at Age of
Autism: *“William Thompson’s call to Congress.”*
It is a recording of a telephone call between CDC whistleblower Thompson
and Brian Hooker, PhD. No date is given.
Presumably, the call was recorded before August 27, when Thompson went
public with a statement admitting he, and his co-authors, cooked a study on
the MMR vaccine and thereby hid the vaccine’s connection to aut... more »
What the CDC Won’t Tell You About SV40, Polio Vaccines and Cancer
Aaron Dykes and Melissa Melton
Our updated SV40 report (see earlier report here), as featured in EP03 of
Truthstream News: All About Those Vaccines… This still blows us away. No
one has ever been held accountable. Nothing has ever been done.
*“The chief, if not the sole, cause of the monstrous increase in cancer has
been vaccination” – Dr. Robert Bell, fmr VP International Society for
Cancer Research at the British Cancer Hospital* (Truthstream Media.com)
The public was kept in the dark for decades about tens of millions of polio
vaccines laced with SV40, and its implications for ... more »
Nowhere To Hide As Minority Report-Style Facial Recognition Technology Spreads Across America
Dees Illustration Michael Snyder
What is our society going to look like when our faces are being tracked
literally everywhere that we go? As part of the FBI's new Next Generation
Identification System, a facial recognition database known as the
Interstate Photo System will have collected 52 million of our faces by the
end of 2015. But that is only a small part of the story. According to
Edward Snowden, the NSA has been using advanced facial recognition
technology for years.
In addition, as you will see below, advertising companies are starting to
use *Minority Report*-style ... more »
Government Shelling Of Civilian Areas In Iraq Continues Despite Premier Abadi’s Pledge Not To
On September 13, 2014 new Prime Minister Haider Abadi ordered the Iraqi
Security Forces (ISF) to stop the shelling of civilian populations in urban
areas. This had been an on going complaint by civilians, politicians and
human rights groups with hundreds of people having been killed and wounded
by artillery, mortar and missile strikes in several different provinces.
Despite the announcement there have been three days straight of civilian
casualties in Anbar due to government shelling.
The ISF has been hitting civilian areas for months now. The insurgent
uprising in Anbar started... more »
Good and Eviel
Today it plays out daily across the USA. Evil Gia striking back with forest
fires and drought but on the other hand floods. If you watch the news every
night your and idiot, a sheeple a non discriminating USB port to control.
The news tells you what you should be thinking. Believe me now and I will
tell you later that is a scary thought. I predict a class action suit
against the networks for giving citizens PTSF and other alpahabets.
Creating Priceless Movies With Your Kids and $500 Target Giftcard Giveaway
This post was sponsored by OneDay app. The App is free to download on iOS,
all opinions are my own.
I have always been a photographer, not a videographer. I have thousands and
thousands of pictures of my kids. I have pictures of every milestone and
moment, but very few videos. I find myself wishing I could just go back in
time and listen to my sweet girls when they were younger for just a minute.
OneDay is a fantastic free iOS app, that allows you to create simple
interview type videos with your kids. It provides you the questions, music,
all you have to do is take the video. It all... more »
Grandfather, Tell Me About Spirit, Short Fiction by Pam Bickell
[image: Grandfather and grandson (4-5) in wheat field at sunset]
Grandfather, Tell Me About Spirit, Short Fiction by Pam Bickell
Notes Along The Path Blog, 15 September 2014
"Grandfather, tell me about Spirit,” the young boy with jet black hair
asked.
“What is it you wish to know, grandson?”
“How do we know Spirit is with us?”
“Close your eyes, grandson,” the old man with long white hair said.
“Breathe deeply and focus on the sounds of nature. What do you hear?”
“I hear birds, blue jays squawking and some chickadees singing.”
“What else do you hear?”
“Nothing—“ th... more »
Social Media Touchdown
The NFL has a long history. It was only social media that made them want to
measure up to the legacy of marching music, incredible back stories, and
imagery.
Alice in Foxland
By Capt. Fogg
When the Mad Hatter asks why a raven is like a writing desk, we recognize
that the question is intentionally absurd. What about the question of why
Fox News seems to have given more coverage to the attack on the Benghazi
embassy over 2 years ago than to anything in recent memory? As it relates
to the Republican refusal to allow spending on embassy security, we might
as well find some connection to ravens and writing desks because the
relentless hammering on the importance of the incident isn't about the
administrations "policies" as concerns terrorism, it's about Hi... more »
Scotland: Branding exercises and the No
The
final referendum result won't be known until breakfast tomorrow.
