10:22pm MST
Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister: Ukraine Preparing For 'Full-Scale War' Against Russia
*CBC*: *Ukraine preparing for 'full-scale war,' says former envoy to Canada* *Vadym Prystaiko, now deputy foreign minister, calls on the West to 'stiffen up in the spine'Ukraine's deputy foreign minister says he is preparing for "full-scale war" against Russia and wants Canada to help by supplying lethal weapons and the training to use them.Vadym Prystaiko, who until last fall was Ukraine's ambassador to Canada, says the world must not be afraid of joining Ukraine in the fight against a nuclear power.* *WNU Editor*: He is trying to make the case for Canada to send troops to fi... more »
Who Spilled The Battle Plans For This Spring's Offensive Against The Islamic State?
*New York Times:* *Disclosures of Battle Plan by Pentagon Startle Many* *WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has been eager to show momentum against the Islamic State after a conference last week dramatized the hurdles to countering the terrorist group’s propaganda. But the Pentagon may have gone too far in sharing its military planning.* *On Thursday, a senior official from the American military’s Central Command told reporters that Iraqi and Kurdish forces, with help from the United States, were preparing to launch an assault to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul in April or May, ... more »
Presidential speculations for 2016
*Aphids cluster among raindrops.* Latest rumor, speculation, and media frenzy on 2016, now less than a year away. This week the focus was on Wang Jin-pyng, the Speaker of the Legislature and the man most hated by Ma Ying-jeou, who has been trying to get him kicked out of the KMT for the last couple of years. Wang has been touted by the media as a possibility. He's over 70, popular with the Taiwanese KMT and often identified as their leader, but also in with the mainlander elites. Recall that in the infamous KMT Chairmanship election of a decade ago, Wang was supported by the mainl... more »
Hegemonic Warfare Watch: Denny Roy on the Collision Course between US and China
*Image from here.* Longtime Taiwan watcher Denny Roy has a piece in The National Interest on the coming collision between China and the US over Taiwan. While his central point -- that we are headed for war out here over Taiwan or whatever -- is spot on, the lead up to it is fraught with strange errors. For example: *For several years, some Chinese analysts have worried that Taiwan intended to take advantage of the generous economic terms offered by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) while putting off political negotiations indefinitely.* Their skepticism was justified. Economic i... more »
Sharon, Hamas and 9/11
*What would be really useful & helpful would be to know for sure whether Barry Chamish's allegation regarding Arafat being a pædophile is actually true or not...* *Personally, I suspect it is, I just get that sense.* *Certainly, he and the Fatah/PA Leadership were corrupt beyond belief, but those guys still were but bush league amateurs compared next to Shimon Peres or the likes of Daryl Issa...* `Sharon Plan' for Mideast War Exposed*This article appears in the July 16, 2001 issue of New Federalist newspaper.* *by Jeffrey Steinberg* July 11 (EIRNS)—Highly placed U.S.-based sourc... more »
Holy schnikes! Add "his father's awkward oratory" to "his brother’s mangled syntax and malapropisms," and . . . here's J-e-b!
*"Global affairs?" says Jeb. "You're asking me? You sure you're not thinking onto somebody else? All I got is that French dude with the hotel maid in New York."* *by Ken* One test of a person who stands astride history is his ability to leave his imprint on the language. Usually this would be assumed to be the language he speaks, but in Jeb Bush's case, judging by the speech he gave Wednesday at the luncheon of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, it isn't entirely clear that he *has* a language. A lot of the focus so far has been on whether Brother Jeb is or isn't his "own man... more »
Has Greece Suddenly Capitulated To The Rothschild Controlled European Union? The Assassination Of Greece....
When I first heard the news yesterday, I was astounded... How in the hell could the Greek Syriza government that was thrust into power by the Greek people with the understanding that it would not capitulate to the Jewish criminal banking monsters that have imposed crushing debt on that innocent nation? To me, this has turned into a travesty for the Greek people, and does not bode well for the Syriza government as a whole... For this article, I want to turn to an interesting article by James Petras, through the Veterans News Now website, at www.veteransnewsnow.com that is entitled... more »
It will be just one more miseable step backwards into poverty for the Ukrainians as Washington moves closer to an insane war with Russia.
------------------------------ The global stakes of the Ukraine crisis. The failure of western civilization From Global Research, February 20, 2015 By *Prof. John McMurtry* *War party bigotry and hate may be enough to drive neo-Nazis leading Kiev in the Ukraine civil war. But the reverse blame of Putin and Russia by corporate media and states has a deeper interest. It propels the geostrategic economic and military war of movement through East Europe to Russia. It is the indispensible big lie to mask their set up for foreign financial predation. A big pay-off matrix looms in Ukra... more »
Pushing for War with Russia in the Senate
*Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) has introduced a bill to arm the U.S. puppet regime in Kiev with offensive weapons. This would expand the war along Russia's border and likely help in the neo-con plan to draw Moscow into a direct shooting match with US-NATO. Now is the time to send a message to your U.S. senator.* *S. 452 - Defense of Ukraine Act of 2015* ------------------------------ - Authorization to provide lethal weapons to the Government of Ukraine. The President is authorized to provide lethal weapons to the Government of Ukraine in order to defend itself aga... more »
The Truth About the Rehab Industry and 12-Step Programs
*"The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and the Rehab Industry" by Lance Dodes and Zachary Dodes (2014). * *Title: The Truth About the Rehab Industry and 12-Step Programs. Source: TomWoodsTV. Date Published: February 17, 2015. Description:* Dr. Lance Dodes, retired professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical SCHOOL, debunks the bad science behind "rehab" and 12-step programs, which have miserable success rates.
An EU-Greece Deal?
Dr. Heiner Flassbeck: Graduated in April 1976 in economics from Saarland University, Germany, concentrating on money and credit, business cycle theory and general philosophy of science; obtained a Ph.D. in Economics from the Free University, Berlin, Germany in July 1987. 2005 he was appointed honorary professor at the University of Hamburg. Employment started at the German Council of Economic Experts, Wiesbaden between 1976 and 1980, followed by the Federal Ministry of Economics, Bonn until January 1986; chief macroeconomist in the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) in B... more »
Turbulent Times Show Tomorrow, Sunday February 22nd, At 7PM
I have to inform everyone that tonight's planned Turbulent Times show has been delayed until tomorrow at 7PM... Whitewraithe has her family over tonight and is unavailable for a show tonight... She did inform me that she will be online tomorrow night, and we will do our show then... Again my apologies to everyone for this untimely delay.... More to come NTS
Network Neutrality. Conceptually Wrong. Time For it to Die.
"Network neutrality is the idea that all web content, regardless of its form or who provides it, should be treated equally by internet providers." Network Neutrality, like so many things, is a high-minded concept that aspires to a wonderful ideal, but an impractical reality. But it's biggest challenge is that its advocates often make incoherent contradictory arguments like: "If they're saying I
"The Last Words Of Lee Harvey Oswald", Compiled by Mae Brussell
"The Last Words Of Lee Harvey Oswald", Compiled by Mae Brussell At noon, on a street in Dallas, the president of the United States is assassinated. He is hardly dead when the official version is broadcast. In that version, which will be the definitive one, Lee Harvey Oswald alone has killed John Kennedy. The weapon does not coincide with the bullet, nor the bullet with the holes. The accused does not coincide with the accusation: Oswald is an exceptionally bad shot of mediocre physique, but according to the official version, his acts were those of a champion marksman an... more »
Musical Interlude: Deuter, “Along the High Ridges”
Deuter, “Along the High Ridges” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLoiMTeKC08
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Far beyond the local group of galaxies lies NGC 3621, some 22 million light-years away. Found in the multi-headed southern constellation Hydra, the winding spiral arms of this gorgeous island universe are loaded with luminous young star clusters and dark dust lanes. *Click image for larger size.* Still, for earthbound astronomers NGC 3621 is not just another pretty face-on spiral galaxy. Some of its brighter stars have been used as standard candles to establish important estimates of extragalactic distances and the scale of the Universe. This beautiful image of NGC 3621 traces the ... more »
Are There Ways to Fight the Industrial Food Complex?
*Film - *Tisha Casida and author Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms discuss overcoming the industrial food complex and how to fight back against abuses of government power in our food supply. The post Are There Ways to Fight the Industrial Food Complex? appeared first on Waking Times.
