Robert Reich (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
10:31pm MSTWho Lets The Rich Get Away Without Paying Their Fair Share Of Taxes?
Earlier this evening, we looked at how the rich and politically-connected have used their wealth and power to lower their tax rates and we looked at a Robert Reich video about how they've undermined the concept of inheritance taxes. This morning Reich had an interesting Facebook post up that explains the chart above. One of the major feats of the American oligarchy has been to use their political power to reduce their tax rates, so they can accumulate even more while contributing even less. The chart below shows how effective they've become since 1990. Bear in mind that in the 19... more »
Top 10 good news about the world, Happy new year
Despite all the negative news, stories and analysis of the world and many countries, the world is actually getting better, more peaceful, have less famine-related problems. Human progress continues, human prosperity expands, despite climate alarmism and health worryism that also expands in many sectors of the planet. Here's my quick top 10 good news about the world. If I have more time to search, this list can have minor change but this is fine already. ------------ 1. Proportion of the world’s population that is undernourished decreased from 19 percent in 1990 to 11 percent in 2014... more »
U.K. Army To Form A Special Unit That Will Be Dedicated To Saving Treasures From War-Zones
*The Telegraph*: *Army sign up 'Monument Men' to save treasures from warzones* *Army sign up 'Monument Men' to save treasures from warzones.* Expert team to travel to warzones to advise on how locating and saving cultural treasures in echoes of George Clooney film. The Army aims to recruit a ‘Monuments Men’ team of art and archaeology experts to help protect priceless cultural treasures in war zones and choke off terrorist funding from antiquities smuggling. The specialist unit of up 40 advisers will be staffed by expert reservists with backgrounds in museums, archaeology, the ar... more »
Banned Driver Dies after Crashing into Secret Service Car
[image: Secret Service] CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- An unlicensed driver trying to pass a car on a snowy New Hampshire road died after crashing head-on into a car carrying four Secret Service agents on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s protective detail, police said... more »
How Tocqueville Schooled Bernie Sanders 200 Years Ago
[image: Tocqueville] Since a self-described democratic socialist, Sen. Bernie Sanders, is a major contender for the Democratic Party's nomination for president, and polls suggest one-third of American millennials and over 40 percent of self-described Democrats view socialism favorably, perhaps it's time to... Continue reading *“How Tocqueville Schooled Bernie Sanders 200 Years Ago”* at *thefederalist.com*.
Why Hillary Clinton Keeps Calling on Kids at Town Halls
[image: Hillary Clinton] The questions they ask If you're under the age of 14, you'll probably never get a chance to vote for Hillary Clinton. But you might get a chance to ask her a question. In recent months, the Democratic frontrunner has... Continue reading *“Why Hillary Clinton Keeps Calling on Kids at Town Halls”* at *time.com*.
North Carolina Hospital Celebrates ‘One of the World’s Smallest Babies Ever Born’
[image: smallest babies ever born] The Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C., is marking a major milestone for baby E’Layah Faith Pegues, the smallest surviving premature baby ever born at the hospital and “one of the world’s smallest babies ever born,” according to E’Layah’s doctor.... Continue reading *“North Carolina Hospital Celebrates ‘One of the World’s Smallest Babies Ever Born’”* at *abcnews.go.com*.
2016 Will Usher in a Fresh Wave of Assaults on Second Amendment Rights
[image: second amendment rights] Matt covered the ongoing mess in Virginia earlier this morning, where the reciprocity issue for gun permit owners is being essentially tossed on the trash heap, but I'm sorry to say that their story is only the tip of the... Continue reading *“2016 Will Usher in a Fresh Wave of Assaults on Second Amendment Rights”* at *hotair.com*.
The Fraud US Presidential "Race": No Matter Who Becomes The Next President, Israel Wins Again!
I have come under some intense fire this last while for my stance on Donald Trump, and how I see him as not the "hero" that most people are foolishly being led to believe, but is just another Jew controlled lackey... I have said it many times over the last while, including in my weekend rants, that Donald Trump is not the "hero" that most Americans believe him to be, but is in fact in the 2016 Presidential race for nothing more than splitting or ruining the Republican party and thus allow the other Jew lackey, Hillary "Killary" Rodham Bligh (again real last name of Clinton) to become... more »
The Rule of Three
While it is hard to do and particularly hard to do while starting out, the general conventional wisdom (and wise it is) is that one should try to have three pieces under review at most/all times. Why? Because academic review is a capricious enterprise that often takes much time. Journals have gotten much better about […]
2015: The best-of here at NOT PC
* Just to remind you, readers, that your favourite blog started the year looking like this:* *Quite a change! * *With the new blog look and feel came new blog readers – more than double what the blog enjoyed before. (Thank you all for dropping in.)* *So as 2015 rushes to a close, these were the posts that mostly drew your attention each month.* *JAN* We started the year here at NOT PC the way we intended to carry on: pointing out in this case that much of what is most commonly passed off as being “The Wisdom of the Ancients” is neither very wise, nor all that ancient – particula... more »
Islamic State In Jesus's Hometown?
*Shira Rubin, Daily Beast:* *ISIS of Nazareth: Terror Group Arrives in Jesus’s Hometown* *The radicalization of Jews and Muslims is squeezing Christians out of the Holy Land—and ISIS’s reported arrival in the biblical city is just the latest sign.* NAZARETH, Israel — At the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, on the site where it is believed the Angel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary she would carry the next messiah, Jesus Christ, both Christian and Muslim residents of the city are reflecting on recent news that the so-called Islamic State has come into their midst. This month,... more »
SPHERE ALLIANCE MESSAGE #121The Moorish Agenda of Christopher ColumbusMoors in AmericaCeltic EuropeMoroccan Proxy Rule
*The replies below are from the Data Collectors of the Sphere Alliance as commanded by STAN X / STANFALD EXCELCYA (EX-SALS-EE-AE-T-AS-XA). Andromedan names are sometimes difficult to transcribe to English. The questions are my own. -AK* [12/27/15, 9:41:54 PM] *AK: COULD YOU OUTLINE THE HISTORY OF CONTROL OF NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICAN CONTINENTS FROM THE TIME OF ATLANTIS. INTERESTED IN WHO CLAIMED “OWNERSHIP” OF IT, THE PURPORTED “CONTROL” AS IT PROGRESSED OVER TIME. I FIND IT DIFFICULT THAT THESE LAND MASSES WERE JUST UNKNOWN AS THERE IS EVIDENCE OF CHINESE, VIKING, PHONECIA... more »
Gov. Greg Abbott Wades into Dispute over Faith-Based Legal Education
[image: Greg Abbott] Gov. Greg Abbott wants the organization that oversees Texas lawyers to reverse its disapproval of a Catholic faith-based continuing education course, calling the decision shallow and potentially discriminatory. "The [State Bar of Texas] Committee's position that 'legal ethics' and 'religious or moral responsibilities'... Continue reading *“Gov. Greg Abbott Wades into Dispute over Faith-Based Legal Education”* at *trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com*.
The Real Story On How Ramadi Was Retaken From The Islamic State
*Nancy A. Youssef & Shane Harris, Daily Beast*: *How ISIS Actually Lost Ramadi* *Iraqi commandos and U.S. airstrikes drove the terror army from much of the city. But that war plan could backfire the next time around.* Pentagon officials hailed the U.S.-trained Iraqi army this week for retaking much of the western Iraq city of Ramadi from the self-proclaimed Islamic State. But privately, Defense Department officials tell The Daily Beast the fight for Ramadi was a long slog led not by the army, known as the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), but by an elite counterterrorism force, which... more »
There Are 7 House Democrats Enabling Anti-Working Family GOP Tax Policies, Like Kyrsten Sinema
Last night we briefly touched on a *NY Times* article by Noam Scheiber and Patricia Cohen, For the Wealthiest, a Private Tax System That Saves Them Billions, in regard to relatively esoteric tax evasion schemes wealthy and politically-connected scofflaws use to avoid paying taxes. Scheiber's and Cohen's quick look at the well-funded mania of the very wealthy to abolish the estate tax isn't something we got to. So let's. The inheritance tax has been a primary target. In the early 1990s, a California family office executive named Patricia Soldano began lobbying on behalf of wealt... more »
Some timely advice for the constabulary
With New Year's Eve festivities already beginning, and with the increasing fun-killing authoritarianism of the policing of those festivities, these few words of guidance from another age might be of great use in this one (they were posted at the Coromandel Prison Museum): Many fine maxims to follow --"be cool and intrepid"--being a personal favourite, but particular attention is drawn to points 1, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 17 and again and again point number 1. In particular, let them contemplate that in the 1890s a policeman would be expected not to drink, but to treat with "the utmost c... more »
Defining Political Child Abuse: A Tale of Two Cruz Families
[image: Screen-Shot-2015-12-30-at-7.34.09-AM-300x297] Remember 5-year-old Sophie Cruz? Groomed for a year by an outfit called the "Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition," Sophie is the ponytailed poster child for amnesty who was literally propped up in front of the pope during a September visit... Continue reading *“Defining Political Child Abuse: A Tale of Two Cruz Families”* at *michellemalkin.com*.
Nigeria Is Facing Huge Problems In 2016
*Business Insider:* *One of the world's major oil producers could face a huge problem in 2016* This coming year is shaping up to be a difficult one for economies that are disproportionately dependent on oil. This is especially true for Nigeria, where there's a possibility of renewed conflict in the country's oil-producing Niger Delta region, according to SBM Intelligence's recently published "Nigeria in 2016" report. The global oil picture is stacked against countries like Nigeria, in which oil constitutes some 10% of the country's GDP. *WNU Editor*: Oil is the Nigerian governmen... more »
Story Behind U.S. Global Blitzkrieg
In this episode of teleSUR's Days of Revolt, Chris Hedges and author Vijay Prashad trace the acceleration of U.S. militarism since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and discuss the consequences of U.S. domination over global affairs.
