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Thomas Paine

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

16 April - Blogs I'm Following

10:45pm MDST

Trans-Pacific Partnership Talks Classified as State Secrets!

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 19 minutes ago
Don’t Keep the Trans-Pacific Partnership Talks Secret By MARGOT E. KAMINSKI APRIL 14, 2015 The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/opinion/dont-keep-trade-talks-secret.html?emc=edit_th_20150414&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=32962000 COLUMBUS, Ohio — WHEN WikiLeaks recently released a chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, critics and proponents of the deal resumed wrestling over its complicated contents. But a cover page of the leaked document points to a different problem: It announces that the draft text is classified by the United States government. E... more »

Today

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 36 minutes ago
Screenshots from Fukushima 4/17 2:27 AM. It was not raining: Radiation levels continue to be moderately elevated in northern Japan and in Miyagi according to Netc.

Ukraine a Vector for GMO Poison's Spread Through EU

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 42 minutes ago
*April 17, 2015* (Ulson Gunnar - NEO) - When the Washington Post chooses to pen an insulting, condescending editorial targeting entire nations speaking up against Western impropriety, one can just as well assume the precise opposite of whatever narrative the Post is trying to push forward is true. Regarding American biotech companies and their attempts to infest the planet with genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and in particular their attempts to corrupt the whole of Europe with their unwanted poison through a backdoor (Ukraine), has prompted Russia to speak up for their Eastern... more »

Will Iran Be Able To Dominate The Middle East Using Russia's S-300 Missile System?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 hour ago
Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters *Will Cathcart, Daily Beast:* *Putin Uses the S-300 Missile to Dominate Its Neighbors. Now Iran Can, Too.* *Israel isn’t the only country that will be threatened if S-300 missile systems arrive in Iran. The Saudis and Turks had better be worried as well.TBILISI, Georgia—As the Kremlin lifts its ban on the delivery of S-300 missiles to Iran, and as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claims the air defense systems “will not put at risk the security of any state in the region, including Israel,” a palpable irony hangs in the air here. For years, Rus... more »

8 Simple Steps to Forgive Even the Unforgivable

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 1 hour ago
*Christina Sarich* - Stopping the inner rage of unforgiveness can be easier than you think. The post 8 Simple Steps to Forgive Even the Unforgivable appeared first on Waking Times.

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
“Bright clusters and nebulae abound in the ancient northern constellation of Auriga. The region includes the open star cluster M38, emission nebula IC 410 with Tadpoles, Auriga's own Flaming Star Nebula IC 405, and this interesting pair IC 417 (lower left) and NGC 1931. An imaginative eye toward the expansive IC 417 and diminutive NGC 1931 suggests a cosmic spider and fly. *Click image for larger size.* About 10,000 light-years distant, both represent young, open star clusters formed in interstellar clouds and still embedded in glowing hydrogen gas. For scale, the more compact NGC 1...more »

Chet Raymo, “Making Peace”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
*“Making Peace”* by Chet Raymo "An issue of “Science” (May 18, 2012) was devoted to human conflict. If I can summarize 60 pages of discussion: It's US versus THEM. It seems our long evolutionary history has favored group solidarity. Empathy and cooperation within the group; distrust and aggression toward those outside. The first groups were those of kin, tribes, and then ethnicity. As societies grew, groups identified themselves in more complex ways. Some researches would suggest that religions evolved as group adhesives. WE are moral, beautiful, enlightened, favored by God. THEY a... more »

Paulo Coelho, "The Power Of The Word"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
*"The Power Of The Word"* by Paulo Coelho "Of all the powerful weapons of destruction that man has invented, the most terrible – and the most cowardly – is the word. Knives and firearms leave traces of blood. Bombs shake whole buildings and streets. Poisons can always be detected. But a destructive word can provoke Evil without leaving behind it a single clue. Check to see if you yourself are using this weapon. Children are subject to years of conditioning by their parents, artists are mercilessly pilloried, women are systematically undermined by remarks made by their husbands, the... more »

All hail Hubble, the Little Telescope That Could -- and meet the "Mystic Mountatin" pillar of dust and gas it captured

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 2 hours ago
*Achenblog caption: "A star-forming region in the Carina Nebula, seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: NASA, ESA, M. Livio and Hubble 20th anniversary team"* *"So here is one of the big insights about outer space: It’s big. And it’s full of big stuff. I know I’m threatening to go over everyone’s head here with the scientific and technical language. Sorry, it just makes me feel smarter to sling the jargon."* *-- Joel Achenbach, in his Achenblog post today* *by Ken* The last time we visited with *Washington Post* ace science writer Joel Achenbach, he was excited, as he often ... more »

Greece's Debt Crisis Has Crippled Its Military

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 hours ago
Several reports have surfaced of Turkish frigates entering Greek territorial waters Murad Sezer/Reuters *Elisabeth Braw, Newsweek*: *Lack of Fuel Leaves Greek Military Helpless in Face of Turkish Aggression* *Greece can no longer defend itself against Turkish military aggression because its financial woes are crippling its armed forces.* *Speaking exclusively to Newsweek, Prof Costas Koliopoulos, a military expert at Panteion University in Athens says: “Turkey is the reason we have very large armed forces. And now Turkey is sensing a shift in the balance of power. Their increased... more »

"What A Coward Knows..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
"Courage and conviction are powerful weapons against an enemy who depends only on fists or guns. Animals know when you are afraid; a coward knows when you are not." - David Seabury

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
Houston, Texas, USA. Thanks for stopping by.

"Just Once..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
"But because truly being here is so much; because everything here apparently needs us, this fleeting world, which in some strange way keeps calling to us. Us, the most fleeting of all. Once for each thing. Just once; no more. And we too, just once. And never again. But to have been this once, completely, even if only once: to have been at one with the earth, seems beyond undoing." - Rainer Maria Rilke

"Meaningful Warnings..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
“There are meaningful warnings which history gives a threatened or perishing society. Such are, for instance, the decadence of art, or a lack of great statesmen. There are open and evident warnings, too. The center of your democracy and of your culture is left without electric power for a few hours only, and all of a sudden crowds of American citizens start looting and creating havoc. The smooth surface film must be very thin, then, the social system quite unstable and unhealthy. But the fight for our planet, physical and spiritual, a fight of cosmic proportions, is not a vague mat... more »

Hugh White in Straits Times issues primer on how not to write about the Taiwan Issue

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 2 hours ago
*Indonesian maids with their charges* I'm off biking for a few days this weekend. So expect light blogging.... Hugh White in the Straits Times gives a primer in how not to write about the Taiwan issue. Usually when someone flatpeters like this in the international media, I serve it up John-the-Baptist style, as with Bruce Gilley or Charles Glaser. Its tiresome to keep ripping stuff for the same transcendentally obvious mistakes, as naive as if the writer has just discovered that Taiwan exists. But what else can one do? Onward! *Problem 1: Decontextualizing Taiwan* A common approach... more »

“Will Washington Kill Us All?”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
*“Will Washington Kill Us All?”* By Paul Craig Roberts “Did you know that Washington keeps 450 nuclear ICBMs on “hair-trigger alert”? Washington thinks that this makes us “safe.” The reasoning, if it can be called reason, is that by being able to launch in a few minutes, no one will try to attack the US with nuclear weapons. US missiles are able to get on their way before the enemy’s missiles can reach the US to destroy ours. If this makes you feel safe, you need to read Eric Schlosser’s book, "Command and Control". The trouble with hair-triggers is that they make mistaken, acciden... more »

China Is Building It's First Air Strip In The Contested South China Sea

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 3 hours ago
(*Click on Image to Enlarge*) Satellite imagery of runway construction at Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands dated March 23, 2015, by Airbus Defence and Space. Photo: CNES 2015, Distribution Airbus DS/IHS: 1535921 *HS Jane's 360:* *China's first runway in Spratlys under construction* *Key Points:* * * Satellite imagery shows that China has begun building a runway on reclaimed parts of Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands * The imagery, provided by Airbus Defence and Space, also shows China building islands on Subi Reef that if linked up would provide enough land for ... more »

Why GeoEngineering Is Not the Solution to Climate Change

WTStaff at Waking Times - 3 hours ago
*Video - *Alan Robock, Ph.D. in Meteorology from MIT and Professor at Rutgers University, explains why geoengineering might not be the right solution to climate change and global warming. The post Why GeoEngineering Is Not the Solution to Climate Change appeared first on Waking Times.

But is it true? (Catalyzed by CBC's interview of Gideon Levy)

Denis Rancourt at Activist Teacher - 4 hours ago
By Denis G. Rancourt Well-meaning humanists often make broad pronouncements of alleged universal principles that they advance as absolute truth in the face of the most horrendous problems facing humanity. But are these pronouncements true? There are many examples of this phenomenon in the legal decisions of our highest courts, where, if it were taken into account, sociological evidence would

Colombia Resumes Air Raids On FARC Rebel Positions

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 4 hours ago
*Al Jazeera*:* Colombia to resume bombing of FARC targets* *Ten soldiers killed by rebels in early morning ambush described by President Santos as a "rupture" of FARC's ceasefire.* *Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos has ordered the resumption of bombing raids against FARC rebels after an attack he blamed on the group killed 10 soldiers, a move that will intensify combat after efforts to ease tensions.* *As part of peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Santos last month stopped air raids on rebel hideouts in recognition of a unilateral ceasefire... more »

Caution: Reptiles at work

greencrow at Greencrow As The Crow Flies - 4 hours ago
*Reptiles are at work--assassinating Ukraine citizens* Its days like today that I believe in David Icke's Reptiles. I don't want to believe in them, but what else is one to think? Especially when one reads that some entities are systematically assassinating anyone in Ukraine who doesn't go along with the Kiev Junta (BTW...according to a lot of sources...*that's the vast majority of Western Ukrainians.*) Almost daily, now, you read that one intellectual or another has been assassinated in Ukraine. I hadn't heard of journalist Oles Buzina until today...but he sounds like my kind of ... more »

Friday Morning Ramble …

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 5 hours ago
*The most important single central fact about a free market is that no exchange takes place unless both parties benefit. *- Milton Friedman Quel surprise. This goes in the file titled ‘Told You So.’ *CERA control holds back Christchurch rebuild* – 3 NEWS *Christchurch Mayor urged to cut red tape* – NEWSTALK ZB Topical again… *Can you own water?* – NOT PC, 2012 *Water, water everywhere…* – NOT PC, 2012 *Undiscovered resources do not constitute wealth* – Gary Judd, BREAKING VIEWS, 2012 *The Prime Minister is wrong* – NOT PC, 2012 *Q: What would 'Party X' do about the environme... more »

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- April 16, 2015

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 5 hours ago
*Bloomberg editorial*: *Iraq Needs More U.S. Help to Defeat Jihad* *Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi came to Washington this week with many urgent requests and will leave with some vague reassurances. President Barack Obama was right to promise more humanitarian and military assistance, but for it to be effective, the U.S. has to demand some changes from Abadi -- and make some of its own, in its mission and expectations.* *All additional aid should be contingent on Abadi's progress in leading Iraq: quelling sectarian tensions, ensuring the safety of Sunni Muslims, professiona... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
God forbid testing reveals any deficiencies, right? Oh, the trauma!