“No Escape from Existential Reality”
*“No Escape from Existential Reality”* by Sartre "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick "Finally agreement! No one can dispute the reality that we all will die. Since most choose to block out this fate or find it discomforting to consider, the roots of denial are sown. Refusal to confront the one great similarity that all humans share, is a trait that has greatly affected our political and social lives. Life is to be lived, no doubt. But how you live it greatly depends upon how you treat the final ending. Death, freedom, existential ... more »
Chet Raymo, “Telling Stories: ‘Real’ Life”
*“Telling Stories: ‘Real’ Life”* by Chet Raymo "If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite." - William Blake "I have just finished reading Brian Greene's new book, “The Fabric of the Cosmos”. As with his earlier book, “The Elegant Universe”, he does a damn good job explaining the almost unexplainable - string theory, braneworlds, multiple universes, and all that. None of this stuff has an empirical basis, and is not likely to for the foreseeable future. So does it qualify as science? Well, yes, barely. Because in principle... more »
"A Dangerous Place..."
"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." - W. C. Fields
Corporate Power Grab: The Wild Claims And PR Spin Of The Pro-GMO Lobby
RINF 21/2/2015 A recent report by US Right to Know (‘Seedy Business: What Big Food is Hiding with Its Slick PR Campaign on GMOs’, see here) outlines how agrichemical firms have spent more than $100 million since 2012 on political and PR campaigns to shift the media narrative on GMOs. The non-profit food research group is now calling on media to accurately report that the science on GMOs is contradictory and has been largely controlled by corporations that profit from GMO seeds and the pesticides that go with them. Stacy Malkan, media director of US Right to Know says: “Unfortunate... more »
Free Download: Orison Swett Marden, "An Iron Will"
"An Iron Will" by Orison Swett Marden "Orison Swett Marden (1850 - 1924) was an American writer associated with the New Thought Movement. He also held a degree in medicine, and was a successful hotel owner. Marden was born in Thornton Gore, New Hampshire to Lewis and Martha Marden. When he was three years old, his mother died at the age of 22, leaving Orison and his two sisters in the care of their father, a farmer, hunter, and trapper. When Orison was seven years old, his father died from injuries incurred while in the wood, and the children were shuttled from one guardian to anot... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
"The Ultimate, Extraordinary Extreme..."
"Evil people hate the light because it reveals themselves to themselves. They will destroy the light, the goodness, the love in order to avoid the pain of self-awareness. Evil is laziness carried to its ultimate, extraordinary extreme." - Dr. M. Scott Peck, "The Road Less Traveled"
"Three Simple Words to Help With Depression"
*"Three Simple Words to Help With Depression"* by Jeffrey Fishberger, MD "Transitions and change can be challenging for any of us. The recent earthquake, hurricane and flooding, in addition to the end of vacation and back-to-school, or back to the grind of work, can be stressful and emotionally overwhelming. You can help reduce not only someone else's stress and feelings of depression and anxiety, but also your own, with a simple connection - talking. In the next few weeks and beyond, practice a good and important habit for maintaining positive psychological well-being: Give someon... more »
"All The Dragons..."
"How should we be able to forget those ancient myths that are at the beginning of all peoples, the myths about dragons that at the last moment turn into princesses; perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave. Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest being something helpless that wants help from us. So you must not be frightened if a sadness rises up before you larger than any you have ever seen; if a restiveness, like light and cloudshadows, passes over your hands and over all you do. You must think that something... more »
Musical Interlude: Pink Floyd, “Comfortably Numb”
Pink Floyd, “Comfortably Numb” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FrOQC-zEog
Grexit-- The Implications Of German Blood Lust
The new Greek government, so demonized by the capitalist media, isn't exactly acting all that revolutionary. As UniCredit put it this week, "Greece has conceded to pretty much 90-100% of what creditors have asked for." As for "creditors," read Germany. And Germany is looking for blood. 90-100% isn't enough. Jeffrey Sachs tweeted the other day that "Germany is apparently pulling the plug on Greece. Remarkable, dangerous, very unwise in my view. And very sad." He sited *Financial Times* piece, Germany rejects Greek bailout extension by Peter Spiegel in Brussels, Stefan Wagstyl in B... more »
"Truth..."
“If any man is able to show me, and prove to me, that I do not think or act right, I will gladly change, for I seek the truth, by which no man was ever injured. It is only persistence in self delusion and ignorance that does harm.” - Marcus Aurelius
And so it begins...
Talking about BBC Two's forthcoming *Meet the Ukippers *(as we were), here we go (inevitably), fresh in, courtesy of the BBC News website. It's exploded straight in at Number 3 on the BBC's news homepage...that's how big a story it is: *Ex-UKIP councillor Rozanne Duncan: 'No regrets' over comments* A councillor expelled by the UK Independence Party over what Nigel Farage described as "deeply racist comments" says she has no regrets. Rozanne Duncan, who sits on Thanet District Council, was filmed making the comments as part of BBC documentary Meet the Ukippers, airing on Sunday. ...more »
Bertrand, Paddy and me
"I have been accused of a habit of changing my opinions … I am not myself in any degree ashamed of having changed my opinions. What physicist who was already active in 1900 would dream of boasting that his opinions had not changed during the last half century?", said Bertrand Russell. I agree with (Nick) Bertrand. I've changed my mind on Paddy O'Connell. I used to bash him with some intensity, and with good reason (I believe) for his - and his programme's - blatant left-wingery. But Paddy has changed and become a highly adept broadcaster in the past five years. He's grown vastly... more »
United States and ISIS Unite For New World Order Takeover of Internet
*"Never let a good crisis go to waste when it's an opportunity to do things you had never considered or you didn't think were possible." - Rahm Emanuel* By RedSilverJ The US government wants to censor the Internet to restrict access to "extremist ideas". In this video, YouTube reporter RedSilverJ breaks down recent establishment news and propaganda using ISIS as the excuse to monitor and censor the Internet. The war on terror is really a war on you! *Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.* Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email
Feb.21: Donne-moi un break!
Saturday's headline is about a man who got sentenced for threatening an RCMP officer. This is the big, flash story of the day? Worse, it's also a story that has been in the news for weeks. Man threatens police officer. Man arrested for threatening police office. Man charged with threatening police office. Man to appear in court for threatening police officer.... This sort of thing is a staple of section A of the Irving press. Today, we also have man charged with child porn; former employee of Lion's Club guilty of fraud; two charged with selling illegal tobacco - so get ready for m... more »
"Martial Law by Executive Order"
Benito Mussolini defined Fascism as the "merger of government and corporatism." We've witnessed the financial rape of this country by the banksters and their co-conspirators in the government, who have failed to prosecute a single case against any of the Too Big To Fail swine, despite outright theft of trillions of dollars. We've all seen, and many have experienced, job loss from offshoring companies to third world countries for cheap labor and tax avoidance. We know of the totally pervasive spying/surveillance on Americans by the NSA and every other alphabet agency, recording and ... more »
“’Superfish’: Lenovo Admits Putting Tracking Software On Your PC”
*“’Superfish’: Lenovo Admits Putting Tracking Software On Your PC”* by Simon Black “File this under ‘you can’t make this stuff up.’ Lenovo Group, the largest computer manufacturer in the world, has made a rather stunning admission that they have been pre-installing tracking software on their PCs. The tracking software is made by a company called Superfish, which apparently paid some “very minor compensation” to Lenovo for putting the software on people’s computers. The Superfish program is a total disaster. It has image recognition algorithms which essentially monitor what a user i... more »
The Communards - Never Can Say Goodbye
Ruminating on some heavy duty blog posts tonight. And it's Saturday, so let's go from one 80s moment to another. *Never Can Say Goodbye* is one of I think only two songs to have appeared in my infamous top 100s twice. This ditty's first time was at number 21 in the Top 100 Dance Tunes of the 1970s. It then repeated over a decade later as neither tragedy nor farce when The Communards' cover took it to number 10 in the 80s list. I'm sure you'll agree, it's a shit tonne better than the original.
The aftermath of the supposed ceasefire agreement fought on their own soil by citizens of the Donbass, whose families lived there for centuries. Meanwhile the U.S. tries to convince NATO countries that Russia was the aggressor and that the NATO countries should beef up their armed forces in order to drive the Russians out of Ukraine...