Russian Man Comes Back From The Dead To Join Wake Party
According to a local Russian newspaper, Khasanskie Vesti, a Russian man from Vladivostok in eastern Russia “came back” to life in a morgue after doctors had declared him dead the night before. Sputnik reports: A man was drinking vodka with his friends when suddenly after yet another shot he suddenly dropped dead. Like actually dead. His friends became worried and called an ambulance. When paramedics arrived they diagnosed the man dead and sent his body to a morgue. Later, a security guard in the morgue heard creepy noises, as if someone was knocking inside one of the freezers for ne... more »
Big Oil/Banks Conquer the World: From Altered Genes to Phony Greens
* One hour and ten minutes, approximately- Worth the time to watch.* *Personally speaking, I think Mr Corbett did a terrific job with this documentary, covering many of the topics I've covered all these years. Including invoking the Hydra! A beast I've used repeatedly, as metaphor, to explain the interconnections between Big Banks, Oil, Pharma, Agriculture, Chemical & Military. A beast that threatens us all. A beast that serves to remind my open minded thinkers and readers that this bunch of psychos are not going to be hamstrung by the carbon agenda. * *Example * Banking Hydra... more »
Herr Trump and the Last Hurrah of White America
The United States of America is leaning dangerously towards the right wing as Donald Trump leads the Republican nomination for the presidency on a platform of ultra-right racism, fiscal irresponsibility and vague promises to "make America great again" - which is reusing Ronald Reagan's campaign slogan of "make America great". Americans should be advised of the following things: Donald Trump bankrupted multiple businesses, including a casino. *How fiscally bad do you have to be to bankrupt a casino?* Donald Trump was born into wealth. He didn't become wealthy using business acumen... more »
Planes Struggle To Land As Airport Is Battered By Gusts
Storm Frank has been hindering pilots trying to land their jets at Birmingham Airport during 50mph cross winds. collegefreaks2000 YouTube video: Coventry Telegraph reports: Crews faced nightmare conditions as they battled to bring planes down in the blustery conditions which swept across the West Midlands on Wednesday. No flights were cancelled despite the gusts and all jets landed safely, according to a spokeswoman from the airport. But some pilots laboured to keep jets on track as they touched down in the winds, which came from the tail end of Storm Frank. It was a bumpy approach ...more »
No More GOP? The Democratic Party Will Welcome You, No Questions Asked
Tuesday morning I woke up at 4am. It was still dark so I reached for the channel changer and switched the TV on. It was Eugene Robinson, one of the only bearable *Morning Joe* regulars, and he was talking about an opinion piece he had just written for the *Washington Post*, How Donald Trump Destroyed The Republican Party in 2015. When I came downstairs and turned on my computer, it's the first thing I looked for. His point isn't that the party is actually going to disappear, but that it has been so altered that it will be barely recognizable. (But, then again, anyone bemoaning the ... more »
Dec. 30:
Well, there's some good news about the Irving press. Today, Gwynne Dyer is back. He's more optimistic than I am, and this column is his usual, very sound and sensible stuff. But, in the Irving press, it really is a petunia in a field of onions. Note in particular what he says about the Syrian rebel army (the ones on our side, and against Assad). Our news media constantly tells us that these rebels are “moderate” Muslims. In fact, they are exactly the same as ISIS. And the U.S. has been supplying ISIS and the rebels from the start. Dyer thinks the danger of nuclear war is small. I do... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 30, 2015
Vladimir Putin at his end-of-the-year news conference in Moscow. Maxim Smeyev / Reuters *Jeffrey Taylor, The Atlantic:* *The World According to Russia* A documentary on state television gives a glimpse of Vladimir Putin’s philosophy. “Do you realize what you have done?” Vladimir Putin demanded at the United Nations in September. The question was a rebuke to the American-led bloc of countries that initially viewed with optimism the Arab Spring, which began five years ago this month, but has since given way to chaos and Islamist violence across once-stable parts of the Middle East a... more »
Untitled
*Corps of Engineers to host public meeting in Butte La Rose to discuss opening Morganza Spillway*
Priest Suspended After Giving Mass On Electric Scooter
A modern Catholic priest from the Philippines has been suspended by his diocese after giving the Christmas Eve sermon on a two wheel Electric Scooter, the shopping craze of the holiday season. Roman Catholic Church officials have reprimanded the culprit Reverend Father for his action, that has gone viral in an online video. Rev. Albert San Jose from Our Lady of Miraculous Medal, Biñan Parish, has been suspended by his local Diocese. The Reverend Father has already apologized for his past deeds. The Telegraph reports: The Diocese of San Pablo, Laguna, released a statement on Tuesday ... more »
How BB-8 Works in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
[image: BB-8] BB-8 is the cutest character in The Force Awakens. Like the more famous R2-D2, he's an astromech droid who helps fly and maintain an X-wing Starfighter. How does BB-8 work? This article won't describe the science in too much depth... Continue reading *“How BB-8 Works in Star Wars: The Force Awakens”* at *forbes.com*.
Korean 'Comfort Women' Speak for Themselves
"북미 미디어에서는 위안부 협상에 대해 긍정적으로 보도하고 있고, 할머니들의 목소리가 제대로 대변되고 있지 않습니다." 예일대 로스쿨에 재학중인 임현수씨의 제안과 번역 도움으로 영어 자막이 들어간 동영상을 만들었습니다. 할머니들의 분노와 울분을 전세계로 퍼트려 주세요. 여러분의 공유 한번이 나비의 날갯짓이 돼 세상을 바꿀 수 있습니다. 노컷뉴스는 앞으로도 영어와 일본어 자막이 표기된 위안부 협상 관련 동영상을 계속 제작하겠습니다. Posted by CBS Nocutnews on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 The right-wing South Korean government, likely under orders from Washington, has agreed to make peace with Japan over the WW II forced prostitution issue. The Japanese imperial Army forced 200,000 Korean women into servitude as 'Comfort Women'. Japan now offers $8 million and an ambig... more »
World News Briefs -- December 30, 2015
*Voice of America:* *Iraqi Forces Find More IS 'Pockets of Resistance' in Ramadi* PENTAGON—Iraqi forces trying to clear Ramadi after seizing the city from Islamic State militants are meeting with heavier resistance than first anticipated. U.S. military officials initially said “the numbers are small” when asked about how many IS fighters were left in the city after Iraqi forces moved into key areas of Anbar’s provincial capital Monday. On Wednesday, however, officials said Iraqi forces were encountering “pockets of resistance” and sporadic attacks, indicating a larger presence. ... more »
The Decade When It Rained, And Rained, And Rained
By Paul Homewood According to the “experts”, global warming means higher rainfall for the UK. If so, it must have been mighty warm in the 1870’s! 1) Wettest year – 1872 2) Wettest decade – 1870’s 3) Most years with >1000mm 4) Wettest Summer […]
Urbana 15 Speaker Criticizes Pro-Life Efforts as ‘A Big Spectacle’
[image: Urbana - 900] A keynote speaker at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's Urbana missions conference criticized the pro-life movement as "a big spectacle" on Monday in St. Louis where 16,000 evangelical students gathered together. The comment came from Michelle Higgins, the director of Faith for... more »
The Pro-Life Call to Remember our ‘Old Acquaintance’
[image: family - 400] As we bid farewell to the year now past and usher in the new with the singing of Auld Lang Syne, let us not forget those who've seen the passing of many years. Such "old acquaintances" remain with us longer... Continue reading *“The Pro-Life Call to Remember our ‘Old Acquaintance’”* at *christianitytoday.com*.
Not Even OPEC Can Fix the Oil Glut
[image: Oil graph - 400] Surprisingly strong crude output in the U.S. and Mideast over the past year pushed oil prices to their lowest levels in more than a decade. But for investors trying to determine whether the oil market is close to a bottom,... Continue reading *“Not Even OPEC Can Fix the Oil Glut”* at *google.com*.
Man Claims Sign From God Left on His Yard on Christmas Eve
[image: angel on lawn - 400] A Seminary man claims that a sign from God was left on his lawn on Christmas Eve. Eric Pendleton said he was driving home when he saw a rainbow. “I said, ‘That looks like it is touching my driveway,”’ Pendleton... Continue reading *“Man Claims Sign From God Left on His Yard on Christmas Eve”* at *wdam.com*.
Musical Interlude: The Cinematic Orchestra, “Arrival of the Birds & Transformation”
The Cinematic Orchestra, “Arrival of the Birds & Transformation” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqoANESQ4cQ
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Three objects stand out in this thoughtful telescopic image, a view toward the mostly stealthy constellation Lynx. The two brightest (the spiky ones) are nearby stars. The third is the remote globular star cluster NGC 2419, at distance of nearly 300,000 light-years. NGC 2419 is sometimes called "the Intergalactic Wanderer", an appropriate title considering that the distance to the Milky Way's satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, is only about 160,000 light-years. *Click image for larger size.* Roughly similar to other large globular star clusters like Omega Centauri, NGC 2... more »
The Gaian Dragon I Ching Calendar For Week 53 -Week of Thinking by James Clair Lewis
*The Gaian Dragon I Ching Calendar* *#3 : Contemplation* *Thinking is required to understand Truth* *Split away from negative thinking. Push towards clarity. Approach simplicity. Do not give up. Use the Power of reason. Adopt Grace.* *Strive to bring Increase. Disperse naysayers. Move steadily and Gradually. Ask for help when you are Stuck. Split Apart what is useful from what is not. Love is greater than thinking.* *Contemplation begins with observation.* *The Image* *Accept the world as it is.* *Know the desires of your heart.* *Think logicly.* *Grow in Wisdom* *The Insid... more »
Church Music Director Accused of Sex Assault Kills Himself
[image: Reedsburg Wisconsin - 400] Police say a Reedsburg church music director has killed himself after he was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl who was a choir member. Continue reading *“Church Music Director Accused of Sex Assault Kills Himself”* at *miamiherald.com*.
