10:40pm MDST
White House Issues A Saturday Night Warning To The U.S. Senate On Passing Any Iran Legislation
Snow starts to fall as a woman walks past the White House in Washington March 5, 2015. Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque *Huffington Post:* *White House Issues Saturday Night Iran Deal Warning To Senate* *WASHINGTON -- In an effort to reassert control over the domestic political debate surrounding sensitive negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, the White House penned a letter Saturday night warning senators to hold back on legislation that would detract from the president’s ability to affect and approve a final agreement with Iran.* *The letter, written by White House Chief of Staf... more »
A Hip-Hop Artist in Burkina Faso Fights Female Genital Mutilation
Each time her sex is butchered with the pretext of purity…three million of our sisters face this violence each year… In his new song “Tomber la Lame” or “Drop the Blade,” Burkina Faso hip-hop artist Smockey has an amazing call to end the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), the practice that remains widespread in parts […]
Iraqi Kurds Claim That The Islamic State Is Using Chemical Weapons
*Voice of America:* *Iraqi Kurds Claim Islamic State Militants Used Chemical Weapon* *The Kurdish regional government in Iraq says it has evidence that Islamic State militants used a chemical weapon against Kurdish peshmerga forces.* *The Kurdistan Region Security Council released a statement Saturday alleging that chlorine was used in a January suicide bombing in northern Iraq.* *The statement said a lab analysis found chlorine traces in samples from the scene of the attack. The Kurds said the lab was located in a partner nation in the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic ... more »
Canadians finally waking up to oppressive police state/torture C-51 Bill
*Marches against passage of C-51 are taking place all across Canada this weekend.* Will the protest demonstrations be enough to defeat this draconian, repressive, yet disturbingly vague law (that gives enormous power to CSIS and the RCMP--but which lacks government oversight)? Governments did not listen to Canadians when we opposed the war in Afghanistan. They don't listen to Canadians when, over and over again, we oppose oil tanker traffic in our navigably dangerous and ecologically vulnerable coastlines. We oppose pipelines and fracking--but they still don't listen. Another blogg... more »
CIA Director John Brennan: US Does Not Want Collapse Of The Syrian Regime
CIA Director John Brennan, seen here in 2014, spoke at a Council on Foreign Relations event in which he discussed the CIA's new structure. (Yuri Gripas/Courtesy Reuters). *Bloomberg:* *CIA Director Says Assad’s Collapse Would Risk Terrorist Takeover* *(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. doesn’t want to see Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government collapse and create a vacuum for Islamic State and other militants to take over, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan said.* *When asked whether he fears what might follow if Assad’s regime collapsed, Brennan called it “a legitima... more »
CIA Director Brennan: 'Social Media And The Internet Have Greatly Amplified The Terror Threat'
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John Brennan listens to a reporter's question during a news conference at CIA Headquarters in Virginia in December. Social media and other technology are making it increasingly difficult to combat militants who are using such modern resources to share information and conduct operations, the head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency said on Friday. Larry Downing/Reuters *Daily Mail/Reuters: **CIA chief voices concern over social media 'greatly amplifying' terror threat after 20,000 foreign fighters flock to Syria and Iraq* ** CI... more »
More on John McPhee on "frames of reference"
*Which of these is a "tetragrammatonic" mustache?* *by Ken* Earlier today I began talking about a fascinating issue for writers raised by *The New Yorker*'s legendary nonfiction scribe John McPhee, in the latest piece in his series of reflections on his chosen profession, "Frame of Reference: To illuminate -- or to irritate?." Now, McPhee isn't a favorite writer of mine, and I might note that I usually find his exhaustive explorations of unexpected but vaguely interesting-sounding subjects, well, exhausting, not least because after a while I tend to find myself feeling unsatisfact... more »
Remarks And Comments From CIA Director John Brennan On the Islamic State At The Council On Foreign Relations
*Time*: *CIA Director Says ISIS Not Islamic, But ‘Psychopathic’* *"We need to expose just how murderous and psychopathic these individuals are"* *CIA Director John Brennan has defended the White House’s efforts to avoid using the word “Islamic” to describe extremist terror groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS).* *At a question and answer session at the Center for Foreign Relations in New York City on Friday, Brennan said using “Islamic” or “Muslim” to describe ISIS militants gives them “the type of Islamic legitimacy that they are so desperately seeking... more »
The Great UFO Conspiracy
Turns out you and I are wasting our time pratting about with politics. The struggles of us mortals do not matter because our actions are manipulated by shadowy elites and alien forces. Even this blog post is an instant in this conspiracy. I might think this is being written from words chained together in my brain according to arguments and points arrived at through the process of independent thought, but aha! No. I am programmed, under a spell, having the messages fed to me. What I think is my interior consciousness is a sham. At least that is apparently the case according to some ... more »
How CIA Money Went Into Al Qaeda's Pocket
President Ashraf Ghani, center, with former President Hamid Karzai, left, whose government received monthly C.I.A. payments. Credit Omar Sobhani/Reuters *New York Times:* *C.I.A. Cash Ended Up in Coffers of Al Qaeda* *WASHINGTON — In the spring of 2010, Afghan officials struck a deal to free an Afghan diplomat held hostage by Al Qaeda. But the price was steep — $5 million — and senior security officials were scrambling to come up with the money.* *They first turned to a secret fund that the Central Intelligence Agency bankrolled with monthly cash deliveries to the presidential pa... more »
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry: Unclear Whether Interim Iran Deal Within Reach
*Reuters*: *Kerry says unclear whether interim Iran deal within reach* *(Reuters) - On the eve of fresh talks with Iran, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said it was unclear whether an interim agreement over its nuclear power program was within reach.* *"I can't tell you whether or not we can get a deal, whether we are close," Kerry told a news conference on Saturday in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he attended an Egyptian investment summit.* *"The purpose of these negotiations is not just to get a deal, it is to get the right deal," he added.* *WNU Editor:* T... more »
Iran's Influence Is Spreading Throughout The Middle East
*The Guardian*: *Iran's advances create alarm in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf* *Arabs believe Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut and Sana’a are in effect under Iranian control – and power may shift further if US sanctions are easedThe commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been working overtime recently, flaunting their achievements across the Middle East and flexing muscles as international negotiations over the country’s nuclear programme enter their critical and perhaps final phase.On Wednesday it was the turn of Major-General Mohammad Ali Jafari, the IRGC’s ... more »
QE Intentions All Too Obvious: Less Money For Non-Rich (Truthinesslessness)
Martin O’Malley for President? The Decline and Fall of the American State; Enjoy It or How Do You Like Your Fascism? Sunny-Side Up? In which we learn how the fear of future surpluses (confused you too, huh?) under Clinton scared the bejeesus (and he's already Jewish) out of Alan Greenspan and every banker who communicated with him at that time, among so many other interesting tidbits about the
Everything You Know about Human Evolution is Wrong
*Film -* This film will make you rethink the accuracy of what you know about human evolution. The post Everything You Know about Human Evolution is Wrong appeared first on Waking Times.