“America, It's Been a Privilege”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
*“America, It's Been a Privilege”* by Will Bunch “You really can buy anything in America in 2015- even things you would never guess in a million years that someone wanted to buy. Who knew, before this weekend, that if you donate enough money, you can even become a quasi-cop and go chasing down criminals and assorted poor people in your spare time? That's what was going on in Tulsa, where a 73-year-old reserve sheriff's deputy named Robert Bates now faces manslaughter charges for making the mistake of a lifetime- literally the lost lifetime of his 44-year-old victim, the late Eric ...more »

Fable: A New Yahoo

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 5 hours ago
By Herschel Sternlieb Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver described the Yahoos as coarse, crude, filthy creatures resembling homo sapiens who spent their time seeking shiny stones in the mud. And so it has been for the longest time until today a new generation of Yahoos has evolved. This recent member of the species spends his time seeking imaginary atomic bombs in other peoples’ soil while he fondles his own bombs in anonymous and secret places. Unlike his predecessors, this new Yahoo is immaculate in his person and attire, though his hands are full of blood. He is always cleanly shaven, ... more »

Africa Command & Control of the Continent

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 6 hours ago
Military Missions Reach Record Levels After US Inks Deal to Remain in Africa for Decades By Nick Turse For three days, wearing a kaleidoscope of camouflage patterns, they huddled together on a military base in Florida. They came from U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and U.S. Army Special Operations Command, from France and Norway, from Denmark, Germany, and Canada: 13 nations in all. They came to plan a years-long “Special Operations-centric” military campaign supported by conventional forces, a multinational undertaking that -- if carried out -- might cost hundreds o... more »

The Economy: "The Zombies Want to Eat Your Flesh!"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago
*"The Zombies Want to Eat Your Flesh!"* by Bill Bonner “Editor’s Note: Bill set out on horseback yesterday to visit his nearest neighbor. And he didn’t make it back to the ranch on time to write his regular Diary. So today, a classic from the archives…” "In politics and economics, most people believe what isn’t true: that the common folk select their leaders… and that these leaders are wiser than God. We recall an early experiment. The pilgrims washed up in the wrong place… and then proceeded to almost exterminate themselves with clumsy central planning.Their system discouraged wor... more »

Mark Twain, "Congress"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago
"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." "All Congresses and Parliaments have a kindly feeling for idiots, and a compassion for them, on account of personal experience and heredity." "...the smallest minds and the selfishest souls and the cowardliest hearts that God makes." "The lightning there is peculiar; it is so convincing, that when it strikes a thing it doesn't leave enough of that thing behind for you to tell whether- Well, you'd think it was something valuable, and a Congressman had been there." "It could probably be shown ... more »

April 16: The worst yet....

Graeme Decarie at The Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad - 6 hours ago
....I didn't think it possible. The big story is that premier Gallant gave a speech to big business leaders at Canadian Club in Toronto - and he spoke from the very same platform that Hilary Clinton had spoken from - and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and even NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. What an honour! I hope we put his shoes on display at the Resurgo Museum. It would be a big draw in tourist season. I'm sure the corporate bosses in his audience were captivated by his message that our economy is great. I mean, how else would they know? A3 has a must-read report that... more »

Why are we in Viet Nam Ukraine?

Alison at Creekside - 6 hours ago
and financing a Monument to the Victims of Communism? Election 2015. Cue Chris Alexander's fevered paeon to a new cold war with Russia to the *Ukrainian Canadian Congress* this past February, and Stephen Harper's remarks in his keynote speech at the Tribute to Liberty dinner for the monument in May last year "Nearly one quarter of all Canadians were either held captive by Communism's chains or are the sons and daughters of those who were." Con MP Wladyslaw Lizon, who beat the former Lib MP by just 1½% of the vote in 2011, is one of three founding members of Tribute to Liberty. Whi...more »

Another bleak update for Postmedia, with a shark waiting to be leaped

paul at Paying attention - 6 hours ago
It looks like Postmedia has moved into asset-strip mode, based on its latest quarterly report. The results were dismal, as they have been every quarter since the corporation bought the newspapers of near-bankrupt Canwest in 2010. Revenues are down 11.3 per cent for the first six months of the fiscal year, about $42 million. Expenses were down 10.8 per cent, or $32 million. Postmedia management appears to have no solutions. They are cutting expenses, but not fast enough to match falling revenues. At the same time, the cuts are reducing value for readers and advertisers, which leads to... more »

Satire: “Americans Favor Fifteen Dollars an Hour for Congress”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago
*“Americans Favor Fifteen Dollars an Hour for Congress”* by Andy Borowitz WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) – “Americans took to the streets in large numbers on Thursday to show their support for a fifteen-dollar-an-hour wage for members of Congress. In major cities across the nation, fast-food workers and other service employees held signs, shouted chants, and gave impassioned speeches to demonstrate their conviction that Congress deserves a maximum hourly wage of fifteen dollars. “Members of Congress are people, just like you and me,” Tracy Klugian, a McDonald’s employee who took p... more »

9 Ways to Protect Yourself from Negative Energies

Waking Times at Waking Times - 6 hours ago
*Anna Hunt* - Do you find it exhausting to be around stressed out or negative people? Have you ever left a dramatic situation feeling drained, even if you weren’t personally involved? The post 9 Ways to Protect Yourself from Negative Energies appeared first on Waking Times.

World News Briefs -- April 16, 2015 (Evening Edition)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 6 hours ago
*Reuters*: *Islamic State militants clash with security forces inside Iraq's largest refinery * *(Reuters) - Islamic State militants clashed with security forces inside Iraq's largest refinery on Thursday and held on to recent gains in the west of the country, as Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the extremist group remained "very, very dangerous".* *The insurgents suffered a major defeat this month when Iraqi troops and Shi'ite paramilitaries routed them from the city of Tikrit, but are now striking back at Baiji refinery and in the western province of Anbar.* *MIDDLE EAST* A... more »

Admit it now, have you been oppressing Bill O'Reilly again? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 6 hours ago
*"Martyrdom is a huge deal in Catholicism -- the Lives of the Saints are filled with stories of martyrs tortured and killed for their beliefs -- and hey, in many strands of Christianity, if you're not being oppressed, you're not doing it right. . . . "I can call Bill O'Reilly a bigot all day long, and that has nothing to do with me oppressing him for his religion. For what it's worth, I happen to know a lot of Catholics who are not bigots and don't give two fucks about gay people getting married! Or, quite frankly, what non-Catholics do, period, so long as they're not bothering ... more »

"This audience, which is a remarkable audience even by the left-wing standards of the BBC"

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 7 hours ago
Well, it happened again. Tonight's BBC One election debate featured a studio audience that appeared to bear little or no resemblance to the electorate it was meant to represent. It appeared to be strongly biased - even by the BBC's usual standards. The opening discussion saw repeated applause for attacks on austerity and for calls for public spending. The UKIP leader spoke out: *Nigel Farage:* There just seems to be a total lack of comprehension on this panel and, indeed, amongst this audience, which is a remarkable audience even by the left-wing standards of the BBC. I mean, this... more »

UNM Indigenous Peoples Resistance and Resilience Day

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 7 hours ago
Bianca Cowboy It's a Good Day to Celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Resistance and Resilience at the University of New Mexico and Beyond By Rachel R. Felix and M. L. Cook Censored News On March 4, 2015, the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico (ASUNM), the undergraduate student body government, resolved to observe an official "Indigenous Peoples' Resistance and

TN's Deal with the Devil, Part 2

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 7 hours ago
See Part 1 here. In 2010 Tennessee got a check from Race to the Top for $501 million. TN quickly moved to do everything their successful grant application had promised: adopt Common Core, build even bigger data systems on top of the VAM system that had been in place since 1992, uncap charter school expansion, and create a teacher evaluation system based on VAM student test scores. By November 2011, Tennessee's new system for using test scores to evaluate teachers had made big news in the New York Times. Michael Winerip wrote: The new rules, enacted at the start of the school year...more »

Gyrocopter Incident In Washington Raises Security Concerns

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 7 hours ago
*ABC News*: *Gyrocopter Pilot Charged for Landing on US Capitol Grounds* *The man who flew what he called a “flying bicycle” through restricted airspace above the nation’s capital and landed near the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday made his initial appearance in federal court this afternoon.* *Doug Hughes, 61, of Ruskin, Fla., walked in wearing his U.S. Postal uniform, looking tan. He also had to wear court earphones so he could hear (the earphones usually used by foreign-speaking defendants who need translations).* *During the hearing, the judge read the charges against him -- one c... more »

South Africa Rocked By Anti-Immigrant Attacks

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 7 hours ago
*Reuters*: *Anti-immigrant unrest hits South Africa as Zuma condemns violence* *(Reuters) - South African police fired rubber bullets and tear gas on Thursday to disperse anti-immigrant protesters in Johannesburg, as the country's president called for a halt to a wave of violence directed at foreigners.* *Around 200 protesters, shouting that they wanted immigrants to leave, had pelted passing vehicles and police with rocks in an eastern suburb of the country's biggest commercial city, triggering the show of force.* *At least four people have been killed in the unrest that started... more »

Finding New Way$ to Kill People

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 7 hours ago
The Low-Cost Unmanned aerial vehicle Swarming Technology (LOCUST) is a prototype tube-launched UAV. The LOCUST program will make possible the launch of multiple swarming UAVs to 'autonomously overwhelm any adversary'. The military industrial complex is always finding new ways to kill people and make big *$$$* at the same time. How come the fiscal conservatives never complain about "big government" projects like this one?

