King Abdullah ibn Abdul Aziz in 2002 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Saudi Arabia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Yemen's Houthis Rebels Acccept Saudi Arabia's Five-Day Truce
*Reuters*: *Houthis accept five-day truce in Yemen proposed by Saudi Arabia* *Yemen's dominant Houthi group accepted a five-day humanitarian ceasefire proposed by its adversary Saudi Arabia on Sunday but said it would respond to any violations of the pause.* *Neighbouring Saudi Arabia had said on Friday that the ceasefire could begin on Tuesday if the Iranian-allied militia agreed to the pause, which would let in badly needed food and medical supplies.* *Backed by the United States, a Saudi-led coalition has been conducting air strikes against the Houthis and army units loyal to e... more »
Meet & Greet (#MtaGt) - May - My Eco 20s & World Changing Me
Welcome to Meet & Greet, a regular series designed to grow our green community. [image: A monthly link-up party for green blogs on Reduce Footprints] Banner by Art Ist Grab our banner for your site:
For 2015, Meet & Greet will operate a bit differently than previous years. This year, I'll be... more »
For 2015, Meet & Greet will operate a bit differently than previous years. This year, I'll be... more »Macedonia Reeling After A Heavy Day Of Fighting Between Police And Militants From Neighboring Kosovo
*BBC:* *Macedonia blames Kosovans for deadly Kumanovo clashes* *Macedonia says five Kosovans led the armed group which was involved in deadly clashes with security forces in the northern town of Kumanovo.Eight officers and 14 gunmen were killed in the fighting, Interior ministry spokesman Ivo Kotevski said.Those named were members of the now dismantled Kosovo Liberation Army.Mr Kotevski said the operation near the Serbian-Kosovan border was now over and the armed group had been "neutralised", with a large amount of weapons seized.Last month, about 40 ethnic Albanians from ...more »
Larry Mendte Gets It So Wrong:How Persistent Iraq Mythologies Inspire Bad Analysis on Iran
Earlier this week, Kayvon Afshari, communications director for the American Iranian Council, appeared on Another Thing with veteran broadcaster Larry Mendte to discuss the state of negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and the prospect, in the face of powerful opposition, of a final deal being reached in the coming weeks. While Afshari's pro-diplomacy optimism was backed up by important
Best candidate to Replace Najib? What about Anwar Ibrahim?
SAVE MALAYSIA Written by Zaid Ibrahim http://www.zaid.my/current/save-malaysia/ UMNO president and Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Razak is about to be replaced by his enemies in the party. Whilst spending my weekend in a small Japanese village near Tomakomai in Hokkaido, Japan, I received a call from an UMNO source that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was meeting UMNO bigwigs including Tun Daim Zainuddin, Dato’ Seri Nazri Aziz and Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed in Italy to discuss handing over the premiership to Muhyiddin. I don’t know if this meeting will ultimately result in Najib being replac... more »
A Look At Russia's Navy SEALS
*Daily Mail:* *The real navy seals: Siberian aquatic army don military gear and perform 'rifle tricks' for 70th anniversary of the Allied win in the Second World War* * Circus in Siberia train seals to use 'rifles' and shoot waterguns * Video shows the mammals salute their 'commander' and march * Performance coincide with 70th anniversary of Allied WWII victory A circus in Siberia have trained their seals to perform a special routine for this weekend's Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. A video shows the two seals - dressed in military headgear - raising a flag and shooting at ta... more »
NATO Expels Dozens Of Suspected Russian Spies From Their Headquarters
*The Guardian:* *Nato kicks out Russian spies but revives Kremlin hotline amid Ukraine tensions* *Western military alliance expels dozens of suspected Russian spies from Nato headquarters while upgrading emergency military contacts with Moscow* *The western military alliance is reviving cold war-style hotlines to the Kremlin and the Russian general staff in Moscow to reduce the chances of escalating military confrontation and miscalculation as the Ukraine conflict fuels east-west tension.* *While seeking to boost military contacts with the Russians, Nato has also moved to rid its ... more »
Desertions In The Russian Military Because Of Ukraine?
Members of the armed forces of the separatist self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic drive a tank on the outskirts of Donetsk, Ukraine, in this January 22, 2015 file photo. Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko/Files *Reuters:* *Special Report: Russian soldiers quit over Ukraine * *Some Russian soldiers are quitting the army because of the conflict in Ukraine, several soldiers and human rights activists have told Reuters. Their accounts call into question the Kremlin's continued assertions that no Russian soldiers have been sent to Ukraine, and that any Russians fighting alongside rebels... more »
The Incredible Story Of A South Vietnamese Major Who Fled The Fall Of Saigan And Made His First Carrier Landing On The USS Midway
*From YouTube*: South Vietnamese Air Force Pilot, Major Ly Bung, "in his own words", of his frightful flight and perilous landing on USS Midway, 30 April 1975. *WNU Editor:* Hat Tip to OFS for this incredible story.
It's open season on "explaining" the U.K. election -- and figuring out what happens next
*In the new cabinet Prime Minister Cameron announces in the morning, MP Priti Patel (right) is expected to be one of a group of women considerably expanding the current ranks, which include Education Secretary Nicky Morgan (left) and Home Secretary Theresa May (center). The Telegraph reports that the reshuffled cabinet will be a full third female, with higher-profile roles for some election "stars."* *"Want to win from the left? Be left-wing. Offer a real alternative to neo-liberalism."* *-- Ian Welsh, on the rout of the U.K.'s Labour Party,in his Thursday night post on Thursday'... more »
The Final Push to Polish the New ESEA Turd
There's a renewed urgency among AFT/NEA/NPE bagmen like Peter Goodman and Steven Singer to sell, once more, the big nasty ESEA bolus that Congress in now trying to dump on the American electorate. One version from the Senate gives all the federal money to charter schools, and the other version from the House gives all the money to charters AND vouchers. Big difference, right? Both preserve federal testing every year, and each is written by either the progressive wing or the conservative wing of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce. And yet Singer pretends to believe, or maybe he is stupi...more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“This popular group is famous as the Leo Triplet - a gathering of three magnificent galaxies in one field of view. Crowd pleasers when imaged with even modest telescopes, they can be introduced individually as NGC 3628 (left), M66 (bottom right), and M65 (top). *Click image for larger size.* All three are large spiral galaxies but they tend to look dissimilar because their galactic disks are tilted at different angles to our line of sight. NGC 3628 is seen edge-on, with obscuring dust lanes cutting across the plane of the galaxy, while the disks of M66 and M65 are both inclined enou... more »
Are Chuck Schumer and Steve Israel Working To Populate Congress In The Image Of Scoop Jackson?
History lesson: In 1972 and again in 1976, the Beltway's conservative Democratic Establishment had found its man. The preferred candidate of the careerist hacks in DC was socially conservative Washington Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson, who called himself the voice of those Democrats who didn't want "to make abortion, gay liberation and the legalization of marijuana the primary issues of the country." Jackson was a leader of the "Stop McGovern" cabal of right-wing Democrats and was instrumental in feeding the press all the "acid, amnesty and abortion" nonsense about McGovern. Jackso... more »
Interesting reader-suggested links about learning and schooling
An avid reader of this blog, contacted me and suggested these very interesting links about schools and about learning: Authoritarian Schooling: A Catalogue of Damage compiled by David Gribble Annenberg Learner: Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum Meaningful Learning Research Group Articles How we confuse symbols and things Student Alternative
The Poet: Horace P. Biddle, "The March Of Humanity"
Vangelis, “Alpha” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jG--3elufo *"The March Of Humanity"* by Horace P. Biddle "What can we know? What are we all? Poor silly half-brained things peering out at the infinite, with the aspirations of angels and the instincts of beasts." - Arthur Conan Doyle
Chet Raymo, "Cosmic Silence"
*"Cosmic Silence"* by Chet Raymo "I've mentioned here before that the refurbished Hubble Space Telescope would give us an Ultra Ultra Deep Field Photograph, the deepest look yet into cosmic space and time. As I calculate it, it would take 16 million Hubble Ultra Deep Field Photographs to cover the entire celestial sphere. At 10,000 galaxies per photograph, we are talking 160 billion galaxies that the same application of technology might potentially reveal. Having taken aboard a universe of 160 billion galaxies, how would I answer the BIG questions? *Who am I?* With Walt Whitman I ... more »
"A Precious Moment..."
