10:43pm MDST
With Reports Continuing To Circulate That Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Is Dying From Cancer, Here Are His Probable Replacements
The Supreme Leader made the comments blasting America immediately after prostate surgery, perhaps in a bid to use a show of force to convince supporters he hadn't lost his revolutionary zeal. *Business Insider*: *Here are the most likely candidates to replace Iran's ailing Supreme Leader* *Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is reportedly dying.* *The ayatollah, the final arbiter of all of Tehran's internal and external policies since 1989, is thought to have terminal cancer and his death could be imminent. * *Once Khamenei dies, Iran will undergo an important political shift. Sinc... more »
War, War is Stupid, Part 3
A friend, Froi Vincenton of https://vincenton.wordpress.com/ commented to my earlier points in Part 2 of this subject. He wrote, *Some people didn't ask for war. Just look at the Christians and Yazidis in Musol and other parts of Iraq. They didn't call for war. They didn't want to defend themselves by exacting reciprocal response. They were all massacred. Those who are calling for 'collective' self-defense against organized, adequately funded terror groups (by both transnational terror networks, Islamic countries and OUR GOVERNMENT) are not warmongers or hawks.* *If an organized g... more »
Duncan Drives into Dead End, Really
In Chicago today to visit one of his favorite corporate reform schools. He saw protestors waiting for him to arrive at a school and had his Suburban driver blast down an alley to take a shortcut to avoid them. Whoops, dead end. So what happens? He has to walk out with teachers and parents screaming about PARCC. What does he do? Ignore them. Is this pure poetry, or what?
Nigeria Hires Foreign Mercenaries To Wage War Against Boko Haram
A foreign mercenary in an APC on the streets of Maiduguri. The News *VOA Exclusive:* *Nigeria Brings S. African, Foreign Mercenaries Into Boko Haram Fight * *ABUJA, NIGERIA - South African and other foreign soldiers in Nigeria are fighting against Boko Haram, engaging in ground combat and flying combat air sorties, Nigerian soldiers told VOA Thursday.The fighting comes as the Nigerian government tries to notch battlefield victories ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections later this month.Nigerian government officials confirmed the presence of foreign military personne... more »
Myanmar Has Accidentally Bombed A Chinese Village While Battling Kokang Rebels
A map showing the location of Burma's Kokang region. Graphic: RFA *Washington Times*: *Myanmar bombed Chinese village* *A Myanmar government MiG-29 fighter plane on March 8 flew over a Chinese village in the border province of Yunnan and dropped a bomb on a house believed to be a safe haven for the Kokang rebels. No major casualty was announced by either the Chinese or the Burmese side.* *Witnesses at the site reported that the MiG-29 fighter jet flew at low altitude over the Chinese village known as Mengding, causing pandemonium among the villagers watching the tense firefight o... more »
PNoy Resignation Call -- Lousy Movement
Politics and government is about power. Lust for power. That is why governments must shrink because the people who are most attracted to politics and government are most likely the ego-trippers, corrupt and extortionists. Not all of them of course, but most of them. In the current political drama in the Philippines, some sectors, politicians professioals, NGO and media leaders call for President Noynoy (PNoy) Aquino to resign, mainly because of the Mamasapano incident last January 25 where 44 cops,18 MILF fighters and 5 civilians were killed. The President indeed made a number of lo... more »
Elevated Radiation Levels in US from Japan?
Radiation levels were quite high in Japan last couple of weeks: http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/watch-out-japan.html http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/elevated-radiation-levels-in-japan-and.html Radiation levels in the US have been slowly trending upwards, as indicated by Netc, whose data sources include EPA Radnet and private monitors. Netc is rough and incomplete data, but it provides insight into trends. I've noted for several years in my blog that elevated RadNet readings in cities under jet stream often follow elevated radiation readings in Japan by several days. ... more »
Kudos to Wikipedia for Pursuing Free Speech and Personal Privacy
Andrea Peterson (March 10 2015). Wikipedia is suing the NSA over online spying . Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/03/10/wikipedia-is-suing-the-nsa-over-online-spying/? wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1 [Excerpted] The nonprofit behind Wikipedia, the Wikimedia Foundation, is suing the National Security Agency and the Department of Justice over a government surveillance program.... "We are asking the court to order an end to the NSA's dragnet surveillance of Internet traffic," Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales wrote in a New York Times opinion piece abo... more »
PNoy Resignation Call -- Lousy Movement
Politics and government is about power. Lust for power. That is why governments must shrink because the people who are most attracted to politics and government are most likely the ego-trippers, corrupt and extortionists. Not all of them of course, but most of them. In the current political drama in the Philippines, some sectors, politicians professioals, NGO and media leaders call for President Noynoy (PNoy) Aquino to resign, mainly because of the Mamasapano incident last January 25 where 44 cops,18 MILF fighters and 5 civilians were killed. The President indeed made a number of lo... more »
Family values, Arkansas GOP-style -- we're not going to hold that exorcism against these good Christian folk, are we?
*"[C]ounty DHS workers warned the Harrises not to foster and adopt any of [the three sisters they wanted to take in], because they weren't a good match for these little girls. But the Harrises pulled strings, got the head of DHS to overrule them, and got the girls anyway. It lasted 14 months, at the most."* *-- from a DailyKos post by Buckeye BattleCry* *by Ken* If you too are just coming to this horrifying story an Arkansas state representative, his wife, and three troubled girls who had the misfortune to come under their care, *come on in!* Even though there is a certain core o... more »
Crimea One Year After Its Return To Russia: Crimeans Overwhelmingly Prefer Russia! More Than 80% Approval!
One of the biggest lies still coming out of the Jew spew media these days is the constant fraud harping of lies that the Crimean Peninsula was "annexed" by Russia.... In many false and fraud news services the reports have the audacity to absolutely give the bullshit tale that Russia "invaded" (!) Crimea... These same reports try vainly to claim that the Crimeans are somehow under a "military" occupation and that they yearn for a "return" to Ukraine... Well, I am again wanting to set the records straight about Crimea, considering that it is now almost a full year since the people of ... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Like delicate cosmic petals, these clouds of interstellar dust and gas have blossomed 1,300 light-years away in the fertile star fields of the constellation Cepheus. Sometimes called the Iris Nebula and dutifully cataloged as NGC 7023 this is not the only nebula in the sky to evoke the imagery of flowers. Still, this remarkable image shows off the Iris Nebula's range of colors and symmetries in impressive detail. Within the Iris, dusty nebular material surrounds a hot, young star. * Click image for larger size.* The dominant color of the brighter reflection nebula is blue, characte... more »
Chet Raymo, “The Journey”
*“The Journey”* by Chet Raymo "Here's a deep-deep sky map of the universe from the March 9, 2006 issue of Nature. The horizontal scale is a 360 view right around the sky; the vertical gaps at 6 hours and 24 hours are the parts of the universe that are blocked to our view by the disk of our own Milky Way Galaxy. The vertical scale - distance from Earth - is logarithmic (10, 100, 1000, etc.) measured in megaparsecs (a parsec equals 3.26 light-years). Across the top is the Big Bang, and the oldest and most distant thing we can see, the cosmic microwave background, the radiation of the... more »
"An Eskimo Saying"
“Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.” ~ Eskimo saying.
“Alt Text: A Short Course in Get-a-Life Science”
*“Alt Text: A Short Course in Get-a-Life Science”* by Lore Sjöberg “There are about 250 million U.S. internet users, according to something I read on the internet, and about a quarter of them use discussion boards, according to something I read on some discussion board. And yet, I’m not seeing much evidence that the corpus of comments clogging the commons is going to produce the next Bertrand Russell, or for that matter the next Nipsey Russell. There seems to be a certain desperation in the tone of your typical bile-posting poster child. They obsessively stomp from site to site, fr... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Tofino, British Columbia, Canada. Thanks for stopping by.
Why The Battle For Tikrit Is Important
*Adam J. Tiffen, Task & Purpose*: *The Outcome Of The Ongoing Battle For Tikrit Could Be A Gamechanger In Iraq* *A victory in Tikrit for the Iraqi army and Shiite militiamen could be a huge step in defeating not only ISIS’ military prowess, but its guiding vision as well.* *The battle for the Iraqi city of Tikrit is underway after more than a week of fighting between Iraqi army soldiers and Shiite militias against ISIS militants. Over 30,000 soldiers and militiamen backed by jets and helicopters launched a much-anticipated offensive against the ISIS forces currently in control of... more »
Tecumseh, "Live Your Life..."
"Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about his religion. Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place. Show respect to all people, but grovel to none. When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your... more »
"Clinging To The Core When Our World Falls Apart"
*"Clinging To The Core When Our World Falls Apart"* by The DailyOm "When external factors shift we have an opportunity to rediscover our core which is the only truly safe place to call home. There are times when our whole world seems to be falling apart around us, and we are not sure what to hold onto anymore. Sometimes our relationships crumble and sometimes it’s our physical environment. At other times, we can’t put our finger on it, but we feel as if all the walls have fallen down around us and we are standing with nothing to lean on, exposed and vulnerable. These are the times ... more »
"Folly..."
