Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Waikiki-Strand auf Oahu/Hawaii (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Aerial of Waikiki and Ala Moana, Honolulu, Hawaii (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Waikiki Beach, Ohau, Hawaii, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
My Feedly! May 1
The Spirit of Things10:34pm MDSDT
The 1st PRPX, May 2007 in Hawaii, Photos
I just discovered these photos in my old emails, during the 1st Pacific Rim Policy Exchange (PRPX) held in Sheraton Waikiki, Hawaii, May 2007. It was mainly sponsored by the Americans for Tax Reforms (ATR), and co-sponsored by the Property Rights Alliance (PRA, USA), Grassroot Institute Hawaii (GIH), International Policy Network (IPN, UK), Lion Rock Institute (LRI, HK) and another Tokyo-based Institute. The original photos and folders I lost when my USB was damaged. I was one of the panel speakers there, I talked about privatization. See my presentation there. Below with Martin K... more »
Review - Good Earth Beauty
I love Eco-friendly beauty and body-care products! While I take it as my personal responsibility to research both products and companies, I will admit that completing "due diligence" takes a considerable amount of time and effort. So I was thrilled when I was introduced to *Good Earth Beauty*, a company which does all the "leg work" for us. Karen Ostrach, the founder of *Good Earth Beauty*, became concerned about body care products when her daughter, at age 10, suffered an especially bad case of eczema. As Karen researched, she was shocked at the ingredients in most commercial items... more »
The most exciting UK election in ages? But who on earth to vote FOR???
In this most confusing of exciting UK elections (or vice versa), Liberty Scott does his now-patented running-the-rule over who you might want to vote for in the UK elections, if you were in the UK and wanted to leave the house to vote for liberty and freedom. (And unlike me, Scott is someone who *likes* to vote.) It looks like your chances in that regard are not good. But how about even trying to *understand* the whole bugger’s muddle … - *Most exciting UK election in ages? In one sense... (Part One)* That's the line being taken by the UK media, of course every election is ... more »
After Two Days Of Talks, Taliban And Afghan Officials Have Failed To Agree To A Ceasefire
*Reuters*: *Taliban, Afghan figures talk ceasefire but fail to agree* *(Reuters) - Taliban representatives met with Afghan political figures for a second day in Qatar on Sunday, and one participant said the two sides discussed a possible ceasefire but ultimately disagreed over the continued presence of U.S. troops in the country.* *The closed-door talks hosted by Qatar's foreign ministry represent a tentative sign of life in the effort to end the devastating 13-year-old war in Afghanistan.* *The informal talks came as fighting escalated after the withdrawal of most U.S. and all... more »
Is Kazakhstan's Russian Minority About To Revolt?
*Washington Post:* *In Kazakhstan, fears of becoming the next Ukraine* *ASTANA, Kazakhstan —A volatile mix building in Kazakhstan contains the same ingredients that ignited in Ukraine: a Russian minority that says it fears being under siege, rising anti-Russian nationalist sentiment and pressure on the Russian language.* *Last year, Russia used that explosive combination as a pretext to annex Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. Now, many here in this city on the steppe fear that Kazakhstan’s presidential election last Sunday may have been the last peaceful one the former Soviet republic... more »
Ukraine Sues Russian Gas Giant Gazprom For $16 Billion
*Reuters:* *Ukraine seeks more than $16 bln from Gazprom in pricing dispute* *Ukraine is seeking more than $16 billion from Russia's Gazprom in its appeal to an arbitration court in Stockholm over a long-running gas pricing dispute between Kiev and Moscow, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said on Friday.Ukraine's state gas business Naftogaz and Russia's Gazprom are bound by a 10-year gas agreement signed in 2009. Kiev is challenging the price of Russian gas, and billions of dollars in debts which Russia says have accrued, and appealing to international arbitrators for a definiti... more »
Ukraine War News Updates -- May 3, 2015
*Deutsche Welle:** Fighting intensifies in eastern Ukraine despite ceasefire* *Eastern Ukraine has witnessed the worst clashes since the Minsk ceasefire deal was brokered in February. European observers continue to call for peace amid ceasefire violations by both parties. A Ukrainian soldier was killed and six others wounded over the last 24 hours," Andy Lysinko, Ukraine's military spokesman, said at a news briefing on Sunday.Lysneko added that the rebels used large-caliber artillery in violation of the Minsk protocol.The shelling of Donetsk, considered the separatists' ce... more »
Guest Post: Coach Randy Explains How The New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill Of Rights Failed His Son
*Coach Randy is Randy Nathan, president of Project NextGen and author of Bullying In Sports: A Guide To Identifying The Injuries We Don't See. Randy agreed to write a guest post for us today that gets right down into the roots of what bullying is all about. And he doesn't stop there.* The “Garden” State of New Jersey is known for many wonderful things. Whether it’s the famous beach communities, an exceptional public educational system, or the home to famous athletes, entertainers, business leaders, and politicians, New Jersey has something for every walk of life. However, a littl... more »
Mexico's Drug Cartel War Is Heating Up
*Wall Street Journal:* *Rise of Drug Cartel Brings Wave of Mexican Violence* *Army hunts for three missing soldiers in Jalisco since helicopter was shot down on FridayMEXICO CITY—A weekend of coordinated violence convulsed Mexico’s second-largest city and a famed beach resort town in the latest sign of the emergence of a powerful and aggressive drug cartel.Soldiers and police in Jalisco state searched on Sunday for three soldiers who have been missing since gunmen presumed to belong to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel shot down a Mexican army helicopter on Friday, killing... more »
Economy Crapped Out? (Already In Recession?) Buzzed by Bernie! (Killed by Police - Six Baltimore Police Officers Criminally Charged) Judy Miller Tells More Tales