"We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity." Paulo Coelho, "The Alchemist"
The greatest tragedy of the British election [updated]
So, what about that British election then, eh? Three party leaders resigned, two parties that went anti-immigrant were told by voters to piss off, and pollsters by the bucketload had their faces dowsed with egg. There as here, Labour’s class warfare rhetoric has failed spectacularly, and the non-specific and insubstantial bland mouthings of a “brighter future” under Blue statists rolled out so successfully by NZ’s National Socialist proved almost as successful in Britain – and as recommended by the same advisers. Always great to see the sensational political losers we’ve been d... more »
Beginning to think TEPCO 1 CAM is Failing
Don't know what to think... Perhaps the cam is failing because the screen above looks strange. TBS cam is down so no comparison there. TEPCO 4 cam is clear:
Emissions
I finally was able to load TEPCO cam 1 and have kept it running all morning to monitor emissions: Dry streets visible on Futaba cam and no evidence of fog or clouds.
A Grand Plan: No people–no problems!
*Guest post by Hugh Pavletich* New Zealand has a land area of 268,000 square kilometres and a population of about 4.57 million, with an urban density of near 1,900 people per square kilometre . Near 1,800 square kilometres of New Zealand’s land area is currently urbanised … about 0.70% of the total land area. Back in early 2012, as people were driven further and further out of the metros for affordable land and housing, Landcare Research at Lincoln University found there to have been an explosion of 'ultra-light urban development’ (called lifestyle blocks). The number of lifesty... more »
Untitled
*French Quarter policing a medley of many ventures ~John Simmerman, Jeff Adelson *
Getting Ready For Drone Dogfights
An X-47B unmanned combat air system (UCAS) demonstrator performs a touch and go landing on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) in the Atlantic Ocean. Photographer: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Timothy Walter/U.S. Navy via Getty Images *Bloomberg:* *Armed Drones Seen as Dogfight-Ready in (Not-Too-Distant) Future* *As the fighter jet of the future rolls and climbs to outmaneuver an enemy plane and bore in for the kill, one thing will be missing: a pilot.* *That’s the vision of Northrop Grumman Corp., which is working on an autonomous fig... more »
Tribal water activists organize to stop the California Water Heist
Tribal water activists organize to stop the California Water HeistNorth Coast event highlights drought related threats to rivers by Dan Bacher Censored NewsTribal water activists presented short films about threats to Northern California’s rivers from Governor Jerry Brown’s drought plans at Arcata’s D Street Community Center on the evening of Friday, May 8. The films included the
Tom Hayden : There may be an alternative to Obama’s pro-corporate trade deal
It seems unlikely, but should Obama decide to extricate himself from an inconvenient initiative, here’s a way out. By Tom Hayden | The Rag Blog | March 10, 2014 President Obama’s recent progressive initiatives — pursuing diplomacy with Iran, opening … finish reading Tom Hayden : There may be an alternative to Obama’s pro-corporate trade deal
Notes from UNAC Conference
*Former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney spoke during the final session of the UNAC conference in New Jersey today* I am on the train heading back north to Boston - should get home before midnight. The UNAC conference, which drew about 400 people, was a real delight, I'm glad to have been there. There were some fantastic speakers and I took extensive notes. I'll just put them below, not in any particular order, there was so much ground covered. The bottom line is that this event brought together Black, Hispanic, Muslim, Middle Eastern, African, Ukrainian, European, and Wh... more »
After Defeating The Islamic State In Tikrit, Sectarian And Tribal Tensions Increase
*New York Times*: *After Wresting Tikrit From ISIS, Iraqis Face Sectarian and Tribal Tensions* *ALAM, Iraq — The area around the Iraqi city of Tikrit is a panorama of blight, littered with the remnants of battle against the Islamic State: burned-out cars and empty mortar casings, roads made jagged from bombs. At one checkpoint, a militiaman sits with his laptop. At another, there is a pink folder on a table. Inside each are thousands of names of people suspected of being militant fighters or collaborators.* *“If he is Daesh, I will arrest him,” said Hasan Jibouri, the fighter with... more »
On Centre Grounds and Aspirations
Tony Blair's enduring, if banal, insight is that parties win elections from the centre ground. Labour has to be where most of the voters are in order to win seats enough to govern. While in one sense true, in another the centre ground is a many legged beast. And each body segment has its own direction of travel. It's not the done thing to believe the polls these days, but they have consistently shown support for nice lefty things like nationalisation of utilities and the rails, properly funding the NHS, rent controls, and a host of other causes we hold dear. And they also show the ... more »
On Jade Helm 15, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Panders To Right-Wing Kooks
By Manifesto Joe I suppose it should come as no surprise, but Texas' new governor, Greg Abbott, is a politician made up of as much pond scum as his predecessor, Rick "El Pendejo" Perry. Abbott's reaction to Jade Helm 15, the military exercise planned for Texas and other parts of the Southwest, is ample evidence of that. Abbott put out an announcement that he will have the state National Guard keep an eye on the Jade Helm exercise, an apparent response to kook right-wing Internet rumors that the purpose of the exercise is to take over Texas. Abbott was supposed to have been a polit... more »
The Stuipid part about our new security
No real terrorist will ever own a cellphone or talk in a way that a data network could detect. SO what are they fishing for, power my friends that would make J Edgar Hoover look like a man in a dress captured on video by a higher power.
Cocks rule America and by extentison when they are hard the world
Cox Commnications Kock Brothers Camcocks Verizon Cocks services its all a big cock in your face as a citizen and the natural reaction is to suck it given the enviorment in which it is shown deep oppression and Orwellian commands to the Lizard Brain. I love Cocks they make life possible
Iraq Launches Sunni Anti-Islamic State Militia In Anbar With 1,000 Recruits
Sunni tribesmen attend a ceremony to present them with weapons at camp Habbaniyah, in the eastern city of Ramadi April 8, 2015. (Reuters) *Washington Post:* *Plan to train Iraqi tribal fighters to face Islamic State lifts hopes in Anbar* *AMERIYAT AL-FALLUJA , Iraq — More than 1,000 recruits stood at attention in fatigues, their heads held high, during a ceremony Friday for what Iraqi officials hope marks the formation of a force to push out the Islamic State militants who control most of Anbar.* *The next military offensive against the extremist Sunni group is expected to take p... more »
I want to help
there is something in our UNIVERSIAL DNA that says how can I help when we are human we help each other in a specail way that places us at the top of the food chain never forget that there is no mystery that humans have done amazing stuff based upon not being greedy with know how So FUCK tghe4 TPPP its going to give corporations those personhods who never die the right to sue us backwards and forward to do things that many scientest say will make us die
Cardiff Uni and the Guardian combine in praise of the BBC
Oh my, this is funny! Yes, the BBC's election night coverage may have been savaged by all-and-sundry in the UK press, but at least one British newspaper is still prepared to stick up for it. That newspaper is....brace yourselves for a shock!...*The Guardian*. (I know. I was completely gob-smacked too!): And it gets better: The people extolling the BBC's coverage there at the *Gnuariad *are our old friends from Cardiff University, Richard Sambrook and Stephen Cushion. Richard Sambrook was, of course, the top dog at BBC News until 2008 and Stephen Cushion (as you may recall fr... more »
Galloway the litigious
We've begun legal proceedings seeking to have result of the Bfd West election set aside. I cannot therefor discuss my own election for now. — George Galloway (@georgegalloway) May 10, 2015 Ah. So that's what they were talking about on Sky News just now.
"When Life Throws You a Curve Ball: Embracing Unpredictability"
*"When Life Throws You a Curve Ball: Embracing Unpredictability"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM "When the unexpected happens, you always have your inner core strength which cannot be taken from you. In life, we are always setting goals for ourselves and working to make them happen. This gives us focus and ensures that we use our time and energy efficiently and effectively. It also provides us with a sense of purpose and direction. We know where we are going and what we want to do. But quite often, due to forces outside our control, things do not go as we had planned—the flat tire o... more »
Massive And Bloody Jail Break Of Islamic State Militants Reported In Iraq
*Washington Post*: *Prisoners with Islamic State ties escape in eastern Iraq* *BAGHDAD — At least 40 inmates, including prisoners with suspected links to the Islamic State, escaped a prison in eastern Iraq early Saturday after overpowering guards, Iraqi officials said.* *Dozens of inmates and at least six guards were killed in the incident, which took place at the Khalis prison in Diyala province. In January, pro-government forces took control of the province from the Islamic State as part of a military offensive to win back the vast territory in Iraq that the extremist group sei... more »
May 10: Our universities are in deep, financial trouble...