School Choice allows segregation to come full circle

Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene at Schools Matter - 7 hours ago
*“As a result, advantaged, mostly white parents are pushed to make choices that they think protect their privilege. These factors perpetuate the cycle of social reproduction and resegregation, wherein schools enrolling the most students from affluent white families are automatically considered “better”—and therefore attract more students from advantaged backgrounds.” — Allison Roda and Amy Stuart Wells* [image: School Choice allows segregation to come full circle] *Washington Post* just ran a piece entitled "*White parents in North Carolina are using charter schools to secede from... more »

South Korea: Sewol Action Day

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 7 hours ago
*Voice of People* 4.16.15 Translated by Hyun Lee "It's been one year since the tragedy but we don't even have an acceptable special law. On the one year anniversary, I wanted to remember Yumin with a peaceful heart…. but I am distressed because I can't," said bereaved father Kim Young-oh, as he shed tears on the one year anniversary of the Sewol tragedy. "I cry not because I'm sad but because I feel wronged," he added. The bereaved family members of the Sewol tragedy gathered at Seoul City Hall Plaza on April 16 to demand the withdrawal of the "Government enforcement ordina... more »

4 Masters of Chi Reveal Their Secrets

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 8 hours ago
*Dylan Charles* - Masters of Chi are the stuff of legend, and their secrets are no longer so closely guarded in the Shaolin temples of China. The post 4 Masters of Chi Reveal Their Secrets appeared first on Waking Times.

Supplemental: Nothing has worked in our public schools!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 8 hours ago
*THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015The false claim that brings us together:* Earlier in the week, we mentioned a deeply unfortunate fact about our bizarre public discourse. Whether from the pseudo-left, pseudo-right or corporate elite, absolutely *everyone* loves to run down the public schools. Different groups offer different explanations as to *why* our public schools are so bad. But nothing has worked in our public schools! It’s the false fact we all can agree on! According to our most reliable data, this widely-voiced “fact” is bogus. Today, we thought we’d show you what this gloom-an... more »

Remembering a Late George Carlin Riff

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 8 hours ago
Arthur Goldstein had a post at FB that reminded me of this, much worth recalling in these early campaign days of false choices between neolibs and neocons. From 10 years ago.

Star Wars - The Force Awakens - second trailer arrives

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 8 hours ago
Disney have just released the SECOND TRAILER for their Xmas 2015 release Star Wars (the force awakens). "Chewy, we're home," said that grey old man.

Solar Update

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 8 hours ago

Iraq’s Prime Minister Is Playing Down Iran’s Role In His Country

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 9 hours ago
President Barack Obama greets Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq and the Iraqi delegation prior to a meeting in the Oval Office, April 14, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) *Bloomberg*: *Iraq’s Abadi Plays Down Iran’s Role in a Pitch for U.S. Support* *Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, in a message tailored to Americans, called the presence of a top Iranian commander in his country “a bad idea” and played down his differences with Saudi Arabia.* *The Shiite Muslim prime minister sought to walk a fine line on Thursday on his relations with Iran, whose support... more »

More Refuse News!

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 9 hours ago

Death Squads Working Overtime in Kiev

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 9 hours ago
*To get the English subtitles in the video you might have to click on the 'cc' button in the lower right-hand corner* From The Saker: The Ukrainian journalist and author Oles Buzina has been murdered in Kiev. He is the latest person to die in a long list of murdered and otherwise “suicided” people in the Nazi-occupied Ukraine. Most of you probably don’t know Buzina and, if that is the case, I highly recommend that you watch his fascinating interview about the history of the Ukraine which I posted here: http://thesaker.is/a-must-see-interview-about-the-history-of-the-ukraine/ I... more »

The Trial of Greville Janner

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 9 hours ago
Is it possible to not be surprised yet be shocked at the same time? If it is, that's what I felt this morning when the news came through that Lord Janner, the former Labour MP for Leicester West would not be charged. Shocked because the testimony and evidence is compelling, not surprised because of the crippled, senile old man Janner has become. The Crown Prosecution Service concluded that it would not be in the public interest to follow through with a prosecution and, as much as I wish it was otherwise, this decision is the right one. "As a Labour Party member he would say that." ... more »

Russian President Putin Holds His Annual Televised Q&A Session (News Roundup)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 9 hours ago
*ITAR-TASS*: *Putin answers 90 questions during almost four-hour-long Q&A marathon* *MOSCOW, April 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin answered a total of 90 questions on Thursday during his annual televised question and answer session, officially known as "The Direct Line with Vladimir Putin," that lasted for 3 hours and 55 minutes.* *This year’s Putin’s communication with fellow countrymen was almost as long as the program of 2014 that lasted for 3 hours and 56 minutes. So, no absolute record was broken. In 2013, Putin set the record when he answered the Russians’ ques... more »

Israel Pushes To Have The Fraud Of "Anti-Semitism" Recognized As International Crime

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 9 hours ago
Writing articles in this blog puts me under constant fire from the JIDF/Hasbara group of agents (what I call my best fan club!) who constantly try to put in comments full of slurs, insults, and lies. I keep telling them to not waste their or my time because their comments will never ever be published.... But they keep trying and it does show the pathetic mentality of the enemy.... One of the usual slurs that always gets thrown my way is the lie of "anti-semitism"..... I really have to laugh when I hear that false term, because the entire pretext of calling someone an "anti-semite... more »

High Anxiety and High Profits

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 10 hours ago

Iraq And Saudi Disagreements On Yemen Deepens Mideast Sectarianism

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago
*Washington Times*: *In D.C., Iraq, Saudi tensions on Yemen spill out into open* *In a sign of the difficult diplomacy and conflicting alliances the Obama administration is trying to manage in the Middle East, the Saudi ambassador and the Iraqi prime minister traded barbs in Washington on Wednesday over Riyadh’s campaign against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen.* *A day after meeting with President Obama, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi slammed the U.S.-supported campaign led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt in Yemen, saying it has “no logic” and warning it could explode into a regional... more »

Yemen War News Updates -- April 16, 2015

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *IBTimes*: *Yemen Crisis Update: Al Qaeda Militants Capture Riyan Airport, Oil Terminal In Mukalla* *Al Qaeda militants in Yemen captured a major airport and an oil terminal Thursday in the country’s south, officials told the Associated Press. The militant group has taken control of various territories in Yemen amid weeks of fighting between government forces loyal to exiled Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and Iran-backed Shiite rebels known as Houthis.* *Al Qaeda reportedly seized the Riyan airport in Mukalla from one of Yemen's infantry uni... more »

Thousands Flee As The Islamic State Continues Their Offensive In Western Iraq

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago
*BBC: **Islamic State steps up assault on Iraqi city of Ramadi* *Islamic State (IS) has stepped up its assault on the western Iraqi city of Ramadi, launching a series of suicide bomb attacks, officials say.* *Anbar provincial council member Athal al-Fahdawi said the government compound was within range of IS weapons and that it and the city were "in great danger".* *Hundreds of people have fled Ramadi and the surrounding area in recent days.* *US-led coalition aircraft are meanwhile bombing IS positions in three villages which were captured on Wednesday.* *WNU Editor: *The horro... more »

Hillary Clinton, Progressives & the Uphill Climb

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 10 hours ago
*What both parties will soon be filling your brain with (source)* *by Gaius Publius* The increasing likelihood that Hillary Clinton may achieve the Democratic nomination for president without a serious challenge from the left has progressive discussion groups abuzz. There are, of course, a variety of opinions on whether this is good or bad. What I'd like to do here is define what "good" and "bad" mean in this context. ▪ *One kind of "good"* outcome for progressives would be for the nation to be *governed from people-first principles*. A bad outcome for progressives would be a cont... more »

I'm Giving a Talk Next Week

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 11 hours ago
What peer-reviewed research motivated the White House science advisor to write a six-page screed about me and post it on the White House web site? Instigated a social and mainstream media campaign to have me fired from my job? And was the basis for a member of Congress to open an investigation of me? Next Tuesday, April 21, I'll be giving a lecture here at CU-Boulder in Ekeley W166, sponsored by the student group here on campus, the Forum on Science, Ethics and Policy, which I have titled "On Witch Burning and Other Incendiary Topics." The talk will intermix (a) a narrative of my ... more »

Italian Police: Muslim Migrants Threw Christians Overboard While Fleeing To Europe

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
Migrants wait before disembarking from a Coast Guard boat as they arrive in the Sicilian harbour of Palermo. Reuters *IBTimes*: *Libya migrants: Muslim refugees arrested in Italy for throwing Christians into sea after fight* *Italian police have arrested 15 Muslim migrants in Palermo for allegedly having thrown Christian refugees off the rubber boat that was taking them to Italy after a fight for "religious reasons", according to media reports.* *Those arrested - from Mali, Guinea and Ivory Coast - were part of a group of 100 that were rescued off the Libyan coast by the Italian co... more »

Sleepy??

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 11 hours ago

DURESS AVAILABLE AS A DEFENCE TO MURDER

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 11 hours ago
*R. v. Aravena*, 2015 ONCA 250: [85] The common law defence of duress has been available to persons charged as parties to murder in Ontario for at least 35 years. We would hold that the defence as strictly defined in the recent Supreme Court jurisprudence remains available to persons charged as parties to murder. In our view, that holding is consistent with the nature of the duress defence, basic criminal law policies, and the operative principles of fundamental justice. [86] The constitutionality of the murder exception to the duress defence in s. 17 of the *Charter* ... more »

World News Briefs -- April 16, 2015

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
*CNN*: *Thousands flee after South Africa mobs attack immigrants* *(CNN)More than 2,000 people fled to South African police stations Thursday after mobs with machetes attacked immigrants in Durban, leaving at least five people dead, an aid group said.Heavily armed police have scrambled to stop clashes this week after local residents accused immigrants from other African nations of taking their jobs.The attacks in Durban killed two immigrants and three South Africans, including a 14-year-old boy, authorities said. * *MIDDLE EAST* Al-Qaida captures *major airport, oil terminal ... more »

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad S-300s?