As indicated by (April 30)’s ghastly GDP data, Obama not only shot himself in the foot, he might have blown off his whole leg. Aside from the colossal growth in private inventories – which will be a drag on future growth – todays report was nothing short of a disaster. First off: The economy is in the shitter. Consumers aren’t spending because the crap-ass jobs they landed after the crisis
Russian President Putin Discusses His Parents' World War II Experience
Vladimir Putin and his parents. © Photo: putin.kremlin.ru *Moscow Times:* *Putin Opens Up About Parents' World War II Experience* *Russia's President Vladimir Putin has written a magazine column about his parents' struggles and hardships during World War II, but said they did not hate Nazi Germans — unlike his own generation that did.* *"There wasn't a family who didn't lose someone [during the war]. But they was no hatred toward the enemy, and that's what was amazing" Putin said of his parents in a column published Thursday in Russian Pioneer magazine.* *The Russian leader singled... more »
Russia signs up to $100 bn BRICS fund to rival IMF
[image: AFP] May 2, 2015 [image: Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured in Moscow on May 1, 2015, ratified an accord to set up a $100-billion reserve fund for the so-called BRICS] . Moscow (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin ratified an accord Saturday to set up a $100-billion reserve fund for the so-called BRICS -- the five leading emerging economies that include Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa. Moscow is expected to contribute $18 billion to the reserve, well behind the $41 billion China has promised to pour into the fund that was set up after an a... more »
Is The New World Order Dying? 10 Recent Headlines Offer Hope
Activist PostSunday, May 3, 2015 By Bernie Suarez We know the saying, you either see a glass half empty or half full. Your attitude, mindset and expectations guide your perceptions which in turn will guide your stated views and opinions of the world you live in. That said, depending on how you view the world one might make an argument for why the new world order is slowly dying out. Perhaps I'm being overly optimistic or perhaps my intuition is correct on this one. One thing I strongly believe: humanity is not designed to live in false government paradigms of slavery and statism. ... more »
Dachau Concentration Camp Was Liberated 70 Years Ago
*Reuters*: *Merkel says Germans can never forget death camp horrors* *DACHAU, Germany (Reuters) - Germans will never forget the "unfathomable horrors" that the Nazis inflicted at the death camps, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday at a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp near Munich.* *In a moving speech to 120 elderly survivors from 20 nations and six U.S. soldiers who helped liberate the camp, Merkel said Dachau and other death camps freed near the end of World War Two stand as eternal reminders of the Nazi regime's brut...more »
Abolish Income Tax 10: Presentation in March 2007
This is the paper I presented in forum on “In Search of a National Consensus”, sponsored by the Barangay San Lorenzo Business Association (BSLBA) Makati, at My Cinema, Greenbelt 3, Makati City, March 30, 2007. The six other speakers that day were (1) Bjorn Tarras-Wahlberg, Sec. Gen. of the World Taxpayers Association (WTA), (2) Dr. Dennis Gonzales of Ateneo de Manila University, (3) Dr. Rolando Dy of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), (4) Dr. Rene Azurin of the University of the Philippines (UP), (5) Mr. Billy Esposo, columnist at the Philippine Star, and (6) Mr. Berni... more »
George Orwell on the *real* political spectrum
[Pic by Jim Rose. Quote from a letter to Malcolm Muggeridge (4 December 1948), quoted in *Malcolm Muggeridge: A Life* (1980) by Ian Hunter. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Seeing your mail service getting worse? It's probably going to get worse still
*by Ken* Maybe there's one of you out there who hasn't been part of the dramatic exodus from the U.S. Postal Service which has wrought havoc on its already-precarious finances. But I know I just don't send out very much mail. The major part of my outgoing mail in years gone past was bills being paid, and nowadays I pay most of my bills online. It's just easier. But every now and then I do have to mail something -- usually locally, as I think about it, which kind of surprises me. And every then I depend on receiving something, again usually locally, from someplace else in Manhatta... more »
Taking it to the Streets in Kiev
Thousands rally in Kiev, Ukraine commemorating victims of Odessa massacre last year and those recently killed 'eliminated' by the corrupt 'government' in Kiev. The US-NATO backed Kiev regime reported arrested the organizers of this event after it was over.
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Recognized since antiquity and depicted on the shield of Achilles according to Homer, stars of the Hyades cluster form the head of the constellation Taurus the Bull. Their general V-shape is anchored by Aldebaran, the eye of the Bull and by far the constellation's brightest star. *Click image for larger size.* Yellowish in appearance, red giant Aldebaran is not a Hyades cluster member, though. Modern astronomy puts the Hyades cluster 151 light-years away making it the nearest established open star cluster, while Aldebaran lies at less than half that distance, along the same line-of... more »
Chet Raymo, "Tenderness and Silence"
*"Tenderness and Silence"* by Chet Raymo “It's been a long, long time since I read “Justine”, the first volume in Lawrence Durrell's “Alexandrian Quartet”, but one phrase sticks in my mind. As I recall, Justine, the woman with whom the narrator is having an affair, is questioning him as to why he doesn't take seriously their friends' philosophical conversations. You always sit there smiling, she chides, or something to that effect. He tells her that *anyone who takes really seriously the inextricable tangle of human thought can only respond with "ironic tenderness and silence."* ... more »
Of all the members of the European Union, Germany may be suffering the most due to Washington's demand to sanction Russia, even though there is no evidence that Russia has subverted Ukraine or even has a military presence there. Yet German Chancellor Merkel chooses illogically to castigate Russia. Why would she do such a thing? Well, it is begining to appear that Merkel has become a bought off operative of the US Government.
