English: Newsrom of the Russian news agency RIA Novosti in Moscow. Deutsch: Newsroom der russischen Nachrichtenagentur RIA Novosti in Moskau. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
An army truck MZKT 79221 under missile Topol-M (RT-2PM2) Português: Um caminhão militar MZKT 79221 carregando um míssil Topol-M (RT-2PM2) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: PLESETSK SPACE LAUNCH CENTRE, ARKHANGELSK REGION. Meeting with the Strategic Missile Forces combat unit that carried out the launch of a Topol intercontinental ballistic missile. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
ICBM (Intercontinental ballistic missile) Comparison. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A Minuteman III ICBM test launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, United States (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
10:33pm
Russian General For Strategic Missiles: 'New Weapons Will Neutralize U.S. Missile Shiled'
© Sergey Kazak / RIA Novosti *RT*: *US missile shield unable to repel massive Russian ICBM attack – chief of strategic missile forces* The existing US missile shield is incapable of withstanding a massive strike of Russian nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), the commander of Russia’s Strategic Missile Troops told a press conference. The analysis of Russian military experts has found that “neither the firepower potential, nor the data computing capacity of the currently deployed US missile defense” installations could deal with a swarm attack of the Russian nuclear... more »
Four Holiday Garlands
The holidays are coming quickly upon us. If you haven't started decorating for your Christmas party, don't worry, these four holiday garlands are gorgeous and so easy to make! Which of these is going to be the star of your holiday party? [image: post signature]
Why Grassroots Democratic Activists Have Had It With The DCCC
Anger at the DCCC is spreading. Well, anger at the DCCC has been huge for over a decade; that it's being talked about more openly and more aggressively at the grassroots level is what's different. Chris Van Hollen and Steve Israel lost dozens and dozens of Democratic House seats (incumbents) and ruined the chances of even more Democratic challengers trying to beat Republicans. Their DCCC organization is riven with self-serving, careerism and corruption and, some would say, even worse: incompetence. John Ellis isn't a Beltway hack. He lives in California's Central Valley and writes... more »
Photos and Reportback from Dec. 12 Amnesty USA Art for Rights event in New Orleans for Albert Woodfox and other political prisoners
Read the Amnesty USA press release here. Read a report from the day by the Times-Picayune here. All photos are by Nat Williams.
U.S. Withdraws Its F-15s From Turkey After Deploying Them To Incirlik Air Base Only Last Month
© US Air Force / Senior Airman Matthew Bruch *WSJ:* *U.S. Withdraws 12 Fighter Jets From Turkey* *Officials say deployments were always intended to be short-term* The U.S. military announced Wednesday it was withdrawing a dozen fighter jets from Turkey, a day after the U.S. Secretary of Defense visited the country to discuss how to bolster international efforts against Islamic State. The F-15 aircraft will move from Turkey back to their base in Britain, U.S. European Command said Wednesday. Six F-15e Strike Eagles were deployed to Turkey on Nov. 13 to conduct strikes in Syria and... more »
See Something, Say Something (Unless it’s Muslim)
[image: racial profiling] PC: A key lesson from the San Bernardino terrorism -- that fear of racial profiling comes at the expense of security -- already is lost on this regime and the media. They’re back shaming those who hold Muslims in “suspicion.”... Continue reading *“See Something, Say Something (Unless it’s Muslim)”* at *news.investors.com*.
The Secret of Trump’s Success
[image: Donald Trump] My sense of things, last night and in the cold light of morning, is that yesterday evening's Republican debate mostly maintained the primary race's status quo -- Trump on top, Rubio and Cruz jockeying beneath, and room for maybe one more... Continue reading *“The Secret of Trump’s Success”* at *douthat.blogs.nytimes.com*.
Tough Talk vs. Military Muscle
[image: Publisher Refutes NY Times Claim of Cruz Bulk Sales] In a de-bate that be-came something of a ref-er-en-dum on former Pres-id-ent George W. Bush's in-ter-ven-tion-ist for-eign policy, the highest-pro-file com-batants were two fresh-man sen-at-ors: Marco Ru-bio and Ted Cruz. Ru-bio, in line with Bush's leg-acy, called for a more... Continue reading *“Tough Talk vs. Military Muscle”* at *nationaljournal.com* .
Freddie Gray Trial is yet another "OJ Simpsonian" Travesty of Justice
*Freddie Grey* *Homicided while in Police Custody* The Trial of one of the Baltimore police officers who was charged in the death while in police custody of a young black man, Freddie Gray, has resulted in a mistrial. The judge in the case of a Baltimore police officer on trial over a death in custody has declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a verdict. Policeman William Porter is the first of six officers charged in the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray. The jury deliberated for three days, but could not come to an agreement on all four charges. Police have been... more »
Dec. 16: Ignorance, Hysteria, and a propaganda press.
Last night, I watched the Republican presidential “debate”. It began with a properous-looking crowd in a theatre listening to a gawdawful rendition of “God Bless America”. And then it went downhill. At first the candidates were a dreary lot, all of them speaking as though Islam was the only matter to be concerned about. They ran something like, “If I were president, I would protect American from jihadists.” (clap, clap, clap). Applauses were almost identical in length and tone – as thought someone were turning it on and off with a button. One candidate had nothing to say except that... more »
The Economy: Gregory Mannarino: "ALERT: Federal Reserve Hikes Rates, And This Is What's Coming Next!"
* "ALERT: Federal Reserve Hikes Rates, And This Is What's Coming Next!" * by Gregory Mannarino
Friday Nerd Blogging: Early But Sans Spoilers
We have not Friday Nerd Blogged in a while, and we are reluctant to do anything that might spoil the Force Awakens. Yet, my grading is done and my enthusiasm is making the Kessel Run in record time, so here’s a non-spoilery bit of joy that is early and excessive. May the Force Be With […]
The #ChristmasMyths. #2: The Star of Bethlehem
*Part of a continuing series looking at the pagan origins of the Christmas Myths, one day at a time. (Introduction is here.) Today, the story of three mendicants and a star.* *We Three Kings of Orient areOne on a tractor, Two in a CarOne on a scooter Tooting his hooterFollowing yonder star-ar..*~ Fred Dagg*, ‘The Authorised Version’* [image: CARTOON BY CHRIS MADDEN, USED BY PERMISSION] Long before Fred Dagg first sang or the *Bethlehem Star* burst into print, Jesus was born under a star that guided three wise men to his stable door, stopping at Herod’s palace to ask the way. S... more »
Islamic State Global Recruiting Map
(*Click on Image to Enlarge*) Convergence: More than 31,000 foreign fighters have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight with ISIS, a disturbing new report has revealed *Daily Mail:* *Tentacles of terror: Chilling map shows the 31,000 mercenary 'gun for hire' jihadis from 86 countries who left their homes to join ISIS... and a third may return to carry out Paris-style attacks * * Number of foreigners fighting from ISIS in Iraq and Syria has more than doubled in the past year, new report shows * Fanatics flee homes due to twisted sense of adventure, and the lure of power, money and wo... more »
Who is Contained?
*WNU Editor*: Not really.
Tracing the Occult Origins of Christmas
*Makia Freeman* - Is Christmas really magic mushroom, sun and Saturn worship in disguise? The post Tracing the Occult Origins of Christmas appeared first on Waking Times.
Musical Interlude: Vangelis, “Alpha”
Vangelis, “Alpha” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jG--3elufo
French Minister Puts Police on Far-Right Leader’s IS Tweets
[image: IS tweets] France’s interior minister asked judicial police on Wednesday to look into tweets by far-right leader Marine Le Pen of gruesome photos of executions by the Islamic State group -- her response to a broadcast journalist broadly comparing her party to... Continue reading *“French Minister Puts Police on Far-Right Leader’s IS Tweets”* at *abcnews.go.com*.
:A Look to the Heavens"
“The Horsehead Nebula is one of the most famous nebulae on the sky. It is visible as the dark indentation to the red emission nebula in the center of the above photograph. The horse-head feature is dark because it is really an opaque dust cloud that lies in front of the bright red emission nebula. Like clouds in Earth's atmosphere, this cosmic cloud has assumed a recognizable shape by chance. *Click image for larger size.* After many thousands of years, the internal motions of the cloud will surely alter its appearance. The emission nebula's red color is caused by electrons recombin... more »
Chet Raymo, “Telling Stories: ‘Real’ Life”
*“Telling Stories: ‘Real’ Life”* by Chet Raymo "If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite." - William Blake "I have just finished reading Brian Greene's new book, “The Fabric of the Cosmos”. As with his earlier book, “The Elegant Universe”, he does a damn good job explaining the almost unexplainable - string theory, braneworlds, multiple universes, and all that. None of this stuff has an empirical basis, and is not likely to for the foreseeable future. So does it qualify as science? Well, yes, barely. Because in principle... more »
Billionaire Sam Zell Says Recession Likely in Next 12 Months
[image: Sam Zell - 400] Billionaire investor Sam Zell said the U.S. economy could go into a recession in the next year and that an expected Federal Reserve interest-rate increase is coming at least six months too late. The central bank has been too cautious... Continue reading *“Billionaire Sam Zell Says Recession Likely in Next 12 Months”* at *bloomberg.com*.
Navy to Award Purple Hearts to Chattanooga Victims
[image: Secretary of Navy Ray Mabus] NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- After determining a shooting at a Chattanooga reserve center this summer was inspired by foreign terrorists, the Navy will award the Purple Heart to the four Marines and one sailor who were killed and the one... more »
The Poet: Anne Sexton, "Courage"
*"Courage"* "It is in the small things we see it. The child's first step, as awesome as an earthquake. The first time you rode a bike, wallowing up the sidewalk. The first spanking when your heart went on a journey all alone. When they called you crybaby or poor or fatty or crazy and made you into an alien, you drank their acid and concealed it. Later, if you faced the death of bombs and bullets you did not do it with a banner, you did it with only a hat to cover your heart. You did not fondle the weakness inside you though it was there. Your courage was a small coal that you kept swallo... more »
"Crabs in a Bucket"
"*Crabs in a Bucket"* by Sarah Robinson "When I was a little girl, I lived very close (and hour and fifteen minutes) to the Florida panhandle beaches. Which meant we spent a TON of time there. Early evening was one of my favorite times to walk the beach with my mom and my older brothers. We were all clean and fed and slightly sun weary but still desperate to be outside. So, we would grab flashlights, dip nets and a bucket and search the ocean’s edge for crabs. We would catch a bucket full in an evening and drag them back home where my mom or my grandmother would cook them up into s... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Mullen, Nebraska, USA. Thanks for stopping by!
"Statistics On Sanity..."
"The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they are okay, then it's you." - Rita Mae Brown
"Memory, Meanings, Moments and Madness: Wanderers In No Man's Land"
"Memory, Meanings, Moments and Madness: Wanderers In No Man's Land" by Chris Floyd "Zachary Mason's remarkable novel, "The Lost Books of the Odyssey," is based on a grain of fact. Before the stories of the Iliad and the Odyssey were crystallized and canonized in the books of Homer sometime in the 8th century B.C., various (and often conflicting) tales of the Trojan War and its heroes had floated around in various forms for hundreds of years. Some of these variants survive in fragments of other ancient works, like ghostly echoes of alternative universes. Mason's intriguing fictional c... more »
Ponca Cradleboard Symbol of Lives Lost for Paris
By Ayse Gursoz Casey Camp-Horinek, Ponca, was a member of the Indigenous Environmental Network's Indigenous Rising Delegation in Paris at COP21 . Photo IEN
MENA Report ( December 16 - 17 , 2015 )...... Iraq / Syria Regional War ( Battlefield and Political Updates ) ...... Libya In Focus ( Security will be a key moving forward , whether or not the UN secures the signing of its long desired " Unity Gov't Agreement " on Thursday - that the leaders of both rival Parliaments - the HoR and GNC oppose this , not a good sign ) ...... Yemen Regional Proxy War In focus ( Ceasefire already crumbling in Yemen ? )
Links....... *Kerry: US Not Seeking Regime Change in Syria* *Pentagon: ISIS Operationally Active in Afghanistan* *Why Washington Ignored Torture by Iraqi Militias* *IAEA Chief: Iran Working at 'High Speed' on Nuclear Deal* *Libya's Rival Parliaments Holding Separate Negotiations* *Saudis, Other Gulf States Mull Sending Troops to Syria* *Russian Airstrikes Kill 39 Civilians in Northern Syria* *Russia Identifies Syrian Rebel Factions It Is Backing*79 Killed in Iraq as Baghdad Continues Bickering With Ankara Iraq Says Turkey Must Pull Out All Its... more »
Iran Is Permitting Russian Military Jets To Use Their Military Airfields
(*Click on Image to Enlarge*) *AEI Critical Threats*: *The Russo-Iranian Military Coalition in Syria may be Deepening* The Russo-Iranian military coalition in Syria may be deeper than many have believed. The Iranian armed forces appear to be allowing Russian aircraft to use their military airfields in support of combat operations over Syria. This development is remarkable: Iran is one of the most virulently anti-colonial regimes in the world, and yet it is allowing a former colonial power that had partitioned Persia with Great Britain to place military forces on its territory. But... more »
No, There Was Nothing In Last Night's GOP Debate That Indicated Christie Is Qualified For The Presidency
Is this fat cream puff (in the video above) a serious candidate? Not for any normal person. And, fortunately, most Republican voters agree. Chris Christie is a sleazy, self-serving backroom deal-making hack, not a statesman and not an especially intelligent person. His one contribution to last night's debate was that he did give Rand Paul a good platform to explain why he's utterly unfit for public office, though. So that was good. You may have noticed that to make up for his lack of qualifications for the job, he tried to claim he was the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey during 9/11.... more »
"The End Of Your Rope..."
- Attributed to Franklin D. Roosevelt and many others.
