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| English: Viktor Yanukovych (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Anson Chan participates July 1 Demonstration 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| A map showing Hong Kong's location in Asia, in China and on China's south coast. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Emblem of Hong Kong (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
10:32pm MDST
Those New Orleans *Miracle* Charter AP Outcomes
On October 8, 2014, New York teacher Gary Rubinstein wrote a post on Louisiana’s May 2014 Advanced Placement (AP) outcomes. His post is aptly entitled, Louisiana Still Ranks Second to Last in AP Results. Of course such news must be spun; therefore, Louisiana Superintendent John White twists the result into Louisiana Among Nation’s Most Improved States on Advanced Placement […]
Hong Kong's Identity Crisis
*October 9, 2014* (Ulson Gunnar - NEO) - When Anson Chan sat before an audience in Washington DC earlier this year giving a talk at the National Endowment for Democracy sponsored "Why Democracy in Hong Kong Matters" event, she claimed that Hong Kong was suffering from an identity crisis. Chan would claim, "we are facing an identity crisis in Hong Kong, particularity in the younger generation, people born after 1987 whose never known life other than under Chinese sovereignty. Hong Kong people pride themselves on the fact that we have an identity that is separate from the rest of Ch... more »
Women On The Front Lines In Ukraine
Tough: This rebel was among the fighters to take part in the battle for Donetsk's Sergey Prokofiev airport *The Warrior Women Of Ukraine: Posing With Their Tanks And Machine Guns, Meet The Ordinary Mothers Taking Up Arms On BOTH Sides Of The Civil War -- Daily Mail* * Both rebels and Ukrainian government forces boast female fighters * Many have been killed during the conflict which is now in its seventh month * The conflict was triggered when President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted * Vicious fighting in and around Donetsk has claimed 3,660 lives so far * Included in the total are the ... more »
Alan Grayson (D-FL) vs Arkansas Extremist Tom Cotton
Beltway pundits are always smitten with aloof intellectual phonies. Paul Ryan has been the most obvious example in recent years but Arkansas pedant Tom Cotton— another Harvard-educated reactionary is always such a curiosity… like a circus freak show— is catching up. The closet case thing makes it all the more of a set up for a future Shakespearean blockbuster… down the line. Right now, though, as Greg Sargent pointed out for his *Washington Post* readers Tuesday, Cotton is making news by claiming ISIS terrorists are working with Mexican cartels to infiltrate Arkansas. And he isn’t ... more »
Musical Interlude: Medwyn Goodall, “Farewell, My Homeland”
Medwyn Goodall, “Farewell, My Homeland” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13HXJr4x8mI
New film demonstrates how "Holocaust" narrative was faked
An article appearing in *The Jewish Daily Forward* highlighting a recently released film offers further insight into how *the fake Jewish "Holocaust" narrative of WWII* was manufactured, sold, and implanted in the minds of millions of people around the world following WWII: A new film about a forgotten, long-shelved documentary chronicling the Allies’ discovery and liberation of the Nazi concentration camps is offering viewers a restored contemporaneous account of *that seminal moment in history.* The original, unfinished documentary has now, 70 years later, been reproduced and com... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
"M78 isn't really hiding in planet Earth's night sky. About 1,600 light-years away and nestled in the nebula rich constellation Orion, the large, bright, reflection nebula is well-known to telescopic skygazers. But this gorgeous image of M78 was selected as the winner of the Hidden Treasures 2010 astrophotography competition. Held by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the competition challenged amateur astronomers to process data from ESO's astronomical archive in search of cosmic gems. *Click image for larger size.* The winning entry shows off amazing details within bluish M78...more »
The Poet: Lucille Clifton, "We Are Running"
*"We Are Running"* "We are running, running and time is clocking us from the edge like an only daughter. Our mothers stream before us, cradling their breasts in their hands. Oh pray that what we want is worth this running, pray that what we’re running toward is what we want." ~ Lucille Clifton, "We Are Running" - http://www.panhala.net/Archive/we_are_running.html
Paulo Coelho, "Walking the Path"
"Walking the Path" by Paulo Coelho "I reckon that it takes about three minutes to read my text. Well, according to statistics, in that same short period of time 300 people will die and another 620 will be born. It takes me perhaps half an hour to write a text: here I sit, concentrating on my computer, books piled up beside me, ideas in my head, the scenery passing by outside my window. Everything seems perfectly normal all around me; and yet, during these thirty minutes, 3,000 people have died and 6,200 have just seen the light of the world for the first time. Where are all those t... more »
“How to Live With an Unknowable Mind”
*“How to Live With an Unknowable Mind”* by PsyBlog “How do you imagine your own mind? I sometimes picture mine as a difficult and contrary child; the kind that throws a stone at you for no reason and can't explain itself. Or while at the beach it sits silent, looking miserable. But, at a wedding is determined to scream at the top of its lungs through all the quiet bits. One reason minds can be frustrating is that we only have access to part of them, by definition the conscious part. The rest, the unconscious, lies there mysteriously, doing things we don't understand and often don't... more »
Chet Raymo, “Heavenly Harmony”
*“Heavenly Harmony”* by Chet Raymo “Enlarge the below image by clicking. If that doesn't fill your screen, go here. Make sure the horizontal scroll is all the way open. Better, drag the image onto your desktop, open it up, and have it filling the background as you continue to read. You are looking at a corner of a rich star-forming region called the Lagoon Nebula. The entire nebula can be seen here. It is a large object, in the constellation Sagittarius, somewhat larger in apparent size than the full Moon, and barely visible to the naked eye under ideal conditions. It is about 500... more »
"Doing Our Best..."
"That the situation appears hopeless should not prevent us from doing our best." - Aldo Leopold
The Daily "Near You?"
Monument, Colorado, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Ukrainian Separatist Fighter Gives A Carefree Interview Even As Shrapnel From A Rocket Attack Flies By (Video)
From *The Guardian*: A separatist fighter in eastern Ukraine gives a nonchalant interview as Ukrainian government forces shell a nearby building. The man calmly smokes a cigarette and discusses the ongoing conflict in Donetsk as fragments ricochet off the car next to him. It is not known where or when this unverified footage was filmed. It was uploaded to YouTube on 5 October
"Of Sound Mind..."
“A man who is "of sound mind" is one who keeps the inner madman under lock and key.” - Paul Valéry, “Mauvaises Pensées et Autres”, 1942
Greg Hunter, “’Big Nuclear War Coming’- Charles Nenner”
*“’Big Nuclear War Coming’- Charles Nenner”* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com “Legendary financial analyst Charles Nenner thinks the biggest threat is global war. Nenner explains, “If you look at a war cycle of a hundred years, I predicted in the second decade of this century that we were going to have a big war. If you go back a hundred years ago, you had the First World War, which led up to the Second World War. That was a big war. A hundred years before that, we had a big war in 1812, and you had Napoleon in Europe in 1814. . . . Every second decade of a new century, you have ... more »
Can A NATO-Russia War Over Ukraine Still Happen?
*Europe's Nightmare Could Still Come True: A NATO-Russia War Over Ukraine -- Dmitri Trenin, National Interest* Should the cease-fire be allowed to break down completely, the danger of a war in Ukraine will immediately reappear. Both sides must take urgent steps to avoid it. Despite numerous violations, the cease-fire in Ukraine's Donbass region is largely holding. For very different reasons, President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin of Russia have come to lead the parties of peace in their respective capitals. Economic issues clearly top the agenda in bot... more »
China Just Overtook The US In One Key Economic Indicator
Adjusted for purchasing power, China's economy is now the world's largest. IMF, Google Public Data Explorer *China Just Overtook The US As The World's Largest Economy -- Business Insider* Sorry, America. China just overtook the US to become the world's largest economy, according to the International Monetary Fund. Chris Giles at the Financial Times flagged up the change. He also alerted us in April that it was all about to happen. Basically, the method used by the IMF adjusts for purchasing power parity, explained here. *Read more* .... *More News On China Overtaking The U.S. On... more »
We dunno nuttin bout wut Obama beleevs, just if hes for it its the end of the wurrld
*Today's "Daily Cartoon," by David Sipress,from NewYorker.com* *"Remember -- talk about how the Presidenthas done a fantastic job with the economy, but whatever you do don't mention the President."* *“A man in Oklahoma was exposed to Elisabeth Hasselbeck on Fox for over three minutes. We hope we’re not too late."* *-- a CDC spokesman quoted in the Borowitz Report* "Man Infected with Ebola Misinformation Through Casual Contact With Cable News" (see below) *"[H]ere is the conundrum of the 2014 campaign. In 2010, House Speaker John Boehner's battle cry that helped Republicans win t... more »
Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 9th October)
£16.6bn of Renewable Energy contracts: Dept of Energy & Climate Change failed to get value for consumers, MPs say The government's decision to award billions of pounds of renewable energy contracts without a proper tendering process has left consumers out of pocket, said MPs on the Public Accounts Committee. The five offshore wind and three biomass project contracts were awarded without
US Air Force F-15D Crashes Into Field In England, Pilot Ejects Safely
The aircraft crashed in a field in Weston Hills, near Spalding *USAF F-15 Jet Crashes In Lincolnshire -- BBC* A US military aircraft has crashed in a field near houses and a school in Lincolnshire. Witnesses saw the F-15D come down in a field off Broad Gate, Weston Hills, near Spalding at about 15:30 BST. The pilot have ejected from the aircraft and police said he had escaped with very minor injuries. The US Air Force said the jet was from the 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk and had crashed during a combat training exercise. *Read more* .... *More News On A ... more »
“The Civil War and 150 Years of Forgotten US Military Atrocities”
*“The Civil War and 150 Years of Forgotten US Military Atrocities”* by James Bovard “George Orwell wrote in 1945 that “the nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.” The same moral myopia has carried over to most Americans’ understanding of the Civil War. While popular historians have recently canonized the war as a practically holy crusade to free the slaves, in reality civilians were intentionally targeted and brutalized in the final year of the war. The most dramatic forgott... more »