------------------------------ *Is Merkel a CIA Asset?* *By Finian Cunningham * April 30, 2015 "Information Clearing House" - "Sputnik" -* The claims that Merkel’s government knew about German state intelligence spying on behalf of the Americans against the country's own industrial interests raise disturbing questions about the integrity of German government leaders.* The apparent betrayal of German national interests by Chancellor Angela Merkel is not only evident over the recent industrial spying scandal on behalf of America. The slavish pursuit by Merkel of Washington's anti-Ru... more »
“Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war, and millions have been killed because of this obedience.” Howard Zinn
------------------------------ *WASHINGTON IS A GREAT DANGER TO THE WORLD * ------------------------------ May 2, 2015 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter WASHINGTON IS A GREAT DANGER TO THE WORLD Guest column by Dana Visalli “Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war, and millions have been killed because of this obedience.” Howard Zinn “If ... more »
Bill English: Oh lord, give me surplus. But not yet.
Being a good Catholic, Bill English should be familiar with St Augustine’s famous prayer as a young man: “Oh Lord … give me chastity and continence, but not yet.” In fact, he may not just be familiar with it: he may have adopted it as his own prayer regarding the ever-disappearing surplus – ever-receding in a manner akin to Augustine’s elusive chastity. They both have excuses but -- like the young hedonistic Augustine -- English is none too resistant to temptation. In his case, the temptation to spend and for that spending to continue to grow*. And, like Augustine, English cont... more »
Untitled
*Resident pros: Saints are not rebuilding - they are reloading! ~WWL*
The Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke, "Ninth Duino Elegy"
*"Ninth Duino Elegy"* "Praise the world to the angel: leave the unsayable aside. Your exalted feelings do not move him. In the universe, where he feels feelings, you are a beginner. Therefore show him what is ordinary, what has been shaped from generation to generation, shaped by hand and eye. Tell him of things. He will stand still in astonishment, the way you stood by the ropemaker in Rome or beside the potter on the Nile. Show him how happy a thing can be, how innocent and ours, how even a lament takes pure form, serves as a thing, dies as a thing, while the violin, blessing it, fade... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Lawton, Oklahoma, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
“What Will the Universe Look Like In A Trillion Years?”
*“What Will the Universe Look Like In A Trillion Years?*” by Ray Villard "A trillion years from now the universe will be a much simpler place for far-future astronomers to ponder. One trillion years? Yes, when the universe is 100 times its presents age the only stars left will be the ones that are the longest burning: red dwarfs. New star formation will have died out eons earlier, so there will be no iridescent nebulae, supernova blasts, or blue giant stars like Rigel in the constellation Orion. Our Milky Way will have lost its identity long ago through merging with the Andromeda g... more »
"As Fragile As A Thought..."
"The unreal is more powerful than the real. Because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it. Because its only intangible ideas, concepts, beliefs, fantasies that last. Stone crumbles. Wood rots. People, well, they die. But things as fragile as a thought, a dream, a legend, they can go on and on. If you can change the way people think, the way they see themselves, the way they see the world, you can change the way people live their lives. That's the only lasting thing you can create." - Chuck Palahniuk
Quote of the day: On producing the antibodies that ward off socialism
“[Classical] liberalism is not a simple political choice. It is a way of life. Businesses are the lifeblood of a [classical] liberal economy, but they are much more than that. They also produce the antibodies that help entrepreneurs ward off socialism and other forms of political predation. CEOs who abandon that role — by, for example, promoting their environmental awareness rather than their role in providing jobs and the goods and services that people want and need — have fallen into a trap where their actual economic function is seen as secondary to whatever external costs the... more »
How Britain’s papers should have looked this morning
[Hat tip Andrew Bates] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
For the sake of completeness...
Back to election matters.... So how did today's *Andrew Marr Show *pan out? Well, there were no celebs and no musicians this week, only politicians and political pundits. The pundits reviewing the papers were Gaby Hinsliff of *The Guardian *and Matthew Parris of *The Times. *Andrew Marr made a point of pointing out that Matthew is a former Conservative MP. (I suspect that was because there was no Conservative politician up for interview on this final pre-election edition of the programme.) The three interviewees were Yvette Cooper for Labour, Nigel Farage for UKIP and Nick ... more »
15 Years Of Stimulus—–Nothing To Show
David Stockman summarises the results of 15 years of Keynesian stimulus in the U.S. … At this point 15 years ought to count for something. After all, we have now used up one-seventh of this century. So you can’t say its too early to tell what’s going on or to identify the underlying trends. Indeed, during that span we have encompassed several business cycles, two financial crises/meltdowns and nearly a non-stop blitz of “extraordinary” policy interventions. To wit, a $700 billion TARP, an $800 billion fiscal stimulus, upwards of $4.0 trillion of money printing and 165 months out o... more »
California Parent Shares Excellent Opt Out Information
Link Liberty is the freedom to exercise our constitutional rights and not be bullied. State assessments are voluntary. In California, the right to opt out of standardized testing is a parental right guaranteed by Ed. Code 60615 which says, “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a parent’s or guardian’s written request to school officials to excuse his or her child from any or all part of the assessments administered pursuant to this chapter shall be granted.” State tests are mandatory for districts to administer but optional for students to take (with a parent opt-out). Why ... more »
"How It Really Is, And Was"
Billy Joel, “Goodnight Saigon”
Rightwing Nuthouse: "6 Incredibly Demented Right-Wing Moments this Week: Scalia's Sick Joke Edition"
*"6 Incredibly Demented Right-Wing Moments this Week:* * Scalia's Sick Joke Edition"* Can't Fox news ever give the hate a break? By Janet Allon *"1. Scalia’s deeply sickening same-sex marriage joke. *The same-sex marriage case that was presented to the Supreme Court this week drew the expected cohort of fanatical Christians and other lunatics who have nothing better to do with their time but make sure that people they perceive to be different from them are as miserable as possible. But that was not the problem. The problem is that one of these ignorant haters sits on the Supreme Co... more »
What is man?