Someone mentioned today over coffee that Yes side scored a major PR
victory by co-opting the Saltire, Scotlands blue and white flag, early
on and using it as a de facto YES/SNP logo. That flag has sadly now
become a biased political statement, rather than the neutral symbol of
national unity and regional identity it ought to be
Are We Ready To Move Beyond Our Reform Wars?
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, the ability to hold opposing opinions in mind
is a sign of intelligence. Similarly, we should welcome Patrick Riccards’
call for dialogue, as we also explain why efforts to bridge differences
must be pursued as teachers step up our counter-attack against corporate
reform. Riccards calls for a practitioner advisory board. […]
Well Organized Crime
[image: IMG_8908]
*Damselflies, always a treat.*
Courtney Donovan Smith posted to Taichung AmCham Central Taiwan News.....
In the aftermath of a cop and a suspect both injuring in a shooting battle
and the inevitable blame game to follow, Mayor Jason Hu commented that of
the 'big 6' metropolises, Taichung so far this year has had the lowest
number of shootings, tied with Taipei at only 3. Taoyuan has had 4 this
year, New Taipei has had 8 cases, Kaohsiung 12 and Tainan 17 shootings.
Hmmmm.... hmmm.... lessee... what parties are the mayors of those cities
from?
______________________... more »
Terronoia Theater Presents: Staged ISIS Attacks
Provoking war abroad raises specter of staged attacks at home.
*September 18, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - The FBI has foiled yet
another entirely fabricated terror threat of its own creation, with missing
mechanisms in two firearms provided to a potential terrorist being the only
thing that prevented this latest case of entrapment from going "live."
A Rochester man, Mufid A. Elfgeeh, is accused by the FBI of attempting to
provide material support to ISIS (undercover FBI agents), attempting to
kill US soldiers, and possession of firearms and silencers (provided to him
by the FBI... more »
Arming Syrian Moderates? They Are No Syrian Moderates Except In McCain's Twisted Mind
The House leaders-- afraid of midterm voters-- avoided voting for war in
the Middle East yesterday and instead voted to fund what McCain insists are
"moderate" Syrian rebels… you know, the ones who have been selling arms and
captives to ISIS (the "non-moderates") for months. Do we never learn?
Anything? Buck McKeon's slippery slope amendment passed 273 to 156 with 85
Democrats and 71 Republicans voting against it. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) *has*
learned history's lessons. Like most progressives, he voted NO-- and made
the case why all Democrats should have:
If we’ve learned one thing... more »
Untitled
*Should we judge a potential partner on their degree?*
Gaynor Sbuttoni, an educational psychologist, tells me: “It can be useful
but it’s not the be all and end all. Obviously education does affect the
person you are, so from that angle you might prefer to be connected with
someone who has a similar education background. But if you think about it,
there are lots of couples from different educational backgrounds - they get
together and it works.”
Her only concern is that, in some relationships, a stark educational
difference might lead to problems: “The danger is if it’s an unbalanc... more »
It Can't Be the Case That Everyone Else is Burned Out?
Maybe there's all sorts of Toronto lefties with blogs or twitter accounts
that I don't know about, who are themselves heartily sick of the
uselessness of most left-wing "activism" and who have decided to absent
themselves?
Is that why harper is able to put boots on the ground in Iraq, and engage
in ludicrous sabre-rattling with nuclear armed Russia, and here in Toronto,
there's no response of any significance?
But that can't be it. Because the usual suspects haven't seemed to stir
themselves. Me, I campaigned for a local socialist's shot at a council seat
in the upcoming election. ... more »
Harper's War On The CCPA
http://deslibris.ca
The Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives is in Mr. Harper's sites. Linda
McQuaig writes:
Of course, we’re all familiar now with how Stephen Harper suppresses
information that contradicts his agenda: blocking the collection of
statistics, muzzling government scientists, auditing charities that
critique his policies. And yet, somehow the news that the Harper government
is conducting a harassing audit on the CCPA manages to break fresh ground.
This time there’s no recourse to the pretence that the audi... more »
Editor's Note
Stuck in meetings this morning. Blogging will return at 11:00 EST.
Argentina: Consternation in La Rioja Over a Strange Obejct in the Sky
*Source: Diario 26 and Planeta UFODate: 12 September 2014*
*Argentina: Consternation in La Rioja Over a Strange Object in the Sky*
As occurred earlier in San Juan, residents of Chilecito were alarmed when
they saw a light in the sky. In mid-August of this year, Valle Fértil was
shaken after seeing a strange object in the sky. On that occasion,
residents believed it might be a UFO because it was always suspended in the
sky and looked like a white spot.