When love hurts (or runs out)
[image: Picture] This is a picture of what is posted on a billboard in front of a nearby church. I drive past it each morning on my way to work. What follows is an attempt at an answer. Love doesn't (hurt). This pain is your own definition of love. In Persian, Greek and Sanskrit alone there are as many as 90 different words for love, each with its own definition. Any *emotional* “hurt” can be reduced to unmet expectations. Love has no expectations, qualifications or conditions. It is the physical expression of your core. You are made of love. Love's purpose is not to make you hap... more »
Robert Wadlow with his father
Robert Pershing Wadlow (February 22, 1918 – July 15, 1940) also known as the Alton Giant and the Giant of Illinois, is the tallest person in history for whom there is irrefutable evidence. The Alton and Illinois monikers reflect the fact that he was born and grew up in Alton, Illinois. Wadlow reached 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m) in height and weighed 439 lb (199 kg) at his death at age 22. His great size and his continued growth in adulthood were due to hyperplasia of his pituitary gland, which results in an abnormally high level of human growth hormone. He showed no indication of an end... more »
We’re in an Economic Neverland
*In a world of virtually free money – the money of near-Zero or even Negative Interest Rates excreted by central banks – the clear-eyed man could be king. But not if the well-connected man has blinded him first, says Bill Bonner in this guest post.* *We’re in an Economic Neverland, Part 1* Anything is possible in a NIRP (negative-interest-rate policy) world. When central banks are resorting to negative interest rates, as the ECB did recently, everything goes topsy-turvy. A trillion dollars here… a trillion there. Pretty soon we’re talking about the end of the world as we have kno... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 8, 2014
Northeastern University *The Middle East In Chaos -- Reuel Marc Gerecht, Weekly Standard* The great medieval historian Ibn Khaldun centered his understanding of history on asabiyya, which is perhaps best translated as esprit de corps mixed with the will to power. In his masterpiece, the Muqaddima, or Prolegomena, the Arab historian saw as the primary locus of asabiyya the tribe—a smaller unit than the ethnic group, and the most powerful military unit in Islamic history until the Mameluks perfected the use of slave soldiers. The concept of asabiyya is helpful in trying to understand... more »
World News Briefs -- October 8, 2014
*WHO: No Control Over Spread Of Ebola -- Al Jazeera* *UN health authority says almost half of Ebola patients have died, and warns disease will spread to other countries.* The Ebola outbreak shows no signs of abating, has killed 3,879 people and threatens more Western African nations poorly equipped to deal with the disease, the World Health Organisation has said in a grim update. The UN's health authority said on Wednesday that a total of 8,033 people had caught the infection up to October 5, and 3,879 of those had died. Liberia and Sierra Leone, the two worst-hit nations, had les... more »
Firestone Did What Governments Have Not: Stopped Ebola In Its Tracks
[image: Liberia cc] Out on the edge of the Liberian wilderness, the Firestone company – the tyre company, with rubber plantations in the West African nation ravaged by Ebola – has been showing the way in treatment and containment of the virus. N not because any special knowledge, but because they’re making best use of the knowledge they have. [image: image]The classic slogan for Firestone tires was "where the rubber meets the road." When it comes to Ebola, the rubber met the road at the Firestone rubber plantation in Harbel, Liberia. … Firestone detected its first Ebola case ... more »
More News Reports And Speculation That Kim Jong-Un's Younger Sister Has Taken Control Of North Korea
Kim Yo-Jong, Kim Jong Un's younger sister..thought to be now running DPRK. pic.twitter.com/qTw0VP0e2t — North Korea (@NorthKoreaNews1) October 7, 2014 *Is Kim Jong Un's Little Sister Kim Yo Jong Running North Korea? -- NBC* SEOUL, South Korea — It’s been an unusually quiet quarter for North Korea, which has avoided the occasional exchange of bellicose bluster with the U.S. and South Korea, and has not tested a much-prophesized fourth nuclear bomb. But for the past month, a curious string of events has stirred up questions over whether changes are underway in this garrison kingdom... more »
Assigning Fault For Impending Democratic Congressional Losses
Last night we took a look at some of the poor schlubbs Steve Israel had recruited to run for Congress and has now abandoned, tainted by his losing strategies and unable to gain any traction on their own. Michigan is a particularly ugly victim of the “Steve Israel Effect.” The irony there is that the DSCC has run a perfect race in Michigan— so perfect that as the DCCC packs up its tent and heads down to Arkansas or West Virginia or whichever red hellhole Israel has decided to take a last stand in, the *Republicans* have raised the white flag in the Michigan Senate race. Pelosi shou... more »
Where Is North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un? It Appears Everyone Has An Opinion (Updated)
*Where Is North Korea's 31-Year-Old Leader? -- Bloomberg* Where is Kim? That question is increasingly being asked about the 31-year-old leader of the oddball state of North Korea. It gained added urgency on Tuesday, as North Korean and South Korean patrol boats exchanged warning fire at a disputed sea border in the Yellow Sea. For just over a month now, Kim Jong Un, the Swiss boarding school-educated leader of the reclusive state formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, has not appeared in public. Adding to the intrigue was the sudden visit to South Korea by Ki... more »
Awakened Warriors Arise
Zen Gardner, *Guest* *Waking Times* Life is a struggle. How much more then is the spiritual life, the fight to remain conscious in an illusory world where deviant forces vie for control more than caring, battering your very body and soul day in and day out on top of … More The post Awakened Warriors Arise appeared first on Waking Times.
Liberal Democrats: Not Dead Yet
Clegg could have said "no one likes us and we don't care." Reviled by the Tories and Labour in equal measure is the lot of the Liberal Democrat. But now you're scrapping with the Greens for fourth place, and your main competitors are them and Farage's pint quaffing, poison-swilling rabble; this year's party conference might have had a touch of humility about it. Nah. There was none. LibDems can "hold their heads high" said Clegg in a speech rivalling the late Tony Cliff for volubility and official enthusiasm. Promising a shopping list of policy from a welcome pledge of mental healt... more »
North Korea Admits That It Uses 'Labor Camps'
*North Korea Admits Using Labour Camps -- The Guardian/AP* *Important public acknowledgement as diplomats at UN say ‘reform through labour’ is used to ‘improve people’s mentality’* A North Korean official has publicly acknowledged to the international community the existence of his country’s “reform through labour” camps, apparently in response to a highly critical UN human rights report. Diplomats for the regime also told reporters that a top North Korea official had visited the headquarters of the European Union and expressed interest in dialogue, with discussions on human right... more »
Even With A Ceasefire, The Ukraine Conflict Claims 10 Lives A Day
A Ukrainian national flag flies in the traffic control tower of the Donetsk Airport hit by shelling during fighting between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government forces in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, October 4, Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters *Death Rate 10 A Day In East Ukraine Despite Ceasefire: U.N. -- Reuters* (Reuters) - The conflict in eastern Ukraine is still claiming about 10 lives a day among government troops, pro-Russian separatists and civilians despite a ceasefire agreed in early September, the United Nations said on Tuesday. Over 3,660 people have died and 8,766 been wou... more »
UN Report: 3,660 Killed, 8,756 Wounded In Ukraine Since April
Maxim Shemetov/Reuters *UN: 3,660 Killed, 8,756 Wounded In Ukraine Conflict Since April -- RT* Kiev doesn’t have full control of its military and paramilitary forces, who continue to violate the principles of international humanitarian law, highlights the latest UN report on the human rights situation in Ukraine. The UN has stated that at least 3,660 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine since April – including 330 since the ceasefire brokered on Sept. 5. A total of 8,756 people have been wounded since April, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said. *Rea... more »
Post-it Positive
A high school student in Airdrie, Alberta approaches her locker to find that someone has broken in to it. Worse, she discovers that the perpetrator used her iPad to access her Facebook account to tell her to die. Rather than play a victim, the girl decides to turn a negative into a positive and post sticky-notes with positive, encouraging messages around her school. Sounds like a display of compassion and initiative. Sadly, incomprehensibly, however, her school didn't see it that way. Rather, some genius "educrat" decided that this was littering and reprimanded her for this kin... more »
U.S. Options Limited Due to Will and Not Lack of Drones
Today, Kate Brannen’s piece in Foreign Policy sent mixed messages with regard to the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS). She reports that the US is balancing demands “For intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) assets across Iraq and Syria with keeping an eye on Afghanistan”. The implication, which the title of her piece implies, Continue reading
"How It Really Is"
Who's yer daddy, ISIS? Who could it possibly be...
Johnny Hazard : In Mexico, massacres are the order of the day
While the U.S. government lauds its Mexican counterpart, a new mass grave appears to contain bodies of ‘disappeared’ education students. By Johnny Hazard | The Rag Blog | October 8, 2014 MEXICO CITY — By now many in the U.S. … finish reading Johnny Hazard : In Mexico, massacres are the order of the day
What Whistleblowers Tell Us About Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness
Dr. Mercola *Waking Times* In 2010, two Merck virologists filed a federal lawsuit under the False Claims Act against their former employer, alleging the vaccine maker lied about the effectiveness of their mumps vaccine (which is part of the trivalent measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine). The whistleblowers, … More The post What Whistleblowers Tell Us About Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness appeared first on Waking Times.
Former Waltonite, Jim Blew, Named to Replace Rhee
At least they are no longer pretending to be run by educators: Jim has nearly 20 years of experience in education reform. For the past decade, he has served as advisor to the Walton family, which has invested more than a billion dollars in initiatives to expand high-quality school options for all children and build an advocacy infrastructure for education reform. From 2000 to 2005, Jim directed various campaigns for the Alliance for School Choice and its predecessor, the American Education Reform Council. Prior to committing himself full-time to education reform, Jim worked at polit... more »
I Love Carol Burris, But . . .
