10:59pm MDST
“’They’ Took Over While You Were Sleeping”
*“’They’ Took Over While You Were Sleeping”* by Admin “As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both instances there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be most aware of change in the air - however slight - lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness.” - Justice William O. Douglas “What no one seemed to notice was the ever widening gap, after Sept. 11, 2001, between the government and the people. Just think how very wide this gap was to begin with, here in America. And it became always... more »
Turkish Air Force Report Shooting Down Of Russian Drone
A possible Russian drone has been shot down by Turkey’s air force that entered Turkish airspace near the Syrian border, Turkish armed forces have said. CNN.com reports: Two U.S. Defense officials told CNN that according to initial reports, the aircraft was a Russian unmanned vehicle. The United States is continuing to review intelligence on the incident, officials said. The drone was given three warnings by the Turkish military, but there was no response, Turkish officials said.. Russia dismissed reports that one of its drones had been shot down. All Russian aircraft returned from t... more »
Barbara Bush Was Completely Right That The Country Doesn't Want Another Bush In The White House
Let's talk about a service the Trump campaign is doing for America. Thanks to Obama and Pelosi, Bush and Cheney were never held accountable for their 8 years of mayhem. And thanks to Trump-- or, more accurately, thanks to the Trump campaign's jihad against Jeb-- the Bush-Cheney responsibility for 9/11 and then destabilizing the Middle East by attacking Iraq under false pretenses is again being discussed by the American people. I'm sure you've noticed. We touched on it over the weekend to illustrate how a ruthless predator like Trump can force a sad patsy like Jeb to commit suicide... more »
Musical Interlude: Ludovico Einaudi, “The Royal Albert Hall Concert”
Ludovico Einaudi, “Lady Labyrinth” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqLKYhhfA_Q , Ludovico Einaudi, “The Royal Albert Hall Concert” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI8N2569jSg *Magnificent!*
Musical Interlude: Liquid Mind, "Velvet Morning"
Liquid Mind, "Velvet Morning" Liquid Mind ® is the name used by Los Angeles composer and producer Chuck Wild of the best-selling Liquid Mind relaxation music albums. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp3BuiupOrc&feature=related
450-Year-Old Church Emerges from Reservoir as Water Levels Drop
[image: The remains of a mid-16th century church known as the Temple of Santiago, as well as the Temple of Quechula, is visible from the surface of the Grijalva River, which feeds the Nezahualcoyotl reservoir, due to the lack of rain near the town of Nueva Quechula, in Chiapas state, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 16, 2015. It's the second time this has happened. In 2002, the water was so low visitors could walk inside the church. (AP Photo/David von Blohn)] A drought in southern Mexico has caused water levels to fall so much that the remains of a long-abandoned, 16th-century church are now vi... more »
Day 11 - Walking as Long as I Can
*Climate change and militarization of oceans banners lining the walls at Portland pot luck supper* Fourteen of us walked from Freeport into Portland today - a 15 mile journey. We had the biggest crowd yet for a pot luck supper at the State Street Church in Portland - much thanks to Grace Braley for organizing that event. Earlier in the day we walked our first 9.4 miles before our lunch which was provided by the Friends School in their beautiful new no-carbon footprint school. Three of our walkers went there at 10:00 am and spoke to the combined class of 7th and 8th graders. Russ... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Like delicate cosmic petals, these clouds of interstellar dust and gas have blossomed 1,300 light-years away in the fertile star fields of the constellation Cepheus. Sometimes called the Iris Nebula and dutifully cataloged as NGC 7023, this is not the only nebula in the sky to evoke the imagery of flowers. Still, this beautiful digital image shows off the Iris Nebula's range of colors and symmetries in impressive detail. *Click image for larger size.* Within the Iris, dusty nebular material surrounds a hot, young star. The dominant color of the brighter reflection nebula is blue, c... more »
The Poet: Thomas Centolella, "Splendor"
*"Splendor"* "One day it's the clouds, one day the mountains. One day the latest bloom of roses- the pure monochromes, the dazzling hybrids- inspiration for the cathedral's round windows. Every now and then there's the splendor of thought: the singular idea and its brilliant retinue- words, cadence, point of view, little gold arrows flitting between the lines. And too the splendor of no thought at all: hands lying calmly in the lap, or swinging a six iron with effortless tempo. More often than not splendor is the star we orbit without a second thought, especially as it arrives and d... more »
"The Limits of Our Freedom"
*"The Limits of Our Freedom"* By Mark Harrison "Viktor Frankl, the Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, wrote in "Man’s Search for Meaning", ‘Between stimulus and response there is a space, and in that space lies all our freedom.’ In the most extreme conditions of privation imaginable, Frankl discovered that he was, remarkably, free to choose his response to any situation. I love this quote because it sums up the essence of my philosophy. I believe it is the cornerstone of a happy and effective life. A real, experiential understanding of this radical freedom is life changi... more »
Chet Raymo, “Retirement”
* “Retirement”* by Chet Raymo "Farewell, thou busy world! And may We never meet again! Here I can eat and sleep and pray, And do more good in one short day Than he who his whole age outwears Upon the most conspicuous theatres, Where naught but vanity and vice do reign." "The first verse from a poem called "The Retirement" by Charles Cotton (1630-1687), a friend of Izaak Walton, about his private fishing retreat on the river Dove. The poem was incorporated into Walton's "The Compleat Angler." And what do I make of it, now, in retirement? All these hours on ... more »
"What to Do When Things Are Not Working"
*"What to Do When Things Are Not Working"* by Fred Kofman "This is not working out for me," is a hard thing to say. Yet it is the most constructive way to start the process of resolution. You are not saying that this is wrong. You are not saying that your counterpart shouldn't have done it, or shouldn't do it. You are not blaming her. You are not intruding into her space. You are simply saying: "This is not working for me, I'd like to change it, and I'd like your help to do it." Speaking in the first person, taking ownership for your experience and opinions are the secret of prese... more »
Untitled
*Violent crime in New Orleans: An explainer ~Robert Morris, Uptown Messenger*
Paulo Coelho, "Be Like a River"
"Be Like a River" by Paulo Coelho “A river never passes the same place twice,” says a philosopher. “Life is like a river,” says another philosopher, and we draw the conclusion that this is the metaphor that comes closest to the meaning of life. Consequently, it is always good to remember during all the year to come: • *We are always doing things for the first time.* While we move between our source (birth) to our destination (death), the landscape will always be new. We should face these novelties with joy, not with fear – because it is useless to fear what cannot be avoided. A riv... more »
Inexplicable Moon Anomalies Reveal Deception About Outer Space
*Makia Freeman* - When you take a close look at the moon, you end up with more questions than answers. The post Inexplicable Moon Anomalies Reveal Deception About Outer Space appeared first on Waking Times.
What Drove The Republican Party Base Insane? (Spoiler: It Was More Than Just Fox And Hate Talk Radio)
This morning's first post-- based primarily on the work of Boston College history professor Heather Cox Richardson conflating today's off-the-rails Republican extremists with the post Civil War secessionist Democratic extremists of 1879-- is one of the most chilling ever at this blog. If you missed it, I heartily recommend you go back and read it right now. It will certainly put into context the GOP's hallucinatory dogma of paranoia and disorientation, something that goes beyond the silly Trump (and Carson) phenomena just to the heart of the neo-fascist train the Republican Party ... more »
A New Free State for Christians in Syria?
[image: ISIS] The recent murder of three Syrian Christians by ISIS is the latest chapter in the tragic history of the once-mighty Assyrian nation. Unfortunately most journalists covering the story focus on the generic plight of "Middle Eastern Christians" and the well-intentioned...more »
Sen. Sessions to GOP: Curb Immigration or Quit
[image: Jeff Sessions - 400] America is about to break every known immigration record. And yet you are unlikely to hear a word about it. The Census Bureau projects that the foreign-born share of the U.S. population will soon eclipse the highest levels ever documented,... Continue reading *“Sen. Sessions to GOP: Curb Immigration or Quit”* at *rollcall.com*.
The Daily "Near You?"
Sighisoara, Dambovita, Romania. Thanks for stopping by!
"A Strange Demand..."
“All ages have said and repeated that one should strive to know one's self. This is a strange demand which no one up to now has measured up to and, strictly considered, no one should. With all their study and effort, people are directed to what is outside, to the world about them, and they are kept busy coming to know this and to master it to the extent that their purposes require. How can you come to know yourself? Never by thinking, always by doing. Try to do your duty, and you'll know right away what you amount to. And what is your duty? Whatever the day calls for.” - Johann Wolf... more »
Editor's Note
For those who may not know .... I live in Canada and today we are having a federal election. The polls are going to close soon, and I am going to spend some time with some friends watching the results. Blogging will return tomorrow morning.
Death of a tax martyr
[image: Irwin Schiff]*When people talk about courage in defence of principle, the name of Irwin Schiff (right) should be foremost among them. * *Irwin Schiff was imprisoned for his lifelong resistance to the American federal income tax, and over the weekend in a federal prison, a martyr to that resistance. Efforts by his son, Peter Schiff, to secure his release from prison so that he could die with his family were not just unsuccessful, but actively resisted. Schiff's sad passing illustrates two essential truth about taxation and the state**: 1) if you resist the state’s orders, y... more »
Dispossession: Liberalism's Crisis Part II
I introduced my new book project with an excerpt from the concluding chapter addressing the western financial complex a few days ago: http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/dispossession-liberalisms-crisis.html Below find an EXCERPT from Dispossession: Liberalism's Crisis Chapter 6 (the conclusion) concerning the oil complex: Chapter Four explores how government and BP crisis management of the BP oil disaster re-inscribed extractive, mercantile and warlike conceptions of carbon security that violate fundamental liberal rights of property and personhood. The BP oil crisis was an... more »
Civil Liberties: “7 Ways Police Will Break the Law, Threaten, or Lie to You to Get What They Want”
*“7 Ways Police Will Break the Law, Threaten, * *or Lie to You to Get What They Want”* Cops routinely break the law. Here's how. By Larken Rose “Because of the Fifth Amendment, no one in the U.S. may legally be forced to testify against himself, and because of the Fourth Amendment, no one’s records or belongings may legally be searched or seized without just cause. However, American police are trained to use methods of deception, intimidation and manipulation to circumvent these restrictions. In other words, cops routinely break the law—in letter and in spirit—in the name of enforci... more »
"How It Really Is"
Don't hold your breath...
Chalk
At 5:45 in Washington, D.C., the switchboard at the Pentagon was warned that bombs planted somewhere in the building would go off in ten minutes. "*You killed hundreds of us today in the streets of Washington,*" said the woman's voice. "*But we are still giving you a chance to evacuate the building. You do not have time to find the bombs. Leave the Pentagon now, and let history be the judge of which side truly fought for life and against death.*" The highest-ranking personnel in the Pentagon (and, with revolution breaking out in the nation's capital, everybody was there) were im... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Shit Vigil'
. http://mohawknationnews.com/blog/2015/10/19/shit-vigil/
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 19, 2015
*Michael Holtz, CSM*:* For many Canadians, election is about one thing: more Stephen Harper?* *Mr. Harper has been prime minister since 2006, and has shifted overall Canadian politics to the right. Polls indicate that a majority of Canadians want to see a change.* TORONTO — Bengt Lindvall grows nostalgic when he reminisces about the Canada he discovered when he moved here from Sweden in 1966 as a 26-year-old mechanical engineer. He arrived with his wife, who was five months pregnant at the time, after accepting a job he couldn’t refuse at a steam turbine factory in a nearby subur... more »
Is an MIT Algorithm Better Than Human Intuition?