US Government Slow To Renew Agreement To Guarantee Israel's Oil Supply In The Event Of An Embargo
A view of Haifa Bay, which is home to much of Israel’s heavy industry, including the Haifa Oil Refineries. Photo by Moran Mayan (Haaretz) *Fuel Fix:* *Senators push oil-supply pact with Israel* *WASHINGTON — For more than three decades, the United States has pledged to help Israel get crude in case the country’s own oil supplies were cut off.* *But a U.S.-Israel agreement guaranteeing that emergency assistance expired last November. And now, six senators are pressing the Obama administration to re-up the deal.* *The senators delivered their plea in a letter to Secretary of State ... more »
Chairman of the Board of MK-Ultra
*"Why don't you pass the time by playing a little solitaire..?"* " Frank was on Stage 22 of the Warner Bros. lot making Robin and the 7 Hoods when he got the news of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. For the first time in a long time, he went to church to pray. Years later, when he learned that Lee Harvey Oswald had watched Suddenly a few days before shooting the President, he withdrew the 1954 movie in which he played a deranged assassin paid to kill the president. He also forbade the re-release of The Manchurian Candidate, his 1962 movie dealing with a killer who is brainwas... more »
Frames of reference: I don't know what the hell Alabama Shakes is/are. Do Alabama Shakes connoisseurs know what "North by Northwest" is?
*No, you can't click on anything here; it's just a screen grab. If you want to watch the Exclusive New Mad Men Trailer Featuring Alabama Shakes, go here.* *by Ken* So I got the an e-mail yesterday. owing to my membership in the highly exclusive *Mad Men* Social Club (so exclusive that the only way to become a member is by signing up), which contained a tease-and-link for the above clip. No, my blood didn't start racing. Because, keen as I am for the start of this final run of *Mad Men* episodes (come on, April 5!), I know perfectly well by now -- as we've discussed here so often -... more »
Former CSIS Official, Now Private Security Consultant, Predicts Canadian 9/11 Moment, 2015
Not happy about that kind of statement, not in the least! What does a private security consultant, who stands to profit so handsomely from Canada’s so called “anti-terror” bill, really mean when he make a statement about Canada having a 9/11 moment this year? In 2015. *Is he pushing the fear button?** Is he threatening? In a veiled fashion?** Or is he prepping the narrative for some sort of false flag operation, that his private security company, might participate in AND benefit from?* *The article that contains his statement will finish up this post- So you're going to have to read ... more »
March 14: Damn! Damn! Damn!
I had almost finished the blog when, somehow, I lost it - and just after I had finished about one of the most striking pieces of news I have seen. Damn! Okay. Start again. Shorten most of it.... The big story on page A3 is about Saint Irving's reading competition in the schools. It got me thinking. Racing through books has nothing to do with becoming literate. And it does no good to anybody except Mr. Irving who gets his name in a headline every week for it. Okay, so what education qualifications does the man who sticks his nose into our public schools have? Indeed, what qualific... more »
Great Article From John Kaminski: You Should Be Concerned
Well... Yesterday, Whitewraithe and I did our Turbulent Times show on Blogtalk radio, and for the first part, the show went without a hitch... But it did go a bit downhill when one caller called into the show and went off on a rant about how her and I have never hammered home the fact that the real troublemakers in our world are of course... The Jews... I must make it perfectly clear that we cannot try to hit everyone over the head and instantly get them all in line knowing that our enemy is of course the Jews... We have found out from experience that when people are so brainwashed... more »
Went to the Rally
About what I expected I guess. About a thousand people. Stupid chants. A couple of good speeches. Some songs. I really don't know. This bill is going to pass. harper has a majority and, while the harpercons might make some token amendments to dissipate the bill's critics, it will still be a monstrosity of a law. We have two options: 1. We have to recognize that harper and his financiers and the whole movement that he represents do not care about democracy, or decency or rational arguments. The have their own agenda and they are pretty much insane. Something more extreme than peac... more »
Tensions Rising in Mariupol
Voice of America has apparently removed this video from their channel. Not certain why?
Is Red Nose Day Secretly Subversive?
Asked nobody ever, but stay with me. I can just about remember the first Red Nose Day. In the build up there was a palpable sense of excitement among us kiddy-winks. What crazy capers could we get up to? Our school alas, while paying lip service to the possibility that the dull norms of classroom life could get breached, ruled out stunts like walking-backwards-for-a-day and clowning about on a pair of stilts. It was 'elf and safety gone mad before it, um, went mad. As with most things, the advance hype didn't match up to real life. A few kids wore their red noses to school (not all... more »
Transpicuous News Midweek Report: March 8, 2015: When Airplanes and Helicopters Fall out of the Sky
Transpicuous News Midweek Report: March 8th, 2015. For a week that was awfully quiet in the American Main Stream Media, there was a LOT of interesting things that were being reported in other areas of the world. From SEVERAL aviation crashes and emergency landings that involved various government officials, to finger pointing, yet again at the ISIS/CIA connections.... very loudly spoken, yet not a word from the US media whores. Obama signed yet another Executive Order- this time naming Venezuela as a "Security Threat" against the US.... and tomorrow I'll tell you all about what hap... more »
Standing in the Face of War Preparations
- Our Lenten peace vigils in Bath continue for a couple more weeks. Today there were 17 of us in front of Bath Iron Works at noon when hundreds of workers poured out of the shipyard on foot and in cars. They are building the Aegis destroyers (outfitted with 'missile defense' systems) that are currently being deployed in the Black Sea to reenforce the US-NATO eastward expansion up to Russia's borders. We return to BIW at 11:30 am next week and expect a much larger crowd to be there as the site was chosen by CodePink Maine to be the location for Maine's co... more »
7 Imperssive Current U.S. High Tech Military Projects
*Hat Tip*: We Are The Mighty
Could Boss Norcross' Little Brother Wind Up As A One-Term Congressman?
Ready to fight-- I mean *really* fight? To fight the good fight against the oligarchs and predators? The fight to save American democracy? For real? Meet Alex Law, the progressive candidate running against the venal Norcross Machine in South Jersey (Camden, Cherry Hill, the Philly suburbs across the Delaware River, all the way down past Glassboro to Winslow Township on the Atlantic City Expressway). When Law announced he's taking on Donald Norcross, he pointed out: "In South Jersey, we are missing people in government that have a true passion for helping people. Fundamentally, t...more »
Security costs "bankrupting" Jewish organizations in Europe
Believe it or not, the United States State Department has a *Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism*. *Ira Forman*, a major player in the organized Jewish community, was appointed as the Special Envoy back in 2013. The Special Envoy *"advances U.S. Foreign Policy on anti-Semitism"* and *"develops and implements policies and projects to support efforts to combat anti-Semitism,"* according to *the State Department's website*. Essentially, the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism's primary job duties revolve around hyping the alleged threat of "anti-Semitism" fa... more »
Supplemental: On Hardball, we encounter The Code!
*SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015The source of our own cluelessness:* We sure are sorry we saw that report about the happiness gap. For background, see yesterday's post. Don’t get us wrong! On balance, we think it’s sad that a gang of professors have been chasing that nonsense for all these years. More strikingly, it’s amazing that the New York Times would regard this small happiness gap—a gap which may not even exist—as a suitable topic for a full-length news report. Our big papers are really dumb, and are dumbing us down, when they make such absurd news judgments. That said, we’re sor... more »
How China Is Circumventing Sanctions To Aid The North Korean Economy
Trucks cross from North Korea to China at a steady rate in Dandong, China, which is the commercial gateway to North Korea. (Anna Fifield/The Washington Post) *Washington Post*: *North Korea’s growing economy — and America’s misconceptions about it* *DANDONG, China — The textile factories producing “made in China” goods from compounds just across the Yalu River from North Korea offer a glimpse into a hidden world that is helping North Korea’s economy to thrive.* *Operated by North Koreans, the factories produce clothes and other goods that are exported under foreign-company labels,... more »
The old bruiser speaks. The BBC keeps mum.
