10:34pm MDT
Picture Of The Day
*Saber Guardian* Soldiers commence a movement during exercise Saber Guardian 2016 at the Romanian Land Forces Combat Training Center in Cincu, Romania, July 29, 2016. The multinational military exercise involves about 2,800 military personnel from 10 nations. Army photo by Sgt. Tyler Meister
Tens Of Thousands Of Turks Rally In Support Of Turkish President Erdogan In GERMANY!!!
*Daily Mail:* *50,000 demonstrators march through the streets of Cologne to show support for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan* * Waving the Turkish national flag, demonstrators held aloft pictures of Erdogan after a failed military coup earlier in July * Demonstration became the focus of increasingly strained ties between Germany and Turkey after a decision by Germany's top court on its eve prevented Erdogan from addressing the meeting via video-conference * Erdogan has said it is shameful that Western countries showed more interest in the fate of the plotters Around 50,000 demon... more »
To Label Tulsi Gabbard A "Progressive" Is To Eviscerate The Very Meaning Of The Word And Stand It On Its Head
*Tulsi loves Islamophobic genocidal Indian fascist Narendra Modi* I don't really know Tulsi Gabbard. When she was running for Congress in 2012 she called and asked for a Blue America endorsement. Her opponent was Mufi Hannemann, an especially contemptible conservative and a real nightmare for progressives. But Gabbard had some problems of her own. Her Republican family led the anti-gay crusade in Hawaii. Her father, a fount of homophobic psychosis is a state Senator who switched parties-- though not ideology-- so he could have more influence. I was worried about Tulsi but she sounde... more »
Turkey Issues Ultimatum To EU Over Visa-Free Travel
Refugees and migrants wait to be registered at the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, November 5, 2015. © Alkis Konstantinidis / Reuters *DW*:* Turkey out of migrant deal if EU fails on visa-free travel: Cavusoglu* Turkey's foreign minister has warned of the consequences should the EU fail to deliver on visa-free travel. EU officials are wary of easing travel restrictions after the crackdown in the wake of the recent failed coup. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned that Ankara would back out of an agreement to stem the flow of irregular migrants to the ... more »
RPG Review: Young Centurions
*Young Centurions *is an implementation of the *Fate Accelerated *RPG which I reviewed here a few weeks back. *Young Centurions *is a prequel to Evil Hat's first Fate RPG, *Spirit of the Century*. In both games the premise is on the first day of every century, at the stroke of midnight, are born a bunch of heroes, Centurions, who will embody some aspect of the spirit of the upcoming century. They aren't superheroes, but they are definitely a cut above your regular person. They make things happen, whether as inventors, psychics, explorers, crimefighters, etc. They are opposed by Sh... more »
The secret art of inviting happiness
The secret art of inviting happiness, The miraculous medicine for all diseases. At least for today: Do not be angry, Do not worry, Be grateful, Work with diligence, Be kind to people.
Armed Men Who Seized Armenian Police Station Surrender Ending 2 Week Stand-off
*The Independent:* *Armenia stand-off over as all 20 gunmen occupying police station surrender* The two-week stand-off left two police officers dead and several wounded on both sides The Armenian security service has said all 20 gunmen remaining inside a police compound in the capital have surrendered, ending a two-week standoff. A group of 31 men seized the building in Yerevan on 17 July, demanding the release of Jirair Sefilian, an opposition leader and former military commander, who was arrested in June. Sefilian has strongly criticised Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan and... more »
Understanding KIPP Model Charter Schools: Part 3
Click to EnlargePart 1 and Part 2: Work Hard, Be Hard: Journeys Through "No Excuses" Teaching Chapter 3Neoliberalism Goes to Schoolby Scott Ellison *...just as modern mass production methods require the standardization of commodities, so the social process requires standardization of man, and this standardization is called ‘equality.’ *–Eric Fromm (Brookfield, 2004. p. 161) In popular debates over education policy, it has now become quite common to see terms such as neoliberalism and neoliberal education reform bandied about in political debates in order to describe thi... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Sculpted by stellar winds and radiation, a magnificent interstellar dust cloud by chance has assumed this recognizable shape. Fittingly named the Horsehead Nebula, it is some 1,500 light-years distant, embedded in the vast Orion cloud complex. * Click image for larger size.* About five light-years "tall", the dark cloud is cataloged as Barnard 33 and is visible only because its obscuring dust is silhouetted against the glowing red emission nebula IC 434. Stars are forming within the dark cloud. Contrasting blue reflection nebula NGC 2023, surrounding a hot, young star, is at the lo... more »
"A Complete Substitute..."
"The Internet is so big, so powerful and pointless that for some people it is a complete substitute for life." ~ Andrew Brown Like this: http://secondlife.com/
"What Lies Beyond the Edge of the Observable Universe?"
*"What Lies Beyond the Edge of the Observable Universe?"* by Casey Kazan “The-big-bang-theory- few theories qualify for Nobel laureate Niels Bohr's famous question than the current Big Bang Theory of the origin of the Universe: "We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question that divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct." *Click image for larger size.* There is a growing body of data and theory which question whether the Universe may have begun with a Big Bang 13.75 billion years ago. Several leading cosmologists, such as Sean Carroll of Ca... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Port-of-spain, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and TobagoThanks for stopping by!
Chet Raymo, “The Broken Web”
*“The Broken Web”* by Chet Raymo “Every fall, when a mysterious seasonal alarm clock tells them to go, the monarch butterflies of our New England meadows set off on one of the most remarkable migrations in the animal kingdom. They wing their way to a tiny patch of forest in the mountains of central Mexico that they have never visited before, where they are joined by millions of their cousins from all over eastern North America. They rest and feed and wait out the winter. Then, in the spring, they set out for northern meadows, breeding and dying along the way. There will be no Mexic... more »
"A Little Parenthesis In Eternity..."
"We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity." Paulo Coelho, "The Alchemist"
The Poet: Fernando Pessoa, “Since We Do Nothing”
*“Since We Do Nothing”* “Since we do nothing in this confused world That lasts or that, lasting, is of any worth, And even what’s useful for us we lose So soon, with our own lives, Let us prefer the pleasure of the moment To an absurd concern with the future, Whose only certainty is the harm we suffer now To pay for its prosperity. Tomorrow doesn’t exist. This moment Alone is mine, and I am only who Exists in this instant, which might be the last Of the self I pretend to be.” - Fernando Pessoa
"Oscar and His Donkey VS the Churchgoers"
*"Oscar and His Donkey VS the Churchgoers"* by CP In the 1940's my grandfather Oscar lived near a small town in central Louisiana bordering the Kisatchie National Forest. To call it "rural" would be kind, but it provided him all the fishing, hunting and other simple pleasures he enjoyed. He harvested vegetables from his own garden, smoked meat in his smokehouse, and had many dogs and other farm animal like goats, chickens, pigs and a few milk cows. One day Oscar was offered a donkey at a very cheap price, and bought him. That's when things got interesting for Oscar, and even more s... more »
The Economy: "Collapse Of the German Credit Market"
*"Collapse Of the German Credit Market as Berlin Suddenly Stopped Issuing New Debt.* * Earnings Down, US Economy in Worse Shape, 1.2% Growth and QE 4 is Coming"* by IWB "Top financial institutions in Europe have hardly been more vulnerable to an economic tremor, a situation worsened by the collapse of the German credit market as Berlin suddenly stopped issuing new debt. Europe’s top financial institutions are teetering on the edge of collapse as access to high quality debt products have created a liquidity freeze rendering many institutions near insolvent according to the European ... more »
"Trump, Hillary and the American Autumn"
*“Trump, Hillary and the American Autumn,” Introduction * by Brian Maher “We appear to be two separate and hostile peoples, living apart in two separate Americas...” So concludes that old political warhorse Pat Buchanan, after the Barnum & Bailey acts just concluded in Cleveland and Philadelphia. “Obama’s America is a country of all races, creeds, colors, lifestyles,” Pat continues, “a Kumbaya country to be made more wonderful still when Clinton takes the helm.” Then there’s Pat on Trump’s America: “Cry the beloved country. America has lost her way. She is in peril. A new captain i... more »
"Of Course..."
"To show mercy is not naïve. To hold out against the end of hope is not stupidity or madness. It is fundamentally human. Of course... we are all doomed; we are all poisoned from our birth by the rot of stars. That does not mean we should succumb to the seductive fallacy of despair, the dark tide that would drown us. You may think I'm stupid, you may call me a madman and a fool, but at least I stand upright in a fallen world." - Rick Yancey
Musical Interlude: Ludovico Einaudi, "Run"
Ludovico Einaudi, "Run" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-ca1ocriv0
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Sunlight ripples through a dark sky on this Swedish summer midnight as noctilucent or night shining clouds seem to imitate the river below. In fact, the seasonal clouds often appear at high latitudes in corresponding summer months. Also known as polar mesospheric clouds, they form as water vapor is driven into the cold upper atmosphere. *Click image for larger size.* Fine dust supplied by disintegrating meteors or volcanic ash provides sites where water vapor can condense, turning to ice at the cold temperatures in the mesosphere. Poised at the edge of space some 80 kilometers above... more »
Chet Raymo, “A Fear of Freedom?”