[image: algorithm - 400] If big data is a haystack, then algorithms may be better than humans when it comes to finding a needle. Computer algorithms root out patterns in immense data sets, produce correlations, and ultimately come up with predictions. Selecting what an algorithm... Continue reading *“Is an MIT Algorithm Better Than Human Intuition?”* at *csmonitor.com*.
This is How the Goldman Sachs Analysts Who Got Fired Were Cheating
[image: classroom - 400] Goldman Sachs on Thursday fired 20 New York- and London-based analysts in the Securities Division for cheating on a test they took over the summer during training. The firings, which came the same day the bank reported disappointing third-quarter earnings... Continue reading *“This is How the Goldman Sachs Analysts Who Got Fired Were Cheating”* at *businessinsider.com*.
New Jersey Attorney General Investigating Convicted Sex Offender Now Running Eight Abortion Clinics
[image: stevenbrighamb] After the NJ Attorney General issued a complaint on June 16, 2015 seeking suspension or revocation of the medical license of Vikram Kaji and placed a permanent ban on allowing him to act as Medical Director obtaining any ownership in any... Continue reading *“New Jersey Attorney General Investigating Convicted Sex Offender Now Running Eight Abortion Clinics”* at *lifenews.com*.
12-Year-Old Girl with Down Syndrome Saves Her Sister from Drowning
[image: Girl saves sister from drowning - 400] Three year old Jac'Lynn Richardson of Mundy Township, Mich. could have drowned over the summer. But she didn't. And instead of reporting on a tragedy, the media outlets are reporting about the how Jac'Lynn was saved by her 12-year old... Continue reading *“12-Year-Old Girl with Down Syndrome Saves Her Sister from Drowning”* at *lifenews.com*.
Quote of the day: “The knockout stage is more like a 19th-century duel…”
*“Yet no amount of big data or game management can prepare players for the World Cup. This is not a military campaign like the European Six Nations championship or the [Southern Hemisphere] Rugby Championship…. The knockout stage is more like a 19th-century duel, a spectacle where even the world’s best may fall victim to self-doubt.”* ~ Lionel Barber, writing for *FT Rugby: World Cup 2015* Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
The Most Endangered Jobs of 2015
[image: A farmer.] As the landscape changes for many familiar industries, the hiring outlook declines for many of the most endangered jobs of 2015. Consider how we get our food. America moved away from being an agrarian society long ago, but employment on... Continue reading *“The Most Endangered Jobs of 2015”* at *careercast.com*.
What’s in a Boarding Pass Barcode? More Than You Want
[image: boarding pass] "Besides his name, frequent flyer number and other [personally identifiable information], I was able to get his record locator (a.k.a. "record key" for the Lufthansa flight he was taking that day," Cory said. "I then proceeded to Lufthansa's website and... Continue reading *“What’s in a Boarding Pass Barcode? More Than You Want”* at *krebsonsecurity.com*.
Concentration Camp Currency Unearthed by Researchers
[image: Holocaust money] The first known use of Holocaust money was in the Lodz ghetto in Poland in 1940. Over the next five years, the Nazis introduced currencies in concentration camps and other ghettos in Germany and occupied Poland, Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands.... Continue reading *“Concentration Camp Currency Unearthed by Researchers”* at *forward.com*.
What Russia’s Leaders Really Think the U.S. is up to: Global Destabilization
[image: DAVOS-KLOSTERS/SWITZERLAND, 28JAN09 - Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation captured during the 'Opening Plenary of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2009' at the Annual Meeting 2009 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 28, 2009. Copyright by World Economic Forum swiss-image.ch/Photo by Remy Steinegger] The British strategist, Liddell Hart, stressed the need to understand rival views of grand strategy and military developments, or "the other side of the hill." A range of Russian and Belorussian military and civil experts presente... more »
Tower Of London Inhabitants Used Magic To Ward Off Evil
Archaeologists have found ‘ritual protection’ marks at the Tower of London, indicating that the inhabitants believed in magic to repel the Devil and the spells of witches from the 1000 year-old castle. Dozens of ‘ritual protection’ marks have been found burnt into the timber uprights holding up the roof, to add extra protection to England’s premier fortress. The Independent reports: Research carried out by archaeologists in one of the fortresses’ major buildings has revealed that at least some of its inhabitants felt so insecure that they tried to use magic to give themselves an ext... more »
World News Briefs -- October 19, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*The Guardian*: *Thousands of refugees rush into Croatia after days in 'no man's land'* *Between 2,000 and 3,000 people who had been stranded in dangerous conditions have been allowed to enter Croatia* Thousands of refugees trying to make their way to western Europe have rushed over Serbia’s border to Croatia after they were stranded for days in dangerous and deteriorating conditions. The United Nations refugee agency said that between 2,000 and 3,000 people who had been stuck in a virtual no man’s land for days had been allowed to enter Croatia, a move that is likely to put more... more »
Propaganda Techniques
Propaganda is a form of communication, often biased or misleading in nature, aimed towards influencing the attitude of a population toward some cause, position or political agenda. Propaganda is information that is not impartial and used primarily to influence an audience and further an agenda, often by presenting facts selectively (perhaps lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or using loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than a rational response to the information presented. Common media for transmitting propaganda messages include news reports, gove... more »
Indigenous Mayans Win Stunning Repeal of Hated ‘Monsanto Law’
*Alex Pietrowski *- The Monsanto Law criminalized growing anything but . They resisted and won. The post Indigenous Mayans Win Stunning Repeal of Hated ‘Monsanto Law’ appeared first on Waking Times.
CIA Director's Personal Email Account Hacked By A Teenager
*CNN:* *U.S. investigating report email account linked to CIA director hacked* (CNN)The FBI and Secret Service are investigating reports that non-government personal accounts associated with CIA Director John Brennan as well as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson were hacked, law enforcement officials told CNN. The New York Post first interviewed the alleged hacker, who said he accessed an AOL email account associated with Brennan that included files regarding his security clearance application, and the hacker also claims to have accessed a Comcast account assoc... more »
Who, or what, is behind Postmedia's election endorsements?
Zip on over to The Tyee to read my attempt to answer that question.
Obama Using Biden to Block the Clintons from Regaining the White House
[image: Biden and Obama - 400] As he approaches the end of his career in elected office, Barack Obama is in a truly precarious position: He is going to exit the White House having accomplished almost nothing substantive on the policy front -- his health-care program... Continue reading *“Obama Using Biden to Block the Clintons from Regaining the White House”* at *nationalreview.com*.
“There was something missing from scholars’ models of political and economic life: ideas”
The Chronicle of Higher Education has a longish write-up on Pinar Dogan and Dani Rodrik’s efforts to exonerate Dogan’s father after he had been caught up in then Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s efforts to push Turkey’s generals out of the political arena. At the heart of this effort was the publication in 2010 […]
EU Migration Crisis -- News Updates October 19, 2015
*Reuters*: *Backlog of migrants swells in the Balkans, tempers fray* The Balkans struggled with a growing backlog of migrants on Monday after Hungary sealed its southern border and Slovenia tried to impose a limit, leaving thousands stranded on cold, rain-drenched borders where tempers frayed. Having declared it would accept only 2,500 per day, Slovenia said 5,000 had arrived from Croatia on Monday. Around 2,000 more trekked through fields and along railway tracks over the border, having apparently arrived by train; they were rounded up by Slovenian police on the other side as a ... more »
Quick Notes on Lord Warner's Resignation
Baron Norman Warner. Who he? I can't be the only politico who scratched their head as news came through that Lord Warner resigned the Labour whip in the Lords this evening. So here are some very quick notes about a resignation few are likely to notice. 1. Lord Warner was ennobled under His Royal Blairness in 1998 after years as a career civil servant. He served in the Department of Health between 2003 and 2007, and was one of those charming Labour people who took Dave's shilling to look at social care funding for the elderly. In 2013 Warner broke the party whip and voted with the T... more »
UN saying end the War on Drugs
An “as-yet unreleased statement” leaked to the world by Richard Branson “may be about to call on the governments of all countries to end the ‘war on drugs’ and decriminalise the use and possession of all illegal substances.” *In an extraordinary post on his Virgin website,* * Richard Branson said he had been showed a report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which dramatically changed the organisation's stance on drug control. He said the "as-yet unreleased statement" had been sent to some of the world's media under embargo - but that he has gone public with it early ... more »
The Inside Story of Trump Campaign’s Connections to a Big-Money Super PAC
[image: Why Liberals Should Love Donald Trump] As he brags that he is turning down millions of dollars for his presidential campaign, Donald Trump has leveled a steady line of attack against his rivals: that they are too cozy with big-money super PACs and may be breaking... Continue reading *“The Inside Story of Trump Campaign’s Connections to a Big-Money Super PAC”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
Russia's Muslim Population Question Putin's Syrian Policy
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas listen to the Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Ravil Gainutdin, during a tour around the Moscow Grand Mosque after an opening ceremony September 23. The new mosque, which was erected on the site of the city's original mosque built in 1904 and which has been under reconstruction since 2005, will be able to accommodate up to 10,000 people at a time. ALEXEI DRUZHININ/RIA NOVOSTI/KREMLIN/REUTERS *Marc Bennetts, Newsweek:* *Putin’s Syria Adventure May Backfire at Home* “Assad is a heartless killer!” rag... more »
At What Point Do GOP Voters Realize They've Been Conned And That No One Is Coming For Their Guns?