[Pic by Justin Templer] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Making Sense of the EdStone
When you didn't think the election could get weirder, it takes an even more bizarre turn - and it's the red team that are at the centre of it. In case you've been doing something positive with your Sunday, such as knocking on doors, the media blizzard surrounding Labour's latest stunt may have passed you by. This morning, Ed Miliband literally set the party's six key promises in stone - by unveiling a policy monolith. Yes, a eight foot tall slab of rock was commissioned, and is set to be installed in the Downing Street garden should Labour make it over the finish line on Thursday. A... more »
Ukie lawmaker hails the massacre/anniversary at Odessa
I'm putting a video at the end. It's an 18+ video because of the violence. Why, include this video? Because this horrific tragedy is being hailed by an alleged lawmaker. The lawmaker is applauding and glorifying law breaking, the intentional murder of well over 40 human beings- And the injuries of hundreds more- This lawmaker is obviously a psychopath. *I take this an admission/acknowledgment and approval of the brutal killings that took place in Odessa just one year ago-* *Sputnik* May 2 marks the one year anniversary of the Odessa Massacre that claimed the lives of 48 people, burn... more »
Fictional: "Stumbling into Wider War" vs Factual: The Planned Wider War
*The NYT's oped is presenting pure nonsense in spreading this 'stumble towards' war meme.* The so called *wider war was planned years ago*.* That much has been plainly obvious-* Keep in mind that *ISIS/L is the pretext *for this planned wider war I'll highlight the interesting bits, inc targets and then you all tell me what comes to mind? * It should come as no surprise that the United States and its coalition partners are discussing widening the war against the Islamic State* beyond the borders of Iraq and Syria. *Wider wars have become almost habitual in recent years, as military ... more »
Q: Who Killed FDR? A: Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler.
*Yalta, Crimea, Soviet Union, 1945.Trouble Brewing.* *"Roosevelt was a man of dangerous moral character" * *Winston Churchill* *"Churchill has been a Fascist for 30 years!"* *Elanor Roosevelt, 1943* *"I hope that you will pardon me for this unusual posture of sitting down during the presentation of what I want to say, but I know that you will realize that it makes it a lot easier for me not to have to carry about ten pounds of steel around on the bottom of my legs; and also because of the fact that I have just completed a fourteen-thousand-mile trip."* *Address to Congress on ... more »
"The Only Coin You Have..."
“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” ~ Carl Sandburg The Alan Parsons Project, “Time” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3T6IsXyq68
This Is China's Plan To Be The Sole World Superpower By 2049
Photo: World Affairs Board *Elizabeth C. Economy, The Diplomat:* *China’s Secret Plan to Supplant the United States* *A new book claims to shed light on a strategy that would make China the sole superpower by 2049.* *We are entering the season of presidential primary politics, and many of the candidates—or at least their advisors—might benefit from a fresh look at the current crop of foreign policy books. China should be at or near the top of every candidate’s bedside reading list. With that in mind, I have begun to make my way through the mounting pile of new books and reports on... more »
“Found In 14th Century Manuscript, Yoda Was”
*“Found In 14th Century Manuscript, Yoda Was”* by Chuck Bednar “In most versions of the Biblical story of Sampson, the ancient Israelite gained incredible strength through his hair, but if a 14th century image currently making the rounds on the Web is accurate, he might have also had some help from a certain Jedi master. It's hard to deny that this illustration of a monk bears a striking resemblance to the popular Star Wars character Yoda, as Mashable pointed out on Thursday. Yoda was spotted in the “Decretals of Gregory IX” with gloss of Bernard of Parma (also known as the Smithf... more »
"Cohabitating with Others: Sharing Space and Energy"
*"Cohabitating with Others: Sharing Space and Energy"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM "When we cohabitate with others it is important to make the effort to share the space in a way that supports everyone. Our homes are our havens. These places where we come to rest, recharge, and dream in safety and comfort allow us to better face the challenges of the world outside our doors. When sharing a living space with others, an awareness of the thoughts and feelings of everyone involved is essential in creating the peace we all desire. Regardless of where we lived before, each time we cohab... more »
Will Ed Miliband have changed his mind by Friday morning?
On election night in 2010, one Ed Miliband said that the *“constitutional position is clear”* and *“very simple”:* in the event of a hung parliament *“the Prime Minister gets to have the first crack”*. *Fast forward five years and that means the now Labour leader has conceded that David Cameron gets the first go at forming a majority.* More at Guido Fawkes
The U.S. Is Trying To Avoid Stumbling Into A Wider War
*New York Times editorial*: *Stumbling Into a Wider War* *It should come as no surprise that the United States and its coalition partners are discussing widening the war against the Islamic State beyond the borders of Iraq and Syria. Wider wars have become almost habitual in recent years, as military conflicts have expanded with little public awareness or debate. President George W. Bush’s “war on terror” began in Afghanistan, then moved to Iraq and elsewhere. Fourteen years after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Obama is still deploying American troops and weapons to fight Al Qaed... more »
Sunday Classics snapshot: "My day in the hills has come to an end, I know"
My day in the hills has come to an end, I know. A star has come out to tell me it's time to go. But deep in the dark green shadows are voices that urge me to stay. So I pause and I wait and I listen for one more sound, for one more lovely thing that the hills might say. *by Ken* You know what today's musical snapshot is, I'm sure. Or just possibly maybe not. It wasn't till yesterday that I discovered that people all over the world who are intimately familiar with the source may never have heard these beautiful lines. Need a hint? Here's another haunting musical setup, one that w... more »
Untitled
So here it is, all these years later, and I'm blogging on The Beav again. How many years you say? Seven years, I respond. It felt like a waste of time then. Harper was the new saviour, the wise men and women of the right were seemingly everywhere ascendant. The country was going to be the great bastion of neo-conservatism and be a beacon unto the world. Canada was going to be, as before, the
Religious Education