Scant kilometers away, another oddity has been seen. This time it was in
Chilecito, La Rioja, where residents were startled to see... more »
The Scottish Police Federation Publicly Attacks 5 and NATO - Full Press Release
SPF Media Release – Independence Referendum
SCOTTISH POLICE FEDERATION
5 Woodside Place, Glasgow, G3 7QF
MEDIA RELEASE
The Scottish Police Federation represents all police officers in the ranks
of constable, sergeant, inspector and chief inspector, police cadets and
special constables, over 18,500 people, 98% of all police officers in
Scotland.
To: News Editor
Date: 17 September 2014
Subject: Independence Referendum
In response to increased press reports and comment implying increased crime
and disorder as a consequence of the Independence Referendum Brian
Docherty, Chairman of ... more »
Musical Interlude: Billy Joel, “Goodnight Saigon”
Billy Joel, “Goodnight Saigon”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YoXd_FSdkw
Afghanistan Update ( September 18 , 2014 ) - Election stalemate , financial crisis and dead tired US soldiers......
Afghanistan latest political crisis in the making ...
Afghan Election Crisis Continues, Govt Seeks US BailoutAfghan Candidates
Can't Agree on Releasing Vote Results
by Jason Ditz, September 17, 2014
Print This | Share This
The Afghan election continues to be stalled, months later, with the two
candidates both insisting the vote was fraudulent, and neither agreeing to
a deal to release the results of the vote audit yet.
The problems are bigger than that for Afghanistan, however, as the
government now says its broke, despite massive foreign aid it receives
annually from the US and othe... more »
“On” a lot more?
I heard a snippet of the Media Show (about 20 minutes in) yesterday
afternoon. I understand the topic was bias in the media with regard to the
referendum, or the Scottish Spring as I like to think of it.
One of the guest experts was Greg Philo, (Glasgow Media Group) and, as is
his wont, he had to drag the Israel-Palestine issue into it all of a
sudden.
He said: “It’s clear the Israelis are ‘on’ a lot more than the
Palestinians”
I mean WTF? What-planet-is-he-on?
Now, let’s ask, just for one second, what evidence does Philo (what an apt
name) have for that statement? First of all... more »
Our Sacred Maiz is our Mother
BOOK IN HAND: Nin Tonantzin Non Centeotl - Monday 9/15/2014 Our Sacred Maiz
is our Mother (University of Arizona Press). Dedicated to my father and
mother, both who passed on to spirit world in Jan 2011 (my father) and this
past June (my mother). They would have been proud. And they were.
Cocaine and cannabis in a Vatican car
*Drugs and Dealers seized in Vatican diplomatic vehicle linked to Pope's
adviser and friend, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Maria Mejia*
Google translated from French
https://fr.news.yahoo.com/coca%C3%AFne-cannabis-voiture-vatican-104228272.html
LeMonde.fr
September 16, 2014
*Cocaine and cannabis in a Vatican car*
Four kilos of cocaine and 200 grams of cannabis were seized by customs
officials at a toll near Chambery, Savoie, Sunday, Sept. 14. The decision
is important, and "coverage" found by smugglers presumed original: they
were traveling in a diplomatic car Vatican .
According t... more »
Peruvian navy buys surplus Dutch F50s
[image: RNLAF Fokker 50]The Peruvian navy has purchased two surplus Royal
Netherlands Air Force Fokker 50 transports.
Previously operated by the air force's 334 Sqn from Eindhoven air base in
the VIP transport role, aircraft U-05 (20253) and U-06 (20287) have been
parked at Lelystad airport pending their sale, and kept in an airworthy
situation and flown on a regular basis.
The aircraft are now being prepared for delivery and resprayed in the
colours of the Peruvian navy by Quality Aircraft Painting Services at
Lelystad.
Read more
V-22 flight tests validate ‘hot and high’ capability for Rolls-Royce AE 1107C engines
[image: V-22 Osprey]Flight tests have validated a new engine upgrade for
Rolls-Royce AE 1107C engines powering V-22 aircraft, maximizing "hot and
high" capability up to 6,000 feet of altitude and 95°F.
The enhanced capability is part of a series of upgrades that will boost
engine power 17 percent for the aircraft, as Rolls-Royce continues to add
innovations to the proven AE 1107C engine. The flight tests were conducted
in a Bell Boeing V-22 test aircraft, and completed this summer in the
western United States.
Rolls-Royce, which was named a "Superior Supplier" by the US Navy this
y... more »
Spain to replace Dutch in Turkey Patriot missile deployment
[image: Dutch Patriot system]Spain will send a Patriot anti-ballistic
missile battery to Turkey's southern border with Syria as part of a NATO
initiative, Defense Minister Pedro Morenes said on Wednesday, replacing the
Netherlands' contribution to the deployment.
