11:43pm MDST
You Gotta Love The Queen (Picture Of The Day)
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Ex Pharmaceutical Executive Shares His Story of Industry Corruption
*Video - *Former Eli Lilly & Co executive, who after 35 years of service decided to quit, speaks out about Big Pharma's method for profit and the benefit of symptomatic diseases. The post Ex Pharmaceutical Executive Shares His Story of Industry Corruption appeared first on Waking Times.
“Takaharu Tezuka: The best kindergarten you’ve ever seen”
I love Japanese architect Takahura Tezuka’s attitude to designing for children … PS: On the need for some danger, you might want to keep up with Lenore Skenazy at Free Range Kids. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Guest Post - Encouraging Manufacturers to Help Preserve the Environment
We count on our manufacturing companies for everything from the windows in our homes to the bricks and steel supporting our cities’ tallest skyscrapers. The finished products these companies create are often beautiful and needed, but the environmental impact of the manufacturing isn’t always as pretty. It is no secret that the manufacturing sector can produce a lot of waste. In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2013 alone, manufacturing processes created close to 8 billion tons of nonhazardous waste. Even worse, a vast majority of that waste ended up in lan... more »
Are We Returning To A New Cold War?
*Bill Gertz, Washington Times*: *Russia returns to Cold War posture* *Russian military activities and strategic nuclear forces are returning to a Cold War-era posture, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific said Wednesday.* *“Russia in the last few months has returned to, I would say, nearly a Cold War level of activity that goes towards our homeland, with long-range attacks, exercises and those types of things,” Adm. Samuel Locklear, the commander, told the House Armed Services Committee. “We also know that Russia will improve their strategic nuclear deterrent on what’s thou... more »
10 Happy things about living in Vancouver
*Vancouver Skyline* The CBC has posted a survey of Canadians that shows that Vancouverites rank last in personal satisfaction--compared with other Canadian cities. I have my own theory about why that happened *(check #2 below)* but beg to differ. In fact, I have assembled below my own list of reasons why Vancouverites are the some of the luckiest and happiest of all Canadians. Here's that list. 10. *It's not Toronto!* 9. We get *all kinds of weather* from snow to sub-tropical...but mainly rain. 8. *The wild life *gets up close and personal. You actually get to know indivi... more »
Mohawk Nation News CANADA'S SMALL TIME RICHARD NIXON
http://mohawknationnews.com/blog/2015/04/20/canadas-small-time-richard-nixon/
Cartoon For Today
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Sandra Rambler 'Traditionally Speaking' Remembering Ned Anderson
Traditionally Speaking By Sandra Rambler, San Carlos Apache Photo Dr. Ned Anderson with IHS Director Michael Trujillo 1982 .
West's Propaganda War on Thailand's Economy Ends in Bombing
*April 21, 2015 *(Tony Cartalucci - NEO) For months after the 2014 military coup that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra from office in Southeast Asia's nation of Thailand, the West has attempted to destabilize and undermine the military-led government that has since then worked ceaselessly to uproot the political machine that had granted the Shinawatra's impunity and maintained their grip on power for over a decade. Amid this effort, the West, including both their influential media networks and lobbying firms, is a concerted attack on Thailand's tourism industr... more »
Musical Interlude: Yanni, “Felitsa” (Live at El Morro, Puerto Rico)
Yanni, “Felitsa” (Live at El Morro, Puerto Rico) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwr0TU0M3g0
"A Look to the Heavens"
“On the right, surrounded by blue spiral arms, is spiral galaxy M81. On the left, marked by red gas and dust clouds, is irregular galaxy M82. This stunning vista shows these two mammoth galaxies locked in gravitational combat, as they have been for the past billion years. *Click image for larger size.* The gravity from each galaxy dramatically affects the other during each hundred million-year pass. Last go-round, M82's gravity likely raised density waves rippling around M81, resulting in the richness of M81's spiral arms. But M81 left M82 with violent star forming regions and colli... more »
The Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke, "And Yet..."
"And yet, though we strain against the deadening grip of daily necessity, I sense there is this mystery: All life is being lived. Who is living it then? Is it the things themselves, or something waiting inside them, like an unplayed melody in a flute? Is it the winds blowing over the waters? Is it the branches that signal to each other? Is it flowers interweaving their fragrances or streets, as they wind through time?" ~ Rainer Maria Rilke
“Who Knows What Evil Lurks?”
*“Who Knows What Evil Lurks?”* by Andrew Bard Schmookler "I recently had an interesting experience writing a piece for an American newspaper that’s published me over the years. In my piece, I addressed the puzzle of why it is that some of the most remarkably decent people I know have supported an American leadership that’s itself remarkable precisely for lacking such decency. To that puzzle I proposed an answer in two parts. For one thing, I suggested, these good people have been seduced by leaders expert in displaying the trappings of righteousness—leaders good at using the flag a... more »
"Alive in Joy: Dispelling Drama"
*"Alive in Joy: Dispelling Drama"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM "Some people are so used to creating drama that a peaceful existence seems uncomfortable for them. There are scores of people in the world who seem to be magnets for calamity. They live their lives jumping from one difficult to the next, surrounded by unstable individuals. Some believe themselves victims of fate and decry a universe they regard as malevolent. Others view their chaotic circumstances as just punishments for some failing within. Yet, in truth, neither group has been fated or consigned to suffer. They ar... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Dundee, Dundee City, United Kingdom. Thanks for stopping by.
Disgraced NYT media whore Judy Miller is back, and she's mad about being singled out for being wrong about Iraq
*Feel free to watch if you like. I don't want to, and thanks to Erik Wemple's vigilance, I don't have to.* *"If that consensus was wrong, I think you can’t blame either reporters for reporting what the consensus was or the intelligence analysts who got it wrong."* *-- former NYT dimwit Judith Miller, in her book* *by Ken* There's ample reason to feel general gratitude to washingtonpost.com's Erik Wemple for the watchful eye the Erik Wemple Blog keeps on the hamsters who turn the wheels in their cages to power the infotainment noozemedia. But there are times when I have to positive... more »
Mayor Of Kiev: Order Has Been Restored And Reforms Have Been Enacted
READY TO WORK: In less than a year, order has been restored and reforms enacted to maintain in Kiev a free and fair business environment. Photo: Vincent Mundy/Bloomberg News *Vitaly Klitchko, Wall Street Journal:* *Welcome Back to Kiev* *In less than a year, order has been restored and reforms enacted to maintain in Kiev a free and fair business environment.* *This great city is open for business. Anyone who pays attention to the news might read this statement and wonder if it’s an outdated April 1 gag. After all, Kiev is the capital of Ukraine, which is enmeshed in a war with Ru... more »
Greek Government Is Scrambling For Money As Default Fears Grow
*The Telegraph*:* Greece orders raid on government coffers as cash dwindles* *Government issues a decree forcing all state bodies to transfer funds to the central bank.* *The Greek government has ordered a mandatory transfer of cash reserves from state-owned enterprises to its central bank, in a desperate bid to gather enough cash to remain solvent.* *Citing "extremely urgent and unforeseen needs”, the government issued the emergency decree which will also apply to all local government bodies.* *The move comes as Athens' cash crisis degenerates with every passing day. Even the mo...more »
Q: So why was the WWI battlefield so calamitous?
On the World War One battlefield there was no room for pluck, for courage, for bravery – none of those values espoused in patriotic commemorations of the war. There was room for mateship, sure, but with a life expectancy in most units for most of the war of only several weeks at best, this was not an unencumbered blessing. World War One was the first fully industrial war, bringing with it “a new conception of men as mere units.”[1] Hints of the destructive power of industrialised warfare were clear enough in the carnage of the American Civil War fifty years before. They were clea... more »
Satire: “Hillary Promises to Get Everyday Americans Foreign Money”
*“Hillary Promises to Get Everyday Americans Foreign Money”* by Andy Borowitz NASHUA, N.H. (The Borowitz Report)— “Delivering a stirring populist message at a campaign appearance in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton vowed that as President she would help everyday Americans obtain large cash payments from foreign governments. “Like a lot of everyday Americans, many of you are struggling to pay your bills,” she told an audience here. “As President, I will work tirelessly to help you make ends meet—by getting foreign governments to pay you." “In cold, hard cash,” she added, to a standing ... more »
Corporate Trade Deal Protests Across Europe
Tens of thousands of people have turned out in major cities across Europe to vent their anger at the world’s biggest free trade deal between the European Union and the United States. The protesters argue that the Trans-Atlantic pact is a real threat to labor, health and safety standards. The demonstrations come as European and American officials are set to hold a new round of talks over the deal in New York.