Quote of the Day: On the #ParisAgreement
*"The agreement itself was masterminded by President Obama. Knowing that the US Congress would never accept a treaty he also recognised the potency of more generalised agreements disciplined by world public opinion…. Obama forged the folksy narrative of attributing localised drought, forest fires and glacier retreats to a generalised global warming when the facts are that there is no change in global precipitation, no change in global temperatures and no general reduction in ice…. In meeting their obligations western nations will incur costs… In addition, subsi... more »
US, Cuba Reach Understanding on Restoring Commercial Flights
[image: Aero Caribbean ATR-72-212 (CU-T1549) at Baracoa Airport.] HAVANA (AP) -- The United States and Cuba have reached an understanding on restoring regularly scheduled commercial flights, Cuban and American officials said Wednesday on the eve of the anniversary of detente between the Cold War foes. The advance opens... more »
Russia Has Positioned 10 Military Satellites Over Syria To Coordinate And Manage Its War Effort
Defence ministry officials sit under screens with satellite images on display during a briefing in Moscow, Russia, December 2, 2015. REUTERS/SERGEI KARPUKHIN *David Axe, Daily Beast*:* Russia Is Using Space Power in Its Attack on Syria* Vladimir Putin’s military is unveiling a new arsenal in its battle with ISIS and other insurgents in Syria. Much of that new military hardware is hundreds of miles above Earth. Russia’s two-month-old military intervention in Syria on behalf of the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has involved dramatic, and highly visible, strik... more »
The Republicans Resurrect 9/11 To Unify The Party Of Fear & The Country
Fear united the final Republican presidential debate of the year on CNN last night, as candidates for the White House articulated on stage the mass phobia that has gripped the GOP since the attacks of 9/11. Candidate after candidate pleaded with the voters to allow them to act as their commander in chief and give them the opportunity to prove themselves in the gladiatorial world stage in their fight with evil Islamist jihadis, Russia, Iran and other threats lurking in the frightening world beyond the oceans. They all traced their phobias back to the day of September 11, 2001 and the... more »
Untitled
*'EARLY ENGLISH' BY JOHN W. CLARK : The Norton Library, New York, 1964* I have a small interest in languages and linguistics in general. Not that I could claim to be even moderately expert on the subject, but I've always found the field fascinating. The history of language is a field to itself, and this book makes a claim to introduce the reader to the development of the English language from Anglo-Saxon/Old English Middle English and on to Early Modern English. I hardly think I am an expert judge, but I think the author did a competent job. He begins in the middle so to speak wit... more »
Researcher Links AI, Geoengineering, Smart Dust & Morgellons to ET’s
*V. Susan Ferguson* - German researcher Harald Kautz-Vella connects the dots between some of the most mysterious and unsettling phenomenon in our world today. The post Researcher Links AI, Geoengineering, Smart Dust & Morgellons to ET’s appeared first on Waking Times.
Future Generations Ride Oomaka Tokatakiya Day 2
Thank you to Photographers Ken Marchionno and Riders Read about the Memorial Ride: http://300-miles.org/OT/index.html
Good Media Coverage in Okinawa
Coverage of our Veterans for Peace (VFP) delegation trip to Okinawa was in the two most popular newspapers virtually every day while we were here. Yesterday they carried two stories - one about a great meeting we had with students at Okinawa International University and the other reporting on the tour concluding event in the evening that drew about 300 folks. We heard that some conservative politician in Tokyo had made the statement recently that their right-wing government (which the US loves) needs to shut these two papers down! Obviously their strong support for the anti-base... more »
South Sudan: Devastation of Civil War Continues, 2 Years on
[image: Nyawel Top - 400] LEER, South Sudan (AP) -- South Sudan’s civil war took away everything that had been precious to Mary Nyak Chot. “All my children were killed. The youngest two were burned in their home. The other four were bombed by artillery.... Continue reading *“South Sudan: Devastation of Civil War Continues, 2 Years on”* at *cnsnews.com*.
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 16, 2015
An Afghan refugee at the UNHCR headquarters in Islamabad, Pak. Pawel Kopczynski—Reuters/Corbis *Anastasia Moloney, Reuters*: *Five humanitarian crises largely overlooked in 2015* BOGOTA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - From civil war and urban gang violence to drought, some humanitarian crises around the world receive less media attention and donor funding than others and are less visible. Below are the top five humanitarian crises of 2015, in no particular order, which aid agencies say deserve more attention on the world stage: *Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 16... more »
How Did A Texas Plumbers Old Ford Pick Up End Up With ISIS?
A Texas plumber filed a lawsuit against a car dealership after spotting a pickup truck he once owned in an ISIS video last year. The owner of Mark-1 Plumbing company, Mark Oberholtze had been flooded with threats after his old truck, still emblazoned with his company’s name and telephone number, was seen driven by ISIS terrorists in Syria. He is suing a Texas Ford dealership (Charlie Thomas Gord) for more than $1 million in financial losses and damages to his company’s reputation, as a result. But the question everyone is asking is how did Mark’s 2005 Ford F250 Super Duty end up in ... more »
Iran, Iraq, Syria, Oman not included in US Approved Anti- Terror Coalition
*Definitely the follow up news to yesterday's post!* *John Kerry said “Not Seeking Regime Change in Syria” Or Shifting Tactics?* * The creation of this coalition and it's real agenda cannot be lost on Russia, Iran, Syria or Iraq? * *Is this really "Saudi led"- No way! Can't miss the fact that this is a very kosher alliance. (Beneficial and acceptable to Israel )* As I said to james earlier today: "That coalition ain't Saudi led- It's got US/Israel written all over it... " *Read on:* *Saudi-led Muslim alliance includes Pakistan, Qatar, UAE, Turkey, Egypt, Malaysia, several African na... more »
Team Led By Middle Eastern Woman Caught Surveilling US Facility on Mexican Border
[image: The Marisposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona] A Middle Eastern woman was caught surveilling a U.S. port of entry on the Mexican border holding a sketchbook with Arabic writing and drawings of the facility and its security system, federal law enforcement sources tell Judicial Watch. The woman... Continue reading *“Team Led By Middle Eastern Woman Caught Surveilling US Facility on Mexican Border”* at *judicialwatch.org*.
Pot Tops Cigarettes among High School Seniors
[image: high school seniors] For the first time, more U.S. high school seniors are smoking marijuana than tobacco, a new survey shows. Daily marijuana use remained relatively stable at 6 percent, while those seniors who said they smoked cigarettes every day dropped from 6.7... Continue reading *“Pot Tops Cigarettes among High School Seniors”* at *chicagotribune.com*.
Parents, it’s Time to Realize Big Government Is Your Enemy
[image: shutterstock_334181882] In Scotland, six-year-old Daniel McFadyen's mother insists he is transgender ever since she found him gesturing at his privates in the bathtub with scissors when he was three. Even though these parents have other sons and must have seen them all playing... Continue reading *“Parents, it’s Time to Realize Big Government Is Your Enemy”* at *thefederalist.com*.
Professors Threatened with Investigation for Questioning Rape Documentary
[image: Harvard Medical School] A group of Harvard professors who criticized the campus rape documentary The Hunting Ground are being menaced with the possibility of a Title IX sexual harassment investigation intended to silence their criticisms. The Hunting Ground, released early this year, portrays American... more »
New York Bills Legalizing Assisted Suicide Would Allow Euthanizing Patients Without Consent
[image: assisted suicide] Attorney Margaret Dore, president of Choice is an Illusion, which has fought assisted suicide legalization efforts in many states and now New York, made the following statement in connection with a New York State Bar Association continuing legal education event. The event,... Continue reading *“New York Bills Legalizing Assisted Suicide Would Allow Euthanizing Patients Without Consent”* at *lifenews.com*.
Krauthammer: Jeb Attack on Trump Didn’t Move the ‘Needle’
[image: Krauthammer - 400] Tuesday following CNN's GOP presidential debate, Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer weighed in former Gov. Jeb Bush's (R-FL) attempt to go on the offensive against his party's front-runner, Donald Trump. According to Krauthammer, Bush's effort fell flat. "My argument is... Continue reading *“Krauthammer: Jeb Attack on Trump Didn’t Move the ‘Needle’”* at *breitbart.com*.
Russia To Deploy Its Frontline Sukhoi Su-35 Fighter Aircraft In Syria
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will deploy the Sukhoi Su-35 (Flanker-E) in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria. The Hindu reports: Even as the Syrian airspace gets crowded with several major powers declaring war on the Islamic State (IS), which has established a de facto Caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria, Russia is all set to deploy its most modern fighter aircraft Su-35 in Syria as part of its own war. “Su-35s are expected to be deployed in Syria within the next couple of weeks,” an analyst told The Hindu. At least six fighter jets could be sent in the ... more »
The Economy: Greg Hunter, “Worldwide Credit Bubble Bursting Now- Michael Pento”
*“Worldwide Credit Bubble Bursting Now- Michael Pento”* Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "Analyst/money manager Michael Pento says the Fed plans on raising interest rates multiple times. Pento explains, “The Fed isn’t going to do a one-and-done rate hike scenario like Wall Street would like you to believe. The Fed publishes where they think the Fed Funds Rate will be at a certain point in time. At the end of next year, the median ‘dot plot’ is 1.5% on the overnight lending rate. So, the Fed is not going to raise one time and retire and go home, and that is not even the most important p... more »
The Economy: "The Fed Raises Key Interest Rate, Potentially Slowing Job Market Growth"
*"The Fed Raises Key Interest Rate, Potentially Slowing Job Market Growth"* by Daniel Marans WASHINGTON - "The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it is raising its benchmark interest rate, putting downward pressure on job creation in order to address long-term concerns about inflation and financial stability. The central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee decided to raise the target federal funds rate- or the interest the Fed sets for banks to lend to one another overnight- one-quarter of a percentage point to a range of 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent. Fed officials expressed c... more »
Americans Most Desire Time with Loved Ones, Feel More ‘Merry’ This Holiday Season
[image: holiday season] For the second straight year, a Consumers' Research survey found that most Americans consider being with friends and family the best part of the holiday season. And once again, people expect the holidays to be merry. About sixty percent (59%)... Continue reading *“Americans Most Desire Time with Loved Ones, Feel More ‘Merry’ This Holiday Season”* at *consumersresearch.org*.
The Fed Still Hasn't Learned Its Lesson on Interest Rates
*Just a few hours ago, the US Federal Reserve announced they're raising interest rates for the first time in one decade. In this gust post written just one day prior, Troy Vincent warns that since all the advice and commentary about raising comes through a Keynesian lens, it leads to a diagnosis that is superficial and a prescription that reflects a deep misunderstanding of the business cycle.* Today, just one day prior to the announcement of the FED’s decision as to whether or not they will raise rates [which they did this morning, NZ time], the financial headlines are awash with d... more »
Russia Names Rebel Groups It's Supposedly Helping in Syria
*From Newsweek:* MOSCOW (Reuters) - *Russia's defense ministry said on Tuesday its planes had carried out air strikes to support four rebel groups in Syria,* saying it was working to try to unite the efforts of the Free Syrian Army and government troops against Islamic State. The General Staff of the Russian army issued the statement as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held closed-door talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, with Syria topping the agenda. *It said over 5,000 Syrian opposition rebels were fighting against ... more »
Yale Fail: Ivy Leaguers Sign ‘Petition’ to Create Safer Space by Repealing First Amendment
[image: Ami Horowitz400] Trigger warning! This story and video may be unsuitable viewing for the "safe space" crowd. Looking to understand just how controversial the debate over free speech on our college campuses really is, filmmaker and satirist Ami Horowitz recently traveled to... Continue reading *“Yale Fail: Ivy Leaguers Sign ‘Petition’ to Create Safer Space by Repealing First Amendment”* at *foxnews.com*.
Indian Summer
Thomas Jefferson Mayfield (1843–1928) was among the first Americans to move into California’s San Joaquin Valley. He arrived in 1850, when he was six years old. His family had moved west to get rich quick in the Gold Rush, but the gold belonged to the land, and it cleverly hid from the loony looters. His father shifted to raising livestock, assisted by his two older sons. Young Thomas and his mother stayed at their small shanty, near Kings River. The wild valley was a magnificent wonderland, millions of colorful flowers, with snow-covered mountains in the background. Neighbors... more »
World News Briefs -- December 16, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*Reuters*: *Fed raises interest rates, citing ongoing U.S. recovery* The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade on Wednesday, signaling faith that the U.S. economy had largely overcome the wounds of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. The U.S. central bank's policy-setting committee raised the range of its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to between 0.25 percent and 0.50 percent, ending a lengthy debate about whether the economy was strong enough to withstand higher borrowing costs. *MIDDLE EAST* Rouhani: U.N.'s closure of... more »
The Economy: “Janet… This Is Bill…”
*“Janet… This Is Bill…”* by Bill Bonner PARIS – "Well, this is the big day. The FOMC – the group within the Fed that votes on policy – is supposed to make an historic announcement. It is supposed to begin going “back to normal” with interest rates. Late at night, after hours of drinking, meditation, and prayer, we decided to get the inside scoop. Here’s how it went… *Weight of the World: *“Yo… Janet. This is Bill.” “Excuse me… How did you get this number?” “I asked the NSA. It has everyone’s number.” “I’m sorry… but I have to hang up. I have a big day tomorrow.” “Yes… that’s wha... more »
Chinese Giant Salamander: 200-Year-Old Living Fossil Found In Cave
A relic of the past, a ‘living fossil’ in the form of a 200-year old wild Chinese giant salamander, was discovered by a fisherman in a cave in China. The video shows what is considered to be the biggest amphibian on Earth swimming in captivity. Sputnik reports: The world’s largest and oldest known living salamander has been found in a Southwestern Chinese cave, near Chongqing, by a local fisherman. The huge beast, at almost 52 kg and over 1.4 meters long, has been transferred to a protective research facility for study. The big brown amphibian with a frog-like face has small eyes po...more »
After the 5th GOP Presidential Debate, It’s Trump’s and Cruz’s to Lose
[image: LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 15: Republican presidential candidates Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Carly Fiorina, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ben Carson, Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) participate during the CNN Republican presidential debate on December 15, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is the last GOP debate of the year, with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) gaining in the polls in Iowa and other early voting states and Donald Trump rising in national polls.] Last night’s fifth Republican presidential primar... more »
Baltimore Police Get Prepared For Riots Ahead Of Freddie Gray Verdict
Baltimore Police are getting ready for what looks like a riot by having officers dressed as Robo Cops with riot gear and black Humvees. The police are training to face disfranchised and impoverished black youths, who are awaiting the first of a series of verdicts in the killing of teenager Freddie Gray, who died last spring while in police custody. There is a tense situation brewing in the city of Baltimore as police officer William Porter awaits the verdict of the jury, accused of the death of Freddie Gray. He is the first of six officers charged with the manslaughter of the young... more »
Central African Republic Muslim Rebel Leader Declares Independence
*Reuters*: *Rebel declares autonomous state in Central African Republic* ABIDJAN (Reuters) - A Muslim rebel leader in Central African Republic has declared an autonomous state in his stronghold and said he will seek independence, leading the country's transitional government to call for international action against him. Noureddine Adam, head of the Seleka rebels' FPRC faction, made the proclamation from his headquarters in the town of Kaga-Bandoro on Monday after rejecting a national election due this month that is aimed at ending years of bloodshed. It followed a referendum on S... more »
No One Who Has Followed Mike DeWine's Career Can Be Surprised To Know He Was Lying About Planned Parenthood Landfills
Like me, I bet you were sickened to read that Planned Parenthood was throwing aborted fetuses into landfills and-- like me-- I bet you knew it was another right-wing lie. It was. Ohio's right-wing Attorney General, Mike DeWine, wants to run for governor in 2018 and he's already trying to position himself with the Tea Party crowd. A two-term U.S. Senator, DeWine was defeated for reelection by Sherrod Brown in 2006 after nearly a million of his voters from 2000 decided he hadn't done a good enough job to meet their votes again. Sherrod beat him by a much bigger margin than anyone had... more »
How Fast Can Paul Ryan And Mitch McConnell Undermine The Paris Climate Agreement?