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 11 hours ago
*April 16, 2015 *(Eric Draitser-NEO) - The executive order issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which lifts the ban on the export of weapons systems to Iran, has been met with sharp condemnation by Israel, and admonishment from the United States. While Moscow has yet to make a final decision on if/when it will begin supplying the S-300 air defense missiles to Iran – Tehran purchased the system under a 2007 contract left unfulfilled by Russia as a result of the UN-imposed arms embargo – it is clear that the possibility alone signals a significant shift in the geopolitics of th... more »

We got Robots

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 12 hours ago
A robot chef for your kitchen, but does it do the dishes? H/T Sputnik

Inequality 24: Inheritance, Poverty and Envy

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 12 hours ago
A friend posted this meme from "US Uncut" in my fb wall and asked for my comments. For me, here are some formula to be poor, 100% assurance. *A. Self-inflicted:* 1. Do not work. Or work 1 hour then complain for 2 hours about the work until you get fired or you resign. Let the parents, siblings, other relatives bail you out. 2. Work 5-6 days a week but also drink and party 5-6 nights a week, have zero savings. 3. Work hard, save money, and spend them all in one big party, *uutang pa*, zero or negative savings. Not 100% assurance but plays a big role for poverty, *B. Government-in... more »

C-51 Committee Evidence, Cont'd

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 12 hours ago
Greetings thwapanatics! (That's my new term for my readers. "thwap-fanatics" = "thwapanatics"! I'm going to stop using that term as of now.) When last we left my look at the Bill C-51 testimony at the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, Steven Blaney, the current no-talent loser that harper has dredged-up to fill a cabinet post was just finishing tell everyone that he, and other harpercon scum were "witnesses and victims" of Martin Zehauf-Bibeau's attack. (Nobody from the opposition benches was there apparently.) Piling-on the irrelevance, Blaney mentioned t... more »

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 16, 2015

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
Soldiers from China's People's Liberation Army march ahead of the opening session of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at Tiananmen Sqaure in Beijing, March 3, 2015. China will ramp up its defense spending by about 10 percent in 2015, bringing its total military budget to nearly $145 billion. Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon *IBTimes*: *China's PLA Military Ready To Fight A Modern War: State Report * *UPDATE, April 16, 2015, 8:41 EDT: Though the report cited below was published by China's state-run military news site, it is not technically a state-published report, but rath... more »

Pentagon Admits That It Is Not Ready To Wage Cyber Warfare. New Cyber Strategy Will Be Released Next Week

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
U.S. soldiers on “virtual missions” (IMAGE – U.S. Army) *Bloomberg:* *U.S. Military’s Anti-Hacking Force Won’t Be Ready Until 2018* *The Pentagon will miss its own 2016 deadline to create cybersecurity teams to defend critical computer networks from hacking and they won’t be fully operational until 2018, a senior Defense Department official said.U.S. Cyber Command’s effort to create 133 teams with almost 6,200 military and civilian personnel to defend the nation against significant cyber-attacks has been disrupted by spending constraints known as sequestration, Eric Rosenbach, a... more »

NO FAVORITE EXAMPLE LEFT BEHIND: Other examples discarded, ignored!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 13 hours ago
*THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015Part 4—The imperfect death of John Geer:* Last night, Tavis Smiley guested on The O’Reilly Factor. The progressive PBS host was appearing in support of his new book about Maya Angelou. Smiley continued the conversation he had with Sean Hannity last Thursday night. Along the way, he expanded his earlier statements about police shootings and race. Below, you see the exchange which ended last night’s session. Smiley said he *doesn’t* believe that policed agencies are “targeting” young black men. He also said that police mistreat “far more” whites than blacks.... more »

Sea Air Space 2015: Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey for U.S. Navy Carrier Onboard Delivery Mission

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 13 hours ago
[image: V-22 in a COD mission]During Sea Air Space 2015, Colonel Dan Robinson, NAVAIR V-22 Program Manager, gave the latest on U.S. Navy variant of the V-22. It was made publich in February this year that the U.S. Navy would procure the Osprey to answer its future Carrier Onboard Delivery requirements. As of now, the U.S. Navy is planning on procuring 48 Ospreys. The Osprey typical Navy missions will include: - Sea Based Logistics (including COD) - Personnel recovery (including SAR) - Special warfare (with US Navy Seals) Read more

Is The CIA Monitoring Facebook Chats?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*BGR*: *A CIA-backed company may be scanning all your Facebook chats* *If you thought your Facebook chats are safe from prying eyes, you’re apparently wrong. Bosnadev says that Facebook’s chats are being scanned by a CIA-funded company, a discovery Bosnadev made after looking into some unusual activity on a website triggered by a link present in a Facebook chat.* *“During the testing of an application we’ve set up in a non-published area we have noticed some unusual activity. The link for the app was sent via Facebook chat and afterwards comes the interesting part,” Bosnadev said, ... more »

Open Thread

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 14 hours ago
I haven't had any free time for blogging this week, sorry to say. So please continue to use the comments feature to discuss whatever ails, frightens or excites you.... or just leaves you uttering a big fat Meh. I'll be back, eventually.

Islamic State Goes On The Offensive In Iraq’s Anbar & Salahaddin April 8-14, 2015

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 14 hours ago
Anbar and Salahaddin have been two of the three provinces where the Islamic State (IS) has retained its offensive capabilities. Over the last several months IS has been attempting big pushes in the former especially in and around the governorate’s capital Ramadi. In the second week of April it launched a major campaign in that area. In Salahaddin, IS tried to make up for its loss of Tikrit by assaulting the Baiji Refinery. IS also launched a major wave of car bombings in Baghdad. The result was a major spike in casualties in Iraq. In the second week of April, 2015 there were a re... more »

NY State ED Losers Plan to Use Invalid Test Data: So What's New

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 14 hours ago
Call this posturing by fuming Cuomo stooges at the state department of ed after this week's repudiation of Common Core testing by refusers, but it will only serve in infuriate parents who are already gathering their pitchforks and torches: A NYSED spokesman said Wednesday that the state would still go ahead with its planned use of the data. "We are confident the department will be able to generate a representative sample of students who took the test, generate valid scores for anyone who took the test, and calculate valid state-provided growth scores to be used in teacher evaluatio... more »

US Navy's Brand New MK VI Patrol Boat One of the Main Attractions of Sea Air Space 2015

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 14 hours ago
US Navy Expeditionary Combat Command was showcasing its brand new MK VI Patrol Boat (PB) during Sea-Air-Space 2015. Navy Recognition discussed with Commander Pete Berning, U.S. Navy Coastal Riverine Force, (whom we already met last year). The MK VI is a next generation PB and the latest addition to the US Navy fleet. The 85 foot combatant craft’s hull is optimized for performance, fuel economy and firepower. The MK VI PB is configured with both an ergonomically designed pilothouse seating 5 operators: The Engineer (taking care of the engines and Mk 38 turret), the Navigator, the... more »

The War In Ukraine: What The HELL Is That Criminal Harper Up To Now? Russia Is Severely Pissed Off That Canada Is Now Sending Combat Troops To Ukraine!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 14 hours ago
I do worry about where my nation, Canada, is now heading...It seems that the criminal Harper regime in Ottawa is doing criminal actions now with impunity and without the support of the Canadian people... It was bad enough that criminal Jew butt kissing lunatic got his support to "extend" Canada's "mission" to the Middle East and as a result, Canadian fighter planes are now attacking and murdering innocent civilians in Syria... But at home that lunatic is still trying to push his horrendous Bill C51 on the Canadian people that will indeed strip away the last vestiges of Canada's free... more »

pH Chart of Alkaline and Acidic Foods

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 14 hours ago
*Infographic - *This pH chart gives a comprehensive listing of alkaline, pH neutral and acidic foods. And you won't believe where cola fits in! The post pH Chart of Alkaline and Acidic Foods appeared first on Waking Times.

Massive Tax Cut For The Wealthiest 0.2%

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 14 hours ago
The status quo that conservatives, by definition, seek to conserve is the status quo of an hereditary aristocracy with a concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a relatively few families. That garbage ideology crossed over the Atlantic and accounts for the third of colonials-- the conservatives-- siding with the British against the Patriots. Today it helps define what the Republican party is. Conservatives-- primarily, but not exclusively, Republicans-- have always opposed the Estate Tax and they are still fighting to abolish it. Tuesday, Dana Milbank skewered the Republ... more »

Cannabis for the Treatment of Epilepsy and More

WTStaff at Waking Times - 14 hours ago
*Dr. Mercola - *A wealth of research shows marijuana does indeed have outstanding promise as a medicinal plant, largely due to its cannabidiol (CBD) content. The post Cannabis for the Treatment of Epilepsy and More appeared first on Waking Times.

Why You Shouldn’t Be a Part of the 90% Of Americans Who Still Use Microwaves

WTStaff at Waking Times - 14 hours ago
*Mark DeNicola* - Are microwaves really safe for cooking as manufacturers claim? Here's an article on why you must think twice about using these kitchen appliances. The post Why You Shouldn’t Be a Part of the 90% Of Americans Who Still Use Microwaves appeared first on Waking Times.