EU To Launch Military Operations Against The Refugee Smugglers In Libya
*The Guardian*: *EU to launch military operations against migrant-smugglers in Libya * *Emergency meeting in Luxembourg also results in decision to boost maritime patrols in Mediterranean and broaden search-and-rescue mandateThe European Union is to launch military operations against the networks of smugglers in Libya deemed culpable of sending thousands of people to their deaths in the Mediterranean.An emergency meeting of EU interior and foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, held in response to the reported deaths of several hundred migrants in a packed fishing trawler ... more »
Untitled
*5 Years After BP Oil Spill, Effects Linger And Recovery Is Slow ~Debbie Elliot, NPR* *Oil still visible on La. Coast five years after BP spill ~WVUE*
Danger of Accidental Nuclear War Now More Than Ever
MIT professor, and military missile expert, Ted Postol speaks about the changing technical conditions and unstable political environment that are producing greater danger of accidental nuclear war between US and Russia than during the Cold War period.
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- April 20, 2015
*Richard Fernandez, PJ Media:* *Escape From Humanity* *Drownings in the Mediterranean now account for 75% of all illegal immigrant deaths worldwide, the waterways filled with a constant stream of people from Africa and the Middle East fleeing their culture in the hope of re-establishing it again on the European shore. In 2014 the number topped 200,000, twenty times greater than number than four years before. The numbers for 2015 are on track to equal 2014.* *The overwhelming majority now come from Syria, which is largely destroyed. ”The civil war, which began in 2011, has left ove...more »
So, what would it take to prove global warming?
Robert Tracinski keeps it simple. There are three main requirements, he says. *1) A clear understanding of the temperature record*…. [that is] a long-term temperature record that allows us to isolate what the normal baseline is, so we know what natural variation looks like and we can identify any un-natural, man-made effect. That would have to be an *untampered-with* long-term temperature record. *2) A full understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms*…. The glibbest thing said by environmentalists—and proof that the person who says it has no understanding of science—is th... more »
Rightwing Nuthouse: "5 Right-Wing Lunacies This Week: Bill O'Reilly Hits Peak Paranoia"
*"5 Right-Wing Lunacies This Week: Bill O'Reilly Hits Peak Paranoia"* by Janet Allon *"1. Bill O'Reilly rails absurdly about how it's open season on White Christian males. Even John Stossel can't sway him with facts. *Bill O'Reilly sees no pattern in the numerous incidents of police killing and brutalizing of black men in this country. No pattern at all. But he does see a pattern of people picking on white Christian males. They are under siege. "The fact that I am white and in a powerful position makes me the enemy, " he whined on his show this week, adding that "anyone who denies ... more »
"Cut (the BBC) back to the bone"
Talking of Nigel Farage, here's a breaking news story from the BBC News website's homepage. Yes, it's in the small print, sitting in the BBC's news chart in a lowly twelfth place, but it's still there... ....so just in case you miss it: *UKIP: BBC licence fee should be cut by two thirds* The BBC should be "cut back to the bone" and the licence fee reduced by two thirds, according to Nigel Farage. The UKIP leader told a public meeting in Rochester he believed the BBC should not be privatised but retained as a public service broadcaster. His proposal would mean the current fee of ... more »
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Evan, the party leaders, and the spot between 'The One Show' and 'Eastenders'
As there's a UK general election on, no one (surely) will begrudge us a fair smattering of election-related posts. So, everyone having agreed with me on that point... I've been watching all of Evan Davis's prime-time BBC One interviewers will the party leaders (7.30pm, between *The One Show *and *Eastenders*), and very interesting they've been. Putting my ever-so-impartial *Is the BBC biased? *hat on, I've found all three interviews so far - with Nick Clegg, David Cameron and, tonight, Ed Miliband - quite fascinating. I've been doing my old interruption-counting thing and found ... more »
A public service message: How you can fight back against Twitter "Direct Messages from anyone"
*Onsite, SlashGear's Chris Burns will show you how to get to this box (click to enlarge) and how to double-check and if necessary fix your Direct Messages setting.* *by Ken* TwitterWorld appears to be all atwitter over a feature that apparently has been long talked about but is only now being gradually introduced: "Direct Messages from anyone." Now, I don't really know what exactly this means, and I don't really care, but apparently lots of others do, so I thought we should take note of what the heck it is and what you can do about it, if you feel the need to. First let's have Te... more »
World News Briefs -- April 20, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*Reuters:* *Shipwrecked bodies brought ashore, EU proposes doubling rescue effort* *(Reuters) - The European Union proposed doubling the size of its Mediterranean search and rescue operations on Monday, as the first bodies were brought ashore of some 900 people feared killed in the deadliest shipwreck while trying to reach Europe.Three other rescue operations were underway on Monday to save hundreds more migrants in peril on overloaded vessels making the journey from the north coast of Africa to Europe.The mass deaths have caused shock in Europe, where a decision to scale back...more »
Competition Policy 5: Government as Creator of Monopolies and Oligopolies
A Philippine Competition Law is coming soon, around July this year, according to Sen. Bam Aquino in a forum that I attended yesterday in Makati. The main speaker was a friend and former teacher in Math Econ in PDE in the late 90s, Dr. Joy Abrenica. It was a well-attended forum. Mr. Jaime Zobel de Ayala was among the high corporate officials who attended the forum from beginning to end. Sen. Bam Aquino himself stayed all throughout too, even if he was not the main speaker. During the open forum, he discussed many things, like the degree of lobbying from different sectors in his... more »
Mt Eden access debate descends into lunacy
*Guest post by Stephen Berry* If the idea of banning vehicles from the Mt. Eden summit doesn’t sound crazy enough, then listening to the members of the Maunga Authority discuss the practicalities of such a move verges on total lunacy. On Monday night the authority members voted unanimously to ban vehicle and cycle access to the top of Mt Eden, but in true political style has now deferred a final decision pending discussion on just how vehicle access can be prevented.” It has been found that the cost of installing iron gates with electronic key pad or swipe card access will be in... more »
"How It Really Is"
Oh, you useless peasants citizens, stop whining that these psychotically delusional and "entitled" because they're better than you trash with money wonderful job creators are now able to continue financially raping you to spread the benefits of their total hatred and contempt deep felt love and admiration for YOU, the average serf American. Yeah...
The New Mineshaft Gap: Killer Robots and the UN
This past week I was invited to speak as an expert at the United Nations Informal Meeting of Experts under the auspices of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). The CCW’s purpose is to limit or prohibit certain conventional weapons that are excessively injurious or have indiscriminate effects. The Convention has five additional protocols […]
Trying to Break a Bad Habit? Here’s How
*Christina Sarich* - Are you using your mind to learn something new or create profound experiences, or are you using your mind to stay stuck where you are now? The post Trying to Break a Bad Habit? Here’s How appeared first on Waking Times.
Who wants to buy a Castle?