*“A Fear of Freedom?”* by Chet Raymo “It is almost a cliché to say that Western civilization was created by the Greeks. Our government, law, art, music, architecture, literature, drama, historiography, science, and mathematics are largely Greek inventions. The sublime refinement and sophistication of the Parthenon have been widely taken as reflecting qualities of the Athenians citizens who built the temple and adorned it with sculptures. No doubt something remarkable happened in the Greek world of the 6th to 3rd centuries B.C.E., with its epicenter first at Athens, then at Alexandr... more »
"A Real Church Sign"
"Yeah, we're doing ok, thanks for asking..." - CP
The Poet: Eugene O'Neill, "Free"
*"Free"* "Weary am I of the tumult, sick of the staring crowd, Pining for wild sea places where the soul may think aloud. Fled is the glamour of cities, dead as the ghost of a dream, While I pine anew for the tint of blue on the breast of the old Gulf Stream. I have had my dance with Folly, nor do I shirk the blame; I have sipped the so-called Wine of Life and paid the price of shame; But I know that I shall find surcease, the rest my spirit craves, Where the rainbows play in the flying spray, 'Mid the keen salt kiss of the waves. Then it's ho! for the plunging deck of a bark, the hoars... more »
Midday Musical Interlude: Vangelis, “Alpha”
Vangelis, “Alpha” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jG--3elufo
The Daily "Near You?"
Arvada, Colorado, USA. Thanks for stopping by!
History: “New Details Surface on Loss of WWII USS Indianapolis”
*“New Details Surface on Loss of WWII USS Indianapolis”* By GPD WASHINGTON – "A Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) historian recently uncovered information that sheds new light on a dark episode in U.S. Navy history: the loss of the WWII cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA 35), NHHC officials announced July 25. Saturday, July 30, marks the 71st anniversary of the sinking of the World War II Cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA 35). The plight of the crew after the loss of the ship was dramatically retold by actor Robert Shaw in the 1975 blockbuster motion picture "Jaws", and has since beco...more »
“Benjamin Franklin's 13 Virtues To Build Character”
*“Benjamin Franklin's 13 Virtues To Build Character”* by Scotty Hendricks “At the ripe old age of twenty, Benjamin Franklin set out to make himself morally perfect. Having studied the ancient philosophers and their ideas of the virtues required to be an ideal man, he created his own list of thirteen virtues. Like the virtue ethicists of the ancient past and more modern times, Franklin sought to develop his entire character rather than focus on the question of how to act in a certain situation. His hope being that with the perfection of his character, he would never again have to ask... more »
"Life Is Like A Deck chair..."
"Maybe I can put it another way. Life, Charlie Brown, is like a deck chair." "Like a what?" "Have you ever been on a cruise ship? Passengers open up these canvas deck chairs so they can sit in the sun. Some people place their chairs facing the rear of the ship so they can see where they've been. Other people face their chairs forward. They want to see where they're going! On the cruise ship of life, Charlie Brown, which way is your deck chair facing?" "I've never been able to get one unfolded..." - Charles M. Schulz
Psychology: "Why You Don't Know Your Own Mind"
*"Why You Don't Know Your Own Mind"* Alex Rosenberg "It is often said that we can never truly know the minds of others, because we can't "get inside their heads." Our ability to know our own minds, though, is rarely called into question. It is assumed that your experience of your own consciousness clinches the assertion that you "know your own mind" in a way that no one else can. This is a mistake. Ever since Plato, philosophers have, without much argument, shared common sense's confidence about the nature of its own thoughts. They have argued that we can secure certainty about at... more »
Huge Explosion Reported In Kabul. Compound Used By Foreigners Targeted In Attack
*RT:* *Massive truck bomb hits foreign hotel in Kabul, gunfight ongoing – reports* The Taliban claimed responsibility for a truck bomb attack on a foreign hotel in the Afghan capital of Kabul early on Monday. Several gunmen attacked the compound following a powerful explosion and engaged in a shootout with security forces. The blast occurred in the middle of the night, at around 1:30 am local time. The blast has been described on Twitter as being so loud that it woke up people “all over the city.” A “truck bomb” struck “a foreign guesthouse,” reported Lotfullah Najafizada, head... more »
Iran And Russia Discuss ways To Broaden Their Military Ties
© Photo: Russian Defense Ministry *Sputnik*: *Russia, Iran Discuss Possibilities to Broaden Military Cooperation* *Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and commander of the Iranian forces taking part in the 2016 International Army Games Brigadier General Vali Madani discussed ways to expand military cooperation between the two countries, Iranian media reported Sunday.* MOSCOW (Sputnik) – "Iran and Russia have the needed capacities to broaden their mutual cooperation in the defense field," Madani said as quoted by the Fars news agency The meeting was held after the opening cerem... more »
Will Third-Parties Upset The U.S. Election?
*The Hill: **Third-party support surging* Voters now confronted with the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are making something abundantly clear: they want another option. Surveys over the last six weeks have found a steady but noticeable jump in support for third-party candidates. The biggest beneficiary has been Libertarian Gary Johnson, who has shot up from 4.5 percent to 7.2 percent in RealClearPolitics polling averages. Green Party candidate Jill Stein has also seen an uptick since June — from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent. The surge in support for a third-party ca... more »
China Asks The Question: 'Who Would Suffer More In A U.S. - China War?'
*Global Times: **US would suffer more in war with China* *A report released by the Rand Corporation Friday illuminates four hypothetical scenarios for a US-China war. * According to the report, across a time frame from 2015 to 2025, as Chinese military capabilities improve, the US can no longer be certain a war would develop as it expects, nor can it achieve a decisive victory once a war breaks out with China. The closer to 2025, the more difficulties the US will have in defeating China, but yet it does not mean China is bound to succeed. The report holds that no matter what type... more »
Russia Scholar Stephen Cohen Shuts Down CNN Host Who Tries To Link Trump To Putin
*WNU Editor: *Could not have said it any better. On a personal note .... I have met Stephen Cohen on a few occasions in Moscow, and we usually disagree .... but if there is one thing that I learned about him is that he is a formidable debate opponent .... and you better know your facts when you face him. This CNN host was clearly not prepared.
Milton Friedman: Great advocate, bad economist
Today is the birthday of the late Nobel Pize-winning economist Milton Friedman. Born in the same year as Ludwig Von Mises’s great analysis of monies both hard and soft,The Theory of Money and Credit, Friedman would have been 104. And while he’s best known as a free-market economist, he was a much better public advocate of markets than he was an economist. As that articulate public advocate, he was immense. This is the person people call Uncle Milt. Many a person was swayed to freer markets by Milton’s articulate arguments – and even one president was sufficiently swayed by his ...more »
Bowie + Reed: Two shows, two nights, on two sides of the Atlantic
The weekend saw two international live-streamed musical events celebrating the work of two musicians very recently passed away, on whose music and careers each had a huge impact. In Britain, the Royal Albert Hall hosted Bowie Proms, as part of the regular Summer Proms season, bringing the rock god firmly into the establishment. Overly-respectful string arrangements of Bowie hits were performed by luminaries great, small and sometimes totally tuneless. So reverential were proceedings you longed for the intrusion of the laughing gnome himself to laugh uproariously at the going... more »
Why You Should Vote
(By *American Zen*'s @mikeflannigan59, on loan from Ari) Q: *Talk about the role of the opposition party, the Democrats.* Vidal: *It isn’t an opposition party. I have been saying for the last thousand years that the United States has only one party—the property party. It’s the party of big corporations, the party of money. It has two right wings; one is Democrat and the other is Republican. *Gore Vidal, Aug 2006 *W*.E.B. DuBois, the leading African American activist and reformer of his generation, was born at a crucial crossroads in history: Technically a contemporary of abolitio... more »
Energy 75, the PH solar confederation, electric coops and Meralco
From the DOE website, some group photos showing some of the major players in the PH energy sector. Below, one solar group, the Confederation of Solar Developers of the PH, Inc. (CSDP). *From left: DOE Chief-of-Staff Jesus Cristino Posadas, Engr. Arwin Ardon, Ret. Admiral Reuben Lista, Central Tarlac Biopower Inc. President Don Mario Dia, Equis Manager Craig Marsh, NV-VOGT Phils. President Vivek Chaudhri, North Negros BioPower, Inc. President Arthur N. Aguilar, Reynaldo Casas CSDP President, Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. Senior Vice President Juan Antonio Bernad, Carlos Aboitiz of Ab... more »
3RD•EYE•MAN
Russia Does Not Fluroidate its Public Water Supply "We discussed quite thoroughly the fluoridation of water supplies and how we were using it in Russia as a tranquilizer in *the prison camps.* The leaders of our school felt that if it could be induced into the *American* water supply, it would bring about a spirit of lethargy in the nation; where it would keep the general public docile during a steady encroachment of Communism."
