English: TEHRAN. With Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei. فارسی: آیت الله خامنهای Русский: ТЕГЕРАН. С аятоллой Сейедом Али Хаменеи. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)My Feedly!
The View
Defensive Manoevres and Evasions : Drivel for the Unwary
11:16pm MDST
Margaret Sanger, Eugenics and the Racist Roots of Planned Parenthood
[image: Birth Control Review 1918_compressed_cropped] Imagine if Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush and Speaker of the House John Boehner both accepted an award named for slave-owner and President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis. Imagine further that Jeb Bush enthusiastically defended his award by proclaiming: "I... more »
Former U.S. Military Officials Are Raising Concerns That The Iran Nuclear Deal Will Make The Middle East Even More Unstable
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, attends a graduation ceremony of army cadets accompanied by top military commanders in Tehran, Oct. 5, 2013. (AP Photo/Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader) / Via jamejamonline.ir *The Hill:* *Former military officials fear surge of cash, weaponry to Iran* A group of retired high-ranking military officials warn the United States will have a difficult time maintaining stability in the Middle East once the Iran nuclear deal goes into effect. While the administration has sought to assure Gulf allies that the U.S. will maintain a robust m... more »
SAS To Use Sniper Gunship Against The Islamic State
IN ACTION: A sniper shoots to kill on a sortie in Afghanistan *Mirror:* *SAS ready to send its sniper gunship into battle against Islamic State terrorists* THE SAS are ready to dispatch a sniper gunship to kill terrorists in Iraq and Syria, the Daily Star Sunday can reveal. The battle-proven aircraft is a specially converted RAF Chinook helicopter equipped with sniper firing positions and a multi-barrel mini-gun. The SAS has been fighting in Iraq and Syria for the past year but top brass now want the elite force to carry out more raids against Islamic State thugs. Chancellor Geor... more »
What are the Fundamental Faults that Impair American Culture?
*Video - *The late Alan Watts shares his thoughts about American culture and how it is destroying the world. The post What are the Fundamental Faults that Impair American Culture? appeared first on Waking Times.
If Life Is Sacred, Then Labor Is Dignified
[image: "The Holy Family in the Carpenter Shop," by Gerrit van Honthorst.] As we take a day of genuine leisure from our labors in the form of family time, reading, self-improvement or tending to our hobbies, it's worth reflecting on what work really means. First of all, work can be joyful, just... more »
A wistful final visit to the Museum of the Moving Image's spectacular "Mad Men" exhibition
*One of the head-slapping features of MoMI's Mad Men exhibition, which closes Friday, is a re-assembly of two actual sets: the original Draper family kitchen (above) and Don's famous SCP office, each adorned with an adjacent screen showing a loop of scenes that took place on that set.* *by Ken* Speaking of the re-assembled set of Don Draper's office in the Museum of the Moving Image's *Mad Men* exhibition, (produced, as we've noted here, with large amounts of cooperation from the participants, especially from creator-mastermind Matthew Weiner, who seems to have gone all out) at a ... more »
Islamic State Is Converting Captured U.S. Military Vehicles Into Mobile Bombs
A view of humvees parked at a courtyard at Camp Liberty in Baghdad, September 30, 2011. REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen Washington Times: *Kurdish peshmerga plead for arms as Islamic State turns U.S. military vehicles into bombs* IRBIL, Iraq — Gen. Dedawa Khurshid, a commander of the Kurdish peshmerga forces battling the Islamic State militants, faces a unique terrorist-style of warfare on a daily basis. “Daesh modifies trucks and bulldozers by welding steel all over them,” said Gen. Khurshid, using the Arabic term for the jihadi Islamic State, which now controls large swaths of Iraq and S... more »
US Special Forces To Get Cutting-Edge ATVs
*FOX News:* *US special ops clinches deal for cutting-edge ATVs* Who doesn’t love an all-terrain vehicle? U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is no exception. Last week Medina, Minn.-based Polaris Defense announced that it is supplying the U.S. military with more all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The company has been supplying its MRZR ATVs to SOCOM for three years – and now special forces are getting their hands on even more. The new order is for MRZR 2 and MRZR 4s. The MRZR2 is an ideal variant to carry two operators and the MRZR 4 can carry four, or even six, depending on the c... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“What's lighting up the Cigar Galaxy? M82, as this irregular galaxy is also known, was stirred up by a recent pass near large spiral galaxy M81. This doesn't fully explain the source of the red-glowing outwardly expanding gas, however. Recent evidence indicates that this gas is being driven out by the combined emerging particle winds of many stars, together creating a galactic superwind. *Click image for larger size.* The above photographic mosaic highlights a specific color of red light strongly emitted by ionized hydrogen gas, showing detailed filaments of this gas. The filaments... more »
“Discovering True Selves: Soul Seeing”
*“Discovering True Selves: Soul Seeing”* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM “The soul is the purest expression of an individual and is not bound by physical forms or fleeting emotions. When we want to see deeply into the heart and mind of another person, soul seeing, also called soul gazing, allows us to see their soul. The soul is the purest expression of an individual and is not bound by physical forms or fleeting emotions. Through a simple art that involves looking deeply into a partner’s eyes, soul seeing can show you a person’s inner beauty that you might otherwise miss. It is pos... more »
The Poet: Edgar Allan Poe, "A Dream Within A Dream"
*"A Dream Within A Dream"* "Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avow- You are not wrong, who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream. I stand amid the roar Of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand Grains of the golden sand- How few! yet how they creep Through my fingers to the deep, While I weep- while I weep! O God! can I not grasp Them with a tighter clasp? O God! can I not sav... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Horton, Michigan, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
"Artisans..."
"Life is raw material. We are artisans. We can sculpture existence into something beautiful, or debase it into ugliness. It's in our hands." - Cathy Better
"Are Our Actions Predetermined in Time?"
"Are Our Actions Predetermined in Time?" by Jim Selman "The older I am, the more I reflect on the aphorisms all around us and wonder why it is so difficult to accept and live with this obvious wisdom. Robert Fulghum memorialized many of them in his bestseller "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." All of these little 'nuggets' of wisdom we've accumulated over the years are generally, well, wise. It is befuddling why so few people take them to heart. Why do so many spend a lifetime learning these kinds of lessons the hard way? Actually, why is it that any of us conti... more »
Chet Raymo, "The Universe Becomes Conscious of Itself"
"The Universe Becomes Conscious of Itself" by Chet Raymo "By now most of us will have seen this spectacular photograph of a dusty star-birthing region of the Carina Nebula, which celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope. I offer a slightly different cropping from what you may have seen in the media or on APOD. Let me add some context. The image shows an area of the sky that you could cover with the intersection of two crossed sewing pins held at arms length. Think about that for a minute. Hold two imaginary crossed pins up against the sky and think of the area c... more »
This Mendelian Randomisation - I think it does not mean what you think it means.