------------------------------ Novorossia acquires a treasure trove of UAF equipment abandoned at Debaltsevo Four articles from *Fort Russ* *An apparently intact BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle formerly of the 128th Mountain Infantry Brigade of the UAF* 2/19/2015 On the trophies kindly left by the UAF for Novorossia in theDebaltsevo cauldron By Aleksey Smirnitskiy*Translated from Russian by J.Hawk * We are receiving the first reports concerning the approximate numbers of equipment captured in the Debaltsevo cauldron. 1. Armored vehicles. By first estimates, Novo... more »
Obornegate
To return to a subject Sue has tackled earlier... The self-updating 'My blog list' feature on the right hand side of this blog gives me the chance to see what's going on elsewhere. For some reason, I included 'Guardian Media' in the list. (Sorry Sue). For the past few days the 'Guardian Media' link has been updating itself pretty often - and always with some new story about the perfidious *Daily Telegraph, *in the wake of Peter Oborne's dramatic resignation from the paper. [*Update: *Immediately after posting this piece, yet another such *Guardian *piece appeared]. *The Graun *is... more »
Canada Is NO Longer A Free Nation: Criminal Prime Minister Stephen Harper Is Selling The Politics Of Fear
I truly am disgusted these days having to call myself a "Canadian".... This nation that used to pride itself not too long ago for being truly a land of freedom and opportunity and one that used to be a "beacon of light" for other nations to strive to emulate is now a land of tyranny, thanks primarily to the criminal machinations of the so called "federal government" under that ultra criminal who calls himself the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.... Recently, I reported on how the criminal Canadian "federal government" was pushing through a major bill called "C-51" that would give the... more »
Important Health News: Cancer Is Getting Harder To Beat And Avoid
With all the problems that the world is suffering from right at this moment, it is hard to turn to other important news, especially for me.... But periodically I do want to present some interesting health reports from time to time, and this one is no different... I came across the following report that I definitely want to share with all of my readers here... This one comes courtesy of the "The Best Years In Life" website, at www.tbyil.com, and is entitled: "Cancer Is Getting Harder To Beat And Avoid:.... It is definitely a must read by those who are concerned about their own health... more »
Editor's Note
Taking some R&R. Blogging will return late tonight.
Oh, please!
DB at *Biased BBC *recently got himself involved in a Twitter exchange between BBC News at Six and News at Ten journalist Julia Macfarlane and BBC Newshour’s Nigel Henry Doran. DB concludes that Nigel "is not your typical BBC journo". Julia on the other hand... Julia Macfarlane @juliamacfarlane Feb 20 Shamima Begum 15, Kadiza Sultana 16, and unnamed 15yo (Bethnal Green Academy) flew to Turkey during half-term break http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31554844 … Nigel Henry Doran @Nigello Feb 20 @juliamacfarlane Good riddance to bad rubbish. Julia Macfarlane @juliamacfarlane Feb 20 @... more »
Maybe "Smelly Shelly" Silver is answerable to the laws we have after all: Part 2, Laws? What laws?
*Just what connection do I see between Smelly Shelly and "Moneybags Mikey" Khodorkovsky?* *Man with a microphone (but is anyone listening?)*: *Ex-oligarch, ex-convict Mikhail Khodorkovsky "has grandly declared that he would guarantee Putin's safety if he left power peacefully."* *by Ken* Last night, in Part 1 of this two-part "Maybe 'Smelly Shelly' Silver is answerable to the laws we have after all" series, I took note of the multi-count indictment handed down Thursday by a federal grand jury against former NYS Assembly Speaker "Smelly Shelly" Silver. The indictment covers nearly... more »
New Life of Brian
Fans and non-fans of Radio 4's *Thought for the Day *will have recognised a true master at work this morning in the ever-reliable Brian Draper, for whom *everything* turns out to be totally like Jesus (unless he disapproves of it - in which case it's not at all like Jesus). Beginning with Oliver Sacks and his moving *New York Times *article about dying, written in the light of his terminal cancer, Brian recalled the film 'Awakenings'. This was based on an earlier memoir of Mr Sacks, and described how people were brought out of their catatonic state through a drug, thus (temporaril... more »
Did A CIA Sting Operation Plant Evidence Implicating Iran In A Nuclear Bomb Program?
The Parchin site in Iran is seen in this satellite image on Dec. 9, 2012. AEA inspectors don’t only rely on spy data, according to one of the diplomats, who pointed to the agency’s assessment of Iran’s Parchin Military complex, where the country is alleged to have tested high explosives. Satellite imagery analysis and open-source data also play roles, the person said. Source: DigitalGlobe via Getty Images *Bloomberg:* *CIA’s Nuclear-Bomb Sting Said to Spur Review in Iran Arms Case* *(Bloomberg) -- Details of a 15-year-old Central Intelligence Agency sting emerging from a court... more »
Bill Whittle: Brass Tacks On Immigration...
*there is little I can add to this because it would be preaching to the choir.* *More:* *Two excellent articles that I highly recommend:* *Report from Valhalla on the War of Fourteen Centuries* *“The Crusades In Reverse”—The West’s Perverted Christianity*
Invidious comparisons
If you missed it, last Tuesday's *Newsnight *featured an interview by Evan Davis with Richard Dawkins. Here's a transcription of part of it, which is very revealing about the thinking of both the interviewee and his BBC interviewer: *Evan Davis*: But you choose to go onto Twitter. It's not a venue for scientific debate. You choose to go on Twitter. Just to take one example: a tweet in which you drew a very invidious comparison between the number of Nobel prizes won by people from Trinity College, Cambridge and the entire Muslim population of the world. Trinity College, Cambridge c... more »
Feeding the Fear
*Jane Chitty* - It may not be a completely new concept -- instilling fear into people -- but it has certainly become much worse. The post Feeding the Fear appeared first on Waking Times.
Alexander Hamilton's connection to Jews
Alexander Hamilton, widely regarded as an important Founding Father of America and a champion of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, has long been suspected of having Jewish ancestry. Hamilton was a Federalist, and a strong proponent of a robust, centralized federal government and national bank. Alternative media personalities have even claimed Hamilton was essentially a Rothschild agent operating in America, seeking to financially enslave the American Republic shortly after gaining independence from Great Britain following the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War. A... more »
Thick Emissions at Fukushima Daiichi and Alarming Facts about Japan's Nuclear Disaster
The emissions have been quite thick recently. It is difficult to determine all of the sources. TEPCO cam 1 view indicates emissions from unit 2 and, more prolifically, units 3 and/or 4. The seeming "thickness" of the emissions can be discerned by the distortion of the crane behind the main flow visible below in screenshots from 2/22 at 1:24 AM and 2/22 2:51 AM When I view TEPCO cam 4 I see emissions from the area of unit 3 (mostly registering as heat distortions and coloration rather than steam). I also see steamier-looking and often yellow-tinged emissions from the common spe... more »
D-lightful
One of the things about being a 'BBC bias obsessive' is that you remember what other 'BBC bias obsessives' predict - especially if it concerns someone you actually like. I've always found comedian Reginald D. Hunter a hoot. However, after expressing his admiration for Lady Thatcher following her death and after backing another comedian who denounced BBC comedians for being predictably left-wing, predictions were repeatedly made at our progenitor blog (*Biased BBC*) that Reginald would never be heard on the BBC again. And, funnily enough, he has rather fallen off the BBC's guest ... more »
U.S. - Iran Nuclear Talks Resume. Arab Nations Raising Concerns On The Terms Of The Deal
*FOX News/Wall Street Journal:* *Arab governments reportedly concerned about terms of Iran nuke talks* *Arab governments are privately expressing their concern to Washington about the emerging terms of a potential deal aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program, according to Arab and U.S. officials involved in the deliberations.* *The direction of U.S. diplomacy with Tehran has added fuel to fears in some Arab states of a nuclear-arms race in the region, as well as reviving talk about possibly extending a U.S. nuclear umbrella to Middle East allies to counter any Iranian threat.* *... more »
Massive Ancient Stone Face Revealed in the Amazon Rainforest
*Jeremy Hance* - Rising above a waterfall—and looking somewhat like the brooding stone faces of Easter Island or something out of the Lord of the Rings—this giant monument has long been known to the Harakbut people... The post Massive Ancient Stone Face Revealed in the Amazon Rainforest appeared first on Waking Times.