Kansas crackpot Tim Huelskamp seems upset at RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. The Liberty Caucus extremist took Priebus' dire warnings about a "terrible feeling" that the GOP is "cooked" as a national party very personally. Priebus, looking at what's become of the so-called Deep Bench and the chaos in the Republican-dominated Congress, told the right-wing website, the *Washington Examiner*, "that we're cooked as a party for quite a while as a party if we don't win in 2016." Despite Priebus' autopsy after the 2012 disaster, the GOP has learned nothing from their ass-whooping. This year... more »
Song for the semi-final
I hear we’re struggling to find a song to sing at rugby games. Ireland has the Fields of Athenry, England (for some reason) has a Negro spiritual, and Australia has the most annoying song written since our own National Anthem. Which should be unsung, but sadly isn’t. So I don’t have a song for you to sing on every terrace, but there’s certainly a strong candidate for one to be sung at this weekend’s semi-final. An old classic, with only a few words needing an update. I mean, have *you* Ever Met a Nice South African … ? Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author f... more »
Metropolitan Police Officer Charged With Seven Counts Of Rape
West London Police officer Michael Graham will appear at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with seven counts of rape and one count of assault. Breaking News Ireland reports: Pc Michael Graham, 47, attached to Hounslow borough in London, was arrested at home earlier this month and has been suspended, Scotland Yard said. Graham is charged with seven counts of rape and one count of assault which are alleged to have taken place between December 24, 2013 and September 2, 2014. He was arrested while off duty on October 6. Officers in the sexual offences exploitation and chi... more »
Russia Admits That The Goal Of Their Military Forces In Syria Is To Assist The Syrian Government To Retake Territory
Russian Su-25 attack aircraft take off from the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. © Dmitriy Vinogradov / RIA Novosti *Bloomberg*: *Putin Officials Said to Admit Real Syria Goal Is Far Broader* * Russian intervention may last as long as a year, official says * Kremlin to back Assad regime's drive to retake key cities As Russia’s air war in Syria nears its fourth week, officials now admit that Moscow’s aim is far broader than the publicly announced fight against terrorist groups. The Kremlin’s real goal is to help Syrian President Bashar al-Assad retake as much as possible of the territory ... more »
Iran’s Execution Of Minors Slammed By United Nations
UN experts on human rights expressed “outrage and profound sadness” on Friday following the execution of two minors and urged the Islamic Republic to “stop killing children.” One expert on summary executions compared the executions to murder by the state. Experts on human rights call on Iran to abolish the death penalty, saying that respect for life and dignity will improve Iran’s standing with the rest of humanity. France 24 reports: Fatemeh Salbehi was hanged on Tuesday after being found guilty for killing a man she had been forced to marry when she was just 16, becoming the 11th ... more »
The real problem is not wealth, but poverty
People from the Pope to Jane Kelsey think the real problem is not poverty, but wealth. “If the problem facing the British economy had been identified as the destabilising effects of extreme wealth,” writes popular British columnist Zoe Williams in this vein, “how long would it have been before the wealthy themselves came to be scrutinised?” In his column this morning Daniel Hannan identifies this popular but dangeroudly misguided attitude as “the ultimate #FirstWorldProblem.” Only this time it’s not funny. *Which previous age of human civilisation would not gladly have swapped it... more »
A Look At The Many Players In The Syrian War
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *New York Times*: *Untangling the Overlapping* *What started as a popular uprising against the Syrian government four years ago has become a proto-world war with nearly a dozen countries embroiled in two overlapping conflicts:* The two conflicts have cast the United States and Russia as enemies in one war and nominal allies in the other. Rebel groups supported by the United States are focused on toppling the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, not rooting out the Islamic State. The United States is focused on defeating the Islamic State. While it has ... more »
"Mind Control Through Emotional Domination: How We're All Being Manipulated By The "Crisis Of The NOW"
*"Mind Control Through Emotional Domination: * *How We're All Being Manipulated By The "Crisis Of The NOW"* by Mike Adams (NaturalNews) - "What you're about to read here is a revealing look at the psychological mechanism presently being used by government and media to achieve near-absolute control over the population. I'm calling the concept the "crisis of the NOW," and understanding this is a lot like taking the RED pill. The "crisis of the now" involves an incessant, strategic bombardment of the population with a never-ending stream of contrived crises that demand immediate atten... more »
‘Universal Soldier,’ by Martine Vaugel
See more at sculptress Martine Vaugel’s site. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
SPHERE ALLIANCE MESSAGE #103 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Secret Transfer of US Territory to China in Redemption of Fraudulent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Securities, The Land Under Trump Tower, Sale of National Parks,Sovereign Indian Lands, and US National Monuments
Donald Trump's Trump Tower sits on Chinese sovereign territory according the Sphere Alliance*AK NOTE: The following is a conversation today with the Sphere Alliance based on a tip that the Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton exchanged land in the USA to replace fraudulent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities that were sold to the Chinese by Wall Street. These lands are considered Chinese territory and under Chinese laws and financial rules as to money transfers and immigration. There are similar areas in Europe and around the world. * *This data comes from the Sphere Allia... more »
‘Assad Must Go’ Rhetoric is a Huge Obstacle for Obama on Syria
[image: Angry Obama-400] Assad must go. Three short words -- one protracted policy debate. Back in the summer of 2011, those words, or their equivalent, became known among makers of U.S. Middle East policy as "the magic words" -- words that President Obama,... Continue reading *“‘Assad Must Go’ Rhetoric is a Huge Obstacle for Obama on Syria”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
Explaining The Controversy Over Iraq’s Kurdish Presidency, Interview With Univ Utara Malaysia’s Sherko Kirmanj
On August 19, 2015 Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani’s term ended. He remains in office however, while the ruling parties argue over whether they should reform the powers of the presidency or not. The on going dispute shows the limits of reforms in the region. To help shed some light on Kurdish politics is Sherko Kirmanj who is a visiting lecturer at the University Utara Malaysia and the author of *Identity and Nation in Iraq*. *1. Kurdistan’s major parties the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Gorran (Change), t... more »
Yes, George W. Bush Kept Us Safe
[image: George W. Bush - 400] Donald Trump says it is ridiculous for Jeb Bush to claim that his brother, President George W. Bush, "kept us safe." "The World Trade Center came down during his reign," Trump says. "He was the president at the time, and... Continue reading *“Yes, George W. Bush Kept Us Safe”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
Texas Cuts Off Medicaid Funding to Planned Parenthood
[image: Planned Parenthood sit-in protest_900] AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Texas announced Monday that it was cutting off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood clinics following undercover videos featuring discussions about fetal tissue, potentially triggering a federal court fight like one unfolding in neighboring Louisiana. Planned Parenthood... more »
False East/West Paradigm And The End Of Freedom!
I, like so many others, have been watching very carefully as the war in Syria has taken a turn against the US and Israel, supposedly, thanks to the intervention of the Russian Federation.... It does appear at least at face value that the so called attempt at a "new world order" by the United States and Israel has reached a roadblock.... But there have been so many peculiar things happening that everyone should still have their guard up and not fully put their entire trust into Vladimir Putin as a "world savior"..... I came across the following very important article that actually ma... more »
Russia Wipes Out 49 ISIS Targets In ONE Day As ISIS Crumble
Russia have destroyed over 49 ISIS targets, including buildings and vehicles, in the provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Latakia, and Hama, in one of its most successful operations yet. Express.co.uk reports: Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Major-General Igor Konashenkov, said the strikes had taken out: Two command centres of illegal armed groups Three ammunition and armament depots Two underground bunkers 32 firing positions in mountain-woodland areas Nine fortified firing positions of illegal armed groups A workshop used for [missile] launch pads and rocket projectiles He...more »
CERN’s Large Hadron Collider To Make Contact With Parallel Universe
CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is set to fire up to its highest energy levels yet in order to make contact with a possible parallel universe. The experiment hopes to ‘leak’ gravity from our universe into the new parallel universe that CERN discover. Express.co.uk reports: The experiment is sure to inflame alarmist critics of the LHC, many of whom initially warned the high energy particle collider would spell the end of our universe with the creation a black hole of its own. But so far Geneva remains intact and comfortably outside the event horizon. Indeed the LHC has been spect... more »
NATO Conducts Biggest Drill In 30 Years Amid Cold War Tension
NATO and its allies have launched one of the biggest military drills in recent history in the central Mediterranean. The drills, nicknamed Trident Juncture, involve 36,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen from over 30 countries testing their ability to respond to “new security threats”, with emphasis on dealing with an ever-increasing perceived threat from Russia. Presstv.com reports: NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alexander Vershbow told the ceremony that the exercises would show that the military alliance is capable of dealing with “everything from conventional military engagements to ... more »
Sweden On Brink Of Collapse, Worrying Report
According to Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, Sweden is in a state of crisis, and on the brink of complete collapse. With its huge influx of migrants, the government are no longer able to guarantee a “normal service” to its citizens, according to a report on the Gatestoneinstitute.org website. The report says: Three ministers appeared by the Prime Minister’s side at the hastily summoned press conference, which came on the heels of an extraordinary government meeting. The purpose of the press conference seems to have been to convey two messages: To explain to the world and the S... more »
Has Google Recorded Your Voice? Here’s How To Find Out
Did you know that Google keep an audio log of all the questions you ask it via the voice search function? Qz.com reports: Back in June, Google launched a new portal for all Google account-related activities. It’s where you can manage your privacy settings, see what you’ve searched for, and where Google has logged your location. The Guardian pointed out Oct. 12 that these archives include a section for voice searches, and it’s a little unnerving to listen to every silly thing you’ve asked since the service launched. In recent months, I’ve apparently asked Google where I can eat nearb... more »
Dunford Meets With Israeli Leaders, Pledges Cooperation
[image: Joseph_F._Dunford_Jr__1430790598_173.57.57.10] JERUSALEM (AP) -- The top U.S. military officer pledged further military cooperation with Israel Sunday in meetings with the country’s leaders, amid increasing worries about Iranian involvement in the Syria conflict. Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met... more »
Rubio, Bush Step Up Jabs as 2016 Rivalry Heats Up
[image: Rubio-v-Bush - 900] PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) -- Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are on course for a collision. There once was mutual public deference. But that has eroded as the Florida Republicans battling for the presidential nomination have come to see the other...more »
EU Council Say West Have Underestimated Russia’s Military Power
The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) have said that the West have completely underestimated Russia’s vast military power. Pravda.ru reports: According to The Diplomat, the US and Europe “misunderstood” Russia’s military reforms, having missed most important aspects of them. Russia started reforming its armed forces after the military conflict with Georgia in 2008. After the war, Russia launched the largest reform of the army since the 1930s. The reform consisted of three stages: improving professionalism of the military through the transformation of the system of mili... more »
Supplemental: Two professors hit it out of the park!
*MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015Moral overconfidence, health care spending and us:* Sometimes, the professors really come through! Consider Professor Krugman’s latest column. Then, consider an important essay in yesterday’s Washington Post. Krugman has been coming through for years, although to little avail. This morning, he delivers an interesting presentation concerning the benefits of life in little small Denmark. Krugman’s column is very much worth reading. Sadly, it made us think of his series of columns in 2006 concerning the giant costs of American health care. In the spring of... more »
Facebook Will Now Notify You If Government Is Spying On You
Facebook security have announced that the social media giant will notify users if they believe their account has been compromised by a government agency. Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos announced that “while we have always taken steps to secure accounts that we believe to have been compromised, we decided to show this additional warning if we have a strong suspicion that an attack could be government-sponsored“. Wired.co.uk reports: He added that such attacks “tend to be more advanced and dangerous than others”, meaning that users who are thus compromised should take grea... more »
Richard Branson: UN To Decriminalise ALL Drugs Worldwide
Richard Branson claims that he has been shown a report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) that calls on governments worldwide to end the “war on drugs” and to decriminalise the use and possession of all illegal substances. On a post on his Virgin website, Branson states an “as-yet unreleased statement” has been sent to the world’s media under embargo, but he has decided to go public with it for fear that the UN will “bow to pressure by not going ahead with this important move”. Independent.co.uk reports: The UN was preparing to declare “unequivocally that criminalisation is... more »
Syrian War News Updates -- October 19, 2015
*Reuters:* *Syrian rebels say receive more weapons for Aleppo battle* Rebels battling the Syrian army and its allies near Aleppo said on Monday they had received new supplies of U.S.-made anti-tank missiles from states opposed to President Bashar al-Assad since the start of a major government offensive last week. The rebels from three groups contacted by Reuters said new supplies had arrived in response to the attack by the army, which is backed up by Russian air strikes and on the ground by Iranian fighters and Lebanon's Hezbollah. The delivery of the U.S.-made TOW missiles to r... more »
MSNBC will correct their "factually wrong" graphic, but it's too late bthe damage has already been done
'MSNBC has admitted that highly controversial graphics aired on the network that depicted Israel as stealing land from the Palestinians were “factually wrong” and that the broadcast would be corrected on Monday, according to a network spokesperson.' Read more: here I have seen this MSNBC graphic on Twitter, Facebook and elsewhere. Usually it's been posted by ignorant or deluded anti-Israel, often actually anti-Semitic, types who were quick to jump on the original story but will ignore the retraction. MSNBC can correct their mistake today but the damage has already been done - ant... more »
Weingarten's New Job
Since setting off a storm of protest with her autocratic endorsement of corporate shill, Hillary Clinton, Randi Weingarten has tacked away onto a less obvious political course that will, no less, serve the needs of the Clinton campaign and its billionaire funders. Randi's new assignment is to solidify, if she can, black working class support for Hillary, and in order to do so, Weingarten has on board with her the "Black Lives Matter" crew, along with a full contingent of Oreo bloggers, TFA provacateurs, and plenty of white corporate foundation check writers to keep everyone entire... more »
Three NATO Nations Will Maintain Their Military Presence In Afghanistan
NATO soldiers stand near a damaged NATO military vehicle at the site of a suicide car bomb blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, October 11, 2015. REUTERS/OMAR SOBHANI *Reuters:* *Exclusive: NATO nations to keep presence in Afghanistan, officials say* Germany, Turkey and Italy are set to keep their deployments in Afghanistan at current levels, senior NATO officials said on Monday after the U.S. government decided to prolong its 14-year-old military presence there. The Taliban's brief takeover of a provincial capital has raised concern about the strength of Afghan state forces and both the ... more »
A Detailed Map On Taliban Activity In Afghanistan
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Threat Matrix*: *Taliban controls or contests 70 districts in Afghanistan* The Taliban now controls 35 of Afghanistan’s 398 districts and contests another 35, according to information compiled by The Long War Journal. The data was used by The New York Times to create a map that depicts the Taliban’s reach in Afghanistan. The map is reproduced above. The Long War Journal‘s original map, as well as our methodology for labeling a district controlled or contested, can be viewed here. We believe that the Taliban either controls or contests far more distric... more »
Afghan Defense Minister: 'Doctors Without Borders Hospital In Kunduz Was Being Used By The Taliban'
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com *The Hill*: *Afghan defense chief: Taliban used hospital bombed by US* Afghanistan’s acting defense minister says a Doctors Without Borders hospital bombed by U.S. forces was being used as a base by militants and had a Taliban flag hoisted on the walls around the compound. "That was a place they wanted to use as a safe place because everybody knows that our security forces and international security forces were very careful not to do anything with a hospital," Masoom Stanekzai said in an interview with The Associated Press. "But when there... more »
U.S. F-16 Struck My Taliban Fire In Afghanistan
Afghan Taliban militants line up pieces of the F-16. AFP *AFP:* *US F-16 Struck by Enemy Fire in Afghanistan in Rare Attack* KABUL: A US F-16 was struck by enemy fire in eastern Afghanistan in a rare instance of an advanced fighter jet coming under attack by insurgents, military officials have confirmed to AFP. The $100 million jet sustained significant damage which forced it to jettison its fuel tanks and munitions before returning to base, officials said. The attack occurred on last Tuesday in the Sayid Karam district of eastern Paktia province, much of which is under control of... more »
The Economy: "In America, Honest Jobs no Longer Pay"
*"In America, Honest Jobs no Longer Pay"* by Bill Bonner NORMANDY, France – "Life in the countryside has changed. It used to be hard, rude, and isolated. Now, with a little bit of money, the Internet, and a combination of ancient and modern technology, it can be much more amusing… We came out to Normandy on Saturday to help renovate an old farmhouse and spent much of the weekend cutting firewood. Rebuilding an old fireplace in Normandy. Normandy can be wet, dark, and cold in the autumn. It helps to have an open fire – especially when you are working on a grim project. Today, small,... more »
What Bernie Sanders Doesn’t Understand About Economic Equality
[image: Bernie Sanders - 400] America is more distant from the 1933 beginning of the New Deal (82 years) than that beginning was from the 1865 end of the Civil War (68 years). Both episodes involved the nation's understanding of equality: The war affirmed equality of natural... Continue reading *“What Bernie Sanders Doesn’t Understand About Economic Equality”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
China’s Selling Tons of US Debt. Americans Couldn’t Care Less.
[image: US Treasury - 400] For all the dire warnings over China's retreat from U.S. government debt, there's one simple fact that is being overlooked: American demand is as robust as ever. Not only are domestic mutual funds buying record amounts of Treasuries at auctions... Continue reading *“China’s Selling Tons of US Debt. Americans Couldn’t Care Less.”* at *bloomberg.com*.
World News Briefs -- October 19, 2015
*WSJ*: *Voters in Canada Head to Ballot Box in Tight Race* *Polling trends suggest Canadians are keen for a change of government* OTTAWA—Voters in Canada head to the ballot box Monday to cap off an 11-week campaign that could mark the end of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s close to a decade in power. Polling trends suggest Canadians are keen for a change of government as the economy sputters amid lower commodity prices. Many issues, from an expense-claim uproar to the government’s abrasive style, have angered a cross-section of voters. *MIDDLE EAST* US seeks talks w... more »
Muslim Children Told How to 'Stab a Jew' During 'School Lessons'?
http://patriotupdate.com/what-muslim-children-told-how-to-stab-a-jew-during-school-lessons/
French Publishing Company To Print Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf
Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” is getting a new lease of life after the copyright on the Nazi manifesto containing autobiographical, anti-semitic and militaristic screeds runs out next year. A French publishing company has decided to reprint the ‘historical’ work after pondering over it for four years. The book originally came out in two volumes in 1925 and 1926 and led to the rise of Hitler’s fortunes at the cost of the Germans and the world during WW2. It outlines Hitler’s struggles in early twentieth century and his vision for the Germanic peoples. It was banned in Germany after Wor... more »
Giant New Asteroid 2015 TB145 Heading For Earth On Halloween
Asteroid 2015 TB145 discovered just a fortnight ago is hurtling towards our planet at 126,000 miles per hour and is set to light up the sky on Halloween. The piece of space rock measures 2,000ft in diameter and will come within 310,000 miles or 1.3 lunar distances of Earth, the closest a large object has come to our planet in recent years. International Business Times reports: Despite its size, the asteroid – called 2015 TB145 – was found just three weeks before its closest approach by astronomers using the Pan-STARRS I telescope in Hawaii. Nasa said it is the biggest asteroid to co... more »
The 2016 Primary: A Proxy Vote on the Afghan War?
Credit: Finbarr O'Reilly, file photo, Reuters (source; click to enlarge) *by Gaius Publius* We have yet to write much about Clinton's foreign policy, partly because so much of it is inferencial, and partly because so much has been held in reserve. But recently Clinton came out strongly opposed to the actions of Edward Snowden, taking a position very close to Obama's tough stance on the matter. And now she has come out in support of continued war in Afghanistan. I'll have more later on a Clinton foreign policy — a discussion the "left" is not yet having — but I want to open the doo... more »
Matt Ridley: Now Here’s The Good News On Global Warming
Activists may want to shut down debate, but evidence is growing that high CO2 levels boost crops and nourish the oceans. France’s leading television weather forecaster, Philippe Verdier, was taken off air last week for writing that there are “positive consequences” of climate change. Freeman Dyson, professor emeritus of mathematical physics […]
Fukushima Cams High Pixilation Worsening
TEPCO cam 4 TEPCO cam 1 The screenshots from TEPCO cam 1 (illustrated immediately above) look as if emissions are coming from unit 1, as well as from the unit 3 area. Its possible that atmospheric humidity levels are responsible but the way the haze is hanging in the air makes me think it is not ordinary. Notice in the screenshot above how the haze seems to outline the buildings and crane like a halo, an evil halo.
Former BBC Journalist Found Hanged In Istanbul Airport
Friends have raised concern about the circumstances surrounding the death of British journalist and scholar Jacky Sutton who was found hanged in a toilet cubicle in Istanbul. They call for an investigation expressing disbelief about reports that former BBC producer appeared to have killed herself. Jacky’s boss, Anthony Borden, executive director of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, has spoken of his shock and described the circumstances surrounding her death as “very murky”. 50 year old Jacqueline Anne Sutton, known as Jacky, who was working as the Iraq director for the Ins... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- October 19, 2015
Russian Ministry of Defense *Moscow Times*: *Russia to Build Unified Military Base in Syria, Says General* Russia's Defense Ministry is planning to create a single unified military base in Syria, a member of the General Staff said Friday. Russia began air strikes against militant groups in Syria on Sept. 30. Moscow claims it is targeting terrorist groups, though Western analysts say Moscow's real aim is to defend Syrian President Bashar Assad. Russia's operations in Syria have so far been conducted using two bases along the Syrian coast — a small naval station at Tartus through wh... more »
GOP Hopefuls Support Religious Liberty at Texas Megachurch
[image: Carly Fiorina6 - 900] PLANO, Texas (AP) -- A half-dozen Republican presidential hopefuls worked to woo thousands of evangelicals at a Texas megachurch in suburban Dallas on Sunday, declaring their unwavering support for “religious liberty” even after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage and... more »
I’m More Worried About Helena Morrissey Than Climate Change
By Paul Homewood http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/11938151/The-lesson-from-climate-change-is-how-we-must-learn-to-adapt.html Another long and rambling piece in the Telegraph from Helena Morrissey , who usually spends most of her time complaining about gender gaps. This time, however, she offers up her expertise on climate change, repeating the same nonsense which Mark Carney came up with a couple of weeks ago. […]
Magic Never Dies
*Jon Rappoport* - Tired of the preaching designed to make humans into sophisticated mind-machines? The post Magic Never Dies appeared first on Waking Times.