[image: Josiah Firth added the tower in 1871, making it one of the earliest concrete structures in Australasia.] *Josiah Firth’s 1873 tower, the earliest large semi-reinforced concrete structure in the Southern Hemisphere, now yours for a less-than-paltry sum.* Yes, The Castle is now for sale. Home at various times to one of Auckland and the Waikato’s pioneering businessmen, of NZ’s patron saint of pot, and finally of too many “over-excited people in the tower,” the tower, house and grounds that have seen history over the years are now on the market. Rumours that martini stains w... more »
In Defence of Jim Jepps
Thatcher once noted that when opponents resort to personal attacks, it signals their inability to argue the politics. What then to make of the concerted attack on my friend and comrade Jim Jepps by the Fawkes rabble, *The Mail*, and the *Daily Mirror*. Jim is very much away from the limelight, quietly plugging away at his own activist projects and not courting the media at all. And yet he's become fair game in the desperate attempts by idiot journalism to smear his partner, the Green Party leader Natalie Bennett. Let's be clear here. I am a Labour party person. I am firmly of the ... more »
Going viral
Here's a post for Twitterphobes like Sue... Unusually this week, the *#bbcbias* hashtag on Twitter - usually, these days, largely the preserve of untold quadrillions of aggrieved Scots Nats - has been surprisingly heavy with Twitter-savvy UKIP supporters. *That* audience at *that* BBC debate stirred them up, but today has seen another 'viral' incident... ...the BBC's informal 'candidates debate', spread across the News Channel, with the main candidates from the hotly-contested constituency of Great Grimsby - the seat of retiring, immensely likeable Labour MP Austin Mitchell - and... more »
Iran Raises It's Security Level
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, attends a graduation ceremony of army cadets accompanied by top military commanders in Tehran, Oct. 5, 2013. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader) / Via jamejamonline.ir *Arutz Sheva:** Iran Readies for War, Raises Security Level* *As Iranian ships steam towards Yemen for a possible showdown with Saudi Arabia, the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dismissed what he termed “American threats” as “stupid lies.” In a speech to Iranian forces, Khamenei pointed to comments by U.S. security officials this week, to the effect that “Amer... more »
"US Navy Sends Aircraft Carrier, Warships To Intercept Iranian Weapons Shipments In Yemeni Waters"
*"US Navy Sends Aircraft Carrier, Warships To Intercept * *Iranian Weapons Shipments In Yemeni Waters"* by Tyler Durden "Update: Because the report from AP does not play well with "Everyday Americans", US CentCom is denying: *U.S. DENIES REPORT SHIP SENT TO INTERCEPT IRAN VESSEL *U.S. SAYS SHIP SENT TO KEEP SHIPPING LANES IN REGION OPEN The 'proxy' war is escalating very rapidly. As AP reports, Navy officials confirm that the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is headed to Yemeni waters to intercept an Iranian weapons shipments. Just as we warned 10 days ago, the probability of... more »
The Economy: “The Last Time My Friend Tried This His Horse Dropped Dead…”
*“The Last Time My Friend Tried This His Horse Dropped Dead…”* by Bill Bonner Gualfin (“End of the Road”), Argentina - "The Dow plunged 280 points – or 1.6% – on Friday. It effectively gave back all of this year’s gains. But we’ll come back to the markets on Wednesday. Today and tomorrow, we’ll be riding through the puna – the high-altitude desert between Argentina and Chile – with a small group of friends, led by Jorge and his wife, Maria. *The Morning Conference: *Days at the ranch follow a simple pattern. At 8 a.m., Jorge appears in the yard. Typically, he is surrounded by a smal... more »
Oil Rich Nations Selling Off Petrodollar Assets at Record Pace
Being a bit under the weather yesterday & today, I'm just going to make a quick post while apologizing for not addressing the comments- Sorry :( But, thanks for leaving them :) An interesting read via Bloomberg & if anyone wants to offer up some insights, well, that would be very much appreciated!* Bloomberg* In the heady days of the commodity boom, oil-rich nations accumulated billions of dollars in reserves they invested in U.S. debt and other securities. They also occasionally bought trophy assets, such as Manhattan skyscrapers, luxury homes in London or Paris Saint-Germain Footba... more »
Lewiston, Maine Schools Being Re-made by Common Core and "Proficiency-Based Learning"
Special Report by Emily Talmage Something very bad is happening to our schools right now, and its been very sneaky. People (including me) have been very slow to wake up to what is happening. In our district, Lewiston, we have been hearing about "Proficiency Based Learning" for awhile now, and this year teachers, students and parents - particularly at the high school, where it was first rolled out - have been pulling their hair out over the new rules and policies - none of which (and this is not surprising) have come from any demand from the people (parents, students, teachers) in ... more »
Big Brother Out of Control: Pure Truth Symposium
This was an exceptional program!!! The 3 hour Symposium is well worth every minute to watch. I lost my internet right in the middle of Gerald Celente's commentary, but I wanted to get this video of last nights live event out for everyone to watch. This is an amazing meeting of minds of some of the most well respected people of their fields. To be able to listen to all of them on the same "stage" at the same time, was very very...... interesting. Remember what I always say: everyone has their own.... slant. Their own personal bias that is generated by their backgrounds and wher... more »
Testimony from the Living
Funeral of recently assassinated independent journalist Oles Buzina in Kiev, Ukraine. Heartfelt words from the many mourners about the loss of his life and their once proud country which is now in a civil war brought on by the interests that run the US-NATO endless war machine. Where is the outrage in Paris, London, Berlin, Brussels, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Ottawa, Canberra, and Washington about these assassinations? In fact the US-NATO are funding, training and directing the killers! The west is the land of hypocrisy and decadence.
The West's Fundamental Fallacies
Retired Princeton professor Stephen F. Cohen on "Should the West engage or isolate Russia?" at The Munk Debates held in Toronto, Canada, on April 10, 2015.
US Warships Are Heading To Yemen Waters To Intercept Iranian Weapons Shipments
*WNU Editor:* The AP is reporting that U.S. warships headed by the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt are streaming to Yemeni waters to confront Iranian attempts to ship weapons to the Houthi rebels .... *US warship heads to Yemeni waters; could block Iran weapons* (AP). This is a breaking news story and we will update it as more information becomes available. *Update:* U.S. carrier moving off coast of Yemen to block Iranian arms shipments -- USA Today
The U.S. Government Has Abandoned Americans In Yemen
*Daily Beast:* *The U.S. Has ‘Abandoned’ the Americans in Yemen* *Unlike China and India, the United States has conducted no large-scale evacuations of its citizens since the civil war began. Now Yemeni Americans say their relatives are stranded.* *For most Americans, Yemen’s civil war is the latest flashpoint in what seems like a remote, never-ending crisis in the Middle East. But for many in New York City’s Yemeni community, it’s a personal tragedy as they try to help family members, some of them American citizens, who are stranded in Yemen without any U.S. plan to evacuate the... more »
In support of Quebec's public intellectual Adil Charkaoui
By Denis G. Rancourt Recently, in Canada, the combination of persistent racist fear in the Quebec nationalist movement, of broadly based Islamophobia in Quebec society at large, and of the Canadian government's de facto policy of energetically fabricating a frenzied public paranoia of "terrorism" as the main false pretext for Canada's new illegal war campaigns in the service of the USA (most
Uncovering the Universe Within
*Ida Lawrence* - A growing number of people are turning their attention to the inside. Are you one of them? The post Uncovering the Universe Within appeared first on Waking Times.
Colombia: Photographer Captures Alleged UFO over Bogotá
*Source: Planeta UFO and www.teletica.comDate: April 20, 2015* *Colombia: Photographer Captures Alleged UFO over Bogotá* *By Luis Jimenez (lu.jimenez@teletica.com)* A photographer named Richard Emblin, who is also the editor of the only English-language newspaper (“The City Paper”) distributed in the Colombian capital city, Bogotá, managed to photograph a UFO in the city’s skies with a Nikon 300s. According to Emblin in the Mirror (*article by Laura Connor*), the object is a somewhat blurry figure 8 that moved through the skies of the capital and which he could see from his place... more »
Identifing the Projection of Unconscious Tendencies
*Video -* An excerpt from Carl Jung's Man and His Symbols on the shadow aspect of the psyche, our projection of unconscious tendencies, and the power that the shadow holds over the Self. The post Identifing the Projection of Unconscious Tendencies appeared first on Waking Times.
UK Man Quits Chemo and Beats Cancer with Cannabis
*Waking Times* - A young man whose attempts at traditional cancer treatments of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy failed to get rid of his stage-three bowel cancer, tried this instead... The post UK Man Quits Chemo and Beats Cancer with Cannabis appeared first on Waking Times.
Peru: Alleged UFO Videotaped Over San Isidro, Lima
*Source:www.connuestroperu.com and Planeta UFODate: 04.17.2014* *Peru: Alleged UFO Videotaped Over San Isidro, Lima* An alleged unidentified flying object (UFO) was videotaped this Monday over San Isidro, a neighborhood in the city of Lima, as it flew over an area adjacent to the ocean. The recording was obtained by Diego Bravo Trettenero, 26, a bank employee, who had left the gym around 21:30 hours on Monday, April 13. The gymnasium located in the vicinity of the San Isidro stadium, near the ocean. Bravo told *Con Nuestro Perú* that there were some seven or eight people with h... more »
Yemen War News Updates -- April 20, 2015
*Reuters*: *Air strike on missile base in Yemen capital kills at least fifteen* *(Reuters) - An air strike on a Scud missile base in the Houthi rebel controlled Yemeni capital Sanaa triggered a big explosion that blew out windows in homes, killing at least fifteen people and wounding dozens on Monday, medical sources said.* *Saudi Arabia has led an alliance of Sunni Arab countries in air strikes against the Iran-allied Shi'ite Houthi group and army units loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.* *Yemen's state news agency Saba, run by the Houthi movement, said the bombing resul... more »
A Brutal Attack Reveals The Xenophobic Carnage That Is Occurring In South Africa Today
*Daily Mail:** Butchered in the street as he begged for mercy: Savage last moments of Mozambican man who bled to death in a Johannesburg gutter after becoming latest victim of South Africa's anti-immigrant violence * ** Emmanuel Sithole was attacked by a mob who repeatedly stabbed him and beat him using a metal wrench * ** South African gang carried out the sickening murder because Mr Sithole was born in neighbouring Mozambique* ** Killing took place in Alexandra township near Johannesburg after a night of xenophobic looting and attacks* ** Locals blame migrants from elsewhere in Af... more »
Hillary Fatigue...