Hillary - TALK 2 RUSSIA
Hillary, talk to Russia before it's too late Before it's too late, before it's too late Hillary, talk to Russia before it's too late Before They blow up The World You can go to the zoo, but u don't feed guerrillas U can't feed guerrillas, left wing guerrillas Go to the zoo, but don't feed guerrillas Who wanna blow up the world Oh yes, baby Hillary, if you're dead before I get to meet ya Before I get to meet ya, before I get to meet ya Hillary, if you're dead before I get to meet ya Don't say I didn't warn ya Hillary, talk to Russia before it's too late Before it's too late, before i... more »
Zadie Smith wonders if the post-Brexit U.K. can remain "united," and if it can honor its old values
*Zadie Smith in 2014* *"Whether we still know, in Britain, what a better life is, what its necessary conditions are and how to achieve them, is what’s now in doubt."* *-- Zadie Smith, in "Fences: A Brexit Diary,"in the August 18* New York Review of Books *by Ken* Though Zadie Smith is probably better known as a fiction writer (and teacher of fiction writing; she's a tenured professor at NYU), my experience of her is entirely as a nonfiction writer -- such an incisive and insightful one that when I saw that she's written "Fences: A Brexit Diary" for the August 18 *New York Review ... more »
Puerto Rico Towns to Share Services, cut Costs Amid Economic Crisis
[image: In this July 15, 2016 file photo, Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla listens to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley speak during the National Governors Association meeting, in Des Moines, Iowa. Garcia Padilla signed a bill late Friday, July 29, 2016, letting the island’s 78 municipal governments share administrative services as a cost-saving measure amid a deep fiscal crisis.] SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- Puerto Rico’s governor has signed a bill letting the island’s 78 municipal governments share administrative services as a cost-saving measure amid a deep fiscal crisis. The mea... more »
What You Need to Know About Texas’ New Law Allowing Guns on College Campuses
[image: Hand Guns, Firearms, Weapons, Bullets, Self Defense] AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Texas will allow concealed handgun license holders to carry their weapons into public university buildings, classrooms and dorms starting Monday, which is also the 50th anniversary of the mass shooting at the University of Texas’ landmark... more »
Soldier Charged in Wife’s Death Sentenced for Prostitution, Child Porn
[image: Jail Prison Hands - 900] HONOLULU (AP) -- An Army medic charged in his wife’s death will spend over two years in prison after being court-martialed for possessing child pornography and soliciting payment for sex. Michael Walker pleaded guilty Saturday to solicitation and not guilty... more »
Chinese Editorial: ‘Paper Cat’ Australia Is ‘Ideal Target To Strike’
A state-run Chinese daily has issued an insult and a warning to Australia to keep away from the South China Sea dispute. In a Global Times editorial, Australia was referred to as a a ‘paper cat’ and an ‘ideal target to warn and strike’ should any conflict arise in the the contested South China Sea. Sputnik reports: The Global Times, known for a hardline nationalist editorial line, blasted Canberra on Saturday, in an opinion piece titled “‘Paper Cat’ Australia Will Learn its Lesson,” for supporting the July 12 ruling by the international arbitration tribunal at The Hague countering ... more »
‘All Lives Matter’ Facebook Post Sees Student Targeted, Ordered to Diversity Workshop
[image: The Ezekiel W. Cullen Building on the University of Houston campus.] A student government leader at the University of Houston was suspended for 50 days and ordered to attend a diversity seminar after she criticized the Black Lives Matter movement online. Shortly after the July 7 shooting in Dallas that killed five officers,... more »
Alaska’s New Sex Ed. Law has Planned Parenthood Furious
[image: Elementary Classroom, Teacher, Teaching, Students, Education] Alaska implemented a broad new education law that has Planned Parenthood hopping mad while making Common Core foes happy. HB 156 was passed back in May, but has since sat on the desk of independent Gov. Bill Walker while he considered... more »
IT'S IN OUR HANDS, THERE IS ANOTHER CHOICE ~ JILL STEIN FOR PRESIDENT
*T**he successful Bernie Sanders populist movement was most definitely grassroots and anti-establishment and now that Bernie has submitted to the Clinton machine, which raised its ugly head at the Democratic Convention and showed its true colors, there is no one in the movement more effectively carrying the progressive anti-war message than Green Presidential candidate Jill Stein ~ whose trusted progressive voice has been consistent for years and must now be heard during the Presidential debates as it was during the Democratic Convention last week (see videos): Allen ... more »
‘The Simpsons’ Take Stance Against Donald Trump
The Simpsons are standing up to Donald Trump and making it known who they prefer in the White House. Mashable reports: In a new clip posted by the show’s showrunner, Al Jean, Marge and Homer Simpson think over who to vote for while watching a TV ad comparing Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The video shows Trump tweeting in bed while getting spray-tanned. By his side is a book called Great Speeches by Adolf Hitler. Possibly the best part of all? The explanation for Trump’s hair. Apparently, it’s been a tiny dog all along. Watch the entire clip, below:
Disappointed in Hillary vs. Trump? Change the Culture.
[image: Capitol Dome] Over the past few decades socially conservative Christians could be relied upon to support the Republican candidate. They did so with the understanding that the GOP supported them on life and marriage. Once they had a political home, but is that... more »
Russian Television Shows What the Kremlin Thinks of Clinton
[image: In this file photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, meets U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on her arrival at the APEC summit in Vladivostok, Russia. During her recent acceptance of the Democratic party nomination to run for the U.S. presidency Clinton said Russia as an enemy and cannot be trusted, a statement which clearly stung the Kremlin and seems to have heralded a new era for the coming presidency if Clinton wins.] MOSCOW (AP) -- To understand what the Kremlin thinks about the prospect of Hillary Clinton becoming the... more »
Reports: Trump is Softening Immigration Rhetoric in Private
[image: SCRANTON, PA - JULY 27: Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump jeers the media in front a crowd of supporters on July 27, 2016 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Trump spoke at the Lackawanna College Student Union Gymnasium.] CLEVELAND (AP) -- As he turns his attention to the general election, Donald Trump is signaling that he is ready to tone down his fiery rhetoric on illegal immigration -- at least behind closed doors. At the same time, Republican... more »
Backlash Against Trump Continues in Fight With Slain Army Captain’s Family
[image: In this July 20, 2016, file photo, Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump, right, and his son Donald Trump, Jr., watch as Eric Trump addresses the delegates during the third day session of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Wednesday.] CLEVELAND (AP) -- Hillary Clinton defended the bereaved parents of a Muslim U.S. Army captain, saying Donald Trump has a “total misunderstanding” of American values and has inflamed divisions in American society. Her comments came after the Republican nominee refused... more »
Turkish Leader Brings Military Under More Civilian Authority
*Turkish leader brings military more under civilian authority* *I'll cut to the chase:* ** Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a new presidential decree Sunday that introduced sweeping changes to Turkey's military in the wake of a July 15 failed coup, bringing the armed forces further under civilian authority* ** The decree gives the president and prime minister the authority to issue direct orders to the commanders of the army, air force and navy.* ** It also announces the discharge of 1,389 military personnel, including Erdogan's chief military adviser, who had been arr... more »
Paul Manafort slaps down weasel Chuck Todd on Meet the Press...
*it's a beautiful sight.* Chuck Todd sounds like the idiot he is and Manafort is having none of it! Someone let me know when he treats Hillary like he just interacted with Manafort. Oh, wait - not going to happen.
Police Probe Telegram App In Murder Of French Catholic Priest
French police are probing the encrypted messaging app, Telegram, after ISIS terrorists used it to post messages prior to Tuesday’s premeditated murder of a Catholic priest in Normandy. International Business Times reports: Investigators are trying to obtain more information about 200 members of a closed chat group on the smartphone application, which was used by at least one of the two killers, Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Nabil Petitjean, both aged 19, to discuss the murder with other suspected IS-affiliated members. According to audio messages and chat logs featuring Kermiche, unc... more »
For I am Welsh
SCENE VII. Another part of the field. *Enter FLUELLEN and GOWER* *FLUELLEN* Kill the poys and the luggage! 'tis expressly against the law of arms: 'tis as arrant a piece of knavery, mark you now, as can be offer't; in your conscience, now, is it not? *GOWER* 'Tis certain there's not a boy left alive; and the cowardly rascals that ran from the battle ha' done this slaughter: besides, they have burned and carried away all that was in the king's tent; wherefore the king, most worthily, hath caused every soldier to cut his prisoner's throat. O, 'tis a gallant king! *FLUELLEN* Ay,... more »
Untitled
*From* *Jenna Orkin* Venezuela is about to force people to work in the fields Let Them Eat Cake: Venezuela Celebrates Chavez’ Birthday With $100,000 Cake, While Citizens Starve Here's why banks are embracing cloud technology One of 'El Chapo' Guzmán's chief money launderers is involved in a strange Hollywood kidnapping plot NASA's getting ready to plunge a spacecraft deeper into the sun than ever before No ID, No Problem - Feds Overrule North Carolina Voting Rules As "Discriminatory" The Real Motive Behind Al-Nusra "Split" From Al Qaeda Wisconsin Voter ID, Early Voting Law Partial...more »
Pope to Young on Poland Trip: Believe ‘In a New Humanity’
[image: Pope Francis tastes bread he was offered by women wearing traditional Polish clothes during his visit at a Caritas charity organization house, in Krakow, Poland, Sunday, July 31, 2016. During an earlier mass the pontiff announced that Panama will be the host city of the next World Youth Day.] KRAKOW, Poland (AP) -- Pope Francis encouraged hundreds of thousands of young people at a global gathering Sunday to “believe in a new humanity” that is stronger than evil and refuses to see borders as barriers. His appeal came at... more »
ISIS Used New Undetectable Car Bomb In Deadliest Baghdad Attack
ISIS used a ‘unique, strange and terrible’ weapon that killed 292 Iraqis in Baghdad on July 3rd. The worst ever attack by the terrorist group was carried out using a car bomb that went undetected through security checkpoints and was uniquely designed to have a devastating effect. BBC reports: Hardly a day goes by without an attack somewhere in a city laced with security checkpoints and armed guards. But the explosion in Baghdad’s Karrada neighbourhood was no ordinary bomb. From its design to its destination, this attack underlines that IS has found a new way to inflict harm and caus... more »
After Disrupting The Price Of Oil, U.S. Shale Producers Are Now Going To Shake The Global LNG Markets
The liquefied natural gas tanker Asia Vision left Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass export terminal in Louisiana on Wednesday with the first cargo of U.S. shale gas. The carrier ship is shown Wedneday in an aerial photograph taken over Sabine Pass, Texas. (MUST CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by Lindsey Janies) *Fuel Fix*:* U.S. shale gas is shaking up global LNG market* Shale drillers from Pennsylvania to Texas flooded the U.S. with so much natural gas over the past decade that prices slid to a 17-year low. Now they’re going global, with the potential to upset markets from London to Tokyo. T... more »
The Silly Season