The Omnibus budget is going to look very ugly under the deft hand of Paul Ryan. And there's only so much Pelosi, Reid and even Obama can do to stop it. Oh, if the Republicans try to re-institutionalize slavery or abolish Medicare or Social Security, I'm sure Obama will veto it, but Ryan knows how far he can push it without triggering a veto and a debate about who's fault it was. Supposedly the House will vote on it Friday, again, giving Members no time to study it and figure out what's in it. Here's a summary-- just in-- of the Senate version. In terms of the compromises that went... more »
Yemen Peace Talks On Verge Of Collapse. UN Mediated Cease-Fire All But Broken
*VOA:* *Yemen Cease-fire Broken* LONDON — Pro-government and rebel armed groups in Yemen have accused each other of breaking the U.N.-mediated ceasefire just hours after it came into effect Tuesday. All sides in the conflict are accused of committing human rights violations. There were reports of Saudi-led airstrikes Wednesday in the capital Sana’a and ground fighting in the southern city of Taiz. Both sides blamed each other for breaking the ceasefire. Speaking Tuesday at the start of peace talks in Switzerland, U.N. Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed appealed for c... more »
Some Countries Are Expressing Surprise That They Were Included By Saudi Arabia In A New 34-Nation Military Alliance
*BBC:** 'Members' surprised by Saudi anti-terror coalition plan* A number of countries have expressed surprise that they were included by Saudi Arabia in a new military alliance to fight terrorism. Officials in Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia all said they had not formally agreed to join the alliance. Saudi Arabia on Tuesday said 34 mainly Muslim nations would be part of the counter-terrorism grouping. Prince Mohammed said it would focus on efforts to fight terrorism in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt and Afghanistan. "Currently, every Muslim country is fighting terrorism individually... more »
Mistrial in Case of 1st Officer Tried for the Death of Freddie Gray
[image: Freddie Gray trials] BALTIMORE (AP) The first effort to convict an officer in Freddie Gray’s death from a broken neck in a Baltimore Police van ended Wednesday with a hung jury and a mistrial. Officials appealed for calm as small crowds protested along... more »
Senator Checking if Cruz Released Classified Information in Debate, Cruz Campaign Insists Info Publicly Available
[image: Ted Cruz] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Wednesday he has asked his staff to look into whether Texas Sen. Ted Cruz released classified information during Tuesday night’s GOP presidential debate. Cruz made a claim during an... more »
Texas Plumber Spots His Old Pick Up Truck In ISIS Video
A Texas plumber has filed a lawsuit against a car dealership after spotting a pickup truck he once owned in an ISIS video last year. The plumber had been flooded with threats after his old truck, still emblazoned with his company’s name and telephone number, was seen driven by ISIS terrorists in Syria. The plumber has now armed himself and is suing a Ford dealer. He wants $1 million in damages from the dealer, who sold the truck to a company in Turkey in 2013, according to records. Press TV reports: Mark Oberholtzer, the owner of Texas-based company “Mark-1 Plumbing,” is suing a Fo... more »
Rand Paul Says US Fueled Rise Of ISIS & Warns Against Toppling Assad
Speaking at the fifth Republican Party debate on Tuesday night, Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul says Washington’s policy of supporting and arming anti-Damascus militants, fueled the rise of ISIS Paul also distanced himself from his GOP rivals by warning against the United States pushing to oust the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad militarily. Press TV reports: “We have to have a more realistic foreign policy and not a utopian one where we say, ‘Oh, we are going to spread freedom and democracy and everybody in the Middle East is going to love us.’ They are not going to lov... more »
Webinar: Indigenous Empowerment and Resistance: Voices from the Frontlines
Indigenous Empowerment and Resistance: Voices from the Frontlines Dec. 17, 2015 4 pm PST, 6 pm CST, or 7p m ESTThis webinar will provide important updates from Indigenous land defenders who are currently resisting aggressive extractive industries supported by the provincial BC government. The BC government has given permits to pipeline companies as well as permits for the reopening and discharge
As We Shift - 10 Questions
Do you give help? Do you “do” share? Do you say yes? Do you have hope? Do you see love? Do you “think” peace? Do you feel joy? Do you know truth? Do you hold light? Can you let go? After several hours and pieces of crumpled up paper, what’s left is only the last question: “Can you let go?” So let’s start there. There is ever only one reason to hang on, and that is fear. We are a fearful bunch. It manifests differently for each of us, like wearing an assortment of costumes. I know you don’t want to hear this, yet these are outfits we still wear – loneliness, poverty, illness and ... more »
Ukraine Imposes Trade Embargo On Crimea. Russia Cancels Trade Agreements With Ukraine
*IBTimes*: *Ukraine Suspends Trade To Crimea Amid Increased Tensions With Russia* In the latest escalation in tensions between Ukraine and Russia over Crimea, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Wednesday Kiev will suspend trade to the peninsula starting in 30 days, local media reported. Exceptions will be made for humanitarian aid, important food supplies and some personal items. “In accordance with the decision by the cabinet, which will come into effect in 30 days ... supplying goods, work, services to Crimea is banned,” Yatsenyuk said, Reuters reported. “As far as... more »
Both Russia And Turkey Continue To Trade Accusations Against Each Other
*RT:* *Moscow says Turkey poses ‘real threat’ to Russia, relations with Ankara ‘won’t be same as before’* Relations between Moscow and Ankara will not return to how they were before, and the current line held by the Turkish authorities doesn't allow for any positive forecasts about future cooperation between the two countries, Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksey Meshkov has said. According to the Russian diplomat, Ankara has drawn a line under the relationship. “As things stand now, the line that the current Turkish leadership has adopted – both in terms of its complete unwillingness... more »
British Prime Minister: Donald Trump ‘Divisive, Stupid and Wrong’
[image: Obama and Cameron - 400] British Prime Minister David Cameron called Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump "divisive, stupid and wrong" in Parliament on Wednesday. Cameron was reacting to calls to ban Trump from entering the country due to his proposal to ban Muslims from immigrating... Continue reading *“British Prime Minister: Donald Trump ‘Divisive, Stupid and Wrong’”* at *breitbart.com*.
UK Says Russian Airstrikes In Syria Are ‘Unacceptable’
The British foreign secretary dismissed Russia’s military tactics in Syria as ‘unacceptable’ claiming that Russian airstrikes don’t target the ISIS militants. Philip Hammond told the British lawmakers: “The majority of Russian air strikes continue to target Syrian opposition forces rather than Daesh…It is unacceptable that Russian action is weakening the opposition and thus giving advantage to the very Daesh forces that they claim to be engaged against” Press TV reports: The statements come after at the last G20 Summit in Turkey held last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin told ... more »
Harper’s first-ever retraction is of a 1998 article by infamous fabricator Stephen Glass
In the world of journalism, Stephen Glass is legendary — and not in a good way. For the first time in the 165-year-old magazine’s history, Harper’s is officially retracting a 1998 article by Glass, who was discovered to have made up quotes, people, and even entire stories. Glass — whose deception was captured in the film “Shattered […] The post Harper’s first-ever retraction is of a 1998 article by infamous fabricator Stephen Glass appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Merkel: Nations Must Give Up Sovereignty on Migrant Crisis
[image: migrant crisis] German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wednesday warned European partners against resorting to national action to deal with the current migrant crisis, rather than working towards a common solution. "Sealing oneself off is not a sensible option in the 21st century," she... Continue reading *“Merkel: Nations Must Give Up Sovereignty on Migrant Crisis”* at *breitbart.com*.
Ohio Attorney General Talks Allegations that Planned Parenthood Disposed of Aborted Babies in Landfills
[image: aborted babies in landfills] Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine discussed on Fox News Tuesday his office's allegation that Planned Parenthood has disposed of aborted babies in landfills, which has prompted a lawsuit from Planned Parenthood. Asked to respond to Planned Parenthood's statement that... more »
John Kerry Gives in to Russia, Says Assad Can Stay in Power
[image: John Kerry] Tuesday U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry gave in to Russia's demand to allow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to remain in power. Negotiations in Moscow between the U.S. and Russia have finally yielded some results. Kerry caved and told the...more »
Is The Turkish Government Shifting Its Shooting Down Of A Russian Su-24 Blame To Its Air Force Chief?
A war plane crashes in flames in a mountainous area in northern Syria after it was shot down by Turkish fighter jets near the Turkish-Syrian border Nov. 24. (Photo: Reuters) *Sputnik:* *Passing the Buck: Turkish Government Shifts Su-24 Blame to Air Force Chief* Social media accounts operated by supporters of Turkey's ruling AKP party have begun to attack the head of Turkey's air force, the Turkish press has reported. Accounts on Twitter belonging to supporters of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan have turned their ire on the Commander General of Turkey's Air Force, Abidin Un... more »
Fed Finally Lifts Key Interest Rate from Near Zero
[image: Yellen - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Reserve is raising interest rates after seven years of record lows. But it’s signaling that further rate hikes will likely be made slowly as the economy strengthens further and muted inflation rises. The Fed’s move... more »
Supplemental: Lessons from The Year of the Trump!
*WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015After the gatekeepin's done:* Kevin Drum says that Candidate Trump gave last night's worst answer. It came when Hugh Hewitt popped a question concerning our aging "nuclear triad." Hewitt's a conservative talk show host. Keep that in mind for later. Like Drum, we'll provide Trump's answer in full. We'd like to add a couple of points to the standard derision: HEWITT (12/15/15): Dr. Carson just referenced the single most important job of the president, the command, the control and the care of our nuclear forces. And he mentioned the triad. The B-52s are o...more »
Egyptian Warplanes Using Israeli Airspace To Attack ISIS Positions In The Sinai
Egyptian fighter jets penetrated Israeli airspace https://t.co/Cz0RrgD9Uh — UJA News Net (@ujanewsnet) December 16, 2015 *IBTimes*: *Egypt Anti-ISIS Fight: Israeli Airspace Violated As Egyptian Warplanes Battle Sinai Affiliate Of Islamic State Group* Egyptian fighter jets have crossed into Israeli airspace several times in the last few months as its military continues to battle a militant insurgency in its northern Sinai region. The airspace violations were believed to be the first since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, and did not elicit a response from Israel’s military, the Times of ... more »
Party to Celebrate our Okinawa Tour
Our local hosts rented a restaurant last night and threw quite a party with beer and good food. Traditional music and dancing was really wonderful and then some young folks got up and showed how they've contemporized the traditional culture.
Wag the BBC and other M$M "official" lies
*BBC spearheaded "Assad Chemical Attack on Syrians" Hoax* Two of the biggest professional liars in the business have been caught lying again. RT in a video referred to above, since removed from YouTube, it is shown that *the BBC (Biggest and Best Calumny) was behind the useful canard that President Bashar al Assad of Syria committed a chemical attack on his own people.* It was this shopworn lie (used to death in Iraq) that led to hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians victims in the West's ongoing efforts to topple Assad. RT recently interviewed a Turkish MP who revealed that... more »
Duck, Duck, Nominate!
The Duckies have moved from here to the Online Media Caucus, but that does not mean that readers of the Duck should not participate. Indeed, it means that the DoM is now eligible for nominations. So, wander over to the OMC and nominate for a variety of categories, including best blog, best visual post, best […]
The Science Is Settled – Send Us More Money!
By Paul Homewood http://blog.metoffice.gov.uk/2015/12/15/the-science-questions-following-a-global-deal-on-climate/ There’s a classic piece on the Met Office blog today, which highlights so much that is wrong with climate science nowadays. There is a load of bull about melting ice etc, but anybody who might have thought that, as the “science” is now settled, we could stop funding climate […]
What Wayseers Do.....
*For more information:* *Wayseers G+*
Cat Calendar Shows Unexpected Side of Russian Church
[image: Russian priest and cat - 900] MOSCOW (AP) -- A group of Christian enthusiasts has released a calendar showing an unexpected face of the Russian Orthodox Church: cat-loving priests. The Priest and Cat calendar released earlier this month by photographer Anna Galperina and editor Ksenia Luchenko shows 12... more »
Chilling: Whistleblower’s Account of How Obama Administration Nixed Probe into So. Cal. Jihadists
[image: Syed Farook-Tashfeen Malik terrorists - 400] There are terrorists in our midst and they arrived here using legal means right under the noses of the federal law enforcement agencies whose mission is to stop them. That is not due to malfeasance or lack of effort on... Continue reading *“Chilling: Whistleblower’s Account of How Obama Administration Nixed Probe into So. Cal. Jihadists”* at *thehill.com*.