.....and that isn't the worst of it. Almost all university teachers have no training in teaching. None whatever. That not only means they don't know to teach a class. They also don't have much idea of WHAT to teach a class. Courses, particularly at the introductory level (but all the way to the PhD) usually emphasize feeding the students information to be memorized. Such information is largely useless because it is forgotten soon after the exam. Professors answer that it is not possible to have an intelligent discussion about an issue in, say, Canadian history, unless one has taken ... more »
Of BBC bias, opinion polls and oyster catchers
The BBC very obviously feels deeply embarrassed at having fallen (eagerly) for the pre-election opinion polls, nearly all of which showed Labour and the Conservatives to be neck-and-neck for at least the past six weeks. [Only one (suppressed by either the pollster or the *Daily Mirror*, presumably assuming it to be a rogue poll) predicted the actual result - a Conservative majority.] Andrew Marr sounded particularly aggrieved about the polls during BBC One's election night coverage, and returned to the theme during his paper review this morning, fervently urging his journalistic "... more »
The Ocean and the Ill-Defined "Climate"
The Tallbloke site says "ocean makes climate", with 2 graphs. My response: *I don't know whether the last "430 words" [of the original post, linked to by tallbloke] address the direction of energy flow, but these two graphs do not. The ocean covers 70% of the surface, so one would worry if variations in the GMST and the GMSST did not largely agree. What these graphs tell me--and should tell anyone who didn't actively ignore my Venus/Earth temperatures comparison--is that it is the atmosphere, stupid (I add the "stupid" lovingly, not hatefully, sports fans), that controls the global ... more »
It's Mother's Day
Today, (here in the USA) we honor our mother. It’s Mother’s Day. I was never very big on Mother’s Day, referring to it as a *Hallmark Holiday*. Turns out the woman responsible for its “national holiday” status in the states had the same issue. Anna Jarvis, who conceived of Mother’s Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children, eventually fought to get the day repealed after it became a commercialized holiday.Anna was inspired by her mom, Anna Reeves Jarvis, who was responsible for helping soldiers on both sides of the Civil War. Anna Jarvis was neve... more »
Sunday Classics snapshots: "Papa" Monteux, "Petrushka," and fiddlers four
*Monteux conducted Saint-Saëns (!) in the Schumann Concerto* [*from the 80th-birthday interview with Edward Kelly* *included in the set*] *How Monteux came to conduct the premiere of Stravinsky'sPetrushka (and later, of course, The Rite of Spring)* *Monteux conducts the opening of Petrushka* *As we know, he conducted the ballet's premiere with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1911. This excerpt is from the recording he made with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for RCA, Jan. 25-28, 1959.* *by Ken* If we had an actual snapshot to accompany today's musical ones, it would be of m... more »
Hezbollah Suffers Heavy Losses In Recent Battles Against Syrian Rebels
*Times of Israel:* *Senior Hezbollah commander said killed in Syria* *Rebels claim to have slain Marwan Mughniyeh in the Qalamoun region, where regime troops have been making gains* *Marwan Mughniyeh, a senior commander in Hezbollah whose cousin Imad Mughniyeh was allegedly assassinated by Israel, was killed in fierce battles in Syria on Friday, Syrian opposition sources said. * *Mughniyeh was killed in a battle with rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, in the Qalamoun region, northeast of Damascus, the sources said.* *He was reported to have been the comma...more »
MOTUS perfectly sums up Michelle Obama's inflammatory, racist, and narcissistic speech at Tuskegee
*oh - and Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. * I've heard snippets of her address here and there and was shocked at the blatant racism and the I, I, I's. *Because Some Black Lives Matter More Than Others*
Syrian President Assad Is In Trouble
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Richard Fernandez, PJ Media:* *Downfall in Syria* *President Assad is in big trouble.* *One of the constantly repeated themes in recent articles is that the Assad regime in Syria is on the ropes. However, few news items explain why that is and fewer still say what that means. Anne Barnard and her team at the New York Times give a good account of Assad’s dire straits, implying that the survival of the regime is now seriously in doubt. “The Syrian Army has suffered a string of defeats from re-energized insurgents and is struggling to replenish its rank... more »
The Hot Chocolate Band - Give Peace A Chance
https://youtu.be/ULvu8FzEt14 Hot Chocolate's first single on the Apple label, a cover of John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band's Give Peace A Chance.
SupGaleano 'The Crack in the Wall. First Note on Zapatista Method'
The Crack in the Wall. First Note on Zapatista Method May 3, 2015. By SupGaleano Spanish, French and Italian Good afternoon, good day, good night to all listening and reading, no matter your calendars and geographies. My name is Galeano, Subcomandante Insurgente Galeano. I was born in the small hours of the morning on May 25, 2014, collectively and quite in spite of myself, and
Intel Chief's Lawyer Is Now Saying That His Client Forgot About The NSA's Massive Data Sweep Intelligence Program
*The Hill: Attorney*: *Spy chief had 'forgotten' about NSA program when he misled Congress* *Director of National Intelligence Jim Clapper wasn’t lying when he wrongly told Congress in 2013 that the government does not “wittingly” collect information about millions of Americans, according to his top lawyer.* *He just forgot.* *“This was not an untruth or a falsehood. This was just a mistake on his part,” Robert Litt, the general counsel for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said during a panel discussion hosted by the Advisory Committee on Transparency on Fri... more »
Trouble Loading TEPCO cams
For the last week I've often been unable to load the TEPCO cams 1 and 4. I am not sure if the problem is my Internet connection or the cams' feeds. I can load the TBS and Futaba cams. TBS has been offline quite a bit. Today there is a message saying TBS is offline.The Futaba cam is up, displaying a near-full moon over the plant. Today the radiation readings posted on Netc for the Fukushima Daiichi plant are pretty typical and are not elevated. However, the readings at Daiini are elevated. I've been checking Netc readings almost daily for Daiini for the last 2 or 3 weeks and haven't... more »
UKIP’s future: Ridding Britain of Labour per The Commentator
Interesting... 'As Douglas Carswell noted on Sunday: "I think there's a tremendous future for UKIP in displacing the Labour party with a kind of radical popular capitalism."' More here http://www.thecommentator.com/article/5830/ukip_s_future_ridding_britain_of_labour
An Open Call to Musicians to Create Positive Music That Inspires
*Daniel Dowling* - Artists are powerful because of their inherent grasp of emotion and of feeling. Please use this to produce music that inspires and elevates. The post An Open Call to Musicians to Create Positive Music That Inspires appeared first on Waking Times.
Western Allies Skip Russia's Victory Day Celebrations
Soldiers raising the flag of Soviet Union on the roof of Reichstag building in Berlin, May, 1945. Original photograph by Yevgeny Khaldei *Washington Post:* *One thing is missing from Russia’s WWII remembrance — the Allies* *MOSCOW — Russia’s vast celebrations Saturday to mark the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany had nearly everything: 16,000 marching soldiers, medal-bedecked veterans and families carrying photographs of those who died long ago.* *But conspicuously absent from the memorial of the Soviet Union’s joint victory with the West were the leaders of those war... more »
Taiwan Has A Master Plan To Defeat A Chinese Invasion
*Image*: Kinmen lies closer to Fujian Province than to Taiwan. Credit The New York Times *J. Michael Cole, National Interest*: *Taiwan's Master Plan to Defeat China in a War* *China could get more than it bargained for...* *A consensus seems to have developed among a large number of defense analysts in recent years arguing that despite the balance of power having shifted in China’s favor, Beijing has no intention to use its military to invade Taiwan and thus resolve the Taiwan “question” once and for all. Doing so would be too costly, some argue, while others contend that Beijing... more »
"You're the epitome"
There was a very funny exchange on this morning's *Broadcasting House, *where Paddy O'Connell came in for some on-target 'friendly fire' from Clive Anderson: *Paddy O'Connell*: On the subject of the press, the Labour Party is right to say...and its supporters...that the press is biased. That's correct. That's not wrong. The press is, broadly-speaking, anti-Labour. That's a true fact, isn't it? *Sue Cameron*: Well, you should hear some of the Tories on how awful the BBC, for instance... *Paddy O'Connell (interrupting)*: Well, let's do the BBC discussion, and maybe do it tomorrow, ... more »
3 Mind Games of the Spiritual Ego
*Frank Wanderer* - The ego plays games with the spirit. Here are 3 spiritual tricks we sometimes play on ourselves. The post 3 Mind Games of the Spiritual Ego appeared first on Waking Times.