It’s the silly season. There’s no Marr, no Neil and only an extremely silly version of Sunday Morning Live. I don’t usually warm to Naga Munchetti, but she and Jane Hill are more sympathetic hosts than Sian Williams; however, as far as jarring S.M.L. anchorpersons go Anita Anand takes the biscuit. This morning’s edition looked like a hastily cobbled together cover version of standard issue. Anita Anand was understudying Naga Munchetti and the panel were subs. It’s the silly season though. As everyone else in the country is stuck in a stationary queue just outside Dover, it didn’t m... more »
Refugees Flooding Into Greece Since Failed Turkish Coup
There are fears that migration into the EU will rise again and Turkey will forget its promise regarding refugees. Several Greek islands in the Aegean Sea have seen a rise in the number of refugees making the crossing from Turkey during the last two weeks. RT reports: The number of migrants risking the hazardous journey to the islands by water only increased since the 15 June failed coup. Lesbos and other islands that have seen large influxes of refugees, are housing 9,240 migrants as of Saturday, according to Greek government figures cited by the Guardian. According to the governor ... more »
Navajo Council applauds federal probe into shooting of Loreal Tsingine
Navajo Nation Council applauds announcement of federal investigation into the shooting of Loreal Tsingine By Navajo Nation Council Censored News WINDOW ROCK – The 23rd Navajo Nation Council applauded Friday’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Justice will review the local investigation into the shooting death of 27-year-old Loreal Tsingine, a member of the Navajo Nation,
Donald Trump: Putin Is 'Not Going To Go Into Ukraine,'
*CNN: **Trump says Putin is 'not going to go into Ukraine,' despite Crimea* Washington (CNN)Donald Trump said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin won't make a military move into Ukraine -- even though Putin already has done just that, seizing the country's Crimean peninsula. "He's not going into Ukraine, OK, just so you understand. He's not going to go into Ukraine, all right? You can mark it down. You can put it down. You can take it anywhere you want," Trump said in an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on "This Week." "Well, he's already there, isn't he?" Steph... more »
All Sides Prepare For The Battle Over The Iraqi City Of mosul
Popular Mobilization Force members on the frontline with the Islamic State in al-Fatha, northeast of Baiji, Iraq on October 18, 2015. © 2015 Reuters *VOX*: *The battle to take back ISIS's last stronghold in Iraq could be long and bloody* After the Iraqi security forces (ISF) recaptured Fallujah from ISIS this June, they set their sights on Mosul, the terrorist organization’s biggest prize and Iraq’s second-largest city. Hundreds of the militants are fleeing from Iraq to Syria in anticipation of an imminent offensive to retake the city. Others are burning oil wells and planting impr... more »
Police blame Canadian Terror Patsies Fiasco on Poor Techniques
*Grim Reaper with Crows* Police blame Canadian Terror Patsies Fiasco on Poor Techniques - officers were "Out of their League"Incapable of performing the most elementary self-reflection on the fiasco that was the $900,000.00 in overtime for 240 police officers on the undercover project to exploit the vulnerabilities of two of British Columbia's most vulnerable citizens...the Vancouver Police resort instead to comparing *apples* ("Mr. Big" sting operations, to capture murderers and thieves) and *oranges* ("intelligence" agency attempts to develop a product for their "services"). This... more »
Trans Tokenism-- Chuck Schumer's Ugly Bigotry Trumps Love
*No, not all the evil bigots are Republicans* Go the the "races" page of the official DSCC website. Tester and Schumer, who run the operation, list every state with a race this cycle from Arizona to Wisconsin-- except one. They even list 3 deep red states, Alaska, Kansas and Louisiana, that haven;t chosen candidates yet. The state the DSCC refuses to recognize is Utah, a averred state... but one where Democrats feel Trumpophobia is so pronounced that Bill Clinton is going to camp[aign for Hillary there. On June 28, Utah Democrats chose their candidate-- and it wasn't even close. The... more »
Harry Potter Pictures with your Kids
Ever since Marissa from Rae Gun Ramblings and I had babies a couple months apart, we have been taking Harry Potter themed picture of our little ones every single July. It has been something I look forward to each year and I giggle every time I see the photos. Here are all of crazy and fun ideas for taking Harry Potter pictures with your kids. With all the photos, I linked to where we got the props and the costumes so you can take you own photos too. Teddy is about five months old in these photos and not sitting up yet, so all of these photos are set up to be safe for an uneasy ... more »
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*Destructive forest fires are due to – WHAT?* *Climate change is all-purpose excuse for Big Green and federal misfeasance and malfeasance* Paul Driessen First the Obama EPA came for coal mines, coal-fired power plants, miners, workers, investors, and all who depend on reliable, affordable electricity. Then the EPA, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service and other agencies came after oil and gas drilling and fracking, and the workers, industries and families that need petroleum. They’re also targeting farming, ranching, airlines and manufacturing. It’s all to stop “dangerous ma... more »
Pop! Goes The Bubble
It's been almost a decade since the American real estate market collapsed, triggering a world wide recession. Unfortunately, we tend to track the United States -- with about a ten year lag. And now, Alan Freeman writes, the Canadian real estate bubble is about to burst: For years, this bubble has been carefully nurtured by governments desperate for economic growth, realtors who will do anything for a sale and financial institutions happy to plow billions into housing, knowing Ottawa would always backstop their losses. And as more and more people, particularly in Vancouver and Tor... more »
U.S. Still Not Sure On How To Respond To A Cyber Attack From A Foreign Government
President Obama during a visit to a government cybersecurity center in Arlington, Va., in 2015. Credit Stephen Crowley/The New York Times *New York Times*: *U.S. Wrestles With How to Fight Back Against Cyberattacks* ASPEN, Colo. — It has been an open secret throughout the Obama presidency that world powers have escalated their use of cyberpower. But the recent revelations of hacking into Democratic campaign computer systems in an apparent attempt to manipulate the 2016 election is forcing the White House to confront a new question: whether, and if so how, to retaliate. So far, the... more »
A Tale Of Two Grieving Families But The Media Highlights One But Not The Other
*CNN*: *Khizr Khan: Trump has a 'black soul'* Washington (CNN)Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim US soldier slain in Iraq in 2004, said Sunday that Donald Trump has a "black soul," indicating he lacks empathy and compassion. Khan told CNN's Jim Acosta on "State of the Union" that he hopes Trump's family will "teach him some empathy." "He is a black soul, and this is totally unfit for the leadership of this country," Khan said. "The love and affection that we have received affirms that our grief -- that our experience in this country has been correct and positive. The world is rec... more »
Should The U.S. Presidential Debates Happen At The Same Time When NFL Football Is On TV
*ABC News:* *Trump Complains About Debates Conflicting With NFL Games* Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said he is unhappy that some of the debates planned between him and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton are scheduled against NFL games. He also said that the NFL wrote him a letter complaining about the scheduling of debates at the same time as football games -- a point that the league disputes. Trump told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos: "I got a letter from the NFL saying, 'This is ridiculous. Why are the debates against --,' because the NFL doesn't want to go aga...more »
Political Crisis In Tunisia
*Al Jazeera:* *Tunisian parliament votes to dismiss PM Habib Essid* Members of Tunisia's parliament vote Prime Minister Habib Essid out of office 18 months after his appointment. Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid has been ousted after overwhelmingly losing a vote of confidence in parliament. In power for a year and a half, Essid's opponents said he had failed to tackle the country's economic and security problems. A total of 118 members of parliament voted late on Saturday to unseat Essid; three voted for him to stay at the helm; and 27 abstained. The results were largely expec... more »
How Hard Will Venezuela's Economic Storm Hit Cuba?
Presidents Castro and Maduro Cuban economy *Miami Herald*: *Economists debate how hard Venezuelan economic storm will hit Cuba* Another country stole attention at the opening session of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy conference in Miami as the impact on Cuba of the potential end of Venezuelan oil largesse became a prime topic for debate. Faced with mounting energy problems, Cuban officials announced strict energy savings measures at state enterprises earlier this month in hopes of avoiding blackouts during the sweltering summer months. Officials have said Cuba... more »
Why Are People In Oil-Rich Venezuela Going Hungry?
*BBC:* *Going hungry in Venezuela* It's one thing to talk to people you've never met before who are suffering from hunger, and it's a completely different thing when they are from your own family, as the BBC's Vladimir Hernandez discovered when he returned to his native Venezuela to report on its failure to get food on people's tables. Travelling through the country this month I saw endless queues of people trying to buy food - any food - at supermarkets and other government-run shops. I was stopped at a roadblock in the middle of the countryside by people who said they had eate... more »
How We Carry On - Psychic Anchoring, Regaining Focus and Reaffirming The Pledge
How We Carry On - Psychic Anchoring, Regaining Focus and Renewing (Y)Our Commitment to The Great Work REMEMBER YOUR PROMISE STICK TO THE PLAN ALWAYS REMEMBER, AND HONOUR THE MISSION YOU DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO QUIT BEFORE PLAYING OUT YOUR FULL ROLE THE WEAKNESS OR INCONSTANCY OF OTHERS HAS NO BARING WHATEVER ON THE RESPONSIBILTY WHICH YOU TOOK ON AND FREELY ACCEPTED AS YOUR PERSONAL CONTIROBUTION TOWARD ACHIEVING THE GREAT WORK THIS NOT A DEMOCRACY - IT IS A WELL-OILED MACHINE WHOSE OPERATION IS PRE-DETERMINED, ORDERED AND PREDICTABLE BY VIRTUE OF ITS CONSCIOUSLY CONCEIVED ... more »
2nd Coup in Turkey? Instability Threatens "Tactical Nuclear Weapons" at Incirlik Base
"Today, tactical nuclear weapons in the Euro-Atlantic region are more of a security risk than asset to NATO." – Sam Nunn Cited in Steve Andreasan. Warning Bells Around Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Europe, July 21, 2016, http://www.nti.org/analysis/articles/warning-bells-around-tactical-nuclear-weapons-europe/ ZeroHedge and Telesur are reporting rumors of a "second coup" in Turkey after a Saturday night lockdown at Incirlik Base, a NATO outpost with thousands of US troops: U.S. Base in Turkey on Lockdown amid Rumors of 2nd Coup. Telesur, July 30, 2016, http://www.telesurtv.net/... more »
Fukushima Daiichi August 1 2016
High humidity and precipitation at Fukushima are leading to heavy steam emissions today:
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*Liberal Governor Throws Poor Children Out of Private Schools* The previous Republican Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, created a school voucher program that allowed poor Louisiana students to attend private schools. Then Louisiana elected a Democratic governor in 2015, who was beholden to the teachers’ unions. Louisiana has had budget issues for several years now. When it came time to make budget cuts, Louisiana’s Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards, has decided to cut the voucher program. His stroke of a pen has screwed poor, mostly black kids out of an education, just ...more »
Three Winners:Overcoming Corruption
Nothing to see in Malaysia. A New Sultan for Turkey A finger in every pot. The voters are never wrong and the politians are to big to fail.