Meet the Ukippers
You kip if you want to. The BBC's not for kipping. (Though plenty of lefties on Twitter think it is). Tomorrow night BBC Two is broadcasting a programme called *Meet the Ukippers*. (Those Twitter lefties will doubtless be tweeting away furiously). The blurb accompanying the programme is already causing some anxiety among UKIP supporters, and I bet you can see why: An unprecedented insight into the heartland of UKIP that follows the party faithful as they ride high in the polls and *try - but fail - to avoid the gaffes the media are looking for*. Thanet on the Kent coast is where ... more »
Comrade Wolf
- *Товарищ волк знает, кого кушать. Кушает, и никого не слушает, и слушать, судя по всему, не собирается.* - *Translation: Comrade wolf knows who to eat. He eats without listening to anybody and it seems he is not ever going to listen.* - - On the U.S., whose military budget is 25 times bigger than Russia's; annual presidential address to the Federal Senate, 10 May 2006 Enemy Inside the Gate : The Plight of Zionists in Putin's Russia from Spike EP on Vimeo. main page May 10, 2006, Marble Hall, the Kremlin, Moscow Annual Address to the F... more »
Myanmar's War Against The Kokang Rebels Is Intensifying
*Al Jazeera*: *Reports of shelling in northern Myanmar* *Myanmar army says Kokang fighters are getting help from other ethnic rebels groups and former Chinese soldiers.* *More shelling have been reported in northern Myanmar, as government troops battle with armed rebels, who are demanding greater autonomy for ethnic Chinese in the region, which borders China. * *Several artillery fire were heard in the Kokang region of Shan State throughtout Saturday, according to Al Jazeera's Adrian Brown, who is reporting from across the border in the Chinese city of Nansan.* *More News On Myan... more »
Charles Darwin was not a Scientist
*"The existence of free gemmules is a gratuitous assumption"* *Translation : "I have no idea and I can't back that up in any way, I'm just making this up as I go along."* [page] 502 *PANGENESIS* IN a paper, read March 30, 1871, before the Royal Society, and just published in the Proceedings,1 Mr. Galton gives the results of his interesting experiments on the inter-transfusion of the blood of distinct varieties of rabbits. These experiments were undertaken to test whether there was any truth in my provisional hypothesis of Pangenesis.2 Mr. Galton, in recapitulating "the cardinal ... more »
The Only Way to Get the Most Nutrition From Eggs
*Natasha Longo* - Not only are raw eggs one of the most perfect foods available, but they offer you a nutrient dense profile that you won't get from a cooked egg. The post The Only Way to Get the Most Nutrition From Eggs appeared first on Waking Times.
Editor's Note
Taking some R&R. Blogging will return late tonight.
U.S. Military Withdrawal From Afghanistan Under Review
*Reuters: **New U.S. defense chief: withdrawal from Afghanistan under review* *(Reuters) - Washington is reviewing a plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by 2016 to ensure that "progress sticks" after more than a decade of war, new U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters in Kabul on Saturday.Under the current plan, the United States will halve the number of troops in Afghanistan to 5,000 this year, gradually winding down to a "normal" U.S. embassy presence by 2016.That schedule could now change, said Carter on his first trip abroad since swearing in as the ... more »
Standing out like a sore thumb
Is the BBC's heavy coverage of the 'Chelsea FC racist fans' story proof of the corporation's habit of banging on about PC subjects, especially if they concern bad behaviour by 'us'? Quite possibly - though Sky News, ITV News, the *Daily Mail, *etc, are no less keen on the Chelsea story than the BBC. And it is an unpleasant and clearly newsworthy story. Unlike the three media outlets listed above, however, the BBC opted *not* to report the large anti-freedom of speech demo in London by 'aggrieved' British Muslims a week or two ago (as we noted at the time). Story selection is a k... more »
Apparently
You may have heard about Israeli journalist Zvika Klein and his very short video about walking through in Paris wearing a kippah and being repeatedly spat at and abused, thus revealing the depth of Jew-hatred in parts (but only parts) of Paris - namely predominantly Muslim neighbourhoods. You may also have heard about Mr Klein's experience with a Channel 4 News interviewer who asked him if the video was "an act of provocation" (and repeatedly made the usual 'Don't Muslims have it as bad?' point as well) - which tells you all you need to know about where Channel 4 News stands thes... more »
1,700 Russians Are Fighting For The Islamic State
Defendant Magomed Z., a Russian national from Chechnya accused of fighting with Islamic State, is led into court for the start of his trial in Krems, Austria, January 22, 2015. Heinz-Peter Bader/Reuters *Newsweek*: *Up to 1,700 Russians Fighting for ISIS, Says Head of Secret Service* *As many as 1,700 Russian citizens could be fighting for jihadist groups in Iraq, Russia’s head of federal security (FSB) has said during a U.S.-chaired summit against violent extremism in Washington DC, Russian news service RIA Novosti reported today.* *“We need to invigorate our efforts to prevent... more »
U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency: Assad Will Win The Syrian Civil War Thanks To Strategic Backing From Iran, Russia
Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad walk inside the government-controlled Hanano barracks after what they said was an offensive against them by Free Syrian Army fighters in Aleppo, Syria, April 17, 2014. George Ourfalian/Reuters *World Tribune:* *DIA sees Assad winning war thanks to strategic backing from Iran, Russia*. *WASHINGTON — The U.S. intelligence community continues to see President Bashar Assad as winning the war against Sunni rebels in Syria.* *The Defense Intelligence Agency said the Assad regime has overcome a manpower shortage to block the rebel advance... more »
Freedom of Religion
Recent events in the news have raised the issue of religious freedom and specifically the legal implications of religiously focused face covering. The Constitution does give certain rights and freedoms that are relevant. The "Fundamental Freedoms" section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states: 2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion ... A fundamental right to freedom of religion is a central part of the Constitution. That said, all rights and freedoms are subject to reasonable limits prescribed by law that are co... more »
Guardian's Lies Spread Noxious Cloud of Disinformation over Ukraine
*February 21, 2015* (Eric Draitser - Counterpunch) - The western media is busily trying to prop up their failed narrative of “Russian aggression” in Ukraine in a desperate attempt to legitimize their consciously deceitful reporting. To do so, they are now relying not on experts or western intelligence reports, but a discredited blogger and his corporate media chums. On February 17, 2015, The Guardian ran a story with the headline “Russia shelled Ukrainians from within its own territory, says study.” The title alone is enough to convince many casual observers that yes, the mainstre... more »
Moving on
The BBC seems to have moved on from the recent attacks on free speech campaigners and Jews in Copenhagen. The news that some 500 Muslim men controversially attended the funeral of the Danish-Palestinian terrorist Omar El-Hussein, as reported by ITV News, *The Daily Telegraph* and *The Daily Mail*, *isn't* a story that the BBC News website thinks is worth reporting.
Making a date with 'Dateline'
Today's *Dateline London* was excellent. The recent expansion in the range of its guests has helped a lot. It's no longer always the same old crowd of lefties, plus (every few weeks) Janet Daley. Today's panel largely consisted of newer voices, with only Stryker McGuire being a *Dateline *veteran: Dmitri Linnik, Voice of Russia Lilit Gevorgyan, writer and broadcaster Alex Deane, Conservative Home Stryker McGuire, Bloomberg Markets Even though the names of the organisations two of them work for - Voice of Russia and Conservative Home - kind-of tells you where at least two of the g... more »
So Let It Be Written. So Let It Be Done.
http://www.sodahead.com/ Stephen Harper hasn't shown up to debate Bill C-51. He just announced it at a campaign rally. And he's letting Joe Oliver do the talking about the economy. Heading into a meeting of finance ministers last week, Oliver declared: *Our Government’s sound economic management and unwavering commitment to balance the budget this year — while creating jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for Canadians — has resulted in a resilient economic performance in a challenging global economy. * But, given the facts, what ... more »
Report: Iran Is Airlifting Thousands Of Shiite Fighters From Baghdad To The Battle For The Syrian City Of Aleppo
A rebel fighter carries his weapon as he runs while others take positions in Ratian village, north of Aleppo, after what the rebels said was an offensive against them by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad that attempted to advance in the village but failed to February 18, 2015. Credit: Reuters/Ammar Abdullah *Debka File:* *Iran airlifts thousands of Shiite fighters to Syrian port of Latakia to boost Aleppo warfront* *Debkafile’s exclusive military and intelligence sources have discovered a large-scale Iranian airlift is in progress for bringing thousands of Shiite f... more »
Winning Back The Senate-- Will The Corrupt Conservative Establishment Get Out Of The Way?
Reactionary Pennsylvania Blue Dog Chris Carney Yesterday we took a quick look at the Senate race starting to form up in Florida. Best case scenario: corrupt power-monger Debbie Wasserman Schultz doesn't run (and neither does Charlie Crist) and Alan Grayson beats conservative Democrats Patrick Murphy or Gwen Graham. Grayson in the Senate would be as big a deal as Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown and Bernie Sanders in the Senate. It would be a dream for Florida progressives; in fact, it would be a dream for progressives nationally. But Florida isn't the only state where a significant up... more »
Former Yemeni President Flees To Aden
A protester holds up a poster of Yemen's former president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi during an anti-Houthi demonstration in Sanaa February 21, 2015. Credit: Reuters/Khaled Abdullah *VOA*: Former Yemeni President Flees Capital After Rebels Let Him Go *WASHINGTON — Aides to former Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi say he has left the capital, Sana'a, after Shi'ite rebels let him go following weeks of house arrest.* *The aides told Western media Saturday that Hadi was headed to the southern city of Aden, his home town.* *Update*: *Yemen's former leader flees to Aden* -- Reuters *... more »
Say Islamist, I dare you.