Last Night’s Debate Made Clear: Trump is Taking Some Positions Evangelicals Cannot Support in Good Conscience
[image: Donald Trump debate LV - 900] I have just one point for this piece: evangelicals should think hard about their view of Donald Trump. On the heels of last night’s debate, I am only shored up in this conviction. Evangelicals need to evaluate carefully the politics... more »
A Vote for Green Climate Fund in Omnibus Spending Bill is a Vote for Paris Agreement
[image: John Kerry2 - 900] What better time than Christmas to spend other people's money and give presents to the environmental activists? In addition to the other generous handouts renewable companies would receive in the omnibus spending bill, backroom negotiators are also pushing for President... more »
UK MPs Voted To Allow Fracking For Shale Gas Beneath National Parks
New government regulations will allow fracking for shale gas 1,200m below national parks and other protected sites. The move is condemned by environmentalists, fearing the destruction of a natural heritage which has historically defined Britannia. Fracking disturbs the earth both physically and metaphysically. The procedure uses chemicals that eventually get mixed with the natural water that is the source of life. Minor earthquakes have been reported in and around fracking sites. Greenpeace UK had warned of the dangers of fracking horizontally beneath the ground of life, and the gov... more »
Merry Christmas from Abbey Clancy - A Rule 5 Post - NSFW
Merry Christmas from Abbey Clancy... Peter Crouch is a lucky chap! Thanks to Theo Spark for the spot.
Germany reintroduces censorship
*"Specialist teams" will clean DDR's Facebook, Twitter, and Google from subversive posts in 24 hours* In Spring 1945, Angela Merkel's predecessor wisely committed suicide and Germany started its path towards freedom and democracy – or socialism, respectively. And in 1990, the communist regime in DDR collapsed, too. Because 70 years (or 25 years, in the case of DDR) of freedom seems as way too long time for many Germans, Angela Merkel has been discussing certain things with Mark Zuckerberg. "You're not doing enough," she argued. I didn't believe she would actually okay policies to... more »
Iraq’s Former Trade Minister Finally Convicted Of Corruption But In Absentia
An Iraqi court recently sentenced former Trade Minister Abdul Falah Sudani in absentia for graft. Sudani is from the Dawa Party and was in office during Maliki’s administration. His ministry was investigated several times and in 2009 he received his first of many arrest warrants for corruption. He was acquitted the next year after Dawa interfered in the case, and then arrested again in 2011. That case was dropped as well after political interference. Today Sudani lives in England having escaped any punishment for his crimes. This highlights the weakness of Iraq’s anti-corruption a... more »
Unforgettable Footage Captures Rescue of Persecuted Christians in Iraq
[image: Persecuted Christians - 900] Glenn witnessed joy and gratitude in rich supply while he and his team visited with persecuted Christians on the ground in Iraq last week. On his TV program Monday, Glenn shared with viewers some of the unforgettable things he experienced.... Continue reading *“Unforgettable Footage Captures Rescue of Persecuted Christians in Iraq”* at *glennbeck.com*.
Verses of Violence: Comparing the Bible and the Quran
[image: Bible Quran Scale - 900] When Christians point to the violent verses in the Quran, Muslims reply, "But what about the violent verses in the Bible?" How should we respond to this fair challenge from Muslims? The violent verses in the Bible were for a specific... more »
Poll: Most Now Oppose an Assault Weapons Ban, Doubt Authorities Can Stop a ‘Lone Wolf’ Terrorist
[image: Gun shop - 400] A majority of Americans oppose banning assault weapons for the first time in more than 20 years of ABC News/Washington Post polls, with the public expressing vast doubt that the authorities can prevent "lone wolf" terrorist attacks and a substantial... Continue reading *“Poll: Most Now Oppose an Assault Weapons Ban, Doubt Authorities Can Stop a ‘Lone Wolf’ Terrorist”* at *abcnews.go.com*.
Ukraine Update: Video Proof there's NO Honour Amongst Thieves
*Saker provides video proof that USrael's Ukrainian* *political puppets are desperate infighters* Things don't seem to be going all that well in the Kiev Junta of Western Ukraine. The Junta recently defaulted on a long outstanding debt to Russia...which the IMF forgave them for...thus contradicting its own rules and procedures. Saker says the gentlemen in the video, who make up the inner circle or Executive Committee of the ruling party are arguing about money (the lack of same) and corruption...i.e., who is the most corrupt. There are other problems. Some recent investigation rep... more »
Prince Charles Has Been Receiving Secret Cabinet Papers For Decades
Prince Charles has been receiving confidential cabinet papers for decades, giving him privileged access to confidential and market sensitive information. The revelation that the heir to throne is routinely sent confidential papers follows a three-year freedom of information battle The Independent reports: It follows the disclosure that the heir to the throne has regularly lobbied ministers over pet subjects including homeopathy, architecture, rainforests, rural housing and military spending. (Prince Charles dodges questions on Black Spider) The campaign group Republic, which obtaine... more »
Chile: The Angol Humanoids (1977)
*Chile: The Angol Humanoids (1977)* *By Raul Nuñez (IIEE) and Raul Gajardo Lepold.* In the city of Angol, one evening in the autumn of 1977, a couple of retired schoolteachers found the nocturnal peace interrupted by a highly unusual experience. They have never forgotten the strange visitors they saw in their garden that night, and they have never found a specific explanation to the situation, nor did they make their experience known to the customary media outlets, reserving their experience exclusively for IIEE (Instituto de Investigaciones Exobiologicas) Thirty four years have e... more »
5 Things to Watch at the Fed Meeting
[image: WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 17: Federal Reserve Bank Chair Janet Yellen holds a news conference following a meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee at the Fed June 17, 2015 in Washington, DC. The FOMC, the policy-making arm of the Federal Reserve, decided to hold interest rates at zero and gave no information about when it might raise rates for the first time in nine years. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)] 5 Things to Watch at the Fed Meeting At last. The Federal Reserve, after holding its benchmark federal-funds rate near zero for seven years, is likely to raise it t... more »
The GOP Candidates Debate: Is America Magic?
[image: Pray for America - 900] Last night’s Republican debate highlighted a number of fault lines in the GOP. The most important one related to U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, though the cracks extend into other critical issues, including immigration. There are complex practical... more »
Islamic State or Wahhabi Colony?
ISIS' ideological source code can be found among America's allies in Riyadh. *Image: ISIS or Saudi Arabia? ISIS and Saudi Arabia. **December 16, 2015* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - A recent confab of so-called "Syrian rebels" took place recently in Saudi Arabia. Those attending included a collection of dysfunctional expatriate "opposition" leaders as well as commanders from various militant groups operating in Syria including Ahrar al-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam - both affiliates of Al Qaeda's Al Nusra Front - a US State Department designated foreign terrorist organization since 2012. The... more »
PLOS ONE issues editor’s note over controversial chronic fatigue syndrome research
After a request for the original data was denied, PLOS ONE editors have flagged a 2012 sub analysis of a controversial clinical trial on chronic fatigue syndrome with an editor’s note. The editor’s note — which reads like an Expression of Concern — reiterates the journal’s policy that authors make data and materials available upon request, and notes that […] The post PLOS ONE issues editor’s note over controversial chronic fatigue syndrome research appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Israel Estimates That Hezbollah Has Suffered Massive Losses In Syria
A Hezbollah funeral for one of its fighters killed in Syria. (YouTube/Channel 4 News) *Algemeiner:* *Report: Israel Estimates Massive Hezbollah Losses in Syria* Israeli officials estimate that one third of Hezbollah’s active fighters have been killed or wounded in the Syrian civil war, Israeli news site Walla reported on Tuesday. According to the report, based on anonymous sources, between 1,300 and 1,500 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in combat in Syria, and an additional 5,000 have been wounded and are out of commission. Although Hezbollah — designated by the US and Israel ... more »
The Paris Accord and Climate Change
[image: Paris Accord and Climate Change BP - 900] JOHN STONESTREET (Breakpoint Radio) -- This past weekend, representatives from 195 countries approved what the New York Times called a "landmark climate accord" in Paris. Not surprisingly, President Obama, who has made fighting global warming a cornerstone of his foreign... more »
Russian General Claims New Weapons Will ‘Neutralize’ U.S. Shield
[image: Russian_missile_Flickr] MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia’s strategic nuclear forces chief says its new weapons will be capable of “neutralizing” any potential missile defenses. Col. Gen. Sergei Karakayev, the Strategic Missile Forces’ commander, said Wednesday in remarks carried by Russian news agencies that... more »
Sound Bites from the Spin Room after the GOP Debate
[image: screengrab_GOP_debate_spin_room] (AP Video) Some of the Republican presidential candidates spoke with members of the media in the Spin Room on Tuesday night, following the debate in Las Vegas. Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Rand Paul and Carly Fiorina were among those answering... more »
Iranian General Qassem Soleimani Met Russian President Putin Last Week
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commander Qassem Soleimani (L) stands at the frontline during offensive operations against Islamic State militants in the town of Tal Ksaiba in Salahuddin province March 8, 2015. Picture taken March 8, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer *Reuters:* *Iranian commander Soleimani meets Putin in Moscow* The commander of foreign operations for Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards visited Russia last week and met President Vladimir Putin, Fars news agency reported on Wednesday, a sign of closer ties as their regional alliance gains momentum. General Qassem Soleimani, head of... more »
A Shift In The U.S. Position On Regime Change In Syria?
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrive for a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia December 15, 2015. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin *ABC News*: *US Not Seeking 'Regime Change' in Syria, John Kerry Says After Meeting With Russian President* Following lengthy talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has said the United States is not seeking regime change in Syria and that the U.S. and Russia see the conflict "fundamentally very similarly." “The United States and its partners are not seek... more »
BWorld 33, Computing rise in tax revenues if rates are cut
* This is my article in BusinessWorld last Tuesday. Among the most important liberal economic policies that the Aquino administration should have pursued -- to remain consistent with its party affiliation, the Liberal Party (LP) -- is to cut income tax rates in the Philippines. Unfortunately, the President failed to appreciate the importance of this measure. While some LP leaders pursued this measure, top party officials and the Department of Finance Secretary took the limited view that tax cut means lower tax revenues. Hence, they objected the measure. Below is a simple model,... more »
Russian Anti-Drugs Chief: ISIS Use Turkey To Traffick Heroin To Europe
According to the head of Russia’s federal anti-drug agency FKSN, one of the biggest money-spinners for ISIS terrorists is the transportation of heroin from Afghanistan to Europe through Turkey and the Balkans. Viktor Ivanov said that ISIS fighters are controlling certain territories but “Now it is targeted by the Russian Air Force, but until recently the terrorists enjoyed great freedom there. Trafficking illegal drugs was one of the major sources of their income.” Terrorism experts had previously warned Europe that ISIS were planning to flood the UK and Europe with the heroin traff... more »
SCHOOL LIVES MATTER: Lone Star and Golden State editions!
*WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015Part 3—About those "inferior" schools:* Where will Mya Alford go to college, assuming she gets the chance? We have no idea. Maybe Alford, age 16, will apply to Penn State. Maybe she'll stay closer to home. (State College is 135 miles from Pittsburgh, where Alford is junior class president at historic Westinghouse High.) We have no idea about that. We can tell you this—if Alford were a Texas kid, she'd be admitted to UT-Austin, assuming she finished in (roughly) the top ten percent of her graduating class. Texas kids get admitted to Austin under the s... more »
The US Federal Government Finally Admits the War on Drugs is a Failure
*Dylan Charles* - The nation's newest Drug Czar just admitted to CBS that the war on drugs is a failure. The post The US Federal Government Finally Admits the War on Drugs is a Failure appeared first on Waking Times.
Riding through the 2016 Election
[image: Politics_38] I am posting at the China Policy Institute's Taiwan 2016 blog today: Riding through the 2016 election. Go thou and enjoy! _______________________ [Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums!
So, fellow Americans, is our country the greatest on the earth? Watch these two videos before you reply.
------------------------------ Bill Black: A "Jihadist" Against the Banks? While assisting the prosecution of JPMorgan and Countrywide in Florida by the Department of Justice, TRNN regular Bill Black was dismissed from the case by the assistant US Attorney, who described him as a "Jihadist" - *December 15, 2015* https://youtu.be/qikJavfo5Do Original here Days of Revolt: The Militarism of U.S. Diplomacy In this episode of teleSUR's Days of Revolt, Chris Hedges and author Vijay Prashad trace the acceleration of U.S. militarism since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and discuss t... more »
Two Suspected of Links to Paris Attacks Arrested in Austria Refugee Center
[image: Paris bistro - 400] Two people have been arrested at a refugee center in the Austrian city of Salzburg on suspicion of being connected to last month’s Paris attacks, the Salzburg prosecutors’ office said on Wednesday. The two are men who are thought to... Continue reading *“Two Suspected of Links to Paris Attacks Arrested in Austria Refugee Center”* at *reuters.com*.