US Military Head Meets Israeli PM- Arming Israel
I find this meeting curiously timed *US military head meets Israeli leaders * The top US military officer has pledged further military cooperation with Israel. *The top US military officer has pledged further military cooperation with Israel* in meetings with the country's leaders, amid increasing worries about Iranian involvement in the Syria conflict. *Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.* They acknowledged that while the US and Israel differ on the Iran nuclear agreement, *the two na... more »
Man Dies On Aer Lingus Flight After Biting Fellow Passenger
Police are investigating the death of a 24-year-old Brazilian man who became agitated and bit a fellow passenger on board an Aer Lingus flight from Lisbon to Dublin. The incident happened an hour into the two hour flight and the plane was diverted to Cork airport. The Brazilian man had to be restrained and lost conciousness and was subsequently pronounced dead on board the plane. Police have arrested a 44 year-old female Portuguese passenger on the same flight and are holding her under the Drug Trafficking Act. RTE reports: It is reported that he bit another passenger before being r... more »
Russian Warplanes Intercept Israeli Jets- Act 2
There is news, I'd bookmarked yesterday, that Russia intercepted Israeli planes over Lebanon *This is the second time this very similar news has been reported.* Is Israel testing Russian response? Spying? Or perception management? I'm torn. *First incident: Strategika via Uprooted Palestinian* [image: http://media.mehrnews.com/d/2015/10/14/3/1868903.jpg?ts=1445064985401]Image included with MEHR report*This initial report was mentioned here at the blog in the comments section* *Second incident:* DAMASCUS, Oct. 18 (MNA) – Russian jets forced Israeli fighter-bombers to change th... more »
Is the entire country suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?…
*it’s entirely possible. At least for those of us who are paying attention.* I apologize for my long absence. I attribute it to PTSD. by Adrienne *The Mayo Clinic describes PTSD as:* Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms may start within three months of a traumatic event, but sometimes symptoms may not appear until years after the event. These symptoms cause significant problems in social or work situations and in relationships. PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into four types: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, or changes in emotional re... more »
The Duck Civil War over Russia…
…has escalated. First, Jeff took his argument to Foreign Affairs. Now I’ve retaliated—and brought in Alex Cooley in an attempt at establishing escalation dominance. These interpretations dangerously misread contemporary geopolitics, however. Putin’s appearance of strength is, in reality, a function of Russia’s relatively weak international position. Russia lacks a global network of allies and partners […]
The Origin of Life and the Origin of Science Point to God
[image: 1Studying_astronomy_and_geometry] (Part 1 is here.) Scientism holds that researchers should consider only explanations fully consistent with atheism, whatever the field: Believe whatever you want in your personal life, but stick to methodological atheism in the lab. Scientism isn’t science, but thanks to... more »
Sources: Biden Could Announce Decision within 48 Hours
[image: Joe Biden - 400] Vice President Joe Biden is nearing a decision on if he will enter the presidential race, which could come within 48 hours, two sources tells NBC News. Biden has been contemplating a presidential run for months and has delayed an... Continue reading *“Sources: Biden Could Announce Decision within 48 Hours”* at *msnbc.com*.
Actually Bernie Sanders, the Poor in the US are Richer than the Middle Class in Much of Europe
[image: Homeless Man Poverty Poor - 400] In this week’s debate, Bernie Sanders claimed that the United States has the highest rate of childhood poverty. CBS reports that Sanders said: “We should not be the country that has the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major... Continue reading *“Actually Bernie Sanders, the Poor in the US are Richer than the Middle Class in Much of Europe”* at *mises.org*.
Cartoon: Ethics and Emails
[image: Ramirez - 900 10-16-15]
Prostate cancer paper flagged by ORI is retracted following PETA prompt
A federal investigation into a paper on prostate cancer has now led to a retraction. In an unusual twist, it happened following a request from the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In January, the Office of Research Integrity reported that corresponding author Dong Xiao “intentionally fabricated data” in an Oncotarget study of how a steroid inhibits […] The post Prostate cancer paper flagged by ORI is retracted following PETA prompt appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Truth, Conscience And The Work of The Synod
[image: Opening mass Synod] I had the pleasure on Thursday, October 15, of sharing some thoughts with the fine French Catholic magazine Famille Chretienne. The reporter did his job well. He went straight to the heart of a key issue in this year's synod... Continue reading *“Truth, Conscience And The Work of The Synod”* at *catholicphilly.com*.
Evangelicals Won’t Cave on the Sexual Revolution
[image: celebrity marriage hollywood divorce__1439643235_70.119.142.63] Could the next Billy Graham be a married lesbian? In the year 2045, will Focus on the Family be "Focus on the Families," broadcasting counsel to Evangelicals about how to manage jealousy in their polyamorous relationships? That's the assumption among... Continue reading *“Evangelicals Won’t Cave on the Sexual Revolution”* at *firstthings.com*.
Skål, Amerika!
Just as Woodrow Wilson made the world safe for democracy, Larry David has made Bernie Sanders safe for America. Once you've been impersonated by an A-list comic who regularly plays golf with Obama, you have finally arrived as a respected mainstream politician. Paul Krugman will even break down and write a whole column about you. OK, so I exaggerate. He actually wrote a column about Denmark, and somehow concluded that Hillary and Bernie are the same person. Or, to be more specific, he glibly turned Hillary's snarky debate remark about Denmark into a "demure" Bernie mind-meld in order...more »
Everyone's an art critic - including the police
Away from the subject of BBC bias for a while... First there came the pre-exhibition build-up about 'Blasphemy', "a series of about 40 paintings celebrating the right to criticize" by an up-and-coming artist... Then came the increasingly inevitable follow-up: *Lakhveer Azad – Blasphemy* *The gallery has taken the decision to cancel this exhibition due to the potentially offensive nature of its content after liaison with the Metropolitan Police.* As the presenter of Radio 4's *Making History *tweets: May your god help us (as Dave Allen might have put it)!
Back To The U.S.S.R.?
*The Telegraph:* *Russia retreats to autarky as poverty looms* *Vladimir Putin is falling back on Soviet-era self-reliance as oil wealth evaporates and sanctions cut off vitally-needed technology* Russia is running out of money. President Vladimir Putin is taking a strategic gamble, depleting the Kremlin's last reserve funds to cover the budget and to pay for an escalating war in Syria at the same time. The three big rating agencies have all issued alerts over recent days, warning that the country's public finances are deteriorating fast and furiously. There is no prospect of an o... more »
A New U.S. Strategy For Syria
White House *Ben Jonsson, War On The Rocks:* *A New Plan For The United States In Syria* Gen. David Petraeus called the conflict in Syria “a geopolitical Chernobyl, spewing instability and extremism over the region and the rest of the world.” Now in its fifth year, the war has claimed over 250,000 lives, displaced nearly half the population, and literally torn the country apart. In the process, it has evolved into a different type of problem for the United States. The U.S. strategy to deal with the conflict was unrealistic from the beginning. As the Obama administration rethinks it... more »
WHAT BAD POLITICS LOOKS LIKE: The Washington Post just flat gets it wrong!
*MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015Part 1—The science of disinformation:* The science of misinformation and disinformation is grievously underexplored. This weekend, some misinformation hardened. From the progressive perspective, we’d have to say that it represents the latest case of bad progressive politics. Alas! This misinformation originated within our own liberal tribe. The misinformation turned to stone in Sunday’s Washington Post. Candidate Clinton had gone to Alabama to deliver a speech. In her address, she had possibly pandered and fawned a bit to a key part of the base. As a res... more »
Retromania in Lidl groceries
*Products visually identical to those in communism are back* Three months ago, I promoted (American-European and other) free trade in general and some characteristic Czech food product in particular. This blog post is dedicated to a similar light topic – in fact, to a retro hardcore version of it. *Xindl X (Mr Ondřej Ládek): "Czechacheque And Totacheque" (Little Czech Man And His Dear Totalitarian Regime) dedicated this song to the absurdity of some people's claim that life used to be better during communism* The German supermarket chain Lidl is doing very well in Czechia – I am ... more »
Lucy Aharish speaks for many
"... even if the status quo (re Al Aqsa) has been broken, which in reality is false... Even if the status quo in the Temple Mount has been broken, does that allow someone to go and murder someone else because of a scared place? Or because of religion or because a Jew went there to pray in the house of God? .... That allows for children to go out and murder innocent people? What women puts on a hijab and prays to God, takes a knife out and tries to stab innocent people?" Lucy Aharish is an Arab Israeli news anchor who's had enough of the crap and isn't afraid to speak her mind. ... more »
Hyatt Hotels Changes Policy, Removes On-Demand Porn
[image: Television_and_remote_Credit_Concept_Photo_via_wwwshutterstockcom_CNA_10_15_15] Chicago, Ill., Oct 18, 2015 / 04:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In a major policy shift, the global hotel and resort chain Hyatt Hotels is cutting off access to on-demand video pornography in all of their hotel rooms across the globe,... Continue reading *“Hyatt Hotels Changes Policy, Removes On-Demand Porn”* at *catholicnewsagency.com*.
The F-22 Can Be Defeated
© Flickr/ Airman Magazine *Dave Majumdar, National Interest*:* America's F-22 Raptor Stealth Fighter Is a Killer (But it Can Be Defeated)* The U.S. Air Force has as a tiny fleet of 186 Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor stealth fighters. That’s all that survived out of 187 production aircraft (195 jets if developmental airframes are included) that were built out of the 750 that were originally planned. Of those 186 remaining Raptors, only 123 are “combat-coded” aircraft with another twenty that are classified as backup aircraft inventory machines. The rest are test and training assets. B... more »
Is Russia's Bombing Campaign Over Syria A Success?
Image: Creative Commons/Flickr. *Dave Majumdar, National Interest:* *Bombs Away: This Is Why Russia's Air War in Syria Is So Impressive* The Russian air force in Syria seems to be generating close to the theoretical maximum number of sorties possible for thirty-two fixed-wing combat aircraft. That’s of course assuming the Russians are providing factually accurate information about their operations in Latakia. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Moscow’s forces flew eighty-eight combat sorties while hitting eighty-six ISIS targets in a twenty-four hour span. “In the cour... more »
Mega-correction for “empirical anomalies” in management paper
The author of a paper that looked at how the geographical spread of research and development sites has impacted innovation has posted a four-page list of corrections that fixed “empirical anomalies” in the paper. A group of PhD students raised concerns about the paper’s findings, according to the editor-in-chief of The Academy of Management Journal, Gerard […] The post Mega-correction for “empirical anomalies” in management paper appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Syrian 'Rebels" aka Terrorists Receive More Weapons via Turkey/ CIA Arms Program
*Vital background from previous post: Syria:Russian Technology to Impede Communications/Circumvent the TOW Missiles* The US has recently made multiple drops to their thugs and terrorists. Kurd thugs got their weapons- as much as 120 tons. *HERE **OR ** here*. *" *In an unprecedented development, *US warplanes raided over Aleppo before targeting power generation facilities serving loyalist areas with Sol-Air missiles*. Other* US cargo aircraft have dumped large quantities of military equipment and ammunition including sophisticated anti-tank missiles over areas controlled by the I... more »
British Journalist Found Dead Under Suspicious Circumstances at Istanbul Airport
[image: Jacky Sutton is believed to have been travelling to Irbil, northern Iraq. Photograph: Facebook] ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- A British director of an organization promoting journalism in conflict zones has been found dead amid suspicious circumstances at Istanbul’s main airport after allegedly missing a connecting flight to northern Iraq where she worked, reports and... more »
Feds Hide Secret List of 11 Floundering Obamacare Insurers
[image: obamacare - 400] Federal officials have a secret list of 11 Obamacare health insurance co-ops they fear are on the verge of failure, but they refuse to disclose them to the public or to Congress, a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation has learned.... more »
Can A No-Fly Zone Be Established Over Syria?
An airplane belonging to forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flies above Idlib in May 2014. The creation of a no-fly zone is a key step toward creating a safe zone below, though not the most important one, the author writes. KHALIL ASHAWI/REUTERS *Karl Mueller, Newsweek*:* Is a No-Fly Zone Over Syria Achievable?* A number of congressional leaders, former officials, and presidential candidates have advocated the establishment of a no-fly zone or safe zone in Syria to protect Syrian civilians against attack from both the Islamic State and the regime of Syrian President B... more »
The Three-Foot Tall Jihadi Who Is Nicknamed 'Al-Chihuahua'
The long and the short of it: This three-foot-tall dwarf has apparently joined the Al Qaeda-linked terror group Jabhat Al-Nusra, part of a coalition of rebels fighting the Syrian regime and the Islamic State *Daily Mail*: *Mini Me-hadi: The three-foot tall jihadi who is hardly bigger than his Kalashnikov and is nicknamed 'Al-Chihuahua'* * Fighter 'is with the Al Qaeda-linked group Jabhat Al-Nusra in Syria' * Images show him posing with machine gun in sunglasses and camouflage * The mini jihadi has been nicknamed 'Abu Ahmad Al-Chihuahua' online He is barely taller than his machine gu... more »
Is America About To Explode?