History is over, as are we
History has already been written that is the major opiono of history majors world wide you see we took the words of the past serioulsly and studied long into the night to find the causal forces and the truth which as always is elisive but i got to say today its so obiovs you do not need a four year exhaustitve degree to know its been caught I am a witness at the end of historuy and that is in no way no how a good thing it means the lifeboat is sinking and I am eating the other hand People have gone to far on this earth loike cokoe or harion it does not give birth but you can not tuirn th... more »
Greece Chases Turkey Out of its Airspace after Repeated Violations
[image: Hellenic (Greek) Air Force RF-4E Phantom II (serial 7487), in a special colour scheme, lands at the Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford, Gloucestershire, England.] Turkey and Greece engaged in a cat and mouse game Tuesday after several Turkish airplanes repeatedly violated the Greek airspace. The violations were the first since early December and come just a month after Turkey shot down a Russian aircraft... more »
Will Obama Sign Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood Next Week?
[image: Obama4 - 400] Congress plans to send a bill to President Obama next week that repeals major parts of Obamacare and defunds Planned Parenthood, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Wednesday. The bill is sure to be vetoed by Obama, who has threatened to... Continue reading *“Will Obama Sign Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood Next Week?”* at *washingtonexaminer.com*.
A Crisis of Conservative Catholicism
[image: PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 27: Pope Francis delivers the homily as he celebrates mass at the World Meeting of Families at Benjamin Franklin Parkway iSeptember 27, 2015 n Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is the final day of a five-day trip to the USA, which includes stops in Washington DC, New York and Philadelphia, after a three-day stay in Cuba.] Let's begin with a story. It's one I've heard many times; it's one I've told more than a few times myself. It's a story about the Catholic Church in the second half of the twentieth century, and it goes something... Continue readi... more »
All generalisations are racist but some generalisations are more racist than others
“*As Lemmy of Motorhead, he became known for his fast and furious bass guitar playing and gravelly voice.**Rest In Peace Lemmy. A hell of a man who suffered no fools**The band added: "We cannot begin to express our shock and sadness, there aren't words."* There aren’t words? Well, there are; all day yesterday on the BBC, Sky and, for all I know, al Jazeera and Press TV. (p’raps not.) Alas, poor Lemmy. I never knew him, Horatio; a fellow of fast and furious guitar noise. On the plus side, the BBC has stopped carpet-bombing us with sad news about that infinite gravelly voice, and... more »
It's Cold Outside
- We got our first snow of the season in Bath early on Monday morning. The norm since we've lived in Maine is that snow in the Midcoast comes around Thanksgiving. So this year it was a month late as warm temperatures extended the summer here up north. I had a post on Facebook today from a friend in England who reminded us: "It's so difficult for the people experiencing the extreme weather that is so devastating. Please be mindful of our wildlife who have no idea what is going on.. fish being displaced when rivers/lakes flood.. birds who observe this and ... more »
"Mu"
*"Mu"* "A strange game. The only winning move is not to play." - Joshua, "War Games" "There is a word, a concept, in Zen Buddhism that doesn't quite translate perfectly into the English language: Mu. Mu is the response given by a Zen monk to a question that cannot be meaningfully answered. It suggest that the question's premises are not real, that there is a state of emptiness that lies beyond yes and no, that the asker should unask the question - indeed, that anyone who would ask such a question in the first place might well to question his entire perspective on life. Though the... more »
Chet Raymo, “The Wind In The Willows”
* “The Wind In The Willows”* by Chet Raymo "Childhood has two seasons: the anticipation of summer and summer. Or so it seems in memory. And memory is all that matters in the long run. Stickball in the meadows. Messing about in drainage ditches. Long warm twilights on green lawns, catching fireflies in our cupped hands. Camping out in the back yard under the brilliant summer stars- Arcturus, Vega, Deneb, Altair- lulling us into sleep made fitful by the day's unfinished projects, tomorrow's beginnings. And no days of summer sweeter than the last few weeks of August, with school just a... more »
Could Iran Actually Sink A U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier?
Flickr/Naval Surface Warriors. *Dave Majumdar, National Interest*: *Could Iran Sink a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier?* The United States is accusing Iran of testing rockets near one of its aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf as it passed through the Straits of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) denounced the Iranian actions as “highly provocative.” But could Iran actually sink one of the U.S. Navy’s mighty flattops? According to CENTCOM, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval vessels conducted live-fire drills less than 1,500 yards away from the Nimitz-class carrier USS... more »
North Pole Could Be Hotter Than Istanbul And Chicago Today
Temperatures in the north pole could be 35C warmer than usual for this time of year, say meteorologists. The low pressure system that has brought extreme weather to the UK and US, and is the result of the 2015 El-Nino, could make the Arctic’s temperature hotter than Chicago, Vienna or Istanbul on Wednesday. The Guardian reports: The Arctic could reach temperatures about 35C (63F) warmer than average for this time of year, meteorologists have warned. Computer model projections earlier this week suggested that the air temperature at the pole, which is currently shrouded in 24-hour dar...more »
"A Marvelous Victory..."
"To be hopeful in bad times is based on the fact that human history is not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand Utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous... more »
Taxes on Richest Americans Soared in 2013
[image: richest Americans] Taxes on the highest-earning Americans soared in 2013 as new taxes on income and investments implemented by the Obama administration came into effect, the Internal Revenue Service reported Wednesday. In a report on 400 income tax returns showing the largest... Continue reading *“Taxes on Richest Americans Soared in 2013”* at *washingtonexaminer.com*.
AP Poll: Most Americans Just Fine with Warrantless Government Surveillance of U.S Citizens
[image: NSA] WASHINGTON (AP) -- A majority of Americans say they support warrantless government surveillance of the Internet communications of U.S. citizens, according to a new poll by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It’s at least...more »
U.S. Surprised By Iranian Military Exercise That Resulted In Rockets Being Fired Close To The US Aircraft Carrier Harry S. Truman (Updated)
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com *Mark Thompson, Time: **Iran Unnerves U.S. by Firing Rockets Close to Carrier* *It’s part of a decades-old pattern of Iranian provocations.* Nothing grabs the attention of the American military like a member of the “axis of evil” firing rockets close to a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, the biggest stick in the Pentagon’s massive arsenal. That’s just what Iran did Saturday, shooting several unguided rockets about 1,500 yards from the USS Harry S. Truman and a pair of smaller U.S. and French warships in the Strait of Hormuz. That’s the bottlen... more »
U.S. Preparing Fresh Sanctions Against Iran
*Image:* Veterans Today *Bloomberg*: *U.S. Said to Plan Sanctions Tied to Iran's Missile Program* The U.S. Treasury Department is close to announcing sanctions against several companies and individuals for their ties to Iran’s ballistic missile program, a person familiar with the matter said. The Obama administration, which is implementing a landmark accord aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear weapons plans, was criticized earlier this month by Republican Senator Bob Corker for lax response to Iran’s possible launch of a ballistic missile and has said it would take appropriate action. ... more »
Prosecutors Defend Urging No Charges in Tamir Rice Shooting
[image: McGinty2 - 900] CLEVELAND (AP) -- Prosecutors who recommended bringing no charges against two officers in the shooting of Tamir Rice said they were required to reveal to a grand jury they didn’t think a conviction was possible. Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty... more »
Iraq Warns Turkey (Again) To Withdraw Its Soldiers From Northern Iraq
Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari speaks to reporters during a news conference in Baghdad, Iraq December 30, 2015. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily *Reuters:* *Iraqi PM says Turkey not respecting agreement to withdraw troops* Iraq's prime minister accused Turkey on Wednesday of failing to respect an agreement to withdraw its troops from the country's north and its foreign minister said if forced, Iraq could resort to military action to defend its sovereignty. The diplomatic dispute flared after Turkey deployed a force protection unit of around 150 troops earlier this month, citin... more »
2016 Politics Predictions
Dare I tip my tippy toes into the waters of idle speculation again? As Adam Bienkov notes, most political punditry is utter rubbish, having called the general election, the Labour leadership election, and the general election, the Labour leadership election, and the Oldham by-election totally wrong. Looking back over last year's forecasts, I'm almost as useless as they. Almost. As we know, Labour came nowhere near to being the biggest party, and the dear leader as was may as well have etched a eulogy to his career on the bizarre and unlamented EdStone. As a consequence the other bi... more »
Brussels Cancels New Year’s Eve Festivities Over Terror Threats
Authorities in Belgium’s capital have decided to cancel the city’s annual New Year’s Eve festivities and fireworks because of the threat of terrorist attacks. The decision comes following the arrest of two people suspected of planning an attack over the holiday. RT reports: In a Wednesday meeting, Brussels’s mayor Yvan Mayeur and Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon took a joint decision to cancel Thursday evening’s festivities. “Together with the interior minister, we’ve decided to not have the celebrations on Thursday evening,” Mayeur told the state broadcaster RTBF Wednesday night... more »
PentaGONE! Untracked DOD Cloud Networks Could Be Hacked
[image: DoD Inspector General Mr. Jon Rymer testifies before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on "Improving Financial Accountability at the Department of Defense." May 13, 2014.] Data could be stolen from cloud-based digital networks that the Department of Defense doesn't even know it operates, according to the Pentagon's chief internal watchdog. Defense officials don't know how many cloud computing service contracts they have or what data... more »
So Much for Anti-Muslim Backlash: Mosque Fire Started by Man Who Worshipped There
[image: Houston Mosque fire - 414] HOUSTON -- A man who has been charged with arson in a Christmas Day fire at a Houston mosque told an investigator he worshipped there. U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent Nicole Strong said 37-year-old Gary Nathaniel... Continue reading *“So Much for Anti-Muslim Backlash: Mosque Fire Started by Man Who Worshipped There”* at *foxnews.com*.