The BBC faithfully report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31564014 the latest comments by the Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper on the three British Muslim schoolgirls reported to have travelled to Syria to join up with ISIS "The idea of 15-year-old British schoolgirls setting off to Syria is very disturbing, and shows that more action is urgently needed to stop young people being drawn into extremism and conflict." How many non Muslims have joined up with ISIS? So the word Muslim should appear between British and schoolgirls. What extremism are these young people being drawn into? ... more »
Why China Would Lose A War Against America
The People's Republic of China flag and the U.S. Stars and Stripes fly along Pennsylvania Avenue near the U.S. Capitol in Washington during Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit, January 18, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Hyungwon Kang *Harry J. Kazianis, National Interest*: *Revealed: Why China Would Lose a War against America* *Chinese military might has grown considerably. However, Beijing's weaknesses abound. Let’s not mince words: a U.S.-China war would be hell on earth. It would likely start World War III. Millions— maybe billions— of people would die if nuclear weapons were ev... more »
Big Brother Running Amok: NSA/GCHQ Hack Huge SIM Card Producer
Stories of the NSA drive to in the words of retired boss General Keith Alexander “Collect It All”, have lately gone the way of “Deflategate” in the mainstream media but Big Brother never sleeps. We *all* need to understand that we live in the waning days of having any expectation of privacy and it is only a matter of time until big government is trying to get at what is *inside* our skulls too. This week there were two major reports of what the secret police have been up to yet the domestic media has largely stayed focused on the political rat race and various and sundry celebrity... more »
There Is A Question of What We Should Say To Each Other, But It Has Nothing To Do With Limits To Freedom Of Speech
Following recent bloody events in Copenhagen and Paris, with two very similar coordinated deadly attacks against symbolic targets of freedom of speech and religion, there has ensued a completely confused public discussion on the limits of freedom of speech, not seldom implicitly suggesting that maybe the cartoonists at Chalie Hebdo and Lars Vilks (the Swedish artist who co-organised the debate on blasphemy and freedom of speech that was one of the targets of the Copenhagen shooting) had it coming to them. I note that the other two targets in both cases where symbols of Jewish relig... more »
Jeb Bush to Give Big Foreign Policy Speech
With Americans’ political choices in the 2016 presidential race having pretty much already been made for them – Bush III or Clinton II – it is now up to the candidates to craft their sales pitches. While neither one will differ drastically from the other in terms of endless foreign entanglements, banker bailouts, mass surveillance, the war on civil liberties and amnesty for illegals it is all a matter of packaging. While Hillary lays low in the weeds - a luxury in that she has no competition from other Democrats – Jeb is going to have to actually go out and hit the cornbread and r... more »
A Different Standard For The Banks When They Are Caught 'Money Laundering'
Photo: Syed Jan Sabawoon/USAID *Michael Daly, Daily Beast*: *Cartel Turned Drug Money Into Gold* *After HSBC was caught laundering $881 million, the Sinaloa cartel turned to ‘Walt Disney.’ Now he faces 20 years in jail or losing his fingers.* *After the mega-bank HSBC was caught laundering $881 million in narco-cash, the Sinaloa cartel began funneling a big chunk of its profits through a cash-for-gold-for-cash scheme whose alleged ringleaders include a fretful fellow with the alias “Walt Disney.”* *Also known more familiarly as Don Walt, Carlos Parra-Pedroza and 31 others are said... more »
Hey, At Least Charlie Sheen Has Got Brian Williams' Back
Disgraced NBC News anchorman Brian Williams has been pilloried nonstop over his embarrassing and possibly career killing series of lies but at least one big name celebrity has his back. The unstable, Coke shorting, tiger blood drinking, porn star banging, rehab hopping madman Charlie Sheen has come out in defense of his “hero”. It is a sign of just how truly tough that times are for Williams when a guy like Sheen and all of his scandal drenched baggage is his most prominent advocate. As is being reported by a number of sources including the New York Daily News in the story entitle... more »
Marco Rubio Calls for Permanent USA PATRIOT Act
The ambitious and cunning Florida Senator Marco Rubio is going to hang his 2016 long shot presidential hopes on the National Security State. When you have nothing to sell in post 9/11 America you can always peddle fear and it always works. Rubio came out in favor of making the USA PATRIOT Act permanent in a FOX News oped piece last month but is being challenged by those who are concerned over our ongoing loss of civil liberties. One prominent critic of Rubio's terrorism gambit is the conservative organization Freedom Works that was a big backer of the Tea Party movement. While Fre... more »
Military Training Exercises From Around The World
A frontier soldier from the People’s Liberation Army during training in Heihe, Heilongjiang province, in 2014. Reuters/China Daily *Rocket News 24*: *The most intense, death-defying military training exercises from around the world* *Jumping through a ring of fire. Breaking bricks with your head. Drinking cobra blood.* *Those are some examples of what troops from around the world go through as part of military training.* *WNU Editor*: My preferred exercise is biking and hiking .... as to breaking bricks over my head .... no.
U.S. Senator Uses Bogus Photos to Make the Case For Arming Ukraine
Despite the fragile ceasefire that emerged from the peace talks between leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine there is still an ongoing push by defense industry pimps to supply weapons to Kiev backed forces. The top two proponents – as well as the most noisy – are of course the dynamic duo of John McCain and Lindsey Graham which comes as no surprise. Since it is Sunday at least one them will be appearing on the morning propaganda shows today to howl for pissing away American tax dollars in a civil war that we have no business meddling in. Neither one of the two - who hav... more »
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*Analytics play role for Saints in locating, evaluating draft prospects, says Mickey Loomis ~Nick Underhill, N.O. Advocate * *New Orleans officials insist they're prepared for a crude oil derailment and fire in the French Quarter ~Mark Schleifstein *
President Of Uruguay Blasts Former Guantanamo Prisoners For 'Lacking A Work Ethic'
*Photo: *Cleared: The men were detained in Guantanamo from 2002, but charges were dropped in 2009 *Daily Mail*: *President of Uruguay blasts former Guantanamo prisoners for 'lacking a work ethic' after they were resettled in his country and turned down jobs * ** The six men arrived to start new lives in Montevideo last December* ** They had been in Guantanamo Bay since 2002, but were never charged * ** Now president says they are 'middle class' and not willing to work hard* ** Unhappy former detainees claim they have swapped one prison for another* *WNU Editor*:Welcome to the real wo... more »
In Blow to Obama Loretta Lynch Hearings Delayed Over HSBC Questions
A funny thing happened on the way to the slam dunk appointment of new U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch. The Senate confirmation hearings have stalled amid questions about Lynch’s involvement in a sweetheart deal with the corrupt British megabank HSBC. Granted that it is probably just more of the same political theater but the Republicans have a chance to blow up the process and prevent Lynch from ever assuming office as the nation’s top law enforcement official. This would be a damned good thing in consideration of her past affiliation with the Timothy Geithner led New York Fede... more »
Mena Report - February 21-22 , 2015 - Iraq - Syria Regional War in focus , ISIS war in focus , Iran Talks in focus , Libya in focus
Links...... *Pentagon Doubts Its Own ISIS War Plan* *ISIS Kills 45 in East Libya Suicide Bombings* *CIA's Iran Nuclear-Bomb Sting Spurs IAEA Review* *US Ground Troops Likely to Join 'Spring Offensive' Against Mosul* *Egyptians Flee Libya Amid Fear of Growing Airstrikes* Iraqis Worry They Won't Be Ready for Mosul Operation 72 Killed in Iraq Friday Yemen Rebels Use Increasingly Brutal Tactics Against Demonstrators Tweets..... *Al Arabiya English* @AlArabiya_Eng 14s 14 seconds ago #Yemeni president slips #Houthi house arrest - http://goo.gl/xf4uf7 *Al Arabiya English* [... more »
Former Ambassador Robert Ford Admits "Conspiracy Theorists" Were Right - Jihadists Are Majority Of Rebels
Brandon Turbeville Death squad operative Robert Ford has turned a number of heads recently with his surprising indictments of the so-called “moderate” rebels operating in Syria. Ford, who has long been one of the most vocal cheerleaders of the jihadists – having played a crucial role in organizing and arming them early on – is now openly admitting much of what many in the alternative media have been saying since the beginning of the crisis in 2010 – that al-Qaeda, Nusra, and other jihadist forces make up the overwhelming majority of the alleged “rebellion.” Of course, there never ... more »
The Difference is Real
A small prisoner of war exchange in Ukraine gives us a taste of how each side treats their captives. In the east the soldiers captured from Kiev's fascist Army are treated with dignity and great care. I've seen this over and over as the east tries to show the neo-Nazi troops that they are wrong about their fellow citizens who live near the Russian border. Those self-defense forces who were captured by Kiev's forces are returned looking beaten, haggard, and obviously suffering severe emotional trauma. Remember which side the US-NATO are supporting. Just this short clip should te... more »
Find Out if You've Been Spied on - and Join the Fight for Privacy
Nadia Kayyali Want to know if GCHQ spied on you? Now you can find out. Privacy International (PI) has just launched a website that lets anyone find out if their communications were intercepted by the NSA and then shared with GCHQ. The website is the result of a February 6 ruling by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT). Similar to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in the US, the IPT is a special court in the UK established by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) that deals with issues of surveillance and human rights. The February 6th ruling held that int... more »
Forced Adult Vaccinations at Federal Levels Comment Period Now
*U.S. HHS is Going for More Vaccinations during Pregnancy, Employer-enforced adult vaccination requirements, and, probably, Faith-based groups to uptake vaccinations* Anthony Freda Art Catherine J. Frompovich The U.S. Health and Human Services published a 46-page draft proposal and notice in the Federal Register recently regarding more mandated vaccines for adults, and especially pregnant females; employer-enforced adult vaccinations; and probably for getting faith-based groups to uptake and not oppose vaccines/vaccinations. *There is an open public comment period that ends Mar... more »