First-past-the-post doesn't work
Fee, Chris and KJ do the maths... SOURCE BBC NEWS SOURCE GUARDIAN: Election result is ‘nail in the coffin’ of first-past-the-post voting system Britain’s’s first-past-the-post voting system has been declared broken and unfit for an era of multiparty politics as analysis of general election figures showed that it had delivered the least proportional result in the country’s history.
‘Let’s kill Israelis’.
“Because of the Holocaust, you can’t say, ‘Let’s kill the Jews’, but you can walk down the road saying, ‘Let’s kill Israelis’. I recently wrote: “I sincerely believe the BBC takes a fierce and firm anti-Israel / pro-Palestinian approach, which I suspect stems from ignorance on the part of BBC management as well as their on-the-spot reporters and foreign correspondents.” A commenter responded: “ If only the BBC slanderous reporting against Israel did stem just from ignorance !!!.” Of course it doesn’t ‘just’ stem from ignorance, but I do still think - aside from some genuine old... more »
A Shopping & Eating Guide to Non-GMO Foods
*Catherine J. Frompovich* - I’ve pulled together as comprehensive a guide as possible from various online sources to take into consideration as many relevant aspects and angles of the Non-GMO/GMO conundrum. The post A Shopping & Eating Guide to Non-GMO Foods appeared first on Waking Times.
The One People Roundtable Discussion- with Gary David & Mel Ve- archive video
Hi everyone! Here is the Archive Video from the One People Roundtable Discussion on May 5th 2015, with Gary David and Mel Ve. We went down several rabbit holes on last weeks show- discussion of Legal language and the control OF "Language" in the courtroom and in our reality in general, the matrix of "AI" and it's controlling aspects, and several different side avenues on top of it all!!! While the beginning of the show might be a bit confusing as we work through the differences of the "words" we attach to various ideas and theories, as we really get into the meat and potatoes o... more »
More US-NATO War Games on Russian Border
An American Army unit training in Latvia has been demonstrating its tank capability. The exercise involved personnel from the 3rd Infantry Division and M1A2 Abrams battle tanks at the Adazi military base just outside Riga. Is Russia over reacting when they complain about US-NATO military expansion right up to their borders? When NATO Commander Gen. Breedlove claims that Russia has invaded Ukraine he is actually trying to reverse the truth and divert the debate away from what is actually happening in the region. In addition aerospace contractor Raytheon reported the US Missile Def... more »
Transpicuous News- May 6th 2015: Video
Here is the Archive Video from The Transpicuous News Midweek Report on May 6th, 2015 Links for May 6 2015 Costa Rica issues alert after ship carrying ammonium nitrate sinks off Pacific coast http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2015/05/03/Costa-Rica-issues-alert-after-ship-carrying-ammonium-nitrate-sinks-off-Pacific-coast/8651430687435/ How-Old.net will guess your age, test your self-esteem http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-old-net-will-guess-your-age-test-your-self-esteem/ Gunmen shot dead outside Dallas conference on Prophet cartoons http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-3... more »
Fred Upton Works Hard For The Money-- Here's How He Repays Big Pharma For Financing His Election Campaigns
Last cycle we spent a lot of time learning about southwest Michigan's 6th Congressional District and the would-be feudal lord who represents it, Fred Upton. Judging from his fundraising patterns, Upton has every intention of running for a 16th term next year. His PAC has $339,754 cash on hand and as Boehner's chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee he has already stuffed his war chest with tens of thousands of dollars. Last cycle his biggest contributors, by far, were from the industries his committee is charged with overseeing. In terms of sectors, his biggest "contrib... more »
7 Simple Stretches for Complete Lower Back Pain Relief
*Images - *Whether you experience stiffness, aches, or spasms, the following stretches will help keep your back fit and strong. The post 7 Simple Stretches for Complete Lower Back Pain Relief appeared first on Waking Times.
Jon Donnison breaks his silence
For some reason the BBC's Sydney correspondent Jon Donnison has seen fit to tweet a link to an article from August 2013 by Cardiff University's Mike Berry (based on a widely-debunked, BBC-funded study). Professor Berry is an academic associated with the far-left Glasgow Media Group - co-author with the GMG's Greg Philo of *Bad News from Israel *and *More Bad News from Israel, *books written from an anti-Israel position and arguing that the BBC has a pro-Israel bias. Wonder what it is that Jon Donnison sees in him? Here's JonDon's tweet, targeted at the *Hate Mail*: BBC has right w...more »
4 Killed In A400M Military Transport Test Flight Crash In Spain
*The Telegraph:* *Military plane crashes during test flight near Seville* *Military plane with six on board crashes during test flight near Seville, killing four and forcing Britain to 'pause' its use of the A400M * *A military plane has crashed near Seville, coming down in a field 15 minutes after take off and bursting into flames, killing four people and leaving the other two passengers seriously injured.* *Spain's air traffic controllers said on their Twitter account that the pilots had communicated just before the impact that a fault was affecting the flight. The impact occu... more »
From Richard Thaler
A great article in today's *NY Times*.
Is This The New World Order?
© Sputnik/ Michael Klimentyev *The Telegraph:** A new world order? Putin and Xi put friendship on display* *Echoes of the past as Moscow's Victory Day parade stirs memories of a previous anti-American alliance * *At first sight, things look very different now. When President Xi Jinping of China took pride of place next to Vladimir Putin of Russia on Saturday, they looked like any other modern world leaders: pragmatic men-in-suits, full of smiles, temporary possessors of power rather than dictators-for-life.* *Back in 1949, when Chairman Mao Tse-tung paid his first visit to Mosco... more »
Untitled
*UK: Pretty Tristy playing games with parental authority* *Tristram Hunt. Isn't he gorgeous?* At the annual conference of the UK’s National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) last week, Tristram Hunt, Labour’s shadow education secretary, criticised parents who do not spend enough time playing with their children. According to Hunt, his conversations with headteachers have taught him that children who are neglected by their parents arrive at school with underdeveloped speaking, listening and motor skills. This form of neglect, he said, has been on the rise over the past decade... more »
Untitled
*Meet Reverend Billy, preacher of the climate apocalypse* *A chronic attention-seeker if ever there was one. It's a motive that drives a lot of those on the Green/Left* “The place where the crucial issues are discussed with the drama they deserve is on the streets.” Reverend Billy Talen is talking about Tahrir Square. He is talking about #blacklivesmatter. He is talking about climate change. With the zeal of a televangelist and the Broadway-infused backing of his Stop Shopping Choir, Talen certainly brings the drama. A performer and activist rather than an ordained minister, he i... more »
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, May 11th, 2015
[image: rant-jpeg-b] Sunday, May 11th 2015, and time again for my usual rant.... Yes, today is Mother's Day... First and foremost I do want to say Happy Mother's Day to all of the great mothers out there and in particular my own of course for putting up with me for all these years.... I found out something the other day that I did not know about Mother's Day.. Supposedly the original Mother's Day was to honor those brave mothers who served wounded soldiers from the American Civil War, and was founded by Anna Jarvis who wanted to honor her own mother, Ann Jarvis, who not only adm... more »
Tony Bragalia and the End of the Roswell Slides
*THE “ROSWELL ALIEN SLIDES”* *AND MY APOLOGY TO A DEAD CHILD OF THE MESA VERDE* *BY ANTHONY BRAGALIA* Several days ago a group of skeptical researchers applied a program called “SmartDeBlur” to the placard found juxtaposed near the being pictured in slides from 1947 thought to be of an extraterrestrial creature found crashed at Roswell. This author championed the slides as those of an alien and this author was wrong. The group of skeptical researchers interpreted the placard as reading “*Mummified Body of Two Year Old Boy. At the time of burial the body was clothed in a xxx-xxx co...more »
"This is a man who looks, doesn't he, very sad this morning"
Well, me and Mrs Rod Liddle may have been cackling with glee on Friday morning, but Radio 4's *Broadcasting House* rightly reminded us of the need to please think of the politicians. Paddy, Lord Hennessey and John Sergeant got out their hankies and encouraged us to commiserate with the poor, vulnerable ex-MPs who were dispossessed of their seats in the general election. Won't somebody please think of Ed Balls! *Paddy O'Connell*: Before you continue, we're here with Lord Adonis, who's not left the studio. This is a man who looks, doesn't he, very sad this morning. There's a human... more »
Changing The Frame
George Lakoff, a Professor of Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley, argues that we all see the world through brain structures he calls frames: Those brain structures are called “frames.” If the facts don’t fit your frames, the frames stay; the facts are ignored, belittled or attacked. The facts alone won’t set you free. All words are defined relative to largely unconscious cognitive frames. Hearing a word activates and strengthens the frame. If I say “Don’t think of an elephant!” you will think of an elephant. Arguing against, or negating, frames just helps the other side. Politici... more »
Rhee and former Union Chief in Memphis to Sell Charters
As I noted in 2011, "after DC voters last year repudiated Fenty and Rhee, one of the first actions by DC teachers was to replace the scheming, ineffectual, and bought union president, George Parker, who had sold out and signed on to the contract crafted by Weingarten and the Broad Team." Parker, in fact, became the first Senior Fellow Whore of Students First. Rhee (teeth bared at right) and Parker were in Memphis last week trying to browbeat parents into supporting the disintegrating Achievement School District, which is the state office in charge of handing out charter contracts... more »
Tax Cut 23: Tax Competition in Asia, Hikes in Europe
This is the continuation of my essay almost eight years ago, *Retreat of High Income Tax Philosophy* (September 19, 2007). Here are the numbers, and notice the significant drop in tax rates from 1980 to 1990, then to 2000, for many countries -- except Hong Kong, which started with low rates. Marked in *blue* are tax cut of at least three percent from 2005 to 2012. Marked in *red* are tax hikes of at least three percent for the same period. Not included in the table above for Asia are four ASEAN countries due to incomplete time series data from 1980 but here are their income tax ra... more »
Researchers from Russia have a 250 Million year old Microchip?