The Netherlands, Germany and the United States had each sent two Patriot
missile batteries and soldiers to operate them in early 2013, after Turkey,
a NATO ally, called for aid to defend itself against attacks from Syria, on
its southern border.
"We will collaborate...with a similar number of units to Germany and the
Unite... more »
Air Force 'disappointed' in Boeing tanker delays; issues cost Boeing millions
[image: KC-767 (KC-46)]Wiring bundle problems have pushed back the first
flight of Boeing’s KC-46 tanker from this June to November, although the
company says this won’t deter it from delivering the aircraft to the U.S.
Air Force on time.
Boeing is working on a $4.4 billion contract to deliver the first 18
tankers by August 2017, just the start of a much-larger program for 179
tankers, and perhaps more after that.
Under the conditions of the contract any costs beyond $4.9 billion are
Boeing’s and the company has already exceeded that and is absorbing the
extra costs.
Read more
Isis release 'Flames of War' video warning Obama of attacks troops could face in Iraq
The Islamic State (Isis) group has released a video appearing to warn the
US that fighters are waiting in Iraq if President Barack Obama chooses to
send troops in there.
The 52-second film, entitled ‘Flames of War’ purports to be a trailer and
shows tanks being hit, wounded US soldiers and men on their knees as they
are about to be executed. It features blockbuster style slow-motion replays
and explosions and appears to have been released by the Al Hayat Media
Centre, which distributes Isis propaganda.
It then shows a clip of Mr Obama saying American combat troops will not be
retu... more »
UAV Panchi Warms Up for Maiden Flight
[image: Panchi UAV]Defence scientists are all set to unveil the
wheeled-version of India’s homegrown unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Nishant.
The UAV named Panchi, means bird, and it will be capable of taking off and
landing from semi-prepared runways, thereby reducing the turnaround time
between missions.
Sources in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) told
Express on Wednesday that Panchi has already been transported to the
testing facility in Kolar.
“We have completed the taxi trials and are readying it for the maiden
flight. Panchi is currently undergoing some... more »
Boeing forges ahead with MSA project
+demonstrator.jpg)
[image: Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA)]Boeing is forging ahead with
its Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA), with ground and flight testing
underway.
Speaking at the African Aerospace & Defence exhibition being held at AFB
Waterkloof, Robert Schoeffling of Boeing Military Aircraft noted that the
prototype aircraft, based on the Bombadier Challenger 605 platform, had
progressed from a paper design to being integrated with sensors and systems
in just two years.
The Bowing MSA is based on the Canadian-built long-range Challenger 605
business jet, but incorporates sensors and sy... more »
Arrow II missile missed target in test
[image: Arrow-2 launcher]Israel has determined that an Arrow II
anti-missile system failed to hit its target during a September 9 test,
though it did successfully acquire and track its target, Defense News
reported Wednesday.
The report did not cite a source, but quoted experts who said that easily
fixed software problems were to blame for the miss by the long-range
missile interceptor.
Relying on data received from both the target and the interceptor,
officials involved with the joint Israeli-US test took almost a week to
determine the results, while Russian sources insisted that ... more »
Ma Ying-jeou attends Han Kuang live-fire drill off eastern Taiwan
[image: Ma Ying-jeou]Taiwan's president, Ma Ying-jeou, was on hand
Wednesday for the country's largest-scale live-fire maritime drill in over
a decade, held in waters off eastern Taiwan as part of the annual Han Kuang
military exercises.
The drill, held in waters off the eastern counties of Yilan and Hualien,
consisted of maneuvers by 21 military ships and naval anti-submarine S-70C
helicopters, accompanied by an Air Force P-3C anti-submarine aircraft and
F-16A/B and F-5 fighter jets, according to the navy.
More than 2,000 members of the navy participated in the exercise, which
inc... more »
SM 2s Fired During Valiant Shield 2014
[image: SM-2 launch]Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey
(DDG 105) fires Standard Missiles (SM) 2 during Valiant Shield 2014.
Valiant Shield is a U.S.-only exercise integrating U.S. Navy, Air Force,
Army and Marine Corps assets, offering real-world joint operational
experience to develop capabilities that provide a full range of options to
defend U.S. interests and those of its allies and partners.
In an article published in Stars and Stripes written by Erik Slavin and
published on September 15, 2014 the focus of the exercise and its scope are
discussed:
Read more
Russian Northern Fleet’s subs perform simulation torpedo attacks on warships
[image: Sierra class SSN]Submarines of Russia’s Northern Fleet have
successfully performed a simulation attack with torpedoes on warships as
part of a naval exercise underway in the Barents Sea, the fleet’s official
spokesman, Captain 1st Rank Vadim Serga told Itar-Tass. Naval units also
did combat firing with cruise missiles.