“Folly is perennial, yet the human race has survived.” - Bertrand Russell
Turbulent Times Show, Tomorrow, Friday March 13th At 8PM CDT (9PM EDT) On Blogtalk Radio
Whitewraithe and I are having our newest edition of "Turbulent Times" tomorrow night at 8PM CDT on Blogtalk radio... www.blogtalkradio.com/turbulenttimes We will be touching on many of the current events on tomorrow night's show, and will also touch on a few other categories... It will again make for a most interesting broadcast... And as usual, we will have our chat room open at www.turbulenttimes.chatango.com.... Hopefully this gives everyone enough advance warning so that many will tune in.... We do hope to hear from you, and anyone can call in at as well with a... more »
Thorne Dreyer : RAG RADIO PODCAST | Jim Hightower on ‘the growing populist rebellion against our corporate plutocracy’
We also talk about the U.S. Postal Service and grassroots efforts by workers and supporters to fight back against privatization. Interview by Thorne Dreyer | The Rag Blog | March 12, 2015 Progressive populist writer and radio commentator Jim Hightower, … finish reading Thorne Dreyer : *RAG RADIO PODCAST* | Jim Hightower on ‘the growing populist rebellion against our corporate plutocracy’
The Battle For Tikrit Continues
*Reuters*:* Iraqi forces slowed by snipers and bombs in Tikrit* *(Reuters) - Iraqi security forces and mainly Shi'ite militia fought Islamic State fighters in Tikrit on Thursday, a day after they pushed into Saddam Hussein's home city in their biggest offensive yet against the militants.* *A source at the military command said there was heavy mortar shelling, sniper and machine-gun fire in the industrial quarter in the northwest of the city. Three Islamic State insurgents were killed but the army and militias struggled to advance from parts of the city which they took 24 hours ea... more »
Was There a Race of Giant Humans on Earth?
*Film - *Did ancient giant races really exist? Here are two films that explore that possibility and the "giants" potential link to alien life forms on earth. The post Was There a Race of Giant Humans on Earth? appeared first on Waking Times.
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 12, 2015
*Ian Black, The Guardian:* *How international divisions contributed to Syria's war without end* *After four years of conflict, it is clear President Assad’s allies have been more determined to keep him in power than his enemies have been to remove himNo one knows how Syria’s war will end. Four years of violence, destruction and instability have had a terrible impact on millions of its people, on the country and the wider Middle East. But it is already clear that international divisions over the greatest crisis of the 21st century have contributed to its severity and longevity.... more »
World News Briefs -- March 12, 2015
*BBC:* *Islamic State 'accepts' Boko Haram's allegiance pledge* *Islamic State (IS) has accepted a pledge of allegiance from Nigeria's militant group Boko Haram, according to an audio message.In the tape, which has not been verified, an IS spokesman says the aim of establishing a caliphate has now been expanded to West Africa.Last week, Boko Haram posted a message saying it wanted to join ranks with IS.Boko Haram began a military campaign to impose Islamist rule in northern Nigeria in 2009.The conflict has since spread to neighbouring states.* *MIDDLE EAST* U.S.-led force... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 12, 2015
Adm. William Gortney. DOD photo *CNN:* *U.S. admiral raises alarm over Russian military threat* *Washington (CNN)The ability of the U.S. and Canadian military to defend North America could be jeopardized by stepped up Russian military activity, according to the commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command.* *Adm. William Gortney told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that Russia is continuing to work on its program to deploy "long-range conventionally armed cruise missiles," that can be launched from its bomber aircraft, submarines and warships. This is ... more »
"How It Really Is"
Another clown... Are these expletives deleted *really* the best we can do?
Rare Photos Released By The U.S. Government Showing Osama Bin Laden At Tora Bora Before 9/11
Image: Osama Bin Laden holds a Kalashnikov rifle in Tora Bora, a mountainous region of Afghanistan, in November 1996. The Al Qaeda leader spent years developing a network of tunnels and caves in the area *Daily Mail:* *Inside Bin Laden's bolt-hole: Rare photos show grinning terrorist at his Tora Bora hideout pre 9/11 - high in the Afghan mountains guarded by children wielding Kalashnikovs* ** Images taken by journalist Abdel Barri Atwan in 1996 released in trial of Al Qaeda lieutenant Khaled al-Fawwaz* ** Shows 9/11 mastermind's compound in mountainous region of Tora Bora, includin... more »
“How to Become a Conservative in Four Embarrassing Steps”
*“How to Become a Conservative in Four Embarrassing Steps”* By Paul Buchheit “Not that we'd want to. But many Americans, perplexingly, have taken that path in the last ten years, as 27 percent of those polled now consider themselves 'mostly' or 'consistently' conservative, up from 18 percent in 2004. (Conservatives were at 30 percent in 1994. Liberals increased from 21 to over 30 percent in the 1990s and have remained approximately the same since then.) The language of true conservatives often turns to denial, dismissal, and/or belligerence, without verifiable facts of any substan... more »
WARHAWKS AND REPUBLICANS ARE ON THE RISE AGAIN FOR THEIR SECOND ATTEMPT AT CREATING A NEW AMERICAN CENTURY
One could be forgiven for thinking that the election of a popular Democrat president in 2008 who had promised peace and an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, that the world could have looked forward to peaceful days ahead. Instead the war in Iraq has backfired on the US and has led directly to the mess the Middle East now finds itself in as the Islamic State (IS) spreads its poison across the region. All that President Obama seems to have achieved is to postpone what now seems to be the inevitable explosion that will likely occur after he has gone. Obama’s failure to stabilis... more »
Crimeans, overwhelmingly prefer Russia! More then 80% approval!
*No matter how much nonsense spewed by Western leadership via the dizzying spin from war mongering, corporate western media- The Crimeans are very happy to be back, at home, with Russia- Not a surprise since they voted to do just that* * CSM * *A telephone poll conducted by a German firm among Crimeans in January found that over 80 percent of respondents were happy to be newly-minted Russians.* *One Year Later, Crimeans Prefer Russia *A far more rigorous survey, conducted on the ground in Crimea by two US professors working with the independent Levada Center in Moscow, arrived at ... more »
Untitled
*Judging the credibility of comments re the Friday the 13th levee board lawsuit massacre ~LaCoastPost*
Operative linked to Canadian Intelligence Service involved in ISIS recruitment
I am linking a number of reports. Can't be sure if this individual is an actual Canadian citizen. It doesn't seem to be the case. That said, the individual arrested in Turkey most definitely looks to be an employee/ affiliate of Canadian Intelligence Services. *Info obtained from 4 sources-* h/t anonymous commenter! *Daily Sabah* - **Toronto Sun * - **Globe and Mail* - **WSJ* A Turkish government official told The Associated Press that t*he suspect has been detained for more than a week*. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of rules that bar officials ... more »
#AskHamas turning out as well as #AskGalloway
In the realm of social media disasters—and, although I never thought I’d ever write these words, this could be an *important *social media disaster—this is a big one. Clearly advised by the same people as BFF-to-the-dictators George Galloway, Hamas have launched a 5-day Twitter campaign to clear up “misconceptions” and “misinformation” about its activities. On the one hand, it’s been an outrageous success, the hashtag reaching more than 170,000 accounts, according to Tweet analysis site Tweetreach. On the other hand, well, here’s just some of the more recent questions… [image: im... more »
Say it ain't so! It begins to look as if NJ Guv Kris "The Athlete" Krispy may (gasp!) have fibbed about Bridgegate!
*Governor Krispy is flanked by two members of the crackerjack Krispyteam he installed as New Jersey's half of the leadership team of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey: now-former Deputy Exec Director Bill Baroni (left) and the Krispyman's high school chum David Wildstein, uh, some other fat guy who just went to the same high school at the same time as the governor.* *"Let me just clear something up, okay? About my 'childhood friend' David Wildstein. We didn't travel in the same circles in high school. You know, I was the class president, and an athlete. I don't know wha... more »
March 12:...It's one pm..
and the Times and Transcript still hasn't appeared. If it were owned by government and operated by civil servants, the editorialist and Norbert would be ranting about how inefficient civil servants are, and would be demanding the paper be privatized so it could be run by clever billionaires. Well, let's start again with items that might (or might not) catch the eyes of TandT editors. According to the Toronto Star, 83% of electricity in Syria is cut. Life expectancy has dropped by 20 years - of course it has dropped. Besides the war, there's terrible malnutritution, lack of medical s... more »
The Growing Trend Of Jihadi Selfies
Muzaffar Salman/Reuters *Khaled Diab, Al Jazeera:* *The jihadist selfie is changing the image of holy war* *Rambo-like selfies taken by western jihadists may be part of a deliberate strategy for recruitment.* *t was a miracle of selfie-preservation. A 14-year-old British schoolboy on a skiing holiday in Austria improbably survived, with only a few bruises and scratches, a 500-metre drop after slipping while shooting a selfie.* *And if his phone survived the fall too, the teenager may just have snapped himself the kind of digital self-portrait that will make him the awe of his Fac... more »
A Different Take on the Russian Bear
Lawman and vigilante, fighter and peacemaker. He has played many roles in his career, but few seem as likely as an ambassador between the US and Russia. From disarming a nuclear weapon to helping with the War on Terror, can an actor become a true action hero, succeeding where countless politicians have stumbled? Steven Seagal joins Oksana to thrash out these issues.
Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett, who died today from complications arising from a rare form of Alzheimer's disease, was a life lived well. He used his talents to entertain millions in the decades where books supposedly fell out of fashion, and with his diagnosis in 2007 he used his platform to raise awareness about Alzheimer's, and some of his fortune to fund much-needed research. Pratchett was feted by an establishment that bestowed him a gong and a knighthood, TV adaptations were made of his books, and yet somehow he remained immovably *niche*. Indie kids moan when their favourite acts swap the... more »
Hamas Has Rejected A Proposed Five-Year Truce With Israel In Order To End The Gaza Blockade
A Palestinian man walks atop the remains of a house, that witnesses said was destroyed by Israeli shelling during a 50-day war last summer, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, March 10, 2015. (Reuters / Ibraheem Abu Mustafa) *Newsweek: **Hamas Rejects Five-Year Israel Truce to End Gaza Blockade* Hamas has rejected a proposal that would implement a five-year ceasefire with Israel in return for *lifting the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, on the grounds that it would further separate the enclave from the Palestinians of the West Bank, according to a senior Hamas official.*... more »
This is What Shamanism Can Teach Us About Ourselves and Our Future
*Gilbert Ross* - Contemporary human beings have confined themselves almost exclusively to the identification with the physical body and the idea of being a fragmented unit. The post This is What Shamanism Can Teach Us About Ourselves and Our Future appeared first on Waking Times.