There has been a low profile media debate these last few days about a scheduled visit to Exeter Mosque as part of a compulsory religious education programme for children at a Lostwithiel primary school. Ten sets of parents objected, (or ten percent of parents according to whichever report is correct) stating that their children will not be attending. The headmistress then allegedly singled out the children at school and questioned them. The issues are: 1. Lostwithiel, in east Cornwall, is 68 miles from the cathedral city of Exeter. Exeter University has a Saudi-funded Arab and ... more »
NATO Initiates Hotline to Russia's Defense Ministry
Photo by Shannon Moore, used under a Creative Commons license. *Sputnik: Red Phones*: *NATO Initiates Hotline to Russia's Defense Ministry* *The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Russia's Ministry of Defense have set up a direct military-to-military communication link to deal with any issues they might face amid mounting tensions, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung."NATO and Russia's military command maintain communications links. NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe and the chairman of the NATO Military Committee have received permission to get in contac... more »
what i'm reading: salt sugar fat by michael moss
*Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us* by Michael Moss is an excellent addition to a bookshelf that includes works by Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Marian Nestle and others who write about the health of our food and the un-health of the industrial food system. Moss lifts the curtain on the giant corporations that engineer and market convenience foods and processed foods. What he reveals is largely invisible to us on a daily basis, yet affects our society significantly - and catastrophically. Moss is a seasoned investigative reporter - he was the first to expose trans fat... more »
Minnesota Moose Declining Rapidly
Barrett, Joe (2015, May 1). Minnesota Moose Study Curbed After Harm to Animals. The Wall Street Journal, http://www.wsj.com/articles/minnesota-moose-study-curbed-after-harm-to-animals-1430522616 [excerpted] …State officials this past week ordered scientists to stop adding new subjects to research into what is killing off the moose after some studied animals were abandoned or died. …About a quarter of young moose collared with GPS devices in the past two years were abandoned by their mothers to a near-certain death if state officials hadn’t intervened and sent several of them to a ... more »
U.S. Deeply Split Along Racial Lines
Demonstrators gather at Baltimore on Saturday. Reuters *Wall Street Journal: **U.S. Split Along Racial Lines on Backlash Against Police, Poll Finds * *Americans are bracing for a summer of racial disturbances around the country, such as those that have wracked Baltimore, with African Americans and whites deeply divided about why the urban violence has occurred, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll has found.* *A resounding 96% of adults surveyed said it was likely there would be additional racial disturbances this summer, a signal that Americans believe Baltimore’s recent prob... more »
Unceassing Emissions
Heavy emissions unit 1, no rain or fog visible on the Futaba cam: Boat visible on the TBS cam view (it was visible two days ago as well. I'm not sure if it was there yesterday as I didn't watch cams):
Eliminate the breeding ground in a sustianable way
Thats the solution to lifes problems why can we not make it that way?
This Blogger Was Tear Gassed On Friday
*CBC:* *Dozens arrested in anti-capitalism May Day protest in Montreal* *Eighty-four protesters arrested, Montreal police use tear gas to disperse demonstrators and bystandersPolice arrested 84 people, including 27 on criminal charges, and used tear gas to disperse demonstrators at a night-time protest in downtown Montreal organized by a local anti-capitalist group called CLAC.Hundreds of people gathered at at least three different locations around the city, well before the protests officially got underway at 7 p.m. ET. The group called on protesters to cause the "maxi... more »
Crows and other species exhibit very "human" behaviour
*Crows and other species exhibit very "human" behaviour* A while back I saw on the BBC how a young girl and her mother formed a very human relationship with a murder of crows. They fed the crows peanuts and, in return, the crows brought them trinkets and gifts as displayed below: *Crow gifts for girl who feeds them regularly* You can watch the video in the link here. I highly recommend watching this amazing interplay between species. This relationship (like all relationships) depends upon trust and respect. This teaches humans a lot about survival on this planet. We would do we... more »
Human Rights Watch: Saudi Arabia Is Using US-Supplied Cluster Bombs In Yemen
*New York Times:* *Saudi-Led Group Said to Use Cluster Bombs in Yemen* *CAIRO — The Saudi-led military coalition fighting a rebel group in Yemen has in the past few weeks used cluster munitions supplied by the United States, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on Sunday. The report said video, photographs and other evidence showed that the coalition had used cluster bombs near villages in Yemen’s northern Saada Province. The group, which said it had found evidence that the weapons had been deployed on at least two separate occasions, has not been able to establish whe...more »
Special Forces Soldiers From Arab States Have Been Deployed To Yemen
*Reuters:* *Small Arab force reported in Aden, alliance accused of cluster bomb use* *Dozens of Arab special forces soldiers arrived in Aden on Sunday and deployed alongside local fighters against Yemen's Houthi militia, a militia spokesman said, signaling a major escalation of the country's war.* *Saudi Arabia denied that a major ground operation was under way by the anti-Houthi coalition it leads, but declined to comment on special forces - a topic Riyadh has consistently refused to address in the more than one-month-old conflict.* *In Aden, Ali al-Ahmadi, the spokesman for the... more »
A Conflagration of Commentary
*Ruined farmhouse in Miaoli.* Lots of commentary out this week. First, the good. Jon Sullivan of the U of Nottingham has an impressive review of the 2016 election in the National Interest. Much of it parallels things that have been said on this blog and elsewhere... If Tsai’s moderate rhetoric is sufficient to convince the electorate (and opinion polls suggest it is) that the DPP’s China policy won’t be a dangerous liability, the KMT has nothing left to fight with. Outside of championing the “1992 Consensus,” the KMT is bereft of ideas. While President Ma delivered ECFA and a numb... more »
High School Charter Expansion in Memphis Assisted by Green Dot Exec on School Board
Yesterday the Commercial Appeal reported that the next corporate assault on Memphis public schools will be directed toward the hostile takeover of high schools next year. Although the upper grades corporate charter chain, Green Dot, was not mentioned in the story, the California corporation is already advertising for instructional and admin positions in Memphis. From current Green Dot ad for a finance and operations director in Memphis (my bolds): The Green Dot Public Schools Tennessee Director of Finance & Operations will support *up to 10 schools in Memphis* as they are added in... more »