European Financial Wrap ( February 21 - 22 , 2015 ) - Greece reaches a provision deal with its creditors for a four month extension ( news and views on same ) ..... Russia downgraded to junk ( news and views related to Ukraine - Russia situation )
Tweets..... *Efthimia Efthimiou* @EfiEfthimiou · 22m22 minutes ago #Greece Productive Recon. Minister Lafazanis says privatisations will not go ahead http://bit.ly/19SqgFW *Efthimia Efthimiou* @EfiEfthimiou · 11m11 minutes ago #Greece govt spox Sakellaridis after cabinet meeting: the Ministers welcomed govt’s steps in Eurogroup via @capitalgr *Efthimia Efthimiou* @EfiEfthimiou · 27m27 minutes ago Senior #Greece Minister tells @capitalgr after cabinet meeting re the reforms list: “everything is ready” zerohedge retweeted *Antonis Polemitis* @polemitis 4m 4 minut... more »
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*AZ House panel moves to dump Common Core* PHOENIX — State lawmakers are moving to do what schools chief Diane Douglas has so far been unable to do — kill the Common Core academic standards and any tests associated with them. The House Education Committee voted 5-2 along party lines to block the state Board of Education from implementing the standards developed in part by the National Governors Association. The Republican-backed HB 2190 also makes it illegal for the board to adopt standards for college and career readiness that are “substantially similar to standards or assessmen... more »
Dollar Dump Begins: Russia Unloads 20% Of Its Total U.S. Holdings In ONE Month
Mac Slavo Earlier this week John Williams warned that hyperinflation will begin to appear in America sometime in 2015. He noted that, though the dollar is currently strong compared to other fiat money, signs that a currency collapse is coming will begin with the sell-off of the U.S. dollar. It’s a known fact that the Russians and Chinese have already begun divesting themselves of dollar dependency by implementing trade agreements that completely sidestep the world’s reserve currency, but there has been no overt sign of a sell-off that might be indicative of a coming attack on our... more »
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*Bad news for Warmists: Sun has entered 'weakest solar cycle in a century'* The conceit that human production of carbon dioxide is capable of driving the earth’s climate is running smack into the sun. CO2 accounts for a mere 0.039% of the atmosphere, while the sun accounts for 99.86% of all of the mass in our entire solar system. And Ol’ Sol is not taking the insult lightly. Vencore Weather reports: For the past 5 days, solar activity has been very low and one measure of solar activity – its X-ray output – has basically flatlined in recent days (plot below courtesy NOAA/Space Weat... more »
Dear NAACP: The Tests You Say You Want to Use Are Racist and Classist to the Core
I don't often post unsigned comments, but the one below by NYCDOEnuts is an exception. It came in response to my post yesterday that Carol Burris had finally seen the light and is now calling for civil disobedience to stop the next generation of high stakes tests that the oligarchs and profiteers plan to use to impose years more of lucrative testing brutality in American public schools. NYCDOEnuts is clearly in Ravitch/Cody camp, insisting that high stakes must be preserved to maintain the lost dignity of the corporate Kool-Aid drinkers at the NAACP and the other groups that are ost... more »
Free Showing Of "Bought, The Movie" until March 6, 2015
*...Is Your Family's Health Being Traded For Profit?*New BOUGHT Documentary Exposes Ugly Truth Behind Vaccines, GMO's and Big Pharma *To view this movie for free unttil the 6th of March, 0olease click on the link provided below:* *Bougth Movie Free Viewing Link* Source of picture: https://www.facebook.com/BoughtMovie
£300m for RAF Marham fighter maintenance hub
More than £300m is to be invested in RAF Marham as part of plans to create a European maintenance hub for a new generation of strike and fighter aircraft, it has been announced. Prime Minister David Cameron said the funding, on new buildings and facilities, would create 1,000 jobs. Last May it was announced the base would be used to maintain fighters deployed across Europe. Read more
Thai air force F-16A crashes during drill, killing pilot
[image: A piece of the F-16 fighter jet is found at the crash site]A Thai air force F-16A fighter jet crashed Friday during a drill in central Thailand, killing the pilot, an air force spokesman said. The single-seat jet crashed at the air force's training ground in Lopburi province during a weapon-training flight, Air Vice Marshal Montol Suchookorn said. He said the body of the 30-year-old pilot was found in the wreckage and air force officers were investigating the cause of the crash. Read more
On Edge, Persian Gulf Monarchies Step Up Defense Spending
[image: Arab Woman Led Airstrikes Over Syria]Facing a host of military threats, the oil-rich monarchies of the Persian Gulf have been boosting outlays for defense equipment—providing a shot in the arm for Western arms suppliers facing government cutbacks in much of the rest of the world. Lower oil prices may eventually damp the buying binge, as they did during a price slump in 1999. But for now, weapon sales to Middle East buyers, chief among them Saudi Arabia, are booming. Riyadh spent $80.8 billion on defense last year, up almost 43% from just two years earlier and trailing only t... more »
Boeing Under Mounting Pressure To Deliver New Tanker
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[image: Boeing 767-2C (KC-46)]After a decade-long battle against Airbus that included protests and allegations of corruption, Boeing in 2011 won the highly-coveted contract to build a new aerial refueling aircraft for the Air Force. The fixed-price contract award came with strings attached: Boeing would be responsible for any development costs over a $4.9 billion cap. Because of a 2014 wiring issue that delayed flight testing and added unforeseen expenses to the program, the pressure is mounting on Boeing. Read more
INS Vikramaditya’s operation crippled
[image: INS Vikramaditya]Barely a week after Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar witnessed the ongoing theatre-level naval exercise TROPEX-15 on board the newly acquired INS Vikramaditya , reliable information suggests that the aircraft carrier’s operation is crippled, owing to issues with its integral fleet of MiG-29K fighter jets. Nearly 30 of the RD-33MK engines powering the twin-engine MiG-29K aircraft attached to the ‘Black Panther’ squadron have packed up ever since aviation activities got under way from the deck of the refurbished Soviet-era carrier that was inducted into the I... more »
Defense Official: French Carrier Enters Persian Gulf, ISIS Strike Missions Could Start Soon
[image: FS Charles de Gaulle (R91)]French nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91) has entered the Persian Gulf and could soon start strike missions against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS or ISIL) fighters, defense officials told USNI News on Friday. The ship entered crossed the Strait of Hormuz and entered the region on Feb. 15 after completing operations in the Gulf of Aden and is set to join USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) in conducting airstrikes. “They’re in the [Persian] Gulf,” a spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) told USNI News on Friday. “They haven’t gon... more »
Thailand has an aircraft carrier with no aircraft
[image: HTMS Chakri Naruebet]For a brief period in the late 1990s, Thailand was the only country in southeast Asia that possessed one of the ultimate symbols of military strength: an aircraft carrier. Its carrier, the HTMS Chakri Naruebet, was meant to be a point of pride for Thailand and symbolize the developing country's power. Then the late 1990s Asian financial crisis hit Thailand. Bangkok's grand plans for its carrier were significantly hobbled. Commissioned in 1997, the same year the financial crisis struck the country, the Chakri Naruebet — which means "Sovereign of the Chak... more »
N. Korea conducts submarine missile ejection test: sources
[image: 66 meter submarine]North Korea appears to have conducted a test of a missile ejection launcher that helps fire missiles from submarines, South Korean military sources said Friday. The communist North "tested the ejection launcher from the seashore near the Sinpo South Shipyard on Jan. 23 for missiles that can be fired from submarines," one military source here said, requesting anonymity. The ejection test last month from the North's northeast coast simulated the initial stage of boosting a missile out of a submarine launch tube, the source said. Read more
Iran's Partnership With North Korea On Nukes And Missiles May Scuttle Any Deal
[image: Iran - N. Korea]The agreement the U.S. is hammering out with Iran for downsizing Iran’s nuclear program seems to be leaving one wild card out of the deal. That’s North Korea’s long-term partnership with Iran on everything from missiles to nuclear technology and components. While negotiators haggle over the number of centrifuges Iran should keep in its inventory, North Korean engineers, technicians and laborers remain in Iran assisting in constructing and operating the facilities that are the point of all the debate. Read more
BAE gets £859m boost for Navy's new Type 26 frigates
[image: Type 26 FFG]BAE Systems has agreed an £859m contract with the Government that pushes forward the development of a new class of warship for the Royal Navy. The company has signed a demonstration contract that will provide funding to begin ordering major parts for the new Type 26 Global Combat ships. Under the deal, which moves the programme from development towards the early stages of manufacturing, BAE will begin investing in systems for the first three vessels in the class, which require long lead times to build, such as gas turbines engines, diesel generators and steering ... more »
Europa
Echoes - Pink Floyd 2001 Space Odyssey from Jordi Bou on Vimeo. *ALL THESE WORLDS* *ARE YOURS EXCEPT* EUROPA ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE 2001 and 2010 Written by a high free mason, Arthur C. Clarke, shows a Masonic belief system semi-obscured in allegory. Really tells a new world order beginning in 2001, ending with Part 2 - 2010. For follow up on final story, see Arthur C. Clarke's book 3001. New Age Magazine (Formally retitled "Scottish Rite Magazine" following complications with the churches in the 1990s) November 1969 Buzz performs a zero-G variant of the Hidden Hand (Withou... more »
Egypt On Libya Intervention: U.N. Instead Calls For A Political Solution
*Photo: General Sisi speaking at the United Nations.* The governments of the U.S. and Turkey will *train more ISIL terrorists* to take down the government of Syria. As they say, try, and try again. The leaders of Saudi Arabia have said on numerous occasions that they will destroy Syria just to get rid of Assad. And they're well on their way to accomplishing that goal. In addition to helping the U.S. train tens of thousands of more ISIL terrorists, Turkey is also hosting the radical members of the Muslim Brotherhood who have called for the assassination of Egypt's leader General Si... more »
Building an airplane
Building an airplane, a Boeing 737-800 in this case. An amazing video and one that involves a surprising amount if nmanual labour when compared to building a car. Volumes I suppose...