The BBC and the housing crisis
The previous post mentioned that I felt as if the BBC has been campaigning on the issue of affordable housing this week. Having had a busy few days, I've not seen or heard much of the BBC output and yet - to my astonishment - wherever I've turned I seem to have stumbled on items about the housing crisis and the need for affordable housing. I was watching *Countryfile *on Sunday night, and they ran a major feature on the subject. I switched on *Panorama *for its latest 'What Britain Wants' episode and its theme was the housing crisis and the need for affordable housing. Then I hea... more »
Economic Myths that Empower the Owners (Boston Marathon Spun Out? Twisting Terrorism? Latvian Prelude to War? Shale On Sale To Drive Market Lower? Who Really Benefits)
The 3 Biggest Myths Blinding Us to the Economic Truth By Robert Reich, Robert Reich's blog 11 March 15 3 Biggest Myths Blinding Us to the Economic Truth 1. The “job creators” are CEOs, corporations, and the rich, whose taxes must be low in order to induce them to create more jobs. Rubbish. The real job creators are the vast middle class and the poor, whose spending induces businesses to
Talks Are Now Underway To Ending U.S. Sanctions On Iran
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gestures at the conclusion of his address to the 69th United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, September 25, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Mike Segar *Reuters*: *Exclusive: Talks under way on ending U.N. sanctions on Iran - officials* *(Reuters) - Major world powers have quietly begun talks on a U.N. Security Council resolution to lift U.N. sanctions on Iran if a nuclear agreement is struck, a step that could make it harder for the U.S. Congress to undo a deal, Western officials said.* *The talks between Britain, Chin... more »
US-Trained Iraqi Special Forces Are Being Implicated For War Crimes
*ABC News:* *'Dirty Brigades': US-Trained Iraqi Forces Investigated for War Crimes* *U.S.-trained and armed Iraqi military units, the key to the American strategy against ISIS, are under investigation for committing some of the same atrocities as the terror group, American and Iraqi officials told ABC News. Some Iraqi units have already been cut off from U.S. assistance over "credible" human rights violations, according to a senior military official on the Pentagon's Joint Staff. * *The investigation, being conducted by the Iraqi government, was launched after officials were conf... more »
Supplemental: Does our own private language make sense?
*THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015Our own philosophers speak:* Two weeks ago, Professor Yancy conducted a rather abstruse discussion with Professor Sheth for the New York Times. Their web discussion appeared on The Stone, “a forum for contemporary philosophers and other thinkers on issues both timely and timeless.” Professor Sheth hails from Hampshire College; she does a monthly post for Salon. Over at the New York Times, Professor Yancy (Duquesne) has conducted interviews about race with a series of self-identifying philosophers. His discussion with Professor Sheth was the seventh in th... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Mohawk Melee'
MOHAWK MELEE Posted on March 12, 2015 Please post & distribute. Nia:wen. MNN. MAR. 2015. The Corporation of Canada does not require the approval of the Ongwe’hon:weh to push through a proposal, only to have a “consultation” meeting. If we don’t take part, that means we acquiesced. This OBJECTION to usurping Ganiengeh land known as the “Seigneury of Sault St. Louis” was presented to the
Indigenous Rally at Appeals Court to Protect Medicine Lake
Indigenous Nations Rally to Protect Medicine Lake from Industrial Scale Geothermal Desecration Federal Appeals Court Hearing March 12 in San Francisco, CA Ceremonial sunrise gathering, march, rally, and press conference Immediately following hearing on courthouse steps. By Morning Star Gali Censored News SAN FRANCISCO -- On Thursday, March 12, 2015 a federal appeals court
The Economy: “Go to an ATM and the Last Thing You’ll Get Is Cash”
*“Go to an ATM and the Last Thing You’ll Get Is Cash”* by Bill Bonner Gualfin (“End of the Road”), Argentina - “The stock market paused to draw breath yesterday. The Dow ended up more or less where it started. Not a bad day. Not a good day either. There was no bounce after Tuesday’s dizzying slide. September 15, 2008, was a really bad day on Wall Street…. Lehman Brothers sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Dow plummeted more than 500 points. Putnam Investments shut a $12.3 billion money-market fund. Mizuho Trust & Banking cut its profit forecast in half. And the New York ... more »
The Staggering Cost Of Syria's Four Year Civil War
Yarmouk residents gather to await food distribution from UNRWA in January 2014. Photo: UNRWA Archives *The Guardian*: *Syria's war: 80% in poverty, life expectancy cut by 20 years, $200bn lost* *A United Nations Development Programme-backed report paints devastating picture of a country after four years of war* *The war in Syria has plunged 80% of its people into poverty, reduced life expectancy by 20 years, and led to massive economic losses estimated at over $200 billion since the conflict began in 2010, according to a UN-backed report.* *The Syrian Centre for Policy Research p... more »
Translink Hides The Money, Hides The Contracts And Hides any appearance of Transparency, And Avoids Answers To Bob Mackin`s Legitimate Questions
A little cut n paste, this post is all Bob Mackin, .....All I`m adding to this post is, the Straight Good`s language.. Translink is a dishonest, in my opinion corrupt organization, a taxpayer funded free-for-all trough party for friends of Gragor Robertson, the BC Liberals, political insiders like Mike McDonald and Bill Tieleman... A company that devours $millions of dollars, a taxpayer funded entity that flushes your money down a sewer, at the bottom of the sewer are dirty stinking rats busy chewing away those dollars... Nothing will change with Translink until the entity, the b... more »
83% Of Syria's Lights Have 'Gone Out'
*VOX:* *83 percent of Syria’s lights have gone out. See for yourself what that looks like.* *These newly released satellite images of Syria at night are staggering: they show that 83 percent of the country's lights visible at night have gone out, a testament to the appalling human cost of its ongoing civil war.The widespread devastation wrought by fighting across the country, including by groups like ISIS, and the diversion of resources to the war effort have wreaked havoc on Syrian infrastructure.* *More News On The Campaign To Restore Electricity To Syria* Eighty percent of a... more »
The BBC spins another of its own surveys
I just don't trust the BBC when it comes to their reporting of their own surveys. Too often their findings are accompanied by a firm BBC spin (as with the recent *Today *survey into the views of British Muslims, which *Today *reported as deeply positive while most other news organisations spotted the deeply worrying 27% figure expressing sympathy with those who carried out the Charlie Hebdo massacre). Tonight's News at Six on BBC One, therefore, had me Googling the actual poll findings of their latest survey into the voting intentions of 18-24 years olds. Something smelled fishy... more »
Brit Undergoes Conversion from NATO Believer to Donbass Defender
NATO Through The Looking Glass: A Personal Journey From Naivety Towards Lucidity By Marcus Godwyn It was chilly March evening as a Russian teacher of English and I stepped out into the night on the University Embankment of Vasilevsky Island in Saint Petersburg in 2004. We were colleagues in the same private language school which worked in conjunction with the Philological Faculty of the State University in that city. The pavement thronged and massed with students, other teachers and administrative staff as these courses were very popular and chucked out at 9 PM. We were going i... more »
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Tells Congress 'You Cannot Modify Iran-U.S. Nuclear Deal'
*Reuters*: *Kerry tells Republicans: you cannot modify Iran-U.S. nuclear deal* *(Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told Republicans who control Congress on Wednesday they would not be able to modify any nuclear agreement struck between the United States and Iran.* *Kerry said he responded with "utter disbelief" to an open letter to Iran on Monday signed only by Republican senators that said any deal would only last as long as U.S. President Barack Obama, a Democrat, remains in office.* *"When it says that Congress could actually modify the terms of an agreement at a... more »
Inquiring minds want to know...
*All this business about angels, guides, God - channellings from "ascended masters" - what to believe or not and i know most say go by how your heart feels - your thoughts on this? Come to the conclusion that "something" isn't coming to "help" us. Also what of this talk of a "domed Earth" and fake moon and sun. Ashtar, Galactic Federation, Archons, Reptiles, etc. Is there anyone "up or out there" actually concerned about us citizens of Gaia? I know love and enough of a percentage of collective thought will help but so much information out there . Thanks Sophia inquiring minds want ... more »
Bad Moments in Postal History, #439
Early last December I'd sent off my Christmas cards to dozens of my followers and contributors. This was one of them and it was returned to me just minutes ago by the postal (dis)service. Note what they did to it. Then note the motto at the top of the envelope it came in. The digit pointing to my name and address might as well have been the middle finger. The cocksuckers didn't even reimbursement me for the stamp.