She's got it all wrong about what to do about the Common Core. At WaPo, she begins by pointing out how sanity is prevailing among parents and teachers and how much CorpEd in on the defensive to prop out the Common Core house of cards. The more teachers and parents see and use the Gates Core, she points out, the more they hate it. Polling shows support for CorpEd solutions cratering. Arne is being talked about as the new Attorney General (HAH!) And then she closes with this: *The Common Core is a lemon and no amount of professional development will make it run right. As Mike S...more »
Ebola: “CDC Forced to Admit that Ebola Might Be Spread Through Coughing and Sneezing”
*“CDC Forced to Admit that Ebola Might * *Be Spread Through Coughing and Sneezing”* by George Washington "The level of outbreak is beyond anything we've seen - or even imagined." - Dr. Tom Frieden, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Scientists have said for some time that Ebola may be spread through coughing, sneezing and other aerosol transmission. The top American health agency - the U.S. Centers for Disease Control - has denied this for months. But CDC has finally been forced to admit that it's true. The Los Angeles Times reports today: “Some scient... more »
Funder of Hawaiian telescope is same for Native rights violator in Calif
Photo of protest at Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation offices on October 7 in solidarity with protests to stop the building of a giant telescope at Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Photo courtesy of Santa Cruz Indigenous Solidarity. MLPA Initiative Funder pledged $250 million for Mauna Kea telescope Protesters rally in Palo Alto against desecration of sacred mountain by Dan Bacher
Global Network Co-Founders on Occupy Radio
Star Wars isn't just for Hollywood. The tentacles of U.S. Empire stretch around the globe and up into space where thousands of satellites direct drone strikes and guided missiles. This week on Occupy Radio, peace activists and Global Network co-founders Bruce Gagnon (Maine) and Bill Sulzman (Colorado) join us to discuss the missile defense program that is orbiting overhead in space. And, just as your worst sci-fi nightmares start to seem uncomfortably realistic, Occupy Radio asks our guests about the courageous citizen movements to "Keep Space for Peace".
Wall Street is War Street
Veterans For Peace member Tarak Kauff interviewed after New York City finally agreed not to arrest veterans for vigiling against current wars at the Vietnam War memorial in the city.
“End Of The Empire”
*“End Of The Empire”* by Charles Hugh-Smith “What characterizes the American populace today? Jaded, unwilling to sacrifice comfort and convenience for long-term gain, incapable of honest debate, brimming with resentful excuses, insecure, anxious, fearful, depressed, distracted, self-absorbed. These last seven are of course the key traits of permanent adolescence, the state of arrested development encouraged by consumerism. But they also characterize an Empire that has lost its edge, its ability to sacrifice for a common good, its confidence in its leadership and institutions, and i... more »
The Economy: "Dow at 8,000?"
*"Dow at 8,000?" * by Bill Bonner "When we left off yesterday we were worried. What if we have seen the highs in US stocks and bonds – not just for the next five or 10 years... but for the rest of our lifetimes? Yesterday, the Dow fell 272 points. No big deal, of course. But what if it continues? Just six years ago it fell 51%. It could easily do so again – back down to, say, 8,000. There would be nothing unusual about it. Fifty percent corrections are normal. You know what would happen, don't you? Ever since the "Black Monday" stock market crash in 1987 it has been standard proce... more »
UK Will Deploy More Than 750 Soldiers And A Medical Ship To Fight The Ebola Epidemic In Sierra Leone
Medical staff http://t.co/sKixLz7pb0 in training to provide treatment unit for health workers in Sierra Leone #Ebola pic.twitter.com/gPbzWrc3Kg — British Army (@BritishArmy) October 7, 2014 *Emergency Ebola Meeting: UK Will Deploy More Than 750 Soldiers And Medical Ship To Fight Ebola Epidemic In Sierra Leone -- Daily Mail* * Prime Minister David Cameron chaired a Cobra committee meeting today * Health secretary Jeremy Hunt, defence secretary Michael Fallon, international development secretary Justine Greening all attended * Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nicholas Houghton was a... more »
World Bank Issues Warning That The Ebola Epidemic Will Cost Billions
*Ebola Economic Impact in West Africa could be catastrophic: World Bank -- L.A. Times* The Ebola outbreak could be "catastrophic" to the West African economy, with an impact of $32.6 billion by the end of next year if health officials are slow to contain the spread of the deadly virus, the World Bank said in a report Wednesday. The outbreak, which has killed 3,439 people in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, already has had a "very serious" economic effect in those nations, the report said. If the spread of the disease is contained within about the next six months, the economic i... more »
Ebola victims Are Being Left On The Street As Sierra Leone Burial Crews Go On Strike
*Sierra Leone Burial Crews Reportedly On Strike, Leaving Ebola Victims In The Street -- FOX News* Burial teams in Sierra Leone reportedly went on strike over lack of hazard pay this week, leaving the bodies of victims of the Ebola outbreak in the country's streets. The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation first reported the strike Wednesday. Sidie Yahya Tunis, a spokesman for the country's health ministry, described the situation to The Associated Press as "very embarrassing" and insisted that money was available to pay the crews. He promised to provide more information later We... more »
Mapping U.S.-Led Airstrikes In Iraq And Syria
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Two Months Of U.S.-Led Airstrikes In Iraq And Syria, Mapped -- Washington Post* As noted on Checkpoint earlier this morning, President Obama visits the Pentagon today, two months after the United States began launching airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq. Those strikes have since been expanded into Syria, where they have been carried out regularly since Sept. 23. The map above outlines where those airstrikes have occurred as of Tuesday night. For those following the conflict, the size and location of the red bubbles may not come as a surpri... more »
Los animales más tiernos y divertidos del mundo I
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Te presentamos en esta ocasión una bonita colección que incluye *20 fotografías de los animales más tiernos y divertidos de nuestro planeta*. Esta serie contiene más de 100 imágenes y por supuesto que aquí tienes la primera parte. Si te gustan los *animalitos*, seguramente estas fotos serán muy agradables para ti. Recuerda que puedes hacer click sobre las fotos para ampliar su tamaño. En breve recibirás la segunda parte de esta interesante colección. Hasta pronto. -Fotofrontera Team
The Endocene
*Time there was and plenty, but from that cup no more* ~ Robert Hunter The Anthropocene Era isn't going to last much longer - geologically speaking, barely past its recent coinage! Instead, the Endocene is upon us. There are many intellectual ways of approaching ecopocalypse and collapse and incipient extinction - and I don't pretend that one is a better explanation than another, because I don't really understand entropy all that well. Some believe financial collapse will lead to social instability and nuclear war, others see resource constraints coupled with overpopulation, w... more »
The CBC Could Do A LOT Better Than Marcia Fudge-- And Should
Proving that she can’t read through an amendment that consists of one single sentence, Congressional Black Caucus chair, Marcia Fudge, declared at the annual CBC Legislative Conference last week that she and her lamer members had voted with the House leadership and the money-grubbing shills of the Military Industrial Complex against Grayson’s amendment to curtail the militarization of the local police “because it was a dumb amendment.” No wonder Bruce Dixon’s cutting Edge *Black Agenda Report* is so down on the inherent conservativism and corruptionism of the CBC! It wasn’t a dum... more »
US carries out 90 percent of attacks on ISIS- Turkey not complying and much more
*Me, thinking aloud. And looking for input on the post subject?* *Some thoughts: * The so called entire coalition is obviously less then willing to get involved in this fight, presently. And this reluctance is larger then just Turkey's recalcitrant behaviour? What is going on in the wider scheme? I am not getting the impression that France and the UK have been overly active in these bombing runs. Never mind the GCC nations. Also all this bombing the US has been doing? What the hell are they actually accomplishing? It really feels as if the US is just dropping bombs in order to enri... more »
Riots Continue In Turkey Over Ankara's Refusal To Aid Besieged Syrian Kurds
*Riots In Turkey Kill 19 Over Failure To Aid Besieged Syrian Kurds -- Reuters* (Reuters) - At least 19 people were reported killed in riots across Turkey, the deadliest street unrest in years, after the Kurdish minority rose up in fury at the government's refusal to protect a besieged Syrian town from Islamic State. Street battles raged between Kurdish protesters and police across Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast, as the fallout from war in Syria and Iraq threatened to unravel the NATO member's own delicate peace process. There were also clashes in the commercial hub Istanbul an... more »
Latest Videos And Pictures Reveal The Intensity And Brutality For The Battle For Kobani (Update)
*'Hell Is Unfolding': First Chilling Pictures INSIDE War-Torn Syrian Border Town Of Kobane Show ISIS Fighters Prowling The Deserted Streets And Their Flag Still Flying - Despite Two Days Of Airstrikes -- Daily Mail* * Islamic State militants pictured stalking the deserted streets of Kobane despite days of American and Arab airstrikes * Scores of Kurdish soldiers who have battled militants over the past three weeks have now been captured or killed * News comes as a senior UN official urges immediate military action to prevent Kobane falling into the militants' hands * Staffan de Mist... more »
Out of Body and Near-Death Experiences May be Real Says Largest-Ever Study
*Waking Times* A team based in the UK has spent the last four years seeking out cardiac arrest patients to analyse their experiences, and found that almost 40 per cent of survivors described having some form of “awareness” at a time when they were declared clinically dead. Experts currently believe … More The post Out of Body and Near-Death Experiences May be Real Says Largest-Ever Study appeared first on Waking Times.
Energy Econ 27: Expensive Electricity, FIT and Europe's Renewables,
I am engaged in a civil debate in a fb group, Amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA). Many members there are anti-EPIRA, anti-privatization, anti-fossil fuels, and highly worshiping renewables like wind, solar and biomass. As I posted several times on this subject, I have nothing against the renewables as I support all forms of energy sources. What I do not support is expensive electricity, high energy taxes and high subsidies to renewables just to make them "viable". The experience of some European economies like UK and Germany in their hard push to depend more on r... more »
Announcement: It happens almost every year!
*WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014The excitement is starting to spread:* Next week, we’ll resume our award-winning series, The Houses of Journalist County. For all previous posts, just click this. We’ll also be starting our almost annual fund-raising drive. We’ve been postponing it all year long. Next week, we’re going to start. We’re told the excitement is starting to spread. Prepare to be proselytized in ways unseen in these precincts before.
The Anti-Inflammatory Diet is a Key to Good Health
Mae Chan, *Prevent Disease* *Waking Times* It doesn’t have a catchy name or a trendy following to drop a size, but when it comes to your health, it’s one of the most effective diets in the world. Proponents of the diet say it can reduce heart disease risk, keep existing … More The post The Anti-Inflammatory Diet is a Key to Good Health appeared first on Waking Times.
It's Wednesday...
*I shall be gone.* Oh, by the way, the Ebola patient in Dallas has died. No surprise there. I have said a prayer for him. It's the right thing to do.
Canada Is Jewish Occupied Territory: Canadian Government Obeys Their Jewish Masters And Commits Canada Now To The Fraud War Against Mossad/CIA "ISIS"
I knew it was coming... For the longest time I have said that Canada's so called "elected government" in Ottawa is nothing more than a group of shills and would do anything to please their Jewish masters.... I have seen absolutely nothing lately that has changed my perspective... Now it seems again that I am right.. For according to this newest article that just came out today from the National Post website at www.nationalpost.com, it appears that the Jewish controlled Canadian federal government in Ottawa has just voted, although very narrowly, to now commit Canada to the fraud war... more »
In the news today: Navajo Times
Photo by Robyn Jackson, Dine', Censored News Rolling Stone featured this scene in its top photos, is Navajo Times censoring it? By Brenda Norrell Censored News Why does Navajo Times have this article, 'Groundbreaking, Hawaiian blessing for telescope' -- instead of an article about the Native Hawaiian protest over the telescope desecrating the sacred mountain Mauna Kea? http://
Two neutrino experimental news
*NOvA running, new Daya Bay limits on sterile ones* Particle colliders at increasing energies are the "most universal" and the "most prejudice-free" way to search for new physics. New, heavier hypothetical particles of any kind (particles associated with the laws of physics at ever shorter distances) are increasingly visible, along with the effects of these or even heavier particles (all sorts of non-renormalizable operators become more visible, too) whenever the experiments are able to upgrade the energy of the colliding particles. Physicists aren't putting all their eggs into on... more »
The Battle For The Syrian - Kurdish City Of Kobane Continues
*Coalition Warplanes Hit Targets Near Besieged Syrian City, Defenders Say -- Wall Street Journal* *Eighteen People Killed in Turkey Protests Over Government’s Inaction* U.S.-led coalition airstrikes hit Islamic State forces laying siege to the Syrian city of Kobani on Wednesday, Kurdish officials and military commanders said, as domestic pressure escalated in Turkey over the refusal by the Ankara government to come to the aid of the city’s predominantly Kurdish population. A day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the U.S. declared the fall of Kobani imminent, Islami... more »
Supplemental: Adam Nagourney strikes again!
*WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014Timesman does Las Vegas:* Adam Nagourney had been a major reporter at the New York Times for many years. We’re often puzzled by his work. Yesterday, he did Las Vegas. Nagourney’s report was the featured piece in yesterday’s National section. Buttressed by a large photograph, it ate the entire top half of page A12, the National section’s first page. Nagourney was writing about overcrowded schools. Headline included, he started off like this: NAGOURNEY (10/7/14): *Las Vegas Schools Groan From Growing PainsSchools in this suddenly robust community are so... more »
NLR tests weapons system for Dutch and Danish Air Force
[image: GBU-49]In collaboration with Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the United States, NLR recently tested a new weapon system for the Dutch and Danish Air Force. During the research, the weapon – a Dual mode-weapon (GBU-49), purchased by the Ministry of Defence – was dropped from Dutch and Danish F-16s. This bomb can be both laser-guided and GPS-guided. During the test, conducted at the Vidsel test range in northern Sweden, seven (inert) bombs were dropped on both stationary and moving targets. Read more
ISIS Guide Explains How To Shoot Down US Apache Helicopters
[image: AH-64E Apache]Just days after the United States began using Apache helicopters against the Islamic State group in Iraq, ISIS has responded by producing a guide to shooting down the iconic aircraft. The guide, which has been circulating on social media, explains in minute detail how to use portable surface-to-air missiles, such as the Russian-made SA-16 and SA-18 and the American FIM-92 Stinger, against the attack helicopter. The Stinger was heavily used during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s, when the shoulder-fired missiles provided by the U.S. to mujahide... more »
Time to Get Real About the F-35
[image: F-35C Lightning II]I understand the reluctance to simply walk away from the Pentagon's plan to buy a fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighters. But the time has come to either cancel or significantly downsize the program. On an emotional level, that's a hard recommendation to make. The plane, which being developed to replace several fighter, strike, and ground attack aircraft now on use, is a sleek, technologically advanced thing of beauty. And, if we could ever get it to work the way it should, it would be an amazingly capable and lethal weapon of war. I... more »
Korean Air delivers 4,000th refurbished military plane
[image: F-15K Eagle]Korean Air Lines Co. said Wednesday that it has delivered its 4,000th refurbished military plane, 36 years after it started depot maintenance operations. The company, South Korea's largest air carrier and logistics giant, held a ceremony in Busan, to mark the delivery of an F-15 air-superiority fighter jet to the U.S. Air Force, and outlined its goal to play a leading role in the global aerospace sector. It started maintenance work in 1978 by repairing and overhauling planes operated by the South Korean and U.S. military. It has a maintenance tech center built o... more »
Israeli arms exports drop nearly $1 billion in 2013
[image: Israeli arms exports]Israeli defense exports fell by almost $1 billion last year, a very rare decline reflecting declining defense budgets worldwide. The Defense Ministry’s International Defense Cooperation Agency said exports were $6.54 billion last year, down from $7.4 billion in 2012. Defense exports are a key industry for Israel; since 2005, they have risen every year except for 2011. On average, Israel exports weapons, technology and expertise worth more than $6 billion annually. Read more
Airbus Defense and Space Delivers 18th HC-144A Aircraft to US Coast Guard
[image: HC-144A Ocean Sentry]Airbus Defense and Space, Inc. has delivered the 18th HC-144A Ocean Sentry maritime patrol aircraft to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Ocean Sentry is based on the Airbus CN235 tactical airlifter with more than 235 currently in operation by 29 countries. The latest HC-144A will join a fleet of Ocean Sentries operating from Coast Guard Air Stations in Cape Cod, Mass.; Mobile, Ala.; Miami and most recently Corpus Christi, Texas. This month Air Station Corpus Christi turned over the maritime patrol mission to the HC-144 after the retirement of the last HU-25 Guar... more »
US clears way for Brunei purchase of Lockheed C-130J
[image: C-130J Super Hercules]The US State Department has approved the possible sale of a Lockheed Martin C-130J and six engines to the government of Brunei. Brunei requested clearance to purchase one C-130J and six Rolls-Royce AE2100D3 engines – four installed and two spares ‑ along with equipment, spare parts and training and logistical support for a total $343 million, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 7 October. DSCA delivered the necessary certification to Congress for approval on 6 October. Read more
The 30-Year War
Key Democrats, Led by Hillary Clinton, Leave No Doubt That Endless War Is Official US Doctrine By Glenn Greenwald, The Intercept Long before Americans were introduced to the new 9/11 era super-villains called ISIS and Khorasan, senior Obama officials were openly and explicitly stating that America’s “war on terror,” already 12 years old, would last *at least *another decade. At first, they injected these decrees only anonymously; in late 2012, *The Washington Post -* disclosing the administration’s secret creation of a “disposition matrix” to decide who should be killed, imprisone... more »
"Khorasan": False Flag Terror Group or Muslim Liberation Army?
My first Fars News Agency op-ed. (I wonder how this quote reads in Persian?) *"To appreciate the absurdity of the War on Terror in general, and such tragicomic episodes as the bombing of 'Khorasan' in particular, one needs an encyclopedic knowledge not only of Islamic history and eschatology, but also a certain familiarity with the strategic thought of such intellectual heavyweights as Sun Tzu, Machievelli, Père Ubu, Henry Kissinger, and Bugs Bunny." * Full article: http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930714000458
On Textbook Prices
NPR takes a look. Generally, a good and balanced treatment. But they play a bit too fast and loose with the difference between* high* and *rising*. Some of the hypotheses they suggest can explain high prices but not rising prices.
Torturing Obama
Poor Barack. Everybody's piling on. First, Leon Panetta, and now even mild-mannered fellow Nobelist Jimmy Carter is chiming in while still constructing Habitat houses at age 90. The drone president of peace is being portrayed as a paranoid bumbler and anathema to his own party. Pretty much all he's good for these days is acting as the main bag-man for all that campaign cash. The Dems don't want to be seen with him, but they're only too happy to accept the bribery money of plutocrats and entertainers just as eager to shell it out for a quick bite and photo-op schmooze with their pres... more »
THE WAY WE ARE: The New York Times broke (almost) all the rules!
*WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014Part 3—Discussed campaign coverage of Clinton:* On June 13, 2008, a rare event occurred. Right there on its front page, the New York Times published a long and detailed analysis piece. It covered a very unusual topic: The 1600-words piece discussed the way Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign had been covered by the mainstream press. The press corps was critiquing the press! This is *never* done. There was a reason why this unusual conduct had been allowed. That reason appeared as Katherine Seelye and Julie Bosman started their lengthy report. W...more »
United Nations Documents Islamic State’s Attacks Upon All Sectors Of Iraq’s Society
Since the Islamic State’s (IS) summer offensive was launched the group has left a bloody trail behind it in the territory it conquered. It not only went after the country’s minorities such as the Yazidis, Shabaks, Turkmen and Christians, but attacked Sunnis and Shiites alike. These abuses were recently document in a United Nations human rights report. The declaration of the Caliphate in June has proven to be as much about eliminating any differences and opposition to IS as establishing a state. The Islamic State has executed members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). The most fa... more »
Top SOUTHCOM General: If Ebola Strikes Latin America There Will Be A Flood Of Refugees To The U.S.
Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly, center, commander of U.S. Southern Command, speaks with Adm. Sigifrido Pared Perez, Dominican Republic minister of defense, in Barahona, Dominican Republic on June 9, 2014. SOUTHCOM Photo *SOUTHCOM Commander: Ebola Outbreak In Central America Could Cause Mass Migration To U.S. -- USNI News* WASHINGTON, D.C. — The head of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) warned an Ebola outbreak in Central America or the Caribbean could trigger a mass migration to the U.S. of people fleeing the disease and implied established Central American illegal trafficking net... more »
World News Briefs -- October 8, 2014
*Turkey Moves to Curb Protests Over Government Refusal to Intervene in Syria -- Wall Street Journal* *At Least 12 People Killed in Clashes as Siege of Kobani Continues* Turkish authorities moved Wednesday to stop the spread of violent protests across the predominantly Kurdish southeast of the country, fueled by the refusal of the Ankara government to intervene to protect Kurds in neighboring Syria against an Islamic State onslaught. Provincial governments imposed curfews in several mainly Kurdish regions of the country and some domestic flights were canceled following overnight c... more »
Space Week: From the American West to India
*Protest vigil at Minuteman III nuclear missile M-8 silo in Weld County, Colorado on the 12th Anniversary of Sacred Earth and Space Plowshares II. Sisters Ardeth Platte and Carol Gilbert were joined by Citizens for Peace in Space from Colorado Springs. The sisters were part of the Plowshares action at that location in October 2002. * *Activists from Tucson, Arizona vigiled outside of Raytheon where the kinetic "hit-to-kill" warheads are built for the Pentagon's misnamed "missile defense" system. * *Lonesome cowboy vigils in the Tucson desert* *Global Network board member J. Narayan... more »
Ebola Update ( October 4-5 , 2014 Weekend Report ) During An Ebola Pandemic Your Constitutional Rights Would Essentially Be Abrogated ........... PATIENT WITH EBOLA-LIKE SYMPTOMS BEING TREATED AT DC HOSPITAL Patient had traveled to Nigeria recently (if you thought Nigeria completely Ebola free , maybe not exactly the case ) ........ REPORT: LIBERIANS FLOOD AIRPORT ATTEMPTING TO FLEE EBOLA-STRUCK COUNTRY Africans infected with Ebola may be trying to seek treatment in U.S., other countries ( Ebola tourism the term for the sick desperately seeking medical treatment outside of their home countries ) ..... .... MISSOURI DOCTOR: ‘JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE [EBOLA] IS CARRIED TO EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD’ Insists CDC underplaying threat posed by disease and is intentionally misleading the public ..........CDC ARGUES AGAINST SHUTTING DOWN AIR TRAVEL FROM AFRICA TO STOP EBOLA “Right of return” and “gender dimension” more important than stopping spread of disease........ Tweets of note !
Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
http://www.infowars.com/ebola-may-spread-in-dallas-homeless-community/ EBOLA MAY SPREAD IN DALLAS HOMELESS COMMUNITYHomeless man reportedly rode in ambulance after Thomas Eric Duncan [image: Ebola May Spread in Dallas Homeless Community] *by* INFOWARS.COM | OCTOBER 5, 2014 [image: Share on Facebook]78[image: Tweet about this on Twitter]35[image: Share on Google+]0[image: Email this to someone][image: Print this page] ------------------------------ Police in Dallas are searching for a homeless man who rode in an ambulance after Thomas Eric Duncan, the Ebola patient currently in critical... more »
NEA and AFT Supporting Opt Out? Don't Hold Your Breath
Valerie Strauss has a headline at her blog that is *not* supported by the content of her post: *"Unions say they will back teachers who refuse to administer mandated standardized tests to students"* Here is part of Valerie's post: United Opt Out recently posted a call to the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, and the American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s second largest teachers union, “to begin to organize national, local and state affiliates to support the cohorts of teachers who refuse to administer state mandated tests inclusive of those... more »
Contact Lost With Planes One by One as FAA Fire Spread
Photographer: Scott Olson/Getty Images http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-02/contact-lost-with-planes-one-by-one-as-faa-center-fire-spread.html *Contact Lost With Planes One by One as FAA Fire Spread* By Alan Levin Oct 2, 2014 7:02 PM GMT+0100 Photographer: Scott Olson/Getty Images Passengers at O'Hare International Airport on Sept. 26, 2014 in Chicago. All flights in... Read More The first radio links with pilots were lost just as the pre-dawn crush of flights into Chicago began. Air-traffic controllers in a nondescript Federal Aviation Administration building about 40 miles from... more »
Ebola Updates - October 8 , 2014 --- US Ebola-Fighting Troops Mission Could Last A Year; Spain Quarantines 6, Euthanizes Dog; US Patients Conditions Worsen ...... Tweets of the Day !
Zero Hedge..... US Ebola-Fighting Troops Mission Could Last A Year; Spain Quarantines 6, Euthanizes Dog; US Patients Conditions Worsen [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 10/08/2014 08:48 -0400 - NBC - Reuters - World Bank inShare Africa's US commander has admitted *troops will be fighting Ebola for about a year* (and in direct contact with infected individuals). Both US Ebola patients conditions are worsening, as Reuters reports, Thomas Duncan is fighting for his life on a ventilator (and undergoing dialysis) and *NBC cameraman Ashoka Mu... more »
Are Democratic Leaders Already "Tea Partying" The Progressives?
*Starting today, Blue America has a new contributor, Gaius Publius. You may already be familiar with him from his work at AMERICAblog, Counterpunch, Naked Capitalism, Smirking Chimp, and Truthout. He tends to write a lot about the Climate crisis, strategies for progressives in a neoliberal-dominated world, Deep State and wealth capture of the political process. He's welcome to write about any topics he wants here at DWT. Obviously, he’s brought his perspective to the right community.* First, I want to say hello to the Down With Tyranny community. Long-time reader, first-time poste... more »
Fire. Aim. Ready.
http://www.aquila-style.com/ Paul Adams has an interesting piece this morning over at *ipolitics*. As of yesterday, Canada is now officially at war. Adams points out that, in the last twenty-five years, the United States has led five major wars in the Middle East. The only one that succeeded was the First Gulf War. It succeeded because Colin Powell thought very carefully about the situation before sending troops into the desert. What guided Powell was what has become known as the Powell Doctrine, which is best summarized in the ... more »
Untitled
*Federal Money Funding Anti-Semitism At Some of Our Nation’s Top Schools? Shamefully, the Answer is Yes* Title VI of the Higher Education Act was established to strengthen our nation's security by training future national security professionals and educating the public on international affairs. It currently provides millions of federal dollars to 129 international studies and foreign language centers at universities nationwide. One of the main requirements is that universities must present "diverse perspectives and a wide range of views." However, rather than doing just that and s...more »
US Air Raids: The Unlearned Lesson of Libya
*October 8, 2014* (Yuri Zinin - NEO) The speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives Akila Saleh Issa at the UN General Assembly demanded the international community to provide assistance in enhancing security in this troubled country. He stated that the rebuilding of a combat capable army in Libya is a matter of utmost importance, otherwise people will be left to face terrorists on their own. The alarming statements made by Libyan authorities coincided with the ongoing missiles strikes of the US against ISIL militants. This latest US military endeavor is now in the media's fo... more »
Untitled
*Big woe! The heat's not in the oceans either* The deep ocean may not be hiding heat after all, raising new questions about why global warming appears to have slowed in recent years, said the US space agency on Monday. Scientists have noticed that while greenhouse gases have continued to mount in the first part of the 21st century, global average surface air temperatures have stopped rising along with them, said Nasa. Some studies have suggested that heat is being absorbed temporarily by the deep seas, and that this so-called global warming hiatus is a temporary trend. But lates... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- October 8, 2014
President Obama at the Pentagon January 5, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque *Obama To Visit Pentagon, Two Months After Airstrikes In Iraq Began -- Washington Post* Wednesday marks two months since U.S. airstrikes in Iraq against the Islamic State began Aug. 8. More than 260 have been launched there and the attacks have since expanded into Syria, with more than 95 strikes, beginning Sept. 23. With that as the backdrop, President Obama will visit the Pentagon on Wednesday, meeting with top commanders to receive an update on both the military campaign against the Islamic State a... more »
The U.S. 'Has No Clue' On Where Or How The Islamic State Gets It's Money
*U.S. Officials ‘Really Don’t Have A Clue’ About Islamic State Finances -- Washington Free Beacon* CNN’s Drew Griffin said that U.S. officials “really don’t have a clue” about how much money the *Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant is raking in daily*. “The U.S. Treasury tries to track this–they believe it’s about a million dollars a day coming in,” Griffin told CNN host Ashleigh Banfield. “But when you start asking the follow-up questions, they really don’t have a clue.” *Read more *.... *My Comment*: If U.S. intelligence has no idea on where the Islamic State earns or gets i... more »
Iran Nuclear Talks Updates ( October 8 , 2014 ) - Iran latest meeting with P 5 + 1 set for Vienna next week , amidst ongoing sanction regimes and clandestine activities ....