I haz it. I couldn't care less what that old screeching harridan is doing or saying. Meantime, in beautiful downtown Minneapolis, six men have been arrested for trying to join ISIS. and this hysterically funny article from the StarTrib about the declining younger population of the Twin Cities. The funny part comes in the comment section (over 500, which is HUGE for the StarTrib) where diehard Twin Citian libtards try to defend their bailiwick by bringing up the "art and culture" of the Twin Cities - not to mention it's "diversity." What they fail to mention is that the majority... more »
The Courageous White House Vigiler
Concepción Picciotto (born in Vigo, Spain) is a peace activist living in Washington, DC. She has lived in a tiny peace camp on the sidewalk across from the White House, since August 1, 1981, in protest of nuclear arms and war. She has carried on the longest known continuous act of political protest in the United States history. Concepción was inspired by fellow activist William Thomas, who originally began the White House Peace Vigil on June 3, 1981 and died on January 23, 2009. They began protesting on the sidewalk by the White House fence. National Park Service rules moved them... more »
'You said, "It’s my favourite sport, which I love"'
Never mind politicians, it always pays to fact check BBC interviewers. Camilla Swift at the *Spectator* has done that very thing, focusing on the closing moments of Andrew Marr's fiesty interview with David Cameron this last Sunday. *Andrew Marr:* You told the Countryside Alliance Magazine recently that your favourite sport was fox hunting. Is that really true? *David Cameron:* No, I'm a believer in country sports... *Andrew Marr (interrupting):* You said, "It’s my favourite sport, which I love". *David Cameron:* No, I love walking... *Andrew Marr (interrupting):* Is that true? *Da... more »
What's Wrong with Wyden-Hatch-Ryan's Fast Track Bill: The Specifics
*The very very wealthy, eating the world (source)* *by Gaius Publius* When we first reported on the introduction of Fast Track legislation — the bill that makes it possible for Obama and corporate Congress men and women to pass TPP, the next NAFTA-style "trade" agreement, by neutering Congress' role in the process — we said that the new bill was being analyzed. That analysis is done, and the results are in. This version of Fast Track is worse than the last version, a bill which failed to pass Congress in 2014. Here are the specifics (pdf) via Lori Wallach at Public Citizen, the go-... more »
Europe is Now Facing A Massive Influx Of Refugees From Africa And The Middle East
*Washington Post: **European officials grapple with ‘epic’ migrant crisis in the Mediterranean* *European rescue ships and planes fanned out across the Mediterranean on Monday amid an escalating crisis with possibly hundreds of desperate migrants lost in the waves and other vessels sending out calls for help.* *The dangerous journeys from North Africa and elsewhere have gone on for many years. But the scope of the current exodus has left European officials fearing that former measures could soon prove insufficient.* *Growing instability in the Middle East and expanding human traff... more »
This Is What Happens When A Russian S-300 Surface-To-Air Missile Launch Goes Horribly Wrong (Video)
*WNU Editor:* The reaction among the Russian crew is hilarious .... there are some who are upset and there are others who are laughing because they have just realized that they are very lucky to be alive. On a side note .... this is the weapon system that the Iranians are going to receive from the Russians. *Hat Tip: *Zero Hedge
Springtime for Hitler
I’m tired of reading about Nazis springing up all over the place. It must be springtime for Hitler. I already knew that Green Party MP for Brighton Caroline Lucas was an anti-Israel activist, but the Green Party’s anti-Israel advocacy wasn’t widely promoted during Natalie Bennett’s television appearances, even though her rudeness and strident demeanour were there for all to see. The Green Party is all for the full monty BDS (cultural, commercial and academic.) The Daily Mail’s exposé of a recent Nazi rally, unwittingly hosted by the ‘four-star’ Grosvenor Hotel, (Orient Suite) loo... more »
Rasmussen Poll: 49% Now Believe Muslims View United States As The Enemy
*Rasmussen:* *War on Terror Update* *Voters See Growing Rift Between America and Islamic WorldThe number of voters who believe terrorists are winning the fight against the United States and its allies continues to grow, while views of Muslims in general and U.S. relations with the Islamic world have worsened. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 29% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the United States and its allies are winning the War on Terror. That’s down from the 33% measured in March, but still above findings for most of last year. But now 39% thin... more »
World News Briefs -- April 20, 2015
*The Guardian*: *Two more migrant boats issue distress calls in Mediterranean* *Italian and Maltese vessels respond to calls from inflatable liferaft off Libya’s coast with up to 150 people on board and another with 300 people on board as EU ministers hold meeting about recent tragedies* *Italian and Maltese ships were responding to distress calls from two migrant boats in the Mediterranean as EU interior and foreign ministers met to discuss the latest tragedies.* *MIDDLE EAST* Houthis vow resistance as Saudis claim *80% of priority targets in Yemen destroyed*. New Saudi-led a... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 20, 2015
© Sputnik/ David B. Gleason *Sputnik:* Russian, Chinese Military Growth Exceeds US Expectations - Pentagon *In the 13 years the United States was waging war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Russian and Chinese military capabilities expanded “faster than we anticipated,” US Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work admitted Friday.“We are trying to make Russia and China partners in the international order,” the deputy secretary said. “We do not want to fight them. The key question now is asking what are their aims, what would deter them, and how do we keep from getting into a crisis?”* *Mili... more »
KIPP Memphis Flagship School 17th Lowest Scorer in the State After 13 Years
The Commercial Appeal has a story on the leadership turnover for the eight schools that KIPP runs in Memphis. The story notes the low performance of several of KIPP's schools. KIPP's first school in Memphis, KIPP Memphis Collegiate Middle, opened 13 years ago, which should be enough time for the KIPP magic to happen, one would think. Well, not so much. In fact, KIPP's flagship has deteriorated, in fact, as measured by the VAM scores that the state uses to label public schools as failures. In fact, we may ask when is the ASD going to take over KIPP Memphis Collegiate Middle. C... more »
The U.S. Use Of Drones For Targeted Killings Is Still Shrouded In Secrecy
*Rachel Stohl, National Interest:* *All the President’s Drones: Obama’s Targeted-Killing Problem * *The White House’s secrecy regarding the U.S. drone program has not done it any favors. WHEN THE Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released its “torture report” in December 2014, it reignited the battle over the George W. Bush administration’s conduct of the “war on terror.” Unfortunately, the interrogation program was not an anomaly in its lack of transparency. A similar problem exists with the U.S. drone program—which, after more than ten years of use and nearly two year... more »
U.S. Navy May Ramp-Up Building 3 Virginia-Class Attack Submarines per Year
The Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Mexico (SSN 779) transits the Thames River to her new homeport at Naval Submarine Base New London. New Mexico joins Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 4. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Patrick Evans/Released) *DoD Buzz:* *Navy Studies Building 3 Virginia-Class Attack Submarines per Year* *The Navy is investigating the prospect of building three new Virginia-class attack submarines per year instead of two in order to boost the size of the fleet as more Los Angeles-class submarines retire.Rear Adm. Joseph Tofalo, Director of Undersea Warfare, said h... more »
Are Drones The Future For The U.S. Navy
Image Credit: U.S. Air Force Photo *Franz-Stefan Gady, The Diplomat:* *Unmanned 'Killer Robots': A New Weapon in the US Navy's Future Arsenal?* *The US Navy moves unmanned drones to the top of its priorities.This week, U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced that he will streamline the navy’s efforts to keep up with advances in unmanned technology by appointing a new Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Unmanned Systems, who will bring “together all the many stakeholders and operators who are currently working on this technology.”“Additionally, the Navy Staff will add a n... more »
Brit Marling for President
*Qualifications*: Degree in Economics, Georgetown University, Valedictorian. Investment analyst (Goldman Sachs), Film maker, Producer, Screenwriter and Actor specializing in science-based films and documentaries. Successfully overcame gender stereotypes by writing her own roles in complex and thought-provoking films. Proven ability to handle complex situations with deliberation and effectiveness.
Censored News Mailbox: News and Events April 20, 2015
Photo above by Supai Waters, Havasupai: Tribal event to halt drug abuse and child abuse April 2015 Gwich'in Sarah James on air with AIM West Tony Gonzales Photo above: "In the studio at KPFA in Berkeley on radio show Across Indian Land with special guest in the studio is Ms. Sarah James, from Arctic Village, 100 miles north of Arctic Circle, in Alaska. Sarah spoke about need for
Contribute a Verse
*Julie Henderson* - Each of us has some specific lens through which we perceive, interpret, engage with, and transform the world. No one expresses the Truth in the same way... The post Contribute a Verse appeared first on Waking Times.
Iran Marks National Army Day
*Sputnik*: *Iran Celebrates National Army Day, Unveils Latest Military Equipment* *Iran's Army Ground Force revealed the latest military equipment it has manufactured, including an armed remote-controlled robot and a wheeled tank.* *Iran celebrated its national army day, staging parades and unveiling the latest in military equipment.* *The parades were held in front of the mausoleum of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the late Imam Khomeini in southern Tehran. President Hassan Rouhani was present on the occasion.* *WNU Editor:* And of course there is the usual chant ... more »
What’s Really Happening Inside Your Knuckles When You Crack Them?
*April McCarthy* - Is cracking your knuckles therapeutic or harmful to your joints? The post What’s Really Happening Inside Your Knuckles When You Crack Them? appeared first on Waking Times.