The Net Effect of Writing for the Mainstream Media
Is it possible to use mainstream media to mitigate environmental disaster? It’s an important question, and source of heated debate. Here's the quandary: You don't have to be Noam Chomsky to realise that a corporate-owned, or corporate-wedded, mass media is an odd place to rally against corporate practices. Clearly there are limits to the degree one can criticise, say, the car industry, within a publication whose existence depends upon revenue from car adverts. You also have to question the *motives* of the organisation publishing your work. If they want to make money by selling adve... more »
Malaysia: More to Anwar Ibrahim Than Meets the Eye
*Image: US' client political front in Malaysia is headed byAnwar Ibrahim. They've even given him his own US-funded"color revolution" known as "Bersih." **March 13, 2015 *(Tony Cartalucci - NEO) The most recent chapter in Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's legal troubles has been framed by the Western media as everything from a politically motivated witch hunt, to discrimination against homosexuality and a violation of "human rights." CNN would report in their article, "Malaysia court upholds sodomy conviction against opposition leader," that: *Malaysia's top court on Tue... more »
Did Boehner Lose Netanyahu His Reelection By Bringing Him To Washington?
Yesterday, *The Hill* reported that after his congressional campaign rally with Republicans and his war-mongering speech, Israeli politician Benjamin Netanyahu saw his approval rating in the U.S. drop. Gallup showed him dropping 7 points to 38%-- down 7% in the last month-- since the bombastic speech. The polling shows that Republicans like him more but that normal people were turned off to his ideas and his approach and now see him unfavorably. But his ratings in the U.S. isn't Netanyahu's biggest problem,. A new poll released in Israel yesterday also show Israeli voters are skep... more »
Ferguson: A solution...
*it's simple.* Have the entire police force resign and let the blacks control their very own little paradise. Does anyone else see a pattern here? *More:* *The Birth of a Revolution: How Long Until the Newly Elected Black Power Structure in Ferguson Raids the Ferguson Pension Plan?* *The Answer Hit Me Like a .44 Slug *
Transcending Time in Egoless States of Consciousness
*Steve Taylor* - Our sense of time passing is a function of the ego. The post Transcending Time in Egoless States of Consciousness appeared first on Waking Times.
Considering both sides of the common core debate
Sent to US News and World Report, March 12, 2015 "Opt-Out Movement About More Than Tests, Advocates Say," (March 10) notes that "for many, the jury is still out" on the common core standards and tests, citing both arguments against the common core and as well as the results of a survey from 1000 teachers who were generally supportive of the PARCC tests. The jury needs to know that the 1000 teachers had been paid, and gave their opinions after completing a full day of "professional development" about PARCC and the common core. The organization supporting this event, Teach Plus, is v... more »
Spain: "The Mediterranean Corridor of Jihadism"
' Much of Spain was ruled by Muslim conquerors from 711 to 1492; Salafists believe that the territories the Muslims lost during the Spanish Reconquista still belong to them, and that they have a right to return and establish their rule there — a belief based on the Islamic doctrine that territories once occupied by Muslims must forever remain under Muslim domination.' More here http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5368/spain-mediterranean-jihadism
Online Media Caucus: News and Contact Info
The Online Media Caucus was ratified at the ISA in New Orleans. The question is: now what? First, we now have a variety of online media outlets to publicize: ISA’s homepage for us: http://www.isanet.org/ISA/Caucuses/OMC Twitter: https://twitter.com/OnlineMediaISA or @OnlineMediaISA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ISAOMC Blog to be announced later. Pinterest, Vine, Instragram, and other online media outlets will be […]
Videographer Morris108 Seriously Ill in Cambodia UPDATE
*UPDATE: March 12, 2015* - There is a complete running update on Morris's medical condition on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Morris/1604436869801813 I just found this out as I don't go on Facebook for religious reasons (just kidding about that...the fact is I hate Facebook and Twitter). Anyway, it appears Morris has stabilized and is in and out of consciousness. *Go Morris!!!!* *Morris108* Someone I have known for some years now, through the Internet, *Morris108* has apparently fallen seriously ill in Cambodia, where he has been living for about a year. I first ... more »
December 18, 1966: Bear Mountain State Park, New York
I thought for fun and to change the tone of the discussion, I'd publish this analysis of a case that appears in the Project Blue Book files. The picture that appears in the files is so poor that it is nearly impossible to see with a magnifying glass. Of course those who wish to see it could take a look at the Fold3 site found here http://www.fold3.com/image/6979057/ to look at the picture and good luck with that. The Air Force, after a quick analysis, decided, “Photo: Hoax. Photo does not substantiate the witnesses’ description of alleged UFO.” The quick description was that the o... more »
Apparently Ukraine's Intelligence Agencies Have A Loyalty Problem
*Image:* Security Service of Ukraine *Wall Street Journal: **How Russian Spy Games Are Sabotaging Ukraine’s Intelligence Agency* *Ukraine’s security agency, the SBU, has been riddled with Russian spies, sympathizers and turncoats* *KIEV, Ukraine—When Moscow-backed separatists were starting their war in east Ukraine last spring, the country’s main security agency sent a covert team to capture a rebel leader.* *But word of the classified mission leaked out, and three Ukrainian operatives were themselves captured and thrown into a separatist jail. Rebels stripped them to their under... more »
The Culture of Maximum Harm
*Daniel Quinn* - People have lived many different ways on this planet, but about ten thousand years ago there appeared one people who believed everyone in the world should live a single way—their way... The post The Culture of Maximum Harm appeared first on Waking Times.
Militarization of America - We've Become a Failed State
The Wall Street Journal reported on March 10 that for now the Congress will likely stick to sequestration "spending curbs enacted four years ago, even though many GOP lawmakers believe the limits are harming the nation’s military readiness." "But the choice to abide by the spending limits in the base budget highlights the importance of shrinking federal spending as a core Republican value in the document meant to enshrine the party’s top priorities. And it reflects a GOP calculation that a focus on slashing spending will help secure the support of the party’s right flank, whose r... more »
Sleepwalking Into World War Three? Why The Independent Media Is Vital
Countercurrents, Global Research NATO countries are to all intents and purposes at war with Russia. The US knows it and Russia knows it too. Unfortunately, most of those living in NATO countries remain blissfully ignorant of this fact. The US initiated economic sanctions against Russia, has attacked its currency and has manipulated oil prices to devastate the Russian economy. It was behind the coup in Ukraine and is now escalating tensions by placing troops in Europe and supporting a bunch of neo-fascists that it brought to power. Yet the bought and paid for corporate media in the ... more »
THE CALIBER OF OUR OWN PROFESSORS: Like God, our liberal professors are dead!
*THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015Part 4—Enabling the press corps’ jewels:* In recent decades, with some exceptions, our own liberal professors have been almost wholly useless. Inept and inane, but mainly just absent, they have enabled a deeply fatuous mainstream press corps. No one stepped forward to challenge a raft of absurd budget claims which have driven the discourse. (“The Social Security trust fund is a pile of worthless IOUs!”) No one stepped forward to challenge the claim that Candidate Gore was the world’s biggest liar. Like God, our liberal professors have pretty much seemed... more »
Marshell Mcluan and the Lizard Brian
Orwell was certianly inspired by his time like Auldous Huxley and we could have made a million betiting on that dime Remember a Time when all those SONY TV and Toyota where taking over America? That is as false then and now as Shia from Iran taking over Sunni from Tikrit the birthplace of Saddam who my have had all his secrects exposed but by the scale of what is governence in the middle east may be some kind of Arabic Chirchill And did you know this cigar brandy smoking sniffer who was born to privilage invented concentrain camps and gas warefare and yet he is in bronze everywhere I expec... more »
Editor's Note
Because of prior commitments this morning I was stuck in not having enough time to post my regular "Military and Intelligence News Briefs" "World News Briefs" this morning. Rest assure .... these posts will be posted at 17:00 EST and 18:00 EST respectively today.
Going To War Is A Serious Matter
All right. First off, here's what harper said about sending the Canadian Force's Special Operations teams to Iraq: The forces will come from the Special Operations Regiment. No specifics were available on what type of work they'd be doing, but Harper has said the Canadian Forces deployed to Iraq won't be involved in combat. Okay? harper got Parliament's permission to send fighter planes to launch air-strikes against ISIS in Iraq. he did not get permission to involve Canadian ground troops in combat. And yet, these "trainers" have been at the front lines, providing logistics fo... more »
Where Is Russian President Putin?
*VOA/Reuters*: *Kremlin Says Putin Healthy, Dismisses Illness Rumors* *MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin is in good health, the Kremlin said on Thursday, dismissing rumors that the leader was suffering from an illness after a foreign trip was canceled.* *A Kazakh governmental source said Putin's trip to Astana scheduled for this week was canceled because Putin had fallen ill, stirring speculation on social media that something had happened to the 62-year-old leader.* *Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked by Reuters if the president was in good health, replied “yes.”* *WN...more »
Is A Key Russian - U.S. Nuclear Arms Control Agreement Breaking Down?
*Rob Garver, Fiscal Times*: *Nuclear Treaty with Russia May Be Breaking Down* *A high-level Russian official on Wednesday asserted again that the Kremlin has the right to move nuclear weapons into the disputed Crimean peninsula, which Russian troops invaded last year — and suggested that a key nuclear arms control agreement between the U.S. and Russia is in danger of breaking down.* *On the question of sending nuclear weapons into Crimea, Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted Mikhail Ulyanov as saying, “I don't know if there are nuclear weapons there now. I don't know about any pl... more »
I come from Canada and live in this world
Despite our hopeless leadership we are doing alright thinkaboot that its tough to be a society and mistakes are made but we used to hope they would be corrected but now fascist Steve is telling us there\ is only one final solution Gas fat Steve hit him in enormous ASS.