There is nothing I find less trustworthy than age estimates in geology. This is made worse by a natural bias to go long. anyway we do have the photographs and can make several statements. First off, the inclusion must be ceramic typical of devices we ourselves have made in the not too distant past. In fact this was obviously used to wind and thread copper wire. Unless there is something here i do not know, there is scant evidence in the photo of a microchip but plenty of evidence of a pretransister radio component. And i have not made it to the geology yet. Then we have t... more »
Self-styled "World's Most Famous Egyptologist" Zahi Hawass
Zahi has used his political position to dictate what scholarship is allowed on the pyramids and this item shows him at his best. It is so not scholarly that i now suspect any of his credentials. The Orion conjecture is well accepted and his actual ignorance of Gobekli Tepe is unfathomable for an archeologist today. The literature is now full of complaints regarding this chap almost to the point of suspecting he is no more than a poseur operating a license Raj. With the Arab Spring, i had hoped we had seen the back of him but no such luck. No one is of course going to inves... more »
China's Xi Jinping agrees $46bn superhighway to Pakistan
This is obviously a tough build but no more horrible than the original route through the Rocky Mountains for either Canada or the USA. The fact is that they work out wonderfully. China gets access to a port on the Indian Ocean and in time onto the Indian Rail system as well. It is longer than one would like for that but you are not driving a tunnel through Mount Everest yet. Pakistan gets an open market for food stuff into China which is equally important. Better yet it provides the Chinese rail system with a viable destination that will grow traffic. Better yet it becomes... more »
New understanding of electromagnetism could enable 'antennas on a chip'
This is an important technical advance and also powerful in terms of theoretical implications. I suggest though that we rethink all our language here. We argue that the physical electron radiates as into a vacuous. I am not comfortable with that anymore and am inclined to understand the electron passing through an ocean of two dimensional photonic curvature and interacting like an object in water. It is more about the ocean than the electron. There is actually no such thing as a true insulator. We do have wave guides instead. The electron is too sm... more »
Like Lemmings off a Cliff
Canadians who have been taking notice will be aware that C51, the police state law, has past 3rd reading in the house and now goes before the Senate for final reading. It will come as no surprise that the Conservatives *vote en-block for the bill* for even if some of them had actually read the bill and had reservations they dare not vote except as directed by the PMO if they wished to remain in caucus. It is not surprising that the NDP all voted against this deeply flawed bill for it hard to see how any who care about individual freedoms could vote for it, whether or not they were d... more »
Economic News and Views - May 10 , 2015 .... Greece highlights ( Political intrigues - domestic and International , Creditor Talks items ) .... Broader Europe ( Juncker pays back Cameron and UK by pouring cold water on EU Treaties changes , Tories pressure Cameron regarding renegotiation demands ) ..... Asia in focus ( China cuts interest rates for the third time since November , Japan charts of note on Debt to GDP , Odds and Ends )
Tweets..... Europe.... *The Greek Analyst* @GreekAnalyst · 1m1 minute ago #Greece Govt Council has extraordinary meeting right now; #Syriza parl group to have meeting later today. http://news.in.gr/greece/article /?aid=1231406499 … via @in_gr *The Greek Analyst* @GreekAnalyst · 1m1 minute ago The Greek Analyst retweeted The Greek Analyst And here is the ballot box that MinState Flampouraris refers to The Greek Analyst added, *The Greek Analyst* @GreekAnalyst #Greece PM Tsipras drew a ballot box on his personal note-page. Greek media *must* analyze. http://www.lifo.gr/n... more »
Woe, woe and thrice woe!
According to Max Hastings, Cameron stumped the country (and some Tory critics of his election campaign) by repeating a simple message: that only his party can be trusted with the economy. *Much of the media, and especially the BBC, did their utmost to play to Labour's campaign agenda, emphasising the NHS, welfare cuts, the homeless — the predicament of the bottom tenth of society.* But voters showed they recognise that at the heart of all decent government should be the interests and ambitions of the vast majority; the earners and not the spenders. And according to Toby Young, ... more »
How Much Do We Like To Exceptionally Screw Ourselves? (Baltimore Riots Planned) Stalled "Recovering" Economy (The Incredible John Kiriakou)
Not news. But important to say again and again: Eric Holder Exits Without Bringing Libor or Foreign Exchange Charges Against Citigroup or JPMorgan How much do we like to exceptionally screw ourselves? Quite a lot. And it never seems to get old. (Watch Glenn Greenwald's speech on our lost civil liberties on Link TV, Richard D. Wolff on Link TV on the current economics decisions that are
Brazil to Send Inquiry About Russian Pantsir-S1 Missile Systems' Purchase
[image: Pantsir-S1 Missile System]Brazil will send an official inquiry about the potential purchase of the Russian Pantsir-S1 missile system, Brazilian Minister of Defense Jaques Wagner told Sputnik. On Saturday, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said that the waiting list for the purchase of the Pantsir-S1 system is formed until 2019. "I have talked to the Russian ambassador in Brazil, and soon we will send an official inquiry [about Pantsir-S1 purchase] and start negotiations on the price," the Brazilian minister said on Saturday. Read more
South Korea says North Korea Test-Fires 3 Missiles into Sea
South Korean military officials say North Korea has fired three anti-ship cruise missiles into its eastern sea. The firings Saturday come just hours after Pyongyang's state media touted the country's advancing military capabilities by claiming the successful test-firing of a submarine-launched missile. An official from South Korea's Joint Chief of Staff said the missiles were fired within a span of an hour in the early evening from an area near the eastern port city of Wonsan. He identified the missiles as KN-01 missiles, which the North also test-fired in February in an event pers... more »
Is he imagining it?