Clashes Erupt Between Residents And ISIS In Fallujah
Violent clashes have erupted in Fallujah between the public and Islamic State militants. Iraqi News reports: A security source in Anbar province said on Wednesday, that violent clashes broke out between the residents of Fallujah and ISIS militants in the city. The source said in a brief statement received by IraqiNews.com, “The residents of Fallujah have shown great displeasure due to the siege imposed by the ISIS on the city,” noting that, “[They] demanded the ISIS to allow them to get out of the city, but the organization had refused.” “This dispute led to the outbreak of armed cl... more »
The Awful Truth About Global Temperature Records
The Notrickszone site has a post suggesting a "sharp global cooling ahead". My response: *The global temperature is stable — no runaway global warming OR cooling [correction: no global warming at all from a century or more ago]. The definitive evidence (as I have been harping on since November 2010) is my Venus/Earth temperature vs. pressure comparison, in which the Standard Atmosphere model of the Earth’s troposphere is precisely–I repeat, precisely–confirmed against the temperature vs. pressure profile of Venus, when only Venus’s lesser distance from the Sun is taken into account.... more »
22 Killed by Historic Flooding after Winter Storm Goliath
[image: flooding - 400] It’s a slow-motion disaster that’s only expected to get worse. Floodwaters are rising all over Missouri, southern Illinois, eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas, pushing residents from their homes and leaving at least 22 dead. Many rivers, including the Mississippi, have yet... Continue reading *“22 Killed by Historic Flooding after Winter Storm Goliath”* at *weather.com*.
The March of Genetic Food Progress
[image: genetic engineering] Despite what you may hear from the culinary elite, genetic engineering is winning the day and gradually overcoming their "Frankenfood" fear-mongering. A flurry of good news this year ought to convince the public, more than ever, of the safety and... Continue reading *“The March of Genetic Food Progress”* at *google.com*.
The Retraction Watch 2015 review: A year of gratitude and expansion
It’s been a great 12 months for Retraction Watch. We took some major steps as an organization. Some highlights: February: Thanks to our $400,000 grant from the MacArthur Foundation to create a comprehensive database of retractions, we hired our first full-time editor, Alison McCook. May: How the biggest fabricator in science got caught: We profiled the […] The post The Retraction Watch 2015 review: A year of gratitude and expansion appeared first on Retraction Watch.
AB-1014 Better to not piss off your relatives if you live in California and own a gun...
*because AB-1014 allows for gun confiscation which is probably unconstitutional, but I've never known that to stop a libtard.* AB-1014 was signed into law on September 30, 2014 by marijuana steeped governor Jerry Brown. It goes into effect January 1, 2016. I've *read the entire bill,* and you should too. It's not long. And the devil is, indeed, in the details. Let me sum it up for you in non-legalese language. A family member or a police officer decides someone is acting all cray-cray, either now, or in the past. The so-called cray-cray person has guns. At this point a judge... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Pattersonville, New York, USA. Thanks for stopping by!
"The Children Are Busy..."
“Humanity is the spirit of the Supreme Being on earth, and that humanity is standing amidst ruins, hiding its nakedness behind tattered rags, shedding tears upon hollow cheeks,and calling for its children with pitiful voice. But the children are busy singing their clan's anthem; they are busy sharpening the swords and cannot hear the cry of their mothers.” - Kahlil Gibran ◆ *Related:* Paul Craig Roberts, “Why WW III Is On The Horizon”
Tehran Gains The Upper Hand In Damascus, Assad Not Necessary
Iran has managed to gain influence over the Middle East through the help of its ally, the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, who supported Iran during the 1980’s war with Iraq. His help is appreciated by Tehran but might not be necessary any longer. President Bashar al-Assad might have needed the Iranians during the Syrian conflict of the last few years, but now with the peace talks looming, it seems that the strategic aim of Hezbollah has been achieved, and there is no more requirements from al-Assad to further Iran’s influence in the Middle East. Hezbollah that was created in Iran duri... more »
Autumn 2015 Iraq Public Opinion Poll: PM Abadi Widely Popular Not So Much Rest Of Government
In December 2015 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research releaseda new public opinion poll on Iraq. The company has done several such surveys over the last couple years, and the data is some of the most comprehensive available on how Iraqis are feeling about their country. The survey was done from August 12 to September 3 and included 2,000 people from all major regions of the country. The results showed that Prime Minister Haidar Abadi was still widely popular in Iraq, far above any other national leader. On the other hand, the public had a low opinion of the ruling parties and governm... more »
The Great American Schlonging Will Not Be A Disaster For Both Parties-- Just For One
Trump claims-- on twitter , of course-- that he will finally be opening his legendary purse strings. Beware the moths that fly out. To date he hasn't though-- something that fits his cheapskate personality and the conventional wisdom he's helped create about how spending millions has sunk the poor Jebster. Spending tens of millions of his donors' money hasn't helped Bush; that's for sure. As of Nov. 16, Herr Trumpf's campaign had raised $5,828,922 and spent $5,574,149. His campaign had further debts of $1,804,747 and his cash-on-hand was down to $254,773. So, if he's really going ... more »
The Economy: "Are We Wrong About the Coming Depression?"
*"Are We Wrong About the Coming Depression?"* by Bill Bonner POITOU, France – "Yesterday, we began to examine the earth beneath our feet. How solid is it, we wondered? Specifically, and in the spirit of runaway humility, we want to look at where we might be wrong. It is almost surely true that debt has increased far faster than economic output over the last half-century… and that the post-1971 fiat money system has made this massive increase in credit possible. It is also surely correct that markets and economies still move in cyclical patterns – breathing in and breathing out as ... more »
Russia Demands Turkey Arrest The Rebel Soldier Responsible For The Murder Of Russian Warplane Pilot
Alparslan Celik. Hurriyet Daily News *AFP:* *Moscow demands arrest of rebel for 'murder' of Russian warplane pilot* Moscow on Wednesday called for Ankara to arrest a rebel it claims killed the pilot of the Russian jet downed by Turkey last month on the Syrian border. "We demand that the Turkish authorities take immediate steps to apprehend Alparslan Celik and his accomplices and bring them to justice for the murder of the Russian pilot," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement. In an interview published Sunday in Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, Celik -- a Tu... more »
Chicago Mayor Will Announce Major Changes to Local Police to Appease Protesters
[image: Chicago Mayor - 9002] As protesters call for his resignation, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel will announce major changes to local law enforcement policies Wednesday in an effort to tamp down police violence. One of the new policies states all officers who go out on service calls... more »
Russia’s Ruble Hits Lowest Level in a Year
[image: Russia's Ruble - 900] MOSCOW (AP) -- The Russian ruble has hit its lowest level in a year against the dollar as the country’s economy is battered by a decline in the price of its oil exports. The ruble dropped 1.3 percent in early... more »
A random list of gratitudes, in no particular order
Having never been one for goal-setting, the end of the year appeals to me more as a time for reflecting on where my life is at than as a start point for setting goals that may or may not be achievable in the next 12 months. As John Lennon so eloquently noted, life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. (In the spirit of goal-setting, perhaps I should pick 2016 as the year that I finally get that truth tattooed on me. I've been talking about it for long enough.) So I got to reflecting this morning. And I guess it’s not surprising that my thoughts turned... more »
Millions Face Flood Threat As Missouri Rivers Reach Record Heights
Missouri is in a state of emergency as flooding continues and record water levels expected over the coming days. Missouri’s governor activated the National Guard to help divert traffic from submerged roads and Illinois’ governor declared disasters in seven counties. Thirteen people in Missouri have died in floods caused by the severe storms over the weekend, and although the rain has moved on, swollen rivers are still rising Scenes from towns along the Mississippi this New Years. This river is not supposed to flood in December pic.twitter.com/pvtMIZw0U8 — Bill McKibben (@billmcki... more »
The Calder Valley’s History Of Flooding
By Paul Homewood h/t Joe Public The worst affected area in the weekend’s floods was probably the Calder Valley around Hebden Bridge. This lies at the foot of the Pennines, and is therefore particularly vulnerable to flooding. The Eye on Calderdale website has a detailed history of flooding there, extracted from Molly […]
Paris Agreement is a Real Tiger: Lock and Load
[image: Climate Change - 400] Dismissing the Paris Climate Agreement as a paper tiger because America's emission-reduction and foreign-aid commitments are not "legally binding" is whistling past the graveyard. The Paris agreement is first and foremost a device for mobilizing political pressure against U.S. opponents of... Continue reading *“Paris Agreement is a Real Tiger: Lock and Load”* at *globalwarming.org*.
Turkey Condemns Russia For 'Backing' The Syrian Regime Under Assad
Erdogan said that he is due to discuss with King Salman, Syria, and economic issues. (Photo courtesy: SPA) *IBTimes:* *Russia-Turkey Crisis: Erdogan Criticizes Moscow For Backing Syrian President Assad* Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed Russia for backing Syrian President Bashar Assad amid heightened tensions between Ankara and Moscow. Erdogan Tuesday accused Assad’s government of "mercilessly" killing tens of thousands of people. Erdogan’s comments came during a press conference before departing for Saudi Arabia for a visit that would focus on Syria and the fight aga... more »
U.S. Condemns Russian Air Strikes In Syria
*CNN*: *U.S. blasts Russian "indiscriminate attacks" in Syria* (CNN)The U.S. sharpened its criticism of Russian airstrikes in Syria on Tuesday, charging that "indiscriminate attacks" had reportedly caused hundreds of civilian casualties and the displacement of over 100,000 residents. "We've seen a marked and troubling increase in reports of these civilian casualties since Russia commenced its air campaign," a spokesman for the U.S. State Department said. The spokesman, Mark Toner, cited reports that "Russian airstrikes in Syria have killed hundreds of civilians, including first r... more »
Is Hezbollah Going To Withdraw From The Syrian War?