Please forgive me for lapsing into Twitterspeak - or Vickypollardspeak - but... O.M.G. Former UK deputy prime minister, Lord Prescott of Dunderhead-in-the-Marsh, has only gone and well-and-truly slagged off his former boss, Tony Blair, saying that "he [Tony] wants to invade everywhere" . That's newsworthy. Two Jabs Prezza (one more than Jezza) also said: When I hear people talking about how people are radicalised, young Muslims. I’ll tell you how they are radicalised. Every time they watch the television where their families are worried, their kids are being killed and murder... more »
Friday the 13th Pussy - TGIC thank god it's caturday
IMAGE TO BE DISPLAYED LATER It was Friday the 13th and the world was not looking good. Stupid was reigning supreme. Smashes and crashes and just general ignorance ruled the land or was it the world? A brief summary to make a short story long: If you didn't know better you'd think the lunatics had taken over the asylum. Congress writes a scathing letter to Iran warning not to make a deal with the president. Hey guys that's not your job. Stick to paying the bills. That's right you can't even do that. Military chopper goes down during a training exercise. Shouldn't try and fly in t... more »
Economic Data , News and Highlights ( March 14 -15th , 2015 ) Greece in focus ( status of creditor talks , threats of Grexit and contagion , protests ) Putin watch continues , currencies in focus ( Dollar , Euro , EM ) , commodities in focus especially oil , Central Banker watch
Twitter..... *Holger Zschaepitz* @Schuldensuehner · 10m10 minutes ago #Italy, #Spain to follow if #Greece exits eurozone, says Greek Defense Minister. http://dw.de/p/1Eqql #Grexit *Holger Zschaepitz* @Schuldensuehner · 13m13 minutes ago #Greece's FinMin Varoufakis says QE to fuel unsustainable equity rally & are unlikely to boost euro zone investments. http://www. reuters.com/article/2015/03/14/ecb-qe-varoufakis-idUSL6N0WG09B20150314 … *Albert Broomhead* @albertjohn · 22m22 minutes ago Liquidity crisis also exist when there are no signs of queues or panic at ATMs MT... more »
Outright Liars
Jason Kenney is a liar. So is his puppy, James Bezan. So says the commander of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2. Kenney and Bezan are claiming a close encounter between HMCS Fredericton and Russian surface combatants and aircraft. Supposedly, they got that information from the commanding officer of Fredericton. Not bloody likely. There is a near zero chance that the captain of Fredericton sent
Turkey's Slow Drift Away From NATO
U.S. President Barack Obama listens as he hosts a bilateral meeting with Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan during the NATO Summit at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales September 5, 2014. Larry Downing *New York Times editorial:* *Turkey’s Drift From NATO* *The website of Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledges that NATO has played a “central role” in the country’s security and insists that Turkey, which became a member in 1952, “attaches utmost importance” to it. Yet Turkey’s commitment to the alliance has never seemed more ambivalent than it does now.On crucial ... more »
Musings On Iraq In The News
My interview with Columbia’s David Phillips on the future of Kurdistan was republished in eKurd, Kurdish Daily News, and Mesopotamische Gesellschaft.
Robert Peston en France
Did you watch Robert Peston's BBC Two documentary, Quelle catastrophe! - France, with Robert Peston, last night? I did - and I enjoyed it too. (Reservations, *vis a vis *bias, will also be found below). It told the story of how France's massively expensive, taxpayer-funded post-war social model, which used to seem so alluring (to the likes of Robert Peston), has been living on borrowed time for some time, and is now falling apart at an alarming rate. The French economy is tanking, unemployment rocketing. Malaise is gathering everywhere. Robert Peston laid out what he sees as th... more »
Aisha North:A short update on the energies
https://aishanorth.wordpress.com/2015/03/14/a-short-update-on-the-energies-87/ *A short update on the energies* Channeled by Aisha North March 14, 2015 So here we are once again, ready to impart another message into your system. And yes, we do choose these words with care as we want to remind you all that these missives come in many flavours if you will, and even if the words we deliver are the most prominent ones to your human mind, what lies between them is in fact the main ingredient so to speak, the main vibration that will affect you the most. And so, know that whatever it is... more »
Good Times at Pottersville, 3/14/15
(More funnies on this subject here.)
China Sends Military Jets To The Myanmar Border After Bombing Raid Kills 4 Chinese Nationals
*Deutsche Welle:* *China protests Myanmar bombing on its territory, sends jets to border* *Beijing has sent fighter jets to its border and summoned Myanmar's ambassador after a Yangon airstrike within China killed four citizens. The bombing was part of Myanmar's offensive against rebels in its north. Fighter jets monitored China's border to Myanmar on Saturday after a bomb from a Myanmar aircraft hit a sugarcane field in the Chinese border city of Lincang and killed four people. Nine others were injured, news agency Xinhua reported.The strike, which came as Yangon's forces w... more »
Where in the World Is Vladimir Putin? 1.28 PDT Saturday Update
[image: Newly mobilized Ukrainian paratroopers fire machine gun during military drill near Zhytomyr] It is now obvious that something is afoot. Dismissing this rumor furor is as difficult as Vlad showing up with camera crew in tow as he is wont to do often. It has not happened as of Saturday in Moscow. It is also plausible for him to suddenly die from a heart seizure as he is 62 and an aggressive over trainer. The usual excuse for sudden death is an enlarged heart. So there is an obvious biological pathway to sudden death for him. A top BC wrestler died at 52 last year while... more »
Iran Rushes In To Support The Houthis As They Consolidate Their Power In Yemen
*Al Jazeera: **Houthis say they have secured aid package from Iran* *Spokesperson says Tehran has pledged to expand Yemen's ports, help build power plants and provide Yemen with oil.* *Yemen's de-facto rulers, the Shia Houthi rebels, say they have secured an economic aid package from Iran.* *A delegation of Houthis just returned from Iran and a spokesperson said Iran had pledged to expand Yemen's ports, help build power plants and provide Yemen with enough oil to last a year.* *Yemen is caught in a standoff between deposed president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels, w... more »
The Battle To Retake Tikrit From The Islamic State Has Been Stalled
*Reuters*: *Iraqi offensive on Tikrit on hold for second day* *(Reuters) - Iraqi forces and mainly Shi'ite militia battling to wrest full control of the city of Tikrit from Islamic State militants paused their offensive for a second day on Saturday as they awaited reinforcements.* *A source in the local military command center told Reuters military commanders had "reached a decision to halt the operation until a suitable, carefully set plan is in place" to break into central Tikrit. * *The source, speaking by phone from near Tikrit, said the Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed Shi'ite... more »
MENA Report ( Weekend of March 14 -15th , 2015 ) - Syria / Iraq Regional War in focus ( Iran dominant force on ground in conjunction with US Airstrikes pushing back ISIS in Iraq , In Syria US hits ISIS and al Nusra but doesn't want to see Assad Government collapse ) ....... Yemen in focus ( Houthis still dominate force in Yemen with Iran assist ) ..... Libya in focus - examining how the decision to topple Gaddafi led to present failed state ...... ISIS fight sees cells in Spain and Indonesia dismantled , battle agaianst ISIS could lead to Libya and Nigeria as Global ISIS war expands
Links.... *US Struggles to Tell Good Iraqis From Bad Iraqis* *Wounded al-Qaeda Being Treated in Israel* *US Officials See Iran's Involvement in ISIS War a 'Mixed Blessing'* *Iraqi Forces Pause in Battle to Drive ISIS From Tikrit* *Four Months In, Iraq-Kurdish Oil Deal Near Collapse* US Soldier Wounded in Iraq, 194 Killed in Battles Battle for Tikrit: Despite Billions in Aid, Iraqi Army Relies on Militia, and Iran CIA Director Suggests Iraq Functions as Interlocutor in US-Iran Fight Against ISIS Resignation and Despair in Cradle of Syrian Revolt Indonesia Says 32 Held or Missing in Turk... more »
Operation Streamline Finally on Trial - Mon March 16