Am I imagining it, or has the BBC spent the past 2 days talking about what Labour should do rather than about the new, you know, government? — Daniel Hannan (@DanHannanMEP) May 10, 2015 Well, in answer to Dan's question, this morning's *Andrew Marr Show *gave over most of the second half of its programme to discussing Labour's future, interviewing Lord Mandelson and Chuka Umunna (both considered to be from the Blairite wing of the party). Still, there were also interviews with Nicola Sturgeon of the SNP (which Andrew described in advance as his main interview of the morning) and ... more »
New US fighter jet on course to becoming ‘one of history’s biggest white elephants’
[image: RAF F-35 Lightning II]A plane so technologically advanced that it would give Britain and the US air superiority in any future conflict and billed as the world’s most advanced stealth fighter jet, could be one of “the biggest white elephants in history”, according to a former defence minister. And while costs of the F-35 spiral and delays run into years, another commentator has warned that “our skies and seas are vulnerable”. The aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, was designed to replace the Harrier jump-jet, which went out of service in 2011. The UK once envisaged o... more »
Airbus plane crashes near Spain's Seville airport, at least four dead
[image: Airbus A400M]A government official said Saturday that four people on board the A400M Airbus which crashed on Saturday near Seville had died. Andalusia's regional prefect Antonio Sanz, who heads the local administration, told reporters a burnt body had been located amongst the wreckage, bringing the death toll to four. It remains unclear how many people were aboard the aircraft when it came down, with numbers ranging from six to 10. Read more
INS Vikrant Makes Progress at Cochin Shipyard
[image: INS Vikrant]New satellite imagery shows that India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier has made significant progress since it was launched in August 2013, helping India inch towards the goal of a two carrier battle group. Imagery acquired by commercial satellite firm DigitalGlobe in February 2015 shows further assembly on INS Vikrant, a 40,000 ton aircraft carrier and India’s soon-to-be largest vessel once commissioned. Additional ship modules now welded to the hull have enlarged the deck width — measuring almost 60 meters. The erection of the superstructure reported last ... more »
No change in China's military posture toward Taiwan: U.S. report
[image: Hai Lung (Zwaardvis) class SSK]Preparation for a Taiwan conflict with the possibility of U.S. intervention continues to dominate China's military modernization program, according to an annual report on China's military developments released Friday by the U.S. Department of Defense. "Alongside positive public statements about the Taiwan Strait situation from top leaders in China following the re-election of President Ma Ying-jeou in 2012, there have been no signs that China's military posture opposite Taiwan has changed significantly," the report said. It said the Chinese mil... more »
Rolling Stone - ISDA fixing scandal - Libor's Twin Brother
Rolling Stone (god bless 'em) have just published yet another astonishing feature denouncing the 24/7 365 Lord Sandwiches of G3 or Global Gambling Game. Last we heard, it was LIBOR. Then it was PPI. All military-industrial acronyms for technical products within the Industry. The new banking scandal involves something called ISDA or *interest rate swaps*. *The world is a rigged game. We found this out in recent months, when a series of related corruption stories spilled out of the financial sector, suggesting the world's largest banks may be fixing the prices of, well, just about ... more »
Russia Displays Military Might Amid West Snub
Russia has shown off its military might at its annual Victory Day parade in Red Square, which has been boycotted by western leaders amid continuing tensions over Ukraine. The snub by Russia's World War II allies, including Britain and France, left President Vladimir Putin to mark the day with the leaders of China, Cuba, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. And Mr Putin used his parade address at the event marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War to claim the basic principles of international cooperation were increasingly being ignored. Read more
Indian Navy monitoring Chinese & other navies: Admiral RK Dhowan
[image: Type 039A (Yuan) class SSK]Navy chief Admiral R K Dhowan today said the maritime force regularly monitors activities of Chinese and other navies, and sought to play down deployment of submarines in Indian Ocean by the Communist nation. The Navy, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' initiative, has taken lead in manufacturing indigenous warships and submarines, he told reporters. "PLA (People's Liberation Army) Navy has been operating and deploying its assets in the Indian Ocean since 2008 as part of their anti-piracy escort force. Read more
Graphs at a glance: Why are public services so poorly protected by the public they serve?
Just before the 2015 General Election polling day, the Liberal-Democrats suggested the Tories lacked a heart and Labour lacked a brain. The Conservative victory in that election showed when it comes to voting for a national government brain tends to trump heart. Perhaps unfairly: Conservatives are perceived to be heartlessly selfish; Labour are presented as brainlessly altruistic. It is
Croatian paramilitary units kidnap the president of Liberland
*The interpretations of the events below are not meant quite seriously.* The world's newest country, the Libertarian Paradise of Liberland (Google Maps), seven squared kilometers located between the old and new stream of Danube that was defining the border of Croatia and Serbia, is approaching 1 million applicants for citizenship. Incidentally, while the correct interpretation is that the land in between the two streams of Danube was a "country of nobody" before Liberland was established, Croatia tries to claim that it belonged to Croatia and Serbia tries to claim that it belonged t... more »
From the BBC to parliament
As far as I can see, the only former BBC reporter to be newly elected to parliament in the 2015 general election was Clive Lewis in Norwich South, winning the seat for the Labour Party. He used to be the BBC eastern region’s chief political reporter, appearing on BBC Look East and the BBC's Politics Show. Both of the ex-BBC reporters who stood for Plaid Cymru - former BBC producer Marc Jones in Clwyd West and former current affairs producer at BBC Radio Cymru John Rowlands who stood in Ynys Mon (Anglesey) - failed to win their contests, losing to the Conservatives and Labour respe... more »
Annals of War: Mrs. Wharton has her picture taken
*Edith Wharton (1862-1937)* *(No, this isn't the photo in question!)* *by Ken* I don't mean to make light, or at any rate not too light, of these weird and wonderful little story of the great American writer Edith Wharton's, which I couldn't resist sharing. Because the circumstances in which these odd events transpired were anything but light. By chance in the very week that the world took note of the 100th anniversary of the sinking-by- torpedo of the Cunard liner Lusitania, at 2:10pm on Thursday, May 7, 2015, thereby drawing a certain amount of attention to World War I, I happen... more »
Fukushima Update, 5/9/15: “Your Radiation This Week”
*“Your Radiation This Week”* by Bob Nichols (San Francisco) May 8, 2015 – "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* *Listed in Counts per Minute, a Count is One Radioactive Decay Registered by the Instrument. Where noted Partial Counts are listed. *50 CPM is an alert level.* 329 CPM Boston, MA, – Partial Count. 195 CPM New York City, – Partial Count. 447 CPM Raleigh, NC, – Partial Count. 251 CPM ... more »
Translation of the Roswell Slides Placard
I will freely admit when I was told, during a telephone conversation last night (May 8) that two groups, working independently, had come to the same conclusions about the placard near the body, it didn’t overly surprise me. They both said the first line proved it was a mummy of a child. I didn’t disbelieve this claim because to me, it looked like a mummy and I was surprised that Tom and Don would go off on a years’ long search for some answers given the look of the slides. Overnight there have been some questions raised about the legitimacy of the announcement and I have done today ... more »
Pre-Ascension Exercise #4 Erasing Chemtrails for fun....