“Under the scenario of the exercise, the submarine crews were to attack
surface ships from submerged position,” Capt Serga said. The detachment of
ships consisted of the battleship Admiral Ushakov, the big antisubmarine
ship Severomorsk, and the small antisubm... more »
Watch: Future USS John Warner launched into the James River
Huntington Ingalls Industries announced today that the Virginia-class
submarine John Warner was launched into the James River on Sept. 10 at
Newport News Shipbuilding.
The launch kicked off the final outfitting, testing and crew certification
phase of construction prior to sea trials next year.
“The John Warner team has made tremendous progress over the last year,”
said Jim Hughes, Newport News’ vice president of submarines and fleet
support.
Read more
U.S. Submarines: Run Silent, Run Deep...On Diesel Engines?
[image: Seawolf class SSN]"Underway on nuclear power", radioed the skipper
of USS Nautilus in 1955, after taking history's first nuclear-powered
attack submarine to sea for the first time. Nautilus's maiden cruise left
an indelible imprint on the navy. Her success, cheered on by the likes of
Admiral Hyman Rickover, the godfather of naval nuclear propulsion, helped
encode the supremacy of atomic power in the submarine force's cultural DNA.
Things were never the same after that. America built its last
diesel-electric sub, once the state of the art, not long after Nautilus
took to the ... more »
Dear Scotland: An Open Letter From Your Canadian Cousins
[image: The Flag of Scotland, the Saltire, blows in the wind near
Berwick-upon-Tweed on the border between England and Scotland September 7,
2014. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne (BRITAIN - Tags: ROYALS ENTERTAINMENT SOCIETY
SPORT) (RUSSELL CHEYNE/REUTERS)]
I was personally raised as an ethic Scot by my very Scottish mother by way
of Nove Scotia. That English Canada's natural culture is mostly Scottish
became apparent to me upon visiting my father's relatives in Europe. It
was totally alien.
After saying that, ethnic nationalism has no place in our human future and
must be actively sup... more »
Ancient 'Dragon' Beast Flew Right Out of 'Avatar'
[image: illustration of Ikrandraco avatar, a pterosaur that lived some 120
million years ago.]
Of course, Avatar was seriously inspired by what we already knew about
this ancient world but art is meant to imitate and to also imagine. I
suspect that these ancient lineages exploited every available behavior
option now obse4rved with birds.The interesting question is whether we will
ever get a specimen as there is good evidence that some form of population
still plausibly exists that gets by fine as nocturnal fishers. Certainly
an idea to tease a bit further.The last two decades ... more »
Stonehenge: Ghostly Outlines of Missing Stones Appear
[image: Stonehenge in Wiltshire]
One would have thought that after all these years that this would have long
since been proven rather than guessed. Now it is explicitly true. A little
more excavation and we may well be able to completely reconstruct the main
features of the site and even bring in fresh rock. I would like to see the
effect on the mind that it produces as well.
It is also a reminder that archeology is still scratching the surface and
only now pushing toward real restoration. This happens to be a class one
site and truly deserves full restoration once all hte av... more »
New Evidence Confirms Columbus had Map
[image: columbus1]
Skip the map, the text is vastly more important and it refernces a map
that is extant. The bottom line is that Columbus had a map to confirm the
existence of serious landfall and he also knew of the wind direction in the
northern latitudes. He really needed both. Key is that he knew he could
come back.
It also appears fully authentic and has not been lost so it is a real
treasure. I look forward to reading a translation.
It is also noteworthy that this brother had an excellent career as well
after the discovery.
.
*NEW EVIDENCE SHOWS COLUMBUS CARRIED... more »
A Physicist’s View of the Afterlife
[image: Alan Hugenot]
It has nothing to do with quantum Physics but at least here is a physicist
saying exactly what i have also been saying. He may not have reached all
the same conclusions yet but the direction is discernible. He has also
done the numbers and understood what dark matter means.
What no one has yet understood is that the potential for information
content in the photonic content associated with dark matter is multiple
orders of magnitude greater than all the matter in the universe including
dark matter.
It is noteworthy that he has had a Near Death Experience a... more »
Solar System Inside a Searing Gas Bubble?
Well it is a model for this xray flux but I consider this now as creditable
as medieval spheres. Xrays are produced by some form of electron decay and
that is what i expect to observe from so called dark matter. Thus my cloud
cosmolgy anticipates an ambiant background of xrays and here they are.
This work nicely shows us that this is true. As I have posted, I have a
working hypothesis for dark matter and we are now learning how to detect
it. I will share though that it is pervasive and is not missing at all.