Omar Sanadiki/Reuters *Daily Beast:* *Hezbollah Fighters Are Fed Up With Fighting Syria’s War* The Assad regime in Damascus has depended on Lebanon’s Army of God to shore up its weakened troops. But now many Lebanese fighters are refusing to serve. BEKAA VALLEY, Lebanon — They joined to fight Israel in Lebanon, but after multiple combat tours in the Syrian cities of Aleppo, Idlib, Latakia and around Damascus, Hezbollah reservists tell The Daily Beast that they are no longer willing to die in Syria’s unending, bloody civil war. As a result of their refusal to continue volunteering ... more »
THE BIG LIE VERSUS THE GREAT TRUTH THAT SHALL SET EVERYTHING ABLAZE
*Click on image to enlarge* *This coming New Year brings us face to face with the consequences of the 9/11 Official Story Big lie and resultant fears, with which we are all complicit, and the great truth of a **Unified Field** of love which exists not only beyond time and space but also deepest within each one of us. Nothing can keep this great truth from eventually spreading universally and setting everything ablaze: Allen L Roland, PhD* *Love alone is capable of uniting living beings in such a way as to complete and fulfill them, for it alone takes them and joins them to... more »
Government Responds To Petition To Ban Donald Trump Entering UK
The UK Government has responded to a petition that called for Donald Trump to be blocked from coming to Britain, after it garnered over 500,000 signatures. The petition was set up in response to Mr Trump’s call for a halt on Muslims entering the United States and so far over 565,000 people have signed the petition. Ministers have previously criticised Trumps remarks but disagreed with banning him. The statement on the UK Government and Parliament website says: For good reasons the Government does not routinely comment on individual immigration and exclusion decisions. The Home S... more »
Thank you, 2015
This year, things have been generally good for me. Let me enumerate a few things. *1. Two Fellowships. * Last March, I was officially appointed as a SEANET (South East Asia Network for Development) Fellow by IDEAS' CEO and SEANET Director, Wan Saiful Wan Jan. My appointment as Fellow is from March 2015 to December 2016. Thanks Wan. Last September, I was also made a Fellow of the Stratbase-Albert Del Rosario Institute (ADRi) by its President, Prof. Victor "Dindo" Manhit. Prior to that, I have written about three papers for Stratbase which they published and distributed to their fri... more »
A new Camel for Snoopy
Because I gave the other one away to someone whose need was greater than mine. This one's lighter, and made of stiff card reinforced with matchsticks and an internal PVA coat. His opponent is not the Red Baron Manfred Von Richthofen, (despite the colouring) but Austrian ace Godwin von Brumowski.
Iceland to Build First Temple to Norse Gods in 1,000 Years
[image: Norse gods - 400] Icelanders will soon be able to publicly worship at a shrine to Thor, Odin and Frigg with construction starting this month on the island’s first major temple to the Norse gods since the Viking age. Worship of the gods in... Continue reading *“Iceland to Build First Temple to Norse Gods in 1,000 Years”* at *uk.reuters.com*.
Bill Clinton Wrote the Book for Trump
[image: Donald Trump and Bill Clinton - 900] After lamenting Donald Trump’s “penchant for sexism” last week, Hillary Clinton announced to supporters that her former-president husband -- her “not-so-secret weapon” -- will be hitting the campaign trail for her in January. Characteristically, in all capital letters, Trump struck back on... more »
‘Affluenza’ Teen Wins 3-Day Delay in Deportation
[image: This undated file photo provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, shows Ethan Couch. A Texas district attorney’s office said Monday, Dec. 28, 2015, that Mexican authorities have detained Couch.] GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) -- A teen fugitive from Texas known for using an “affluenza” defense was granted a three-day delay in deportation on Wednesday, the same day he and his mother were scheduled to be sent back to the U.S.,... more »
Supplemental: The New York Times on the Trump budget plan!
*WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2015What, them report matters of substance?* How does the New York Times cover our White House campaigns? In the most fatuous way they can manage! Consider some recent examples. Last Saturday, the famous newspaper published a 1200-word news report about Candidate Bush's sense of humor out on the campaign trail. Featuring a large photograph of the jocular hopeful, the report filled the top half of the paper's page A13. This morning, the presidential campaign appears on the paper's front page. And dearest darlings, how delish! In a 1400-word news report, Amy... more »
Bill Cosby is Charged with Sexually Assaulting a Woman
[image: Bill Cosby - 900] NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- Bill Cosby was charged Wednesday with drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home 12 years ago -- the first criminal charges brought against the comedian out of the torrent of allegations that destroyed his good-guy... more »
Paris Climate Agreement is a Triumph of Hope over Facts
[image: paris agreement - 400] Illusions are dangerous, particularly in politics. Writing in the 1930s, the liberal theologian Reinhold Niebuhr observed: “The prestige of the international community is not great enough to achieve a communal spirit sufficiently unified to discipline recalcitrant nations.” And he warned... Continue reading *“Paris Climate Agreement is a Triumph of Hope over Facts”* at *smh.com.au*.
Author retracts statements about gay conversion therapy
Key assertions in a paper on homosexuality have been removed from the Journal of the Islamic Medical Association of North America, in what the notice describes as a “partial retraction.” The 2006 article “Homosexuality: An Islamic Perspective,” states that conversion therapy can be effective, and that gay people have poorer health. Those statements are among those that lack evidence, according to […] The post Author retracts statements about gay conversion therapy appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Teaching for Justice & Rebellion
Let me just say that I agree with most of my more progressive colleagues out there in their calls for teaching with a bend towards social justice, activism, and rebellion. Take this for example: From the Progressive on “Teaching Rebellion.” To wit: Why waste precious class time doing a close read of a technical manual […]
Bill Cosby Has Been Charged With Sexual Assault
Prosecutors in Pennsylvania have filed the first sexual assault charges against the US comedian Bill Cosby. Cosby was charged on Wednesday with aggravated indecent assault over an alleged incident in 2004 involving a former local university employee. The 78-year-old has always denied the charges against him. Yahoo News reports: The case sets the stage for perhaps the biggest Hollywood celebrity trial of the mobile-all-the-time era and could send the 78-year-old Cosby to prison in the twilight of his life and barrier-breaking career. Cosby was charged with aggravated indecent assaul... more »
Over One Million Migrants Reached Europe By Sea In 2015 (Updated)
*VOA:* *Migration Crisis: Seaborne Arrivals In Europe Top One Million* GENEVA - The UN refugee agency reports more than one million refugees and migrants have reached Europe by sea alone this year, with 80 percent of this record number landing on small, overcrowded Greek islands. The U.N. refugee agency says refugees fleeing war and persecution are paying a heavy price in their desperation to find a safe haven. It reports 3,735 people have lost their lives this year making the dangerous Mediterranean Sea crossing. This translates to an average of 10 deaths or missing persons every... more »
Why Did Hillary Clinton Hire a Monsanto Lobbyist to be Her Campaign Director?
Good question, if you know nothing about Hillary's cerulean canine roots. But one fact that remains glaringly obvious to those of us paying attention to these things and those Hillary supporters who are just as strenuously ignoring those pesky facts is Hillary officially hired Monsanto fuck stick Jerry Crawford to manage her presidential campaign. Of course, the so-called liberals who back Hillary can be excused for not knowing their facts about their girl since the MSM is largely worthless in bringing up those inconvenient facts, as evidenced in this breezy puff piece in ... more »
"How It Really Is, Precious Special Snowflake Edition"
Empty, like their heads...
Children Today Report More Anxiety than Child Psychiatric Patients in the 1950’s
*April McCarthy* - Anxiety levels in chlidren are associated with low social connectedness and high environmental threat The post Children Today Report More Anxiety than Child Psychiatric Patients in the 1950’s appeared first on Waking Times.
New Year’s Prayer
[image: Sunset, Bird, Sunrise, Seagull, Ocean] I wrote and published this years ago. I thought it appropriate for this New Year. (It was published just as it is with its lack of punctuation.) Maybe it will speak to your own heart and mind. Let us pray... Continue reading *“New Year’s Prayer”* at *ruthgraham.wordpress.com*.
Human Nature and Christian Apologetics
[image: GroothuisPiece] Christian apologetics is pointless unless we know who needs to know the gospel and what they are like. All humans need to come to Christ through the reception of the Gospel message, since Jesus alone is "the way, the truth,... Continue reading *“Human Nature and Christian Apologetics”* at *douglasgroothuis.com*.
The Economy: “A Crisis Worse Than Islamic State? Bank ‘Bail-Ins’ Begin”
*“A Crisis Worse Than Islamic State? Bank ‘Bail-Ins’ Begin”* By Ellen Brown “At the end of November, an Italian pensioner hanged himself after his entire €100,000 savings were confiscated in a bank “rescue” scheme. He left a suicide note blaming the bank, where he had been a customer for 50 years and had invested in bank-issued bonds. But he might better have blamed the EU and the G20’s Financial Stability Board, which have imposed an “Orderly Resolution” regime that keeps insolvent banks afloat by confiscating the savings of investors and depositors. Some 130,000 shareholders and ... more »
Sportsmen back the Rule | Trout Unlimited - Conserving coldwater fisheries
Sportsmen back the Rule | Trout Unlimited - Conserving coldwater fisheries
Survey Finds 51% Rise in Scottish Children Going To School Hungry
An Education Institute of Scotland (EIS) survey, which questioned more than 300 primary and secondary school teachers in Scottish schools, found there had been a 51 percent rise in the number of children going to school hungry. Teachers have claimed that crippling government austerity measures are forcing schoolchildren in Scotland to go hungry, steal food from their peers and develop mental health issues. The Scottish government has described the survey’s findings as “shocking”, saying that no child should go to school hungry. RT reports: One in five respondents identified an incre... more »
Did You Hear About the Father Who is the Mother and the Mother Who is the Father?
[image: baby in parents' arms - 900] It used to be pretty simple. A man marries a woman. They have a baby together. The man is the father and woman is the mother. Well it's not so simple anymore. Today, you have to figure out if the... more »
Report: Obama Had the NSA Spy Not Only on Israel But Also on Congress and U.S. Jewish Organizations
[image: Government Surveillance, Webcam, Spy, Internet] President Obama announced two years ago that he would stop eavesdropping on leaders of U.S. allies, after the world learned the reach of long-secret U.S. surveillance programs. According to The Wall Street Journal, this meant an end to spying on... Continue reading *“Report: Obama Had the NSA Spy Not Only on Israel But Also on Congress and U.S. Jewish Organizations”* at *powerlineblog.com*.