Operation Streamline Finally on Trial by Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez Truthout http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/29576-operation-streamline-finally-on-trial Nothing outside of Tucson's federal courthouse could prepare one for the peculiar court proceeding known as Operation Streamline. As one enters the courtroom, on the left side, one sees some 60 to 65 brown men, all handcuffed with wrist, waist and ankle shackles. In the central part of the courtroom, in the front row, there are usually five to six brown women also similarly shackled. In that same section sit "their" attorneys. Wh... more »
UK Spy Agencies Seek Single Law to OK Data Collection of ‘Privileged’ Conversations
Melissa Melton Is it OK to listen in on private conversations between a lawyer and a defendant on trial for a serious crime? What about sifting through the communications of an entire country, or even continent, in pursuit of a wanted criminal or terrorist? Ask any spy agency about their practices of collecting millions (and probably even billions) of phone calls, cell phone data, e-mails and other communications data from the population, and you’ll be probably get the same basic answer: – ‘We are not spying on Americans.’ – ‘We collect metadata; we don’t do mass surveillance.’ –... more »
Rahm Emanuel's Fake Poll
Internal polling I've seen doesn't show Rahm winning his Chicago reelection bid. In fact, polls don't show a reasonable path for Rahm getting to 50%. But yesterday, his campaign-- which includes the *Chicago Tribune*, one of the leading Radical Republican newspapers in the whole country-- was ballyhooing a poll by APC Research that showed Emanuel picking up gigantic support from a very unlikely place: Chicago's African-American communities. Emanuel is buoyed by continued gains among African-American voters, who were primed to cost him a second term before the mayor’s multimillion... more »
Only One Answer For All Time
http://expertbeacon.com/ Neo-Liberals have been preaching the same message for over thirty years: Debt -- all debt -- is bad. And they have relied on a well worn analogy. Public debt, they say, is like household debt. But, Scott Clark and Peter DeVries write: We’ve said it before and we’re saying it again: When a government spends money on infrastructure that will provide services to Canadians for decades to come, that’s not the same as spending the same money on programs and services that only benefit current generations. Progra... more »
Land of Fear: Media Hypes Ranting of Deranged Ohio Loser
With the Department of Homeland Security now fully funded for the immediate future the parade of bogeymen and bogus terror plots just doesn’t stop. The apex of scary bullshit was reached two weeks ago with the triple whammy of the Mall of America threat, the feds’ busting up of an alleged ISIS cell and the outing of Jihadi John as a former British computer programmer. But the American fear machine that provides the propaganda for the multi-billion dollar terror war industry never sleeps. This weekend the bewildered herd is being subjected to the repackaging of a 20 year old loser w... more »
Jeremy Clarkson's revenge?
Much of the BBC website is down at the moment. Twitter is hyperventilating. *Update*: 14.30: It's back.
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*Probe of Tulane primate lab blames lapses for dangerous bacteria exposure ~Sara Pagones* *Dam it: Fishers frustrated by closing of MRGO, but some catches increase ~Bob Marshall, The Lens* *Saints betting big that retooling and newfound flexibility pays off ~Nick Underhill, N.O. Advocate * *List of local St. Joseph altars ~WWLTV *
Is There A Real Chance Of War With Russia? (A Discussion)
People flee from their homes on the outskirts of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov) *Stephen Cohen, Nation*: *There Is a Real Chance of War With Russia* *Will diplomacy prevail in Ukraine? The Nation’s Stephen Cohen joined The John Batchelor Show on Tuesday to discuss the feasibility of the Minsk II agreement and the increased war footing among NATO officials and policymakers in Washington.* *Cohen argued that the “rhetorical war” on Minsk II is based on “political ideological imaginations,” because there is no “hard intelligence to back up the claims that there’s... more »
Life On A US Navy Submarine (Photo Gallery)
The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Tucson (SSN 770) is underway during the U.S.-South Korea joint naval and air exercise in waters off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, July 26, 2010.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) *We Are The Mighty*: *27 Incredible Photos Of Life On A US Navy Submarine* *A U.S. Navy nuclear submarine is one of the most mysterious places in which a member of the military could serve.* *Armed with advanced technology and enough firepower to destroy civilizations, it’s no wonder that every sailor aboard these vessels must have a secret clearance or better.* *... more »
Will The U.S. Still Be A Military Superpower?
The aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), USS Enterprise (CVN 65), USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) are in port at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. US Navy Photo *Harry J. Kazianis, National Interest*: *Is America Still a Military Superpower?* *As other nations gain some important military advantages, Washington must deal with Sequestration.* *No doubt talk around those always busy coffee nooks and hallways in DC think tanks these past few weeks centered around the question of America’s defense budget. And with... more »
from: Jeff Perren
Hey http://kadambha.com/square.php?sit=txbaebaw6c7x69gg Jeff Perren Sent from my iPhone Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
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*School Rejects Censorship as a Matter of Principal* Texas is known for a lot of things – but pushovers aren’t one of them. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) learned that the hard way when it picked a fight with White Oak High School. Using its small-town playbook, the atheist activists fired off a warning to the district complaining about a principal that reads a scripture as part of his morning announcements. Dan Noll’s “Thoughts of the Day” had never been controversial before, so when a student recorded the audio and sent it to the Left’s attack dogs, it caused quite ... more »
Stockpiling of Food Banned in Venezuela, Fingerprint Scanners Appear in Stores
Chris Carrington News reports indicate that Venezuela is starting to install fingerprint scanners in supermarkets as a way of preventing ‘food hoarding’. Venezuela is experiencing widespread shortages of most foodstuffs including the most basic such as bread, flour and grains as well as an acute shortage of medicines. Unable to buy imported food due to a plummeting currency and falling oil prices resulting in a lack of revenue, Venezuelans are becoming increasingly desperate. President Maduro has accused Colombian food smugglers of buying up massive amounts of staples to sell ... more »
Banned: FAA Says It Is Illegal To Post Drone Videos on YouTube
*But Drone Striking American Citizens Is Authorized*Mac Slavo If you’re like millions of other drone hobbyists in America who like to post their captured videos on YouTube then you could soon be receiving a legal notice from the Federal Aviation Administration. Under existing FAA guidelines flying a drone for personal use is completely legal, as is recording video of your drone flight. But if you use the drone for commercial purposes, say for example to record an aerial view of a real estate property listing, then you’d be breaking the law. But the FAA just found another loophole... more »
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*The Streisand effect is kicking in* *From Wikipedia: "The Streisand effect is the phenomenon whereby an attempt to hide, remove, or censor a piece of information has the unintended consequence of publicizing the information more widely, usually facilitated by the Internet. It is named after American entertainer Barbra Streisand, whose 2003 attempt to suppress photographs of her residence in Malibu, California inadvertently drew further public attention to it."A Warmist site has just put up an article about the "the small network of hired pundits and scientists helping to... more »
July 13th 1985
*Iran-Contra Day* *"I personally know he did intend to invoke the amendment, and he conveyed that to all of his staff and it was conveyed to the VP as well as the President of the Senate. He was also very firm in his wish not to create a precedent binding his successor."* *- White House Counsel Fred Fielding* *On July 13, 1985, President Ronald Reagan underwent surgery to remove cancerous polyps from his colon. *Prior to undergoing surgery, he transmitted a letter to Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O'Neill and President pro tempore of the Senate Strom Thurmond declar... more »
California’s Big Water Plans; The End of Private Water Rights?