"LDL may or may not correlate to cardiovascular outcomes,” - Dr. Kim Allan Williams, president of the American College of Cardiologists “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference.” - Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer Last year there was a good discussion of the saturated fat issue on Otago University's Public Health Expert blog (here) that continued into the comments. David Brown pointed out that "Evaluation of the overall health effects of saturated fat requires consideration of... more »
Round-up: Toronto's Punditocracy Gives Thumbs Down to Olympic Bid
What does Toronto's punditocracy think of an Olympic bid for Toronto? Not much. All of them, from all beats (politics, sports, urban affairs, business), say a bid for the 2024 Summer Games would range on a scale from "stupid" to "colosally stupid." One, Royson James, initially a fervent booster, has now changed his mind. Here they are in chronological order. Cathal Kelly, July 27: Hosting the Olympics is a roller coaster of despair. Chris Selley (1), July 28: Everyone take a deep breath -- Olympic fever is fertile soil for nonsense. Globe and Mail, Report on Business, no byline, J... more »
Syrian Military Official Admits That There Has Been A ‘Big Shift’ In Russian Military Support For Assad
*Reuters*: *Syrian military official: There’s been a ‘big shift’ in Russian military support for Assad* While the desperate flight of Syrians from their country's war was dominating news bulletins this summer, yet another diplomatic push to end the four-year-old conflict was quietly running into the sand. That largely unnoticed failure has reinforced the view amongst Syria experts that there is no solution in sight, with one of the biggest obstacles a seemingly unbridgeable international divide over President Bashar al-Assad's future. As a consequence, Syria looks set for ever gr... more »
“Poor immigrants are less likely to use welfare than poor natives”
*American-based guest post by Alex Nowraseth, with a local point. Don’t build a wall around your country, he says, build a wall around the welfare state.* America’s Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) released a new report on immigrant welfare use concluding immigrants use far more welfare than natives do. What produced this result is CIS’s methodology, many parts of which are suspect – as we’ve pointed out to CIS multiple times. They also omitted a lot of information that would make for a better comparison between immigrants and natives. Simply put, the CIS study does not comp... more »
Top 10 links: Ramble-lite
Top 10 links from last Friday’s ramble, in order … 1. Charles Koch blasts Obama 2. The drowned Syrian boy photo is viral social media at its most hollow and hypocritical 3. Teen Boy Will Be Charged As Adult For Having Naked Pics of a Minor: Himself 4. A Long History of a Short Block 5. A New Record ‘Pause’: No Global Warming For 18 Years 8 Months! 6. The Greens's climate plan 7. 4 Charts Show Why This Rally Will Become a Rout! 8. Sharing a photo of a dead Syrian child isn’t compassionate, it’s narcissistic 9. The autonomous Google car may ne... more »
Rich Arab States Are Not Accepting Syrian Refugees
*Reuters: **In rich Gulf Arab states, some feel shamed by refugee response* When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, fellow Gulf states raced to shelter thousands of displaced Kuwaitis. Fast forward 25 years, and the homeless from Syria's nearby war have found scant refuge in the Arab world's richest states. For critics of the Gulf's affluent monarchies the contrast is profoundly unflattering, especially as several are backers of the combatants in Syria's conflict, so must, they argue, shoulder a special responsibility for its consequences. The wrenching image of a Syrian Kurdish refuge... more »
If The GOP Is A Disheveled Damsel In Distress, Who Will Rescue Her From The Marauding Trumpists? Reid Ribble?
Earlier today we looked at how the repulsive and corrupt Democratic Establishment is getting nervous enough about the traction Bernie Sanders' campaign is gaining to start launching attacks on him. You've probably read how the even more repulsive and more corrupt GOP Establishment is tearing its hair out of its head trying to figure out how to destroy Trumpy. Trump, of course, isn't just a threat to Jeb and Scott Walker, Christie and Rubio. He's also a threat to the tattered Republican Party brand and to the down-ticket federal candidates and incumbents. If Trump is at the top of ... more »
German Chancellor Angela Merkel: 'No Limit' To Refugees We'll Take In
*SKY News*: *Germany: 'No Limit' To Refugees We'll Take In* Germany says it "has the strength to do what is necessary" as it prepares to accept 7,000 refugees on Saturday alone. Chancellor Angela Merkel has said there is no legal limit to the number of asylum seekers Germany will take in, with at least 800,000 expected this year alone. Mrs Merkel was speaking as thousands of exhausted refugees were bussed from Hungary into Austria, with most thought to be en route to Germany. German police said at least 2,000 people had arrived at Munich railway station so far, with up to 7,000 e... more »
Against Policy Relevance: A Polemic
Over on my Facebook feed, there’s a good discussion going on about Adam Elkus’ “The Problem of Bridging the Gap.” Elkus’ post amounts to, quite deliberately, a medium-length polemic against “policy relevance.” That is, he aims to provoke. For example, Elkus argues that: It judges the value of academic inquiry from the perspective of whether or not […]
The Run For The U.S. Presidency Is Getting Interesting
*NBC*:* Bernie Sanders Leads Hillary Clinton by 9 in New Hampshire, Gains in Iowa: Poll* Bernie Sanders has jumped out to a nine-point lead over front-runner Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, and he's gained ground on her among Iowa voters in the Democratic presidential race, according to a pair of brand-new NBC News/Marist polls. In New Hampshire, the Vermont senator gets the support of 41 percent of Democratic voters, Clinton gets 32 percent and Vice President Joe Biden gets 16 percent. No other Democratic candidate receives more than 1 percent. Back in July's NBC/Marist poll, ... more »
Rightwing Nuthouse: "5 Insane Right-Wing Statements This Week: Kim Davis Saga Sets off 'War on Christianity' Hysteria"
*"5 Insane Right-Wing Statements This Week: * *Kim Davis Saga Sets off 'War on Christianity' Hysteria"* And Limbaugh showcases his unique evil mind. By Janet Allon "The ignorant Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis grabbed a lot of headlines this week, for refusing to give marriage licenses to same-sex couples on religious grounds. Naturally, swarms of right-wing panderers and Republican candidates rushed to her defense. On the world stage, the image of a drowned Syrian toddler inspired an international wakeup call to the humanitarian refugee crisis. Then again, you'd have to actually be... more »
Untitled
*Who stole Trumpet Black’s trumpet? Brother seeks dead jazzman’s horn, missing since funeral ~Matt Sledge, N.O. Advocate*
The true story of Aylan Kurdi
Blogs have been posting what they say is the true story of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian boy drowned in the Mediterranean, from a boatful of people who had concluded the risks of an unsafe boat on the water were less than staying where they were on land. I won’t humour them by repeating the garbage blogs. They are entitled to their own opinions; they are not entitled to their own facts. *The ultimate injustice one can commit to Aylan Kurdi and his family is to omit the parts of his story which explain why he ended up dead on the beach, ]or to make up stories of your own]. The detai... more »
How Media Scoops Bust Two Major Myths About Iran
Iran's negotiating team (l-r): Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi, Special Assistant to the President Hossein Fereydoun, and Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (Associated Press) Two media stories published last month ventured behind the scenes of the successful negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and lifting sanctions,
Alan Waldman : TELEVISION | ‘Whitechapel’ is a harrowing Brit cop series inspired by notorious historical crimes
Copycat killers test the mettle of Brit thesps Rupert Penry-Jones, Phil Davis & quirky Steve Pemberton. By Alan Waldman | The Rag Blog | September 6, 2015 [In his Rag Blog column, Alan Waldman reviews some of his favorite films … finish reading Alan Waldman : *TELEVISION* | ‘Whitechapel’ is a harrowing Brit cop series inspired by notorious historical crimes
Dan Bacher 'Governor Jerry Brown under fire for firing state oil regulators'
. Photo of Jerry Brown at the Climate Summit of the Americas in Toronto, Canada on July 8. Photo by Salvatore Sacco, Canadian Press Images. Governor Jerry Brown under fire for firing state oil regulators by Dan Bacher Censored News Jerry Brown continually attempts to portray himself as a "climate leader" and "green Governor" at environmental conferences and photo
GOP Nomination Battle Exposes Another Great Divide In A Party Headed For Self-Inflicted Oblivion
The release this morning of NBC/Marist polls for Iowa and New Hampshire confirmed Trump as the odds-on favorite to win the Republican presidential nomination. The GOP base wants Trump and is thoroughly rejecting the professional politicians and the candidates backed by the insiders and the Establishment. Since July, Trump has risen in New Hampshire from 21% to 28%, while Jeb has plummeted from 14% to 8% for 4th place, after Trump, Kasich (12%) and Carson 11%). Other than Kasich, the current Republican office-holders are all doing dismally: *•* Senator Rand Paul- 5% *•* Senator T... more »
‘Hillary’ Replaces ‘Jesus’ in Campaign Rally Song
[image: NH women singing] At a Hillary Clinton campaign rally event Saturday in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a "woman's alternative chorus" from town known as Voices From the Heart got together and serenaded the Democratic presidential frontrunner. The group's musical choice looks to have been... Continue reading *“‘Hillary’ Replaces ‘Jesus’ in Campaign Rally Song”* at *theblaze.com*.