BREAKING NEWS: Turkey FM arrests SPY who aiding 3 UK girls into Syria
The Evidence Is Piling Up Rather Quickly Now, Isn't It? As I have been covering on Transpicuous News, more and more Politicians and world leaders are calling out the US for what they are: A Terrorist Organization. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-31853002 https://twitter.com/OzKaterji/status/576011315229097984 Oh Wait! Here is another news story out yesterday that might interest you as well: CIA Papers Suggest Murder of Ecuador's Former President [image: Attorney General briefs the Ecuadorean Parliament on the ongoing investigation] *Ne... more »
Treasonous Little Freaks
(By *American Zen*'s Mike Flannigan, on loan from Ari.) Among his many memorable phrases and *bon mots*, Hunter S. Thompson, the Godfather of liberal political blogging, once called George W. Bush a "treasonous little freak." HST had lived just long enough to see his old nemesis Richard Nixon, through that shifting Overton Window, had posthumously become a liberal through some political prestidigitation of the Far Right during the Bush II reign of error. The years 2001-2009 could arguably called the "Gilded Dark Ages." It was a period of almost pornographic wealth for Wall ... more »
Been In a Richard Ivey schooled Ethical Time
One thing insults my intelligence overall its the media false reporting on Brian Burke and now Dion Pheuf This is nothing new and it happened a long time ago to the mastermind at the Leaf helm did he marry Craig Janneys wife? I do not know if its true obviously not because no organisation in their right mind would hire a guy who plucked roses in the dressing room/ Look I am not talking about the Leaf with Brian Burke in overtime I am talking about today 20 years later and the Capetian's of the titanic avoiding ice bergs history records not today but yesterday the richest franchise i... more »
UK Think Tank: Russia Using Own Military Resources To Sustain Ukraine Conflict
*The Guardian:* *Russian military shelled Ukraine from mid-July, report says* *Moscow’s involvement in conflict has been on such a scale that strain on its military is starting to show, according to report by Royal United Services InstituteLarge-scale intervention in eastern Ukraine by regular Russian troops began last August, reaching a peak of 10,000 in December, and Moscow has been struggling to maintain operations on such a scale and intensity, according to a report.The report, by the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), claims small teams of reconnaissance and Spetsnaz... more »
Countervailing Argument for the voices of Ignorance and Control
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The owners hate the idea that people are not property and they continue on to this day in ever greater force you do not have to label slavery or indentured servant today its a minimum wage like in the old days in a factory town where you worked to live and if that did not satisfy your life admitting they exiled you to die with the wolves because they knew over those beasts you had zero control Many men died in America Europe and Canada to wrestle that control away yet today we are all surrender to the suit and the union is the problem talk about stupid and how much controlling the me... more »
Fraud 'chief' exposed in Europe
NAIS Gazette Dutch version .
Supt. Lubelfeld Admits that Your Children Are Common Core PARCC Guinea Pigs
When Bill Gates and Achieve, Inc. hired the patronizing Armani-clad little fascist, David Coleman, to rewrite American school standards and content, they forgot one important consideration: what if their blitzkrieg succeeds and they rush into all the schools with their new computerized tests, only to find that the students refuse to participate in their unethical and dehumanizing child experimentation. Well, guess what--that is exactly what is happening, as the throngs of test refusers of conscience grow daily. All across the county, the think tanks are churning, in search of th... more »
Why The Ukraine Rebel Army Continues To Grow
*Voice of America*: *In E. Ukraine, Civilian Deaths Push Men to Join Rebels* *DONETSK - After months of fighting in eastern Ukraine, the presence of the Ukrainian military and the shelling of civilian neighborhoods seem to be pushing more men to join the rebellion. * *New recruits for Ukraine’s rebel army, part of a battalion of Don Cossacks, are on their way out of Donetsk to a piece of wasteland for weapons training.* *Their targets are the faces of western-leaning Ukrainian politicians, including Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.* ... more »
A collective mass
In times gone past their were always more true believers those who had a perfect lizard brian It has take centuries of this latest attempt by people to become Gods to identify the problems with religion I do not mean ethically where overall its not bad I mean scientifically where its killing our planet today so bad Superstition is not going to lead to good outcomes in a digital world yet some pursuit analog monster hold us all back from the benefits of digital ru;e which has no predictor its simply ones and zeros black or white the code does not care an an an an show me a sharper sword... more »
The Ukraine Truce Is Fragile
*Bloomberg:* *Ukraine, Rebels Trade Cease-Fire Violation Accusations* *(Bloomberg) -- The Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists traded accusations over cease-fire violations on Thursday as the Kremlin said it was sending two more convoys with humanitarian aid to eastern Ukraine.* *Rebels violated the truce 49 times in the past 24 hours, military spokesman Anatoliy Stelmakh told reporters in Kiev. There were eight attacks at Shyrokyne, east of the strategically important city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, he said. Rebels in Donetsk said Ukrainian forces are violating ... more »
Worst policy for the people, bet politcal gain for the Politician
Hey Steve Harpers harpoons to slay the political beast hit me hard I hate the clothing of differance and submission that is obvious even to the blind when it comes to the muslim garp Our leaders should not be building castles in the sky or worse lighting up what has been accomplished in flames It took me along time to accept the Sikki head rap As i grew up I came to relaize it do not mean nothing to the cotton harvest needed to make that scarf When you ban some things in the general culture you make them more popular with the people who only need a roadmap to a more modern shore In... more »
Islamic State Remains A Largely Self-Financed Group From Its Assets In Iraq And Syria
In February 2015 the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) released a report on the Islamic State’s (IS) funding. This was the culmination of a project that began in October 2014 to help states counter IS’s financial networks. FATF found that the Islamic State is different from other terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda and Al Nusra Front. Unlike those other groups IS does not rely upon external donations. Rather it earns most of its money based upon the conquered territory it controls in Iraq and Syria. It exploits the population and resources in those areas much like an organiz... more »
U.S. To Increase The Sending Of 'Non-Lethal' Arms To The Ukraine Military
*New York Times*: *U.S. to Give Ukraine’s Military an Additional $75 Million in Nonlethal Aid* *WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Wednesday that it would provide another $75 million in nonlethal aid to Ukraine’s military. It also imposed sanctions against a handful of pro-Russian separatists and others blamed for fomenting the civil war that has torn apart Ukraine’s eastern regions.* *The new aid does not include the weapons that Ukraine has sought and that many administration officials and members of both parties in Congress have urged President Obama to provide. Instea... more »
Excellent Discussion on Ukraine & Russia
Well worth watching. An excellent review of the political and media implications of the US-NATO war in Ukraine which is certainly aimed at Russia.
KMTitanic III: But this ship can't sink!
[image: DSC05259] *This is the life...* *Smith: The pumps... if we opened the doors...* *Andrews: [interrupting] The pumps buy you time, but minutes only. From this moment, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder.**Ismay: [incredulously] But this ship can't sink!* *Andrews: She's made of iron, sir! I assure you, she can... and she will. It is a mathematical certainty. * Eric Chu's KMT is still the KMT. The news says it all: Tenth KMT-CCP forum to be held in May or June. The KMT has but one card left to play, and that's the "only we can handle China" card. Unfortunately they are l... more »
You Don't Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression-- And Tom Cotton Is Stuck
Tom Cotton now claims he was just joking around Anyone who followed Cotton's single term in the House or his campaigns for the House and, last year, for the Senate already had a good idea about what they were dealing with: a manipulative extremist who will say or do anything to advance his childish far right-wing agenda. And he comes wrapped up in a Harvard education with a fancy *magna cum laude* bow, making it easy to assume he might know what he's talking about. He doesn't-- as he proved with that cockamamie letter to the Iranian mullahs last week. He made common cause with the ra... more »
This Young Woman Is Despised By The Ukraine Government And State Media
Crimea’s chief prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya. © Ruslan Shamukov/TASS *ITAR-TASS: **Poklonskaya says appointment as Crimea’s Prosecutor General could have cost her life* *She said she received calls with threats from Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s OfficeSIMFEROPOL, March 11. /TASS/. Appointement to the position of Crimea’s Prosecutor General could have cost her life, Poklonskaya said in an interview with TASS on Wednesday. She was appointed as chief prosecutor by Crimea’s Supreme Council (now called State Council) a year ago — on March 11, 2014."Someone called me, tried to fri...more »
Top Eastern European .S. Diplomat: Eastern Ukraine And Crimea Under 'Reign of Terror'
*VOA:* *US Envoy: Eastern Ukraine, Crimea Under 'Reign of Terror' * *A top U.S. diplomat for Europe says citizens in large parts of war-torn eastern Ukraine and Crimea are living under "a reign of terror" spawned by a new influx of Russian military hardware.* *Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, speaking Tuesday, told the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Russian tanks, armored vehicles and Russian artillery have poured across the border in recent days.* *Update*: US envoy denounces 'reign of terror' in Crimea, east Ukraine -- AFP *WNU Editor:* I called a f... more »
Increasing Circles of Importance
This explains the selfie there was a time when a serf could only see the photograph of a Kings and decades later the nobles got the same thing Even when the camera was ubiquitous the selfie did not reign it was the camera phone that connected everyone to themselves like they were the king of images and they liked to rule over a collection of themselves because in that domain I rule like a King Like the boss said all men want to be rich rich men want to be king and the king is never satisfied until he rules over everything The Selfie is the shortcut to personal Empire and unseen imm... more »
Russia Claims It Has The Right To Deploy Nuclear Weapons In Crimea
*RT*: *As part of Russian territory Crimea can host nuclear weapons – Foreign Ministry* *The Russian Foreign Ministry has no information on nuclear weapons deployment in Crimea, but maintains that the country has the right to do so in principle.* *“I don’t know if there are any nuclear weapons there at the moment and I am not aware of such plans, but in principle Russia can do this,” the head of the ministry’s Department for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Weapons Control, Mikhail Ulyanov, told a Wednesday press conference in Moscow.* *“Naturally Russia has the right to put nuclear... more »
Open Thread
I'd meant to post something original today, but unfortunately a major plumbing issue affecting several of the units in my complex will be interfering with the blog. Our regular handyman threw up his hands in despair last night and the major troops and outside contractors are being called in. I've been told to stay out of the kitchen. From past experience with such things, I am expecting the noise to fall somewhere between a dental drill on steroids and a jackhammer. If anybody is out there, talk about whatever you like in comments. Meantime, here are a few of my recent *New York Tim... more »
All Hat, No Cattle
http://quoteimg.com/ Chris Westdal, former Canadian ambassador to Russia, is not impressed by Stephen Harper: I thought leaders in times of crisis were expected to keep calm and carry on, maintaining stiff upper lips and carrying sticks bigger than their tongues. Not our guy. He mongers fear across the land — fear of criminals, fear of terrorists, fear of Iran, fear of Russia — fear in every case gussied up with purple prose, proud to be certain, proud to be loud. The proud to be loud meme has not done Canada's internation... more »
The woman next door
I’m raking leaves outside our house when she approaches me, carrying an empty garbage can that she says will make it easier to gather the leaves for garbage pickup the next day. Paul and I are renting a house for the month of March in Leon, Nicaragua, and the woman and her family live next door. At first, I think she has come over just to be nice, because she has lived a long time near this giant tree that constantly sheds leaves and branches and knows how to make the near-daily task of raking a little easier. But she later tells me that she always tries to engage *extranje... more »
Smart Watches Are Everywhere, But Do YOU Need One?