Local News Roundup
*Maine Veterans for Peace meeting last Thursday* - National Veterans for Peace (VFP) activist/leader Tarak Kauff was in Maine this past week and came to our VFP meeting in Augusta. I also got to spend time with him while in New York City last weekend. It is always fun to be with Tarak and we did some brainstorming about organizing the national VFP project called 'Peace at Home, Peace Abroad'. He taught MB and I a new card game that we'll be playing in the days ahead. He is not in the photo above because he and another person were taking photos of us. *... more »
Gulf States Want More Weapons And U.S. Security Guarantees
*Image:* Member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council *Wall Street Journal*: *Gulf States Want U.S. Assurances and Weapons in Exchange for Supporting Iran Nuclear Deal* *Regional leaders seek quid pro quo of fighters, missile batteries, surveillance equipment WASHINGTON—Leading Persian Gulf states want major new weapons systems and security guarantees from the White House in exchange for backing a nuclear agreement with Iran, according to U.S. and Arab officials.The leaders of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar... more »
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, May 3rd, 2015
[image: rant-jpeg-b] Sunday.... It is the new month of May, 2015, and here is my weekly rant... I first want to answer the usual criticisms that I do receive at my comment section... One in particular was about last week's rant where I gave a "shout out" to those in the Jewish community that have had the courage to stand up against the evil machinations of their entire tribe....Lets get the facts straight here in that the entire push for Jewish world domination would most probably fall to pieces if members of the "tribe" woke the hell up and saw the truth about exactly what their... more »
US Led Airstrikes Kill 52 Syrian Civilians, 7 children inc. Completely missing ISIS
The fact that the airstrikes completely missed ISIS/L targets allegedly just two kilometers , should not be a surprise. Civilians are always the target. ISIS/L is not! *US Led airstrikes kill 52 civilians inc.7 children* A group monitoring the conflict in Syria has reported fifty-two civilians have been killed by a single US-led airstrike. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights at least seven of the dead were children. US-led airstrike in Aleppo province The group said the attack on Birmahle city in Aleppo province mistakenly killed members of at least six families. *Kenneth Rot... more »
Are Right-Wing Populists Embracing The Racist Ideology Of Jeff Sessions' KKK Wing Of The Republican Party?
Jefferson Beauregard Sessions will never be on a U.S. postage stamp and never be on the same page as Barbara Jordan In 1999 People for the American Way honored me with a Spirit of Liberty Award. Being a longtime admirer of the organization's work-- not to mention of the founders, Norman Lear and Barbara Jordan-- I was thrilled. Lou Reed and KRS-One did the honors. After the beautiful ceremony (for me and Rob Reiner) PFAW asked me to join their board of directors, which I was happy to do-- and where I met such inspiring and historic figures as civil rights heroes Dolores Huerta, Rabbi... more »
Where I will be on Monday
Here: 40 years later- The relevance of Okun’s "Equality and Efficiency: The Big Tradeoff"
How sure are you about going there
They and we will always say 100% when the decision is made or 110% if you are seeking the support of the rehtoricaly rich but mathimaticaly challanged The problem with this kind of emotion' is the facts just do not add up and you can walk a path 10% outside reality for some time but sooner rather than later the phycics come home like a pendulum and make everyone wonder why we went on this journey under a false sky where the sun rose in the west
Etudiants(es), soyez sérieux(ses) ...
Vous vous êtes fait avoir. Vous ne pouvez voir l’évidence. Lorsque la logique, l’évidence est affirmée, vous la rejetez catégoriquement ou faites la sourde oreille. Pour dire les choses de manière crue : Vous êtes des travailleurs dans une économie complètement contrôlée. Les secteurs de l’éducation et du service professionnel sont tous deux partie intégrante du même système d’extraction de
Chile: UFO Expert Explains Strange Events Following Natural Disasters
*Source: Publimetro.com and Planeta UFODate: April 28, 2015* *Chile: UFO Expert Explains Strange Events Following Natural Disasters* There is a government agency in Chile in which Air Force officers play a role, exclusively devoted to verifying and stating whether certain strange phenomena recorded in the skies are unidentified flying objects (UFOs) or not. It is called CEFAA (Comité de Estudios de Fenómenos Aéreos Anómalos). An advisor to this organization, Major Rodrigo Bravo, granted an exclusive to Publimetro to dispel some doubts regarding the situation that occurred during ... more »
Untitled
*UK: School heads say too many new teachers are not up to the job, don't have a basic grasp of grammar and can't control their pupils* A damning report by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) found many new recruits are so badly trained that they cannot control a class or properly teach their subject. The NAHT survey of its members found that the poor quality of applicants was the main reason for a growing recruitment crisis in schools. Many heads preferred to stick with classroom-hardened supply teachers than risk hiring inexperienced staff. The report lists a catalo... more »
Untitled
*Those good ol' hundredths of a degree again!* *Being by far the longest instrumental temperature record available, the Central England record (CET) is always of interest, even if it has little generalizability to other places.The latest statistics that have been dragged screaming from it by Warmists are given below. In case it is not obvious, let me mention that most of what they did ignored the whole record. They used only the data after 1900. Interesting? You can of course prove all sorts of dubious things by carefully choosing your starting point from a longer r... more »
I am a thief not a murderer
Card on the table where all is visible not on the street where justice is blind I am a thief not a murderer I have committed property sins against the homeland now its entirely fair the justice system take me by the hair and give me a new style the question is what should it be A Mohawk, a brush cut, shaved head or business casual? The justice system is pure style do you want to make offenders work to take off on the runway or walk the plank in disbelief Do you take a thief and make them a murderer a ass raped degenerate that will never again operate properly Or do you take someone who ... more »
"Is it your party's role really to stoke up fears?"