Hurriyet ...... Iran nuclear talks set for next week in Vienna: Iran Foreign Ministry DUBAI - Reuters Print PageSend to friend » - - - - - Share on Facebook [image: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani prepares to depart after the end of a press conference on the sidelines of the 69th United Nations General Assembly in New York Sept. 23. REUTERS Photo] Iran's President Hassan Rouhani prepares to depart after the end of a press conference on the sidelines of the 69th United Nations General Assembly in New York Sept. 23. REUTERS Photo Iran and major powers are set to ho... more »
SLOOH COVERS THE TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE OF OCTOBER 2014 AS IT SLIDES ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN
*Stargazers worldwide are invited to watch the spectacular Total Lunar Eclipse, sometimes known as the “Blood Moon,” unfold live on Slooh. The free, real-time broadcast will begin on October 8th starting at 2:00 AM PDT / 5:00 AM EDT / 0900 UTC with live feeds from multiple locations located in Australia and North America. This eclipse will be difficult to view for most of the planet as it mainly takes place over the Pacific Ocean. As such, the eclipse will only be visible in its entirety from parts of eastern Australia, New Zealand, eastern Asia, most of Japan, Hawaiian Islands, ... more »
Places In The World That Westerners Should Avoid
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Hat Tip:* Zero Hedge/Startfor
Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Need versus Want
Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! Wondering how to live greener? You've come to the right place. Each week we challenge ourselves to try a new task ... or "amp up" something we're already doing. We raise our awareness, learn from each other and develop Eco-friendly skills which will improve our lives and protect our planet. Doing so together gives us power ... the power to Change The World! If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far. This post contains great information and I encourage ... more »
Here Are The Nine Top Terror Groups Planning To Attack The U.S.
Alaa Al-Marjani, Reuters *Nine Terror Groups Gunning For The United States -- David Francis, Fiscal Times* Few had heard of ISIS before it sent the Middle East into chaos. Now, American lives and dollars are attempting to stop the group from forming a caliphate in the Middle East. ISIS isn’t alone: There are many other terrorist organizations whose goal is to create havoc and strike the West. Here are the nine biggest threats. *Read more* .... *My Comment:* Only 9 terror groups?
What is behind the success of TBBT?
The eighth season of The Big Bang Theory began two weeks ago – and it began with the rather standard 18 million American viewers which keeps it the most watched show on the U.S. screens (it won the last night, too). Yesterday, the Guardian wrote a sort of interesting article about the different people's understanding of the success: Critics be damned – here's why The Big Bang Theory is an unstoppable force with fans Some people don't understand the modern world so they're mystified by the success. That includes most of the critics who are, after all, just representatives of the so-... more »
Top 10 Revelations From Leon Panetta's New Book
*Top 10 Revelations From Leon Panetta's New Book 'Worthy Fights' -- Anna Mulrine, CSM* Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta tackles some major policy debates in his new book, “Worthy Fights: a Memoir of Leadership in War and Peace,” out Tuesday. These include whether President Obama pushed hard enough to leave US troops in Iraq back in 2011 (Mr. Panetta doesn’t think so) to whether the White House tried to cover up the circumstances surrounding the death of a US ambassador in Benghazi, Libya. (No, but Panetta disagreed with the intelligence assessments of then-CIA director Da... more »
Lion Rock 13: LRI Position on the Hong Kong Protests
My friends at the Lion Rock Institute (LRI) issued this statement the other day. I think it is a sensible position. In particular, I like these sentences, *"... We recognize that the current atmosphere in Hong Kong is highly fractious and that debate on the streets is highly inefficient in settling the issue one way or the other. We recognize that the function of the legislative debating chamber is to channel the sentiments on the streets into a venue where efficient debate and policy formulation can take place."* Street protests are effective in showing public sentiment, and I sup... more »
Fear Porn – An Attack on the Immune System
*Fear Porn – An Attack on the Immune System* by Barbara H. Peterson Farm Wars http://farmwars.info/?p=13386 Fear porn is running rampant. You’ve all heard the purveyors yelling “doom! doom!” at the top of their lungs every time another new and improved disease comes rolling down the pike. This year it is ebola. Last year it was the flu. Next year it will be something else. But guess what? There are two very important things that you can do: Bolster your immune system. Turn down the volume on the fear porn. Let’s face it. If you eat garbage, your immune system is garbage. If your ... more »
Why Is The U.S. Air Force Flying the F-117 Stealth Fighter In Nevade (6 Years After Being Retired)?
*Spotted — F-117 Stealth Fighter in Nevada -- David Cenciotti, War Is Boring* *Radar-evading jet reappears six years after their official retirement* The U.S. Air Force retired its F-117 stealth fighter in 2008—officially, that is. Since then there have been rumors and occasional sightings of some of the angular, radar-evading warplanes still flying at the military secretive base complex in Nevada. And now new photographs prove that at least one F-117—possibly two—is still operational today. *Read more* .... *My Comment: *I guess all planes do not end up in the *aircraft boneyard*.
The myth of Assad, ISIL and extremism
As you all know, I don't usually publish this type of information much any more, but this stood out to me today as one of those pieces of transparency that many people are looking for- not necessarily for themselves, but to show friends and family to back up what they have been trying to explain to them for ages about the truth of the "middle east crisis(s)". I am publishing this information for those people. While this article is vastly incomplete, it does offer an insightful look into the fallacy of the "ISIS" "ISIL" "IS" etc... myths and propaganda from a single perspective. I... more »
Occupy Central: Benny Tai Doesn't Care Why You Think You Protest
*October 8, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - Over the past several days, there has been a certain backlash, even among Hong Kong's "Occupy Central" supporters themselves against the now exposed, US-backed leadership of the movement. After denying, then unsuccessfully defending the fact that "Occupy Central" co-organizers including Benny Tai, Joshua Wong, Martin Lee, Anson Chan, Audrey Eu, Jimmy Lai, and Joseph Zen are all entwined with US State Department-funded organizations, movements, projects, and institutions, many "Occupy Central" supporters are now attempting to claim this le... more »
ADOBE Says Read The Small Print
Details about the extent of the Adobe security snoop into individual’s reading habits and harvesting of data is becoming clearer and the arrogance adopted by them over what is personal data would appear to many to raise the question as to whether they are fit to manage many services digital content. There explanation of what they monitor conveys no remiss and some would say carries the usual ‘read the small print’ caveat and even more interestingly appears to blame publishers and others for asking for those controls even though many appear to be naïve to the fact that the control... more »
Striking Photographs Of British Troops' Serving Their Last Days Of Service In Afghanistan's Camp Bastion (Photo Gallery)
Photo from Channel 4 news *Checking Out Of Little Heathrow: Striking Images Capture British Troops' Last Days Of Service In Afghanistan's Camp Bastion -- Daily Mail* * Soldiers have been serving in Afghanistan since 2001 following a US-led attack on country after 9/11 * More than 400 British servicemen and woman from the army, RAF and Marines have died while there * Final preparations are being made for the troops to come home after more than a decade on the front line More than a decade after being sent to the war zone, the last British troops serving in Afghanistan are finally ... more »
Adobe Says: Read the Small Print
Details about the extent of the Adobe security snoop into individual’s reading habits is becoming clearer and the arrogance adopted by them over what is personal data would appear to many to raise the question as to whether they are fit to manage many services digital content. There explanation of what they monitor conveys no remiss and some would say carries the usual ‘read the small print’ caveat and even more interestingly appears to blame publishers and others for asking for those controls even though many appear to be naïve to the fact that the controls are not only enforced... more »
President Obama Admits That 'The World Is Spinning So Fast and Nobody Is Able To Control It'
President Barack Obama meets with members of his national security team and senior staff to receive an update on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the Administration’s response efforts, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Oct. 6, 2014. Vice President Joe Biden participates via secure video conference. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) *Obama: 'There’s A Sense ... The World Is Spinning So Fast and Nobody Is Able To Control It' -- Weekly Standard* At a DNC fundraiser today, President Barack Obama voiced a concern many Americans might now have. "[T]here’s a sense po... more »
Danish maritime patrol aircraft joins Operation Ocean Shield
[image: RDAF CL-604 Challenger]A Challenger (CL-604) maritime patrol aircraft from the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) is currently supporting NATO's counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield Task Force 508 (CTF-508). The Danish aircraft is stationed in the Seychelles with aircrew and 21-strong support team, including two liaison officers at NATO Allied Maritime Command MARCOM. This is the fourth time the Royal Danish Air Force is participating in the counter-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia. Read more
Carriers Truman, Eisenhower Swap Deployment Dates
[image: USS Harry S. Truman]The aircraft carriers Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman are trading places. One will deploy sooner than planned; the other will deploy later, the Navy announced Monday morning. The unusual swap affects thousands of Norfolk sailors and their families and stems, at least in part, from delays at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, where the Eisenhower has been undergoing maintenance since last fall. Under the new plan, the Truman will take the Eisenhower's place, deploying to the Middle East sometime in late 2015. The Eisenhower will then deploy sometime in 2016,... more »