Normalisation
*"Now the situation in brotherly Czechoslovakia is normalized."* *- Leonid Brezhnev, 1968*
Mitrokhin
He then went to the UK embassy where he was put in touch with a young member of the staff who asked him: "*Would you like a cup of tea?*", before getting in touch with MI6 who later exfiltrated him and his family. Some Italian ministers said that the archive *"is not a dossier from the KGB but one about the KGB constructed by British counter-espionage agents based on the confession of an ex-agent, if there is one, and 'Mitrokhin' is just a codename for an MI5 operation"*
Bashar
19 November 2015 Damascus, SANA – President al-Assad to the Italian TV Channel RAI UNO: ISIS has no incubator in Syria…Terrorists are main obstacle blocking political progress. These are some of the themes of President Bashar al-Assad’s interview to the Italian state television channel RAI UNO. The following is the full text: Question 1: Mr. President, thanks for the opportunity of talking to you. Let’s start from Paris. How did you react to the news coming from Paris? President al-Assad: We can start by saying it’s a horrible crime, and at the same time it’s a sad event when ... more »
Trnopolje
"The most likely explanation is that Trnopolje was both a refugee camp and a detention camp--there were at least two different groups of people there--and that this is what has confused the issue. Refugees had come there of their own free will and could leave at any time. But there were also Bosnian Muslims like Fikret Alic who had been transferred there from other camps, who were awaiting identification and processing, and who were not free to leave. But even this group was not confined by barbed wire. The out-takes show them in the main camp, outside the agricultural compound,... more »
Bezmenov
*G. Edward Griffin: *Our conversation is with Mr. Yuri Alexandrovich Bezmenov. Mr. Bezmenov was born in 1939 in a suburb of Moscow. He was the son of a high-ranking Soviet army officer. He was educated in the elite schools inside the Soviet Union and became an expert in Indian culture and Indian languages. He had an outstanding career with Novosti, which was the—and still is, I should say—the press arm or the press agency of the Soviet Union; it turns out that this is also a front for the KGB. One of his interesting assignments was to brainwash foreign diplomats when they vi... more »
Assisted Suicide
The legalization of assisted suicide says a lot about Canadian society in 2015. Regardless of whether you agree that someone should be entitled to medical assistance to end their life or whether you think the safeguards around assisted suicide are sufficient, it is very clear that the concept of self autonomy and deciding for yourself what is right governs. Doctors give options and the patient decides; and full disclosure by the medical professional is required. The idea that people make their own decisions for themselves is now deeply engrained in Canadian society. Society exi... more »
Religion Is Good for Kids and Families
[image: family - iStock_000036504990_Large] It’s a message we hear more and more: Religion is bad. And certainly recent headlines -- from terrorist attacks perpetrated by radical Islamists in Paris and San Bernardino to the strange brew of warped Christian fundamentalism that appeared to motivate alleged shooter... Continue reading *“Religion Is Good for Kids and Families”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
Demjanjuk
*Ramsey Clark :* "*The OSI **[FBI/Justice Dept. Office of Special Investigations*]* was conceived in hate.* *The moral of the Demjanjuk case is 'If you can find a 95 year old Nazi and choke him in his bed before he can draw his last breath - do it.'* *I have seen them terrorise whole communities in places like Toronto... In fear that their elders are going to be snatched**..."* *August-September 1995. * The Schiller Institute held hearings to take testimony on the subject of misconduct at the U.S. Department of Justice, in four areas: the *Frühmenschen *prosecutions of black... more »
Chile: “A UFO Patrolled the Coalfields” (2007)
*Chile: “A UFO Patrolled the Coalfields” (2007)* *Source: http://www.cronica.cl/edicion_cronica/seccion/articulo.php?id=31358&dia=1169262000Date: 01.20.2007Author: Gustavo Aracena* Workers of a company in Lota claim having seen an extraterrestrial craft flying over the commune. These employees believe it stopped in mid-air to observe them. More than stars can be seen in the skies over Lota. Mario knows this well; he is an employee with a company located only meters from the coast, and on December 8 (2007) he had an experience that has left him in shock to this very day. “I am ... more »
School Bans Mark Twain Classic, Huckleberry Finn, Over ‘N’ Word
A school in Philadelphia recently expelled the Mark Twain novel Huckleberry Finn from its classroom curriculum, because the book includes the use of the “N” word. The Friends’ Central School removed the Mark Twain classic from the 11th-grade American literature class last week because students said it made them feel ‘uncomfortable’. The Daily Sheeple reports: Of course, the book is poignantly ahead of its time in its critique of slavery, and depicts a boy who befriends a slave and goes through many difficulties to help him reach freedom… But the truth stopped mattering a long time a... more »
Report: Two Emails on Clinton’s Server Were Top Secret … Despite Denials
[image: PITTSBURGH - APRIL 14: Presidential candidate U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)speaks at a forum of the Alliance for American Manufacturing at the David L Lawrence Convention Center April 14, 2008 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Clinton is campaigning ahead of the April 22, Pennsylvania primary. (Photo by Jeff Swensen)] A pair of emails on Hillary Clinton's private server was indeed "top secret" when they passed through her machine, intelligence officials have concluded, according to a pair of reports. The tentative finding comes despite opposition from the State Department, w... more »
The Evidence is Piling up that Higher Minimum Wages Kill Jobs
[image: minimum wage increase - 400] The movement to raise the federal minimum wage has become ever more ambitious. In 2013 proponents deemed $9 an hour acceptable; today the demand is for $15. Economists point to a crucial question: Will a higher minimum wage reduce the... Continue reading *“The Evidence is Piling up that Higher Minimum Wages Kill Jobs”* at *google.com*.
Rasmussen Poll: Americans Want Christmas, More Religion in Schools
[image: merry christmas] Americans continue to strongly support the celebration of Christmas in public schools, places that most already believe lack enough religion. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 76% of American Adults believe Christmas should be celebrated in public... Continue reading *“Rasmussen Poll: Americans Want Christmas, More Religion in Schools”* at *rasmussenreports.com*.
World News Briefs -- December 16, 2015
A member loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) waves an ISIL flag in Raqqa June 29, 2014. REUTERS/STRINGER *Reuters*:* Islamic State eyeing oil targets beyond Syria stronghold: U.S. official* Islamic State is looking at potentially vulnerable oil assets in Libya and elsewhere outside its Syria stronghold, where the militant group controls about roughly 80 percent of the oil and gas fields, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday. The official, who briefed reporters in Washington on condition of anonymity, said the United States was carefully examining who control... more »
Authors retract abstract following misconduct by diabetes biotech
Earlier this year, authors retracted a meeting abstract about a diabetes drug, following the revelation that the biotech that funded the trial committed misconduct. The retraction was initiated by corresponding author Itamar Raz, at Hadassah Medical Center in Israel. The journal didn’t receive a response from any co-authors who were affiliated with the biotech company, Andromeda, so […] The post Authors retract abstract following misconduct by diabetes biotech appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Get your Kicks now before the planet totally catches on fire
The Paris accord is climate truthyness. A Chamberlain accord with the internal enemy of the planet, humans. Ironically just when science can give humans immortality, the failure to embrace scientific thought will condemn the planet to death.
Turkish MP Faces Treason Charges Over ISIS Sarin Claim
A treason investigation has been launched against a Turkish MP who alleged that ISIS delivered deadly sarin gas to Syria through Turkey. In an interview with RT, MP Eren Erdem said hat Islamic State terrorists in Syria received all the necessary materials to produce deadly sarin gas via Turkey. RT reports: Ankara’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office opened the case against Istanbul MP Eren Erdem of Republican People’s Party (CHP) after his interview about sarin was aired on RT on Monday. “Chemical weapon materials were brought to Turkey and put together in ISIS camps in Syria, which was know... more »
Get your Kicks now before the planet totaly catches on fire
The Paris accord is climate truthyness. A Chamberlain accord with the internal enemy of the planet, humans. Ironically just when science can give humans immortality, the failure to embrace scientific thought will condemn the planet to death.
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 16, 2015
President Barack Obama, center, Vice President Joe Biden, left, and Defense Secretary Ash Carter sit together at the Pentagon, Dec. 14, 2015, as they meet with the National Security Council about the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL. DoD photo by Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz *Military Times*: *Islamic State fight will continue on multiple fronts in 2016* The battle against the Islamic State group is likely to remain the center of attention into 2016, but it is unlikely to expand into an all-out ground war in which U.S. soldiers and Marin... more »
Doctor Who quiz question
Which of the actors who have portrayed The Doctor (canon Doctors only of course) have also portrayed The Master? Yes it's a trick question but it's a good one!
Ryan Unveils Sweeping $1.6T Deal on Government Funding, Taxes
[image: paul ryan the hill] Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) announced to the House Republican Conference on Tuesday night that leaders have reached a sweeping year-end deal on taxes and funding the government after days of intense negotiations. The full text of the 2009-page omnibus bill... Continue reading *“Ryan Unveils Sweeping $1.6T Deal on Government Funding, Taxes”* at *thehill.com*.
GOP Will Lift the Oil Export Ban by Giving Dems More Green Energy Subsidies
[image: Wind energy, clean energy technology, wind turbine] House lawmakers have agreed on a deal to lift the four-decade-old ban on oil exports in exchange for extending green energy subsidies, including tax breaks for solar and wind energy producers. The oil-for-green-subsidies deal comes after months of Republicans pushing... more »
Rich Man's Charity
http://news.yahoo.com/ One of the images which emerged from the Climate Conference in Paris was of Bill Gates standing with the leaders of nations. That image makes Gerry Caplan feel uneasy: The all-male photo included the heads of five governments and, in the middle, Bill Gates – an elected leader of nothing, but head with his wife of a multi-billion dollar charitable foundation funded by them from his unfathomable personal wealth. It's not that the Gates Foundation doesn't do good work. It's about the work it does -- and about... more »
Remember How GOP Strategists Used To Get So Excited About "Guns And Gays?" No More
The gun lobby power derives from support of cowardly politicians like Ted Strickland Gays used to be a big GOP issue. The tide has turned and now most Republican electeds-- other than in a few backwards Confederate districts-- would rather it not be brought up. Guns as an issue is turning around too. It was once a winner for the GOP and now... Democratic strategists are eager to use gun massacres as a cudgel against Republicans this year. The vast majority of Americans want background checks and support the Democrats' in their quest to close the loophole that the Republicans and the... more »
Trump’s — No, Wait — The Republican Debate
[image: Donald Trump] Winner? No question about it, it was Trump at a canter. This was conceded even before the debate began in the under-card where the four folks who couldn’t make prime time were asked questions not about themselves, but about Trump.... more »
Putin Signs Bill Making Russia Untouchable by International Human Rights Law
[image: Putin Half Smirk - 900] President Vladimir Putin signed a law Tuesday giving Russia the right to decide for itself whether or not international human rights court rulings should be implemented in the country. The Russian Constitutional Court can now pronounce any ruling "non-executable" if... more »
New Vatican Document Gives Religious Brothers a Moment in the Sun
[image: DominicanFriars] Back in the late 1980s, I briefly flirted with the idea of a religious vocation. At one stage I thought I might want to become a Catholic brother, largely because I wasn't sure about the priesthood. As any formation director... Continue reading *“New Vatican Document Gives Religious Brothers a Moment in the Sun”* at *cruxnow.com*.
Lisa Randall on brotherless female scientists, science vs politics
*For paid feminists, the dishonest feminist bullšiting is more important than science, your identity, your achievements, and human lives* Because Lisa Randall has released her book, Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs, she was interviewed by many journalists including Lila Shapiro, a Senior Staff Reporter at the left-wing megablog Huffington Post: The One Question This Brilliant Physicist Wants People To Stop Asking Her The title wants you to think that the Huffington Post are the leaders in "asking the right questions" to scientists like Randall. In reality, this Ms Shapiro had to be one... more »
Attacking the Truth: Part II
[image: Supreme Court - 900] See here for part 1. The case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, involving racial double standards in admissions to the University of Texas at Austin, has an Alice-in-Wonderland quality that has been all too common in other Supreme Court... more »
Billionaire Warren Buffett to Endorse Clinton But Says He Doesn’t Think Elections Should Be Decided by the Superrich
[image: Warren Buffett - 900] OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Like many Americans, Warren Buffett can write a $2,700 check to support his favorite presidential candidate. But as one of the wealthiest Americans, he can also unleash immense financial clout by giving untold millions to super... more »
Pakistan Government Closes Schools on Anniversary of Deadly Taliban School Siege, PM Vows Revenge
[image: Pakistan] PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistan closed schools across the country on Wednesday on the anniversary of last year’s Taliban attack that killed over 150 people, 144 of them schoolchildren, officials said. The closure was part a day of national mourning...more »
Why the War on Guns Has Failed
[image: Cigarettes, Smoking, Guns, Handguns, Firearms] In the wake of the San Bernardino attack, liberals are in a total panic over guns. The New York Times broke a 95-year precedent to editorialize about gun control on its front page. But the Times seems restrained compared with the full-on meltdown... more »
Untitled
*School principal bans Santa, Thanksgiving and Pledge of Allegiance* Santa Claus is banned. The Pledge of Allegiance is no longer recited. “Harvest festival” has replaced Thanksgiving, and “winter celebrations” substitute for Christmas parties. New principal Eujin Jaela Kim has given PS 169 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, a politically correct scrub-down, to the dismay of teachers and parents. “We definitely can’t say Christmas, nothing with Christmas on it, nothing with Santa,” PTA president Mimi Ferrer said administrators told her. “No angels. We can’t even have a star because it can ... more »
Untitled
*Plankton and global warming: Another big crock of the brown stuff* *A totally boring finding to the effect that warm-water creatures tend to live in warm water has been hyped into a threat to our fish dinners* I noted yesterday a new report that said plankton were dying out due to global warming. And plankton are an important part of the marine food chain so the implication was that our fish dinners are threatened! As someone who likes fish dinners I take that seriously, but I recently noted another threat to my fish dinners that turned out to be "poorly understood" so I was i... more »
David Cameron's best PMQs dig at Jeremy Corbyn for a while
Sky News (@SkyNews) tweeted at 0:13 PM on Wed, Dec 16, 2015: David Cameron suggests Jeremy Corbyn "should go on the Today programme one of these days" #PMQs https://t.co/LheYfS0ZJS (https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/677099222483787776)
Is There A U.S. - Russia - China - 'Killer Robot' Race?
Lethal military robots are currently deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Ground-based robots like QinetiQ's MAARS robot (shown here), are armed with weapons to shoot insurgents, appendages to disarm bombs, and surveillance equipment to search buildings. A Georgia Tech computer science professor is developing a package of software and hardware that tells robots when and what to fire. QinetiQ *Defense One*: *The Pentagon is Nervous about Russian and Chinese Killer Robots* The Pentagon is rushing to keep up with Russian and Chinese efforts to develop highly autonomous robots ... more »
North Korea Sentences Canadian Pastor to Life in Prison
[image: North Korea Detained] PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) -- North Korea’s Supreme Court sentenced a Canadian pastor to life in prison with hard labor on Wednesday for what it called crimes against the state. Hyeon Soo Lim, who pastors the Light Korean Presbyterian Church... more »
Northrop Grumman Unveils Its Concept For A Sixth Generation Fighter
Known internally as NG Air Dominance, the craft features laser weapons. The so called 'sixth generation fighter' is rumoured to fly at supersonic speeds, although Northrop Grumman, who are developing it, say the specifications are still classified. *Breaking Defense*: *Northrop Unveils Sixth Gen Fighter Concept* PALMDALE, CALIF: Northrop Grumman unveiled its vision of the so-called sixth-generation fighter, showing reporters a laser-firing aircraft that looks like a cross between the B-2 bomber and the X-47B drone. Chris Hernandez, Northrop’s vice president for research, technology... more »
Nick Clegg's "Dangerous Fantasy" Becomes Reality...