Trail Omens
I hike between 3 and 5 days a week on a lovely desert trail loop not far from where I live. In the last 8 days I have encountered some unusual phenomena. One morning within the last 8 days when I was hiking around 7:30 am I encountered a dead but perfect lizard on the trail and an hour later I saw a dead but non-damaged field mouse on the trail. Neither showed any signs of damage. It was odd that they had not been eaten by scavengers. These animals' bodies were simply frozen. The only time I've ever encountered anything like that was a few months ago when my husband and i encounte... more »
Nihigaal bee Iina walkers greeted at Star School with moving tribute!
By Nihigaal bee Iina Censored News Yesterday, we traveled pass the Navajo reservation’s border as we made our way to the Star Charter School. When we arrived, we found these amazing pictures and written pieces about Nihigaal bee Iina. We are deeply moved by the words we’ve read, created by students of the Star School, and also all the drawings that we’ve observed. Ayóo
The Roundtable Discussion, Tues April 21: With Duncan O'Finioan and Susan from "Shoot from the Hip"
The One People's Roundtable Discussion this week is going to be a doozy!! Joining Lisa Harrison, Brian Kelly and myself, will be Duncan O'Finioan and Susan- his new partner in crime, lol- from CCN's *"Shoot from the Hip"*. http://www.consciousconsumernetwork.tv/shoot-from-the-hip/ This week we will no doubt be continuing the various conversations we have been digging into deeply down the "rabbit hole". I know that Duncan will have some very interesting things to talk about on the CERN question, among many other things. I will be discussing the Yemen rabbit hole that I discusse... more »
10th Circuit Court Rejects Navajo Coal Mine Emergency Motion
10th Circuit Court Rejects Navajo Coal Mine Emergency Motion By Shiloh Hernandez, Western Environmental Law Center Colleen Cooley, Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment Mike Eisenfeld, San Juan Citizens AllianceTaylor McKinnon, Center for Biological Diversity Nellis Kennedy-Howard, Sierra Club Rachel Conn, Amigos Bravos DENVER— Two days after a federal district court halted
Arms Merchants See Iran As The Next Battleground For The Sale Of Weapons
Members of the Iranian Armed Forces (file photo) *Defense News*: *Iran: Next Battleground for Arms Deals?* *ABU DHABI — Arabian Gulf countries are closely watching Iran's anticipated re-integration into the international community as it may develop into a Russian-Chinese-Western battleground for arms sales, regional experts said.* *Since the announcement of the Lausanne agreement, Russia has lifted its weapons exports ban to Iran and announced it will supply the S-300 missile system purchased in 2010.* *And on April 5, the head of the Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce, Asadolla... more »
Ecological Destruction Doesn’t Equal Diné Sovereignty
Ecological Destruction Doesn’t Equal Diné Sovereignty In Klee Benally Indigenous Action Media French translation by Christine Prat In 2009 Joe Shirley Jr., then president of the Navajo Nation issued a press release stating, “Unlike ever before, environmental activists and organizations are among the greatest threat to tribal sovereignty, tribal self-determination, and our quest
Iraq’s Ramadi Has Not Fallen But The Islamic State Has Gained Ground
In April 2015 the Islamic State (IS) made another attempt to take Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar. The city has been a major battlefield in Iraq since December 2013. Every few months IS has made a charge into Ramadi only to be beaten back. Over that same period however the militants have gained more ground and hold a larger sway over the city then they had before. The Islamic State’s most recent attempt to seize Ramadi up ended the government’s plans for a major offensive in Anbar. On April 8 the head of the Anbar council announced that the latest security operation in Shj... more »
President Putin: Beslan And Msocow Theater Hostage Crisis Toughest Moment of Presidency
Russian President Vladimir Putin reacts 26 October 2002 after receiving news about the successful storming of the Moscow theatre building captured by Chechen terrorists. (AFP Photo/Itar-Tass) *Sputnik:* *Beslan Hostage Crisis Toughest Moment of Presidency – Putin* *Vladimir Putin has singled out two hostage crises, at a school in Beslan in southern Russia and at a Moscow theater, as the two toughest moments of his presidency.* *MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has singled out two hostage crises, at a school in Beslan in southern Russia and at a Moscow theater, a... more »
Sewol Protests in Seoul
A short video compilation of the Sewol protests in Seoul, South Korea. You don't have to understand Korean to relate to the emotion and fierce determination of the Korean people who demand the truth about the Sewol accident that killed 400 young people when the ferry turned over in the ocean on the way to Jeju Island. See a newspaper editorial (in English) blasting the police for using excessive force against the grieving families and their many supporters *here * The real issue in South Korea these days is the drowning of the people's hard-fought for democratic rights as the cu... more »
Alan Grayson- A Congressman With Spine, Nerve, Backbone and Cojones
Last Monday we offered to give away a rare, collectible platinum record award for Enya's *Paint the Sky with Stars*. Today's your last chance to "win" this contest. At noon (PT/3pm on the East Coast), we'll randomly select one person from this who contributed to Alan Grayson's campaign on this page. I worked with Enya while I was at Warner Bros and I found her to be one of the most fascinating artists on the roster-- just as Grayson is the most fascinating Member of Congress. Blue America has been part of the team working to persuade Grayson to give up his Orlando-based House seat ... more »
In A 'Message To China' The U.S. And Philippines Begin Military Exercises
U.S. soldiers of 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team disembark from a U.S. military helicopter CH-47 as they take part in the annual "Balikatan" (shoulder-to-shoulder) war games with Filipino soldiers at a military camp, Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija in northern Philippines April 20, 2015. Reuters/Erik De Castro *Reuters:* *U.S. rebalance to Asia begins with major military drill in Philippines* *(Reuters) - Philippine and U.S. soldiers began their biggest combined military exercise in 15 years on Monday, in a demonstration of Washington's commitment to its long-time ally as it rebalanc... more »
Philippines Releases Aerial Photographs On China's Construction Projects In The Disputed South China Sea
The Philippines voiced alarm about Chinese 'aggressiveness' in the area as it launched giant war games with the United States that were partly aimed at warning China. This photograph shows Chinese construction at Chigua (Kennan) Reef *Daily Mail:* *Advance of the 'Great Wall of Sand': New aerial photographs show scale of construction on man-made islands in disputed area of South China Sea* ** Philippines voiced alarm about Chinese 'aggressiveness' in the South China Sea ahead of war games with the US* ** President Benigno Aquino set to ask Southeast Asian leaders to issue collecti... more »
EVERYBODY LOVES A CHARADE: Dowd and Bruni kick it off!
*MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2015Let the charade begin:* With Hillary Clinton’s official announcement, the official charade began. For the next nineteen months, the national press corps will pretend to report and analyze the 2016 White House campaign. All this week, we’ll discuss basic aspects of this quadrennial festival of faux. Yesterday’s columns by Bruni and Dowd gave the charade its ceremonial start. For today, though, as we make our way back to our sprawling campus, let’s limit ourselves to a brief discussion of the way Jeb Bush is allegedly being covered. Last Friday night, Brooke... more »
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko Focuses On The Economy
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko addresses the media in Kiev in this February 18, 2015 picture provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service. Reuters/Mykhailo Palinchak/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters *Reuters*: *Truce tenuous as Ukraine leader tackles economy, oligarchs* *(Reuters) - President Petro Poroshenko is using the breathing space from a ceasefire with separatists to push reforms and rein in super-rich 'oligarchs' whose influence he says must be curbed for Ukraine to have a future in Europe.* *But the truce in eastern Ukraine agreed on ... more »
Untitled
*Is the Chinese education system really one of the best in the world?* *Comment on Quora below from Old China Hand, a Western man who has taught in China for many years* The problem with the Chinese education system is that it is geared towards producing graduates with a lot of knowledge. Successful students have succeeded in memorizing a vast amount of material. However there is not enough emphasis on critical or analytical thinking, on creativity and originality. The problem is that Chinese culture is so ancient, everything has been said sometime. You just have to dig it out an... more »
The Debate On Releasing Guantanamo Bay Prisoners Continues
(Reuters: Joe Skipper ) *Washington Examiner*: *Is it likely Gitmo prisoners will return to the battlefield?* *Among the key snags in President Obama's failed push to close the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is that Republicans believe the White House is downplaying the likelihood of prisoners joining terrorist groups after their release.* *The White House and congressional Republicans have vastly different interpretations of recidivism rates of former Gitmo detainees, with conservatives insisting that many "return to the battlefield" and Obama calling those fears ov... more »
Untitled
*Jeb Bush is a RINO* *Has drunk the climate Kool-aid* Jeb Bush on Friday in New Hampshire called for the U.S. "to work with the rest of the world to negotiate a way to reduce carbon emissions.” The remarks at a "Politics & Eggs" event brought praise from billionaire Tom Steyer's group NextGen Climate, which has spent millions in recent elections blasting Republicans on climate change. "Jeb Bush demonstrated leadership today on the issue of climate change—distancing himself from the other Republican presidential hopefuls and demonstrating why climate change doesn’t have to be a p... more »
Recently Captured Documents Reveal The Political And Military Structure Of The Islamic State
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Christoph Reuter, Spiegel Online:* *The Terror Strategist: Secret Files Reveal the Structure of Islamic State* *An Iraqi officer planned Islamic State's takeover in Syria and SPIEGEL has been given exclusive access to his papers. They portray an organization that, while seemingly driven by religious fanaticism, is actually coldly calculating.* *Aloof. Polite. Cajoling. Extremely attentive. Restrained. Dishonest. Inscrutable. Malicious. The rebels from northern Syria, remembering encounters with him months later, recall completely different facets of... more »
Hell hole
“The Mediterranean has always lapped against the beaches of the very fortunate, think of the Côte d'Azur, and the less fortunate - *think of Gaza*. That’s what the people smugglers know of course. They dangle the prospect of a new start...” That’s how Justin Webb introduced a piece, which is described on the Today programme’s website ‘running order’ thus: The UN Secretary General says he is shocked and saddened by reports that a ship carrying as many as 700 migrants and refugees has capsized off the Libyan coast (see 0710). Richard Bilton is the BBC’s Correspondent in Lampedus... more »
GBWT = Great Bullshit War on Terror
I've been using the acronym GBWT recently, and I always feel obliged to remind people that it stands for "Great Bullshit War on Terror." So this entry is going to have the Labels "GBWT" and "Great Bullshit War on Terror" to serve as the explanation whenever I use the acronym in the future. The War on Terror is bullshit because the problem is relatively minuscule. For instance, recall that stephen harper once embraced Michael Hudak and Rob Ford at a picnic of right-wing psychopaths as being fellow members of a "conservative" political movement. If one adds up the people killed free... more »
Greece Default and Drachma By Month End?