By American Kabuki May 9, 2015 This one is mostly for fun, and the confidence it builds that you are indeed a being of light. You are a being of energy and part of the infinite intelligence of an infinite loving consciousness of this universe. *Vapor is one of the easiest things for you to manipulate with your energy field.* Its responds to very subtle energies, and physicists use cloud chambers to teach students about atomic particles because they respond to subtle energy. And we've got fleets of thousand of airplanes around the world turning our skies into cloud chambers for... more »
Slow Down Fast Track
Opponents of fast track trade authority from Popular Resistance, Public Citizen, Communication Workers of America and Friends of the Earth rallied on Capitol Hill to welcome Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe as he came to speak to a Joint Session of Congress with a three story tall Trojan Horse. The theme of the protest was ‘No Fast Track for Secret Corporate Trade Deals’. Banners read “No Fast Track for Secret Trojan Treaties” and “Stop the TPP: Transparency Release the Text.” There were also signs in Japanese which said: “U.S. citizens stand in solidarity with Japanese citize... more »
Open Letter to a Young Forest Ecosystem Management Major
* By Bill Neil* I suppose another way to look at this is that the prints have come back from the crime lab, and ours are collectively all over the extinguished species. The best we can plead, I think, is “involuntary species slaughter.” Dear Matt: An environmental friend of mine passed on your letter from the “Gowood Blogspot,” and your worries that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has gone overboard in protecting “nature,” and slighted humans as a consequence. I think it is a good thing we greens to have face tough questions about what we value, and the efficacy of the laws ... more »
"I hope the @thetimes will apologise to the relatives of the recently dead in #Nepal for describing the #UK #election2015 as an earthquake"
Cripes! (or given the recent success of the SNP maybe that should be 'Crivens!'). Whether it's down to Murdochophobia or merely BBC prissiness, here's one heck of a bizarre tweet from BBC old-timer Hugh Sykes: I hope the @thetimes will apologise to the relatives of the recently dead in #Nepal for describing the #UK #election2015 as an earthquake. — HughSykes (@HughSykes) May 9, 2015 At least Hugh is willing to engage with his critics (i.e. *B-BBC's *irresistible force, DB): DB @4d2b DB retweeted HughSykes *WTF? * HughSykes @HughSykes @4d2b *lazy insensitive metaphorising - di... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Rancho Cordova, California, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Pre-Ascension Exercise #3 The Heart Love Vortex
By American Kabuki May 9, 2015 This exercise is one of the first I learned. It was originally taught to me by GW Hardin in 2012 when I was compiling the stats on banker resignations worldwide. I was noticing some really strange and unsettling energies at that time, and came down with a very mysterious illness that landed me in the hospital in June of 2012. GW Hardin told me to visualize a vortex coming from my heart. And whenever I felt an energy that was very uncomfortable, I was told to visualize the vortex and some event, emotion or a pet or whatever that evoked a strong emot... more »
"A Sense of Humor..."
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he isn't. A sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is." - Horace Walpole "I can imagine no more comfortable frame of mind for the conduct of life than a humorous resignation." - W. Somerset Maugham And the subject of the graphic? Well, that's another story entirely... lol - CP
Humor: “Cockatoo Finding Out He Is Going To The Vet”
*Humor: “Cockatoo Finding Out He Is Going To The Vet”* by angeleyedboidan "Max knows when he sees his carrier that it's a visit to the vet and gets pretty vocal about it. Max is saying his own words that only he understands for the most part. The only things I know he is saying is "I don't wanna" and "What did I say." He is actually a very happy and loving bird, but like any kid, he needs to express himself every now and then. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=119&v=5UUjJysUMTw
OMG, it's Friday the 13th on a Wednesday, and Postcard Thursday on a Friday!
*Ernest Flagg's late, lamented Singer Building(No, the loss wasn't recent, but you see --)* *by Ken* Maybe you had to grow up with *Pogo* -- at best half-understanding it, at that -- to have a proper horror of this week's upcoming Friday the 13th fallling on a Wednesday. Compared with that, Postcard Thursday happening on a Friday is like a walk in the park. As a fan of Postcard Thursday, when it happened this week, I just took it as sweet gratification stretched out a day. Isn't it good to have to, you know, wait for stuff? (That's what I was told, though maybe not in those exact... more »
Mocking Galloway, and Lyse Doucet
Aww! And talking of *Dead Ringers,* their post-election special made me laugh quite a lot. They were fairly even in their spread of targets, though the harshest satirical barbs inevitably went against the Conservatives and UKIP. (This is a BBC comedy show after all). And their closing number was clearly a little bit sad about poor Ed. (It even got an 'aww!' from the BBC audience). Still, here are some of my highlights (i.e. the bits that satirised targets I enjoyed being targeted): ***** *Jim Naughtie*: It's the morning after the election and two things are now clear: David Cam... more »
Confessions of a euphoric blogger
Maybe it's because I was so swept up by a feeling of euphoria on Thursday night/Friday morning but I completely failed to spot what many in the 'BBC bias blogosphere' spotted - that the BBC was in complete mourning for Labour and the Lib Dems and in deep depression about the Conservative victory. I just didn't see any of that as I was watching and listening. In fact, I remember thinking they were all doing a reasonable job at disguising whatever feelings they had. I did think though that they were all looking increasingly tired as the night went on - except for Andrew Neil, who ... more »
Pre-Ascension Exercise #2Connecting to Universal YOU via the Double Vortex
By American Kabuki May 9, 2015 DO THIS EXERCISE FROM A STATE OF PURE LOVE ENERGY... This next exercise is useful for getting a glimpse of your Higher or perhaps Highest aspect of SELF... The true YOU, most of which is not currently residing in full in your body. Until you see it, you don't know what you don't know right? Again this one was suggested to me by Heather. The goal here is to raise the body vibration so that you can get a glimpse of what is in store for you. Its more than you ever thought. It's my belief the veil on consciousness is pretty much gone... but we have a numb... more »
My sorta Jewish Lawyer advises me aboot the top ten reasons I am not a Jewish lawyer
1)Drugs and alcool. This is a hazard but you have survied that critical period of being stoned and drunk for years. 2) Got nothing to say really thats revelvant in this universe. No you are fully engaged saving internet orphans and babies daily. 3)Hate my profession because its soul sucking, See number two 4) I am really fucking smart and have money and I seek no more. In this case your like me in one and three. 5) People do not understand me when I talk smart, and talking stupid is so much work. 6)Pioneers or change advocats get major arrows, its like Vikings when they went... more »
Pre-Ascension Exercise #1 LEARNING TO FEEL THE ENERGIES....
By American Kabuki May 9, 2015 I thought I'd post some exercises I have been playing with over the past few months. They are relatively simple compared to the post I made about "*spinning the light*" in someone to raise their level of light coming from Source. The first one is one given to me by Heather Tucci-Jarraf... which simple involves laying down somewhere comfortable and quiet where you won't be disturbed. You might want to meditate and clear your mind of distractions. If your mind is really distracted just sit down at a table, write down your worst concerns in little she... more »
I want a lambo so bad I will leave my comfort zone filled with entiltlemt potholes
I never had a seventh birthday the age of majority in your calander i was stuck at sixteen' for me it meant freedom in this world i could drive a car and wander far and star in my own life from different locations and then come back home without additional support when it was time to sleep Age of majority means nothing when there is no real law its all a side screen for pretending that adolescents are going to be well behaved because we legislated that there is a fucking law against that child if you can not listen to me listen to the government they are shopping at my store and your ... more »
May 9: "Knives, sharp objects regularly seized at Moncton courthouse"
So bloody what? At an airport, my tiny penknife with its two inch blade was seized so that I couldn't use it to take control of an aircraft with with a hundred and fifty passengers, murder them all, and crash the plane into the new Shediac trailer park. Such knives are seized at the courthouse where they also seize scissors and butter knives and nail files. All of that is reasonable enough. But it's scarcely cause for a panic. And I read that bottle openers and corkscrews are routinely seized, too. But I can't remember the last time a judge was corkscrewed to death during a trial. ... more »
Tribes Disrespected by Federal and State Officials in Grizzly Fight
Tribes Disrespected by Federal and State Officials in Grizzly Fight “They literally pulled the plug on me and escorted me out,” recounts Walks Along, who described feeling threatened during the incident." James Walks Along By Sara Atiqtalik Censored News CODY, WY. 05-08-2015 -- James Walks Along was forced to abandon an address to the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee (YES) of the
So, the NSA Has an Actual 'Skynet' Program...And 'MonsterMind'”
“*So, the NSA Has an Actual 'Skynet' Program... And 'MonsterMind'”* U.S. Government Designated Prominent Al Jazeera Journalist As “Member Of Al Qaeda” by Cora Currierr, Glenn Greenwald, and Andrew Fishman and Kim Zetter “We’ve suspected it all along- that 'Skynet', the massive program that brings about world destruction in the 'Terminator' movies, was just a fictionalization of a real program in the hands of the US government. And now it’s confirmed- at least in name. The NSA does have a program called Skynet. But unlike the autonomous, self-aware computerized defense system in Term... more »
Syria: Chemical Weapon meme rerun as US readies airstrikes supporting ISIS etc
Flashback: US Begins to Train & Equip "Syrian" fighters in Jordan There are no moderate Syrian rebels- There are multiple brands of NATO/Israeli backed fighters. Including ISIS. AQ. Al Nusra. As previously mentioned the US is 'training' these killers and will use air power to support them. Covering all bases the US is recirculating the already implanted meme regarding chemicals weapons US air support for terrorists: "they are likely to run up against a myriad of forces, including those of the Syrian government" "Once they return, (*to Syria*) Washington will defend the forces" "... more »
32 Photos Of The U.S. Marines Through History
U.S. Marine Corps photo *Business Insider*: *32 powerful pictures of the US Marines through history* *The Marine Corps has served a role in every conflict in the history of the United States.* *That is because the Marines operate on sea, air, and land — unlike the other services — and can respond to a crisis in under 24 hours with the full force of a modern military.* *Earlier this week President Barack Obama nominated Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr. to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the second Marine to ever hold the highest leadership position in the a... more »
Is The Russian Military Undergoing A Purge?