Launch of First Submarine Built in Greece
[image: HS Pipinos]The Pipinos, the first submarine constructed in Greece, was launched on Monday in the Skaramangas shipyard of western Athens. The christening of the Pipinos was attended by Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos, Defense Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, Shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, Chairman of the Greek Parliament Evangelos Meimarakis, Minister of Public Order Vasilis Kikilias, Deputy Minister of National Defense Fofi Gennimata and Archbishop Ieronymos. Samaras used the occasion to exhibit how the government con... more »
Advanced nuclear sub Vladimir Monomakh ends acoustic trials
[image: Borei-class SSBN]Borei-class 4th generation nuclear-powered submarine Vladimir Monomakh has completed extensive acoustic trials returning from a voyage, the press service of military shipyard Sevmash in Russian northern city of Severodvinsk where the nuclear submarine had been built told TASS on Tuesday. The submarine cruiser has fulfilled successfully all tasks and specialists have gathered all required data which will be processed at Krylov state scientific center, Russia’s main ship research and design company. “So, the submarine has finalized a program of state trials,... more »
US in submarine arms race with Russia and China
[image: Type 094 (Jin) class SSBN]The United States is launching a submarine arms race against China and Russia, Kalyan Kumar, a political analyst from New Delhi, writes in a comment piece written for the Australian edition of the International Business Times on Sept. 27. As Vice Admiral Michael Connor, the US Navy's Atlantic Submarine Force commander, had told Fox News previously, the rapid development of ballistic missile submarines by Russia and China will require a matching deployment of US submarines. Russia announced its decision to upgrade its submarine fleet and even relea... more »
Japan eyes sub exports to Australia / Soryu world’s largest diesel submarine
[image: Soryu class SSK]Japan is expected to begin discussions with the Australian government about exporting domestically developed submarine technology, including the state-of-the-art Soryu Class submarine, which would be the first of its kind, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. The two countries are likely to reach an agreement to begin discussions on the joint development of submarines at a meeting between Defense Minister Akinori Eto and his Australian counterpart, David Johnston, who will probably visit Japan later this month, according to sources. With an eye on China’s maritim... more »
Gambar Desain Kamar Tidur Utama Minimalis Terbaru 2014
Gambar Desain Kamar Tidur Utama Minimalis Terbaru 2014 - Memiliki Kamar tidur dengan desain yang indah dan menyenangkan akan membuat istrahat kita lebih nyaman. Maka dari itu kita sebaiknya memperhatikan desain kamar tidur agar ketika kita berada dikamar kita merasakan nyaman dan untuk istrahat bisa lebih nyenak. Dalam desain rumah minimalis, untuk memberikan nuansa lebih modern lagi kita
How Some Americans See U.S. Government Ebola Statements
(Click on Image to Enlarge)
Some U.S. Military Personnel Will Be In Direct Contact With Potential Ebola Patients
*Some US Troops Battling Ebola In Africa To Have Direct Contact With Potential Patients -- The Guardian* * Most soldiers will be deployed in support and logistical roles * US military will set up 17 100-bed treatment centres A handful of highly trained American troops will have direct contact with potential Ebola patients in west Africa, thehead of the US Africa command said during a Pentagon briefing on the military’s response to the Ebola outbreak. US service members will not treat patients who have been diagnosed with Ebola, and the majority of the deployed troops will have no ... more »
Cyprus Breaks Off Peace Talks Over Turkey's Plans To Search For Gas Off The Island's Southern Coast
*Greek Cypriots Halt Peace Talks With Turk Cypriots Over Gas Row -- Reuters* (Reuters) - Greek Cypriots suspended peace talks with Turkish Cypriots on Tuesday in protest at what they called attempts by Turkey to undermine gas exploration off the ethnically divided island. Political party chiefs endorsed a proposal made by President Nicos Anastasiades on Tuesday to freeze the dialogue between the two sides' leaders, government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said. The talks have been conducted sporadically for decades, without result, while a U.N.-monitored ceasefire continues. Gr... more »
Hezbollah Takes Credit For A Bomb Attack That Injured Two Israeli Soldiers
*Hezbollah Claims Attack That Wounded 2 Israeli Soldiers -- Times of Israel* IDF shells Lebanese areas after cross-border bombing; Netanyahu says Israel will ‘respond with force’ to any attack Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah movement on Tuesday afternoon claimed a bomb attack against Israeli troops along the border that wounded two soldiers earlier in the day. Hezbollah operatives “detonated an explosive device on the Shebaa hills against a motorized Israeli patrol causing a number of injuries among the occupation’s soldiers,” the group said in a statement. *Read more* .... *More New... more »
I grew up in the second half of the 20th century, during which there did not seem to be a very big difference between Democrats and Republicans. I followed my parents to vote for Republicans until Kennedy was elected and became a Democrat ever after. Meanwhile Paul Craig Roberts, a year younger than me with a similar education (4 years in technical schools and 6 years of post graduate studies) was a Republican who became a Fellow of several major think tanks, economic council for several Republican members of Congress, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy under Ronald Reagan, and an editor of the Wall Street Journal. However at some point in the 21st century, Paul saw through the 9/11 attacks as an inside job and became so alarmed about the way our country is headed that he abandoned those lucrative occupations to warn Americans of the loss of their Constitutional freedoms and the rapid descent of our country into a police state. While I still call myself a progressive Democrat, I have found Paul’s blog posts so important that in the past 5 years I have reposted many of them. I regard the one below his most powerful one yet.
------------------------------ *Washington Is Destroying The World — Paul Craig Roberts* ------------------------------ October 6, 2014 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter Washington Is Destroying The World Paul Craig Roberts The aggressive and mindless stance that Washington’s warmongers have taken toward Russia and China have shattered the accomplishment of Reagan and Gorbachev. Reagan and Gorbachev ended the cold war and removed the threat of nuclear armageddon. Now the neocons, the US budget-d... more »
[Video] The Swiss militiaman fighting in Syria to protect Christians
While large, powerful, and wealthy states are secretly training ISIL terrorists and equipping with sophisticated weapons to wipe religious and ethnic minorities from the map in Syria, small groups and individuals like the Swiss officer interviewed in the video below are teaching basic self-defense military techniques to ordinary citizens to help them defend their communities from ISIL's brutal terror campaigns. In the end, the large, powerful, and wealthy states such as America, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, England, France, Israel, Qatar, and UAE who are backing ISIL's terror in Syria an... more »
▶ Naomi Klein Disagrees with James Hansen on Nuclear Power - YouTube
▶ Naomi Klein Disagrees with James Hansen on Nuclear Power - YouTube:
Ray Donovan
*DONOVAN CLEARED OF FRAUD CHARGES BY JURY IN BRONX* *By SELWYN RAAB* *Published: May 26, 1987* Former Labor Secretary Raymond J. Donovan and seven other construction executives were acquitted yesterday of state charges of fraud and grand larceny after an eight-month trial in the Bronx. The jury deliberated barely 10 hours over two days. One juror, Caesar Brown, said later that little discussion was needed and that just one ballot was required to find each defendant not guilty. When the last verdict was announced at 4:42 P.M. by the jury forewoman, Rosa Milligan, cheers and applau... more »
The FBI Is Seeking Information On This Suspected American Islamic State Terrorist
*Do You Know This Islamic State Fighter? -- USA Today* Who is that masked man? The FBI thinks he might be an American jihadist who starred in an Islamic State propaganda video last month. The FBI on Tuesday sought the public's help in identifying the English-speaking Islamic State fighter with what sounds like "a North American accent." The agency posted a short clip of the original, 55-minute video released Sept. 19, which concludes with the purported executions of Syrian soldiers taken prisoner. The video does not show the killings, but the mass murders were reported by news age...more »
The Islamic State Is Slaughtering Muslims On A Massive Scale
*ISIS’s Gruesome Muslim Death Toll -- Dean Obeidallah, Daily Beast* The group’s killing of Westerners gets attention. But ISIS has killed far more Muslims, and publicizing that fact would harm it more. Last Thursday, the United Nations released a report that could provide us with one of the keys to defeating ISIS. Unfortunately, it received almost zero media attention. What makes this 26-page report (PDF) so powerful is that it describes to us the gruesome circumstances in which ISIS has killed fellow Muslims. We are talking beheadings, killing of women for objecting to ISIS’ poli... more »
How Water Is Being Used As A Weapon By The Islamic State
Key dams along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Wikimedia Commons/Yale Environment 360 *Islamic State Jihadists Are Using Water As A Weapon In Iraq -- Washington Post* BAGHDAD — The Islamic State militants who have rampaged across northern Iraq are increasingly using water as a weapon, cutting off supplies to villages resisting their rule and pressing to expand their control over the country’s water infrastructure. The threat from the jihadists is so critical that U.S. forces are bombing the militants close to both the Mosul and Haditha dams — Iraq’s largest — on a near-daily bas... more »
U.S. General Dempsey 'Fearful' That Kobani Will Fall To The Islamic State
*Gen. Dempsey ‘Fearful’ Syrian Town Kobani on Turkish Border Will Fall -- Washington Free Beacon* Chairman of the Joints Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey said Tuesday the Islamic State (IS) is changing its tactics to avoid detection and that he is “fearful” the Syrian town of Kobani will fall. Fighters for the Islamic State are quickly closing in on Kobani, a small Syrian village on the Turkish border. Dempsey told ABC News’ Martha Raddatz he had spoken with his Turkish counterpart early Tuesday. The official assured Dempsey that Turkish forces are defending their border as fighters fo... more »
Saturated Fat intake equivalent to 130g Butter a day is not significantly associated with higher heart disease risk in Finland.