© Carlo Allegri / Reuters *Sam Gerrans, RT:* *'America is a bomb waiting to explode'* The United States is in decline. While not all major shocks to the system will be devastating, when the right one comes along, the outcome may be dramatic. Not all explosives are the same. We all know you have to be careful with dynamite. Best to handle it gently and not smoke while you’re around it. Semtex is different. You can drop it. You can throw it. You can put it in the fire. Nothing will happen. Nothing until you put the right detonator in it, that is. To me, the US – and most of the sup... more »
There's A History Of Extremists Who Can't Get Their Way Trying To Destroy The U.S. Government
Yesterday on *Meet The Press* Texas neo-fascist Ted Cruz adamantly refused to acknowledge to Chuck Todd that Ayn Rand devotee Paul Ryan is a "true conservative." Cruz drew a contrast by pointing out that Hate Talk Radio host Mark Levin, who is anti-Ryan, is a true conservative. "I like Paul Ryan," said Cruz. "He’s a friend of mine." Imagine if he didn't like him and didn't want to pose as a Ryan "friend!" One guy who really has been a friend of Cruz's is Trump-- an odd couple if there ever was one (although Cruz and unlikely odd couples...). Also on *Meet the Press* yesterday, Cruz... more »
Energy 45, Thailand's bright nights and nat gas power
When I went to Bangkok last week, my plane landed at midnight. I saw the huge, wide, extensive well-lighted areas of Thailand, even hundreds of kms. away from Bangkok proper. Very very few dark areas. They must have cheap and stable power sources. This photo I got from the web, that's in Bangkok already. Even outside Bangkok, there are just too many lights, they do not economize on energy as electricity prices I think are cheap and affordable. When electricity prices are high, like in the PH, aside from bad economic repercussions, there are two major social problems when many stree... more »
An Historic Election
https://www.flickr.com/ It's been a long time coming, this last day of the election campaign. And it's been a campaign that covered a lot of ground -- some good soil and some swamp. Tim Harper writes: We went from debating budget bottom lines to a discussion which cut to the core of what it meant to be Canadian — the value of our citizenship, our history of welcoming the world’s neediest, our treatment of our neighbours, our place in the world, our accommodation to others with different customs and garb. Some of the debate soared. ...more »
Untitled
*The latest iteration of "progressive" schooling* *This is all pretty old-hat. I taught in a similar school years ago. And the wash-up of A.S. Neill's "Summerhill" should be instructive. These days it has 172 rules. In the end kids just don't learn much in such schools without adult pressure from somewhere -- usually the home* On a crisp autumn morning, Tsi-Ann Calixte furiously pounds on her Chromebook’s keyboard, hashing out details on a project she’s spearheading for her 14-person team. As she sits at a collaborative table reflecting on a job well-done, half a dozen collea... more »
KMT Crampain II: Cheese with that? ...and polls!
*Two of the manliest men I know explore what passes for a beach in Taichung.* How do you know the KMT campaign buses have arrived in your neighborhood? Because when the engines shut off, you can still hear the whine... Well, the new and probably far grimmer campaign got off to a start with both candidates promising not to get nasty. Next stage: the "they did it first!" claim. Sitting down to talk "absolutely is not a problem for me," Chu said. He said he has never engaged in negative campaigning as he does not support malicious attacks or smearing tactics. "It is absolutely not n... more »
‘For the Record’: Why The Southern Border May Be Even Less Secure Than Many Think
[image: U.S. Customs and Border Protection] The battle to secure the U.S.-Mexico border has re-emerged as one of the most contentious issues on the campaign trail. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Washington repeatedly point to statistics that say a majority of illegal immigrants are... Continue reading *“‘For the Record’: Why The Southern Border May Be Even Less Secure Than Many Think”* at *theblaze.com*.
The Great Carbon Boom
[image: Carbon dioxide leaf_compressed 400 pix] On the eve of the UN climate summit in Paris, all delegates would be well advised to reflect on how the story of man-made global warming debate started. Svante Arrhenius, winner of the 1905 Nobel Prize, hypothesized over a century... Continue reading *“The Great Carbon Boom”* at *business.financialpost.com*.
Fool’s Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion
[image: fools_talk] As I was sitting alone in the cafeteria one afternoon, far from home, overwhelmed and lonely on a campus of 20,000 people, an older student walked up, smiled, and asked if he could join me. He took a seat and... Continue reading *“Fool’s Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion”* at *thegospelcoalition.org*.
Why Conservatives Might Not Demand a Conservative Speaker
[image: Sen. Mike Lee] The Freedom Caucus, a group of about 40 conservative lawmakers whose votes are key to leadership races, wants the next speaker to commit to numerous process and rules changes to the way the House currently operates. These lawmakers believe the... more »
Inspector General: Under Hillary, State Dept. Cybersecurity a ‘Significant Deficiency’
[image: cybersecurity_hacking] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The State Department was among the worst agencies in the federal government at protecting its computer networks while Hillary Rodham Clinton was secretary from 2009 to 2013, a situation that continued to deteriorate as John Kerry took... more »
Christian Population in Iraq in Danger of Being Eradicated in 5 Years
[image: iraq-christians] The Christian population in Iraq is in danger of being extinct in about five years, a recent report from an international Catholic charity organization says. At present, there are only around 300,000 Christians left in Iraq from over a million... Continue reading *“Christian Population in Iraq in Danger of Being Eradicated in 5 Years”* at *christianpost.com*.
Untitled
*The latest non-science from the non-science guy* Bill Nye is not a scientist. He is an entertainer. His degree was in mechanical engineering. But we see here a claim from him that Miami is sinking due to global warming. Che?? How does global warming do that? It is true that Miami is going underwater to a degree but it is not due to global warming. There are various parts of the world -- the S.E. coast of England notably -- where the land is sinking. And Florida is one of those. To the casual observer, the rise of the sea and the sinking of the land look the same but they... more »
Ancient Briton - the lost cities - hidden under the Atlantic ocean
a view of our eroded coastline from the last Ice Age to the present day, enjoy finding LOST WORLDS at the western edges of these waters.... Imagine how many lost civilisations or Tribes of Briton could be excavated from these ancient tribal lands far out in the English Channel and Brittany. Shocking loss of Historical Relevance.
Canada is going to throw a Right Wing Autocratic tyrant out of the Prime Minister's Office today !!!
*"Canada is a Northern European welfare state in the worst sense of the term, and very proud of it. Canadians make no connection between the fact that they are a Northern European welfare state and the fact that we have very low economic growth, a standard of living substantially lower than yours, a massive brain drain of young professionals to your country, and double the unemployment rate of the United States."*- *Stephen Harper, then vice-president of the National Citizens Coalition, in a June 1997 Montreal meeting of the Council for National Policy, a right-wing American think ... more »
Former BBC Chairman condemns BBC coverage on violence in Israel per Conservative Friends of Israel
Lord Grade, the former Chairman of the BBC, has written to the BBC to complain about the BBC's biased reporting of the latest events in Israel. 'Former Chairman of the BBC, Lord Grade of Yarmouth CBE, has expressed concern about the BBC's coverage of the recent violence in Israel and the West Bank, in a letter to the organisations' Director of News and Current Affairs, James Harding. In his complaint, Lord Grade said that the BBC coverage was at times misleading and failed to provide a wider context of what is an "undoubtedly complex issue". Lord Grade criticised the BBC's inabili... more »
While Federal Debt Continues Spiraling Upward, Budget Talks Stall Before They Even Begin
[image: Congress Building - 400] Congress' crucial effort to strike a year-end fiscal deal is faltering before it's really started. Republicans are demanding changes to entitlement programs, a request that's already been rejected by Democrats. Democrats want boosts in domestic spending without painful cuts, a... Continue reading *“While Federal Debt Continues Spiraling Upward, Budget Talks Stall Before They Even Begin”* at *politico.com*.
After Shootings, Varying Shades of Recovery at Charleston Church
[image: Worshipers at Emanuel A.M.E. Since the massacre, more whites have attended services there. Credit Stephen B. Morton for The New York Times] CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Rev. Dr. Norvel Goff Sr. was standing on a Wednesday evening in the room where the massacre occurred at Emanuel A.M.E. Church, readying himself to lead Bible study. A police officer was at the door. But... Continue reading *“After Shootings, Varying Shades of Recovery at Charleston Church”* at *nytimes.com*.
Democrats Embrace Obama Legacy Despite Risks in 2016 Race
[image: President Obama] WASHINGTON (AP) -- If the recent Republican presidential debates have revealed hobbling breaks in the party, the Democrats’ first political X-ray showed a couple of hairline fractures. The five Democrats on the debate stage last week in Las Vegas offered... more »
What to Expect from The Last Week of The Synod
[image: Pope Francis Synod on the family] As the synod begins its final, deciding week, the 270 voting members have gone back into their 13 small groups to thrash out amendments to the final, crucial third part of the Instrumentum Laboris. After discussions today and tomorrow morning, they... Continue reading *“What to Expect from The Last Week of The Synod”* at *cvcomment.org*.
Caesar
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interréd with their bones; So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest— For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men— Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me: But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome Whose ransom...more »
CERN & Solar Update- Oct 19 2015
Well, after last nights Transpicuous News Report, where I ended the show with the latest CERN "news", I woke up to yet another interesting article from the London Rag news"paper", the Express: Scientists at Large Hadron Collider hope to make contact with PARALLEL UNIVERSE in daysSCIENTISTS conducting a mindbending experiment at the Large Hadron Collider next week hope to connect with a PARALLEL UNIVERSE outside of our own. Followed by This one: Did parallel universe open up? Hundreds see 'floating city' filmed in skies above ChinaCHINESE TV news reports have told how thousands of res... more »
CERN To Make Contact With PARALLEL UNIVERSE In Days & Saturn Stargate Activation Begins!f
[image: Kev Baker Show] *http://kevbakershow.com/cern-saturn-dimensions/#sthash.CEhCRKnb.dpbs* *CERN Creating Blackholes On Earth To Contact "The Other Side" * [image: cern feat] Scientists at CERN are expecting to CONTACT A PARALLEL UNIVERSE within days as they ramp up the energy levels at the largest machine on earth! They are hoping to detect miniature black holes that would in effect prove that gravity has leaked from our dimension into another. However, as i will go on to explain, I suspect they have already made “contact” a long time ago, and what they are doing now is try... more »
Europe To Join Russia In Mission To The Dark Side Of The Moon
Russia and Europe are to launch a joint mission to the dark side of moon. The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to join Russia in its ambitious plan to colonize the Moon. They will provide key tech for the exploration mission which is planned for 2020, and possibly help construct a permanent base there. RT reports: Announced by Russia’s space agency Roscosmos last November, Luna 27 is a robotic lander that will land in the South Pole–Aitken basin, a giant crater on the dark side of the Moon, and prospect it for resources that could be utilized by future moon-dwellers. “The south po... more »
How Discrimination Can Kill You
Pretty much every day I fight employers who don't take discrimination seriously. HR people and management tend to think people who complain about discrimination are poor performing whiners. But discrimination is real, and it really happens in the workplace. Not only can discrimination cost you money in lost wages and benefits, but now there are some studies saying discrimination can damage your health or even kill you. So, HR and management folks, please take discrimination complaints seriously. If you don't, you might be helping to kill one of your employees. And if you're a victim... more »
The Surreal Experience That Taught Me to Love the Nose I Used to Hate
[image: woman looking at mirror] While it may be politically correct to pay lip service to platitudes about our inner beauty, our culture itself pushes in exactly the opposite direction. Media and advertising suggest we should airbrush or nip and tuck away the natural variations... Continue reading *“The Surreal Experience That Taught Me to Love the Nose I Used to Hate”* at *verilymag.com*.