I would ask if Nick Clegg will be questioned about this but I know the answer, when it comes to the EU the BBC know which side they are on.
Ancient Egypt - how to cut a stone sarcophagus lid - use diamond tipped circular saw
in the following (very short) video, filmed at the Cairo Museum, an Ancient Egyptian stone sarcophagus is shown in part-construction... it has the inner cored out and the lid was being sliced off the back of the granite block, oh then some accident happened and it snapped. There are two possible reasons... a) this is a modern i.e. 20th century, attempt to hack a lid off an abandoned stone sarcophagus or casket - why you would wanna do that is beyond understanding. b) this is evidence of Misplaced Technology (or machine drilling and sawing where there should only be copper chisel... more »
Some Believe That Russian President Putin is Immortal
Twins: Photos taken in 1920 and 1941 show two men the look remarkably similar to Russian president Vladimir Putin *Daily Mail:* *Conspiracy theorists produce photographic 'evidence' that suggests Vladimir Putin is IMMORTAL and hasn't changed his appearance in 100 years* * Photos taken in 1920 and 1941 show two men the look remarkably similar to Russian president Vladimir Putin * This has led some to speculate on social media that he is immortal and can time travel * Others believe Putin may have sat for Da Vinci when he painted the Mona Lisa, and lived as Vlad the Impaler * None o... more »
EFN Asia 54, Sethaput Narueput on economic freedom and poverty
Reposting a good article here by Sethaput, posted in EFN Asia website last week. My short comments about his paper: 1. The World Bank (WB), along with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), IMF, OECD, UN, etc. are government clubs and associations, NOT clubs of corporations (big or small) or NGOs or other civil society organizations. Its funding come from governments, its leadership is nominated and approved by governments, its programs and lending are for governments. Thus, words like "government", "state", "tax", "regulation" are expected to dominate its literatures. It should not be a... more »
Advent Through the Ages in Beloved Music
[image: The Tree of Jesse O Antiphons - 900] As Christmas approaches, I always find myself connecting to the past, both my family's history and beyond that to the more distant history of the church through the ages. Perhaps I do that because the theme of Advent (the season...more »
Economic News , Data & Views ( December 16 , 2015 ) - Overview ( Fed Decision On Rates / US Political Scene Sees Last Debate for 2015 / Carney Flip Flops ) ...... Europe Overview ( Greece - Economic & Political Items , Austria - HETA Creditor Group Nixes Recovery Below Par , EZ Dec PMI Eases Lower , Finland Items - Economy In Focus - Still Not Performing , UK Oct Avg Weekly Earnings Weakens , Germany In Focus - VW In the News Again / German Gov't To Sell 202 Bn in Bonds / Bills In 2016 , EU Summit - Russian Sanctions Not on the Table for discussion , Portugal's New Gov't Starts Rolling Back Austerity Measures ) ....... Asia & Emerging Nations (Asia stocks rally before Fed as market participants appear to expecting dovish tightening. Additional Items -- China In Focus / Japan Item / South Korean Economy In focus )
Overview....... *zerohedge* @zerohedge 27m 27 minutes ago BofA: " Today’s statement and press conference failed to meet the market’s hurdle for a dovish hike" *zerohedge* @zerohedge 3h 3 hours ago Fed Reveals Rate Hike "Plumbing" Details: Removes Cap On Reverse Repos, Limits Each Counterparty To $30 Billion http://www. zerohedge.com/news/2015-12-1 6/fed-reveals-rate-hike-plumbing-details-removes-cap-reverse-repos-limits-each-counter … *zerohedge* @zerohedge 4h 4 hours ago Dollar & Crude Dumped, Bonds Pumped As Yellen Jawboning Saves Stocks http://ww...more »
Don’t Eat Lettuce – (Or Anything Else For That Matter)
By Paul Homewood https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/lettuce-three-times-worse-bacon-204814044.html And no, it’s not April 1st! From Yahoo: Greenhouse gas emissions from lettuce production are three times higher per calorie than from bacon, study finds Eating lettuce could be three times worse for the environment than bacon, scientists have claimed. Despite calls from celebrities including Arnold Schwarzenegger […]
This Commentator Believes That If A 'Big War' Comes To Russia, Russia Will be Ready For War
© Sputnik/ Dmitriy Vinogradov *Pepe Escobar, Sputnik*: *You Want War? Russia is Ready for War* Nobody needs to read Zbigniew “Grand Chessboard” Brzezinski’s 1997 opus to know US foreign policy revolves around one single overarching theme: prevent – by all means necessary – the emergence of a power, or powers, capable of constraining Washington’s unilateral swagger, not only in Eurasia but across the world. The Pentagon carries the same message embedded in newspeak: the Full Spectrum Dominance doctrine. Syria is leading all these assumptions to collapse like a house of cards. So n... more »
Childhoods End – The Coming Great Deception…
L.A. Marzulli's Blog December 15, 2015 / lamarzulli [image: ChildhoodsEnd_gallery_101Recap_09] Please take a good look at the picture. Now take a look at the Baphomet statue which was unveiled this year. [image: Baphomet]t Similarities anyone? This is where we are as a culture, where we are constantly being bombarded by the media, pop culture, the record industry, movies and TV. Now, Arthur C. Clarke’s, *Childhoods End, *is being televised on the SCI-FI channel. I’m going to watch it on the net at some point today. In my Nephilim Trilogy, the third book is called, *The Revealin... more »
Russian Cruise Missile Malfunctions During Test And Smashes Into Apartment Block
© Sergey Kazak / Sputnik *RT*: *Russian cruise missile falls in residential area in failed test-firing* A cruise missile launched in the northern Arkhangelsk region malfunctioned during a test flight and fell into a residential area. No casualties have been reported. The misdirected missile was being tested by NPO Mashinostroyeniya (Research and Production Union of Machine-building), a major Russian rocket design and production company, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday, December 15, according to TASS. *More News On Failed Russian Cruise Missile Test* Missile that ... more »
Military Photo of the Day: December 16, 2015
[image: Airman in Afghanistan-900] A U.S. Air Force airman shoots an M-16 rifle at a firing range near Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 8, 2015. The gratitude we feel for our country’s deployed service members could not be any deeper. Stay safe, heroes!
Russia Warns Of Global Chaos As Mini Ice Age Winter Arrives
A report from the Kremlin warns that there is a strong likelihood of global chaos due to a severe weakening of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) that threatens a worldwide mini ice age event to kick in this winter. According to the Ministry of Defense the world is set to experience the worst winter in modern history. Whatdoesitmean.com reports: Unfortunately for the Western peoples, however, in regards to the catastrophic winter dangers to come, this report says, are their government global warming alarmists blaming an El Nino event for its occurring…while at the s... more »
MH17: Australia Say Russia Not To Blame, Evidence Tampered With
The official Australian investigation into the cause of the crash of Malaysian Airlines MH17 have accused the Dutch Safety Board (DSB) of failing to provide “conclusive evidence” of what exactly destroyed the aircraft, and say that Russia did not shoot down the plane despite accusations to the contrary from DSB. The senior Australian policeman investigating the MH17 crash, Detective Superintendent Andrew Donoghue, testified in an international court recently saying that a “tougher standard than the DSB report” is required before the criminal investigation can identify the weapon th... more »
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter In The Middle East To Ask Allies To Do More In The War Against The Islamic State
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and his wife, Stephanie, meet with coalition troops on Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, Dec. 15, 2015. The secretary spoke about the push to accelerate the campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL. Carter is on a weeklong trip to the Middle East. DoD photo *Washington Post*: *Defense secretary prods allies to increase efforts against Islamic State* INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey — Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter on Tuesday visited a Turkish air base near the Syrian border that has become a hub for operations against the Islamic S... more »
First batch of 10 pheno papers on the new resonance \(S\)
*Note that we have democratically decided about the right symbol* The CERN seminar took place between 3 pm and 5 pm CERN time (2 pm-4 pm Greenwich Mean Time). After the end of the seminar, phenomenologists had 5 extra hours before the daily arXiv.org deadline at 10 pm CERN time (4 pm Boston time, 1 pm California time) to absorb the totally surprising news, do the research, calculate and verify all the equations, write a \(\rm\LaTeX\) paper, fill in the forms at their departments when necessary, and submit their new paper. *Picture from Umesh* It was a hard task because it normall... more »
Neurologists Say Putin’s Unusual Walk Due To Heroic KGB Past
Russian President Vladimir Putin has a famously unusual walk. His right arm remains stiff by his side, whilst his left arm swings freely. Rumours have circulated that either a childhood bout of polio might be to blame, or that it might be a sign of early onset Parkinson’s disease. Finally a group of Dutch neurologists have figured out the answer. They say Putin’s odd walking pattern is not due to any type of former or current ill health, but due to the training he received while in the Soviet Union’s spy agency – the KGB. News.com.au reports: The neurologists analysed YouTube footag... more »
DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN (Rate Hike?) Pull Back the Curtain on Exchange Traded Funds and Out Pop Wall Street Mega Banks
Speak an undeniable truth to power. - Václav Havel [HINT: Chris Hedges' "Constructing" is on LINK TV right now. Do yourself a favor and see it in order to learn about some current methods for constructing a new and decent democratic society in the USA! USA! USA!.] (If you have trouble reading lots of figures, don't despair; just get a tall drink and dive in - it's easier than you think (and
GOP Hopefuls Throw Down in Vegas Debate
[image: GOP Debate - Cruz, Trump, Bush 000] The 2016 Republican candidates met Tuesday night in Vegas to debate a buffet of topics tied to national security. It turned into a food fight. As expected, much of the flinging was directed toward front-runner Donald Trump. His several dust-ups with former Florida governor... more »
Saudi Arabia And The Gulf States May Send Special Forces Into Syria
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir attends a news conference at a hotel in Paris, France, December 15, 2015, where he said their Islamic anti-terror alliance will share information and train, equip and provide forces if necessary for the fight against Islamic State. REUTERS/JACKY NAEGELEN *Reuters:* *Saudi Arabia says sending special forces to Syria under discussion* Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states are discussing sending special forces to Syria as part of U.S.-led efforts to fight Islamic State, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Tuesday. "There are discu... more »
U.S. Stirring Up Trouble in Asia-Pacific
The United States is trying to provoke a military arms race in Asia-Pacific in order to imperil “decades of peace and prosperity” and return to the region, an American academic and political analyst says.
Pentagon: War In Afghanistan Intensifying. Islamic State Now Operational In The Country
*Reuters*: *Afghan security worsens, casualties spike in 2015: Pentagon* Afghanistan's overall security deteriorated in the second half of this year, with Taliban militants staging more attacks and inflicting far more casualties on Afghan forces, the Pentagon said in a grim report to the U.S. Congress released on Tuesday. The Pentagon's assessment, offering statistics and details on attack trends, was yet more evidence of Afghanistan's struggle to blunt a resilient Taliban insurgency despite 14 years of U.S. military engagement. Recent setbacks include the brief fall of the northe... more »
Men’s Unexpected Erections are a Liability on the Battlefield (and other ways men’s bodies put female soldiers at risk)
In the follow up to Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s recent announcement that all combat jobs will be open to women, there have been several articles highlighting men’s fears about working with women on the frontline. In particular, a survey of Special Operations men found that the majority would prefer not to work with women, and […]
Libertarians and Gay Rights Activists to Divorce?
[image: Culture Wars] Libertarians have generally been quite supportive of gay rights and the same-sex marriage movement. But after spending last Thursday at the LGBT summit put on by The Atlantic magazine, Elizabeth Nolan Brown of Reason said it's about time for libertarians and gay... Continue reading *“Libertarians and Gay Rights Activists to Divorce?”* at *theamericanconservative.com*.
Causation in culpable homicide
R. v. Malkowski, 2015 ONCA 887: [14] We begin with the following general principles concerning causation: · the causation standard in motor vehicle offences involving death is the same standard that applies in cases of culpable homicide, namely that the accused's conduct be at least a contributing cause of the deceased's death, outside the de minimis range; the accused's conduct need not be the sole contributing cause of death, provided it contributed beyond de minimis to that death;[1] · in deciding whether an accused should be held responsible for causing a... more »
Picture Of The Day
An Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon receives fuel from a KC-135R Stratotanker over the coast of North Carolina during Exercise Razor Talon, Dec. 14, 2015. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman John Nieves Camacho
The CNN GOP Debate: As Seen on Twitter
[image: cnn debate three cmprs] Tonight, we saw the last GOP debate of 2015. As always, the politicos and pundits tweeted their way through. As the candidates came out, viewers were listening to see who got the most applause. Based on the applause-o-meter @marcorubio seems like the... more »
10 Ways to Remember Baby's First Christmas
There is something magical about baby's first Christmas. I have had a newborn and a 8-month-old at Christmas time and both times they have been a holiday to remember. With my first, she was so brand new at Christmas time and we had such a struggle with her eating at first that my mind was all consumed with her at Christmas time and I didn't do very much to commemorate her first Christmas. I did have her picture taken with Santa and a few pictures of her in a Santa hat but that was about it. When my next little one was born in April, by the time Christmas came around we were well ... more »
Lost Grandeur of the Grand Jury
*Jenna Orkin* Free at last! It's sixteen months since I was placed on a federal grand jury which, I soon learned, is as hard to get off of as a regular jury is to get on. And not for want of trying. But a panicked Google search after the summons arrived yielded discouraging results: "Answer the judge's questions truthfully," recommended one veteran, "and wet your pants." While many jurors are soon released because their business is suffering or for some other hardship, stories also circulated of people who were denied exemptions even if a parent was seriously ill. One woma... more »
Secret U.S. Policy Prohibited Immigration Agents From Checking Social Media Posts Of Visa Applicants
*ABC News*: *Secret US Policy Blocks Agents From Looking at Social Media of Visa Applicants, Former Official Says* The State Department today said that “obviously things went wrong” in the visa background check for one of the San Bernardino shooters -- comments that came in the wake of an ABC News report that said officials by policy generally do not check social media postings of applicants due to civil liberties concerns and therefore would not have seen purported evidence of Tashfeen Malik’s radicalization online. “It’s difficult to say exactly what [went wrong] and how, but fo... more »
Trumpf Won't Be Running As An Independent No Matter How Unfairly The GOP Establishment Treats Him
Another day, another non-predictive national horse race poll showing Herr Trumpf *way* ahead of the pack. This time it was the *Washington Post*'s December polling with Trumpf up 5 to 38%, followed by Cruz (up 7 at 14%), Dr. Ben (down 11 at 11%) and the latest establishment superstar, Marco Rubio down 1 at 10%. Nonetheless, Trumpf doesn't have the leverage to threaten the Republican Party that he thought he does, or at least keeps saying he does (although this evening he seemed to say at the debate that he wouldn't make a third party run, whatever that's worth). Just a couple of ... more »
Satire: “Chilling Video Terrifies Nation”
*“Chilling Video Terrifies Nation”* by Andy Borowitz LAS VEGAS (The Borowitz Report)— “Authorities were urging people to remain calm on Tuesday night after the broadcast of a chilling video that terrified millions. The video, which was broadcast nationally on CNN, appeared to show nine extremists glaring into the camera and making a series of escalating threats. The radicals’ increasingly violent rhetoric and palpable hatred rattled viewers across the nation, sources said. Experts who viewed the video acknowledged that the words and images contained in it were alarming, but advised... more »
Obama compared Catholics to Muslims...