You've probably heard the Apple Watch is on its way. You've likely heard a bunch of hype about it, but one question probably remains in your mind: why should I care? It’s a great question. It may be easy to assume that because it’s an Apple product, it’s instantly desirable, but remember not everybody needs and/or even likes many of their products. To really answer the question, we need to explore what the product actually is and how it compares to other mobile technologies. In the technology world, I consider an iPhone (or any other quality smartphone) a need. For many people ... more »
The Rebel Governments In Eastern Ukraine Are Facing A Social And Economic Catastrophe
*Scott Peterson, CSM:* *In eastern Ukraine, hotline calls soar as breakaway government flails* *With cash and food resources dwindling, local administrators in the 'Donetsk People's Republic' are struggling with day-to-day issues of survival – and bitter residents.NOVOAZOVSK and DONETSK, UKRAINE — The hotline rings 50 times a day in this remote outpost of eastern Ukraine’s breakaway rebel republics.The angry queries pour forth: When will payments or salaries be paid? When will the self-declared, pro-Russian Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) restore normal food supplies and job... more »
1945 US maps of Japanese airfields in Taiwan
These were sent around Facebook. Originally posted by John Gong. _______________________ [Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums!
Drawn to scale
I imaged this critter waddling slowly across this leaf, but had no idea what it was. Fortunately, a friend on Facebook was able to tell me what sort of creature it was... Assuming I guessed right and it's related to an Iceryine Scale, I found this by googling the name: "Those are not legs surrounding the body of these odd insects but a fringe of waxy “fingers” secreted by special glands on the body of the female. Like many scale insects (along with aphids, psyllids and mealybugs), they produce and excrete a sticky honeydew which ants feed upon and who, in return, provide a fairl... more »
The Secret Cause of World War 3
By Truth Never Told "We've always been at war with Eastasia." Why is this the case? The Council on Foreign Relations recent announcement that Al Qaeda is now our friend should be your first clue about the war-on-terror scam. More clues in the video below. Visit Chris Duane's podcast at SilverShieldXchange.com *Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.* Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email
ATLAS: a 3-sigma supersymmetric excess
Three standard deviations mean that the null hypothesis doesn't seem "great". The deviation from the predictions isn't enough for a discovery in a hard scientific discipline such as particle physics. However, I am convinced that a 3-sigma deviation – formally equal to a 99.7% certainty of a new effect – simply has to be publicized because it's interesting enough. We've covered lots of 2-sigma or 2.5-sigma deviations so it would be unfair to be silent about a 3-sigma one. The new ATLAS preprint with this potentially interesting finding is called Search for supersymmetry in events con... more »
Untitled
*'Teach philosophy in British primary schools,' says academic* *Professor Angie Hobbs believes just one philosophy class a week would benefit children’s intellectual and social development* “If we leave questioning the models children have been taught until later in life, it could be too late," warns Professor Angie Hobbs. "That is why we need to start teaching philosophy in primary school.” By this the professor means that children should be taught from a young age that there are other ways of seeing the world to the one they are exposed to by their family and social circle. It'... more »
Untitled
*Worker at primate center tests positive for exposure to bacterium ~Faimon A. Roberts III, N.O. Advocate * *Millions in liens filed against new hospital ~Gina Swanson, WDSU* *Brennan's fountain turtles to meander home in 'Slowest Second Line on Earth' ~Fox 8 WVUE *
Untitled
*Vicious VICE on HBO* *An email to them from Marc Morano below:* Hi Ahmad, Just watched the show and I must say you conflated my comments. In the broadcast you put in all of these comments from me about 'sea ice.' Not land ice. Then you imply that I am confused on the difference between the two. On the contrary! Please watch the full interview I gave you at the Heartland conference in DC, I clearly made a distinction and even talked to the interviewer about how people get confused between the two. Here is my latest report on Antarctica land based glacial ice. Meda at it again hy... more »
His Name was Anthony Lawson and He Told The Truth.
I In Memory of Anthony Lawson from Spike EP on Vimeo. Man Down.... That was a fine tribute - you do him great credit. A great salute to a single, Great, little Man. He answered the call that few now even can hear. And when we win, when we tell our stories to the young of how we will one day won, and how we came in the end to finally prevail, by speaking truth unbowed and unafraid in a spirit of peace and healing to the face of The Enemy... We will tell the young who he was and what he stood for, so that they will never forget his name. *His name was Anthony Lawson.* [imag... more »
Musical Interlude: Richard Harris, “MacArthur Park”, 1968
Richard Harris, “MacArthur Park”, 1968 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRwYQgk05DY
Sleeping beauty and the beast named Brad DeLong
The sleeping beauty problem (click) has been discussed in 3 specialized TRF blog posts with the "sleeping beauty" in the title (the first, oldest texts start at the bottom of the search page) and in several vaguely related texts. Now, economist Brad DeLong – whom I know primarily as the co-author of a bunch of famous economics papers written primarily by Larry Summers – posted another defense of the incorrect result, Sleeping Bae [sic] Again: Lobos [sic] Motl April Fools Day Comes Early Here [sic] on the Internet Blogging [sic] He has previously written about the problem in Novembe... more »
What is source code? What do they do?