Israel: Sunday Stabbing and Shooting Attack in Negev Desert Leaves Two Dead
[image: Israel Palestinian stabbing shooting attacks] JERUSALEM -- Two people were killed and nearly a dozen injured in a shooting and stabbing attack on Sunday evening carried out by an Israeli Bedouin Arab in the southern Israeli city of Beersheva, Israeli police confirmed Monday. One of... Continue reading *“Israel: Sunday Stabbing and Shooting Attack in Negev Desert Leaves Two Dead”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
Afghan Defense Minister Says Taliban Hid in Bombed Hospital
[image: The damaged interior of the hospital in which the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, medical charity operated is seen on October 13, 2015 following an air strike in the northern city of Kunduz.] KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Afghanistan’s acting defense minister said on Monday that the Doctors Without Borders hospital in the north of the country that was bombed by U.S. forces was being used by insurgents who were fighting government forces. Masoom... more »
Right and Wrong
This country has a lot of problems with it. But the fact that international race-hatred inciter Lynton Crosby created more disgust than enthusiasm is cause for mild celebration. Some Canadians don't care if their chosen representatives fuck goats in their spare time (or drive drunk, or are racists, or a hypocrites who are "tough on crime" while smoking crack) so long as they keep their taxes low. But these same Canadians who don't care about goat-fuckers lose their cool around women in niqabs and attack them and tell them to get the hell out of their country. 70% of us are not lik... more »
Osborne Under Pressure From Conservative MP’s To Reconsider Tax Credit Cuts
British Chancellor George Osborne is facing mounting pressure from within his own party to reconsider controversial plans to cut tax credits for working families. Andrew Mitchell, a former Cabinet minister said the plans to cut £4.4bn from the welfare bill by reducing tax credit payments to more than three million families could be “tweaked”. He said that he expected Mr Osborne would keep an “open mind” on the issue. The Independent reports: Many Conservative MPs are concerned that the cuts will hurt the party’s claim to support the working poor. Labour has branded the cuts a “work ... more »
Iran, 6 Nations Meet in Vienna on Implementing Nuclear Deal
[image: Iran nuclear deal Vienna] VIENNA (AP) -- With their milestone nuclear deal now in effect, Iran and six world powers are focusing on coordinating who needs to do what first for the agreement to be fully implemented. The agreement was reached July 14 but... more »
Economic News , Data & Views ( October 19 , 2015 ) - Asia / Emerging Markets Updates ( China economic data reflects weakest quarterly growth in six years , Saudis delaying payments to contractors - low oil price / high domestic budgetary demands / foreign policy inflicting cash flow woes , No stimulus needed in Japan - so says former BOJ member Nakahara , Brazil's President Rousseff to face impeachment request by Tuesday ) ...... Europe Updates ( Refugee situation becoming more complicated in the Balkans , Greece items of the day , Spanish public debt crosses one trillion euros , Russia GDP falls 4.3 % Y/Y , EZ Construction falls 6 % Y/Y in August , Cyprus chilly on Turkish EU ascension chapter being unfrozen , Brexit items , Germany in focus )
Overview ...... *Jonathan Ferro* @FerroTV 3h 3 hours ago Morning Note: 1. Deutsche Bank shakeup. 2. Saudi Arabia delaying contractor payments. 3. China GDP 6.9% Vs est 6.8% [image: Embedded image permalink] *Holger Zschaepitz* @Schuldensuehner 4h 4 hours ago Good morning from Morlet, France. Asia risk markets pare their drop as # China GDP calms hard-landing fears. [image: Embedded image permalink] Asia and Emerging Markets..... *Dick Darlington* @Darlington_Dick 1h 1 hour ago *BRAZIL 2015 GDP EST. CUT TO -3.1% FROM -2.7% AT BTG P... more »
The Bushes & Clintons Need to Stop Acting as if the Presidency is a Hand-Me-Down
(By *American Zen*'s Mike Flannigan, on loan from Ari.) *I* had only one sibling, a right wing brother named Patrick (but that's a tale for another day in *American Zen*'s sequel). And the only thing that spared me the pain of having to wear his hand-me-downs was his utter selfishness. Oh, dear, I was forever denied the honor and privilege of wearing painfully starched and pleated khaki pants and Izod polo shirts with the stunted reptiles on them. But I did see other kids wearing their siblings' leftovers and sometimes they didn't respect them as they would've if they'd been g... more »
Should we open up underused churches to Muslims who need a mosque space?
I should just add a couple more things about yesterday's *Sunday* on Radio 4 (as that's 'my thing' after all!)... ***** There was also a feature on what should be done with Church of England buildings - especially rural churches where there is low attendance. Can "much more imaginative" uses be found for them? Should such underutilised churches be used as "philosophical cafes" for example? William then interviewed the Bishop of Worcester on the matter and came up with a suggestion of his own: Could that also involve, Bishop, allowing space for other faith groups, for example, ... more »
Dan Hardway rebuts Shenon's assertion that RFK put Allen Dulles on the Warren Commission
Dan Hardway gave me permission to share this with the world. I’m more than happy to. Dan Hardway was one of the key investigators into the CIA’s role in the JFK assassination for the House Select Committee on Assassinations in the 1970s. Hardway also has one of the finest minds I’ve met in this case and a genuine dedication to getting at the truth of what happened.= = = = This link is to a
Transpicuous News Updates: Oct 18th, 2015 video
Archive Video of Last Nights Transpicuous News Report, Sunday Oct. 18th, 2015 News Links for October 18th, 2015 TN *Oct 18 2015* Putin and Saudi defense minister meet in Russia, agree on common goals in Syria https://www.rt.com/news/318324-putin-saudi-goals-syria/ Saudi Arabia’s FM, Adel al-Jubeir, expressed Riyadh’s concerns about the targets of Russia’s military operations in Syria. In turn, Putin said Moscow understands the Saudi’s concern and expressed readiness to cooperate and share intelligence, according to Lavrov. “On our part, we expressed readiness, which was met... more »
Send to 'Trash'
Yesterday's late night paper review on the BBC News Channel discussed several front page stories, starting with the *Guardian *and ending with the *Daily Mail*: When Martine Croxall ran through the front pages in advance of that discussion her voice sounded a striking note of incredulity when she came to that *Mail *headline (listen for yourselves, beginning at 1.23). Was she sounding incredulous about the *Mail*'s journalism or the government proposal itself (or both)? Fast-forward to that closing discussion about it, with academic Zamila Bunglawala and Tom Bergin of *Reuters ... more »
Star Wars 7 - The Force Awakens - official poster
*Property of Disney* over the past year or more, there've been many variants on this now-official poster pre-created by the Star Wars fan base, some of them really quite clever and/or artistic (though what a bunch of Jawas carting off Snow White has to do with the themes of an awakening universe Free Planet is under no obligation to discuss at this time). Can't wait to see this film.
Pompous obscurantism in social scientists' jargon
It seems that I mostly agree with Scott Aaronson of MIT who has written a long text arguing that Ordinary Words Will Do. Scott Aaronson is an extreme leftist – to the extent that he was once scheduled to get chemically castrated because he had concluded that a castrated complexity theorist is cleaner from the feminist viewpoint than an occasionally horny one – but you know, we are talking about the U.S. Academia where loons like Aaronson often end up being the moderates. And this topic is an example. Aaronson talks about Ms Izabella Laba who is a mathematician but who has defended... more »
Southern Strategy Unravels? (GOP Cracks Up) You Think You Rule Your World? (No) They Do (Seniors Need A Raise in Social Security Not a Cut in COLA)
Imagine, if you will. That you've whiled away the last eight years, since the 2007 financial catastrophe atomized the U.S. taxpayers, spending all the money you received from your bonuses and bank/investment stock, buying extra houses, beautiful designer clothes, expensive makeup ($300 every month for face cream!), and sleek, fast cars. Then imagine that you're expected now to understand how
12 Rules of a Modern Day Jedi Apprentice to Help You Discover Your Inner Power by Life Script Doctor
12 Rules of a Modern Day Jedi Apprentice to Help You Discover Your Inner Power by Life Script Doctor Learning Mind, 15 October 2015 During my recent visit to my home country Ukraine, I took a course in “SPAS”. It is an old Ukrainian Cossack tradition that goes beyond just energy healing and covers many different practical energy-related techniques directed towards living in harmony with Nature without abandoning life in society. Energy-informational map of SPAS goes beyond just human aura and teaches skills that many would consider as extrasensory abilities. It was very inte... more »
Open letter to Stephen Harper
Dear Mr. Harper, I live in BC with my husband and two little girls. I grew up in Calgary and have many friends and family members there. I’m white and in my early 40s. One of us is a stay at home parent, so we benefit 100% from the direct deposits in lieu of a National Childcare Program. We also benefit 100% from income splitting. And we can afford to take advantage of the increased allowance in our TFSAs. In other words, we’re the picture of the family who benefits the most from your economic policies. But we’re not voting Conservative on October 19th. You see, you’ve misjudged ... more »
The U.S. Air Force Want To Use Android Tablets To Designate Targets And To Send The Details To The Pilots
Talk Android *Strategy Page*: *Electronic Weapons: Android And The Taps Of Doom* The U.S. Air Force has successfully tested a new tool for air controllers on the ground and the bomber pilots they work with; PCAS (Persistent Close Air Support). This is software that runs on an Android tablet used by the air controller. The tablet is linked with communications gear that can share data instantly with aircraft overhead. The air controller can tap the tablet a few times to designate target location, type of weapon to be used and when the strike is to occur. This an air controller can qu... more »
Unforgettable Life Lessons From General Schwarzkopf
*Gus Lee, Daily Beast:* *General Schwarzkopf’s Unforgettable Life Lessons* The legendary General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, a.k.a. ‘The Bear’ was my mentor. He taught me how to be a scholar, a soldier, and a man. In 1964, when I left for West Point, California seemed highly unified in spirit. Now, in 1967 America, my generation and I had changed. When I deplaned at Travis Air Base near Sacramento, ground personnel recommended that we not travel in uniform lest we draw violent protesters. “What they protestin’?” asked a soldier from the South. “The war,” said an Air Force specialist. “... more »
The Venezuelan Economy Has Crashed
All the meat freezers were empty last month in a grocery store in Caracas, Venezuela, part of a long list of shortages. Credit Meridith Kohut for The New York Times *New York Times*: *Few in Venezuela Want Bolívars, but No One Can Spare a Dime* CARACAS, Venezuela — Pity the bolívar, Venezuela’s currency, named after its independence hero, Simón Bolívar. Even some thieves do not want it anymore. When robbers carjacked Pedro Venero, an engineer, earlier this year, he expected they would drive him to his bank to cash his check for a hefty sum in bolívars — the sort of thing that cri... more »
U.S. And Israel Intensify Their Military Cooperation
Israel Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon met with USMC Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Oct. 18, 2015. (Photo: Israel Ministry of Defence) *Reuters:* *Israel, U.S. signal security ties back on track after Iran feud* Israel and the United States signalled on Sunday they were starting to put disputes over the Iran nuclear deal behind them, announcing resumed talks on U.S. defence aid for Israel as it hosted Washington's top general and a joint air force drill. The allies had been looking to agree on a 10-year military aid package to extend the current U.S.... more »