Journal bans authors following investigation confirming plagiarism
A journal has banned three researchers after an investigation confirmed that a “significant portion” of the text of their paper on screening for urinary tract infections had been plagiarized. The researchers Sreenivasan Srirangaraj, Arunava Kali and MV Pravin Charles, who are all based in India, won’t be allowed to publish in Australasian Medical Journal in the future, according to the […] The post Journal bans authors following investigation confirming plagiarism appeared first on Retraction Watch.
A Must Read: David Stockman, “Why There Is No Peace On Earth”
*“Why There Is No Peace On Earth”* by David Stockman "After the Berlin Wall fell in November 1989 and the death of the Soviet Union was confirmed two years later when Boris Yeltsin courageously stood down the red army tanks in front of Moscow’s White House, a dark era in human history came to an end. The world had descended into what had been a 77-year global war, incepting with the mobilization of the armies of old Europe in August 1914. If you want to count bodies, 150 million were killed by all the depredations which germinated in the Great War, its foolish aftermath at Versaill... more »
US Military Outraged As Iran Test-fires Rockets Close To USS Truman
The U.S. military have accused Iran of “highly provocative” actions after they fired unguided rockets 1,500 yards from ships including an American aircraft carrier. Iranian ships fired rockets in the Strait of Hormuz as the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, was reportedly passing 1,500 yards away The US Central Command has called the drill “provocative, unsafe, and unprofessional.” The incident, originally reported on Wednesday via two unnamed US military officials, allegedly took place on Saturday. RT reports: One of the officials said that the US ships had been in an “internat... more »
Burundi's President Vows To Wage War Against Any African Union Peacekeeping Force Sent To His Country
*Reuters*: *Burundi's president threatens to fight African peacekeepers* Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza threatened on Wednesday to fight any African Union peacekeepers imposed on his country, in his most confrontational comments yet on a mounting political crisis. The African Union said this month it was ready to send 5,000 peacekeepers to protect civilians caught up in months of violence, invoking for the first time powers to intervene in a member state against its will. "Everyone has to respect Burundi borders," Nkurunziza said in comments broadcast on state radio. *More... more »
Central American Leaders Send Cuban Migrants to US
[image: Cuban nationals aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Kathleen Moore eat rice and beans after being interdicted by Coast Guard crews in the Florida Straits, Dec. 8, 2015. Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, migrants are given first-aid medical care, dry clothes, blankets, food and water.] Central American leaders announced thousands of Cuban migrants who were on the Costa Rica-Nicaragua border will be airlifted to El Salvador and placed on buses that will travel to the United States. This migration is the result of a forceful push by... more »
Twitter Revises Policy Banning Threats and Abuse
[image: This Dec. 16, 2014, file photo shows Twitter headquarters in San Francisco. Twitter has revised its rules of conduct unveiled Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015, to emphasize that it prohibits violent threats and abusive behavior by users, promising a tough stance at a time when critics are calling for the online service to adopt a harder line against extremists.] SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Twitter has revised its rules of conduct to emphasize that it prohibits violent threats and abusive behavior by users, promising a tough stance at a time when critics are calling for the online service to ... more »
President Obama’s Recent Vetoes Were Unconstitutional. Congress Could Sue Him.
[image: President Obama] President Obama's vetoes earlier this month of two bills that would have blocked administration efforts to blunt climate change surprised no one. The vetoes came after Congress passed resolutions that even Republican leaders admitted were largely symbolic -- precisely because... Continue reading *“President Obama’s Recent Vetoes Were Unconstitutional. Congress Could Sue Him.”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
Rumors of a LIGO discovery resurface
The BBC has followed Physics World and Starts-with-a-bang and presented its expectations for science events in the year \[ 4\times 7 \times 8 \times 9 = 2016. \] They discuss the possible discovery of the new physics manifesting itself as a \(750\GeV\) resonance at the LHC. My estimate for the probability that new physics is behind this excess is 60%. I must emphasize that a probability greater than 50% isn't "similar" to 100%. For all practical purposes, if you don't repeat the identical experiments many times, 60% is indistinguishable from 50%. I just don't know. *Two months ag... more »
A Wiser Man
http://www.thestar.com/ Brian Mulroney won the biggest majority in Canadian history. And he suffered the worst defeat. But, if you really want to know what happened to the Conservative Party under Stephen Harper, you should ponder the differences between the two men. Andrew Cohen writes that, in a recent speech before the Albany Club, Mulroney spoke of what changes the Conservatives would have to make after Harper's departure. The first change had to do with trust: Here is a former leader warning Conservatives that they will only return... more »
Switzerland Follows Iceland in Declaring War Against the Banksters
*Isaac Davis* - Switzerland rises up against reserve banking. Will they do what Iceland did? The post Switzerland Follows Iceland in Declaring War Against the Banksters appeared first on Waking Times.
Pataki Announces He’s Ending White House Bid
[image: GOP Presidential Candidates Drop Out List - 900] BERLIN, N.H. (AP) -- Former New York Gov. George Pataki has ended his bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, with just over a month to go before the first nominating contests begin. Pataki made the announcement in an ad... more »
Clinton Breaks with Obama, Calling ISIS Treatment of Christians ‘Genocide’
[image: Clinton speaking in NH] Hillary Clinton broke with President Barack Obama over the plight of Christians and other ethnic and religious minority groups in the Middle East, telling a New Hampshire crowd that the Islamic State’s persecution of them should be labeled a “genocide.”... Continue reading *“Clinton Breaks with Obama, Calling ISIS Treatment of Christians ‘Genocide’”* at *politico.com*.
When the Takers Make More Than the Makers
[image: money taker] Government employees are 'public servants' and servants are not supposed to make more than their employers. But that was then and this is now. The times have changed. With 2.7 million-plus workers (excluding non-civilian military) the federal government is the... Continue reading *“When the Takers Make More Than the Makers”* at *americanthinker.com*.
World News Briefs -- December 30, 2015
*Reuters*: *Islamic State suffers double blow as Ramadi falls, leaders killed* U.S.-led forces have killed 10 Islamic State leaders in air strikes, including individuals linked to the Paris attacks, a U.S. spokesman said, dealing a double blow to the militant group after Iraqi forces ousted it from the city of Ramadi. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi planted the national flag in Ramadi after the army retook the city center from Islamic State, a victory that could help vindicate his strategy for rebuilding the military after stunning defeats. "Over the past month, we've kille... more »
2015 Bird List
2015 was quite a roller coaster of a year it seemed but in terms of birding, I have little to complain about. Keeping a list of the birds I see in a year is a fairly new thing for me as I think I'm up to a grand total of 3 annual lists. It was a great year in terms of number of species seen and the number of sightings of species I had never seen before as well as species I hadn't seen in a long time. While I got off to a slow start, a couple of trips this past summer to BC as well as some luck around the house helped to push my birding list for the year up to a grand total of 46 ... more »
When Will The GOP Also-Rans Drop Out?
Another way of putting it is... when does the Deep Bench disintegrate into the inevitable Ted Cruz vs Marco Rubio slugfest? And this isn't a post about why George Pataki dropped out of the race yesterday, which is barely worth even noting. No, this is about the Republican candidates who for whatever reason have thought they could actually win the presidency (or maybe the vice-presidency). First of all, let's keep the Republican primary/caucus calendar at the top of our minds. *•* *Feb 1-* Iowa caucuses *•* *Feb 9-* New Hampshire primary *•* *Feb 20-* South Carolina primary *•* ... more »
The Economy: "Bill Holter: 2016 Predictions- Economic Collapse Caused by Fraud & Debt"
*"2016 Predictions- Economic Collapse Caused by Fraud & Debt"* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "Financial writer Bill Holter says all the talk of the so-called “recovery” and reaching “escape velocity is imminent” have been total lies. Holter explains, “We have heard the word ‘recovery’ for seven years and we’ve never gotten to the expansion phase. They keep talking about ‘escape velocity,’ and we have never gotten there in seven years. Now, the Fed has raised interest rates just before Christmas. This is the first time ever the Fed has raised rates right before Christmas, and they ...more »
The Top 10 2015 Housewife Eclectic Posts
I can't believe 2015 is drawing to a close. It was a year full of up and downs for our little family but one of those major ups was Housewife Eclectic. We had have so many wonderful experiences as a family because of this little space on the internet and I hope we can continue bringing fun new recipes, crafts and book reviews for a long time to come. These 10 posts were the most popular ones in 2015 and I agree! They are some of my favorites! 10. Star War Cereal Treats 9. Honey Sesame Chicken 8. How to Make Amazing Wings from Frozen Wings 7. Copycat Chili's Skillet Queso 6. B... more »
Donald Trump schools NBC twit Savannah Guthrie when she calls Bill Clinton's affairs "alleged"...
*ah, no, Savannah. * There is nothing alleged about affairs that have been confirmed by the very people who engaged in them. Do you realize that there are people in this world who actually think Hillary Clinton tells the truth? *Listen to Hillary trash the victims of her crazy husband, who reportedly likes to bite women while he rapes them. Ewwwwwwww*
Donald Trump Was for the Clintons before He Was against Them
[image: Trump and Clinton] Hillary Clinton took a seat in the front pew at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida, one of 450 guests on the balmy Saturday night in January 2005 when Donald Trump tied the knot with Melania Knauss,... Continue reading *“Donald Trump Was for the Clintons before He Was against Them”* at *politico.com*.
Archaeological Dig in Central Israel Uncovers Byzantine Church and 2700-Year-Old Farm
[image: Israel Byzantine] Dual find gives glimpse into how the area near Rosh Ha’Ayin changed due to drought and the spread of Christianity. Archaeological digging near the central Israeli city of Rosh Ha’Ayin has uncovered a 2700-year-old farm house and a 1500-year-old Byzantine... Continue reading *“Archaeological Dig in Central Israel Uncovers Byzantine Church and 2700-Year-Old Farm”* at *jpost.com*.