Who's More A Hawk-- Trumpy-the-Clown Or Hillary?
Are values-driven Democrats supposed to celebrate because Republicans are flocking to Hillary's banner? Well, sure. There aren't enough Democrats in the country to elect someone president and her appeal to independents is... shaky, at best. The problems with Republicans, of course, is that they're reading the whole lesser-of-two evils thing in such a way that makes their own party's candidate anathema, and that's a good thing, *but* if Hillary's building any kind of an enduring transpartisan coalition, Democrats ought to wonder what the basis of it is apart of Trumpophobia. At hea... more »
Electoral Reform Committee Hearings Continue
The meetings of the Parliamentary committee studying Electoral Reform resumed this week with presentations from a series of “expert” witnesses. In the first of these meetings the call for a referendum once again came to the fore and was quickly shot down by all three experts! This after Democratic Institutions Minister *Maryam Monsef told the committee on July 6 that referenda are divisive and not the best way of seeking clarity on the issue,*and Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand earlier having estimated the price tag would be around *$300 million*. After having reviewed the syn... more »
Italy's attitude to migration is totally insane, too
In 2015, over one million migrants have arrived to the EU through Greece, a failed communist state that remains a member of the EU. The Balkans route was sealed – but it was not a sign of the effectiveness of the EU. A small post-Yugoslav country of Macedonia which is not a member of the EU (and which Greece doesn't even recognize under its own preferred name) has simply closed the border and fixed most of the problems that the likes of Angela Merkel have created. *A map with Italy and Libya* Because they can't arrive through the Balkans, the importance of the Italian route for t... more »
NATO Spending In Two Charts
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Defense One:** NATO Spending, in Two Charts: 2016 Edition* Who’s hitting the 2% guideline? In 2014, NATO adopted a guideline for members’ defense spending: 2 percent of gross domestic product. On Friday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump drew new attention to this guideline when he said he would look at countries’ contributions to the alliance before defending them from an attack. Here’s who’s currently meeting that guideline: The U.S. and Britain, which exceeded the 2 percent target in 2015, are projected... more »
Islamic State Encouraging Its Foreign Supporters To Launch Global Attacks
A flag belonging to the Islamic State fighters is seen on a motorbike after forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad recaptured the historic city of Palmyra, in Homs Governorate in this handout picture provided by SANA on March 27, 2016. REUTERS/SANA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS *Reuters*: *As 'caliphate' shrinks, Islamic State looks to global attacks* Islamic State, losing territory and on the retreat in Iraq and Syria, has claimed credit for a surge in global attacks this summer, most of them in France and Germany. The wave of attacks followed a call to strike against the West du... more »
There Is Now One Islamic State Attack in Europe Every 84 Hours
*CNN:** 'One ISIS attack every 84 hours' spurs dread and anger in Europe* Hollande, Merkel face growing hostility following mass migration. (CNN)In the past week I have seen flowers and candles carpeting a street in Munich, the tranquility of a small Bavarian town shattered by a suicide bomb and a small church in suburban France sealed off after its octogenarian priest had his throat cut. Before these horrific events, there was a knife-wielding teenager on a German train. And before that, much deadlier attacks in Nice, Brussels and last November, in Paris. This year has seen an a... more »
Sleep As A Weapon
Army Soldiers catch a few minutes of sleep on board an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III. Overall research findings suggest that inadequate levels of sleep when sustained over time increase the risk of physiological disease, allowing greater susceptibility to illness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Heide Couch) *Sarah DiGiulio, Huffington Post*: *You Have To Close Your Eyes To See The Military’s Powerful New Weapon* Retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis says sleep is a key strategy. On a March evening in 2002, the USS Oscar Austin began a nighttime transit through the Skagerrak, a busy shippin... more »
Nuclear Fears At The Rio Olympics
Brazilian Army soldiers take part in a simulation of decontamination of multiple victims during a training against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear attacks ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics, March 11, 2016Photo by Ricardo Moraes/Reuters *The SUN*: *OLYMPICS 'DIRTY BOMB' FEARS UN atomic agency helping guard Rio Olympics from ISIS terror attack* State-of-the-art scanners will monitor the city for tell-tale traces of radiation. EXPERTS from the United Nations have sent state-of-the art detection equipment to Brazil over fears suicidal terror nuts will target the Olympics... more »
The Millennials Are Taking Over The Military
150605-N-AT895-113 GREAT LAKES, Ill. (June 5, 2015) Recruits at Recruit Training Command (RTC) at Naval Station Great Lakes prepare to receive their Navy ball caps after completing Battle Stations, the final exercise before graduation. (Photo: MC3 Nathan Laird/Navy) *Military Times:* *The millennials have taken over: A primer for the military's generational shift* Are younger service members — so-called ‘millennials,’ born in 1980 or later — soft? Are they too reliant on technology? Are they buried so deep in social media that face-to-face communication becomes impossible? Are the... more »
Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr And His Followers Are 'Thirsty For American Blood'
Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Iraqi News *Military Times:* Moqtada al Sadr and his followers in Iraq are 'thirsty for Americans' blood' For the first time in years, the Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr and his militia are unleashing fiery anti-American rhetoric and threatening to attack U.S. troops. But top U.S. military officials have downplayed his remarks, saying that for now there’s no cause for concern. Sadr rose to prominence when his Mahdi Army battled U.S. troops after the 2003 invasion. He has quietly tolerated the comparatively small U.S. military force there now sup... more »
Tweet For Today
Four F-22 Raptors await refueling from a KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft during #RIMPAC2016 pic.twitter.com/FPgaHVPCcT — U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) July 31, 2016
Picture Of The Day
A demonstrator hurls a stone towards Indian police during a protest in Srinagar against the recent killings in Kashmir. July 28. © REUTERS/ DANISH ISMAIL
Ferengi Ambassador Endorses Clinton
Trump fails to follow the rules of aquistion.
Cairn
A simple stone cairn lies not far from the Clearwater River commemorating what was once a vitally important link in Canada's cross-country transportation system. While having long been rendered obsolete by road, rail and air, the Methye Portage (also known as the Portage La Loche) played a key role as the link between the Athabasca River and Lake Winnipeg. At a length of around 19km (12 miles) it the longest of the portages used in the cross-country fur-trading network, and certainly one of the most challenging. Credit for the discovery of the portage goes to explorer Peter Pond ... more »
Economic News & Views ... July 31 , 2016 ... Sunday Items To Consider..... 1. Libya News & Interviews To Consider - Political Stability Or Lack Thereof In Focus. 2. Turkey In Focus - Failed Coup , Turkey Purge Items. 3 Germany In Focus - Relations With Turkey , Pro-Erdogan Protest , Merkel Under Fire For Refugee Policies & German Politics In Focus. 4. France In Focus. 5. Odds & Ends.