Michael Fassbender Is Stunning in Relentless Steve Jobs Biopic
[image: steve jobs] With "Steve Jobs," screenwriter Aaron Sorkin adds another chapter to his hopefully ongoing American tech saga. First, in the Sorkin-written, David Fincher-directed "The Social Network," Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg went from quirky Harvard nerd to friendless billionaire, changing the way... Continue reading *“Michael Fassbender Is Stunning in Relentless Steve Jobs Biopic”* at *thewrap.com*.
Without Borders in Europe, There is No Hope of Ending This Migrant Crisis
[image: syria_2502423b__1441543999_70.119.142.63] The lesson of the past week is that a picture of a dead child can move a continent and overturn the stance of a government - but only, it seems, if that picture suits the politics of influential voices in... Continue reading *“Without Borders in Europe, There is No Hope of Ending This Migrant Crisis”* at *telegraph.co.uk*.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz Is 16th Jewish Democrat to Stand With Iran
[image: Debbie Wasserman Schultz,] DNC leader Debbie Wasserman Schultz became the 16th Jewish Democrat to stand with Iran and support Obama's controversial nuclear deal. Wasserman Schultz made the announcement this morning on CNN. Was there ever any doubt she would put party before Israel's... Continue reading *“Debbie Wasserman Schultz Is 16th Jewish Democrat to Stand With Iran”* at *thegatewaypundit.com*.
Who Failed Aylan Kurdi?
[image: syria crossing] The image of a dead Syrian boy washed up on a Turkish beach has inspired a wave of Western soul-searching, with much talk about how "the world" failed 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi, who drowned along with his mother and brother while... Continue reading *“Who Failed Aylan Kurdi?”* at *nytimes.com*.
Renewed Calls for Gun Control Laws Spur Sales
[image: gun control] Renewed calls for more restrictive gun control laws, following a succession of fatal shootings in the United States, immediately appear to be generating a boost for the gun industry. Newly released August records show that the FBI posted 1.7 million... Continue reading *“Renewed Calls for Gun Control Laws Spur Sales”* at *usatoday.com*.
Surprise, surprise! (not)
Parts of today's *Mail on Sunday*/Survation poll didn't surprise me in the slightest. Those bits were the ones suggesting that the *vast *majority of British people* still *don't want to take in lots more migrants/refugees; indeed that a significant minority don't want us to take in any at all (not even a single one of them). Very few, it appears, want to go above 10,000 here in the UK [somewhat lower than Mrs Merkel's 800,000 in Germany and the figure of 15,000 being mooted by the papers/the government here in the UK!], despite Anita Anand & Co's best efforts. After all the... more »
Support school libraries by supporting opting out of testing
Sent to American Libraries, Sept 6 As Keith Michael Fiels ("Support school libraries," Sept 5) points out, "testing pressures and budget decisions have led to elimination of school libraries," at a time in which research evidence for libraries has never been stronger. He recommends we support several pro-library efforts in Congress. The problem is that "testing pressures" are greater than they have ever been. All proposals for renewal of the education law are test-centric, some involving the same amount of testing as the old law. Also, the new tests are delivered online, a never-e... more »
Indian Summer To Arrive On Cue + Gulf Stream Autumn/Winter UK, Ireland and United States Cold & Snow
*Indian Summer To Arrive On Cue + Gulf Stream Autumn/Winter*Much of this week will become dry and settled with a gradual increase in temperatures to deliver an Indian summer for many parts of the country. Temperatures are likely to touch or exceed 25C in parts of the south towards the end of the week and into next weekend due to more southerly winds (12th September), which is 8C above-average for the time of year. Other parts of the country are also likely to see temperatures reaching the low to mid 20s at the very least, even parts as far north as Scotland could see maximum temper... more »
Sept. 6: Short on a sunny afternoon....
....and credit where credit was due. In Saturday's paper, I forgot to look at the Faith Page. Big mistake. Reverend Richard Jackson has an excellent column on the distinctions between loyalty and patriotism on one hand - and faithfullness on the other.He cites an American quotation - "my country right or wrong. But my country" as an example of loyalty and patriotism - but certainly not of faith. It's an excellent point. So let's go to where the rubber hits the road. In 1937, some 1500 Canadians volunteered to fight fascism in Spain. They were called the Mackenzie-Papineau Battali... more »
Needed: A Million More Like Kim Davis
[image: Daniel in the Lions' Den] Like the Union troops hunkered at Fort Sumter, faithful Christians are now exiles in our own land, and under fire. Anti-Christian "progressives" have demanded unconditional surrender, and federal Judge David Bunning has fired the first mortar round. Even as I... more »
Psychology: "You Aren't Who You Think You Are"
*"You Aren't Who You Think You Are"* Who are all those strangers inside you skull? by Eric Haseltine Ph.D. "Who are you…really? A straightforward definition of “you” is the mélange of conscious thoughts, perceptions, feelings and memories that live in your skull. Along with these percepts, “you” might also include personality and abilities: that collection of tendencies and potentials that defines how you’ll feel, think, perform and behave under different circumstances. Finally, lets round “you” out by adding your body to all of the mental stuff. A mind and a body: what else could... more »
Sunday Classics snapshots: Swinging Haydn with Vilmos Tatrai playing and conducting
*Violinist and conductor Tátrai (1912-1999)* *Symphony No. 31 in D (Horn Signal) (1765):i. Allegro* *Symphony No. 73 in D (La chasse) (The Hunt) (1782)iv. Presto* *Hungarian Chamber Orchestra, Vilmos Tátrai, cond. Hungaroton, recorded 1965* *by Ken* So I noticed this CD lying atop one of the millions of piles of CDs I've finally been trying to organize, and it didn't instantly ring a bell: a pair of D major sort of hunt-themed Haydn symphonies -- the *Horn Signal*, No. 31, and *La Chasse*, No. 73, performed by the Hungarian Chamber Orchestra conducted by Vilmos Tátrai. Above we... more »
“What Happens To Your Brain When You Don’t Sleep?”