New man
Last night I watched Gareth Malone (great Choir reunion: Episode 1.) Now before opining on matters I know nothing about, as we keyboard warriors are apt to do, I thought I’d better see what I could find about Gareth Malone on t’internet. Or as they say on agenda-driven documentaries these days “I wanted to find out (whatever it is)” when they really mean they wanted to ferret out confirmation of a pre-existing bias. I was searching for evidence of hypocrisy, insincerity, lefty luvvyism and cynical manipulation by TV commissioning editors and producers to boost ratings through ove... more »
The Real Threat to Palestinian Christians: Radical Islam
[image: Persecution of Palestinian Christians] The Palestinian Authority leadership, just before Christmas, announced that celebrations this year would be limited to religious festivities, because of the ongoing wave of terrorism against Israelis — attacks that some of our leaders are calling the “Al-Quds Intifada” or... Continue reading *“The Real Threat to Palestinian Christians: Radical Islam”* at *gatestoneinstitute.org*.
Krauthammer’s Take: Trump Promising ‘Success Without Any Explanation of How’
[image: Charles Krauthammer] Donald Trump’s campaign is premised on its own success, that he's a winner and as president that success will continue, but he never explains how, Charles Krauthammer said tonight. "He never actually says, how are we going to defeat ISIS?"... Continue reading *“Krauthammer’s Take: Trump Promising ‘Success Without Any Explanation of How’”* at *nationalreview.com*.
University Drops Pretense of Equal Opportunity, Posts Faculty Position Explicitly Closed to Whites and Asians
[image: college faculty] Even before the recent, widespread student protests over campus climate issues, many colleges and universities were working to make their faculties more diverse. But can a department specifically reserve a position for an underrepresented minority candidate? That's what some are... Continue reading *“University Drops Pretense of Equal Opportunity, Posts Faculty Position Explicitly Closed to Whites and Asians”* at *insidehighered.com*.
Top U.S. General In Afghanistan May Ask For More Troops In 2016
Gen. John Campbell, Reuters *USA Today:* *Top U.S. general may seek more troops for Afghanistan* WASHINGTON — Afghanistan's security situation is so tenuous that the top U.S. commander there wants to keep as many U.S. troops there as possible through 2016 to boost beleaguered Afghan soldiers and may seek additional American forces to assist them. Army Gen. John Campbell said in an interview with USA TODAY that maintaining the current force of 9,800 U.S. troops to train Afghan forces and conduct counter-terrorism raids is vital, and that the scheduled reduction to 5,500 by Jan. 1, ... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 30, 2015
U.S. Navy photo *The Hill: **USS Harry S. Truman launches first missions against ISIS* The USS Harry S. Truman launched its first missions against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Navy. "Warfighting is the priority; that's why we are here," Navy Rear Adm. Bret Batchelder, commander of Carrier Strike Group 8, said in a statement. The Truman recently arrived in the Persian Gulf to begin striking ISIS in Iraq and Syria, ending a several-month U.S. carrier gap in the region after the USS Theodore Roosevelt left in October. The French carri... more »
The Russian Navy Is Back
Reuters *David Axe, Daily Beast*: *U.S. Fears Grow of a ‘Newly Awakened’ Russian Navy* A new report from the U.S. Navy’s intelligence branch paints a sobering picture of Putin’s increasingly aggressive fleet—and its deadly international shows of force. For the first time in 24 years, the U.S. Navy’s intelligence branch has published an unclassified report warning against a rapidly rearming and increasingly aggressive Russian fleet. And while the report—which the Navy intends for public consumption—has been years in the making, recent events have underscored just how serious its f... more »
Facebook Suspends ‘Blackcock Inn’ Pub For ‘Racist & Offensive Language’
The Blackcock Inn pub in South Wales has found itself accused of racist language due to its name. The pub has served customers in Llanfihangel Talyllyn in the Brecon Beacons, under the name since 1840,but facebook banned its page after a complaint from a member of the public. The establishment did not have a particularly large reach on the social media site with approximately 450 friends, but that hasn’t stopped members being offended and making claims of racism against the watering hole. The Mail Online reports: Manager Lee Garrett said he had tried to explain the situation to Face... more »
Standing with Israel through fire and water and sunny ways
This is what we look like at the United Nations General Assembly right now - one of a half dozen outliers of little red squares on the big screen voting NO on *every* single vote to do with Palestine. It's the same look we've had for over a decade - standing with Israel through fire and water and now sunny ways - in the yearly UN ritual of non-binding resolutions on a humanitarian disaster that inconveniently implicates Israel. The other NO voters are always Israel, the US and their coalition of the willing islands where the US has military bases, and occasionally Australia. We d... more »
Untitled
*Oberlin College Students Cry 'Cultural Appropriation' Over Serving Of Undercooked Sushi Rice* *Pathetic. What emotional infants* Students at an American liberal arts college have accused university authorities of “insensitivity” and “cultural appropriation” over the serving of General Tso's chicken, Vietnamese sandwiches and sushi. A report in the ‘Oberlin Review,’ newspaper of Oberlin College in Ohio, details student angst over the cafeteria’s serving of inauthentic international cuisine, with scholars demanding meetings with campus officials over the outrage. Complaints agai... more »
Untitled
*Totally empty Warmist thinking* *The puff below appeared in The New Daily, which aspires to be a serious newspaper. It was headed "Why Australia is sitting on a clean energy goldmine" and was written by Rob Burgess, their economics commentator and previously a journalist on Left-leaning newspapers.I looked forward to hearing what particular activity or resource Australia had that would give it the great advantage claimed. Do we have rare earth metals in abundance? Do we make very efficient solar cells? Do we make better wind turbines? I knew in advance that the... more »
The Year of Hysteria
[image: Hysteria 2015 - 900] We should be glad that 2015 is passing into memory, because it was a year when we could barely hold it together. It was a year when we freaked out over symbols and scared ourselves with fake statistics. It was... more »
Billionaire Trump to Spend Millions on Ads in GOP Race
[image: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds up his Bible during a campaign stop in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015.] COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) -- Billionaire Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he plans to spend at least $2 million a week on television advertising in the first three voting states, a move that would mark a massive departure for... more »
Guns and Jesus: Falwell, Piper Model Christian Civility Even as They Disagree
[image: Peaceful Discussion of the Bible - 900] I am intrigued by the way two Christian leaders have conducted themselves in a public disagreement over the issue of students arming themselves with guns against the threat of a campus terrorist attack. Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University,... more »
Populism from Unlikely Candidates
[image: Donald Trump Bernie Sanders - 900] Populism is typically born in places like Nebraska, Louisiana, Kansas and the other places given short shrift in that famous Saul Steinberg New Yorker cartoon showing the view of the world from 9th Avenue. It’s not supposed to hail from... more »
Faith Helped ‘Concussion’ Doctor Tell the Truth the NFL Didn’t Want to Hear
[image: Concussion Doctor Nigera] From an early age growing up in Nigeria, Bennet Omalu learned that belief in God helps you cope with all kinds of difficulties in life. When he moved to Pittsburgh in the late 1990s and discovered a brain disease that... Continue reading *“Faith Helped ‘Concussion’ Doctor Tell the Truth the NFL Didn’t Want to Hear”* at *pittsburghcatholic.org*.
Clinton Says ‘We Now Have Enough Evidence’ to Call ISIS Killings of Christians and Yazidis ‘Genocide’
[image: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton smiles as she arrives at a town hall style campaign event, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015, at South Church in Portsmouth, N.H.] BERLIN, N.H. (AP)? Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says she now believes the Islamic State group’s persecution of Christians, the Yazidi minority and other religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East should be defined as “genocide.” Her declaration came...more »
US Accuses Iran of Conducting ‘Highly Provocative’ Rocket Test Near Warships
[image: In this Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015 photo released by the U.S. Navy, guided-missile destroyer USS Bulkeley participates in a replenishment-at-sea with fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Lenthall in the Gulf of Oman. Iranian naval vessels conducted rocket tests last week near the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, the USS Bulkeley destroyer and a French frigate, the FS Provence, and commercial traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the American military said Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015 causing new tension between the two nations after a landmark nuclear deal. (Mass Commun... more »
Guinea Declared Free of Ebola, Disease Now Not Found Anywhere
[image: Mohamed Belhocine, center, a representative from the World Health Organization speaks, during a press briefing in city of Conakry, Guinea, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015. Guinea has been declared free from transmission of Ebola, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, marking a milestone for the West African country where the original Ebola chain of transmission began two years ago leading to the largest epidemic in history.] CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) -- The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak over in Guinea Tuesday, a huge step in the fight against the world’s large... more »
The Battlefield as a Test of Character
[image: helicopter - 400] After winning the battle of Trenton on Dec. 26, 1776, George Washington ordered his troops to treat captured soldiers "with humanity, and let them have no reason to complain of our copying the brutal example of the British Army in their treatment... Continue reading *“The Battlefield as a Test of Character”* at *google.com*.