Posting *YouTube *videos about BBC bias can your point across to many people but I have to say that it's rare to spot one that's actually convincing. And, as far as I can see, the medium seems to be dominated by anti-Israel activists, Scots Nats and UKIP supporters (rather like Twitter). There was one I spotted the other day that seemed to prove its point. I've hesitated to bring it you though, simply because of its editing, but I'll now let you judge for yourselves. It uploads parts of an interview with three Welsh politicians (Plaid's Leanne Wood, the Lib Dems' Kirsty Williams a... more »
Fast and Simple Tapping Technique to Reboot
*Meme - *Reboot Tapping is a fast and simple, emotion based and memory centered tapping technique. It does not require expertise so anyone can do it, including you. The post Fast and Simple Tapping Technique to Reboot appeared first on Waking Times.
Not upheld
For those wanting a break from British general election-related matters... The latest batch of rulings from the BBC's Editorial Standards Committee (focusing, as ever, on escalated complaints and appeals to the BBC Trust) are out, and some of them make for interesting (if frustrating) reading. The committee's Brucie-like catchphrase is 'Not upheld'... ...(as in 'Nice to see you, to see you...Not upheld!' or 'Oh Anthea, that's lovely. Come on, give us a 'not upheld'!' or 'You get nothing a 'not upheld' for a pair!' or 'What do points make? A complaint the BBC can say is 'not uphe... more »
More Public Money on False Ads
As the Conservative Regime move forward with their new branding efforts in an attempt to persuade the public that they are the greatest thing since the 1936 regime in Germany we learn that “the *Conservative government has booked $13.5 million for an all-out blitz*in April and May to advertise its 2015 pre-election budget.” Now I have no real problem the the Conservative Party of Canada promoting their proposals on TV and radio any more than I do with any other political party doing so but that is NOT what is happening. These Ads are being issued from Government departments using pu... more »
The Not So Comfortable Pews
http://mic.com/ In the latest edition of *The New York Review of Books*, Gary Wills writes that Pope Francis is making the billionaires -- particularly Catholic billionaires -- quake. On the eve of his encyclical on climate change, they are mounting what they hope will be a pre-emptive strike: Now, as the pope prepares a major encyclical on climate change, to be released this summer, the billionaires are spending a great deal of their money in a direct assault on him. They are calling in their chits, their kept scientists, th... more »
U.S. sending Ospreys, Hueys and other aircraft to Nepal
[image: UH-1Y Huey]The U.S. is sending more aircraft to Nepal to fly relief supplies from Kathmandu to refugees in need, defense officials said on Saturday. The Marine Corps is sending four MV-22 Ospreys and two KC-130 cargo aircraft to Nepal, said Maj. Christopher Logan, a spokesman for Marine Forces, Pacific. Three UH-1Y Huey helicopters are being flown to Nepal in Air Force C-17s, he said. The Ospreys are from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 based out of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, Japan, according to Marine Forces, Pacific. Read more
China building second aircraft carrier：PLA colonel
[image: Liaoning (CV-16)]China is building its second aircraft carrier, a senior naval officer has told media, the most explicit confirmation yet of a widely expected move that will boost Beijing’s maritime power. China’s first aircraft carrier was a 300-metre Soviet-era vessel bought from Ukraine and commissioned in September 2012 -- at the time a milestone for the country’s growing military might. The news follows reports last week of another double-digit spending boost for China’s military -- the world’s largest -- during 2015, as the country pursues a series of territorial dispu... more »
Indo-French naval exercise concludes
[image: Dassault Rafale M]After a 10-day study of joint maritime operations, India and French navies concluded exercise Varuna off the Goa coast on Saturday. The 14th edition of the exercise witnessed the role of the French Rafale-M fighter jet, the air force version of which has been chosen by the government for the Indian Air Force. The French Navy was represented by Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle, two destroyers Chevalier Paul and Jean de Vienne, replenishment tanker Meuse and a maritime patrol aircraft Atlantique 2. Read more
Destroyer project now three years behind schedule
The $8 billion project to build Australia’s most powerful warships — already bedevilled by cost and schedule overruns — will run at least an extra year late with the first ship not due for delivery until 2017. The latest delay pushes delivery out three years behind schedule and was revealed by senior defence official Colin Thorne from the Defence Materiel Organisation. He has read a damning but secret report into the Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Program by naval shipbuilding experts Don Winter and John White, that the government refuses to release. Read more
Art - Jeremy Geddes - floating falling ceiling
I can't believe I haven't featured the amazing *oil paintings* of Jeremy Geddes on the Free Planet blog before - maybe I did already and they fell victim to the 2012 purge of data this blog underwent in an attempt to present the Real World to The Punter not the False-Flag'd can't-tell-who-really-did-what Corporate for-profit patent-protect secret-disservice Propaganda. Anyway, War World rant over, here is The Art of Jeremy Geddes.
Ingalls christens newest destroyer, the John Finn
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Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened the U.S. Navy's 29th Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) Aegis guided missile destroyer, the John Finn (DDG 113), on Saturday in front of nearly 1,000 guests. The destroyer is named John Finn after the first Medal of Honor recipient of World War II. Finn earned the honor for machine-gunning Japanese warplanes for more than two hours during the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, though he'd been shot in the foot and shoulder and was suffering from shrapnel wounds. He retired as a lieutenant after 30 years of service and died at age 100 in 2010. ... more »
Economic News and Views ( May 3, 2015 ) - Greece Updates as Greece is back on the brink ( Updates on Creditor Talks - Greece signals willingness to compromise with VAT / not willing to implement pension cuts , " How Greece Saved Europe And Died " via Edward Hugh , What's happening with Greece's working age population ) ...... Carinthia is not Greece - but what exactly is it then ......... Putin in focus .... US Retailers closing more than 6000 stores nationwide - some kind of recovery ...... Bunds and Money printing in focus ......