*“What Happens To Your Brain When You Don’t Sleep?”* by Morenike Adebayo “Feeling sleepy? It’s no secret that a good night’s sleep is key to a good day. Yet, according to the Institute of Medicine, an estimated 50-70 million adults in the United States have sleep difficulties. *Click link below for very large size.* The infographic above from Science.Mic uses information from the CDC, International Journal of Occupational Health and Medicine and the UC Berkeley Walker Sleep Lab to explain the side effects of not getting the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep at night. These side effects i... more »
At the West Midlands Progress Conference
*I wasn't there, but my friend Rowan Draper was. Here's his thoughts on the sessions he attended, first published yesterday*. *Of course, if you fancy contributing a guest post let me know.* Aston Students’ Union today played host to Progress’ West Midlands Conference meeting to discuss four major subjects for the Labour Party: What should Labour learn from the General Election? How can Labour be trusted with voters’ money? Can devolution work for England? Should Britain remain in Europe? A little bit of a *mea culpa* here. I arrived a little bit late, due to issues with the satna... more »
Dispatch From The Endocene, #12
This week’s Dispatch from the Endocene will be mercifully brief, at least compared to previous episodes. I would like to start off by expressing my deep gratitude, and admiration for the founder of Extinction Radio, Mike Ferrigan, who has been a wonderful host and interviewer. Thanks Mike for your tenacity in starting and keeping this unique collaborative effort alive. I am going to miss your delightful accent, as well as your gigantic and generous empathy. At the same time, I’m really excited to see what directions the new producers will take us, and thanks to you all - for pic... more »
NASA finally throws in the hoax towel...and the BBC immediately picks it up
*BBC is going to go head to head with RT in new "World Service" to Russia* The old Hoax-o-meter blew a gasket today. Two of the biggest liars and fakers made major moves. *First,* the BBC (Biggest and Best Calumny) has been given the job (and the multi billion dollar taxpayer budget that goes with it) to broadcast its patented lies to Russia--in Russian. We knew it was coming. After all, RT is beating the western lying M$M with one arm tied behind its back...for the attention of readers and viewers. You can't beat the product--the truth! Doesn't matter how much the BBC accuses RT ... more »
Getting it wrong
Whether Winston Churchill actually ever said "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on" is disputed. Apparently Mark Twain, however, *did* say, "A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes". That's a light start to soften you up for yet another grim post... The *YouTube *video below makes it clear, beyond doubt, that the BBC got one of the most distressing stories of the past week wrong. ("Distressing", "very distressing" and "disturbing", according to the BBC - as you'll see in the various links b... more »
After the Storm Highlights New Orleans’ Progress in Education
[image: New Orleans School] Out of the chaos of Hurricane Katrina came a bright new future for education. Ten years later, the short video After the Storm visits New Orleans to highlight how this school district, which is comprised of charter schools, excels in... more »
Thinkingaboot Number 8 and the legacy of Tony Blair from June 2011
Dr Kelly -Still Dead Fair Game is a super movie about the Bush Administrations manipulation of intelligence to justify the Iraq war. Dr. David Kelly was the British counterpart to Valiere Plame, he ended up dead. Do you remember Colin Powell’s presentation to the UN? His key evidence was recording of what sounded like Cheech and Chong, and photos of mobile germ factories. In the role of weapons inspector Kelly had been to Iraq and concluded. “They are not mobile germ warfare laboratories. You could not use them for making biological weapons. They do not even look like them. They ar... more »
Diplomacy Has Failed On Syria
Syria's president Bashar al-Assad speaks during his meeting with the heads and members of public organizations and professional associations in Damascus, Syria, in this handout released by Syria's national news agency SANA on July 26, 2015. REUTERS/SANA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS *Reuters: **Failure of Syria diplomacy exposes enduring divisions over Assad* While the desperate flight of Syrians from their country's war was dominating news bulletins this summer, yet another diplomatic push to end the four-year-old conflict was quietly running into the sand. That largely unnoticed failure h... more »
Congress’s Inequality Act: Weaponizing Same-Sex ‘Marriage’
[image: Male Female Symbols] On June 26, five justices of the Supreme Court found an unwritten "fundamental right" to same-sex marriage hiding in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment--a secret knowledge so cleverly concealed in the nineteenth-century amendment that it took almost... Continue reading *“Congress’s Inequality Act: Weaponizing Same-Sex ‘Marriage’”* at *thepublicdiscourse.com*.
Guatemala Voters Choose New President amid Scandal
[image: Guatemala election] GUATEMALA CITY (AP) -- An uncomfortable challenge confronts Guatemala’s presidential candidates on Sunday: trying to win the votes of a nation that has put the last elected leader in court custody. Most are old-guard candidates picked to run before energized... more »
We Don’t Need This Quasi-Canadian, Crypto-Communist Holiday
[image: Labor Day__1441544547_70.119.142.63] There isn't much good to say about Labor Day, except maybe that it could be worse -- it could be on May 1, which would make it a full-on Communist holiday instead of a merely crypto-Communist one. For that we... Continue reading *“We Don’t Need This Quasi-Canadian, Crypto-Communist Holiday”* at *nationalreview.com*.
Merkel to Hold Crisis Talks as Migrants Pour into Germany
[image: Angela Merkel migrants__1441543231_70.119.142.63] BERLIN (AP) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel planned to discuss Europe’s migrant crisis with her coalition partners Sunday, as Syrians, Iraqis and others fleeing war and persecution streamed into Germany for the second straight day. The Christian Social Union, the socially-conservative... more »
Like No-Fault Divorce, Gay Marriage Will Change Our Relationships Culture
[image: Lesbian Wedding Cake 900px] Advocates of same-sex marriage have often mocked those who assert that a legal alteration in the very structure of marriage will most certainly affect the institution itself. Now that the Supreme Court has imposed same-sex marriage on the entire nation,... more »
Judge Who Ruled for Tom Brady Is Offered Free Coffee for Life
[image: Tom Brady - 900] LEWISTON, Maine (AP) -- A Dunkin’ Donuts shop in Maine is offering free coffee for life to the federal judge who lifted New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s suspension. The Sun Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1JToFhv ) the shop in Lewiston put... more »
Superheroes, for Once, Don’t Rule Hollywood’s Summer
[image: Inside out] NEW YORK (AP) -- After a lackluster 2014 summer, Hollywood has bounced back with one of its best seasons ever. But the most surprising part of the turnaround is that superheroes aren’t the ones who saved the day. Instead, Hollywood’s...more »
Connecting The Dots That Exposes Russia`s Military Involvement In Syria
*Michael Weiss, Daily Beast:* *Exposing Russia’s Secret Army in Syria* Some wear uniforms, some don’t, but from highway checkpoints to jet fighters, Russians are being spotted all over the Assad dictatorship’s heartland. Russian military officers are now in Damascus and meeting regularly with Iranian and Syrian counterparts, according to a source with close contacts in the Bashar al-Assad regime. “They’re out in restaurants and cafes with other high officials in the Syrian Army,” the source told The Daily Beast, “mainly concentrated in Yaafour and Sabboura, areas that are close to... more »
Kim Davis, Christianity and Defiance
[image: Martin Luther King Arrest- 900 000] There’s a debate among Christians about the case of Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk now is jail for refusing to certify same-sex marriages. Should Christian office holders enforce laws at odds with their faith? Should they resign? Should they practice civil... more »
Transpicuous News: Welcome to September!!
Transpicuous News Weekly Report will be LIVE Stream Broadcast ONE HOUR EARLIER this week. Tonight on CCN, Join me for The Transpicuous News Weekly Review- we're going to be running through this weeks major news stories, doing a review of the past 6 weeks ... ...and HEY! IT's September!!! TN will be broadcast an hour earlier tonight- at 8pm London/Morocco time- that's 3pm EDT Watch live on CCN: http://www.consciousconsumernetwork.tv/ccn-live/ Or watch right here on RTS, or on the RTS Facebook page.
The U.S. Aircraft Carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Will Soon Be Back In Action
*Daily Mail:* *Back in action: Enormous U.S. aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower makes high-speed turns at sea and practices launching fighter jets after two years in maintenance yard * * USS Eisenhower has been undergoing repairs since fall 2013 * Ship was released onto the high seas again last week * Nuclear carrier used full engine speed to make sharp turns at 35mph * 117,000sq ft ship houses 3,000 sailors and will return to full service in 2016 This is how one of the U.S. Navy's biggest war machines celebrated its first time on the seas after almost two years cooped up in a naval ya... more »
Somalia`s Al Shabaab Is Far From Defeated
Al Shabaab militants have been driven from Mogadishu, Afgooye, Baidoa, Jowhar, Merca and Barawe. (Mohamed Sheikh Nor) *Reuters*:* Al Shabaab militants re-take Somali town from African Union* Al Shabaab took control of a populous town in central Somalia on Sunday after African Union forces left the area - the third town the Islamist insurgents have seized since Friday, militants and local officials said. The group, which seeks to overthrow the Western-backed government and impose its strict version of Islamic law, has remained a potent threat in the Horn of Africa country after it w... more »
Power Corrupts
It's a generalization but it's largely true. If you have power and you're not accountable for how you use it, you'll probably start to take advantage of it. They talk about it in this episode of The Young Turks. This cop supposedly had the right to impound their car, but he lets them off easy for a mere thirty bucks. His cover for the bribe are some tickets to a policeman's function for ten bucks each. He might even think he's doing them a huge favour. Who knows. But as the hosts say, he doesn't even care that he's being filmed it seems. Because he's got this feeling of inviolaten... more »
Molten Salt Reactor Development: Why so Quick? Why so Cheap?