Source codes are codes written to do something. There are many types of source code for various purposes. In the case of the Internet and if your are using a blogging platform like Blogger.com for your blog, the source codes are meant to be read and interpreted by browsers (Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc.) and instruct them to display what the coder want the browser to display on your computer screen. Below is an example of a small section of the source code used to display what you see now on your screen. Do you need to understand what all those "gibberish" means? N... more »
Combatant Commanders gain new ballistic missile defense capability through 'threat upgrade' software
[image: SM-3 launch]For the first time ever, Raytheon has begun enhancing Standard Missile-3 Block IBs with 'threat upgrade' software, giving the weapon's kill vehicle the ability to hunt down more complicated, more lethal targets. Though exact details are classified, the ability to make improvements through software upgrades means combatant commanders can get increased ballistic missile defense capabilities without the time and expense associated with traditional disassembly or hardware replacement. "We're proving it's possible to significantly improve the SM-3 Block IB's capabili... more »
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Commissioned its 6th Soryu-class SSK SS-506 Kokuryu
[image: Soryu-class SSK SS-506 Kokuryu]The 6th Soryu-class SSK, SS-506 Kokuryu, (meaning Black Dragon) was commissioned into service with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries shipyard in Kobe on March 9th. The Soryu Class diesel-electric submarines are being built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Ten Soryu Class submarines are planned for the JMSDF. The class is an improved version of the Oyashio Class submarine. Read more
Turkey to decommission RF-4E fighter jets after crashes
[image: RF-4E Phantom II]Turkish Combat Air Force Commander Gen. Abidin Ünal announced on March 11 that the fleet of RF-4E fighter jets, which have been involved in three accidents in less than two weeks, killing six pilots, will be decommissioned as of March 12. Speaking at the Combatant Air Force and Air Missile Defense Command, Ünal announce that the flights of the RF-4E jets would be terminated from March 12, the “war reconnaissance codes” tests of F-16 fighter jets were finalized on March 10. Two Turkish RF-4E jets crashed during a training exercise in the eastern province o... more »
India's Rafale fighter jet deal stuck in doldrums
[image: Dassault Rafale]The multi-billion dollar Rafale fighter jet contract between India and France continues to face an impasse despite the two countries having agreed to "fast-track" the negotiations. But while forward movement is awaited in this regard, defence sources made it clear that the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to France and the fighter jet deal were two separate issues which cannot be linked, PTI reported. "There are some issues which still persist because of which the final contract is pending for such a long time," defence sources said when asked ... more »
Russian Black Sea Fleet Warships in Artillery, Missile Drills
[image: Su-24 Fencer]A tactical group of Russian Black Sea warships is holding military exercises targeting decoy “enemy” bombers and ships, Black Sea Fleet information support head Capt. 1st Class Vyacheslav Trukhachyov said Thursday. “A Bora-class air-cushioned ship, as well as Ivanovets-class cutters and [other auxiliary ships] have conducted marine battles using rockets and live-fire artillery against target positions imitating marine targets,” Capt. 1st Class Trukhachyov told journalists. He said the crews of the warships would soon hold naval exercises using anti-air defense ... more »
Russia's amphibious UAV is equal parts plane and hovercraft
Flying an unmanned aerial vehicle isn't usually the hard part, getting it on and off the ground is. But thanks to the addition of an all-terrain hovercraft skirt, the Russian Federation's newest hybrid UAV will be able land and launch virtually any surface --from snow and sand to lakes and waterways, even stone-riddled roadways strewn with pebbles up to about 8 inches tall -- all while riding a protective cushion of air. Code-named Chirok (roughly translated, "Teal"), this model is the latest reconnaissance and strike drone (RSD) to come out of United Instrument Corporation (UIC)... more »
U.S. to offer Humvees, unmanned drones to Ukraine
[image: Humvee HMMWV]The Obama administration on Wednesday announced an additional 75 millions dollars in non- lethal aid to Ukraine in parallel with sanctions on more rebel leaders. Included in the package are radios, secure communications equipment, unmanned aerial vehicles, counter-mortar radars, medical equipment including first aid kits, medical supplies and military ambulances, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at a daily news briefing. President Barack Obama has also approved the delivery of 30 armored and up to 200 unarmored Humvees, under an act passed by Co... more »
India gifts Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft to Seychelles
[image: Dornier D0-228]India has gifted Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft to Seychelles, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country. The aircraft provides yeoman services in anti-piracy operations. India and Seychelles have signed four pacts to boost security cooperation between them. Read more
Simplicity Is More - La simplicidad es más by Roxana Jones
"Simplicity is more" *The simple things are the best. To them, we use the wisdom eyes, the eyes of the heart.* “La simplicidad es más” *Las cosas simples son las mejores. Para poder verlas, usamos los ojos de la sabiduría, los ojos del corazón**.* *Source:* *Health Thru Words*
Beijing seeks to block deployment of US THAAD system to S Korea
[image: THAAD Launcher]China is working hard to prevent the deployment in South Korea of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense also known as THAAD, a highly effective anti-missile system to intercept North Korean and Chinese missiles, Bill Gertz, senior editor of the Washington Free Beacon, wrote on March 9. China's president, Xi Jinping, is understood to have offered South Korea more trade and business opportunities in return for the Park Geun-hye administration relinquishing the idea of allowing the US to deploy the THAAD system to the Korean peninsula. In addition, Beijing... more »
NATO Begins Exercises In Black Sea, As Russia Says It Can Deploy Nuclear Weapons To Crimea
[image: ITS Aliseo]NATO ships from six countries have commenced exercises off the coast of Bulgaria in the Black Sea, 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Russian-held Crimea. The training, which started Tuesday and will last a little over two weeks, comes as a Russian officials say they have the right to position nuclear weapons in the peninsula that was annexed from Ukraine last March. "I don't know if there are nuclear weapons there now. I don't know about any plans, but in principle Russia can do it," said Mikhail Ulyanov, head of the Russian Foreign ministry's department on arms c... more »
New Zealand Defence Force Inducts Three Super Seasprites Into The Helicopter Fleet
As part of the process to upgrade the helicopter fleet, the New Zealand Defence Force has begun adding newly acquired helicopters. The process started in the late 1990s, estiamted to cost of over $1 billion. On March 6, the New Zealand Defence Force held a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Base in Auckland and accepted three new Super Seasprite SH-2G(I) helicopters built by Kaman Aerospace. The helicopters had arrived in the country in January and five more are expected to be delivered by September 2015, the NZDF said in a statement. Read more
Cameron: Trident is non-negotiable
[image: Vanguard class SSBN]David Cameron told MPs during Prime Minister's Questions that Trident and its replacement "are an absolutely vital part of this nation's security". Mr Cameron claimed Labour "want to crawl into Downing Street on the coat tails of the SNP and put our country at risk". Tory Julian Lewis (New Forest East) had said: "The Scottish National Party have been licking their lips in public at the prospect of blackmailing one of the two main parties into delaying or abandoning the replacement of the Trident submarine. Read more
Stop the ‘Decline of Our Navy,’ a Congressman Says
[image: Type 054A class FFG]Contrary to Gregg Easterbrook, the Navy has entered a genuine crisis caused by years of dangerous underinvestment and the folly of sequestration. After peaking at nearly 568 ships in 1987, the fleet now numbers 275 ships. Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, the commander of the United States Pacific Command, testified that on its current course, the Navy risks becoming merely a regional rather than a global power. Regarding the challenge posed by China’s rapid military expansion, the Chinese have spent the last two decades investing specifically in areas of per... more »
Poland asks to buy Tomahawk missiles from US for new submarines
[image: Submarine Lanched Tomahawk]Poland's Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said on Thursday he has asked the United States whether the European nation could buy Tomahawk missiles for its new submarines. "One of the capabilities we want them (the submarines) to have is cruise missiles," Siemoniak told public radio, following a report by daily newspaper Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. Siemoniak also said around 10,000 NATO soldiers will take part in military exercises in Poland this year, among them around 5,000 members of the so-called Spearhead, the newly created NATO quick-reaction forc... more »
Economic News and Views ( March 12 , 2015 ) - Euro crashes through 1.05 to USD , Greece still the word , Ukraine has a new debt slavery program with the IMF , South Korea cuts rates ( becoming Central Bank number 24 to do so - just this year ) , China massive local government debt should scare the socks off folks , Japan master class in manipulations in view , gold becoming that mere relic that certain folks claimed it was ?
Tweets... The Greek Analyst retweeted *Loukia Gyftopoulou* @loukia_g 21m 21 minutes ago Teleconference btwn #Greece and the #ECB today to discuss ELA *Yannis Koutsomitis* @YanniKouts 29m 29 minutes ago #*Greece* State employees' pension fund notifies Labour Ministry it won't be able to pay any dividend to pensioners beyond March ~@*etyposgr* *Holger Zschaepitz* @Schuldensuehner 16m 16 minutes ago #ECB's Coeure: Average maturity of bonds bought by #ECB is 9 Years. #Italy's 30yr yields drop to record low. [image: Embedded image permalink] The Greek Analyst ... more »
Why Syriza and the battle Syriza is waging for the soul of Europe matters !
Why Syriza And Its War For The Soul Of Europe Matters ! By Fred Walton As a general rule , my concept as to blogging has been to pick a topic , scour through various sources on the subject , assemble what I think are representative news and viewpoints on the subject - and let the reader fend for himself or herself. We are intellectually curious , possess the ability to read and can form our own opinions. Tossing in my humble opinion , for what that might be worth , seemed an unnecessary additive , perhaps a distraction to the reader . For what it's worth , I'm diverging from ... more »
BAE Systems gets £257m to design new nuclear submarines
[image: Successor class SSBN]BAE Systems has been awarded £257m to fund final design work on a new class of submarines to replace the ageing Vanguard vessels that carry Britain’s nuclear deterrent. The money is on top of almost £650m of contracts the defence group won three years ago for early design work on the submarines, known as the Successor class. BAE said the latest round of funding will support 1,400 jobs at the company on a programme that has so far involved almost 240 suppliers. Read more
Free Trade 45: Protectionism in Services, Peering at the ASEAN
Southeast Asian governments and their neighbors are generally liberal in trade in goods. But in trade in services, many of them remain protectionist. Paper presented in 2013, From "Services Trade on the Road to the ASEAN Economic Community" by Pierre Sauvé, presented at the ADB, July 18, 2013. source: http://www.wti.org/fileadmin/user_upload/wti.org/news/AIEN_Blog_Services_Trade_and_the_AEC.pdf Comparison by region and sub-continents. We Asians are more protectionist in trade in services than those in South America? wow. From the same source above. The challenge of services liber... more »
Season of the Witch
[image: Tarot cards] This is unsurprising of course and with the expansion of knowledge regarding meditation and prayer, it has become possible to test out practical protocols often linked directly to healing itself. After all, i just wrote regarding the sudden resolution of an individuals black depression and the method used. It is trivial to apply such a method with a little stage craft as well and to do the same with other hypnotic methods. We are about to accept a multitude of healers who specialize in responding to specific conditions. What is missing is the discip... more »
China’s Secret Strategy for Surpassing the US
The dreams of the nation state never end, do they? What empire builders think today allows them to progress and to often make useful decisions on a global basis. Their constant failure is to not understand human nature itself. That is why democracy is so necessary. All autocrats strive for stability which is delusional. What they get instead is stagnation or squalling seething cats devoting all their energy to undermining them. That is what democracy defuses. We only have to look at Islam's 1300 years of autocracy to understand the alternative. Fortunately for China, t... more »
Neocon Meteor Sen. Cotton Is Funded by Abrams, Adelson and Kristol and Loves War (Kick-The-Can-Down-The-Road Has Morphed Into A Blatant Farce)
Betcha didn't know this. Unless you read Mondoweiss. Neocon Meteor Sen. Cotton Is Funded by Abrams, Adelson and Kristol and Loves War a Little Too Much Philip Weiss March 11, 2015 9 Comments Cotton saluted supporters in Little Rock last fall The letter by those 47 Senators is getting scorned and abused nationwide. The hashtag #47Traitors has been trending on twitter. Huffpo speculates
Thorne Dreyer : RAG RADIO PODCAST | Heart attack survivor Jeff Shero Nightbyrd on how not to have one!