Advice from Larry Katz

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 14 hours ago
Via Nicholas Kristof: “A broad liberal arts education is a key pathway to success in the 21st-century economy,” says Lawrence Katz, a labor economist at Harvard. Katz says that the economic return to pure technical skills has flattened, and the highest return now goes to those who combine soft skills — excellence at communicating and working with people — with technical skills. “So I think a humanities major who also did a lot of computer science, economics, psychology, or other sciences can be quite valuable and have great career flexibility,” Katz said. “But you need both, in my v... more »

Road to White House: New Boss Will Be the Same as the Old Boss

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
John W. Whitehead “What the government is good at is collecting taxes, taking away your freedoms and killing people. It’s not good at much else.”—Author Tom Clancy The American people remain eager to be persuaded that a new president in the White House can solve the problems that plague us. Yet no matter who wins this next presidential election, you can rest assured that the new boss will be the same as the old boss, and we—the permanent underclass in America—will continue to be forced to march in lockstep with the police state in all matters, public and private. Indeed, as I poi... more »

The Information War on a Whole New Level: Space

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
Ulson Gunnar The information war can be quickly lost if one cannot get their assets onto the “battlefield.” For the US, UK or Europe, the constant din of their propaganda spread across the planet via their impressive and immense media networks has recently run into a few snags. In nations like Russia, China or Iran, ruling governments and local industry have begun creating their own Internets, their own alternatives to US-controlled social media platforms and search engines, and in some cases, even their own hardware to run it all on. They have also taken a cue from the US and de... more »

NSA Review Committee Finds ‘No Significant Value’ in Mass Phone Surveillance

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
Derrick Broze A former member of President Obama’s National Security Agency review committee said there is no significant value in mass surveillance programs. University of Chicago law professor Geoffrey Stone spoke at the Constitutional Law University Law School on the failures of the surveillance programs revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden. The Des Moines Register reports that Stone said the committee was not tasked with judging the legality of the programs but whether or not the programs were effective and necessary. The final report from the committee found possible pot... more »

The Six Too Big To Fail Banks In The U.S. Have 278 TRILLION Dollars Of Exposure To Derivatives

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
Michael Snyder The very same people that caused the last economic crisis have created a 278 *TRILLION* dollar derivatives time bomb that could go off at any moment. When this absolutely colossal bubble does implode, we are going to be faced with the worst economic crash in the history of the United States. During the last financial crisis, our politicians promised us that they would make sure that “too big to fail” would never be a problem again. Instead, as you will see below, those banks have actually gotten far larger since then. So now we *really* can’t afford for them to f... more »

Iran Wants A Russia, China, India Alliance To Oppose NATO In Europe

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
Iranian Minister of Defense, Hossein Dehghan. Vestnik *Sputnik*: *Iran Ready to Cooperate With Russia, China, India to Oppose NATO in Europe* *The Iranian defense minister emphasized that Tehran was ready to begin consultations on the issue to secure stability in the region.* *MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Iran calls for cooperation with Russia, India and China to oppose NATO's plans for military expansion in Europe, the country's Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said Thursday at a press conference in Moscow.* *"We would like to support the idea of developing a multifaceted cooperation be... more »

Monsanto is the Department of Homeland Security for food

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
Dees Illustration Jon Rappoport *“Whenever people encounter a crazy idea, a high-flying absurd notion, they reject it out of hand. That’s the first impulse. ‘No, no one would believe that. It’s ridiculous.’ But as time passes, and this crazy idea is repeated over and over again, people make adjustments to their own minds. ‘Well, maybe it’s true, a lot of important authorities accept it, so maybe I should accept it. I guess it does make sense.’ This is the process of buying a cover story, buying an egregious lie meant to obscure a hidden truth.”*(The Underground, Jon Rappoport) ... more »

Teen Interviews Navy Vet Who Was Pulled Over By SWAT Tank

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
Image source Amanda Warren A man named Lucas Jewell flipped the bird at a camouflaged SWAT tank scuttling through suburbs of Gainesville, Florida on Saturday. Although not recommended, it's certainly within one's rights. But deputies with tanks, vests, gear, weapons and other goodies want to pounce - so they make stuff up. Rights don't matter. So they talk of launching an "investigation" for "improper hand signals" and..*.having fellatio performed. *As if this were not punishment enough, they let him know that the cell phone resembles a firearm that it's not a "tank" but an armo... more »

Russia: Three Impactful Moves Made This Week. Agree or Disagree & Why?

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 15 hours ago
*Let's call this Russia & the rest of the World day here at the blog.* *Earlier today: * *The Russia /China Entete- The West Needs to Take Seriously* *Directly below an interesting article. This time from Sputnik News* Lavrov's pic, just cause he is so dam witty*Russia made three impactful moves in the course of only a week which show that it’s truly returned to being a Mideast power.* Russia's diplomacy over the past week proved to the world that there's more to Moscow's Mideast policy than supporting the democratically elected government in Damascus in its War on Terror. As impor... more »

UNITY of Non-Consent

D ... Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 15 hours ago
*I recently had a conversation in a skype room with regards to allegations about "New Earth Nation" and several other groups, and after writing out my thoughts, I realized that I needed to expand on my original comments and share this with everyone here on RTS. * When we did the Roundtable Discussion Tuesday night with Bradley Loves, one of the most important things that we discussed was *UNITY*. The problem right now - one that I have seen for a LONG time, (and I have been seriously guilty of this myself) is a lack of *UNITY*, and a HUGE amount of infighting and division. I am... more »

Canadian Terror Plot Exposed As RCMP Setup!

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
By Dan Dicks An undercover corporal became Nuttal's mentor. It wasn't just the material supplies of cash, cigarettes, groceries, cars, hotels, cell phones, logistical supplies and the inert bombs. The undercover cop was acting as a mentor to Nuttal. But more than that, Nuttal kept having reservations about the plan. The RCMP wanted him in Victoria for a recon mission, he wanted to visit family. They wanted him die for the cause, he said he had debts and couldn't do a true jihad. So the RCMP said they'd see about paying off what he owes...Nuttal didn't know his mentor was the RCMP ... more »

How Subliminal Messages and Symbols Affect Us

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
By Luke Rudkowski In this video Luke Rudkowski talks to Lenon Honor author, film producer, counselor and radio show host about the importance of how symbols and logos manipulate us. Visit WeAreChange.org Visit LenonHonor.com *Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.* Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

Nisour Square Witness: “Blackwater Had Power Like Saddam Hussein”

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
Photo: AP Justin King WASHINGTON, DC – The sentencing hearing for four Blackwater contractors produced one life sentence and three 30-year sentences, but the legal battles are probably far from over for the four men convicted of killing 14 unarmed Iraqis in 2007. The defense brought in character witnesses and attempted to play on the military records of the former contractors. The prosecution paraded witnesses to the shooting and pointed out the complete lack of remorse or acceptance of responsibility on the part of the defendants. In the end, the judge sentenced the men to the... more »

Weird Nationwide Walmart Closures Spark Conspiracy Theories

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
By Paul Joseph Watson Theories are flying after Walmart stores around the country suddenly announced that they were closing down for six months to deal with "plumbing" issues. Visit Infowars.com *Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.* Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

Preview Of The All-New Russian Military Tech To Be Unveiled On Red Square On Victory Day

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
© Sputnik/ Valeriy Melnikov *Sputnik*: *Lowdown on the New Army Tech to Be Unveiled on V-Day (MASSIVE SPOILERS)* *Sputnik offers a preview of the all-new Russian military tech to be unveiled on Red Square on Victory Day. Warning: Massive spoilers!* *In less than a month, Moscow is set to hold a massive military parade in honor of the 70th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. For a variety of reasons, the parade is shaping up to be the grandest in recent memory, and certainly the greatest in Russia's post-Soviet history. A great deal of diplomatic, military and histo... more »

How Government Agents (Besides Cops) Are Killing Family Pets

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
Carey Wedler In recent years, police officers have developed an unfavorable reputation for shooting and killing dogs. Sometimes they do it while raiding the wrong home; sometimes they do it just for fun. While this epidemic of dog-killing cops has garnered a great deal of attention, the government is killings canines in another, equally sinister manner. Animal control agencies are often tasked with euthanizing dogs that are vicious or who, because of limited resources, cannot fit in shelters. Few people question these deaths. However, a new reportfrom CNN reveals that animal co... more »

Conflict-of-Interest Smart Meter Politicking in Pennsylvania

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
Image Credit: StopSmartMeters.org Catherine J Frompovich Otto von Bismarck, the conservative Prussian statesman, who dominated German and European affairs from the 1860s until 1890 [1], supposedly is attributed with saying, “If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made.” How true, especially in the case of the shenanigans that apparently have gone on in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania regarding *House Bill 2200 that became Act 129 in 2008.* House Bill 2200 had amendments, and the Freeman Amendment in particular, is discussed in the House Journal. ... more »

Scientists find liquid water near Mars surface

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
The image is from 'Hidden Valley' in Gale Crater on Mars. Very fine-grained sediments, which slowly fell down through the water, were deposited right at the bottom of the crater lake. The sediment plates at the bottom are level, so everything indicates that the entire Gale Crater may have been a large lake. (credit NASA/JPL, MSSS) Researchers have long known that there is water in the form of ice on Mars. Now, new research from NASA's Mars rover Curiosity shows that it is possible that there is liquid water close to the surface of Mars. The explanation is that the substance perchlo... more »

Joe Rogan Talks Drug War and Deep Web with Alex Winter

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
By Joe Rogan Alex Winter is a filmmaker and actor known best as Bill S. Preston, Esquire, from the "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" franchise. His latest film "Deep Web" tells "the untold story of Bitcoin and The Silk Road" is available on May 31 on Epix. http://www.deepwebthemovie.com/ *Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.* Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

'No Jab, No Pay' Australia Policy Ends Payouts To Citizens Who Refuse Vaccines

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
Anthony Freda art Brandon Turbeville In a stunning example of the disregard held toward the rights of individual Australians, the Australian government has not only passed measures to “tighten” guidelines on the ability to obtain religious exemptions to vaccinations but has also passed a “no jab no pay” policy ending government welfare payouts to those families who refuse to vaccinate. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently announced the new policy to eliminate the “conscientious objector” status for individuals who are morally, evidentially, or philosophically opposed t... more »

OTC Pain Reliever Found to Blunt Emotions Like Joy

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 15 hours ago
Heather Callaghan It's been about 12 years since *Equilibrium* quietly arrived in theaters, only to become better known as the years went on. The dystopian flick about the forced removal of emotions - i.e. any shred of humanity - through mandated injections was quite the extreme allegory to average viewers. But perhaps you looked around and saw the "desensitizing metaphor" in all kinds of things in this twisted bumpy stop we call reality. Fluoride, prescription drugs, antibiotics and other things that wipe out the gut (second brain), television programming, heavy metal and chemica... more »