Cloud Cosmolgy produces a stack of reasonable conjectures which... more »
What Caused The Unexplained Change In Europeans' DNA 4000-5000 Years Ago?
Fundamentally it all coincides with the emergence of the European Bronze
Age and the Atlantean culture which woukld naturally penetrate everywhere
by way of the copper trade bringing wealth and likely superior agricultural
methods as well.
This was surely a revolution that allowed lands to be brought under
cultivation. Again it will be all about superior tools allowing a powerful
population expansion as we saw happen in the USA during the Nineteenth
century.
Such numbers would have quickly absorbed existing old stock populations as
we saw happen in the USA.
*What Caused Th... more »
The Other Neanderthal
Again we have discussions on migration of sub species that is likely just
wrong. Homo Sapiens was certainly expanding its range yet it also brought
a larger population base. Thus any sub group was simply absorbed and their
genes joined the movement. This became progressively more persuasive as
mankind continued on through today.
Imagine the genetics of the Aboriginals been absorbed by the greater human
community. Only three generations is enough to hugely dilute and
particular trait. Without the capacity to back breed, human
characteristics all almost disappears and be... more »
ROC Navy Vice Admiral hopes for new submarines
[image: Hai Lung class SSK]A senior R.O.C. naval officer yesterday
expressed hopes of obtaining submarines from the United States to beef up
the defensive capabilities of the nation's armed forces.
Naval Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光) yesterday told
reporters that Taiwan is in need of new submarines, either through the U.S.
granting diesel submarine sales or by building its own, so that it can
better defend itself against possible Chinese invasion.
“As a country surrounded by sea on all sides, sea lanes are Taiwan's
lifeline,” Huang said. Maintaining capable self... more »
Frozen Elsa Gloves
Elsa fever doesn't seem to be dying down any time soon, at least in our
house anyway. One of the first things my daughter started asking for after
seeing Frozen was Elsa gloves. Not the gloves she wears at the coronation,
but white gloves like she wears when she is a little girl. We have looked
every where for white Elsa gloves but we came to the conclusion if we
wanted white gloves we were going to have to make them. When I found these
gloves for .99 cents at Tag's, my local thrift store, I was thrilled. These
gloves came together in about 20 minutes and she absolutely loves them.... more »
Untitled
*Are spiders getting bigger? Warm summer has caused arachnids to grow
larger, say experts*
*Amusing. On several occasions Warmists have claimed that warming will
make people and animals SHRINK in size*
Enjoyed the summer? You’re not alone: Experts have warned that homes may be
set for an invasion of larger than normal spiders who have feasted on an
abundance of prey in the last few months.
That’s because this year the warm summer has allowed certain spiders to eat
more than usual and grow to their upper limits.
And it could mean we’ll see more and more large spiders in our homes... more »
A top 2% Kaggle Higgs solution
*Guest blog by Hongliang Liu (UC Riverside)*
This blog is for describing my selected top submission sent to the Kaggle
Higgs competition. It has the public score of 3.75+ and the private score
of 3.73+ which has ranked at 26th. This solution uses *a single classifier*
with some feature work from basic high-school physics plus a few advanced
but calculable physical features.
*1. The model*
I choose XGBoost which is a parallel implementation of gradient boosting
tree. It is a great piece of work: parallel, fast, efficient and tune-able
parameters.
The parameter tuning-up is simple. ... more »
The Crisis In Ukraine Continues -- News Updates September 18, 2014
*Ukraine PM Tells Army To Be On Full Battle Alert Despite Ceasefire --
Reuters*
(Reuters) - Ukraine's prime minister told government forces to remain on
full battle alert on Wednesday as fighting in the rebel-held eastern city
of Donetsk killed at least two civilians and further strained a ceasefire
with Russian-backed separatists.
"Russia definitely will not give us either peace or stability. It is not
their goal. So I am asking the defense minister for full battle readiness,"
Arseny Yatseniuk, who is emerging as a policy 'hawk' in President Petro
Poroshenko's leadership, told a... more »
President Obama's Strategy To Defeat ISIS In Iraq (As Outlined By General Dempsey)
*Mapping Obama's Strategy To Defeat ISIS In Iraq -- ABC News*
The Obama administration's strategy for defeating ISIS in Iraq envisions
the Islamic terror group squeezed on three sides and from the air, making
their grip on northern Iraq "untenable."
The strategy was laid out Tuesday by Gen. Martin Dempsey and Defense
Secretary Chuck Hagel in a Senate hearing.
The plan includes:
*Read more* ....
*Update:* Dempsey Discusses Anti-ISIL Strategy at Senate Hearing -- US
Department of Defense
*My Comment*: It "sounds good" .... but I doubt that it will be that easy.