*oh, yes he did.* Speaking at a naturalization ceremony for 31 new American citizens at the National Archives, Obama compared the current wave of immigrants to the waves of German, Scottish, Irish and German immigrants of the past. "In the Muslim immigrant today, we see the Catholic immigrant of a century ago," Obama said. "In the Syrian refugee of today, we should see the Jewish refugee of World War II." * source* Honestly - do I need to even say anything about this? I didn't think so.
Hillary Clinton Presents Her Plan To Stop The Spread Of The Islamic State
*Time:* *Hillary Clinton Calls for More Surveillance to Fight Terror* She called for more surveillance of social media and those who travel to countries with a terrorist presence Laying out her plan to prevent a terrorist attack on American soil, Hillary Clinton on Thursday called for an “intelligence surge” against terror recruits, including increased surveillance of suspects and greater oversight of social media. The former Secretary of State’s plan would aim to tamp down on ISIS recruitment in the United States and halt the flow of fighters into and out of the country. Her pro... more »
Wheaton College Suspends Hijab-Wearing Professor For ‘Same God’ Comment
[image: Wheaton College] A tenured Wheaton College political science professor who pledged to wear a hijab during Advent in support of her Muslim neighbors has been placed on administrative leave. Not for donning the Islamic head covering, but over “significant questions regarding the... Continue reading *“Wheaton College Suspends Hijab-Wearing Professor For ‘Same God’ Comment”* at *christianitytoday.com*.
Roy Casagranda : Hey, ISIL! Here’s some unsolicited advice
By Roy Casagranda | The Rag Blog | December 16, 2015 My advice to all the pro-ISIL forces in the United States: Keep bombing Iraq and Syria. This is how ISIL came into being in the first place. It makes … finish reading Roy Casagranda : Hey, ISIL! Here’s some unsolicited advice
Dec. 15: The Irving press - just an uncomfortable diaper
Again, today's Irving press is skimpy. I can only presume they're trying to save paper. They could save by printing fewer photos. A4 has a prime example of a wasted photo. The story is about a girl who was sentenced for robbing a man. Half of the space is taken up by a photo of the law court building – something which adds nothing to the story. That's using a photo just to fill space – and that's bad journalism. The cartoon on the editorial page carries the message that Peter MacKay is leading the race to be leader of the Conservative party. That party must be really short of talent... more »
Will You Help Challenge the Cancerous U.S. War Machine?
*Sitting in front of the Camp Schwab construction gate before dawn* *We moved out into the street to block construction trucks heading for the gate* *This woman's face tells the whole story - click on the photo for a better view* *Eriko, one of the organzers of our Okinawa schedule, tries to protect Iraq war veteran Will Griffin from the police* *Back in front of the construction gate they passed the mic around. I told the story about the No MUOS campaign in Sicily where people are resisting a new US space technology communications base making the point that people all over the ... more »
The Syrian Civil War: Great News Out Of Syria - Syrian Army Holds Victory Parade In Homs After "Al Qaeda" Stronghold Is Cleared!
The news coming out of Syria gets better and better by the day... The Syrian army along with its allied forces from Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq, along with the full support of the Russian air force has been steadily taking back their land that was stolen by US/Israeli fraud "rebel" and "terrorist" groups..... The fact is now clear that Syria is being returned to the Syrian people and the Israeli sick dream of a "greater Israel" through the destruction of Syria has now hit a major roadblock.... Just today, I came across a great video, through the Fort Russ website, at www.fortruss.blogsp... more »
The Latest: Federal Reserve Expected to Hike Rates
[image: federal reserve seal] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The latest on the Federal Reserve’s landmark two-day policy meeting that started Tuesday. All times local. The Fed is poised to raise short-term interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade. A rate hike will... more »
Check Visa Applicants’ Social Media, Lawmakers Demand
[image: Social media symbols] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republicans and Democrats in Congress pushed the Obama administration on Tuesday to immediately require background checks of social media for all foreigners seeking U.S. visas -- a move they say might have helped foil the San Bernardino... more »
The Undercard Debate: Twitter Speaks
[image: CNN GOP Undercard Debate] Tonight, the GOP hopefuls met once again to debate the issues. In the undercard debate, we saw Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Lindsey Graham, and George Pataki take each other on. Here’s what people were tweeting about: For some reason, the... more »
Big Brother? Facebook, Google, Twitter Agree to Delete Hate Speech in 24 Hours: Germany
[image: delete hate speech] Germany said on Tuesday that Facebook, Google and Twitter have agreed to delete hate speech from their websites within 24 hours, a new step in the fight against rising online racism following the refugee crisis. The government has been trying... Continue reading *“Big Brother? Facebook, Google, Twitter Agree to Delete Hate Speech in 24 Hours: Germany”* at *reuters.com*.
Lockdown Lifted at University in Indiana; Armed Robbery Suspect Still at Large
[image: IUPUI - 400] After an armed robbery near campus at IUPUI in Indianapolis, college officials warned the campus community to take shelter Tuesday afternoon as the suspect was running toward campus. At about 4:30 p.m., another alert announced that areas nearby had been... Continue reading *“Lockdown Lifted at University in Indiana; Armed Robbery Suspect Still at Large”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
Burundi On The Brink of Civil War
*Reuters:* *Burundi closer to civil war after flare-up - U.N. rights chief* Burundi has moved closer to civil war after insurgents attacked military camps in the capital last week and authorities responded with house searches, arrests and alleged summary executions, the U.N. human rights chief said on Tuesday. Fighting in Bujumbura last week killed almost 90 people, the worst clashes since a military coup was foiled in May. It follows months of sporadic violence and assassinations, mostly in the capital, between supporters and opponents of President Pierre Nkurunziza. *More News ... more »
Oomaka Tokatakiya Begins
The Oomaka Tokatakiya is a nearly 300-mile memorial horseback ride across South Dakota in the United States. The ride starts on December 15th, at the site where the Lakota Indian Chief Sitting Bull was killed, and traces the trail taken by some of his tribe to join Chief Big Foot. It goes on to follow Big Foot's effort to reach Chief Red Cloud in Pine Ridge. And ends on the December 29th
US Senate Admit That Chemtrails Are Real And Killing Humans
Until recently you were considered a conspiracy theorist if you believed that the U.S. government were involved in spraying harmful chemicals into the atmosphere, in other words if you believed in chemtrails. Now an official US government document vindicates what alternative media have been saying for years. According to the document, entitled Weather modification: programs, problems, policy, and potential: Weather modification, although a relatively young science, has over the years stimulated great interest within the scientific, commercial, governmental, and agricultural commun... more »
1,500 Year Old Bible Says That Jesus Christ Was Not Crucified
A 1,500 year old bible has been seized from a gang of smugglers in a Mediterranean-area operation in which it is revealed that Jesus Christ was never crucified on the cross as commonly believed. According to this ancient version of the Bible, Jesus ascended to heaven alive, and Judas Iscariot was crucified in his place. The book was discovered in the year 2000 but kept a secret until now. It contains the Gospel of Barnabas – a disciple of Christ – and states that Jesus was not only spared his life, but was also just a prophet rather than the son of God. Anonymousmags.com reports: A... more »
ISIS Threaten To Behead EU Citizens Unless They Convert
ISIS have sent letters to European civilians ordering them to convert to Islam within 3 days or face being executed in their own homes. The letters were posted through doors in numerous neighbourhoods in cities across Sweden, threatening residents with decapitation unless “non-believers” converted to their way of of thinking. Express.co.uk reports: Sweden is now on lockdown after the chilling letters pledged to behead innocent civilians and then “bomb your rotten corpses afterwards”. Intelligence officials confirmed they are investigating the horrifying threats – which were signed ... more »
US Government Stockpile Medical Supplies In Case Of Nuclear War
The US government have announced that they are stockpiling food, medicine and emergency supplies in the event of a nuclear war breaking out in the near future. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have said that are adding four additional preparedness tools to the “Strategic National Stockpile” to deal with severe burns on human bodies in a post-nuclear world. Naturalnews.com reports: Included among these four products is Silverlon, a silver-impregnated nylon bandage that will be used to treat first- and second-degree thermal burns. The other three products will be in ... more »
The GOP in Vegas: Preliminary Debate Focuses on Terror
[image: Republican Presidential Candidates] The GOP candidates have gathered in Vegas, and for the evening’s opening act, the four lowest-flying GOP candidates -- polling a combined 2.7% -- spoke mostly of war and the battle against ISIS. Former Sen. Rick Santorum flat out declared... more »
A Vote for Green Climate Fund in Omnibus Spending Bill Is a Vote for Paris Agreement
[image: COP21, Green Climate Fund] What better time than Christmas to spend other people's money and give presents to the environmental activists? In addition to the other generous handouts renewable companies would receive in the omnibus spending bill, backroom negotiators are also pushing for President... more »
South Sudan Marks Two Years Of Civil War
*Al Jazeera:* *South Sudan marks two years of ruinous war* Conflict rages on despite ceasefire deal, leaving more than one million displaced and four million severely hungry. South Sudan on Tuesday marked two years since the start of a war that has forced one million people from their homes and left four million hungry as politicians broke at least eight commitments to peace. The country descended into conflict in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar, who he had sacked earlier that year, of plotting a coup. The clashes that followed set ... more »
Harry Targ : We must respond to 21st century violence with radical structural change based on community
In addressing the reality of killing in this century, history and context become profoundly important. By Harry Targ | The Rag Blog | December 15, 2015 “When we humans see instances of violence, we are often quick to respond, sometimes … finish reading Harry Targ : We must respond to 21st century violence with radical structural change based on community
Though Rove Is Washed Up, Campaign Finance Will Do Far More Harm To Your Family Than ISIS Will
Do they look kind of normal? They're not. It's Robert Mercer and a Texas senator he purchased The whole country watched Karl Rove make a fool of himself on election night, 2012, as he insisted that, despite massive Democratic turnout for Obama in the Ohio's most populous counties-- Cuyahoga (69%), Franklin (60%), Summit (57%), Lucas (64%) and Hamilton (52%)-- and a 2,697,260 (50.1%)- 2,593,779 (48.2%) statewide edge, Romney had won Ohio's 18 electoral votes. Many people wondered if he had lost his mind. But it was desperation we were watching. Rove had nearly as much riding on that ... more »
Carly Fiorina: Why Dogs are Better Than Cats
[image: Carly Fiorina Dogs>Cats - 400]
GOP Debate: Trump vs. Bush, Rubio vs. Cruz
[image: GOP Presidential Candidates Debate In Las Vegas] LAS VEGAS (AP) -- The 2016 Republican presidential candidates are debating for the last time in 2015, this time in Las Vegas, as they race for advantage seven weeks before the first votes are cast in Iowa. Here are the... more »
Musical Interlude: David Lanz, “Cristofori's Dream”
David Lanz, “Cristofori's Dream” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wxrB41PMhw
"A Look to the Heavens"
“In this evocative night skyscape a starry band of the Milky Way climbs over Yosemite Valley, Sierra Nevada Range, planet Earth. *Click image for larger size. * Jupiter is the brightest celestial beacon on the wintry scene, though. Standing nearly opposite the Sun in the constellation Taurus, the wandering planet joins yellowish Aldebaran and the Hyades star cluster. Below, Orion always comes up sideways over a fence of mountains. And from there the twin stars of Gemini rise just across the Milky Way. As this peaceful winter night began, they followed Auriga the charioteer, its alph... more »
"Always Been Sane..."
"As long as you have mystery you have health; when you destroy mystery you create morbidity. Indigenous humans have always been sane because they have always been mystic. They permit the twilight." - G. K. Chesterton
Chet Raymo, "Free As A Bird"
*"Free As A Bird"* by Chet Raymo "All afternoon I have been watching a pair of hummingbirds play about our porch. They live somewhere nearby, though I haven't found their nest. They are attracted to our hummingbird feeder, which we keep full of sugar water. What perfect little machines they are! No other bird can perform their tricks of flight - flying backwards, hovering in place. Zip. Zip. From perch to perch in a blur of iridescence. If you want a symbol of freedom, the hummingbird is it. Exuberant. Unpredictable. A streak of pure fun. It is the speed, of course, that gives the ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Estacada, Oregon, USA. Thanks for stopping by!
"Can 'Hope Therapy' Can Get Us Through Tough Times?"
"Can 'Hope Therapy' Can Get Us Through Tough Times?" By Catherine Ryan “Things were going pretty well for Melanie. After struggling with being overweight, she had recently dropped a significant number of pounds. She felt great and looked great, too. People noticed. Despite this success, though, a familiar sense of depression crept back. Once the numbers on the scale were stable, Melanie (not her real name) felt she didn’t have the same focus and direction that accompanied her weight-loss goals. After meeting with a psychologist, she defined a new mission: to increase her strength a... more »
A mayoralty, if you’re interested.