The Russia /China Entete- The West Needs to Take Seriously

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 15 hours ago
*Interesting interview via DW* The Ukrainian crisis has certainly strained Russia's relations with the West. Sanctions have been imposed on Moscow, hurting Russian's economy as well as causing its currency and energy exports to plunge. Western countries are also trying to reduce their dependence on Russian gas - at least in the long run. As a result of the rapidly deteriorating relations between Russia and the West, the government in Moscow is moving closer towards Asia, particularly Beijing. This became clear with President Vladimir Putin's visit to China on May 20, during which a... more »

Ukrainian Opposition Politicians And Pro-Russian Reporters Continue To Be Murdered In Ukraine

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
Photo: Facebook *The Telegraph/AP*: *Another ally of Ukraine ex-president Yanukovych found dead* *Fourth friend and former colleague of Viktor Yanukovych dies in suspicious circumstances * *A former Ukraine deputy was shot dead in Kiev on Wednesday, the fourth ally of ousted pro-Moscow ex-president Viktor Yanukovych to die in suspicious circumstances in the past two months.* *The body of Oleg Kalashnikov was found at his home on Wednesday evening, the interior ministry said in a statement.* *"Death was caused by gunshot," the statement added. A police inquiry has been opened.... more »

Harvard: Same Old Bullshit

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 15 hours ago
Tim DeChristopher speaks at the Harvard Heat Week Faith Day on the hard truths that must be spoken about Harvard. Students at Harvard University have expanded their blockade of key administration offices while calling on the school to divest from fossil fuels. Harvard has the largest endowment of any university in the world, at $36.4 billion. The protest began on Sunday when students began blockading Massachusetts Hall, the school’s central administrative building. Several alumni of Harvard have also taken part in the blockade including Bill McKibben, the founder of the group 350....more »

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jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 15 hours ago
*Murderers Row at Columbia* Weather Underground terrorist and convicted cop killer Kathy Boudin is now surrounded by fellow felons on the staff of the Columbia University School of Social Work where she crusades against the supposedly systemic racism of the justice system. The septuagenarian Boudin is assistant adjunct professor and director of the school’s “Criminal Justice Initiative: Supporting Children, Families and Communities” (CJI), which appears to be focused on keeping criminals like her out of prison by abolishing imprisonment as a punishment. As her official bio states... more »

Dennis McKenna on the Co-Evolution of Plants and Humans

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 16 hours ago
By Derrick Broze Derrick Broze interviews American ethnopharmacologist, research pharmacognosist, lecturer and author Dennis J. McKenna, PH.D at the Free Your Mind Conference 2015 in Philadelphia. Visit TheConsciousResistance.com *Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.* Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

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JR at GREENIE WATCH - 16 hours ago
*Indian government crackdown on anti-development Greenies hindered by the courts* The Indian government has stepped up its campaign against Greenpeace’s subcontinental arm by freezing the organisation’s bank accounts after a Delhi High Court twice fended off government attacks on the NGO. The account Greenpeace India uses to store international funds has already been frozen once - purportedly because Greenpeace’s advocacy had “prejudicially affected the national interest” - but was restored by the courts earlier this year. In January, Justice Rajiv Shakdher reversed the governmen...more »

U.S. Embassy In Kyrgyzstan Receives 150 Tons Of 'Diplomatic Mail'

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 16 hours ago
*Sputnik*:* US Sends Mysterious 150 Tons of 'Diplomatic Mail' to Embassy in Kyrgyzstan* *US diplomats have refused to comment on media reports about the delivery by a mysterious Ukrainian plane of 150 tons of alleged diplomatic mail to the US Embassy in Kyrgyzstan.Washington has remained tight-lipped on a report by the Kyrgyz newspaper Delo No. that a mysterious Ukrainian aircraft delivered 150 tons of cargo with the status of "diplomatic mail" to the US Embassy in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek late last month. According to the newspaper, the cargo was delivered during two separa... more »

Insane And Stupid

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 16 hours ago
http://julian.com.au/ The Harper government's tough on crime agenda suffered yet another defeat this week. Expect to hear more heated rhetoric about Canada's biased judicial system from Mr. Harper. But, Michael Spratt writes, judicial activism isn't killing the government's crime legislation. Stephen Harper is: The federal Conservatives have reduced criminal justice policy to a simple flow chart. Step one: Promise ‘tough on crime’ legislation that’s easy to sell to the Conservative base. Step two: Table the bill while ignoring t... more »

The U.S. CDC: A Sock Puppet for the Industry and Hopelessly Corrupt

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 16 hours ago
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr Catherine J Frompovich Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an attorney-at-law, author, and vaccine investigator, spoke before the New Jersey State legislature regarding the oppressive bill that was introduced to do away with religious exemptions for mandatory vaccinations for children in that state. However, before Kennedy’s presentation, he addressed the media with a dissertation that everyone in the USA needs to hear, especially every legislative body at any level of governance and, particularly, regulatory agencies dealing with health, healthcare and vaccines/vacci... more »

As Drought Stricken Californians Cut Back, Corporations Get a Pass

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 16 hours ago
Joshua Krause Now that California’s drought has entered its fourth year, Governor Jerry Brown is finally cracking down on state municipalities, and is trying to get them cut back at least 25% of their water usage. With the threat of water shortages looming, many residents are quick to point fingers at California’s agricultural industry. What, with almond growers sucking up 1.1 trillion gallons of water a year, and the beef industry using 106 gallons of water for every ounce of meat, it looks like many Californians are ready to throw both small farmers and Big Ag under the bus. H... more »

Huge Trouble Is Percolating Just Under The Surface Of The Global Economy

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 16 hours ago
Michael Snyder Did you know that the number of publicly traded companies declaring bankruptcy has reached a five-year high? And did you know that Chinese exports are absolutely collapsing and that Chinese economic growth in 2014 was the weakest in over 20 years? Even though things may seem to be okay on the surface for the global economy at the moment, that does not mean that big trouble is not percolating just under the surface. On Wednesday, investors cheered as stocks soared to new highs, but almost all of the economic news coming in from around the planet has been bad. The ... more »

Oh, look! The uninsured rate fell again!

Kenneth Thomas at Middle Class Political Economist - 16 hours ago
As any conservative can tell you, Obamacare is a job-killing "train wreck." Not only is it a job killer, there is no way that it could possibly work. Except, of course, it does. When I last visited this issue, the percentage of adults without health insurance had fallen from its peak of 18.0% in the third quarter of 2013 to 13.4% in the second quarter of 2014. Now, as Gallup (via Matt Yglesias) shows us, it continues to fall, dropping to 11.9% in the first quarter of 2015, based on over 43,000 interviews throughout the quarter. This is a drop of exactly one percentage point from the... more »

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 16 hours ago
*New Orleans bar owners prepare for the April 22 smoking ban and what it will mean for business ~Gambit* *Something Beautiful: Shorty Fest Reveals 2015 Lineup ~NOLA DEFENDER*

Economic News , Data and Views ( April 16 , 2015 ) - Greece Situation ( Greek Bonds spike in yields as Greece creditors Talks grow grimmer by the day , Greece Government contemplates extreme measures to stay solvent ) ..... Broader Europe in focus - effects of Greece and ECB's QE echoing in EZ Bondland !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
Tweets...... Greece.... *Fabrizio Goria* @FGoria · 10m10 minutes ago Barclays: Repayment timeline and other key events for Greece [image: Embedded image permalink] *Fabrizio Goria* @FGoria · 11m11 minutes ago Barclays: Official exposure to Greece in EMU by country and type [image: Embedded image permalink] *Fabrizio Goria* @FGoria · Apr 14 IMF: Output Gap in Selected Euro Area Economies (Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain) [image: Embedded image permalink] *Efthimia Efthimiou* @EfiEfthimiou · 8m8 minutes ago Efthimia Efthimiou retweeted Holger Zschaepitz ... more »

Shakedown of Unvaccinated Students Begins in Spokane, Washington

Mars Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 17 hours ago
Anthony Freda Art Eric Blair *Activist Post* Spokane public schools in Washington state began to audit the vaccine records of students this week to identify those who are not in compliance with the recommended required vaccine schedule. Once identified, the students will be detained along with their parents to be re-educated about vaccines, as well as to receive free jabs to get in compliance with vaccine schedules. I wish this was satire. Presumably, parents will also be provided with the proper waivers to opt out of this medical fascism, but most of those will have to jump thr... more »

Raytheon's newest JSOW variant enters operational testing

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 19 hours ago
[image: AGM-154 JSOW C-1]Raytheon Company and the U.S. Navy successfully completed the final free flight in the integrated testing phase for the Joint Standoff Weapon C-1. During the development test, JSOW C-1 demonstrated its effectiveness against moving maritime targets, a crucial capability against current and future surface warfare threats. The weapon is on track to start operational testing (OT) this spring and is slated for delivery to the fleet in 2016 after the successful completion of OT. Read more

Agni-III missile test-fired successfully by SFC

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 19 hours ago
India on Thursday successfully test-fired nuclear weapons-capable Agni-III ballistic missile from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. Although the missile has a strike range of more than 3,000 k.m., it was tested for a lesser range, in today's mission. The suface to surface missile was launched by the personnel of Strategic Forces Command (SFC) at 9.52 a.m. from a mobile launcher as part of regular training exercise for the user. Read more

Bankrupt? Greece to Buy Russian Missiles

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 19 hours ago
[image: S-300PMU-2]Just days after Russia lifted sanctions on providing anti-aircraft missiles to Iran, Reuters reports that The Greeks are in talks with Russia to purchase missiles for the S-300 defense system. Greece, a NATO member, has been in possession of the advanced Russian-made systems since the late 1990s and in a defiant show of independence towards Troika, is now negotiating with Russia for the purchase of additional missiles and for their maintenance. As Reuters Reported: Greece is negotiating with Russia for the purchase of missiles for its S-300 anti-missile systems ... more »