Jamie Lee Drought-stricken California, which just had its driest January ever recorded, smashed another dismal record last month: the hottest February. This will be the 5th year in a row of historic drought in California, breaking a 120*-*year-old record. California is the largest populated state in the country. One out of eight Americans reside in sunny, warming, no rain, CA. Our economy is recognized as the 8th largest in the world with Central Valley farmers producing some 42% of the nations food supplies for decades. For the second year in a row the Federal Water Agency, whic... more »
New Jersey Mandating Vaccines and Religious Persecution S1147
By Experimental Vaccines New Jersey seeks to eliminate religious vaccine exemptions. They actually call religion an "excuse" for "avoiding vaccines." How about freedom of individual choice after examining the evidence and realizing that vaccines are legitimately dangerous? Kenny Valenzuela details this new tyrannical initiative. *Research links posted below:* N.J. Senate committee OKs bill tightening requirements on exemptions to vaccines Lawmakers Want to Mandate Epidemics! New Jersey Bill Advances To Change Vaccine Exemption For Students Mandatory Polio Vaccination Required ... more »
Ukraine: Coup, Corruption and Catastrophe
By CorbettReport Luke Rudkowski of WeAreChange.org joins James Corbett to discuss the devastation of Ukraine that has been wrought by decades of corruption, color revolution, debt slavery and war. We talk about how Ukraine arrived at this spot and the possible way forward. *Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.* Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email
US Accuses Iraqi Military Of War Crimes, Continues To Support ISIS
"War Pigs" Anthony Freda Art Brandon Turbeville With the recent and largely successful battle for Tikrit conducted by the Iraqi security forces combating Western-backed ISIS fighters who have controlled the city for some time, Iraq has once again forced itself into the brief headlines of international media. Yet the subsequent claims of war crimes committed by these security forces have also found their way into the public discussion, most notably in the West. Thus, there are a number of questions that surround the events on the ground and the manner in which they are being re... more »
Did You Know a “Big U.S. Majority Favors Mandatory Vaccines”?
Melissa Melton According to a Reuters poll recently published in the Huffington Post, 87% of America wants your right to choose whether or not you vaccinate yourself and your children to be straight up taken away from you: A large majority of Americans favor mandatory vaccinations of children, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Tuesday, apparently unswayed by some senior Republicans who have raised fears the medical shots could lead to autism. Seventy-eight percent of respondents in the online survey said all children should be vaccinated unless there is a direct health risk to them ... more »
Stephen Harper, I Want To Be A Cowboy
*Written by Grant G* Growing up in the late 60`s early 70`s, an era of few television stations, movies, dramas and few selections available for viewing, loved to watch westerns and war movies, standard plots with white hats and blacks, heroes riding in on galloping stallions to save the day..... War movies, almost every film had the Americans saving the day, if one watched just cinema you would come to the conclusion that only America fought, only America won battles, very few feature films recognized Canada`s contribution to WWII....The longest day featuring John Wayne was one ... more »
Eli Broad funded United Way Greater Los Angeles now also serving CCSA's political arm
*"By what logic does United Way engage in an activity that is shunned by all the other charities?" — Professor Ralph E. Shaffer* United Way Greater Los Angeles' (UWGLA) role as a tax deductible lobbying and public relations firm for plutocrats like Eli Broad, Bill Gates, Carrie Walton Penner, and Casey Wasserman is expanding. They are now apparently functioning as adjunct to the deep pocketed California Charter School Association (CCSA). To wit, compare this email from the "non-partisan charity" UWGLA to that of the CCSA trade association's 501c4 wing, CCSA Advocates: [image: El... more »
The Veil is Thinning
*Wes Annac* - Meditation is a great way to explore the etheric abyss, but we don’t have to be rigid about it to glimpse spirit. The post The Veil is Thinning appeared first on Waking Times.
The Dark Nexus of Mind Control and Artificial Intelligence
*Jay Dyer* - The rollout of the great technological utopia we are being sold was not the result of mere organic market forces that competed to produce harder, better, faster and stronger products. The post The Dark Nexus of Mind Control and Artificial Intelligence appeared first on Waking Times.