I noted yesterday on facebook that Terrestrial Energy expects Recently on a thread in the Energy Reality Project, Margaret Harding argued: Ah, but I would argue that MSR's have huge vulnerabilities related to the corrosive nature of the salts that will arise with fission products. The folks I've talked to at ORNL have said that the old-timers they talked to had nothing positive to say about their experience with MSR. EVERY reactor type has it's detractors. That's part of the problem.. Given that I was very well acquainted with one of the real MSR old timers, and know what several m... more »
Where Europe's Refugees Are From And Where They Are Going (Graph)
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Business Insider*: *This graphic shows where Europe's refugees are from and where they are going* *Europe's refugee crisis is surging.* This year, more than 300,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean Sea into Europe — and more than 2,600 have died doing so. Hundreds of thousands of people are making the risky trek to various European Union nations this summer to flee persecution, war, and terrorism in their native countries in the Middle East and Africa. *WNU Editor: *If trends continue .... this graph is going to be out of date in the next few w... more »
Why the Elite are Orchestrating so Many Amateur False Flag Shootings
[image: Waking Times] September 4, 2015 Makia Freeman, *Contributor* *Waking Times* [image: False Flag America]The recent spate of amateurish false flag shootings, which are now being rolled out at an increasingly rapid pace, give one cause to wonder: why? Why are the elite orchestrating such feeble and poorly executed *false flag shootings*? With all their money, power, control of the media, control of law enforcement and control of politicians, why can’t they make these false flag shootings look more real? Aren’t they worried that with such *amateurish false flag* shootings they ... more »
On Israel's Occupation of Palestine
Miko Peled speaking about Israeli policies in Palestine during the recent VFP national confab in San Diego......
Syrian Refugees Are Not Welcomed In Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a meeting of his new cabinet, in honor of Jerusalem day, at the Israeli Museum in Jerusalem *Reuters:** Israel's Netanyahu rejects call to take in Syrian refugees* JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a call by Israel's opposition leader to provide refuge to Syrian refugees, saying the country is too small to take them in. Images in recent days of thousands of refugees herded on and off trains in Europe as they sought a safe haven from Middle East conflict struck a chord in Israel, a state created... more »
Can You Spot The Sniper?
Bundeswehr sniper team in position, Kunduz Province, Afghanistan. Wikipedia *Slate*: *See if you can find the camouflaged German sniper pointing a gun directly at you* Simon Menner contacted the German army in 2010 to see whether it would be interested in helping him create images in which members of the army are hidden, or, "Camouflage," like the title of his series. Turns out they were, and the images ended up going viral. Menner arranged two separate shoots, one in a "boring" forest in northern Germany with soldiers who were young and inexperienced. The second shoot, in the Ger... more »
This Is How The U.S. Can Use The Oil Weapon To Cripple China
Photo Credit: iStockphoto *Tingbin Zhang, Zero Hedge*: *China’s Worst Nightmare - The US’s Oil Weapon* China’s islanding building on the four-mile-long and two-mile-wide Subi Reef in the South China Sea has put The US in a tight spot. To protect its ally from China’s aggression, The US will be left with little choice but to constrain China by military means. However, the US won't directly engage China in the war in the foreseeable future, because the US dominates China with its superior naval and air force and the only way for China to level the playing field is to apply nuclear we... more »
Memphis Gives Hundreds of Million$ to Corporate Charter Schools and Sues State for More Cash
After years of hemorhagic public spending on corporate reform charters, Shelby County Schools has just announced that it plans to sue the State of Tennessee some of the hundreds of million dollars that taxpayers have paid for the corporate welfare testing camps for the poor children of Memphis. The saddest part of this is that the ALEC owned state legislature will probably send over more taxpayer cash to support the continuing corporatization of Memphis schools. The planning document used to prepare for the elimination of Memphis City Schools stated clearly in 2012 that Shelby Coun... more »
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, September 6th, 2015
[image: rant-jpeg-b] Yes, it is now Labor Day weekend, 2015... And time again for my weekly rant.... It is supposed to be Labor Day weekend for myself, and here I am doing some more renovations and yard work this entire long weekend... My better half has always had this grandiose scheme of what she wants our house and yard to look like, and I am always doing my best to oblige...Therefore rather than do any reading or surfing over the net yesterday, I was busy doing both and it was exhausting.... I figured that I did a pretty good job, but she of course still wants more!.... Honest... more »
We got it wrong?
*Our coverage of the Arab Spring Refugee Crisis was over excited admits BBC* Not really. I’m getting ahead of myself; jumping the gun. That headline in the Daily Mail was, of course, about the BBC’s bullying, opinionated, sanctimonious hysterical reporting of the Arab Spring. “The BBC’s coverage of the Arab Spring has been heavily criticised – by the corporation’s bosses. Head of news Helen Boaden admitted that her journalists got carried away with events and produced ‘over-excited’ reports. She told a BBC Trust report that in Libya, where reporters were ‘embedded’ with rebels, they ... more »
North Korea`s Diplomatic Isolation Is Now Almost Complete
A North Korea soldier uses binoculars to look across the DMZ. Image Credit: US Army Photo by Edward N. Johnson *Alexandre Dor, The Diplomat*: *North Korea's Growing Isolation* Kim Jong-un’s decision not to attend China’s military parade caps growing trend of self-inflicted isolation. North Korea is about as isolated diplomatically as it ever has been. After declining an invitation to China’s celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reasserted his refusal to make his first out-of-country visit as head of state because Xi Jinpi... more »
Europe Tracks Army of 30,000 Migrant Smugglers
[image: Europe migrant smugglers__1441542411_70.119.142.63] Brussels (AFP) – With the world still reeling from images of a drowned Syrian boy, European authorities say it is their top priority to fight an army of an estimated 30,000 people-smuggling suspects blamed for such tragedies. Officials say the... Continue reading *“Europe Tracks Army of 30,000 Migrant Smugglers”* at *news.yahoo.com*.
9 Home Remedies For Sinus Infections And Headache
Source: *http://alternativemedicinewiz.com/home-remedy/common-but-effective-home-remedies-for-sinus-infection*
Hillary's Campaign Repays Bernie For His Positive Message About Her With Typical Clintonian Smears And Innuendos
A few days ago, Rima Regas, writing for Alternet, exposed the ugly truth about the media's relationship with the Bernie Sanders campaign, namely that the mainstream media undermines him at every turn. It will only get worse as more Americans find out about him and his program (primarily via word-of-mouth). Regas asserts that the media is colluding with the Clinton machine. I wouldn't doubt it, not for a moment. When analyzing the quantity and content of the vast majority of what is said and written about Sanders, his campaign platform, and appearances, one finds a running theme a... more »
A Look At The Tactics That Kurdish Forces Employ To Penetrate Islamic State Territory
Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters take up positions inside a damaged building in al-Vilat al-Homor neighborhood in Hasaka city, as they monitor the movements of Islamic State fighters who are stationed in Ghwayran neighborhood in Hasaka city, Syria, July 22, 2015. *Buck Clay, SOFREP/Business Insider*:* Here's how Kurdish guerrilla forces are using dirty tricks against ISIS* The roles of underground operations, guerrilla, sabotage, and classic special-operations units are groups who act in frustration to opposing forces. In this case the bullet meets the bone in Syri... more »
Untitled
*Church in Hot Water Over Football Field Baptism* Asking a Baptist preacher to baptize is like asking Colonel Sanders if he wants a bucket of chicken. Somebody’s going to get dunked. So when a football coach in Villa Rica, Georgia asked to be baptized on the high school football field, the local First Baptist Church obliged. At the end of the school day somebody hauled out an old feeding trough, plopped it in the end zone near the field house and filled it with water. A crowd of about 75 folks, black and white, young and old, gathered in the sweltering August heat to watch the coa... more »
How Will Syria’s War End?