Jeff, who had triple bypass surgery, talks about heart health, holistic health, and our health care system. Interview by Thorne Dreyer | The Rag Blog | March 12, 2015 Jeff Shero Nightbyrd, who was a major figure in the ’60s … finish reading Thorne Dreyer : *RAG RADIO PODCAST* | Heart attack survivor Jeff Shero Nightbyrd on how not to have one!
Gerbils Replace Rats' as Main Cause of Black Death
[image: black rat] This actually allows the whole chronology problem to be solved. We have a pulse source and natural transmission routes that also died out in Europe in the nineteenth century. Thus clarity arises. obviously the flea do jump but also die out if they are not been replenished as well. The rat just happened to be the convenient immediate vector at hand. This is also a lesson for other possible pathogens. Most are local and they stay local. The plague happens to be the exception. Others that have made the move are usually specific to humanity and stay ... more »
Prepare To Defend Earth, Fallen Angels Have Returned”
This interpretation of history and other curious events comes from a seriously legitimate source in Russia. It certainly represents a popular belief system extant in UFO circles likely originated from Russia whose validity needs to be much better understood. So far it reads like a contrived fiction. However the ancient history described is readily extracted from esoteric sources though with time conflicts with my own researches. Their time frames match earlier time frames drawn from attempts to interpret scriptural sources. The hard information though definitely resona... more »
On Red Ice Radio w/ Henrik Palmgren
I was recently *a guest on Red Ice Radio*, hosted by the very talented and erudite *Henrik Palmgren*. I'd encourage everyone to support Red Ice Radio by *becoming a member today*! What follows is the description of the program. Be sure to visit *the show page* at Red Ice Radio for download links. *John Friend is an independent blogger and journalist based in Southern California who maintains TheRealistReport.com. John focuses primarily on the events of 9/11, WWII revisionism, media deception and psychological warfare, power and influence of the Zionist Lobby in America, and the s... more »
Deli Customers Dragged into Chicago’s Secret Prison by Masked Police
Sunday, March 8, 2015 Cassius Methyl *Activist Post* On September 29th 2011, a group of masked men burst into the Paseo Boricua Grocery & Deli in Chicago. Witnesses say they initially thought it was a robbery. It turned out to be the police showing up to kidnap five men taking them to the secret detention warehouse known as Homan Square, a facility just publicly uncovered last week that sparked a protests in Chicago and nationwide. John Vergara, an art teacher, who was taken to Homan Square in this incident said: At first I thought it was a robbery. I didn’t know it was the police... more »
Nationwide opposition to the Chicago Police’s SECRET DETENTION FACILITY known as Homan Square is growing rapidly.
Thursday, March 5, 2015Demands to Shut Down Homan Square Grow, 1,500 Expected to Protest in Chicago Saturday Nick Bernabe *Activist Post* Nationwide opposition to the Chicago Police’s secret detention facility known as Homan Square is growing rapidly. It was revealed last week that the CPD is using CIA-like tactics on suspected criminals and American dissidents — denying them of due process and basic rights. Since then, a massive movement to shut down Homan Square has grown online and in Chicago, as well as around the country. Several hundred concerned residents of Chicago brought... more »
Google gives new meaning to “Orwellian”
Becomes Ministry of Truth by Jon Rappoport March 1, 2015 NoMoreFakeNews.com *“…if all records told the same tale — then the lie passed into history and became truth.”* (1984, George Orwell) The New Scientist has the stunning story (2/28/15, *“Google wants to rank websites based on facts not links,”* by Hal Hodson): *“THE internet is stuffed with garbage. Anti-vaccination websites make the front page of Google, and fact-free ‘news’ stories spread like wildfire. Google has devised a fix – rank websites according to their truthfulness.”* Great idea, right? Sure it is. The author ... more »
Do Your Practical Philosophy Doctoral Training with Me, Lars Sandman and Others. Calls Now Open!
At the moment, two separate calls for applications to win a fully funded 4 year doctoral training position in practical philosophy at my department are open. In both cases, the *deadline for applying is May 4, 2015*. *The first call* is a general one, open to any area of interest within the field of practical philosophy (e.g., moral philosophy, metaethics, applied ethics, social and political philosophy/theory, and so on). Details are here. *The second call* is attached to a research program on ethical barriers to person centred care, where the winner will work specifically with my... more »
Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 12th March)
The rich are 64% richer than before the recession, while the poor are 57% poorer The gap between richest and poorest has dramatically widened in the past decade as wealthy households paid off their debts and piled up savings following the financial crisis, a report by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) warns. By contrast, the worst-off families are far less financially secure than before the
Musical Interlude: Vangelis, “Hymne”
Vangelis, “Hymne” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WkWWjaIrZ8
Fukushima Anniversary Interview
1. How did the Fukushima disaster change Japan as we knew it? Japanese public has become aware of the severe risks of nuclear power as 230,000 Japanese people are still displaced and others are living in zones contaminated by radionuclides People in Japan and elsewhere are living in a more contaminated world. Fukushima significantly increased the world’s “background” level of radionuclides: “During the passage of contaminated air masses from Fukushima, airborne 137Cs levels were globally enhanced by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude” (Masson et al., 2011)[i] while the “129I/127I ratio ... more »
"A Look to the Heavens- Why?"
"Distorted galaxy NGC 2442 can be found in the southern constellation of the flying fish, (Piscis) Volans. Located about 50 million light-years away, the galaxy's two spiral arms extending from a pronounced central bar give it a hook-shaped appearance. This deep color image also shows the arms' obscuring dust lanes, young blue star clusters and reddish star forming regions surrounding a core of yellowish light from an older population of stars. But the star forming regions seem more concentrated along the drawn-out (right side) spiral arm. The distorted structure is likely the resul... more »
Chet Raymo, “The Spark of Life”
*“The Spark of Life”* by Chet Raymo In a previous post I quoted Teilhard de Chardin referring to the discovery of electromagnetic waves as a "prodigious biological event." A biological event? What could he mean? The universe was awash with electromagnetic waves long before life appeared on Earth, or anywhere else in the universe. The cosmic microwave background radiation- the residue of the big bang- is electromagnetic. Starlight is an electromagnetic wave. You can "discover" electromagnetic waves by opening your eyes. Of course, what Teilhard referred to was the conscious control... more »
"Time..."
"Time is the substance from which I am made. Time is a river which carries me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger that devours me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire that consumes me, but I am the fire." - Jorge Luis Borges
The Universe
"Friends are friends because they've discovered how much they have in common. Opponents, adversaries, and foes are friends too, who have not yet discovered this. It's as if a band of amazing angels got together, before time even began, to celebrate their common heritage, sense of adventure, creativity and savoir faire, and decided to meet in the distant future, amongst the jungles of time and space, upon a distant little blue planet, to see how long it would take for each and every one of them to discover who they really are. 7 billion angels, to be precise." "Your friend," The ... more »
"Fast Time and the Aging Mind"
*"Fast Time and the Aging Mind"* By Richard A. Friedman "Ah, the languorous days of endless summer! Who among us doesn’t remember those days and wonder wistfully where they’ve gone? Why does time seem to speed up as we age? Even the summer solstice — the longest, sunniest day of the year — seems to have passed in a flash. No less than the great William James opined on the matter, thinking that the apparent speed of time’s passage was a result of adults’ experiencing fewer memorable events: “Each passing year converts some of this experience into automatic routine which we hardly n... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
San Antonio, Texas, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
"The Point..."
"What is the point? We assume that every time we do anything we know what the consequences will be, i.e., more or less what we intend them to be. This is not only not always correct. It is wildly, crazily, stupidly, cross-eyed-blithering-insectly wrong!" - Douglas Adams, “The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide”
Quote of the day: On life
"Life is motion. If the motion is not self-preserving, then it is self-destroying." - philosopher Leonard Peikoff, from his book *Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand* [hat tip On Liberty Street] [image: Posted with Blogsy]Posted with Blogsy Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
"Big Dick" Cheney denounces Congress for interfering with the president's Iran policy -- in 1987, that is
*Those were the days: President Reagan with Rep. Bob Michel (left) and then-Rep. "Younger Big Dick" Cheney in 1988* *by Ken* This is wonderful. Yesterday, as I was inviting one and all to play my beloved game of "If the shoe was on the other foot," with regard to these last two weeks' Congressional Adventures in Foreign Policy Encroachment, I didn't realize that Daily Kos's Jon Perr had done just that, in a Monday post called "Cheney: Congress must not interfere with the president's Iran policy." What? "Big Dick" Cheney taking President Obama's side? Alas, even if you didn't catc... more »
Economics for real people: Econ & the market for organs
* Your news about tonight's Econ For Real People session form our friends at the Auckland Uni Econ Group*: *Economic Principles and the Market for Organs* Organ transplants are one of the extraordinary developments of modern science. But does the field of economics also have a role in alleviating the suffering of those awaiting transplants? This was the subject of a recent article in the* Wall Street Journal* by Nobel prize-winning economist Gary Becker. Becker argues that economic principles can be useful when thinking about the Market for Organs. In this week’s seminar we ar... more »
Is The Threat Of Nuclear War Higher Now Than At Any Time In The Past 25 Years?
*The Economist:* *The threat of nuclear war is higher than at any time in the past 25 years* *Despite optimistic attempts to rid the world of nuclear weapons, the threat they pose to peace is growing.* *IN JANUARY 2007 Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, William Perry and Sam Nunn — two Republican secretaries of state, a Democratic defence secretary and a Democratic head of the Senate Armed Services Committee — called for a global effort to reduce reliance on nuclear weapons.* *The ultimate goal, they wrote in the Wall Street Journal, should be to remove the thr
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