Pakistan's Armed Drone Successfully Test Fires A Laser-Guided Missile
Drone war is almost synonymous with Pakistan, where for years American drones fought back Taliban and al Qaeda operations across the border from Afghanistan. It’s a tremendously contentious policy, with American planes dropping bombs on insurgents within Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (and, often, killing civilians in the process). What happens to the drone war when American forces leave Afghanistan? Turns out Pakistan may use its own drone to battle insurgents. After years of development, Pakistan is putting the finishing touches on the Burraq, an indigenously m... more »
AF develops high-temperature, abrasion-resistant coating for fighter aircraft
[image: F-35 Lightning II]The Air Force and a small business partner developed an innovative, high-temperature, abrasion-resistant coating product that could directly improve the reliability and maintainability of weapon systems across the Air Force, including the F-35 Lightning II. With funding from the Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program, Texas Research Institute (TRI), in Austin, Texas, the Proteckt high-temperature coating has demonstrated significant improvements in abrasion resistance at operational temperat... more »
NATO disputes Conservative claim that Russians confronted Canadian warship
[image: HMCS Fredericton (FFH 337)]The Conservative government has ratcheted up its war of words over Ukraine, with the parliamentary defence secretary claiming Russian warships confronted a Canadian frigate in the Black Sea. But NATO officials say no such thing happened. James Bezan, parliamentary secretary to Minister of National Defence Jason Kenney, told the House of Commons earlier this week, “Since arriving in the Black Sea, Royal Canadian Navy sailors have been confronted by Russian warships and buzzed by Russian fighter jets.” Read more
U.S. Sea Service Strategy Revision Includes Navy and Coast Guard Ship Counts, All Domain Access Outline
[image: USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)]The latest revision to the 2007 U.S. Sea Service strategy has added sections addressing the complexity of the intersection of cyber and electronic warfare and hangs a loose number on the number of ships the U.S. Navy needs to execute its roles in the world. Eighteen months and several drafts later, the revision to A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower (CS21) is the U.S. Navy, Marines Corps and Coast Guard’s broad policy outline for their global roles. “The world has changed since 2007, when the last strategy was published, violent ext... more »
Electrician shortage delays production of Zumwalt destroyer
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[image: USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000)]Delivery of General Dynamics Corp.’s first two electric-powered Zumwalt-class destroyers for the U.S. Navy is running more than a year late, in part because of a shortage of electricians, according to the service. Work at the contractor’s Bath Iron Works unit in Maine has fallen behind “due to the complexity of the first-ever all-electric ship and the particular demand it has created for skilled electricians shipyard-wide,” said Commander Thurraya Kent, a Navy spokeswoman. The Navy and Bath Iron Works now estimate that delivery of the first of three v... more »
Two Modern Guided Missile Ships to Reinforce Russia’s Naval Guard in 2015
[image: RFS Admiral Essen]The first in the series, the Admiral Grigorovich, is set for at-sea testing at the end of March; the second, the Admiral Essen, is expected to leave dry-dock by the end of the year. Russia’s latest guided missile ship, the frigate Admiral Grigorovich, is the first in its series and is set for at-sea testing by the end of March. The ship floated out of Yantar shipyard in Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad last year. Read more
SAAF probably looking at C-130 or KC-390 for medium airlift
[image: KC-390 multirole tanker transport]While not cast in stone, it appears the airborne arm of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has its eyes on two possible types to replace its ageing C-130BZ fleet. In the Estimates of National Expenditure (ENE) for the 2015/16 financial year National Treasury indicates “the department (of defence) will be acquiring equipment and developing systems to maintain a modern, balanced and technologically advanced force. It has budgeted for medium and light transport aircraft, a new generation mobile communication capability and precision guided ... more »
Top 10 Weapon Systems Developed by DRDO
[image: Agni V ICBM]The Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is responsible for the development of technology for use by the Indian armed forces. In recent years it has been criticized for the delayed projects and cost over runs. Because of DRDO’s poor performance in successfully delivering weapon systems and meeting timelines country fulfill its 70% of defense needs by imports from various countries. Apart from these criticism most of which are irrational and unfair to the part of DRDO, there are many weapon systems which were largely managed by DRDO have seen con... more »
US Admiral Warns Senate: Russia Is a Military Threat to North America
[image: Tu-95 Bear D]Admiral William Gortney, the commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, warned the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia is a threat to America’s safety. “The past year has marked a notable increase in military assertiveness on the world stage, including in the approaches to the homelands,” he told the committee. Russian heavy bombers flew more out-of-area patrols in 2014 than in any year since the Cold War. Read more
French Navy NH90 NFH Caïman Achieves IOC for ASW with MU90 Torpedo
[image: NH90 torpedo drop]The French Navy (Marine Nationale) announced today, March 13, that its NH90 Nato Frigate Helicopter (NFH) "Caïman" Achieved its Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) missions with MU90 Torpedo. This is a major capability step for the FREMM / NH90 combo that can now deal with the submarine threat from a safer distance. The French Navy took delivery of its first NH90 in May 2010. Read more
Beams at \(6.5\TeV\) happily running at the LHC
When I am posting this message, it's the the birthday of Albert Einstein, also known as the \(\pi\) day. More precisely, as you may check, this blog post was written on 3/14/15 at 9:26:53.589793238... am Pilsner winter time which contains as many digits of \(\pi\) as you want – you may probably find such a moment once in a century, if you trust Stephen Wolfram. I am not cheating: I was really writing this blog post after 9 am although the precision indicated above is exaggerated LOL. And as the screenshot above (click to zoom in) shows, the year 2015 has finally started with ever... more »
I Drank Warm Honey Lemon Water Every Morning for a Year (Here’s What Happened).
For most of us the challenge will be to ensure a steady supply of excellent lemons. I alsop suspect that limes are also compatable to this protocol. Certainly we use it as a cure if we get stuffy. Somehow switching over to the morning pick me up will still take a bit. It is actually a sound way to hydrate as well. Also make an effort to buy local honey if you can at all. The battle for shelf space mostly paid for by the big guys tends to limit options. High quality honey is readily available in Vancouver, but not at the super market for the $30.00 pails in particular. C... more »
Paging the 'Asian Network'
Almost forgot to mention... Here's a tweet from *Panorama *researcher Jessica Benhamou. It offers an interesting insight into how BBC programmes like *Panorama *gather their cast-list of 'ordinary people': PLS RT .@TherealNihal! BBC Panorama is looking for unemployed, Bangladeshi, 18-24 yr old men in E London. Email jessica.benhamou@bbc.co.uk — Jessica Benhamou (@JessicaShiraz) February 11, 2015 That man duly appeared on Fergal Keane's 'love--themed *Panorama *a couple of weeks ago.
Monster Black Hole Is the Largest and Brightest Ever Found
[image: Largest and Brightest Black Hole] *An artist's illustration of a monster supermassive black hole at the heart of a quasar in the distant universe. Scientists say the newfound black hole SDSS J010013.02+280225.8 is the largest and brightest ever found.* First off, let us can them super large gravity wells. Secondly our age calculations may well not stand up at all and this discovery is trying to tell us this. Otherwise, our model for galaxy formation and all that is far too slow because it omots the huge gravitational impact of Dark Matter whose direct ... more »
Thought-Controlled Drones
[image: Researchers working on the Brainflight project have successfully demonstrated mind-control...] This is early days but it looks ok so far. However, i personally think that we need to engage the limbic system and to establish additional feed back as well. That is a tall order. At some point you are depending on the computer to do most of the flying and that begs the question of why bother. We really do have better things to do beside been a passenger in a true robot. We are essentially there now and have a loss rate that is already acceptable. Otherwise... more »
Monstrous Category 5 Cyclone Makes A Direct Hit On The Tiny State Of Vanuatu In The Pacific
*Daily Mail*: *Massive cyclone rips across Vanuatu, killing 'at least 40 people and leaving thousands homeless' as it causes CATASTROPHIC destruction on the island nation * ** Cyclone Pam has intensified as it hits Vanuatu, with dozens feared dead in the outer islands* ** The category five storm hit Vanuatu on Friday bringing flooding and evacuation orders, according to the UN* ** The cyclone is expected to bring destructive winds of 250km/h, torrential rain and phenomenal seas to Vanuatu on Saturday* ** Gales are expected to affect most of the island spreading 380km from the cyclo... more »
The Most Evil Weapons Ever Created (Video)
*WNU Editor:* Video is from "*We Are The Mighty*".
Ultimate Army Fail Compilation 2014 (Video)
*WNU Editor:* Amazingly .... no one was killed in any of these "accidents" .... hmmmm .... I think.
Assassination of Boris Nemtsov
[image: putin murder.jpg] *Guest post by Mikhail Svetov* Two weeks ago Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was brutally murdered mere metres away from the Kremlin. ( https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/106971352/notpc/murderescene.jpg, http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/03/europe/russia-putin-critics/). Anyone who’s been involved in political activism in Russia knows that if you try as much as spreading a banner in front of the Kremlin, you will be apprehended in a matter of seconds by the Federal Security Service, Putin’s personal guard. ( http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article... more »
Why Would A Weapon Stop Shooting?