Libya.... *fred walton* @fredwalton216 1m 1 minute ago fred walton Retweeted Reuters Commodities NOC stated Mousa Alkouni - of thecPresidential Council-assured Sanalla that the ports wld reopen"w/o conditions." fred walton added, *Reuters Commodities* @ReutersCommods Libya's NOC welcomes opening of ports, aims for 900,000 bpd by year-end http://reut.rs/2aGH08o *Chris Stephen* @reportingLibya 2h 2 hours ago #Libya #Libyaoil Head of state oil company (NOC) says no special payment made to re-open key oil ports. https://www.libyaherald.com/2016/07/31/noc -welcomes-uncond... more »
Officials: At Least 16 Dead in Hot Air Balloon Crash
[image: Investigators surround the scene in a field near Lockhart, Texas where a hot air balloon carrying at least 16 people collided with power lines Saturday, July 30, 2016, causing what authorities described as a "significant loss of life."] LOCKHART, Texas (AP) -- At least 16 people died in the hot air balloon crash in Central Texas, the National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday, adding that investigators are still trying to determine the exact number of passengers. It’s apparently... more »
Teen Released, 2 Still in Custody for French Church Attack
[image: Residents gather in a town park for a solemn homage to the Rev. Jacques Hamel in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, France, Thursday, July 28, 2016. Saint-Etienne's mayor Hubert Wulfranc called for a solemn homage to the Rev. Jacques Hamel on Thursday, for a moment of silence followed by the French national anthem.] PARIS (AP) -- A teenager detained following the gruesome killing of an 85-year-old priest by a pair of jihadi attackers in northwest France was released Saturday, a French official said. An official with the Paris prosecutor’s office said investigators questionin... more »
3rd Chicago Cop Relieved of Powers Over Man Shot in Back
[image: Chicago police investigate a police-involved fatal shooting in the 7300 block of South Merrill Avenue in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood on Friday, July 29, 2016. Chicago police say they shot and killed an 18-year-old man who was in a stolen Jaguar that sideswiped a squad car and hit a parked car, injuring some officers on Thursday evening.] CHICAGO (AP) -- Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson on Saturday relieved a third officer of his police powers in the death of a suspect after autopsy results showed the 18-year-old died of a gunshot wound to the back. Johnson’s... more »
Trade Deals That Benefit Both US and Other Nations are Possible
[image: handshake] In an update to its Information Technology Agreement, the World Trade Organization began the process of eliminating tariffs on hundreds of technology products, resulting in the organization's first tariff elimination agreement in almost 20 years. In this year of strong... more »
Anti-Catholic Blaine Amendment Could Damage Nevada School Choice Reform
[image: Public Private Schools Choice - 900] A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union is threatening education choice in Nevada. The lawsuit revolves around a century-old law with a "shameful pedigree" that the U.S. Supreme Court has said arose during "a time of pervasive hostility... more »
Australia's Renewable Energy Policies - flawed
*A citizen, Robert J Brock, * has written a letter to Minister for the Environment and Energy in the Turnbull Ministry, Joshua Anthony "Josh" Frydenberg. Dear Minister Re: *Renewable Energy Policies.*Copy: Hon Jane Prentice MP. Congratulations on your appointment as Minister for the Environment and Energy. On an ABC Lateline Broadcast on 27/07/2016 Emma Alberici interviewed you in what I understand was your first interview since being appointed. She asked you how you believe Australia can, and will keep global temperatures under control. http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/... more »
In Sign of Solidarity, French Muslims and Others Attend Mass After Priest Execution
[image: The Rouen Cathedral at sunset. The photo was taken from the Upper Rouen, below Bihorel.] PARIS (AP) -- In a gesture of solidarity following the gruesome killing of a French priest, Muslims have attended Catholic Mass in churches and cathedrals across the country and beyond. Television footage showed dozens of Muslims gathering at France’s towering...more »
Rumors Of Coup Attempt As Forces Surround NATO’s Incirlik Air Base
Around 7,000 armed police in armored vehicles have surrounded the Incirlik air base used by NATO forces in Turkey A Turkish minister said it was due to a “security check” but there has been no official explanation giving rise to speculations of a possible new coup attempt or VIP visit. RT reports: Hurriyet reported earlier that Adana police had been tipped off about a new coup attempt, and forces were immediately alerted. The entrance to the base was closed off. Security forces armed with rifles and armored TOMA vehicles used by Turkish riot police could be seen at the site in photo... more »
Trump Says Fracking Bans Should be Left to Local Voters
[image: A natural gas drill rig near homes in Colorado. The Rocky Mountains are in the background.] Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said he personally supports hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, yet believes drilling should be up to local voters to decide. "Well, I'm in favor of fracking, but voters should have a big say in it. Some... more »
Koch Brothers’ Network: We’re not Helping Trump or Clinton
[image: In this May 22, 2012 file photo, Charles Koch speaks in his office at Koch Industries in Wichita, Kansas. Billionaire industrialist and conservative benefactor Koch is hosting hundreds of the nation's most powerful political donors this weekend in Colorado. The exclusive gathering at the foot of the Rocky Mountains is open to donors who promise to give at least $100,000 each year to Koch-approved groups.] COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- From a luxury hotel on the edge of the Rocky Mountains, some of the nation’s most powerful Republican donors are rebelling against Donald Tru... more »
Stephen Hawking: Our Attitude Towards Wealth Threatens Humanity
Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking says that we need to challenge our attitudes towards wealth otherwise humanity is doomed. British attitudes towards wealth and money played a key role in the decision to leave the EU. It reflects a wider trend that is dangerous for a world that is already under threat from environmental forces. We need intelligent cooperation among people to share our ‘wealth’ and solve our common problems, according to Hawking. Otherwise the forces of “Envy and isolationism” will grow stronger which will put humanity at risk of division, amidst expected environmen... more »
Indian Snake Bite Victim Wakes Up Moments Before Cremation, Dies Again
A 23-year-old man from Madhya Pradesh presumed dead after a snake bite, woke up at his own funeral pyre moments before being consumed by fire, only to be declared dead again later on. The Mirror reports: The 23-year-old man, named as Sandeep, was attacked while collecting wood from the forest. When he arrived back in his village in the Raisen district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, he told his family about the snake bite. Instead of taking Sandeep to a hospital, they brought him to a traditional tantric practitioner in a nearby village. But the tantric’s treatment proved ine... more »
Pro-Life Catholics Deserve Better Than These Writers at the National Catholic Register
[image: Christian Catholic Writer Conservative - 900] Last month, blogger John Paul Shimek published a piece at the National Catholic Register in which he roundly insulted and dismissed conservative Catholics. After a social media outcry, the piece was removed and replaced with a note telling readers the... more »
The Biggest Obstacle to Converting Muslisms is Timid Christians
[image: Muslim refugees prepare for an evangelical baptism in Germany.] The atrocities in Orlando and Nice -- and Tuesday in Normandy -- keep a burning question alive: will Muslims ever integrate successfully into Western societies? If you listen to Donald Trump or Marie Le Pen, the answer is no. Their sympathisers seem... more »
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Thank you for visiting my blog. Obviously I haven't posted anything here for a while. Hopefully that will change soon, but I am active on my Grass Based Health facebook page and on twitter. Please visit these sites for more recent items.
Big Idea #2
The second article in *The Economist* series is on Hyman Minsky.
Take Two!
By Paul Homewood http://www.powerengineeringint.com/articles/2016/07/britain-saw-coal-power-decline-quicken-in-q2.html?cmpid=EnlPEIJuly142016&eid=296412419&bid=1462381 http://www.powerengineeringint.com/articles/2016/07/1-49bn-coal-fired-power-plant-for-bangladesh.html?cmpid=EnlPEIJuly142016&eid=296412419&bid=1462381
Dr. Spencer, It Is Simply the Hydrostatic Condition
The Dr. Roy Spencer site has a post, "The Warm Earth: Greenhouse Effect or Atmospheric Pressure?". For what it's worth, that is the wrong way to pose the question, between those for and against the greenhouse effect. But too many "skeptics" of consensus climate science make the same mistake, even now, nearly 6 years after my 2010 "Venus: No Greenhouse Effect" post. So I want to make the point yet again, as I have over and over, that it is not the atmospheric pressure at the bottom of the atmosphere that warms the atmosphere; it is the vertical pressure DISTRIBUTION, due to the hydr... more »
What Was The 'Worst' Year In History? 10 Historians Give Their Answer
"Black Death." Online Media. World Book Advanced. World Book, 2015. Web. 3 Feb. 2015. *Matthew Pratt Guterl, Business Insider/Slate**: I asked 10 historians to nominate the 'worst' year in history — here are their picks* When news of the truck killings in Nice, France, broke last week, I started seeing variations of the same sentiment on Twitter and Facebook: Is this the worst year ever, or what? Terror attacks, Zika, Brexit, police shootings, Syria, Trump, record-hot temperatures, the losses of Prince and David Bowie—this has been one unrelenting turn around the calendar. Have te... more »
Entangled electrons' spins aren't oscillating between up-down and down-up
Two days ago, I largely missed a comment by Kashyap Vasavada (although I did read and respond to its followups): *KV:* A more exact parallel will be: As soon as someone sees Bertlmann's socks, Bertlmann rushes to the change room and randomly changes or does not change socks. But he leaves the remaining people in doubt whether he has changed socks or not!! Holy cow. The very purpose of the blog post two days ago was to explain why this parallel is completely wrong, not "more exact" i.e. why the spins and sock colors are demonstrably *not blinking* in the way imagined by Kashyap and ...more »
Campaign Of Violence And Intimidation Against Sanders Uncovered
Bernie Sanders revealed that shots were fired into his Nevada campaign office and that an “apartment housing complex my campaign staff lived in was broken into and ransacked.“ The Vermont senator, who lost his Secret Services protection earlier this month, was also pictured with a bruise on his face at the Democratic National Convention, prompting many to believe there has been a long running campaign of violence and intimidation against the Sanders campaign. Sanders made the statement about the shooting and burglary in response to “criticisms made against my campaign organization.” ... more »
Today's Word: Trumpanzee
*"Nope, not even for $5 million, Gramps"* PPP released new national polling tonight that shows Clinton beating Trump by bigger margins after the two parties' conventions. The polling shows her "with a much more positive image than she had a month ago. Donald Trump meanwhile is just as unpopular as he was before the conventions. Clinton's net favorability improved by 9 points over the last month. She's still not popular, with a -6 net favorability at 45/51, but it's a good deal better than the -15 spread she had at 39/54 a month ago. The gains are particularly attributable to Democra... more »
The Catholics Are Attacking... Already... Again
I love any excuse to embed one of my favorite old 415 Records songs-- my indie label in San Francisco-- "The Catholics Are Attacking" by the Pop'O'Pies. This time it has to do with a gaggle of right-wing bishops attacking Tim Kaine for not bucking under to their theocratic instincts and their bizarre interpretation of Jesus' religion as one where women are relegated to staying home, ignorant and pregnant. The Catholic Church should lose it's tax exempt status for attempting to round up votes for Trump by attacking Kaine on religious grounds. FaithfulAmerica.org sounded the alarm:... more »
US and Russia Agree: Jabhat Al Nusra are Still Terrorists