*Micahel O'Hanlon, Washington Post:* *How will Syria’s war end? Other civil wars suggest an answer.* *Of four possible paths, one is clearly the best.* Syria’s civil war seems unstoppable. In four years, it has killed 250,000, displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million, and given birth to the Islamic State, which promises to conquer the region and inspire lone-wolf terrorist attacks throughout the Western world. The Obama administration has managed to keep the United States from a third major conflict in the broader Middle East, but its Syria policy has otherwi... more »
Israel: Refugees not our problem -We make’em & You take’em!
*Double Standard: **a rule or principle that is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups. * Netanyahu can’t take refugees- Israel can’t take refugees. Israel can surely create millions of refugees! Israel expects everyone else to take refugees. Sweet deal for expansionist Israel. No?*Israeli National News* *"While Israel is not "indifferent' to the tragedy of refugees from Syria and Africa, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu asserted on Sunday, it does not have the resources to absorb them into the small Jewish state"* *Israel is very indifferent to the tr... more »
Untitled
*British Met Office boss slams Greenie for exaggerating warming* *It's not a sudden onrush of honesty. He just doesn't want warming predictions to be falsified too soon. He could well still be alive in 15 years time and he doesn't want to be laughed at* One of Britain’s top climate scientists has launched a blistering attack on actress Emma Thompson and the BBC, accusing them of ‘scaremongering’ over the speed of global warming – and risking a worsening of the refugee crisis. Richard Betts, head of climate impacts research at the Met Office and a professor at Exeter University, ... more »
Economic News , Data & Views ( September 6 , 2015 ) Sunday Morning Items From "Officialdom " ( G-20 items , IMF warns Fed to go slow with rate hikes , central Bank items of interest ) ....... Greece In Focus ( Items for Snap Election , Economic items , Stats ) ........ Refugee situation - Items of note on the global situation.
Morning Tweets ....... Central Bank , G-20 , "Officialdom World " items ..... *Holger Zschaepitz* @Schuldensuehner 4m 4 minutes ago G20 pledges to refrain from comp devaluations. 1st time G20 has used such language since 2013. http://bloom.bg/1QfWg6s [image: Embedded image permalink] *Pedro da Costa* @pdacosta 5m5 minutes ago Central banks' foreign exchange reserves drop over half a trillion dollars in the last year http://bloom.bg/1XeAPaC [image: Embedded image permalink] *Pedro da Costa* @pdacosta 9m 9 minutes ago Markets don't foresee a second ... more »
Congress Returns to Weighty List of Unfinished Business
[image: 1congressfloor] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress returns on Tuesday with a critical need for a characteristic rarely evident through a contentious spring and summer -- cooperation between Republicans and President Barack Obama. Lawmakers face a weighty list of unfinished business and looming... more »
Two Papal Parades, More Passes Available after Ticket Outcry ahead of Pope’s U.S. Visit
[image: iStock_Pope Francis__1438778373_70.119.142.63] PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- After an outcry over plans to keep most of Pope Francis’ audience at his biggest Philadelphia events several blocks away, organizers Thursday announced the pontiff will parade through downtown twice and said they would set aside 30,000... more »
The Chinese Economy Just Hit Major Speed Bump. Why the Pentagon Cares.
[image: US pentagon building aerial view at sunset] The Pentagon cares as much about how money moves around the world as it does about the movement of arms. Small wonder the recent bobbling in Beijing's economy has caught the armed services' attention. After owning bragging rights to one-third... more »
Pope: Vatican Will Shelter Two Families Fleeing War, Hunger
[image: 1St_Peter's_Square,_Vatican_City_-_April_2007] VATICAN CITY (AP) -- The Vatican will shelter two families of refugees who are “fleeing death” from war or hunger, Pope Francis announced Sunday as he called on Catholic parishes, convents and monasteries across Europe to do the same. Francis... more »
New Blogs August/September 2015
New blogs scurrying across my desk from last month were: 1. A Hair of Truth (Labour) (Twitter) 2. An Independent Scotsman (Unaligned/ex-SNP) 3. Employment Writes (Unaligned/trade union) (Twitter) 4. Hope is Important (Labour) (Twitter) 5. Labour Pains (Labour) 6. Schlomo's Thoughts (Labour) (Twitter) 7. It's Complicated With My Exe (Labour) (Twitter) 8. Workers Spatula (Parody) If you know of any new blogs that haven't featured before then drop me a line via the comments, email, Facebook or Twitter. Please note I'm looking for blogs that have started within the last 12 months. Th...more »
At a Berlin Church, Muslim Refugees Converting in Droves
[image: Muslim refugees] BERLIN (AP) -- Mohammed Ali Zonoobi bends his head as the priest pours holy water over his black hair. “Will you break away from Satan and his evil deeds?” pastor Gottfried Martens asks the Iranian refugee. “Will you break away... more »
Former Obama Intel Gen. Michael T. Flynn: Pull Hillary’s Security Clearance
[image: Gen. Michael T. Flynn__1441538724_70.119.142.63] Former Defense Intelligence Agency Director Gen. Michael T. Flynn says President Obama should "immediately suspend" Hillary Clinton's security clearance, because she ran a private, unprotected email server from her New York home. Flynn also told the Daily Caller News Foundation... more »
At Venice Fest, Spotlight Focuses on Sex Abuse by Priests
[image: Bishop shadow face] VENICE, Italy (AP) -- Thomas McCarthy wants Pope Francis to go to the movies. Specifically, the American director would like the pontiff to see his new film Spotlight, a fact-based expose of sexual abuse by priests and its cover-up by... more »
US Warns Russia against More Aid to Assad against ISIS
[image: Inside ISIS Rule: Creating a Nation of Fear] BEIRUT (AP) -- Anti-government violence erupted Saturday in a southern Syrian province that had largely stayed on the sidelines of the country’s civil war. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports suggesting that Russia was planning to expand its military support for Syrian President... more »
A Study in Tyranny (Part 3)
*2 Men & A Country : Harpers Nemesis* *A guest post by Pamela Mac Neil* The laws you have are a direct result of the Government you have. Whether they remain laws or are struck down, depends on whether you have a democracy or not. Shortly after Harpers appointment of Judge Nadon for a Supreme Courts judge, a Toronto Constitutional lawyer Rocco Galati challenged this appointment in federal court. The first person to ever challenge a PM's appointment for a Supreme Court judge. Galati won. The Supreme Court ruled that Harpers latest appointee to that court, was not legally qualified ... more »
Alexander's Ragtime Rant
http://www.tvrage.com/ Politics, Robin Sears writes, is about dialogue: Successful politicians know how to listen, to respond respectfully and through that dialogue, learn. Some Canadian politicians’ increasing fascination with steely message discipline at the expense of listening or respectful response is dangerous for democratic dialogue — and, often, for their own careers. Dialogue is not in Stephen Harper's skill set. And everyone who works for him follows a strict code. Like the prime minister, they memorize answers from ... more »
Clinton Acknowledges Paying State Department Staffer to Maintain Private Email Server
[image: Hillary Clinton Iowa__1441198268_70.119.142.63] PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) -- Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday that her family paid a State Department employee to maintain the private email server she used while secretary of state and compensated him “for a period of time” for his technical... more »
Where Do the GOP Presidential Candidates Stand on Defunding Planned Parenthood?