Tweets..... *Edward Hugh* @Edward_hugh 10m10 minutes ago "how *Greece* saved Europe and died" https://storify.com/Edwardhugh/gre ece-s-economic-recovery … Storify Is Greece's Economic Recovery Now In Ruins? (with images, tweets) ·... Is the "cradle of European civilisation" once more being made a scapegoat for the Euro Area's continuing problems? View on web *NikiKitsantonis* @NikiKitsantonis 4m 4 minutes ago Talks on Greece in Brussels to resume tmrw as IMF ignores Greek 'red lines', demanding liberalization of labor market, FinMin official says. *NikiKitsantonis*... more »
PLA to use naval drill as shop window for Type 054A frigate
[image: Type 054A (Jiangkai II) class FFG]The PLA Navy may use the Joint Sea 2015 naval exercises to be held later this month in the Mediterranean Sea as an opportunity to showcase the Type 054A guided-missile frigates in the hope Russia will purchase them, according to our sister paper Want Daily. Geng Yansheng, spokesperson for China's defense ministry, confirmed that the 19th escort task force of the PLA Navy patrolling the Gulf of Aden consisting of the Weishanhu, a Type 903 replenishment ship, as well as the Linyi and the Weifang, two Type 054A guided-missile frigates, will pa... more »
Don’t tell Moscow: Five of Britain's six nuclear subs held up in the repair shed
[image: HMS Ambush (S120)]Britain has just one nuclear-powered submarine on active patrol, after defects and routine repairs left the remainder of the fleet in port. Of the Royal Navy’s six hunter-killer and attack boats in service, four are in dock while a fifth has been beset by a series of problems. The capability gap is revealed just days after Finland had to fire depth charges after reports a Russian submarine had entered its waters. Only the Astute is on active operation. Read more
China's pirate patrol submarine is too noisy, say naval experts
[image: Type 091 (Han) class SSN]China's recent deployment of a nuclear submarine for an antipiracy mission in the Gulf of Aden may have caused unease among its neighbours, but naval experts say the Type 091 vessel is unlikely to pose any real threat because of the noise it generates. The experts say the international community should instead keep an eye on China's quieter, more advanced diesel-driven submarines. CCTV's military channel last Sunday reported that a nuclear submarine from the People's Liberation Army Navy had completed a two-month escort mission in the pirate-infested... more »
Hydrogen fuel cars you can buy now
In the previous blog post, I have exposed my disdain for the hype surrounding mass production of something as ordinary as lithium-ion batteries. Electric power has been used for a very long time – one comparable to that of the combustion engines. It works but whether it should replace the combustion engines or fossil-fuel-driven power plants should be left to the free markets and those shouldn't be distorted by subsidies. The same thing holds for the hydrogen fuel cells. They are actually an old paradigm, too. In fact, they were first proposed in 1838. However, until recently, th... more »
From Truthout: Time to Commemorate Cinco de Mayo With Sobriety Runs
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/30515-time-to-commemorate-cinco-de-mayo-with-sobriety-runs
Statue to Whistleblowers unveiled in Germany
*Statue of Edward Snowden, Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning Unveiled in Berlin* Plus an empty chair for anyone willing to step up and speak out publicly. This is a great tribute to whistleblowers from all over the world. Just wish there was a 9/11 whistleblower included in the mix. Chelsea Manning has made by far the greatest sacrifice, IMO. Her publication of the video of the Apache helicopter attack on journalists/civilians in Iraq was a great moment of victory in the ongoing battle for truth.
15 Iconic Photos From The Vietnam War
Source: Vanity Fair * Business Insider:* *15 poignant photos that show what life was like during the Vietnam War* *In 1954, America entered into a messy war to support South Vietnam against the communist regime in North Vietnam and its allies in southern Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong.The two-decade long war claimed the lives of more than 3 million people, with the majority of the casualties being Vietnamese civilians.In honor of the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, here are some of the most gripping and recognizable photos from the conflict.Editors note: Som... more »
President Reagan Had Trouble Believing This Medal of Honor Story
*We Are The Mighty*:* This Green Beret’s heroism was so incredible that Ronald Reagan said it was hard to believe* *Master Sgt. Raul “Roy” P. Benavidez was a young special forces linguist and medic when, in 1965, he stepped on a mine in Vietnam and was evacuated to the United States. He was told he’d never walk again. But, wanting to return to Vietnam, he began a nightly ritual of attempting to relearn how to walk despite explicit orders from his doctors.* *A year later, his doctor was standing in Benavidez’s hospital room with medical discharge papers. The doctor made a deal w... more »
Obama vows to fight "anti-Semitism" and "Holocaust denial" as Jewish heritage month commences
To kick start Jewish Heritage Month, which takes place the entire month of May each year, President Obama proclaimed that Jews living in America *still* face bigotry and persecution, despite the fact that they openly own and control the mass media, Hollywood, federal government, Wall Street, and Federal Reserve System. He also once again affirmed his government's commitment to combating "anti-Semitism" and "Holocaust denial" while professing his unwavering support for Israel and the Jewish people, *The Times of Israel* reports. How many times do we have to hear the same pathetic tal... more »
A Top U.S. Spy Master Retires
“Our immediate threats are terrorism, particularly from global jihadist groups that want to attack the United States. It is a constant danger." Michael G. Vickers Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times *New York Times: **A Secret Warrior Leaves the Pentagon as Quietly as He Entered* *WASHINGTON — ASKED what he is looking forward to, Michael G. Vickers, who retired this week as under secretary of defense for intelligence, answered without hesitation: “Sleeping.”Having participated in virtually every significant global crisis of the past four decades, either as a supporting playe... more »
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