Economic News , Data & Views ( December 30 , 2015 ) Europe In Focus ( Ukraine Corruption In Focus , UK Flooding Continues , Europe In Review For 2015 , Italian Bail Disaster For Depositors , Greece Economic & Political Matters , Spanish Political Drama / Economic Item , Refugee Related Matters , EZ Lending & Monetary Matters , Odds & Ends ) Emerging Nations & Asia (Asia stock markets mixed as #oil rebound fizzles and w/ #China Yuan hits fresh 4.5y low. Additional Items - Brazil , Japan . China , Turkey , Kuwait , Commodities / Energy , North Korea In Focus )
Europe..... *The Telegraph* @Telegraph 1m 1 minute ago Government 'may exclude' Donald Trump after 565,000 sign petition calling for UK entry ban http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews /donald-trump/12074314/Government-may-exclude-Donald-Trump-after-565000-sign-petition-calling-for-UK-entry-ban.html … [image: Embedded image permalink] *The Local Denmark* @TheLocalDenmark 2m 2 minutes ago Is Denmark now the trend setter for Scandinavian asylum policy? http://www. thelocal.dk/20151230/norway-copying-denmarks-asylum-policies-expert … *MineForNothing* @minefo... more »
Blockbusters Propel 2015 Domestic Box Office to Record $11 Billion
[image: In this image released by Universal Pictures, Bryce Dallas Howard, from left, Chris Pratt, Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins appear in a scene from the blockbuster hit, Jurassic World. Box-office tracker Rentrak said Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015, that the industry has already reached the benchmark and is expected to end the year with an unprecedented $11.1 billion in ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada. Opening in June, Jurassic World scored the biggest debut weekend ever, until it was bested this month by Star Wars: The Force Awakens.] LOS ANGELES (AP) -- It’s been a record-breaking, ... more »
Devastating Yorkshire Floods – 1930
By Paul Homewood The Whitby lifeboat had to be called out for a flood two miles inland at Ruswarp in Yorkshire (pictured) on 23 July 1930 as the rising waters threatened Whitby and the surrounding areas. The Whitby Gazette called it “a thrilling rescue” amid gale-force winds. According to weather reporter Bill Foggit: “The […]
Saudi "Anti-Terror Coalition" a Facade to Hide Yet More Terrorism
*December 30, 2015* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - A recently announced Saudi-led "anti-terror" coalition was met with great skepticism recently. This is not because of doubts over Saudi Arabia's sincerity alone, but because of the fact that much of the terrorism the "coalition" is allegedly to fight is an intentional creation of Saudi Arabian foreign policy to begin with. *Image: Saudi Arabia, indisputably the premier state-sponsor of terrorism on Earth, and supplying the ideological "source code" carried forth by Al Qaeda and the so-called "Islamic State," claims it wants to lead an ... more »
Did Star Wars Shape The U.S. Military?
Lucasfilm 2015 *Marlow Stern, Daily Beast*: *How ‘Star Wars’ Shaped the U.S. Military* From Reagan’s missile-defense system to General Schwarzkopf’s ‘Jedi Knights’ and laser cannons, America’s armed forces have taken quite a few cues from Star Wars. Now that J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars original trilogy remix The Force Awakens has been unleashed, transforming a new generation of cinemagoers into Nick Winters at The Powder Room, fanboys have begun to dissect its myriad inspirations. We know, for instance, that like George Lucas’s initial journey to a galaxy far, far away, with its stormt... more »
Chicken Little is Not Our Prophet
[image: Feather and Acorn - 900] For hundreds of years children have been told the story of Chicken Little, or Henny Penny, as the chicken is sometimes called. An acorn falls on the unsuspecting chicken's head, and she interprets it as the sky falling. In her... more »
Life As An Afghan Policewomen
Police training in Kabul. The hiring of policewomen has been a priority for Western funding organizations. Credit Lynsey Addario for The New York Times *New York Times: **Afghan Policewomen Struggle Against Culture* *In a clash between Western ideals and Afghan realities, an effort to elevate the status of women by recruiting them to the police force has often backfired.* JALALABAD, Afghanistan — Parveena almost got away. She was on her way home from a visit to her parents in a remote corner of eastern Afghanistan with her children by her side and a small group of women. Two men,... more »
How Anxiety Works and How You Can Dissolve It
It turns out that a lot of anxiety is simply unwanted bio feedback into a part of the body producing discomfort. It can be identified and released producing immediate relief from the cause of the anxiety.. This is good news and this method can be taught to teachers in particular and should be. It is a form of mental first aid and it is certainly needed. Who would have guessed something so apparently complex might be so handily resolved for most. *How Anxiety Works and How You Can Dissolve It12th December 2015By Tomasz Kopec, MDGuest Writer for Wake Up Worldhtt... more »
How the UK is being changed per Alex on Biased BBC
A comment on Biased BBC caught my eye... http://biasedbbc.org/blog/2015/12/29/many-children/ 'Alex December 30, 2015 at 12:08 am The real problem beneath all of this whole big swindle is of course the Cultural Marxists, who are after one thing and one thing only: a new anti-western communist state. And, they'll do anything to achieve this and see the west's capitalist/corporate /market-driven demise. So, they lie, they brainwash through propaganda in our schools and universities and the media and they undermine western countries' heritage and traditional values and institutions. ... more »
Military Photo of the Day: December 30, 2015
[image: Airman and Daughter-900] A U.S. Air Force airman and his daughter watch the Yokota Holiday Spectacular Parade at Yokota Air Base in Japan on Nov. 24, 2015. Happy New Year to this airman and his wonderful family!
Why Being Shot With An AK-47 Is Better Than Being Shot By An M4
An AK-47, top, and an M4. Wikipedia/Amanda Macias/Business Insider *Business Insider/SOFREP:* *A former special-operations doctor explains why he would rather be shot with an AK-47 than an M4* Admittedly, I'd rather not be shot with either, but if I had to choose, I'd take a round from the AK-47 over the M4 any day of the week. To add a caveat to that statement, I'm talking from relatively close range here — say up to 150 to 200 meters. To understand why, it's important to first take a very basic look at the physics behind terminal ballistics. In this case, consider the science of... more »
An Economist's 10 Objections to the Minimum Wage
The fundamental problem with minimum wage as presently imagined by the idiots is that it is price control rather than market intervention. This makes it market interference. Market interference by regulation is meaningless unless it is combined with a properly managed market with ample liquidity. Without true planned and capitalized liquidity you have a discount market in which a portion of the population is not able to participate except as slaves which is obviously illegal. That means they do not work and instead are enslaved to a government handout and all the baggage assoc... more »
Methelene Blue Reverses Progeria Symptoms and Normal Age-related Damage
Skip the clinical trials on this protocol. It has been safe for one and one half centuries and readily obtainable. Thus it is certain that every supplement supplier is packaging it up as we speak. Their customers will do all the experiments you can imagine. If the general effect is as persuasive as suggested by this work, then what we can expect is major cellular regeneration and a suspension of age related decline. That is hard to miss. It may well turn out that the cause of cellular aging has also been tripped over here as well. It is all very encouraging and available s... more »
Why is There a Mysterious Boundary Deep in the Earth's Mantle?
This identifies a deep transition zone. I do not think we really know enough to be comfortable, not least a meaningful assay of composition. We do not know even what we do not know. Yet an apparent transition is taking place here and it is certainly driven by temperature. I also maintain a very aggressive conjecture suggesting we have a natural slip plain around one hundred miles deep made up of elemental carbon and almost no viscosity. This is too thin to show up easily and it would have to be inferred indirectly. Except for compelling surface confirmation ignored by most,... more »
The U.S. Has More Guns Per 100 People Than Anyone Else In The World (Map)
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* The US also came top of the charts in this map which shows the number of guns per 100 people. It has equal to 90 guns per 100 people, compared to the likes of Poland where there are between one and four guns per 100 people, according to his graphic *WNU Editor*: There are more fascinating maps on other topics to look at. The link is here .... *The stunning maps that reveal the world at a glance: From manhood and breast size to obesity and divorce rates, how does YOUR country fare?* (Daily Mail).
A Dangerous Year For Journalists Worldwide
*DW*:* More than 100 journalists killed in 2015, most in 'peaceful' countries* A total of 110 journalists have been killed around the world in 2015, with an increasing number being targeted by "non-state groups" such as the "Islamic State." The findings hail from two independent reports. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published a report saying that 67 journalists had died in the line of duty this year, while another 43 died under circumstances that remained unclear. The organization added that another 27 non-professional "citizen-journalists" and seven other media workers were a... more »
Donald Trump Exposes Hillary Clinton’s Feminist Hypocrisy
[image: NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 25: Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during the annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meeting on September 25, 2013 in New York City. Timed to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly, CGI brings together heads of state, CEOs, philanthropists and others to help find solutions to the world's major problems.] Hillary Clinton has now learned what some of Donald Trump’s GOP rivals have discovered about him: You won’t attack him with impunity, and you’d better not be vulnerable on the very same issue. Trump used colorful language... more »
Are Chinese Troops About To Intervene In Syria?
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) holds talks with Syrian deputy prime minister and foreign minister Walid al-Moallem in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 24, 2015 (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) *AWD News*:* Obama’s “Worst Nightmare” Realized As Chinese Troops Flood Into Syria* *In what a new Ministry of Defense (MoD) report circulating in the Kremlin today is describing as President Barack Obama’s “worst nightmare”, the Ministry of National Defense (MoND) of the People’s Republic of China has secured the permission of the Syria Arab Republic to begin “flooding” into the Levant War Zone up... more »
Not All Democrats Are The Same
Conservatives opposed Social Security and have been trying to undermine it since it was signed into law August 14, 1935, Right from the day it was proposed Republicans and conservative Democrats were howling at the moon that it was deepen unemployment-- their standard false argument against everything under the sun. The same crew also accused Social Security of being socialism-- since the words have many letters in common. Southern conservatives threatened to tank it if blacks were included and Republicans also worked hard to keep women from being covered. The program has been su...more »
Erdogan Declares Himself ISIS Leader, Hopes To Start World War 3
Russian military intelligence have warned that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is travelling to Saudi Arabia in order to declare himself as the “leader” of ISIS and the entire Islamic world. The Ministry of Defense say that Erdogan plans on igniting a World War III between Russia and Nato (and its allies) so that he can establish a global caliphate. According to a MoD report, Erdogan has assumed his leadership role based on a fatwa issued by Hayrettin Karaman, who says an entirely new constitution in Turkey gives Erdogan the legal right to become an emir and establish his ca... more »
Senior Pentagon Chief Says Nuclear Holocaust Is Coming
A former senior Pentagon chief has said that a terrorist attack using a nuclear bomb is almost a certainty within the next year. Former US Defense Secretary William Perry says that there is a very “real and growing danger” of a nuclear bomb or device being used against the U.S. Sputniknews.com reports: During the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, Perry was secretly summoned to Washington to analyze intelligence on Soviet weapons in Cuba. “Every day that I went to the analysis center I thought would be my last day on earth,” he writes in a newly published memoir, “My Journey at the Nuclear... more »
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