*July 31, 2016* (The New Atlas) - Consensus among the United States and Russia is rare, but just such a consensus was reached, at least rhetorically, in the wake of Jabhat Al Nusra's apparent break with Al Qaeda and an attempt to rebrand itself as Syrian forces completed their encirclement of Syria's northern city of Aleppo. Qatari state broadcaster Al Jazeera in its report "Al-Nusra leader Jolani announces split from al-Qaeda," stated: *Abu Mohammed al-Jolani appeared in camera for the first time to announce his group's name has also changed to Jabhat Fath al Sham, or The Front for... more »
How the West Extends its Control Over Journalism Worldwide
*July 31, 2016 *(The New Atlas) - Political developments are often emotionally charged, and even journalists who are expected to maintain an objective approach to reporting can find themselves swept away by sensational headlines and the temptation to wade into controversy without fully analysing background information that might significantly alter established narratives. Because of this, some journalists find themselves playing the role of commentator rather than investigator, often leaving out critical information in a rush to contribute to one of two sides amid a political divi... more »
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, July 31st, 2016
[image: rant-jpeg-b] Sunday again, and once again time for my weekend rant... I covered so much material on my Thursday "special rant", but there is so much else that has been missing that I missed... Hopefully I can cover much of that right here and to give my usual "two cents worth" of opinion.... First and foremost, I got several interesting comments sent my way asking me why I never have anything "good" to say and why I always show the so called "dark side" of our society... .I honestly am sick of these clowns and their efforts to somehow put out the false claim that I am evil ... more »
George Soros Gives Hillary $25 Million To Guarantee White House Win
Hillary Clinton performed the oldest magic trick in the book – pay attention to this hand while I do something else with the other – when she said “we will work to get money out of politics” on the same day she accepted a $25 million dollar donation from George Soros. Don’t expect to read anything in the mainstream media about puppet master George Soros emerging from the shadows to steer Clinton’s campaign. There is no investigative journalism left in the corporate media. Have you heard any mention of election fraud? Any discussion of James Comey’s outrageous recommendation not to p...more »
Clinton Promises To Kill Assad When Elected President
Hillary Clinton has vowed to invade Syria and kill President Assad if she is elected President of the United States. Clinton’s policy adviser confirmed that one of Hillary’s first priorities upon taking office will be to shift the focus in Syria towards attacking Assad and orchestrating a regime change. Antiwar.com reports: Clinton’s aide, former Pentagon chief of staff Jeremy Bash, insisted that Assad’s was a “murderous regime” and that US foreign policy would be to escalate both the war against ISIS and this new war against Assad to get both “out of there” at the same time. Syria... more »
Man Proves Hacked Software Gave Hillary Stolen Votes
A U.S. citizen has come forward offering conclusive proof of voter fraud in the recent Democratic primaries. Elliot Crown says that all of the NYC counties that Hillary Clinton won, were won using this special black box. Democracyintegrity.org reports: After delving into the investigations of mathematician and numerical control engineer Richard Charnin, FBI journalist investigator Greg Palast and election investigator and analyst Bev Harris, an Italian observer of American politics becomes persuaded not only that statistical methods can show when fraud has taken place, but that in ... more »
DNC Witnesses Say Bernie Sanders Was Physically Assaulted
Witnesses at the recent Democratic National Convention say that Bernie Sanders had a noticeable gash on the right side of his face that he was trying to hide. The cut was on the right cheekbone and has given rise to questions about whether or not the Vermont Senator was physically beaten-up by somebody within the DNC. Halturnershow.com reports: Images of Sanders from Monday show no wound on his face. However, images from Tuesday evening clearly show a gash on his right cheek, of a type one might expect from being punched by a fist which had a ring on it. The gash is quite deep, ce... more »
French Teacher Prosecuted For Sharing Holocaust Theories On Facebook
A French school teacher has been placed under criminal investigation for allegedly posting a comment about the Holocaust on her Facebook page. France’s Education Ministry have ordered an investigation into the teacher who they say instructed her students to follow her page, where she wrote “The Shoah was designed and organized by Jews.” Haaretz.com reports: CRIF, the umbrella group of French Jewish communities, complained to the ministry about the teacher earlier this week, according to a report Thursday in the group’s newsletter. It did not name the female teacher in question but s... more »
Pentagon Say 2035 Is The Year New World Order Will Destroy America
The Pentagon have released a report outlining a timeline for ushering in the New World Order across the globe. According to the Pentagon’s research unit, by 2035 the U.S. will no longer be considered the world’s superpower as Russia or China will have overtaken America in terms of military and economic power. Rt.com reports: In just 20 years, the US and its allies will live in a world where shaping a global order the way they have since the end of the Cold War would be increasingly difficult, if not impossible, Pentagon’s research division, the Defense Technical Information Center (... more »
Feds Go Door To Door Testing People For Zika Virus
Federal officials have begun door to door testing of citizens in Florida for the Zika virus. Four people have tested positive in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, health officials admitted on Friday. CNN reports: These are the first known cases of the virus being transmitted by mosquitoes in the continental United States. “While no mosquitoes trapped tested positive for the Zika virus, the department believes these cases were likely transmitted through infected mosquitoes in this area,” according to a statement from the Florida Department of Health. “As we anticipated, Zika is here,”... more »
Hillary Says She Is Tougher Than Putin
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has boasted that she is tougher than Russian President Vladimir Putin. During a campaign announcement on Saturday, Clinton boasted that “I’ve stood up to adversaries like Putin,” claiming that she is more than equipped to similarly stand up to Trump too. Breitbart.com reports: Hillary said, “I’ve stood up to adversaries like Putin, and reinforced allies like Israel. And I was in the situation room on the day we got bin laden. But I know, I know we have to be smart, as well as strong. Meeting today’s global challenges requires every e... more »
We Were Not Wanted in Here - It's a Rigged System
The aftermath of the so-called Democratic National Convention...... more »
Talking with the Kunsan Grandpas
Yesterday Ken, Will and I took the train from Pyeongtaek, South Korea two hours south for a day long tour of the perimeter of the US Kunsan Air Force Base. Our guide and translator drove us from one end of the base to the other. Near the end of the visit we can upon a two-story watch tower near to the base runway and discovered five village grandpas playing a card game inside the open air upper space. After introducing ourselves as members of Veterans For Peace we requested if we could ask them some questions about the base and film their responses. They eagerly agreed and beg... more »
Saudi Arabia's Bombing Campaign In Yemen Is Worse Than The Russian Campaign In Syria
*The Economist*: *The Saudi bombardment of Yemen. Worse than the Russians* *The West is abetting vast loss of life.* NINETY years ago Britain’s planes bombed unruly tribes in the Arabian peninsula to firm up the rule of Abdel Aziz ibn Saud, the founder of the Saudi state. Times have changed but little since then. Together with America and France, Britain is now supplying, arming and servicing hundreds of Saudi planes engaged in the aerial bombardment of Yemen. Though it has attracted little public attention or parliamentary oversight, the scale of the campaign currently surpasses ... more »
Criticisms On Donald Trump's Remarks At The Muslim Parents Who Lost Their Son In Iraq
*Washington Post:* *Backlash for Trump after he lashes out at the Muslim parents of a dead U.S. soldier* Republican Donald Trump lashed out Saturday at two Muslim American parents who lost their son while he served in the U.S. military in Iraq and who appeared at the Democratic National Convention last week, stirring outrage among critics who said the episode proves that Trump lacks the compassion and temperament to be president. Asked to comment on the convention speech of Khizr Khan, a Pakistani immigrant whose son, Army Capt. Humayun Khan, died in Iraq in 2004, Trump described... more »
Do U.S. Hedge Funds Support Hillary Clinton Or Donald Trump?
*Zero Hedge*: *Hedge-Fund Handouts: Hillary Clinton $48,500,000 - $19,000 Donald Trump* Hedge funds are playing a far bigger role in 2016 than in past elections - and, as The Wall Street Journal reports, Hillary Clinton has been the single biggest beneficiary. The lines around what constitutes a hedge fund aren’t always clear in the data, or in the financial industry. But the numbers are stark. The top five contributors to pro-Clinton groups are employees or owners of private investment funds, according to federal data released last week and compiled by OpenSecrets.org, the cente... more »
The Obama Doctrine Explained
President Barack Obama meets with members of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House, January 29, 2010. The President’s chair is marked with a plaque engraved with the date of his inauguration. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) Derek Chollet, National Interest: *How Obama's Foreign Policy 'Long Game' Works* *It's a framework or checklist, not a doctrine.* This week, a central theme of the Democratic convention in Philadelphia has been that the United States is stronger at home and better positioned in the world than it was eight years ago—and that President Ba... more »
American Skydiver Becomes The First To Jump 25,000 Feet Into A Net - Without A Parachute
*Daily Mail*: *Married skydiver Luke Aikins become the first to jump 25,000 feet into a net without a parachute* * Aikins jumped 25,000 into a net Saturday evening in Simi Valley, California * Found out he had to wear a parachute just hours before - but did not use it * The skydiver, 42, has done more than 18,000 jumps and stunts in Ironman 3 * His four-year-old son and his wife both watched his record-breaking jump An American skydiver has become the first of his trade to jump 25,000 feet into a net - without a parachute. Luke Aikins, 42, completed the record-breaking stunt on Sat... more »
Iraqi Minister: Many Islamic State Leaders Trying To Flee To Syria
*Reuters:* *Many Islamic State leaders trying to flee to Syria: Iraqi minister* Many Islamic State leaders have fled Mosul with their families toward Syria ahead of a planned offensive by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces on the city, Iraq's defense minister said on Saturday. Khaled al-Obeidi said he had intelligence of increasing conflict, especially over financial issues, among ultra-hardline militants of the group known as Daesh in Arabic by its enemies. "Many Daesh families and leaders in Mosul have sold their property and sneaked out towards Syria, and a segment even tried to sneak o... more »
Reports: Families Begin Leaving Rebel Besieged Aleppo
*CNN*: *Syrian families trickle out of Aleppo, reports say* (CNN)Dozens of families have started to trickle out of war-ravaged Aleppo, days after the Syrian army announced it encircled the city and cut off rebel supply routes, according to reports. The families moved out of eastern Aleppo on Saturday through humanitarian corridors set up by the regional government, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA. The civilians were "besieged by the terrorist groups in the eastern neighborhoods" and crossed into the Salahaddin section of the city, where Syrian army units sent them ... more »
Wikileaks Proves That DNC Funded Sanctions Against Venezuela
DNC emails released by Wikileaks reveal that Debbie Wasserman Schultz approved sponsorship of the opposition in Venezuela. Before resigning as the Democratic Party leader, Schultz, who was also U.S. Congresswoman for Florida, supported sanctions against the Venezuelan government in an effort to gain support from members of the opposition in her home state. Telesurtv.net reports: Marco Rubio and Bob Menendez, among other senators, co-sponsored the bill which sought to impose sanctions against the elected government of Nicolas Maduro. Wasserman Schultz along with representatives Ilea... more »
Turkey Failed Coup Crisis Update - Incirlik Base Surrounded - Shots Fired?