http://www.goldcore.com/ie/gold-blog/greece-default-and-drachma-by-month-end/ *Greece Default and Drachma By Month End?* By Mark O'Byrne April 14, 2015 - *Greek government to withhold IMF payments according to the FT* - *Prime Minister Tsipras denies preparing for default according to Reuters* - *Government funds to run out by end of month* - *Default would likely lead to “Grexit” and return to drachma* - *EU may not withstand uncertainty surrounding break-up of monetary union* - *Concern could trigger derivatives crisis and ‘Lehman moment’* - *Like frogs i... more »
Liquid Mind, "Adagio for Sleep (Intergalactic)"
Liquid Mind, "Adagio for Sleep (Intergalactic)" - https://www.youtube.com/
Road Trip Sanity Savers
“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Tree Top, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #TreeTopInc #raisinggoodapples http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV” Summer and road trip season is almost upon us and my family absolutely can't wait. Fifteen hours in the car with two kids isn't my favorite way to start a vacation, so I have put together a box of fun activities to hopefully keep the "Are we there yets," to a minimum. I have found in the car, it is nice to for kids to have a tray. This gives them a place to play and eat. I us... more »
Musical Interlude: Barry Manilow and Cilla Black, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”
Barry Manilow and Cilla Black, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R92QeRzVYcA
"In The Time Of Your Life..."
"In the time of your life, live — so that in good time there shall be no ugliness or death for yourself or for any life your life touches. Seek goodness everywhere, and when it is found, bring it out of its hiding-place and let it be free and unashamed. Place in matter and in flesh the least of the values, for these are things that hold death and must pass away. Discover in all things that which shines and is beyond corruption. Encourage virtue in whatever heart it may have been driven into secrecy and sorrow by the shame and terror of the world. Ignore the obvious, for it is unwor... more »
KMTitanic 8: Eric Chu = Monkey Wrench
*Land reclaiming on the east coast* *Tommy Ryan: If this is the direction the rats are going that's fine with me!* Well. As I was busy riding on the east coast this weekend, Eric Chu, Chairman of the KMT and the one person everyone in that party wants to run announced that he wasn't going to run and would explain why later... New Taipei City Mayor and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday said he would explain why he is not running for president after the period for aspirants to sign up ends on May 16. Thing is, he sounds serious. In fact, for months th... more »
Rumi, "The Guest House"
"The Guest House" "This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond." ~ Jalal Al-Din Muhammad Rumi, "Rumi"
"The Invitation"
*"The Invitation"* "It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mi... more »
“How to Make Bad Days Okay“
*“How to Make Bad Days Okay“* by David “We human beings suffer from a persistent illusion that creates a huge amount of needless stress: we see today as much bigger and more significant than other days. It seems like we should. Today is the only day we’re able to actually do anything, and the only day we can experience the consequences of what we’ve already done. In that sense, today is pivotal: what you have to do today is clearly much more relevant to your life than what you had to do on the same date ten years ago. This seems like common sense. But this common feeling overlooks... more »
Economic News , Data and Views ( April 20 , 2015 ) Greece updates ( State of play for Creditor talks , Overall Financial Picture , Grexit vs Default items ) ..... Broader Europe ( Finland Elections , QE effects , Brussels and EU ) .... Asia Watch - china in focus after 1 percent RRR Cut , moves from PBOC looming ?
Tweets..... *Fabrizio Goria* @FGoria · 16m16 minutes ago Greece short-term bond yields hit high http://ift.tt/1GbJjJb *econhedge* @econhedge · 1h1 hour ago MNI: Greek talks have stalled the past 2 wks...no real progress on a technical level, no progress in collecting data or getting the numbers Manos Giakoumis retweeted *MacroPolis* @MacroPolis_gr · 11m11 minutes ago #Greece Q1 cen gov prim cash surplus at €1.19 bln from €771 mln, Cash deficit at €918 mln from €1.14 bln last year. (BoG). #economy Manos Giakoumis retweeted *MacroPolis* @MacroPolis_gr · 2h2 hours... more »
Finally: List of 80 People With as Much Money as 1/2 of Humanity
*Bernie Sanders is of course a socialist and as such believes you make people better off by taking it from someone else. That is not my agenda. That's been tried in Russia and China and they just ended up poorer. The politics of envy and class struggle is another form of keeping people believing they have no power.* *Many of these on this list would have a very different ranking if the USD were not the world's reserve currency and artificially high as a result of that. Not all wealthy people inherited it, not all got because of great crimes of history, some worked very hard f... more »
Girls aloud
Let’s do a post on Muslim Women. Broadcaster of the Year! Congratulations! Our very own Pakistani Muslim presenter Mishal Husain has won the prestigious Broadcaster of the Year award. Mishal specialises in frosty interviews with Israelis and members of Ukip. ********* A career opportunity has opened up for Muslim women at the Temple Mount. Responsibilities include harassing Jews. Their special duty is to form a “human chain” with other veil-covered Muslim women, ululating, cursing, and spitting. ******** Upcoming young female talent. “The Voice” H/T Daphne Anson. *******... more »
Empowered Health: Everything You Wanted to know about Aloe
Huge Call out to JJ for this excellent collection of articles and videos about the Health Benefits of Aloe. I have also added a few of my own links to his extensive list. d Everything you wanted to know about Aloe but were afraid to ask! Making aloe vera juice As we saw yesterday, aloe vera has many cleansing and healing properties. However, many commercial aloe drinks are loaded with sugar and preservatives. Here's a simple way to make fresh aloe vera juice that requires no more than some aloe, oranges, and a blender. Aloe is easy to grow, and can eventhrive in cold clima... more »
Mass drowning prompts talk of EU search-and-rescue operation
[image: Lampedusa map]The EU is mulling options to launch a fully-fledged search and rescue operation following the reported drowning of some 700 EU-bound migrants over the weekend. Speaking on the behalf of Latvia’s EU presidency, interior minister Rihards Kozlovskis on Monday (20 April) said “options should be explored for setting up a full-fledged search and rescue operation of the EU”. But Kozlovskis’ call for a EU-wide rescue mission is likely to meet resistance from national governments like the UK, which insist aid efforts are a pull factor for more people to make the perilou... more »
Taiwan to send P-3C on surveillance missions over South China Sea
[image: Taiwanese P-3C Orion]The Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed for the first time Monday that the military will dispatch P-3C submarine-hunting aircraft on surveillance missions to the country's territory in the South China Sea in the future. In a report to the Legislative Yuan, the MND said the military has already taken delivery of eight U.S.-made P-3Cs, and another four will be delivered by the end of this year. At present, the aircraft are mainly engaged in anti-submarine reconnaissance and joint surveillance in Taiwan's surrounding waters and air defense identif... more »
All the President’s Drones: Obama’s Targeted-Killing Problem
[image: MQ-9 Reaper]When the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released its “torture report” in December 2014, it reignited the battle over the George W. Bush administration’s conduct of the “war on terror.” Unfortunately, the interrogation program was not an anomaly in its lack of transparency. A similar problem exists with the U.S. drone program—which, after more than ten years of use and nearly two years after President Barack Obama’s speech promising greater transparency and accountability, remains shrouded in secrecy and uncertainty. If an internal critique of the U.S. d... more »
The Controversial Origins of the Maine Penny, A Norse Coin found in a Native American Settlement
This happens to be very acceptable evidence and loudly confirms that Greenland Vikings traded down into Maine at the least. We already understand that these came vikings later evacuated Greenland to migrate into the mid continent about Lake Superior and Lake Manitoba. There was plenty of time for them and their Dorset trading partners to make multiple excursions along the Atlantic coast. It immediately suggests that the Dorset peoples joined the Vikings when they left he Arctic behind. By then they would have been family. The combined population was also large enough to overw... more »
The Fatal Secret Jesus took to Jerusalem
Curing mental illness and casting out demons speaks stongly to the use of ayahuasca which conforms to the long linkage between Egyptian scholarship and The Atlantean Bronze Age and it connectivity to the Amazon. We can connect the dots. Otherwise this is a remarkable tale that is complex and difficult to support. Confronting the mythological basis of power in an act of revolt would certainly earn a death sentence but that leaves the anomaly of his teaching Otherwise we have linked Egyptian knowledge which is already accepted and a tale of a young apprentice heading off to Egyp... more »