[image: Money Tap] Among GOP voters, the protection of life is a key issue. As a series of undercover videos exposing Planned Parenthood have been released throughout the summer, calls to investigate and defund that organization have reached new levels, meaning that the... more »
Memo to The New York Times: When Big Brother and Artificial Intelligence Merge, It’s Creepy, Not Neat
[image: Artificial Intelligence Robots] Xiaoice (pronounced Shao-ice) is a great listener, according to the New York Times: People often turn to her when they have a broken heart, have lost a job or have been feeling down. They often tell her, "I love you."... more »
Russell Moore against the Pope, and Good for Moore
[image: Russell Moore- 900 000] "Repentant sinners can be forgiven of any sin, at any time, on the basis of the life and blood of Christ. That’s the gospel." That's a tweet sent by Russell Moore, the head of the Southern Baptist's Ethics and Religious... more »
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez: Praying in the Name of Jesus Even When It’s Politically Incorrect
[image: Dr. Samuel Rodriguez Prayer] In this video clip, taken from LIFE’s Awaken Now conference in 2013, Rev. Dr. Samuel Rodriguez, President of The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, relates how he was in a lineup of interfaith voices offering prayers at a large public event, which some think... more »
So how damming must the Balen Report have been about the BBC's anti Israel bias?
This from Biased BBC http://biasedbbc.org/blog/2015/09/05/off-the-rails/ caught my eye: 'In 2005, an independent report commissioned by the BBC's board of governors found that the corporation was guilty of "cultural and unintentional bias" in coverage of Europe.' If that report into the BBC's coverage of Europe was OK to be released, can you imagine how damming the Balen Report into the BBC's coverage of Israel and the Middle East must have been for the BBC to fight tooth and nail to keep it secret?
Musical Interlude: Adiemus, “In Caelum Fero”
Adiemus, “In Caelum Fero” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dc-tRfKjuQ&feature=related
"A Look to the Heavens"
“NGC 2685 is a confirmed polar ring galaxy - a rare type of galaxy with stars, gas and dust orbiting in rings perpendicular to the plane of a flat galactic disk. The bizarre configuration could be caused by the chance capture of material from another galaxy by a disk galaxy, with the captured debris strung out in a rotating ring. *Click image for larger size.* Still, observed properties of NGC 2685 suggest that the rotating ring structure is remarkably old and stable. In this sharp view of the peculiar system also known as Arp 336 or the Helix galaxy, the strange, perpendicular ring... more »
Chet Raymo, “Being Human”
*“Being Human”* by Chet Raymo “I've been thinking a lot about hands lately. Or, rather, a hand. Specifically my right hand, which has developed an annoying tremor. I never paid much attention to my hands before. Hands pretty much operate on automatic pilot. It doesn't take a lot of conscious decision-making to scratch your nose. Or button your shirt. Hands follow the brain rather like an obedient dog trots alongside its master. But now my right hand clamors for attention like an unruly pup. So I find myself looking at my hand with more awareness than before, and realizing more than ... more »
"We Work In The Dark..."
"We work in the dark. We do what we can to battle with the evil that would otherwise destroy us. But, a man's fate is defined as not a choice but a calling. Yet sometimes the weight of this burden causes us to falter, breaching the fragile fortress of our mind, allowing the monsters without to turn within and we are left alone, staring into the abyss... into the laughing face of madness." - David Duchovny as "Fox Mulder"
"The Bank Of Time"
*"The Bank Of Time"* "Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course? Each of us has such a bank. It's name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to a good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no over draft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Ea... more »
“5 Things You Should Realize About Fear”
*“5 Things You Should Realize About Fear”* by Declan O Flaherty *“1.* Thoughts motivated by fear are based around an imaginary reality. We don’t know for sure that an outcome is going to happen the way our doubtful mind tells us it will, so it’s fair to assume these thoughts can’t possibly be true until we actually push through and see for ourselves. Accepting our fearful thoughts as true creates a limited consciousness, letting them pass by leads us to experience the ACTUAL truth. *2. *The cure for fear is to experience the thoughts and physical sensations in that moment. This req... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Ankara, Turkey. Thanks for stopping by.
"Hope"
“Man ever talks, and Man ever dreams Of better days that are yet to be, After glittering goal, that distant gleams, Running and racing untiringly. The worldly may grow old and young as it will, But the Hope of man is Improvement still. Hope bears him into life in her arms, She flutters around the boy's young bloom, The soul of youth with her magic warms, Nor rests with age in the silent tomb; For ends man his weary course at the grave, There plants he Hope o'er his ashes to wave.” - Friedrich Schiller, "Hope"
"Have You Also Learned..."
"Have you also learned that secret from the river; that there is no such thing as time? That the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the current, in the ocean and in the mountains, everywhere and that the present only exists for it, not the shadow of the past nor the shadow of the future." ~ Herman Hesse, "Siddhartha"
"Despair and Survival"
*"Despair and Survival"* by Sam Smith "Ever since I read Thoreau in high school and adopted as my own his declaration that he would rather sit alone on a pumpkin than be crowded on a velvet stool, I have made the pursuit of individual freedom a part of my daily business. I follow it like others follow football. I know the game, the players, and the rules. And one of the most important things I have discovered is how few people are able to help you much. The psychiatrist with his elegant degree, the minister with an eye on the vestry's budget, the philosophy professor just short of... more »
"We Shall Endure..."