LHC: chance to find SUSY quickly

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 19 hours ago
This linker-not-thinker blog post will largely show materials of ATLAS. To be balanced, let me begin with a recommendation for an UCSB article Once More Unto the Breach about the CMS' excitement before the 13 TeV run. Note that the CMS (former?) boss Incandela is from UCSB. They consider the top squark to be their main target. ATLAS is more into gluinos and sbottoms, it may seem. On March 25th, ATLAS released interesting graphs Expected sensitivity studies for gluino and squark searches using the early LHC 13 TeV Run-2 dataset with the ATLAS experiment (see also PDF paper) There ar... more »

Indonesian fighter jet catches fire on runway, pilot jumps to safety

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 19 hours ago
[image: Indonesian F-16 caught fire]An Indonesian fighter jet caught fire just before take-off on Thursday, prompting the pilot to jump to safety as flames and thick smoke engulfed the plane, officials said. The pilot escaped with minor injuries and is now being treated in hospital after leaping from the blazing F-16 aircraft, which was about to take off from an airbase in the capital Jakarta. “As the aircraft was about to take off, there was a fire in the engine, and the pilot straight away decided to abort the flight,” air force chief of staff Agus Supriatna said on news channel ... more »

Mabus: F-35 Will Be ‘Last Manned Strike Fighter’ the Navy, Marines ‘Will Ever Buy or Fly’

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
[image: F-35C Lightning II and KC-130 Hercules]Md. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) will be “almost certainly will be, the last manned strike fighter aircraft the Department of the Navy will ever buy or fly,” signaling key assumptions in the Navy’s aviation future as the service prepares to develop follow-ons to the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. “Unmanned systems, particularly autonomous ones, have to be the new normal in ever-increasing areas,” Mabus said. For example, as good as it is, and as much as we need it and look forw... more »

Russia Agrees to Service India's Soviet-Built Aircraft Carrier

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
[image: INS Vikramaditya (R33)]Russia's largest military shipyard, Sevmash, has agreed to continue providing technical assistance for the Indian navy's Soviet-built aircraft carrier, the shipyard said in a statement Wednesday. The aircraft carrier's one-year manufacturer's warranty expired last year. The INS Vikramaditya carrier is India’s biggest ship, and with little domestic experience servicing such a large vessel, India is looking to secure a long-term warranty from Russia. India has proposed a 40-year contract, Sevmash said in the statement. Read more

Navy Accepts Delivery of USNS Trenton

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
[image: USNS Trenton (JHSV 5)]The Navy accepted delivery of the USNS Trenton (JHSV 5), its fifth joint high speed vessel, April 13. Having completed acceptance trials only a month ago, the ship continues to meet key milestones as it progresses towards operational status. Now delivered to the Navy, the ship's crew will begin move-aboard and familiarization before the ship sails away from the shipyard to begin her shakedown period and final contract trials later this year. "JHSVs continue to surpass our expectations and Trenton is no exception. Built from a mature design, unwavering r... more »

Navy destroyers HMCS Iroquois and HMCS Algonquin retire in May

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
[image: HMCS_Algonquin (DDG 283)]Two Royal Canadian Navy destroyers will be officially retired May 1 as the navy prepares to radically shake up how it deploys sailors. HMCS Iroquois and HMCS Algonquin will be “paid off” at the beginning of next month, a ceremonial term that equates to being decommissioned. The saying dates back to when sailors were paid off when their ships returned to port and their commissions ended. Read more

German Navy frigate "Nordrhein-Westfalen" christened in Hamburg

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
[image: 125 class FFG]The second of a total of four 125 class frigates for the German Navy is to be christened "Nordrhein-Westfalen" today at the Hamburg site of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. Following the christening of the first frigate "Baden-Württemberg" in December 2013 this is a further important milestone in the shipbuilding program for this frigate class. Hannelore Kraft, Premier of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia after which the ship is to be named, will perform the christening ceremony. Read more

Russian bomber flight "right out of" Putin's playbook

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
[image: Eurofighter Typhoon & Tu-95 Bear]The Royal Air Force scrambled two typhoon fighter jets as Britain found itself battling Russian close encounters on two fronts. According to political analyst Cliff Kupchan, there's little doubt the blatant provocation comes right out of the playbook of Russian President Vladimir Putin, reports CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata. "He likes to fly these old bombers over Western Europe, again, to rattle cages, to make people worry, to make people worry that he might undermine west European and central European political stability in some wa... more »

PLA's South Sea Fleet improves torpedo loading speed

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
[image: Type 052C DDG (Haikou)]In late March, a PLA South Sea Fleet torpedo crew on board the Type 052C destroyer Haiku used a new torpedo loader to halve the time it takes to load a torpedo during an exercise, according to the PLA Daily, the mouthpiece of China's armed forces. The torpedo was loaded on the first attempt despite 3-meter high waves, according to the paper. The leader of the Haikou's torpedo squad Wang Weiqiang said, "Before we needed lots of people working closely together to load the torpedoes but now we can do it easily with half the number of crew." Read more

Submarine-based Trident remains the optimum capability for the UK

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
[image: UGM-133 Trident II]Sir, Gideon Rachman (“Buying Trident would weaken British defence”, April 14) acknowledges the need for UK minimum deterrent capability and cites cruise missiles or freefall bombs as possible candidates rather than Trident. His referred Centre Forum report proposing a free-fall bomb option is horribly flawed, in particular in the area of inaccurate cost estimates for F35 aircraft conversion, UK aircraft carrier redesign and the challenges implicit in procuring a new warhead; never mind the political implications of purchasing a B61 bomb from the US. As ... more »

Iran’s new Fateh-class submarine test-launched

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
Deputy Navy commander Rear-Admiral Gholamreza Khadem-Bigham said on Wednesday the construction of Fateh-class submarine has been completed and it has been deployed to the Ministry of Defense. After completing the experimental phase, the submarine will join Iran’s navy fleet, he said. Khadem-Bigham maintained the power of Fateh’s missiles and torpedoes are more than Ghadir-class submarines, which are equipped with sonar-evading technology and can fire missiles and torpedoes simultaneously. Read more

Navy awards submarine support contracts

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
[image: (USS Connecticut (SSN-22)]BAE Systems and DRS Technologies are to separately provide engineering and other services to submarines of the U.S. Navy and allied countries. The two contacts announced earlier this week have a combined value of about $397.8 million. BAE Systems, under a three-year award from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, will provide a range of support services to modernize the vessels' weapon launch platforms, including development, analysis and integration of new weapon launch and payload systems; mechanical configuration and interface control; and fabrica... more »

Ardglass fishing trawler "could have been sunk' by submarine caught in its nets

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
[image: Karen trawler]The crew of a fishing trawler claim the vessel could have been sunk after a submarine caught in its nets and dragged it backwards. The incident happened 16 miles off the Co Down coast this evening. The skipper of the Ardglass-based prawn trawler discovered its nets had been snagged and the vessel was being dragged backwards. Read more

(Is There a Community or Are There Only Grasping Individuals?)  Let's Build A New Left  (Bill Black Who Saved US from the S&L Crisis Shows How Capitalism Is a Continuing Disaster Now)  The One Sensible Budget in Washington (Hillary Remains Clueless(?) About Regulation on the 28th Anniversary of the Keating Five Meeting)

Are we ready yet to educate ourselves about all of the ramifications of the looting of the U.S. citizenry by the rich and well-connected? If only. What we have: US “leaders” psychopathically pretend to care about American labor while lying about a real unemployment rate of close to 25% (the so-called “official” rate excludes under-employed and discouraged workers). Along with unemployment,

Shipbuilding review excluded Navy submarines

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 21 hours ago
[image: HMAS Waller (SSG 75)]A major review into Australia’s shipbuilding industry excluded the Navy’s future submarine project on advice from the Abbott government that the new fleet would be built offshore. The $2.5 million review into the country’s naval industry, carried out by US-based Rand corporation, has found that Australia can support about 2000 jobs in the long term, and may need to rationalise to just two major shipyards. Lead author of the Rand report, John Birkler, said the $50 billion SEA-1000 project to provide the Navy’s next fleet of submarines was not in the terms... more »

Navy ship will be named after Victoria hero

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 21 hours ago
[image: CCGS John G. Diefenbaker]A Victoria resident’s heroic efforts during the Second World War will be honoured with a new Royal Canadian Navy ship that will be named after her. Margaret Brooke learned of the honour when Defence Minister Jason Kenney had a telephone conversation with her on April 10, which was also her 100th birthday. The following day Commodore Bob Auchterlonie, commander Canadian Fleet Pacific, made a personal visit. Read more

LTO Bureaucracy 7: Cost of Annual Car Registration

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 21 hours ago
This morning, I registered my car to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for the mandatory annual vehicle registrations. This is the 3rd straight year I see this in my registration certificate -- "Sticker Not Available". Direct cost, breakdown: 1. Motor vehicle user charge (MVUC) or vehicle registration tax, P2,000 2. Duplicate plates, P450 3. Computer fee, P169.06 4. Cost of stickers, P50 5. Legal research fund, P10. Total, P2,679.06. Ordinary sedans would have lower MVUC while SUVs and luxury cars would have higher MVUC. Mine is a pick up. On #1, this is a controversial tax, I t... more »

But doesn't that Labour Party spokesman miss one key factor?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 21 hours ago
The Telegraph report that 'Ed Miliband's US adviser David Axelrod pays no tax in Britain' Apparently 'A Labour Party spokesperson said: "David Axelrod lives in the US, works in the US and pays tax in the US. We pay AKPD Media in the US in US dollars. ​There is no tax due in the UK."​' True but this is for work carried out in the UK, doesn't (or shouldn't) that make a difference?

Who Gets North Korea's WMDs If They Collapse

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 21 hours ago
Indian Defense Review *Robert J. Peters, The Diplomat/38 North*: *If North Korea Collapses, What Happens to Its WMDs?* *Securing and eliminating North Korea’s nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons could be an insurmountable challenge.* *This article was first published at 38 North, a blog of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins SAIS. It is republished with kind permission.* *North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) pose a number of challenges, particularly how to find and secure those weapons if the regime collapses. This paper will look briefly at 1) North Korea... more »

How Did the Chicken Cross the Sea?