Varna Man and the Wealthiest Grave of the 5th Millennium BC
[image: Varna Man] This is really a snapshot of the earliest evolution of metallurgy. Copper axes were available but it is hard to see how these were ever superior to stone weapons. What is truly clear here is that gold was the central product. Yet we find only a modest amount buried. This suggests that they were taking material from a local copper sulphide deposit that had well rotted releasing gold nuggets into streams and producing native copper nuggets as well. Better yet this allows us to pin down the emergence of horsemanship as well. What is likely though is that t... more »
Philippines Ancestral Homeland of Polynesians
What is missing in this whole equation is a grasp of Indonesia and the South China Sea as a continental archipelago a mere 13,000 years ago and its steady inundation lasting several thousands of years until around four thousand years ago. During this period of innundation global seamanship evolved to culminate in the Atlantean Bronze Age 3000BC through 1159 BC that touched almost everywhere and certainly shared core technology. It is reasonable to expect extensive ties and genetic mixing throughout the archipelago that include even Taiwan. This is were the populations were con... more »
Why the BrahMos armed Sukhoi is bad news for India’s enemies
[image: Su-30MKI with BrahMos]India has signalled its intent to strike enemy targets with devastating force early on in a conflict. In September 2010 India’s newly constituted tri-services Strategic Forces Command (SFC) submitted a proposal to the Defence Ministry for setting up two dedicated squadrons of aircraft comprising 40 Su-30MKI air dominance fighters. The task of this “mini air force” is to deliver nuclear weapons. The picture became clearer in October 2012 when the Cabinet Committee on Security green lighted a programme to carry out structural and software modifications on... more »
Vietnam to add 2 locally-built warships to naval fleet this quarter
[image: Molniya class FS]The Vietnam People’s Navy will add two warships to its fleet in the next two months following the recent successful test run of two fast-attack missile ships of the Molniya class, the first of its kind to have been built locally, according to government website chinhphu.vn. The two warships, HQ379 and HQ380, have been accepted by a joint council made up of Ministry of Defense and Vietnam People’s Navy officials after the test run. This is the second patch of a series of six such missile warships designed on the basis of a Russian version in accordance with ... more »
THAAD 'litmus test' for S. Korea-U.S. alliance: report
[image: THAAD Launcher]The potential deployment of a THAAD missile defense unit to South Korea has become a "litmus test" for how Seoul is aligned between Washington and Beijing, according to a U.S. congressional report. The Congressional Research Service made the point in a report published earlier this month and titled, "Ballistic Missile Defense in the Asia-Pacific Region: Cooperation and Opposition," noting China's outspoken opposition to a THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) battery in the South. "In one sense, the proposed THAAD deployment has become a litmus test for ... more »
US OKs Bell's helicopter sale to Pakistan
[image: AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter]The State Department has signed off on the possible sale of 15 Bell Helicopter AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, air-to-surface missiles and other equipment to Pakistan. Bell spokeswoman Jenna Tyler said if the sale goes forward as planned, then the aircraft would be assembled at Bell’s Amarillo facility, which assembles the Viper, the V-22 Osprey and an improved version of the Huey helicopter. The proposed $952 million sale also includes 1,000 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, mission computers, missile warning systems, software, GPS device, helmet mo... more »
Could Israeli F-35s turn the tables on Iranian S-300 missiles?
[image: F-35 Lightning II]Over the long years of its development, the F-35 fighter jet has been pummeled from every angle. What haven’t we heard: It’s overweight and underpowered; it’s a single engine when it should be a twin; its engine may suffer from a serious design and structural problem; its wings are too short, its stealth capacity too tenuous, its cost too. But as Russia seeks to increase its influence in the region, shopping around its cutting edge air-defense weaponry — notably including the S-300 missile-defense system, which President Vladimir Putin has promised to deliv... more »
Video of Taiwan testing F-5 fighter leaked on Youku
Sensitive video footage of Taiwan's military testing a fighter jet has been leaked onto a Chinese video-sharing website, reports Duowei News, a US-based Chinese political news outlet. The 44-second video uploaded on popular video streaming site Youku shows Taiwan's RF-5E, the dedicated reconnaissance version of the F-5 supersonic light fighter jet, speeding along a runway at a military airbase in Hualien on the country's east coast. The fighter jet did not successfully take off in the end but the video managed to capture a significant portion of the military base, including hangar... more »
French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle leaves Arabian Gulf
[image: FS Charles de Gaulle (R91)]French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle has left the Arabian Gulf waters following its participation in a US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL), and headed to India, the French armed forces command said Sunday. Charles de Gaulle, which carries 12 Rafale and nine Super Etendard jets, has concluded its mission in the Arabian Gulf and headed to India to participate in drills with the Indian navy, it added in a statement. The French fighter jets carried out 10-15 sorties daily since February 23 to support the Iraqi for... more »
Shifting Tides Stand to Lift Thyssen’s Shipbuilding Unit
[image: FGS Nordrhein-Westfalen]The German company that armed generations of German military leaders, including Kaiser Wilhelm and Hitler, is adapting for the 21st century. The shipbuilding arm of steel giant ThyssenKrupp AG on Thursday christened the second of four cutting-edge warships that it is building for the German navy for a total of roughly €2 billion ($2.2 billion). The event was celebrated at the Blohm & Voss shipyard here with patriotic fanfare that included a marching band, naval officers, and a host of political and business leaders. It represented a rare bright spot f... more »
ATLAS: 2.5-sigma four-top-quark excess
ATLAS has posted a new preprint Analysis of events with \(b\)-jets and a pair of leptons of the same charge in \(pp\)-collisions at \(\sqrt s = 8\TeV\) with the ATLAS detector boasting numerous near-2-sigma excesses (which could be explained by vector-like quarks and chiral \(b'\) quarks, but are too small to deserve much space here) and a more intriguing 2.5-sigma excess in various final states with four top quarks. This four-top excess is most clearly expressed in Figure 11. This picture contains four graphs called (a),(b),(c),(d) – for ATLAS to celebrate the four letters o... more »
Emissions visible from proximity of Fukushima Unit 3-4
Night-time emissions (I believe caused by hot fuel and cool, humid atmospheric conditions) illustrated below: Unit 1 is on the viewer's left. Notice the emissions arising from the right hand corner of the building? During the day it is sometimes possible to see the emissions emerging from that area of the building, but today there was too much precipitation to see much from unit 1, although unit 3's spewing is somewhat more evident: 12:36:01 PM See the emissions over unit 3, in the right hand, bottom corner: Here is a close-up from another screenshot taken at 12:51:40 PM ... more »
The "Heavenly City" of the Republican Right
*By William Neil* I now live in the heavily Republican area of the Western Maryland mountains, which are closer in the gritty facts of harsh economic life to West Virginia than to those of affluent Montgomery County, the “engine” of the Maryland economy, and where I used to live, but can no longer afford to. Our region has been consumed over the past few months by the campaign to stop fracking, and I’ve been getting itchy to write about the broader context of the political economy in which it takes place. After all, Maryland’s new Governor, Republican Larry Hogan, successfully b... more »
Review - Practical Projects for Self-Sufficiency by Chris Peterson and Philip Schmidt
Have you ever noticed how completing a do-it-yourself (DIY) project is so much more rewarding than buying something already made? There is, of course, a real sense of pride; moreover, it gives us the opportunity to choose earth-friendly materials and build an item which will last. It also feels liberating to know that we can sustain our lives without depending on the "big box stores". Since buying our property last year, we've taken on many DIY projects. With some of them, like the blue bird nesting boxes, we needed information so that we'd build something suitable for the preferen... more »
Don't like carding? @TPSboard, @TorontoPolice, @TPAca team up for a giant F.U. | #TOpoli
[View the story "New face at @TorontoPolice? Whatever" on Storify] *Aw, come on, you old sourpuss! Can it really be that bad?* Well, maybe. He smiles nicely for the camera. What's that? I'm being mean, you say? Unfair, even? Because you just *know* people so deeply invested in a toxic and dysfunctional status quo will *happily* hand the top job over to a guy who's going to fix it! As some schmuck once argued: ... we're talking about an ingrained culture that's been setting in and putrefying for decades, if not centuries. Anyone perceived as an enemy ... gets targeted and slimed. A... more »