On Monday, Victoria Crone announced she would be standing for the Auckland mayoralty and, as the former NZ CEO of high-flyer Xero, was immediately installed by the media as the "business" candidate. Mind you, being the business candidate doesn't mean you really mean business—nor that running a successful business is the same as being top dog at a super-sized council spending the proceeds of everyone else's super-sized rates bill. Even Labour-ite adviser Josie Pagani understands that, pointing out that *If you’re going to stand for political office the minimum requirements must s... more »
Official: Vegetarians Deemed ‘Harmful’ To Climate Change
A US study has claimed that a vegetarian diet rich in fruit and vegetables may be more harmful to the environment than a meat-eating diet, and may contribute to climate change. According to researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University, lettuce is “over three times worse in greenhouse gas emissions than eating bacon”. Independent.co.uk reports: Published in the Environment Systems and Decisions journal, the study goes against the grain of recent calls for humans to quit eating meat to curb climate change. Researchers did not argue against the idea people should be eating less meat,... more »
China and Russia Developing Killer Robots, Pentagon Grows Anxious
[image: Robots, Cyborgs, Artificial Intelligence] The Pentagon is paying close attention to China's and Russia's attempts to develop autonomous, killer robots. Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work said at a national security forum Monday that these robots may be capable of conducting independent operations, Defense One reports.... more »
"The Case Against Hope"
"The Case Against Hope" by Buddha of Hollywood "I was trying to define “worry” and “hope” and it occurred to me that they are brother and sister emotions. Both “worry” and “hope” are unfounded expectations; one that things will get worse and the other that things will get better – some how. And both “worry” and “hope” have the same hypnotic power to paralyze action. I remember growing up under the communist rule. Life was really hard; things were pretty bad and getting worse every day. It can’t get worse than this –people were saying – it is bound to get better. But things never go... more »
Yemen Peace Talks Begin. Ceasefire To Last 7 Days
*BBC*: *Yemen peace talks under way as ceasefire begins* Yemen's warring parties have begun UN-backed peace talks in Switzerland, as a seven-day ceasefire came into effect. The UN says the talks between the government, the Houthi rebel movement and its allies aimed to find a "durable settlement" to the months-long crisis. About 6,000 people, almost half of them civilians, have been killed since a Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign against the rebels in March. The coalition is seeking to drive back the Houthis and restore the government. Representatives of President... more »
"The Very, Very, Very Last time..."
"What happens to people living in a society where everyone in power is lying, stealing, cheating and killing, and in our hearts we all know this, but the consequences of facing all these lies are so monstrous, we keep on hoping that maybe the corporate-government administration and media are on the level with us this time. Americans remind me of survivors of domestic abuse. This is always the hope that this is the very, very, very last time one's ribs get re-broken again." - Inga Muscio
Russia Destroys 1,200 ISIS Oil Trucks From Turkey
Russia have announced that they have destroyed at least 1,200 fuel trucks carrying illegal oil from ISIS into Syria. Lt. Gen. Sergey Rudskoy from the Russian General Staff announced that “since the start of the air campaign, Russian aircraft have destroyed over 1,200 such trucks“. Sputniknews.com reports: “The Russian airstrikes continue to focus on destroying sources of illegal revenue for terrorists in Syria,” Rudskoy stressed. According to him, six illegal oilfields controlled by terrorists, as well as seven columns of fuel trucks carrying oil products have been destroyed over t... more »
Putin Snubs European Courts Of Human Rights In Favour Of Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new law allowing Russia’s Constitutional Court to decide whether or not to ignore the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights. The new law allows the Russian court to overturn decisions made at the European Court of Human Rights if they deem them unconstitutional. Reuters.com reports: Human Rights Watch has said the law is designed to thwart the ability of victims of human rights violations in Russia to find justice through international bodies. The law comes after the ECHR ruled in 2014 that Russia must pay a 1.9 billion euro ($2.0... more »
Untitled
*Attorney general investigates bone thefts at cemetery ~WWLTV*
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 15, 2015
*Krishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic*:* Will Talks on the Yemeni Conflict End the Fighting?* Representatives of the government and Houthi rebels are meeting in Switzerland after a cease-fire took effect. The nine-month-long conflict in Yemen, which has killed nearly 6,000 people, pits the government against Houthi rebels, and serves as a microcosm of the wider regional conflict between Saudi Arabia, which backs the government, and Iran, which supports the rebels. But on Tuesday, the government and Houthis began talks in Switzerland after a seven-day cease-fire took effect. *Comment...more »
World News Briefs -- December 15, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*Reuters*: *Russia, U.S. clear way for Syria meeting after Kerry Moscow talks* Russia and the United States see enough common ground on Syria for world powers to meet on the troubled country's peace process in New York on Friday, but views on the future of President Bashar-al Assad still diverge. Secretary of State John Kerry went into meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday not knowing whether Moscow would veto a third round of international talks on Syria on Friday after the Kremlin spoke of preconditions needing to be met. *... more »
Cuba Reaches A Historic Multi-Billion Debt Deal With its Creditors
*Reuters:* *Exclusive - Cuba's debt deal: Easy terms, but severe penalties if late again* Paris Club creditor nations have forgiven $8.5 billion of Cuba's $11.1 billion debt and restructured payments on the remainder with easy terms but the deal imposes severe penalties if Cuba falls behind again, according to a copy of the accord seen by Reuters. The French government announced the outlines of the accord on Saturday. The document seen by Reuters offers previously unreported details. The Cuba Group, made up 14 of the 19 wealthy nations of the Paris Club, said the agreement was an... more »
Nigerian Army Accused Of Killing Hundreds Of Shiites
*VOA*: *Nigerian Army: Islamic Leader Zakzaky in Custody Following Raids* The Nigerian army says it has taken into custody the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, after the group allegedly attacked the convoy of Nigeria's army chief. Major General Adeniyi Oyebade told reporters Monday that Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife have been taken into custody after raids on at least three locations. Oyebade said Zakzaky was arrested in the northern city of Zaria, in Kaduna State. He also said there were casualties on both sides after the raids Saturday and Sunday, but did not give an e... more »
@dianeravitch posts letter from LAUSD teacher about Esquith. Totally disagree.
Famed and beloved teacher Rafe Esquith was terminated by LAUSD and, for a time, we didn’t really know why. So the education world at large, particularly the blogosphere, went nuts. Here’s an account of the affair. I will say that LAUSD is probably engaged in some pretty shady stuff in its disclosures of information about the […]
Facebook Real Name Policy To Be Relaxed For Vulnerable People
Facebook has unveiled a change to its ‘real name’ policy in wake of criticism from transgender people and abuse victims. From now on Facebook will ask users who want to remain anonymous for an explanation, and will not forcibly change their names. Documents to prove your identity are also not required if other users interact with your account in a realistic way based on your current identity. In the past Facebook required you to prove your identity, based on official birth documents. Before today victims of domestic or online abuse, drag queens and transgender people felt shut out o... more »
Donald Trump Used To Discriminate Against Blacks
A 1973 lawsuit against Donald Trump has emerged in which applicants who applied to live at Trump properties would be marked as “C” (standing for “Colored”) if they were black. Trump Organizations, it seems, had secret racial codes for applicants so that they could weed out any black people who applied to live in Donald Trump’s apartment complex. Thedailybeast.com reports: “C” for “Colored.” According to the Department of Justice, that was the crude code that ensured the rental would be denied. A Secret Racist Code The lawsuit—which Trump Management settled in 1975 with a consent de... more »
John Kerry said “Not Seeking Regime Change in Syria” Or Shifting Tactics?
*ABC* *"The United States and its partners are not seeking regime change in Syria,*” Kerry said in a news conference inside the Kremlin, before immediately adding that the U.S. continues to believe that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has no possibility of remaining the country’s leader in the future The statement* appeared* to be the most explicit sign yet that the U.S. is softening its policy towards Assad and marked a significant rhetorical shift for the U.S. towards Russia’s policy in Syria, which previously American officials have said was almost fundamentally at odds with ... more »
Farewell to Dan Hodges
You know Twitter has reached peak absurdity when someone like Dan Hodges - really only known by super hardcore political people - has become a trending topic. The occasion of Dan's elevation to internet celebrity is yet another piece of finely crafted miserablism for the *Telegraph*. His double whammy of likening Jeremy to hard right Tory patrician Enoch Powell and announcing his resignation from the party, *again*, is what sent Dan flying up the Twitter charts as sundry Corbyn supporters luxuriated in a bath of his bitter tears. I'm sure the *Telegraph* aren't minding the extra tra... more »
For Those of You Who Don't Know...
Not too long ago, I suffered a hard drive crash that completely trashed all my files. Among them was the only copy of my new novel, which was lost literally the day before I was to send it off to that literary agent who'd offered to read the entire book. That was taken care of when my beta reader sent me the first 33 chapters I'd given her to proof and after I redid all the corrections, I was finally able to send it to that agent while simultaneously submitting it my publisher at Create Space. Hopefully, I'll be able to put it on the market just before Christmas. Yet along... more »
The #ChristmasMyths, #1: The Myth of the Miraculous Birth
*Q: What’s mythology? A: Someone else’s religion* *Q: What’s the Christian Christmas story based on? A: Someone else’s stories.* The Christian Christmas story is based on Mythology borrowed from elsewhere. I’m going to look at the pagan origin of each of these myths and legends one day at a time: the miraculous birth; in a humble place; of a youngster of impressive genealogy; accompanied by a tremendous star; and (in Luke) a heavenly choir; recognition of the divine child by passing vagrants wise men; their presentation of gifts; and the slaughter of innocents by a king fearing t... more »
Look: Little Boy Prays with Santa for Christmas Miracle
[image: boy prays with Santa] A little boy made a selfless request when he met Santa at a South Carolina mall over the weekend, asking St. Nick to pray with him for a sick baby. Continue reading *“Look: Little Boy Prays with Santa for Christmas Miracle”* at *insider.foxnews.com*.
Over 700 Thousand Forced To Flee As Typhoon Melor Hits Philippines
Typhoon Melor struck the Philippines on Monday, killing at least four people and forcing thousands to flee. Officials reported that wide areas of the central Philippines were plunged into darkness on Tuesday as the powerful typhoon barrelled into the coconut-growing region, causing flooding, storm surges and forcing almost 800,000 people to evacuate their homes. The disaster has also caused significant damage in several provinces across the country, as gust velocities reached 170 kilometers per hour. Nearly 750,000 people have evacuated as powerful Typhoon Melor heads towards the Ph... more »
Save the obsolete industries: Like taxis!
Bastiat comes to Sydney with a sharp, smart, focussed protest against their taxi industry’s call for protection against modern ridesharing technology like Uber . . . Meanwhile, in New Zealand, “the Ministry of Transport proposals around Uber could have been worse…” *RELATED POSTS*: - “We come to offer you a wonderful opportunity for your — what shall we call it? Your theory? … We are suffering from the ruinous competition of a rival who apparently works under conditions so far superior to our own for the production of light that he is *flooding* the *domestic market* ... more »
The Government Wants Access to Smartphones. What You Should Know
[image: smartphone - 400] "We're not at war -- we care about the same things," FBI Director James Comey says of the struggle between the U.S. and the tech sector over how private your smartphone should be. The government wants to work with companies such as... Continue reading *“The Government Wants Access to Smartphones. What You Should Know”* at *bloomberg.com*.
Calvin College Professor Blames White Privilege for the Existence of Michigan
[image: Calvin College Chapel - 900] A professor at Calvin College in Michigan wrote a column accusing his students and fellow faculty members of being white supremacists for failing to accept the notion of "white privilege." The professor also says Calvin College itself and the entire... more »
Demonizing American Civil Religion
[image: In God We Trust - 900-1] The politically progressive Missouri pastor and author Brian Zahnd recently tweeted, “Donald Trump is exposing American civil religion for what it is -- ugly religious nationalism; the empty chaff of a counterfeit Christianity.” But American civil religion is hardly coterminous with Trump. It’s something... more »
Sarah Palin: Marion Maréchal-Le Pen and 16 Centuries of Christian France
[image: Marion Marechal - 400] I have a political crush, but one I couldn't vote for today -- because she ran for office in France. Marion Marechal-Le Pen is the new deserved "It Girl" of French politics and a clear voice of courage and common sense... Continue reading *“Sarah Palin: Marion Maréchal-Le Pen and 16 Centuries of Christian France”* at *breitbart.com*.
NBA Star Jeremy Lin Grapples with Academic Pressure, Teen Suicides in Personal Facebook Post
[image: Jeremy Lin - 400] Charlotte Hornets point guard Jeremy Lin opened up to his fans in a long and heartfelt Facebook post last week that addressed his experiences dealing with professional and academic pressure, as well as suicides in his high school. Lin wrote... Continue reading *“NBA Star Jeremy Lin Grapples with Academic Pressure, Teen Suicides in Personal Facebook Post”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
Paul Craig Roberts: Neocons, An Evil That Is About To Destroy The Earth
Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy in the Reagan administration, Paul Craig Roberts, warns of the end of days, as the neocons in America push for Armageddon. Paul Craig Roberts is a true American of the good old days, when The U.S. ruled the world because she was cool. He speaks about the end of life on earth, and a needless nuclear war that is about to erupt. Roberts attributes it to the evil actions of the neocons and their friends, who want power over the earth at any price. Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was given the medal of ‘The Legion of Honour’ by France... more »
French Teacher Lied About ISIS School Attack
The French teacher who was allegedly stabbed in the neck by an assailant shouting pro-ISIS slogans, made the entire story up, French prosecutors have announced. Following the Paris attacks in November, the preschool teacher sparked further hysteria on Monday, claiming he was attacked by a balaclava-wearing man yelling “This is for Daesh. It’s a warning.” The BBC reports: The teacher said he had been attacked while alone in a classroom in Aubervilliers, a suburb of Paris. But prosecutors said he had wounded himself with a box cutter and was now being questioned as to why he lied. Fra... more »
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