If you saw Professor Rod Jackson on NZ TV the other day, he was arguing, ably it has to be said, that the whole Big Fat Surprise / Time magazine cover, and by extension LCHF, risks reversing gains made against heart disease in recent years. If you're advocating a high fat diet and saying saturated fat is not that important, if it's important at all, that's a serious charge, and worth taking seriously. For the defence: Another epidemiological analysis, a long-term follow up (21.4 year) of a population (1,981 men) was released last week. Dietary Fatty Acids and Risk of Coronary Heart... more »
George Bernard Shaw
*"Blood Money To Whitechapel"* George Bernard Shaw *The Star*, September 24th 1888. *BLOOD MONEY TO WHITECHAPEL.* * O * TO THE EDITOR OF "THE STAR." SIR,-- Will you allow me to make a comment on the success of the Whitechapel murderer in calling attention for a moment to the social question? Less than a year ago the West-end press, headed by the *St. James's Gazette*, the*Times*, and the *Saturday Review*, were literally clamering for the blood of the people--hounding on Sir Charles Warren to thrash and muzzle the scum who dared to complain that they were star... more »
Steve Israel Gives Up On Even More Of His Lousy Recruits-- He Still Wants A Leadership Position Though
The DCCC is withdrawing from more races. It was inevitable; they recruited the wrong candidates and, in many cases, the wrong districts. All the money in the world— the DCCC had scheduled 56 million in ads for their candidates— and all the ads in the world will not elect Steve Israel’s wretched Blue Dogs and New Dems. Non-Beltway, grassroots Democrats just do *not* want to vote for garbage candidates like Israel’s prized OH-06 recruit Jennifer Garrison, in a district moderate state Senator Lou Gentile— who Israel forced out of the race— could have begun the 2-cycle effort it will ... more »
Where the “Broad” Road Will Take AFT
On October 4, 2014, I wrote a post in which I considered numerous actions undertaken by American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten over the years, particularly in relation to billionaire corporate reform philanthropist Eli Broad, either via Weingarten’s direct interactions with Broad or in keeping with his publicized privatization agenda. My finding was that Weingarten […]
thank you, thomas mulcair and the new democrats: thank you for saying no to war
Today I feel so much better about living in Canada. Once again, we have a political party that says no to war. A political party that says no to letting the US dictate Canadian foreign policy. I now feel much better about voting NDP in the next federal election... which can't come soon enough! It's a shrewd political move on the part of Thomas Mulcair, polarizing the field with the Liberals and Conservatives on one side and the New Democrats on the other. I have no doubt it's politically motivated, but why should I care about motives, when the end result would be diplomacy, humanita... more »
Cyprus Breaks Off Peace Talks Over Turkey's Plans To Search For Gas Off The Island's Southern Coast
*Greek Cypriots Halt Peace Talks With Turk Cypriots Over Gas Row -- Reuters* (Reuters) - Greek Cypriots suspended peace talks with Turkish Cypriots on Tuesday in protest at what they called attempts by Turkey to undermine gas exploration off the ethnically divided island. Political party chiefs endorsed a proposal made by President Nicos Anastasiades on Tuesday to freeze the dialogue between the two sides' leaders, government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said. The talks have been conducted sporadically for decades, without result, while a U.N.-monitored ceasefire continues. Gr... more »
Turkey's Kurds Riot To Protest Islamic State Assault On Kobani
*At Least Nine Dead In As Kurds Protest In Turkey -- BBC* At least nine people have been killed in clashes between Kurdish protesters and police in Turkey, reports say. They are unhappy at perceived Turkish inaction in defending the predominantly Kurdish town of Kobane in Syria from an attack by Islamic State militants. Curfews were imposed in several predominantly Kurdish cities in southern Turkey after the unrest. Turkish Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan said that Turkey was doing "whatever can be done" for Kobane. He said that it was a "massive lie" that his country had done not... more »
Into the woods
I don't know if we can make it an annual event; I'm 65 and seem to be fading on schedule. But my mom and dad's ashes are interred in a secret location and Emily and I went to pay our respects before the weather changes, which should be about in a week. Last year we were there in July. Good thing -- in October on this date there was snow -- a foot deep. Very different year.
Astounding Pictures Of Kurdish Women And Children Taking Up Arms In A Last, Desperate Stand To Stop The Islamic State From Seizing Kobane
United against ISIS: Several images emerged today showing young and old in Kobani fighting ISIS *Terror Of The Families Trapped In ISIS’ Crosshairs: Women And Children Take Up Arms In Last, Desperate Stand In Key Border Town As Tensions Rise Across Turkey While Government Does Nothing -- Daily Mail* * New ISIS footage shows militants in control of a hill overlooking Kobane * They say they will stop at nothing as they advance towards the town * Questions raised over effectiveness of airstrikes in defeating ISIS militants * Group has continued to gain territory despite weeks of Weste... more »
U.S. Drone Strike Kills 10 In A Pakistan Taliban Camp
North and South Waziristan, Khyber, Pakistan *US Drone Strikes 'Taliban Camp' In Pakistan -- Al Jazeera* At least six people killed and nine injured in the Shawal area of South Waziristan, Pakistan intelligence officials say. A US drone has fired missiles at a suspected Taliban training camp in northwest Pakistan, killing six people, intelligence officials have said, in the third such strike in as many days. Three missiles from the unmanned aircraft hit the camp in the Shawal area of South Waziristan just after midday on Tuesday, two intelligence officials told the Reuters news ag... more »
Musical Interlude: Juzzie Smith, “Bluesberry Jam”
Awesome one man blues band Juzzie Smith, “Bluesberry Jam” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vikmUQZpGQ
Ukraine Ceasefire Near Collapse
*Pro-Russia Separatists Target Key Assets In Eastern Ukraine -- L.A. Times* Pro-Russia separatists and Ukrainian government forces have abandoned all pretense of adhering to a cease-fire agreed to a month ago as the rebels have stepped up their assault on the Donetsk airport in hopes of gaining control of eastern Ukraine's most important transport hub. A spokesman for the National Security and Defense Council reported Tuesday that five government soldiers had died in the fighting over the past 24 hours. Col. Andriy Lysenko told reporters in Kiev that the separatists had also suffe... more »
Food Watch: OMG, is it National Frappe (or Frappé) Day again already?
*ICED-COFFEE FRAPPE* [Says Food.com recipe-sharer *Sydney Mike*:] *"Another recipe for coffee lovers, found in the Favorite Brand Name Recipes, May 2010 cookbooklet, Smoothies and Summer Drinks. Preparation time does not include the time needed to brew the coffee strong and cool it!"* *Total Time: 2 mins* Prep Time: 2 mins Cook Time: 0 mins *Ingredients*: 1 cup coffee, brewed strong, then cooled ½ cup cream 1 tablespoon light chocolate syrup 2 tablespoons sugar substitute (recipe gives sucralose-based) 1 cup ice cubes *Directions*: (1) Combine all ingredients in a blender and proce... more »
Russian Finance Minister Issues Warning That The Country Cannot Afford Current Levels Of Military Spending
Russia's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attends the Reuters Russia Investment Summit in Moscow September 24, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Maxim Shemetov *Finance Minister Warns Russia Can't Afford Military Spending Plan -- Reuters* (Reuters) - Russia's finance minister said on Tuesday the country could no longer afford a multi-billion-dollar revamp of the armed forces approved by President Vladimir Putin, stepping up a campaign to trim spending as sanctions over the Ukraine crisis bite. Anton Siluanov said a new defense program should be drawn up to take into account the changed econom... more »
Russian President Putin Celebrates His 62nd Birthday In Siberia
*Vladimir Putin Enjoys 'Herculean' Birthday In Siberian Wilderness As Russians Celebrate -- Sydney Morning Herald* Russian President Vladimir Putin marked his 62nd birthday roaming the Siberian wilderness on Tuesday, as supporters compared his takeover of Crimea to a Herculean labour and 100,000 marched in Chechnya in his honour. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had taken a day off from his "extremely intense" schedule to celebrate his birthday in the depths of Siberia. "This place is some 300 to 400 kilometres away from the nearest settlement," Peskov told the Komsomol... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 7, 2014
*Does Islamic State Progress In Kobane Show Limits Of Obama's Policy? -- Howard LaFranchi, CSM* *With the Islamic State apparently on the verge of taking the Kurdish town of Kobane in Syria, White House critics say the coalition's inability to stop the terrorist group's advance shows the limitations of airstrikes without ground troops.* Washington — The inability of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State to halt the siege of a Syrian Kurdish town abutting the Turkish border is raising new doubts about President Obama’s heavy reliance on airstrikes to defeat the extremist... more »
Confucian Confusion in un-Democratic Hong Kong
*Guest post from our roving Asian correspondent Suzuki Samurai* Wasn't it easy a few years back to see who were the good guys and who were the bad guys? Our team were the free(r) societies. Their team, the dictatorships. Or another way of saying: capitalists vs communists. The Hong Kong/PRC & West/East German borders were the front lines in an ideological battle (which at close range must have seemed like an imminent fighting battle). We in the West proclaimed that what set us apart were free speech, free movement, free(ish) markets,rule of law and democratic elections; and while...more »
World News Briefs -- October 7, 2014 (Evening Edition)
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com *Syria Border Town, Kobani, Falling To ISIS, Leader Of Turkey Says -- New York Times* MURSITPINAR, Turkey — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said Tuesday that the Syrian border town of Kobani, under siege from Islamic State fighters, was about to fall to the militants despite United States-led airstrikes on the group. Asserting that aerial attacks alone may not be enough to stop the fighters’ advance, Mr. Erdogan called for more support for insurgents in Syria who are battling the Islamic State, and reiterated Turkey’s earlier cal... more »
Patience Friends...What LNG Windfall?....Christy Clark is now HOPEFUL?
Been busy entertaining mom on Vancouver Island..... I`ll be back by the weekend...(October 10) Stay tuned.... We`ll talk LNG....And BC Ferries The Straight Goods Cheers Eyes Wide Open
Jonah Raskin : Berkeley Free Speech Movement turns 50
Aging Berkeley radicals and young undergrads mark the anniversary of the FSM in a gathering that’s short on nostalgia, long on hope, zero on regret. By Jonah Raskin | The Rag Blog | October 7, 2014 BERKELEY — Lynne Hollander … finish reading Jonah Raskin : Berkeley Free Speech Movement turns 50
Tax Cut 20: On the Excise Tax on Gasoline, Various Regulatory Fees
Prof. Amado "Bong" Mendoza of the UP Political Science Department wrote another good article yesterday on tax policy. Part of his paper mentioned a low tax-GDP ratio (T/GDP) of only 12 percent in 2011, in reference to other data and points raised by WB consultant and now UPSE visiting Prof. Rosa Maria Alonso Terme. I commented that those measurements of low T/GDP ratio are wrong because such measurement counts only the collections of the BIR + BOC in computing T. It excludes other collections: 1. Collections by local government units (LGUs) of various taxes (real prop. tax, resi... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“What connects the Sun to the Moon? Many answers have been given throughout history, but in the case of today's featured image, it appears to be the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy. The 16-image panorama was taken in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA where two sandstone monoliths- the Temple of the Moon on the right and the Temple of the Sun on the left- rise dramatically from the desert. Each natural monument stands about 100 meters tall and survives from the Jurassic period 160 million years ago. *Click image for larger size.* Even older are many of the stars and nebulas that dot...more »
Chet Raymo, “Not Known, Because Not Looked For”
*“Not Known, Because Not Looked For”* by Chet Raymo "Tony shared with us the other day these well-known lines of T. S. Eliot (“Little Gidding”): "We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time." It is not quite what Eliot is up to, but I was reminded of some lines of Pascal that I shared here several years ago: “Scientific learning is composed of two opposites which nonetheless meet each other. The first is the natural ignorance that is man's lot at birth. The second is rep... more »
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