To begin .... our... more »
The End Of Debbie Wasserman Schultz
If you've been following *DWT* long, you've already read about what a waste
of a congressional seat corrupt New Dem Debbie Wasserman Schultz is. We
first came across her when, in 2006, as head of the DCCC's toxic
Red-to-Blue program, she urged Florida voters to back Republican incumbents,
cronies of hers-- Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Mario Diaz-Balart and Lincoln
Diaz-Balart-- over 3 Democratic candidates, including Annette Taddeo and
Joe Garcia. She didn't just make that decision, she broadcast it publicly,
very loud and very clear and even persuaded some nit-wit congressional
follower ... more »
Thursday Linkage: #Climate2014 Edition
On Tuesday September 23, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon
is hosting a meeting of world leaders to discuss the issue of climate
change. The aim is to build pressure and support for action in advance of
the climate negotiations to be held in Paris in late 2015. In advance of
Tuesday’s climate meeting, activists
Continue reading
Musical Interlude: 2002, "Starwalkers"
2002, "Starwalkers"
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SovcBYRFIxw
Musical Interlude: Loreena McKennitt, “Mummers Dance”
Loreena McKennitt, “Mummers Dance”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc7Ke9Org9U
"A Look to the Heavens"
"Why do many galaxies appear as spirals? A striking example is M101, shown
above, whose relatively close distance of about 27 million light years
allows it to be studied in some detail. Recent evidence indicates that a
close gravitational interaction with a neighboring galaxy created waves of
high mass and condensed gas which continue to orbit the galaxy center.
*Click image for larger size.*
These waves compress existing gas and cause star formation. One result is
that M101, also called the Pinwheel Galaxy, has several extremely bright
star-forming regions (called HII regions) sprea... more »
The Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke, "Sunset"
*"Sunset"*
"Slowly the west reaches for clothes of new colors
which it passes to a row of ancient trees.
You look, and soon these two worlds both leave you,
one part climbs toward heaven, one sinks to earth,
leaving you, not really belonging to either,
not so helplessly dark as that house that is silent,
not so unswervingly given to the eternal as that thing
that turns to a star each night and climbs –
leaving you (it is impossible to untangle the threads)
your own life, timid and standing high and growing,
so that, sometimes blocked in, sometimes reaching out,
one moment your life is a s... more »
Chet Raymo, “Things In Themselves, Myself Being Myself”
*“Things In Themselves, Myself Being Myself”*
by Chet Raymo
“One of the consistent themes of this blog has been the search for "the
thing itself," that is, a knowledge of reality that is not mediated by
accidents of history, culture, religion, politics, or personal foibles and
prejudices. Impossible, of course. We are always to some extent prisoners
of our limited perceptual apparatus and the hard and soft wiring of our
brains. Nevertheless, "the thing itself" remains the elusive Holy Grail of
human knowing.
Science is the most effective instrument we have yet devised to minimize
... more »
"1,700 Foot Tidal Wave? 'Son, it's time to pray...'"
*"1,700 Foot Tidal Wave? 'Son, it's time to pray...'" *
by Casey Kazan
"On the night of July 7th, 1958, the world’s largest wave in recorded
history engorged Alaska's Lituya bay, located about 250 miles west of
Juneau in the Gulf of Alaska. It was 1,700 feet, or 520 meters- almost
twice the height of the Eiffel Tower. The tsunami was triggered by a
magnitude 8.3 earthquake, which caused an enormous landslide along the
Fairweather Fault. The resulting crash of rock into water caused the
largest wall of water in human history. The deadly wave hurtled at jet
speeds and wiped out everyt... more »
"The Grandeur Of Thought..."
"Surely there is grandeur in knowing that in the realm of thought, at
least, you are without a chain; that you have the right to explore all
heights and depth; that there are no walls nor fences, nor prohibited
places, nor sacred corners in all the vast expanse of thought."
- Robert Green Ingersoll
"As Far As We Can Go..."
“The development of our cerebral cortex has been the greatest achievement
of the evolutionary processes. Big deal. While allowing us the thrills of
intellect or the pangs of self-consciousness, it is all too often overruled
by our inner, instinctive brain - the one that tells us to react, not
reflect, to run, rather than ruminate. Maybe we have gone as far as we can
go and the next advance, whatever that may be - will be made by beings we
create ourselves, using our own technology. Life forms we can design and
program not to be ultimately governed and constricted by the rules of
sur... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Incline Village, Nevada, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Should The U.S. Deploy Combat Troops To Iraq?
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, right,
and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel testify on U.S. policy regarding the
threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, known as ISIL, before
the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., Sept. 16, 2014.