“We draw our strength from the very despair in which we have been forced to live. We shall endure.” - Cesar Chavez “Despair means hopelessness. When you don't see any ray of hope, all doors seem closed to you, you experience despair. Despair kills all hope inside a human being. To kill the feeling of despair, one needs to move on and accept the reality. Action is the antidote or remedy to kill the feeling of despair and nip it in the bud. In the words of William Cowper, “Absence from whom we love is worse than death; and frustrates hope severer than despair.” Failure, heartbreak,... more »
Music Interlude: Gandalf, “Blossoms Unfolding”
Gandalf, “Blossoms Unfolding” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRf9scJDbb8
Russia may be escalating military role in Syria
[image: BTR-82A fighting vehicle]US intelligence has captured evidence of a significant escalation of Russia’s military engagement in Syria’s civil war, including satellite images of an apparent Russian base for staging troops and heavy equipment under construction near a port city that is a stronghold for Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, US officials say. The reconnaissance photos of possible military housing being built near the international airport in Latakia province provides strong evidence of deepening involvement by President Vladimir Putin’s government in the four-year-old... more »
Controversial £5billion fighter jet which took 15 years to build dogged by problems every week, says engineer
[image: F-35B STOVL Lightning II]The controversial Joint Strike Fighter stealth jet is being dogged by new technical problems every week, the most senior British engineer working on the aircraft has revealed. The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has already cost £5 billion and taken 15 years to develop. It has suffered a series of setbacks including a freak fire which grounded the fleet and the admission earlier this year that it was beaten in a combat exercise by a jet designed 40 years ago. Read more
Rovelli's challenge to Platonism
A month ago, the loop quantum gravitist Carlo Rovelli wrote a somewhat surprisingly intelligent essay on Platonism in mathematics, Michelangelo's Stone: an Argument against Platonism in Mathematics I consider myself a Platonist but I do agree with about 1/2 of Rovelli's observations. Some of them are "sort of obviously true" while others are even "innovative and persuasive". The remaining 1/2 is composed of propositions that are either "non sequitur" or "widespread misconceptions" or "downright ludicrous". ;-) First, just to be sure, Platonism is the philosophy believing that the w... more »
Iran starts aerial drill to boost defense capabilities
Iran's air force kicked off a massive aerial exercise in the country's central province of Isfahan on Saturday to boost defensive capabilities. In the two-day drill, various types of interceptor fighter jets, bombers, military transport aircraft, communication and reconnaissance planes, tanker aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will participate, spokesman for the war game, General Roozkhosh, was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency. A whole range of homegrown missiles and bombs will also be used in the war game, including smart heavy and semi-heavy bombs, as well as las... more »
Springfield CO fired for poor job performance
[image: Los Angeles class SSN]The Silent Service has suffered its second firing in as many weeks. Cmdr. Daniel Lombardo was relieved as skipper of the Los Angeles-class attack submarine Springfield on Sept. 4 due to loss of confidence in his ability to command. The relief was due to performance issues, and had nothing to do with personal behavior, said Cmdr. Tommy Crosby, spokesman for Submarine Force Atlantic. The decision was made by Capt. John McGunnigle, the head of Submarine Squadron 4. He has temporarily assigned Capt. Jack Houdeshell, the squadron's deputy commander, as Spri... more »
The Untangled Gathering: Fall of The Empire Archive Video
On Sunday August 30th, 2015 We brought together a group of speakers from different backgrounds and focus points, to bring their knowledge and ideas forward to the public. We took a good look at what is going on in the background in America and the World: Politically, Financially, Legally, and Socially. It's time to bring the puzzle pieces together, to discuss this moment of NOW. This moment of time, IN Time, that has humanity standing on the very edge of the knife. A secret war is being waged against the people of this planet, Silent Weapons used against the people, in Quiet... more »
Israel gets fifth diesel electric submarine as backbone of nuclear deterrent against Iran
[image: Dolhin class SSK]Israel has inaugurated its fifth Dolphin-class submarine, allegedly capable of launching cruise missiles with nuclear warheads. There is a sixth submarine being built for Israel. The submarines are advanced diesel electric submarines. After the submarine is fully equipped and passes all tests, it will cost $500 million and will enter service as possibly the most sophisticated and expensive weapon of Israeli Navy. Delivery to client is reportedly expected by the end of 2013. In June 2012, Der Spiegel reported that Germany is actually strengthening Israel’s n... more »
(Economy Crashing Every 8 Years & No New Jobs To Replace Outsourced Ones) Whither the Economy? (Dirty Tricks on Wall St. Leading Country to Oblivion) GOP = Gobs of Paranoia (Why No One Should Touch Cash Register Receipts) More Deregulated Chicanery from Wall Street (Debtors Made To Identify With Financial Captors) Moral Center of American Capitalism's Disappearing Act (Only Job Gains Were for Those Without Education: Cheapest Labor Available)
Today's offering is chockful of economics informational goodness. Sorry it's so long, friends, but these essays may mean the difference for many people between understanding the facts defining the New Depression or going down in it. The Republicans Are Now Officially the Party of White Paranoia Matt Taibbi The rise of Trump obliterates all other issues — campaign 2016 is now almost entirely
Brief statement on Washington State Supreme Court finding charter schools unconstitutional
*“Though boosted through a language of choice and effectiveness, the charters provide neither. Public funds pay for a system that lacks oversight, transparency, and funnels millions of dollars to privateers, who pocket salaries upwards of $1 million.” — Dr. Megan French-Marcelin* [image: Fix our Public Schools, don't Privatize!]By now everyone has heard the wonderful news that the Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that charter schools are unconstitutional. This watershed holding and ruling has seen the neoliberal corporate education reform machine shift into overdrive to tr... more »
Military Photo of the Day: September 6, 2015
[image: F-15 Eagle-900] A U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle flies over East Anglia, England, on Aug. 27, 2015. Thanks to Senior Airman Trevor T. McBride for capturing this magnificent image!
What Is The Biggest Threat To America?
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)*
U.S. Warns Russia On Their Growing Military Presence In Syria
*Reuters*: K*erry tells Lavrov of U.S. concern over Russian moves in Syria* Secretary of State John Kerry expressed U.S. concern over reports of Russia's enhanced military build-up in Syria in a telephone call on Saturday with his Russian counterpart, the State Department said. "The secretary made clear that if such reports were accurate, these actions could further escalate the conflict, lead to greater loss of innocent life, increase refugee flows and risk confrontation with the anti-ISIL coalition operating in Syria," the department said, using an acronym for Islamic State. It... more »
Report: Russia Building A Military Base In Syria
*The Telegraph:* *Russia 'is building military base in Syria'* American officials express concern about latest intelligence suggesting Moscow is preparing to send hundreds of personnel to prop up Assad regime. Russia is building a military base in Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s heartland, according to American intelligence officials, in the clearest indication yet of deepening Russian support for the embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad. The anonymous officials say Russia has set up an air traffic control tower and transported prefabricated housing units for up to 1,000 personn... more »
Heavy Fighting Reported In Syria Between Rebels And ISIS Militants
*BBC*: *Fighting around key Syria town 'leaves 47 dead' - activists* Fighting between rebels and Islamic State (IS) militants around the strategic Syrian town of Marea has left 47 dead, according to activists. The UK-based Syria Observatory for Human Rights said that 27 IS fighters were killed, with the rest being from other anti-government groups. Marea lies in an area that Turkey and the US have reportedly wanted to turn into an IS-free "safe zone". Last month it was alleged IS had used chemical weapons in an attack on Marea. *More News On Heavy Fighting Between Rebels And ISIS... more »
GOP Establishment Wants Trump-- GONE!
You've heard of the Republican Party's War Against Women and the Republican Party's War Against Science and its wars against the poor and against democracy. There's a new one: the Republican Party's War Against Donald Trump. Nick Confessore blew the whistle in a *NY Times* report Friday morning. And it goes beyond Trump's obsessive feuds with other GOP candidates and with GOP media critics. He's been openly fighting with Club for Growth lately, and they're ready to start spending big against him and are drooling at the thought of lots of Establishment Republican money going throug... more »
Old News Worth Re-Visiting
I'm working on a presentation on Fukushima's nuclear refugees and the violation of human rights to health in Japan and I was reviewing old materials I collected. I found this excerpt from 2011 that is worth re-visiting: Hiroko Tabuchi and Andrew Pollack Japan Is Struck by Powerful Aftershock New York Times (April 7, 2011) ... Flashes of extremely intense radioactivity have become a serious problem, [a western nuclear executive who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect business connections in Japan] said. Tokyo Electric’s difficulties in providing accurate information on ... more »
Kaitiakitanga
The long-established Māori system of environmental management is holistic. It is a system that ensures harmony within the environment, providing a process of, as well as preventing intrusions that cause permanent imbalances and guards against environmental damage. Kaitiakitanga is a concept that has "roots deeply embedded in the complex code of tikanga”. Kaitiakitanga is a broad notion which includes the following ideas: guardianship, care, wise management. (read more)
How 'bout a round of cheers for the New England Cheaters and QB Tom "I Got Away with It, Suckers" Brady?
The New York *Daily News* points out: *"Brady wasn’t wearing his wedding ring Tuesday night at a Patriots gala."* *by Ken* Since I have devoted a certain amount of attention to the case of Tom "The Cheating Man" Brady (aka DeflateGate), it seems only fair to take formal note of the slapdown administered this week by federal judge Richard Berman of the Southern District of New York to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (see "After Tom Brady's Deflategate suspension tossed by judge, Gisele steps out looking relaxed"), voiding The Cheating Man's four-game suspension and reinstating him... more »
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