Many worlds: a Rozali-Carroll exchange
Sean Carroll wrote another tirade, The Wrong Objections to the Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics where he tries to defend some misconceptions about the "many worlds interpretation" of quantum mechanics while showing that he is totally unable *and* unwilling to think rationally and honestly. After some vacuous replies to vacuous complaints by vacuous critics who love to say that physics isn't testable, he claims that the following two assumptions, 1. The world is described by a quantum state, which is an element of a kind of vector space known as Hilbert space. ... more »
US "Easing Into" War with Syria Using ISIS Boogeyman
The US is a few "accidental" airstrikes away from total war with Syria. *February 21, 2015* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - The US is reportedly working with Turkey to provide militants inside of Syria with radios to call in US airstrikes to help in their "fight against ISIS." Despite the obvious reality that these militants are in fact fighting alongside ISIS and are primarily fighting the Syrian Arab Army, and that such airstrikes are inevitably going to be called in on Syrian, not ISIS targets, the US is nonetheless attempting to assure the world this is not the case. The London Te... more »
U.S. Department Of Homeland Security Warns Of Domestic Right-Wing Terror Threats
*CNN:* *DHS intelligence report warns of domestic right-wing terror threat * *Washington (CNN)They're carrying out sporadic terror attacks on police, have threatened attacks on government buildings and reject government authority.A new intelligence assessment, circulated by the Department of Homeland Security this month and reviewed by CNN, focuses on the domestic terror threat from right-wing sovereign citizen extremists and comes as the Obama administration holds a White House conference to focus efforts to fight violent extremism. * *WNU Editor*:The Islamic State is causing m... more »
Egypt Launches Ground Attack In Isis-Held Derna 'Capturing 55 Militants'
An armed motorcade belonging to members of Derna's Islamic Youth Council, consisting of former members of militias from the town of Derna, drive along a road in Derna, eastern Libya in October 2014(Reuters) IBTimes: Libya: *Egyptian troops launch ground attack in Isis-held Derna 'capturing 55 militants'* Egyptian special forces have allegedly launched a ground attack in Libya's Islamic State-held Derna capturing dozens of Islamist militants, according to Egyptian and Libyan reports. Ansa news agency cited unnamed local sources as saying that an Egyptian commando stormed the easter... more »
Is Malaysia the next nation to collapse because of "Beauty & the Beast"?
SINKING SHIP NAJIB: Altantuya - the murdered Mongolian mistress who refused to stay dead. - Written by J.D. Lovrenciar Which nation in the region is going thorough what Malaysia is experiencing if you take inventory of the overdrive breaking news on sex, murder and money trail exposes? There is none, but Malaysia. [image: SINKING SHIP NAJIB: Altantuya - the murdered Mongolian mistress who refused to stay dead]And since the last two general elections, the country has not being spared of titillating expose after expose of sex, murder and money trails. Indeed Malaysia is sinking... more »
Agreement Reached To Establsh A Joint Ukrainian-Polish-Lithuanian Brigade
Extraordinary session of Verkhovna Rada on Jan. 27 in Kyiv. © Pavlo Podufalov *Sputnik:* *Ukraine Signs Agreement to Create Military Brigade With Poland, Lithuania* *Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania are set to create a joint military brigade to conduct military operations around Europe.Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed the law to ratify an agreement between Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania to create a joint military unit, the so-called Ukrainian-Polish-Lithuanian brigade, Poroshenko’s official website reports.* *Update #1:* Ukrainian President ratifies joint 4,500-strong mi... more »
MILF, Fallen 44 and Napenas, Part 5
I am reposting these three short but erudite essays by a friend, Raffy Aquino, in his fb wall. Meanwhile, my unsolicited advice to the following: PNP Director Getulio Napenas -- you apologize to the public and the families of the 44 dead cops, or you commit suicide. You bastard liar. President Aquino -- you also apologize to the public and the families of the 44 dead cops. You tolerated a suspended bureaucrat to run the show for a highly risky but ego-tripping show. Nonoy Oplas --------------- Three short essays by Raffy Aquino *TEMPLATE* (February 19, 2015) The intrusion was a ca... more »
Is the Surveillance State in America Really a Threat to Freedom?
*Film - *William Binney speaks out in this feature-length interview with Tragedy and Hope's Richard Grove, focused on the topic of the ever-growing surveillance state in America. Is our freedom really at stake? The post Is the Surveillance State in America Really a Threat to Freedom? appeared first on Waking Times.
Kiev Is Now Demanding That Ukrainian Children Adopted And Living Overseas Must Serve Mandatory Service In The Army
Slavick, a Ukranian resident of Huesca. / carles ribas *El Pais*:* Why Ukrainians adopted by Spanish families may have to go to war* ** Victims of the Chernobyl disaster living in Spain are receiving call-up letters from Kiev* ** Many of the youngsters fear they will be sent to fight against pro-Russian militias* *A simple letter has completely changed the stable lives of Tola and Yura, two Ukrainian youngsters aged 18 and 16 who live in Spain. The government in Kiev has called them up to serve their obligatory military service. They have been instructed to report to their corresp... more »
Maybe "Smelly Shelly" Silver is answerable to the laws we have after all: Part 1, The indictment
*He used to be such an important person, not just respected but feared. Now the feds are sitting on nearly $4 million of his moolah, he's facing real prison time, and he's got some Internet clown calling him "Smelly Shelly."* *by Ken* So much for the hopes of former NYS Assembly Speaker "Smelly Shelly" Silver to wriggle out from under the heap of hurt piled on him last month by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara ("Say it ain't so, Shelly Silver -- and see whether anybody believes you") at the indictment stage. (I see that I myself referred erroneously to Smelly Shelly having been "arreste... more »
Russia's FSB Director Still Wants To Work With The U.S.