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 21 hours ago
I do not know how much we can learn from chicken genetics and chicken archeology per se although it is the practical calling card of first establishment almost everywhere. They are far easier to transport than pigs or anything else almost. In the meantime we are getting a lesson in the impact of population dominance on related wild populations. The smaller population is simply overwhelmed and diluted into the mainstream. Thus the need to separate out specialist breeding stocks in order to access unique genetics. The trouble with dating chickens though will be a lack of arc... more »

Consuming Eggs with Raw Vegetables Increases Nutritive Value

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 21 hours ago
[image: Fern salad made from fern with quail eggs.] Who would have think the linkage that complete? For some reason or the other and it is most likely through oil solibility, we get a huge jump in key nutrient uptake. Since i prefer having a hard boiled egg with my salads anyway, i now have a good reason as well. The demise of the cholesterol meme will now allow everyone to use this along with a quality salad oil to use and enjoy their raw vegetables easier. All good news for once. . *Consuming eggs with raw vegetables increases nutritive value * *Date:* *March 29, 201... more »

Study Vindicates the Benefits of no-Fishing Zones on the Great Barrier Reef

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 21 hours ago
This is applied common sense and yes it works as expected. Refugios do replenish areas open to fishing. In fact the best possible plan is to create a checker board system that allows it all to be maximized for the fish take. The actual scale will need to be investigated by plotting a range of sizes and plotting the fisheries against this. The Great Barrier Reef is an excellent place to run such an experiment. The actual chaeckerboard can also be designed with substantial internal borders as well to provide continuity and different areal mixes. At least we now see w... more »

The Father of all Humans Lived 239,000 Years Ago

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 21 hours ago
In some respects the idea of uniqueness is false. While the female linage can be expected to be conserved and to act as the natural well spring of mutational preservation, it is not so precise when it comes to men. They are agents of genetic exchange in the natural band environment. Thus the real communal truth is that genetics are blended very quickly and even more so than in settled civilization. At best we have a fuzzy target of some tribe somewhere that produced the needed changes to create modern humanity and these were quickly shared through the rest of the commun... more »

U.S. Military Commander For Asia: China May Declare A New Air Exclusion Zone In The South China Sea

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 21 hours ago
*Reuters:* *China reef work could lead to new air exclusion zone: U.S. commander* *(Reuters) - China could eventually deploy radar and missile systems on outposts it is building in the South China Sea that could be used to enforce an exclusion zone over the disputed territory, the U.S. military commander for Asia said on Wednesday.* *Admiral Samuel Locklear, speaking at a congressional hearing in Washington, described as "aggressive" the land reclamation and construction projects China has been conducting at eight military outposts in the South China Sea.* *The work involved "...more »

Greece Is Running Out Of Time

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 22 hours ago
*Mark Gilbert, Bloomberg:* *Greece Is Running Out of Money, and Time* *Greece, as everyone knows, is running out of money. That means it might not be able to pay its debts, including what it owes the International Monetary Fund, which should be a cause for serious anxiety in Europe. But there's a dangerous myth starting to gain traction that the nation could default on its obligations but still remain a member of the euro.* *On Monday, the Financial Times said Greece is poised to default on 2.5 billion euros of payments owed to the IMF in May and June if it doesn't get additiona... more »

U.S. General In Charge Of Syria Rebel Training Program Is Not Leaving Contrary To Reports

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 22 hours ago
*Photo: *Maj. Gen. Michael Nagata / faoa.org *The Hill:* *General in charge of Syria program* *The Pentagon said Wednesday the general in charge of the U.S. military's program to train and equip Syrian rebels will not be leaving his job, contrary to reports. "Maj. Gen. Michael Nagata will continue to lead the U.S. Syria Train and Equip program and there is no effort underway to replace him. Any speculation to the contrary is inaccurate," a statement by U.S. Central Command said. The statement came after a Bloomberg story on Wednesday said Nagata was leaving the position as the ... more »

New TV series gives insight into chefs’ personal lives per NewsBiscuit

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 22 hours ago
NewsBiscuit have a preview of an upcoming programme with an insight into the 'real lives' of TV chefs: Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith, Nigel Slater and Nigella Lawson. It's a fascinating piece, here's an extract re Jamie Oliver: 'Jamie Oliver says that he finds it difficult to maintain his estuary English, and longs to be able to speak in his natural Surrey accent. 'One has to remember to speak as if one had truly been born in Southend – or Sarfend, as I have to say! I must confess that when I was at Oxford studying for my degree in Philosophy and Economics one did not exp... more »

Sugar Pine Mine, OR - Kerby Jackson - contested ownership case

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 22 hours ago
A friend of mine in the States contacted me this morning about the following issue, an issue that's getting lots of media attention over in the USofA, and nothing here. Galice Mining District of Josephine County OR's Sugar Pine Mine... you've never heard about it, right? So, what's going on? *What's Going On in Galice - The SHORT Answer...* *The short version of what's going on in Galice is this - the Sugar Pine Mine is what's known as a 'Pre-55' claim. That means it was established before the Surface Resources Act was put in place in 1955 and as such the mine controls the SURFA... more »

Kill the Christians

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 23 hours ago
Jane Corbin was in super-superficial mode in last night’s programme Kill the Christians. Corbin’s thrust appeared to be that the Christians are being persecuted and murdered by Islamic State, alongside the wrong kind of Muslims whom I.S. lunatics are presently slaughtering in droves. It made copious use of ‘old’ footage of Islamic State parading its victims, pre-beheading, in their orange jumpsuits. The programme espoused the increasingly prevalent theory that Islamic countries were, after all, better off under the stabilising influence of tyrannical despotic leaders like Saddam an... more »

Israel pushes to have "anti-Semitism" recognized as international crime

The Realist Report at The Realist Report - 23 hours ago
*Earlier this year*, at the behest of the Jewish state of Israel, the organized international Jewish community, and traitorous politicians working for the Jews in the West, the United Nations held an informal plenary session on the alleged "rising tide of anti-Semitism" around the world. Of course, all respectable mainstream politicians, journalists, and public policy makers agreed that "anti-Semitism" must not be tolerated anywhere in the world, that it should be immediately condemned, and that "anti-Semites" should be ostracized, shunned, and even criminally prosecuted for "hate ... more »

Ancient Manuals to the Afterlife

Waking Times at Waking Times - 1 day ago
*Video -* Two of the world's most important spiritual texts from the past: the Egyptian and the Tibetan "Books of the Dead" and the teachings they share. The post Ancient Manuals to the Afterlife appeared first on Waking Times.

This Is The U.S. General Responsible For Military Strategy On Yemen, Islamic State, And Rescuing Hostages

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
Army Lieutenant General Bennet S. Sacolick. Army.mil *Kevin Maurer, Daily Beast*: *Meet the General Shaking Up America’s Yemen, ISIS, and Hostage Rescue Plans* *Lieutenant General Bennet Sacolick’s little-known office is grabbing the spotlight with its review of U.S. hostage policy and ISIS and Yemen strategy.* *Army Lieutenant General Bennet S. Sacolick still remembers the call: The body of an American hostage had been found in Iraq.* *It was 2004, and the Iraqi insurgency was building momentum. Four Blackwater USA contractors had recently been killed and their burned bodies hun... more »

America Is At War All Over Africa

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Nick Turse, The Nation:* *The US Carried Out 674 Military Operations in Africa Last Year. Did You Hear About Any of Them?* *The US military publicly insists its presence in Africa is negligible. Is that why they call it an American “battlefield” behind closed doors?This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from TomDispatch.com.For three days, wearing a kaleidoscope of camouflage patterns, they huddled together on a military base in Florida. They came from US Special Operations C... more »

TV Watch: I thought FX's "The Comedians" with Billy Crystal and Josh Gad was actually pretty funny

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
*Episode 2 of The Comedians airs tomorrow night on FX. I'll definitely be watching, or at least recording.* *"Last year, according to FX's data, three hundred and fifty-two scripted first-run prime-time and late-night programs aired on broadcast, cable, and streaming networks in the U.S., not including PBS. . . . When people angrily tweet at me that some show is the best thing on TV, I know they're lying: they haven't watched most of the other ones, and neither have I."* -- New Yorker* TV critic Emily Nussbaum (see below)* *by Ken* In an April 13 piece that was in fact about *Bette... more »

There is No Lone Wolf Terrorism: but there is anxiety about brown men, loneliness, and mental illness

Megan MacKenzie at Duck of Minerva - 1 day ago
There’s something about ‘lone wolf terrorism’ debates that stinks. I can’t quite find a singular source of the smell, but after further investigation, it seems the relatively recent surge in the use of the category ‘lone wolf’ to describe individual acts of political violence draws on extremely rank racist, sexist, and alarmist logic. When you […]

MENA Report ( Late Night Edition - April 15 , 2015 ) - Yemen , Iran Nuclear Talks ( political fronts ) , Syria / Iraq Regional War , Libya in focus !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Links ..... *Senate Compromises on Iran Bill, Obama Will Sign* *US Rejects Iraqi Calls for More Military Aid* *US Drone Strike Kills Key Yemen al-Qaeda Leader* *UN Envoy: Iran Will Be Involved in Next Round of Syria Peace Talks* *Obama: Iranian Troops in Iraq 'Must Answer to Baghdad'* *UN Imposes Arms Embargo Targeting Houthis* *Iran FM Urges Immediate Yemen Ceasefire* UAE Fighter Jets Continue Attack on Houthi Strongholds in Yemen 160 Killed in Iraq as Premier Visits White House Merkel Urges Unified Approach to Removal of Iran Sanctions Syria Says 6,000 Left in Yarmouk Palest... more »

Israel - Hezbollah Preparing For Another War?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Photo:* Hezbollah fighters. Photo: Wikimedia Commons. *Algemeiner:* *Israeli Officials: Iran Massively Ramping Up Arming of Hezbollah in Preparation for Major Assault on Israel* *Senior Israeli officials warned on Monday evening that, over the last few weeks, Iran has considerably stepped up its operations to arm Hezbollah in order to prepare its terrorist proxy for a large-scale conflict with Israel.* *According to the officials, cited by Israel’s Channel 2, new intelligence has revealed that Tehran has accelerated its proxy war with Israel on all fronts. Iranian delegations hav... more »

Musical Interlude: Logos, “Cheminement”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
Logos, “Cheminement” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOuXP8aVWHU Part of

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