*Washington Post: **Viral video: Army private can’t figure out why his weapon won’t work* *February was a tough month to be a rank-and-file soldier training in the United States. The weather was bitterly cold in many states, but there are few reprieves from training that must be done.That brings us to this recent video, which went viral after being posted to Reddit. It shows a young Army private, seemingly bewildered that his rifle is empty. A patient, and yet clearly amused, drill sergeant points out that maybe, just maybe, his gun is out of ammunition.* *WNU Editor*: This Pri... more »
(Jeb Back on the Bench?) Nearly At ‘Full Employment’? 10 Reasons Why The Unemployment Numbers Are A Massive Lie (What Was Won In Selma 50 Years Ago Being Lost Today)
The Cuban date changer for president? You better sit down, kids. (Notice how the Koches are in love with all the Repub Gov learned dummies candidates.) My buddy at No More Mr. nails this one, and although several of us have also noticed this recently, he should get the credit for a brilliant exposition of how power works today and who will benefit (probably to our country's democratic demise).
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*First Direct Flight From New Orleans To Cuba Since 1958 To Take Off This Weekend ~Roque Planas, Huff Post*
Can The Chinese Military Crush America In A War?
U.S. President Barack Obama (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands at the end of their news conference in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing November 12, 2014 (Reuters / Kevin Lamarque) *Zachary Keck, National Interest*: *Most Chinese Say Their Military Can Crush America in Battle* *The vast majority of Chinese citizens believe the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could seize islands in the East and South China Seas, even if the U.S. military were to intervene in the conflicts.* *No less than 87 percent of respondents said that the Chinese military already possessed t... more »
They Eat You Up And Spit You Out
Apparently Libyan ISIS leader Abdelhakim Belhadj, *who the U.S., UK, and NATO supported in their war against Gaddafi*, didn't get the memo from Nabeel Naiem, a former al-Qaeda super agent and Egyptian jihadist who fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Naiem regretted his involvement in American-sponsored jihad in Afghanistan and has said on record in multiple interviews throughout the Arab world that the jihadists fighting in Syria and elsewhere are U.S. pawns who will be used up and dropped dead once their usefulness expires. Here is a quote from *one of his int... more »
Why Are Republicans The Way They Are?
At the height of teabagger-mania, a right-wing outfit in the L.A. area, the Patriots League, sent out an endorsement questionnaire to every single Republican running for Congress. We got our hands on some of the responses-- and they are pretty shocking. You want to know why 47 Republican senators could flirt so openly with sedition regarding Iran? The answers to the Patriots League's psychotic questions contain all you need to know about what these crackpots and paranoids have on their tiny minds. This IS today's Republican Party. The questionnaire starts by introducing the organi... more »
Anti-U.S. Feelings Are On The Rise In Russia
Supporters of the Russian Communist Party carry a model of an ammunition with the words “Privately to Obama” written on it. Anti-U.S. sentiments in Russia are at record highs, far worse than any time since Stalin. (Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters) *Washington Post*: *Russia’s anti-American fever goes beyond the Soviet era’s* *MOSCOW — Thought the Soviet Union was anti-American? Try today’s Russia.After a year in which furious rhetoric has been pumped across Russian airwaves, anger toward the United States is at its worst since opinion polls began tracking it. From ordinary street vendors... more »
believe
Believe nothing that you hear, half of what you read.
The Real Reason Why Russian President Putin Disappeared This Week
ITAR-TASS/Reuters *Barbie Latza Nadeau, Daily Beast:* *Is Putin in Switzerland for Birth Of Secret Love Child?* *The Russian leader has been missing, prompting speculation he’s deathly ill—but Italian and Swiss media says he’s just been in Lugano for the birth of his baby.* *Russian president Vladimir Putin appears to be back at the Kremlin after a mysterious disappearance that had people wondering if the Russian leader might be seriously ill or at risk of a coup. But a Swiss newspaper says the Russian playboy was just in Lugano for the birth of his lovechild.* *In an article t... more »
Use of comprehensive document briefs in civil trials
Blake v. Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, 2015 ONCA 165: [53] Parties frequently use comprehensive document briefs in civil trials. As this court stated in *Iannarella v. Corbett*:[9] It is commonplace in civil actions for counsel to prepare a trial document brief containing documents that are admitted as authentic and admissible. See John Sopinka, *The Trial of an Action*, 2nd ed. (Markham: LexisNexis, 1998) at pp. 41-42. Counsel typically agree on a list of documents and one party attends to the brief's preparation. [54] When a document brief is tendered... more »
Tonight's Movie Is 'The Recruit'
From *Wikipedia*: The Recruit is a 2003 American-German spy thriller film, directed by Roger Donaldson and starring Al Pacino, Colin Farrell and Bridget Moynahan. James Clayton (Colin Farrell), a computer programming expert at MIT, is offered an interview by senior Central Intelligence Agency instructor Walter Burke (Al Pacino) for a position with the Agency. After witnessing a demonstration of Clayton's skills, Burke tests Clayton with a puzzle encoded on the sports page of a newspaper. Clayton agrees to be recruited because he wants information about his missing father, whom he ... more »
Watch What Happens When Lion and Man Become Brothers
*Video - *Watch what happens when Kevin Richardson treats wild lions and Hyenas as his brothers and sisters. Nature is amazing! The post Watch What Happens When Lion and Man Become Brothers appeared first on Waking Times.
Musical Interlude: Afshin, "Prayer of Change"
Afshin, "Prayer of Change" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75SGQ65QhaU ◆ You'll enjoy this as well, simply wonderful! Afshin Toufighian, “Live” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrJAP4Qvql4
"A Look to the Heavens"
"The W-shaped ridge of emission featured in this vivid skyscape is known as the Cygnus Wall. Part of a larger emission nebula with a distinctive outline popularly called The North America Nebula, the cosmic ridge spans about 20 light-years. Constructed using narrowband data to highlight the telltale reddish glow from ionized hydrogen atoms recombining with electrons, the two frame mosaic image follows an ionization front with fine details of dark, dusty forms in silhouette. *Click image for larger size.* Sculpted by energetic radiation from the region's young, hot, massive stars, th... more »
It's all maths to me
There was a fascinating *Start the Week *this week on the subject of mathematics and mathematicians. You might, being cynical, consider it an extended plug for this week's Radio 4 *Book of the Week - Birth of a Theorem *by 'rock star' French mathematician (and Liszt impersonator) Cedric Villani (brilliantly serialised by Radio 4 and pleasingly read by Julian Rhind-Tutt- the floppy-haired blond guy from *Green Wing)*. But it was fascinating in its own right. Cedric is a very good communicator. Despite being French, his English is impeccable (more impeccable than many English peo... more »
Kaspersky claims to have found NSA's 'space station malware' Super-complex code collection had 116 spooky plug-ins
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/12/nsas_on_drugs_infosec_bods_unveil_space_grade_malware/ *Kaspersky claims to have found NSA's 'space station malware'* *Super-complex code collection had 116 spooky plug-ins* 12 Mar 2015 at 08:28, Darren Pauli Kaspersky malware probers have uncovered a new 'operating system'-like platform that was developed and used by the National Security Agency (NSA) in its Equation spying arsenal. The EquationDrug or Equestre platform is used to deploy 116 modules to target computers that can siphon data and spy on victims. "It's important to note that ... more »
Hillary Mann Leverett Calls GOP Letter To Iran "Reckless" And Says President Obama Should Make A Stronger, Strategic Case For Rapprochement With Iran
*From the glorious Declaration of Independence to the laughable Declaration of Ignorance. From the wise Thomas Jefferson to the fool Tom Cotton. A Decline Indeed!* *An excerpt from, "GOP Senators’ Letter to Ayatollah Khamenei and the Strategic Imperative of U.S.-Iranian Realignment: Hillary Mann Leverett on Democracy Now!" GoingToTehran.com, March 12, 2015:* Hillary appeared on Democracy Now! to discuss the “OPEN letter” signed by forty-seven Republican senators to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the Iranian nuclear issue more broadly, ... more »
Andrew Weaver, the National Post and media accountability
The National Post devoted just 160 words to the news it had lost a defamation suit launched by Victoria climate scientist and Green MLA Andrew Weaver and had to pay him $50,000. Even that brief report didn’t come until two days after other media reported the B.C. Supreme Court decision. It was a striking contrast to the Post coverage when television personality Ezra Levant lost a similar defamation suit in November. That was big news and reported in an 800-word article. The piece had a catchy headline “Levant guilty of defamation, must pay $80K; 'Reckless.'” The lead was dramatic. ... more »
At last!