Bumper-Stickers Seen On Military Bases
“When in Doubt, Empty The Magazine” “Sniper: You can run, but you’ll just die tired!” “Machine Gunners: Accuracy By Volume” “Except For Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism, WAR has Never Solved Anything.” ” U.S. Marines: Certified Counselors to the 72 Virgins Dating Club.” " U.S. Air Force: Travel Agents To Allah” “The Marine Corps: When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be Destroyed Overnight” “Death Smiles At Everyone: Marines Smile Back” “What Do I Feel When I Kill A Terrorist? A Little Recoil” “Marines: Providing Enemies of America an Opportunity To Die For their Co...more »
Less than one lifetime: Eyewitness to nuclear development, from Hunters Point to Chernobyl and Fukushima, issues a warning
The Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard placed prisoners and others in a bomb shelter during exercises simulating a nuclear attack. – Photo courtesy TimePix While sorting through papers, correspondence, news clippings, records etc., I realized that nuclear bomb and nuclear power development has occurred within my lifetime. It was July 16, 1945, when Trinity, the first atomic bomb, was detonated at Alamogordo nuclear site in New Mexico, followed by the uranium bomb dropped on Hiroshima and the hydrogen bomb on Nagasaki in August... Less than on... more »
Liberté v sécurité
*Pic by **Le Journal du Siècle**, hat tip **Peter Linton* Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Leaked Documents: New Zealand Teamed Up With The NSA To Spy On China
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says he will declassify documents that prove the government's mass spying initiative never pushed through. Reuters *The Intercept*: *New Zealand Plotted Hack on China With NSA* *New Zealand spies teamed with National Security Agency hackers to break into a data link in the country’s largest city, Auckland, as part of a secret plan to eavesdrop on Chinese diplomats, documents reveal.* *The covert operation, reported Saturday by New Zealand’s Herald on Sunday in collaboration with The Intercept, highlights the contrast between New Zealand’s public ... more »
The U.S. Does Not Have The Money To Replace It's ICBMs, Bombers, And Subs
*Marcus Weisgerber, Defense One*: *Pentagon: We Can’t Afford to Replace Aging ICBMs, Bombers, Subs * *Even if sequestration goes away, the Defense Department will need at least $10 billion more per year to modernize its nuclear arsenal, procurement chief says.* *The Defense Department cannot afford to replace its aging nuclear-missile submarines, ICBMs, and long-range strategic bombers unless it gets a funding boost or radical policy changes are made, according to a top Pentagon official.* *Even if Congress approves the White House’s 2016 budget for the Pentagon, the Pentagon wi... more »
Israel Has Developed Technology To Detect Tunnels Being Built At A Distance
An Israeli army officer during an army-organized tour in a tunnel said to be used by Palestinian militants for cross-border attacks. Credit: Jack Guez/Reuters *Washington Free Beacon: **Israel Announces Development of System that Can Detect Tunneling at a Distance* *Hailed as underground equivalent of Iron Dome.* *JERUSALEM—Haunted since last summer’s war in Gaza by Hamas’ success in infiltrating fighters into Israel through tunnels, Israel announced on Thursday the development of the first effective system for detecting tunneling activity at a distance.* *One of Israel’s leadin... more »
Former U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer: UFO Military Confrontations Are Common During War Time
*Huffington Post:* *UFOs Confront Soldiers During War, Says Ex-Air Force Intelligence Officer* *The public rarely hears about interactions between military personnel and unexplained aircraft -- especially during wartime.* *As time goes on, however, UFO stories stuck behind red tape begin to see the light of day. The Vietnam War saw its share of UFO activity in the 1960s.* *One close encounter, in 1968, involved the crew of an American patrol boat that reported two glowing circular craft following them in the demilitarized zone that separated North and South Vietnam (see depictio... more »
"Fukushima Update, 4/19/15; Your Radiation This Week"
*Click image for larger size.* *“Your Radiation This Week”* by Bob Nichol “Good Day, this is “Your Radiation, This Week.” These are the recorded Radiation Highs that affected people this week around the United States and in your neighborhood. Let’s get right to it. *RADIATION CPM* CITY STATE* (*Counts per Minute, 50 CPM is an alert level. Levels are in Gamma unless noted.) 309 CPM Boston, MA 217 CPM New York City 426 CPM Raleigh, NC 258 CPM Atlanta, GA 424 CPM Miami, FL 214 CPM Chicago, IL 227 CPM St Paul, MN 365 CPM Lincoln, NE, Gamma and Beta Radiation Combined CPM. 264 CPM De... more »
Ian Welsh recalls the way John Edwards's argument about the economy disappeared, or was disappeared, from the national discussion
*Since John Edwards's 2008 campaign was disposed of, and then the candidate himself, his "Two Americas" campaign theme has disappeared with him.* *"Edwards' trial was a politically motivated show trial. The goal was to make sure that everyone thinks that there was no left wing candidate in the election and that Obama is the best you could ever do."* *-- Ian Welsh, in a May 2012 post he has just republished* *by Ken* I'm going to guess it's not uncommon among people who might read DWT to have heard the opening of a discussion during the early stages of the 2012 Democratic presidenti... more »
Poland Is Furious Over The FBI Director's Comments That Some Poles Were Accomplices In The Holocaust
*Daily Mail:* *Head of the FBI claims that Polish people were 'murderers and accomplices' who helped kill Jews during the Holocaust - and Poland demands an apology* * * US Ambassador Stephen Mull to receive summons for apology over FBI director James Comey's comments, foreign ministry spokesman said* Comey wrote editorial opinion piece in Washington Post on April 16 * It said: 'In their minds, the murderers and accomplices of Germany, and Poland, and Hungary and so many other places didn't do something evil'* Poland's president Bronislaw Komorowski said Comey's comments wer... more »
Greece Is On The Brink Of Default
*New York Times:* *Greece Flashes Warning Signals About Its Debt* *WASHINGTON — By the standards of his frenzied schedule here last week, the meeting on Friday between Yanis Varoufakis, the Greek finance minister, and Lee C. Buchheit, the dean of international debt lawyers, was a quiet one.* *There was none of the media scrum that had followed Mr. Varoufakis around town during the semiannual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, as he paid calls on the I.M.F. chief, Christine Lagarde; the head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi; the United States Trea...more »
Yemen Houthi Rebel Leader Vows Resistance Against Saudi Arabia's Military Campaign
Image grab taken from a video broadcasted by Al-Masira TV on March 26, 2015, shows Yemeni Shiite Huthi movement's leader Abdulmalik al-Huthi delivering a televised statement from an undisclosed location in Yemen *CNN:* *Houthi leader in Yemen: 'Anyone who thinks we will surrender is dreaming'* *(CNN)The leader of Yemen's Houthi rebels vowed not to back down on Sunday as a top Saudi military official claimed weeks of airstrikes had significantly weakened the Shiite group.* *"Our fighters will not evacuate from the main cities or the government institutions," rebel leader Abdul-Mali... more »
Got Fuckin' Shit For Brains???
Then maybe the Conservative Party of Canada is for you! (Back to mocking the Public Safety/National Security Committee hearings later.)
Q: So why were Britain and NZ at war with Turkey at all?
*Dave Mann commented on an earlier post, “the times were a muddle of friends becoming foes and vice versa. Nobody could keep up with it.” True enough.* *[A]another interesting fact about how Turkey entered the war [says Dave] is the Ottoman Empire was initially no great enemy of Britain and in fact they had contracted to buy two battleships from them before the war. When war broke out [Churchill unilaterally] reneged on the deal saying "sorry chaps but we need them more than you do now." Germany responded by sailing a battleship squadron up the Straits on a state visit and then pr... more »
The Freedom to Speak Up As Academics: The Right to Make An “Ass” of Myself Personally
On Thursday, I became part of a growing group of academics that has had a letter like this written about them: As a parent, I’ve been doing some advocacy about my children’s school this year. The advocacy received some local media attention recently when my children’s District Administration tried to defend an activity that violated […]
Globalization: Global Agribusiness Hammering Away At The Foundations Of Indian Society
RINF, Countercurrents, Global Research *https://twitter.com/colin_todhunter* According to the World Bank in the nineties, it was expected (and hoped) that some 400 million people in Indian agriculture would be moving out of the sector by 2015. To help them on their way, farming had to be made financially non-viable and policies formulated to facilitate the process. Food and trade policy analyst Devinder Sharma describes the situation: “India is on fast track to bring agriculture under corporate control... > Amending the existing laws on land acquisition, water resources, seed
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