DoD photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton
*Should The U.S. Deploy Ground Troops in Iraq? -- Rachel Brody, US News and
World Report*
Obama's top military adviser said he'd consider sending combat troops to
fight the Islamic State group.
U.S. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Join... more »
Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 18th Sept)
G4S, Serco: Cancelling
“guaranteed profits” probation contracts could cost taxpayers £300m-£400m
Taxpayers will face a £300m-£400m penalty if controversial
probation privatisation contracts are cancelled after next May's general
election under an "unprecedented" clause that guarantees bidders
their expected profits over the 10-year life of the contract. Labour is already
committed to
"Defiance!"
"Action trumps depression. Confronted with a situation in which our
feelings of powerlessness are more than just feelings, we choose to fight
the odds, as an existential statement. We bellow our savage war cry in the
face of the Roman Legions. We swim against the tidal wave. We attack
Goliath with a slingshot, and throw stones at a Sherman tank, and ravage
ICBMs with our ball peen hammer. We actively reject the reality of our
helplessness; and as we assert defiance, we fan the embers of humanity
wherever they live within ourselves and our brothers and sisters."
- Josh Mitteldorf
•
... more »
"I Wonder..."
Well, I wonder about a lot of things, maybe you do too. Maybe it's just me,
too stupid to get the "big picture", but I wonder... I wonder why there are
48 million people living in poverty in this country, when a few have
millions, even billions of dollars, while children go hungry at night all
over this country. I wonder why there's millions of homeless, living in
tent camps, families sleeping in cars, under bridges and in alleys, 200,000
homeless veterans, while a few have $50 million walled estates. Who *NEEDS*
18 bedrooms?
I wonder- in horrified amazement- at the false flag op... more »
Kathleen Parker slices and dices "Nutso Mark" Sanford -- now if only she'd troubled to remember who this slug really is
*"Nutso Mark" Sanford -- why won't he just shut up?*
*by Ken*
As I occasionally note, sometimes it takes a right-winger to bag a
right-winger, and so today we invite *Washington Post* columnist Kathleen
Parker to comment on one of the nation's leading sociopathic scumbags,
fromer SC Gov. (and now Rep., and eternal Nutso) Mark Sanford.
Kathleen is especially touchy, in her column "Mark Sanford’s pathetic saga
with himself," about Nutso Mark on account of their shared South Carolina
heritage. She seems to feel some defense or maybe explanation is in order.
As a South Carolinian, it ... more »
President Obama Insists That There Will Be No Combat Ground Troops In Iraq
*Obama Insists: No U.S. Ground Combat Troops In Iraq -- USA Today*
President Obama doubled down Wednesday on an increasingly questioned
pledge: There will be no U.S. ground combat troops back in Iraq.
"I will not commit you, and the rest of our armed forces, to fighting
another ground war in Iraq," Obama told troops at the U.S. Central Command
in Tampa, Fla.
After a briefing with military leaders at CENTCOM, Obama said forces in
Iraq and Syria must fight ground battles against the Islamic State, a
jihadist group also known as ISIL and ISIS.
*Read more* ....
*More News On Preside... more »
"We Live, As We Dream..."
"Do you see him? Do you see the story? Do you see anything? It seems I am
trying to tell you a dream- making a vain attempt, because no relation of a
dream can convey the dream-sensation, that commingling of absurdity,
surprise, and bewilderment in a tremor of struggling revolt, that notion of
being captured by the incredible which is the very essence of dreams... no,
it is impossible; it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any
given epoch of one's existence- that which makes its truth, its meaning-
its subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. We live, as we dream... more »
"Beginning With A Line From Neruda"
*"Beginning With A Line From Neruda"*
By Gary Corseri
"Puedo escribir versos mas tristes esta noche."
("Tonight I can write sadder verses.")
- Neruda
"Because the moon has disappeared from grief.
Because the children weep for their parents.
Because memories are whitewashed" and stolen.
Because words have lost their meaning.
Because I have lived through this before.
Because, I assure you, this does not end well.
Neither Nature nor Nurture can save us.
Because we have murdered Nature.
Because we are peasants in a land of thieves.
Because we are beyond consolation.
Because beauty is sold ... more »
Punching a Hole in the Sanctimonious Horseshit Over Redskins Nickname
Now that the Democrats are getting revved up in their War on the Redskins to
gin up outrage among their dwindling liberal base, a new editorial skewers
them by telling the truth. On Tuesday, Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington
State announced that she was sponsoring a bill that would extort the NFL by
stripping away its tax exempt status if the Washington franchise’s team
name was not changed. Not that this ever was an issue before the imminent
loss of the Senate in 2014, the Redskins have held that name ever since 1932 when
they were still in Boston. The newspaper of the Beltway,... more »
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