U.S. Preparing To Lift Sanctions On Iran As Nuclear Deal Comes Into Effect
*Voice of America:* *Obama Orders US to Prepare to Lift Sanction on Iran* STATE DEPARTMENT - President Barak Obama Sunday ordered the U.S. government to start preparing to lift sanctions against Iran on what was called Adoption Day -- the day all parties who signed the nuclear deal in July take the first steps towards implementing it. "I welcome this important step forward, and we, together with our partners, must now focus on the critical work of fully implementing this comprehensive resolution that addresses our concerns over Iran's nuclear program," Obama said Sunday. *More Ne... more »
Senior Al Qaeda Leader Killed By U.S. Air-Strike In Syria
*NYT*: *Qaeda Cell Leader Killed in Airstrike in Syria, Pentagon Says* WASHINGTON — A military airstrike in northwest Syria has killed the leader of a shadowy Qaeda cell that American officials say has been plotting attacks against the United States and Europe, the Pentagon announced on Sunday. The leader, Sanafi al-Nasr, a Saudi citizen, was the highest-ranking leader of a network of about two dozen veteran Qaeda operatives called the Khorasan Group, and the fifth senior member of the group to be killed in the past four months. His death was announced in a Pentagon statement des... more »
Donald Trump Questions George Bush's Pre (And Post) 9/11 Response
*Politico*: *Trump-Bush feud fires up over 9/11* The feud between Donald Trump and Jeb Bush over the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks escalated on Sunday as Trump argued his hardline stance on immigration would have prevented the attacks while Bush defended his brother's handling of the attacks. In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Trump was asked by host Chris Wallace what he would have done differently in response to an earlier suggestion that then-President George W. Bush was partially at fault for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. And Trump insisted he was not blaming the former preside... more »
One More Thing About Campaign Contributions-- Well, 2 Things If You Count Trump's SuperPAC
Friday Bloomberg reporters Adam Pearce and Mora Rojanasakul wanted to see how much of the cash flowing into the various campaign coffers was coming from "real people." So they stripped out donations and loans from political committees and other sources as well as loans and contributions the candidates gave themselves. They also published charts showing how much of each candidate's haul came from small contributions-- defined as "less than $200"-- and how much came from rich people. You can see every candidate here. I just picked out the more interesting ones for sake of comparison,... more »
Russians Protest Against Their Country's Growing Involvement In the Syrian War
*DW:* *Moscow activists rally against Russian airstrikes in Syria* A group of Russian anti-war activists have protested against the Kremlin's actions in Syria and corruption in Russia. Intervention in Syria will only make matters worse for all involved, protesters claim. Some 300 people attended the rally Saturday, organizers told the Russian news agency Interfax, though security forces estimated some 150 demonstrators. Most of the rally participants were over 50 years old and wore pacifist symbols. The anti-war event was organized by Russian Solidarnost movement, known for its o... more »
Russian Prime Minister: 'U.S. Weak And Short-Sighted'
*RT*:* 'Weak and short-sighted' - Russian PM slams White House for failure to sync ISIS bombing campaign* Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has blamed the Obama administration for its failure to make progress in talks between the US and Russia on coordinating airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria. Speaking to the Rossiya 1 TV station, Medvedev said he was perplexed at the reasons behind the US not wanting to agree to President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to work with Washington to drive Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) out of Syria. *Update #1:* Russian PM b... more »
Former Head Of Britain's Nuclear Team: 'The Islamic State Will Inevitably Construct Or Acquire WMDs'
*Express:* *EXCLUSIVE: ISIS will 'inevitably' get WMDs, warns former head of British Army nuclear team* *ISLAMIC State will “inevitably” construct or acquire weapons of mass destruction, the former head of the British Army’s nuclear team warns.* The risk of an improvised nuclear bomb being detonated in a foreign city has “increased substantially” because of tensions with Russia, he claims. Dr Hamish de Bretton-Gordon said the extremist jihadist group already had chemical weapons such as mustard gas and it is “only a matter of time” before it managed to launch an attack capable of d... more »
Breastfeeding on a low carb diet - is there an increased risk of ketoacidosis?
[Disclaimer: I have never had a baby and have no practical experience of this subject. This blog post details the insights into this problem that can be found in the medical literature and is not intended as medical advice.] Any disaster that may overtake him, even to the extent of ground moles getting in his lawn, will be blamed on his "red meat" diet. - Blake Donaldson, Strong Medicine 1961 (download here) Lactation ketoacidosis is a rare event in humans, and the authors of a 2012 case study could only find four previous cases in the literature.[1] Non-diabetic ke... more »
Misreading Special Economic Zones [updated]
*[UPDATE:* SEZ report is launched tonight at the Mac’s Function Centre in Wellington at 5:30pm. Get along.] I welcome the welcome that Local Government NZ, the councils’ counsellors, have given to the NZ Initiative’s idea of Special Economic Zones. *Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) welcomes The New Zealand Initiative’s new report, *In the Zone: Creating a Toolbox for Regional Prosperity* which recommends the use of Special Economic Zones as a way to test new regionally tailored policies and encourage regional economic development. …* Lawrence Yule at LGNZ however seems to be o...more »
Musical Interlude: Deuter, “Enchanted Summer Night”
Deuter, “Enchanted Summer Night” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE6RFPfoB48
Musical Interlude: Josh Groban, “Gira Con Me”
Josh Groban, “Gira Con Me” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r1VY1VRXeg ◆ English Lyrics: *"Gira Con Me Questa Notte"* *"Turn With Me Tonight"* "The world turns with me tonight. Small steps that I make with you. I follow your heart, and I follow the moon So hidden far from me. The world turns with us tonight, Ah, if only far from here there existed A place where to discover my heart, To know if it can love you or not. And it will turn, and it will turn, My heart together with you, And the earth will turn, And my life will turn, And one day, yes, it will understand. It's you who turns ... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“The dark Horsehead Nebula and the glowing Orion Nebula are contrasting cosmic vistas. Adrift 1,500 light-years away in one of the night sky's most recognizable constellations, they appear in opposite corners of the above stunning mosaic. The familiar Horsehead nebula appears as a dark cloud, a small silhouette notched against the long red glow at the lower left. Alnitak is the easternmost star in Orion's belt and is seen as the brightest star to the left of the Horsehead. * Click image for larger size.* Below Alnitak is the Flame Nebula, with clouds of bright emission and dramatic ... more »
Chet Raymo, “The Dark Angel”
*“The Dark Angel”* by Chet Raymo “The American Civil War claimed an estimated 620,000 lives, approximately the same number as in all of the nation's other wars put together. Compared to the size of the country's population, six times as many young men died between 1861 and 1865 as in World War II. Few American families, north or south, were unaffected. Lincoln insisted at Gettysburg "that these dead shall not have died in vain." Drew Gilpin Faust, historian and President of Harvard University, has written a book that tries to measure the effect on the American psyche of the apoca... more »
“Staying Afloat: Riding the Wave of Life”
*“Staying Afloat: Riding the Wave of Life”* by The DailyOm “While riding the wave of life you must also practice stillness so you can flow with, rather than resist the wave’s motion. Our lives are continually in motion, buoyed by the wave that is the universe’s flow. As the wave rises and falls, we are carried forward, through life’s high and low points. The universe’s flow may take us to a place in life where we would rather not be. As tempting as it can be to fight the direction and size of this wave that propels us, riding the wave is intended to make life easier. When you ride ... more »
"A Very Obscure Vulcan Quote"
*"A Very Obscure Vulcan Quote"* By Moon "*Ideally, do no harm. *Harm speeds up the heat-death of the Universe, and indirectly, your own. *More practically, do as little harm as possible.* We are creations of a Universe in which entropy exists, and therefore see no way of escape, but we do not need to help it. *Harm no one’s internal, invisible integrities.* Leave others the privacies of their minds and lives. Intimacy remains precious only insofar as it is inviolate: invading it turns it to torment. Reach out to others courteously: accept their reaching in the same way, with caref... more »
Corrupt Corporatists Steve Israel And Debbie Wasserman Schultz Declare Fratricidal War Against Progressives
Steve Israel, de facto head of the DCCC (and the most outspoken member of their recruitment committee) and with a new title Pelosi invented for him, Chair, Policy and Communications, is making noise again. His war against progressives is multi-faceted and never-ending. Although Pelosi, when giving him his new job, said that he "has consistently proved the depth of his wisdom and the strength of his strategic vision in making our case to the American people," she overlooked the fact that under his catastrophic chairmanship, the DCCC-- largely because of him and only him-- managed to... more »
"Reason, Understanding, Or Common Sense..."
"Such as have reason, understanding, or common sense, will, and ought, to make use of it in those things that concern themselves, and suspect the words of such as are interested in deceiving or persuading them not to see with their own eyes." - Algernon Sydney
Another famous French thrashing
Did you know that six-hundred years ago this weekend, the French received another historic thrashing—but this one feted in Shakespearian lines elevating a sordid struggle between kings for boasting rights into a eulogy for a band of brothers. *Six hundred years ago this weekend, a wet and battered English army was fleeing France. King Henry V of England had invaded, hoping to press a claim to the French throne.. * Having invaded in order to change his hat, he quickly lost around a third of his band and began beating a hasty retreat before being forced to confront a French force o... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
"Sometimes..."
"Sometimes I lie awake at night and ask, 'Why me?' Then a voice answers, 'Nothing personal, your name just happened to come up.'" - Charles M. Schultz •
UPDATED: (S)election Day in Canada is TODAY, Yikes!!!
*Harper and Canada's Official Head of State* *- Queen Elizabeth of England* The only thing that's got me through this horrific (s)election is The Lapine, Canada's sane satire blog. Honestly, folks, even *The Lapine* can't make up some of the things that come out of Canadian politicians' mouths. Here's "wet behind the ears" Justin Trudeau saying he's gonna stand up to the "bully" Putin, face to face and give him what for. Great! *More* embarrassment coming down the pike. Trudeau seems oblivious to the history of what his parents, Maggie and Pierre, put Canada through in the 70's. ... more »
Sorry about yesterday's blog. It looked right when I sent it.
At last, I think I understand the limpness of the Faith Page with its sermonettes and dreary list of church activities. It's not intended to make people think or to challenge them in any way. This is, simply, a page for those who go to church to feel respectable. They don't go there to think. They want to fit in. Others will go to a bar with sports on TV for the same reason. I guess the writers of the sermonettes must think that Jesus was respectable, and fit in. But on to the topic of the day – some final federal election thoughts. When I was 8 or 9 years old, I was a Liberal. The ... more »
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