Head of the Federal Security Service Aleksandr Bortnikov. (RIA Novosti/Sergey Guneev) *RT:* *FSB director calls for further cooperation with the US in face of common threats* *The professional cooperation between special services must continue despite the strained relations between nations, the head of Russia’s Federal Security Service said during his visit to the United States.Aleksandr Bortnikov told reporters in Washington DC that it was impossible to solve political contradictions without using all the special services’ capabilities. “This is a very important aspect that act... more »
These Are The Top 12 Military Movies That Have Won An Oscar
*Military.com*: *The Top 12 Military Movies in Oscar History* *For over 80 years, military films have made an impact at the Academy Awards. With American Sniper scoring six nominations at this year’s Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor, we thought it would be a good time to do our rundown of the top dozen military movies in Oscar history (in our humble opinion – feel free to mention some of your favorites in the comments section below this article)… And if you want more details on American Sniper, check out the full Military.com review as well a... more »
That queasy feeling the weird weather can give you
In this winter which, unlike that of some other people, where whole shopping malls are collapsing in the snow, we not only have dandelions and daisies up and birds nesting, but rain that should be falling and isn't. Meteorologists talk about the California drought, but half of western Oregon is in the zone, and we're feeling it. So here I am watering the garden. There's not much out there, just three rows of broadbeans and half a bed of peas, but they need water to get started, so I have gotten out the hoses, replaced a couple of washers, connected it all together, and begun the ... more »
9/11 Videography : Hitting Your Mark
*Only those with knowledge and insight will be able to discern its meaning.* *It says "Camera Crew 19, stand here to capture footage of dummies falling from the area of the North Tower"* *Not-a-person.*
Daily Express readers, read on: Supertide will cause 230mph winds across Britain. Millions will die.
Hmm. Following the fairly recent blowing-in of a 'weatherbomb' and, yet more recently still, amd an outburst of 'thundersnow', it appears - as per *The Times *- that we've now facing the onslaught of a 'supertide'. Yes, a 'supertide'. I'll have to watch the waves on the shoreline of Morecambe Bay this weekend - at a safe distance. of course. The 'waterthwack' as the 'waterhorses' whack against the 'tsunamiwall' (we used to call our 'sea wall', before it seemed a bit pedestrian to do so) should be something to behold. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
Tonight's Movie Is Gorky Park (1983)
*WNU Editor:* Moscow in the early 1980s .... sighhh ... the memories. As to the movie .... what can I say .... Moscow, the KGB, unscrupulous U.S. businessman, murder, money and power. The Wikipedia entry for this movie *is here*.
Jennifer Hibben-White "Angry Mom"- Conflict of Interests & Promoting a For Profit Agenda
With much thanks to anonymous commenter, who so very kindly left links to two videos clearly demonstrating the conflicts of interest so called "angry mom' clearly had when she posted her disgraceful rant against those she so derogatorily labelled as "anti-vaxxers" *I knew there was more to this then met the eye. T**he rant was very manipulative.* *Written by someone who KNOWS how to use media to push buttons in order to elicit a specific response* AnonymousFebruary 20, 2015 at 9:40 AM Regarding the Canadian measles mum brouhaha - Pro Vaccine Campaign Exposed! https://www.youtube.co... more »
Untitled
*Coastal-erosion lawsuit decision to be appealed without vote by board ~Jeff Adelson, New Orleans Advocate * *Zurik: Coach's show a boon for producers, a bust for taxpayers ~WVUE* *Gulf of Mexico cleanses the air during the night ~WWLTV*
Gluconeogenesis Drives Ketogenesis - role of the Nutritional Prometheus.
In trying to explain the findings of Newburgh and Marsh*, and of Karl Petren, from 1923 that switching to a high fat, restricted protein, and very low carbohydrate diet - a ketogenic diet - suppresses diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in diabetics without access to insulin, I can't help noticing that gluconeogenesis is a driver of ketogenesis. DKA is a dehydrating syndrome characterized by hyperglycaemia, due in large part to runaway gluconeogenesis, plus levels of ketone bodies, much higher than those seen in starvation or nutritional ketosis, which result in a lethal acidosis. And exces... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 20, 2015
*Bloomberg editorial*: *Europe's Crisis Averted (Until Monday)* *With their tentative agreement on financial aid for Greece, the euro zone's finance ministers have paused a drama that could still end in disaster and that should never have happened in the first place. The deal outlined on Friday won't be concluded until next week, and could still fall apart, but Friday's talks are being seen as a breakthrough.* *With luck, the deal will stick. Whether it sticks or not, the European Union needs to study the shambles of the past few weeks and resolve never to repeat it.* *Commentari... more »
Cannabis Week
Due to family matters (of the nice variety), I've not have much time to blog this week - or to listen to or watch much on the BBC. That said, I've tried to keep up with *Newsnight* (more of which over the weekend) and with Radio 4's *PM *and its 'Cannabis Week'. Having posted about the BBC's apparent pro-liberalisation bias on the issue of cannabis last weekend I was intrigued to hear that *PM *was giving up large swathes of its programme this past week to the subject. (Why did they do that?) I've never hidden the fact (even on my old blog) that - unlike, I suspect, many of you... more »
CFP for papers Assessing the Administration of Ma Ying-jeou
*Blossom time in Taiwan* Call for Papers: Journal on Current Chinese Affairs (Taiwan Edition) (ISSN 1868-4874) The Journal of Current Chinese Affairs (JCCA), in cooperation with the European Research Center on Contemporary Taiwan (CCKF-ERCCT), is inviting contributions for a new Taiwan edition on the topic: Assessing the Administration of President Ma Ying-jeou guest edited by Sabrina Habich & Stefan Fleischauer (ERCCT Tübingen) When Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008 public support for the Kuomintang (KMT) was strong, largely because many Taiwanese were hugely dissatisfied with the... more »
Labour vs The Militant Tendency
The past really is a foreign country. Can you imagine if the BBC or ITV ponied up to Labour Party conference and asked to transmit a live debate between Progress and the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy? It's unthinkable. Yet, in 1982 something similar did happen. At the year's party conference in Blackpool, the right won a majority on the NEC after much arm-twisting and shenanigans - some of which is outlined in John Golding's must-read, *The Hammer of the Left*. Immediately moves were afoot to curb the influence of the Militant Tendency (today's Socialist Party) who were then ... more »
Drones, Decapitation, ISA and Impossible Strategies
Yesterday at ISA, I participated on a panel on technology and international security. One of the topics addressed was the “successfulness” of the Obama administration’s decapitation/targeted killing strategy of terrorist leaders through unmanned aerial vehicles or “drones.” The question of success, however, got me to thinking. Success was described as the military effectiveness of the […]
War Is A Drug(Chris Hedges, Podcast)
Everyone who cares about the real truth needs to listen to this podcast.. Courtesy CBC Radio.... http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/podcasts/ideas_20150209_82879.mp3 If that link above doesn`t work, try this one(courtesy contributor Hugh) http://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/chris-hedges-war-is-a-drug-1.2954759 _________________ The Straight Goods Cheers Eyes Wide Open
Is The Florida Senate Race Staring To Clarify Itself?
New Dem Patrick Murphy A lot hinges on Rubio, of course. He has his flip-floppin', confused little heart set on a presidential/vice presidential run. But Florida Republicans-- and now the NRSC-- are begging him to run for reelection, frightened that they could lose the seat, especially with Hillary on the top of the ticket (and particularly so if Jeb isn't the GOP nominee). On the Democratic side of the aisle, there's already a battle raging between the right-of-center Establishment and grassroots Democrats who represent the legitimate aspirations of working families and who embrace ...more »
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Taiwan's former state prosecutor-general Huang Shyh-ming was sentenced to 15 months in prison Thursday for leaking classified information related to an investigation. Huang was convicted of violating the Communication Security and Surveillance Act by disclosing details of the investigation to President Ma Ying-jeou and then premier Jiang Yi-huah. The probe by the ...
Taiwan's DPP leader declares candidacy to 2016 presidential election TAIPEI, Feb. 14, Kyodo Tsai Ing-wen, leader of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party, declared Saturday she plans to run in the presidential election set for next year. Tsai is likely to get the party's endorsement as no other senior member of her party ...
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) registered to be a contender in the party primary for the 2016 presidential election, pointing out that she places the stabilization of cross-strait relations as a priority As most of the party's potential candidates, including Tainan City Mayor Lai ...
There are a couple of key events for the election next year. First, Tsai Ing-wen, DPP Chairman, declared her candidacy for presidency. She announced on Facebook that she'd enter the primary to become the DPP's presidential candidate, but since she's the party leader and the shoo-in candidate. Way cool moment: ...
Continue reading the main story HONG KONG - After a prison hostage standoff in Taiwan that ended early Thursday with the suicides of six inmates, President Ma Ying-jeou condemned the hostage taking and called for a strengthening of prison oversight. "Compatriots have been shocked by the Kaohsiung Prison incident, which ...
Taiwanese Official in Charge of Ties With Mainland China Steps Down Austin Ramzy New York Times HONG KONG - Taiwan's top official in charge of relations with mainland China resigned on Tuesday, after prosecutors said that his former deputy, whom he had suspected of disclosing state secrets, would not ...
Tweet A new crisis in relations between China and Taiwan is likely in the coming months, one that will pose more acute difficulties than in the past for Taiwan's benefactor, the United States. China is relatively stronger than Taiwan, less inhibited from behaving assertively, and more insistent on attaining its objectives ...
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