Russian president Vladimir Putin speaks during a ceremony to award WWII veterans in honor of the upcoming 70th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow, February 20, 2015. *Business Insider:* *Putin just dismissed nearly 20 generals* *Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed nearly 20 generals just a day before Moscow was set to host a Victory Day parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, RIA Novosti reports. * *The generals were dismissed by a presidential decree. Among those let go was the lieutenant general of police, Ser... more »
Fear, Loathing, and the UK General Election
We now know what happened, but *why* did it happen? How was it that an election campaign characterised by two different approaches, one upbeat, one defeated-looking; one that had momentum and enthusiasm and the other little more than desperate personal attacks, climaxed as it did? The result, which was unexpectedly very bad for Labour, is going to be scrutinised and analysed for years to come. But over the coming months dominant narratives about what happened will emerge in labour movement circles, and the story we tell about the shock catastrophe of 2015 will heavily condition the... more »
Lindsey Graham Says The GOP Will Lose Without Minority Voters
Putative GOP 2016 hopeful/South Carolina closet queen Lindsey Graham told *USAToday*'s "Capital Download" that his party will lose the 2016 presidential election because of their agenda towards minorities. “We’ll lose... I mean, we’ve got a big hole we’ve dug with Hispanics. We’ve gone from 44 percent of the Hispanic vote [in the 2004 presidential election] to 27 percent [in 2012]. You’ll never convince me ... it’s not because of the immigration debate... If I were the president of the United States, I would veto any bill that did not have a pathway to citizenship. You would have a... more »
Untitled
*Mayor calls for changes on Library Foundation, president resigns after WWL-TV report*
Musings On Iraq In The News
My interview with Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi on the changes in the Iraqi insurgency was reposted by the Rubin Center.
U.S. Air Force Threatens To Mouthball F-16s To Keep The A-10 Flying
File photo. (REUTERS/Staff Sgt. Jason Robertson/U.S. Air Force/Handout via Reuters) *FOX News/Military.com: **Air Force mulls mothballing F-16s if Congress blocks A-10 retirement* *The House Armed Services Committee inserted $683 million into the 2016 defense bill to stop the Air Force from retiring the A-10 Warthog.* *However, Air Force leaders said the service will have to mothball F-16s and delay the deployment of the F-35 in response to the move by the committee.* *Service leaders have said for years the Air Force can no longer afford the A-10. The service said it needs to de... more »
MY LIVING WILL / UPDATED
*Allen L Roland at 81 * *Since I’m approaching 82 and partially disabled with a military service related condition, it’s time to update my Living Will along with a promise ~ inspired of course by the irrepressible Paul Rudnick of the New Yorker: Allen L Roland, Ph.D* *"Me and Merle were talking, ain't many of us left ~ We were chuckling about that. Where'd everybody go? The fact he and I are still here is probably a miracle in itself"*~ *Willie Nelson (age 82) speaking of **his friend **Merle Haggard* *Those of you who have not read the New Yorker’s Paul Rudnick... more »
On the CNBC Interview of Gates, Munger, and Buffett about Education.
http://t.co/NWGCHBceSd [image: kevin rudd hard to be humble]What if all schools were public and integrated racially and economically? Three people are interviewed. Two come off as fools. Only Buffett speaks about a hard truth. Bill Gates sounded foolish. He said NYC and Chicago have had superior results because of Mayoral takeovers. He obviously doesn’t see the facts. He thinks public schools must use charters’ “best practices.” Such drivel. All schools can learn form others best practices…We have been doing that for a century. More from Gates: This is most difficult area in... more »
Is The Islamic State The Most Successful Terrorist Brand Ever?
*CNN:* *ISIS: The most successful terrorist brand ever?* *Like moths to a flame, a growing number of people around the world have been drawn to the terrorist organization ISIS.* *The al Qaeda splinter group is trying to create an Islamic state on territory it controls in Syria and Iraq. But its reach goes much further.* *This week's attack in Texas is the latest reminder of how the group inspires an international following using a unique mix of propaganda, social media, Hollywood techniques, and branding strategies more commonly associated with the corporate world.* *ISIS gene... more »
North Korea Claims To Have Successfully Test-Fired An Underwater Ballistic Missile
*USA Today:* *North Korea tests submarine ballistic missile* *Under the watchful eyes of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea says it has conducted an underwater test-firing of a submarine ballistic missile, the Korean Central News Agency reported Saturday.* *The test "proved and confirmed that the ballistic missile fire from the submarine fully met the requirements of the latest military science and technology," KCNA said.* *The North's state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper published photos of a projectile rising from the surface and Kim smiling from a distance at what loo... more »
North Korea Threatens Targeted Strikes Against South Korea's Navy
*The Guardian*:* North Korea threatens strikes on South's navy in sea dispute* *Military command says South Korean ships have been violating North’s territorial waters off west coast in dispute that has previously resulted in deadly clashes* *North Korea’s military has warned of “unannounced targeted strikes” against South Korea’s navy – accusing the South of violating its territorial waters off the peninsula’s west coast, the scene of deadly naval clashes in the past.* *Pyongyang’s warning comes during the annual crab fishing season, which runs until June in the waters off th... more »
How the U.S. didn't liberate Prague 70 years ago
Seventy years ago, Prague was liberated by the regular Soviet army led by Ivan Konev – and also by the anti-Bolshevik Russian general Andrey Vlasov (who was previously captured and whose troops were temporarily changed into units of the German army). Because the continuing control of German units over my homeland after the official capitulation seems like too "big a detail" to be neglected, I still consider May 9th (and not May 8th) to be the end of Second World War in Europe. Moscow saw a huge military parade today. Czech president Zeman and Slovak PM Fico didn't attend the parad... more »
Supplemental: Why our discourse is a mess!
*SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015A tale of two ranking professors:* Professor Krugman wrote an important column in yesterday’s New York Times. Don’t get us wrong! He’s written the column a hundred times. No one in the national press corps pays a lick of attention. Despite this unfortunate state of affairs, the column is sane and important. It helps explain the shape of our floundering culture. In this morning’s Washington Post, Professor Lessig writes a different type of column. In fairness, his column treats important topics, as Krugman’s does. That said: If Lessig was a graduate studen... more »
The Growing Problem Of Fraud In The U.S. Military
Over 3,000 American have been killed protecting fuel convoys, so the Pentagon has a strategy to get serious about efficiency. *CNN* *Julia Harte, Slate: **The Fraud of War* *U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have stolen tens of millions through bribery, theft, and rigged contracts.U.S. Army Specialist Stephanie Charboneau sat at the center of a complex trucking network in Forward Operating Base Fenty near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border that distributed daily tens of thousands of gallons of what troops called “liquid gold”: the refined petroleum that fueled the internationa... more »
Ted Strickland: "The Times They Are A-Changin'"
Bob Dylan wrote "The Times They Are A-Changin'" in 1963 and it was the title track for his 1964 album release. The impact and influence of the song is probably unprecedented-- or at least was when I was growing up in the 1960s. Ohio Senate candidate and former Governor Ted Strickland is less than a decade older than I am but the '60s was still part of his growing to maturity era. he was studying history at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky when Dylan was writing it and he received his Master of Divinity from the Asbury Theological Seminary in 1967, when Dylan and his music-- pa... more »
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U.S. blames Houthi battlefield moves for renewed Saudi strikes | Reuters(firstpost.com)
many of the Houthis's weapons were manufactured in Europe and the United States in the first place(angryarab.blogspot.com)
U.S. Asks Iran To Help Bring Yemeni Parties Into Talks(jpupdates.com)
Houthis accept five-day truce in Yemen proposed by Saudi Arabia(theiranproject.com)
Arrival of more US warships off Yemen tightens 'siege'-Houthis(uk.reuters.com)
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