This week's *Sunday* pursued some familiar paths... ...breaking news from the Muslim world (Islamic Slade and Procol Haram getting together to sing *A More Gruesome Shade of Islam*), a bit of fluff about fashion and Pope Francis, yet more stuff about Pope Francis from a pair of Pope Francis fans (liheral Catholic Ed Stourton's *Sunday* is nothing if not keen on Pope Francis), something about a left-leaning charity celebrating an anniversary, plus a non-partisan left-wing campaign against the current coalition government's legal aid reforms (one-sided in its guest selection, inevit... more »
Going vertical
Jizo is looking a little less lonely in his nest of violets. We had a spate of rain and I took advantage of the changed conditions to see about getting some greens out to the garden. These will be in the beds nearest the house in true kitchen garden fashion. Also they are vulnerable to slugs so they want to be inspected frequently. Trellises have been in these upper beds for the last two years so it is time to have them in the lower garden. I have already set up the one for Sugar Snap peas (planted last week) and green beans (not yet!). I also need one for scarlet runners and cucu... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 13, 2015
*Ilene Prusher, Time:* *Is This the Man Who Could Beat Netanyahu and Become Israel’s Next PM?* *Isaac Herzog has maintained a lead in opinion polls but winning the election is not enough to become prime minister* *When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chose to dissolve his government last November and call for new elections he didn’t expect a formidable challenge from the Labor party leader Isaac Herzog.* *Herzog is the closest thing Israel has to a patrician politician. His father, Chaim Herzog, was an Israeli army general and the sixth president of Israel and his grand... more »
KIPP's Character Guru, Uncensored
When Angela Duckworth was shopping around for a graduate program in 2002, she read about Martin Seligman's positive psychology program at UPenn. Knowing no boundaries, she emailed him late one night, and Marty happened to be up, playing bridge online. One thing led to another, and the next day they had a face to face. Marty was so impressed that he got the UPenn to suspend their rules for admissions deadlines, and soon Angela was ensconced as Marty's protege in the doctoral psych program. Four years later, she had her PhD, and a year after that in 2007 she was appointed to a ten... more »
Chet Raymo, “To Sleep, Perchance To Dream”
*“To Sleep, Perchance To Dream”* by Chet Raymo “What is more gentle than a wind in summer? What is more soothing than a pretty hummer That stays one moment in an open flower, And buzzes cheerily from bower to bower? What is more tranquil than a musk-rose blowing In a green island, far from all men's knowing? More healthful than the leafiness of dales? More secret than a nest of nightingales?” What indeed? The poet Keats answers his own questions: Sleep. Soft closer of our eyes. I've reached an age when I find myself occasionally nodding off in the middle of the day, an open book floppe...more »
"Decide..."
“We're all going to die. We don't get much say over how or when, but we do get to decide how we're gonna live. So, do it. Decide. Is this the life you want to live? Is this the person you want to love? Is this the best you can be? Can you be stronger? Kinder? More Compassionate? Decide. Breathe in. Breathe out and decide.” - “Richard”, “Grey’s Anatomy”
World News Briefs -- March 13, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*Reuters: **Iraqi forces pause in battle to drive Islamic State from Tikrit * *(Reuters) - Frustrated by guerrilla tactics from Islamic State militants, Iraqi forces paused for reinforcements on Friday in a major offensive to take back the city of Tikrit.The operation appeared to have stalled for the time being, two days after Iraqi security forces and their mainly Shi'ite militia allies pushed into Tikrit, the home city of executed ex-president Saddam Hussein.A source in the military command said Iraqi forces would not move forward until reinforcements reached Tikrit, of whic... more »
Self-advertising on the BBC
I have to say that I didn't really warm to the initial moans on this week's *Newswatch*. A smattering of *Newswatch* viewers complained about the suspension of Jeremy Clarkson from the BBC being made the lead story on BBC News. They didn't think it merited the attention - or that the mass petition calling for his 'saving' should even have been reported. Given that petition (now nearing 900,000 signatures) and given the fact that vast swathes of the British public appear to have been talking about it (something I can vouch for), surely one day of Jezza leading the BBC News isn't... more »
Bill C-51 : ICYMI - rights are important
C51 Day of Action protest tomorrow, Saturday March 14 Find the one nearest you on the map Only public pressure has any hope at all of shifting the Cons because they are definitely not listening to the C51 committee witnesses so we're gonna need something that looks like this. .
It would be nice if potential Scott Walker supporters at least KNEW that he lies compulsively to promote himself and his diseased ideology
*Odds are that when you look up "pathological liar" in the dictionary, Scott Walker will be lying in the picture of him you find there.* *by Ken* The other day I mentioned in passing that I'm less concerned than I once was with whether a particular right-winger lies so much because the person really has some kind of fundamental brain dysfunction or because the person is simply a habitual liar. My point was that, practically speaking, does it matter? Take a simple case of Fox Noisemakers. It's hard to believe that Bill O'Reilly doesn't know he's a master con artist, that most of t... more »
Is The U.S. Exaggerating Islamic State Casualties?
Smoke rises over Syrian town of Kobani after an airstrike, as seen from the Mursitpinar border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province, October 18, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach *Eli Lake & Josh Rogin, Bloomberg*: *U.S. Exaggerates Islamic State Casualties* *The war against the Islamic State has killed thousands of fighters and even some mid-level battlefield commanders, but the organization's senior leadership and nerve center remain largely untouched, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials.* *These off... more »
More Lent Talks
When we began this blog our aim was to be scrupulously fair to the BBC - even though we suspected that being *un*scrupulously *un*fair to the BBC might work better, given that no one (except, possibly, a Loadicean) really likes a Laodicean. So, persisting with that lukewarm spirit (and in spite of any potential spitting-out), I really, really feel the need to add something to our previous posts about Radio 4's annual series of *Lent Talks - *pieces I've been listening to for years. Our previous posts have laid out, in some detail, the programme's past record of (by and large) pro... more »
ZemantaUK: 500 new cases of female genital mutilation in one month are 'just the tip of the iceberg'
500 cases in a month. And that's only who they are treating; the actual number is likely to be astronomically higher. Back in July, UK Prime Minister David Cameron attended a summit with some 500 delegates from 50 countries - including survivors of the practice , heads of state ...
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