*UPDATE: July 31, 2016* AMN Al Masdar News is reporting under "Breaking News" that 7,000 Turkish Troops have entered the NATO Incirlik Air Base "for an inspection". *Nuclear War on Earth* *threatened by the ongoing Incirlik Crisis* *Folks someone is completely missing the plot of the Turkey Failed Coup Crisis. Read this very disturbing (and rough) translation of an update from a French Website, Stratgika51.com and I have **my comments to follow:* *UPDATE: July 31, 2016* - Here is a very rough translation from French to English of a report from Strategika51.com *As we announced... more »
Mike Philbin - Introversions & Dichotomies - All at Sea series...
usually these Abstract Expressionist paintings I've been doing (70+ paintings in 2016 so far) are done in threes, at least this way I can semi-control some sense of unity in collection before my mind races off on another vocab/grammer hunt in search of that elusive perfect vision. That one complete dictionary of this chosen art form. It all started with this recent painting... *100 cm by 50 cm* It's a re-painting, and I've done several of these already, where an old painting that I'm a little dissatisfied with or at that time doesn't fit with the flow of study invested in the piece... more »
July 30: Sorry for the missed days
For the last few days, I have been living in a chaos of crashing computer, non-functioning printer, and dead cell phone. I have not watched much of the convention debates in the US. I have not watched because, frankly, I don't care that Chelsea thinks (or reads from a prepared speech by a speechwriter) that her mommy is a wonderful person. Ditto for the offspring and the partner of Trump. Nor do I care to waste time listening to the two candidates exchange insults and witticisms to the cheers of obviously dim-witted audiences. I heard no reference to any of the major crises facing ... more »
The Syrian War To Free Itself From The Evil US/Israel/NATO Cabal: Four Reasons Why Liberation Of Aleppo Would Mean An End To The Syrian War!
I spent yesterday getting some much needed rest after my vacation to Banff Alberta... Is it not amazing how sometimes we all need a rest break upon returning from vacation? But I did have my laptop with me, and periodically checked on what has been happening around the world, and especially how the war in Syria to free itself from the tyranny of the US/Israel/NATO criminal cabal has turned in favour of the Syrian people! I have long said in so many previous articles and my weekend rants that the war in Syria will effectively be OVER for the criminal cabal once the good guys, the S... more »
Pope to 100,000s of World Youth Day Pilgrims: ‘Following Jesus Demands … Courage’
[image: Poland Pope Pilgrims_perr__1469617576_71.164.139.145] BRZEGI, Poland (AP) -- Pope Francis challenged hundreds of thousands of young people who gathered in a sprawling Polish meadow to reject being a “couch potato” who retreats into video games and computer screens and instead engage in social activism... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Good Doggie!'
GOOD DOGGIE! Posted on July 30, 2016 Please post & distribute. MNN. July 30, 2016. Crime and its offshoots are the economic base of corporate America, starting with genocide and theft of our lands and resources. US minds have been readjusted from the natural instinct to survive, to everything being monetized. The rules for the values, life and direction are designed and implemented by
Sixty Years Ago ‘In God We Trust’ Became America’s National Motto
[image: In God We Trust, One Dollar Bill, U.S. Treasury, Currency] Sixty years ago today, as the Cold War gained steam, "In God We Trust" became America's national motto. Signed into law by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the phrase was established two years after "Under God" made it into the... more »
Turkish Police And Soldiers Have Surrounded Incirlik Air Base Home To 1500 U.S. Soldiers And Nuclear Weapons
US İncirlik air base cordoned off by municipality trucks and bulldozers due to 2nd coup rumors. Turkey pic.twitter.com/EuykMQ0m5w — ilhan tanir (@WashingtonPoint) July 31, 2016 *News.com.au:* *Reports Turkish troops have sealed off Incirlik US/NATO nuclear air base* TURKEY has sent police to surround the Incirlik air base it operates with the United States — and where a large stockpile of NATO nuclear weapons is held — ahead of a visit by a senior US official tomorrow. Unconfirmed reports out of Turkey suggest all entrances to the air base have been blocked by heavy vehicles and ... more »
Growing Unrest In Armenia
*VICE News*: *Hostage situation at police station triggers violent protests in Armenia* Riot police and pro-opposition protesters clashed again on Saturday in Armenia's capital Yerevan, a day after at least 75 demonstrators were injured when they tried to approach the scene of an ongoing hostage situation inside a police compound. The standoff began on July 17 when around 30 armed members of an opposition group stormed a police station and took several hostages. The hostage-takers are demanding the release of Jirair Sefilian, the leader of the country's Founding Parliament opposi... more »
How Harshly Will Voters Deal With The GOP Because Of Trump?
Yesterday, Joe Scarborough said he thinks Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan need to withdraw their endorsements of Trumpy-the-Clown and tell their members to do likewise. "He's so self consumed, it's just breathtaking... You've got to cut him loose." Watch that video up top of the segment; it's pretty remarkable for a center-right show like *Morning Joe*. But it isn't just cowardly Republicans like McConnell, Ryan and Marco Rubio who have endorsed Trump and are actively campaigning to elect him, normalizing a candidate who is far from normal by any stretch of anyone's imagination. In ...more »
"We're going to turn this country around together"
(Actual response to an actual beg I just got from Donald Trump.) Boy, did *you* ask the wrong guy for help. How the fuck did I get on your noxious begging list? Did you buy it from some liberal organization like Moveon or a charity such as the MSPCA or from an old magazine subscription such as *The Nation*? I would expect that kind of casual hypocrisy from the Orange Man. And even if I *were* a Republican, I would *still *find it repugnant to give any amount of money to a multibillionaire who'd earlier in his village roadshow of a campaign pledged to fund it entirely from ... more »
The Stupidest Tweet of All Time
Am I the only one who thinks Clinton-Kaine are reminiscent of a nice midwestern couple who move in next door and borrow a cup of sugar? — Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) July 30, 2016 ...to which yours truly responds. .@JoyAnnReid Yeah, if that couple then drops the cup & breaks out the duct tape & French knives before cutting your phone lines. Sure. — Mike Flannigan (@MikeFlannigan59) July 30, 2016 However, that didn't satisfy me, since this election cycle, more than ever, makes me want to go over the top. So when I read Joy Reid's incredibly stupid and insipid tweet about Hill ... more »
The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence
Victor Marchetti used the expression "cult of intelligence" to denounce what he viewed as a counterproductive mindset and culture of secrecy, elitism, amorality and lawlessness within and surrounding the Central Intelligence Agency in the service of American imperialism: There exists in our nation today a powerful and dangerous secret cult -- the cult of intelligence. Its holy men are the clandestine professionals of the Central Intelligence Agency. Its patrons and protectors are the highest officials of the federal government. Its membership, extending far beyond governmental cir... more »
How Putin Hoodwinked the Political Right
[image: PUTIN] It's easy to see why Vladimir Putin has emerged as the lodestar of certain elements of the political right across the West. Russia's president poses as the champion of nationalism vs. rampant transnationalism, of Christianity vs. secularism, and of European...more »
It Beggars the Imagination
When I first became aware of the "global warming" debate in late 2009 (a debate which was, years later, infamously changed to "climate change" when the "global warming pause" from 1997 to the present made it "politically expedient" to direct attention away from the continuing LACK of scientifically measurable global warming), I knew as a hard scientist that to find the truth I needed to dive to the heart of the matter and first seek definitive evidence CONTRARY to the consensus climate theory (of the "global warming greenhouse effect"), because there is no use holding, much less pr... more »
Thousands Gather In Berlin To Protest Merkel’s Immigration Policy
Thousands from across Germany took to the streets of Berlin on Saturday in a mass protest against Angela Merkel’s open-door asylum policy. Germany has suffered a number of terror attacks recently, some of which were carried out by refugees. Right wing anti-immigration politicians are expected to address a ‘huge’ crowd in Berlin’s historic Washington Square. The Daily Express reports: News of the gathering is being spread under the hashtag #Merkelmussweg – meaning Merkel must go – which has been used more than 1,500 times in 24 hours reaching hundreds of thousands of people. Police a... more »
Oil Prices Could Go Down if This New Method of Fracking Catches Fire
[image: Oil Rig, Fracking Drill Rig, Gasoline, Crude Oil, Oil Industry, Natural Gas] An oil drilling company operating in the Permian Basin shale formation can extract crude for as little as $2 a barrel, meaning it can compete with Saudi Arabia in terms of production costs. "Definitely we can compete with anything that Saudi... more »
IMF Delegation Arrives in Egypt for Bailout Talks
[image: European Commission's mission chief for Greece, Declan Costello speaks next to International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission chief for Greece, Delia Velculescu, right, during an Economy conference, in Lagonisi southeast of Athens, on Wednesday, June 22, 2016. Greece's left-led government wants to ease its budgetary saving commitments after its current multi-billion euro bailout ends in 2018, a senior official says. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)] CAIRO (AP) -- A delegation from the International Monetary Fund arrived in Egypt on Saturday, responding to a request for a multibillio... more »
Goldman Sachs Subpoenaed for Connection to Global Corruption Ring
[image: FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2014, file photo, a screen at a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange is juxtaposed with the Goldman Sachs booth. The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. reports financial results Tuesday, July 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)] Goldman Sachs has been subpoenaed for its alleged connections to a global corruption ring, according to reports Friday. Goldman Sachs, a worldwide leading investment bank with ties to the 2008 banking crisis, faced subpoenas from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)... more »
3 Dead, 1 Hurt in Shooting Near Seattle; Suspect in Custody
[image: An investigator works at the scene of a multiple murder in the Chenault Beach neighborhood of Mukilteo, Wash., Saturday July 30, 2016. A suspect was apprehended three counties away, said Officer Myron Travis of the Mukilteo Police Department. (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times via AP)] SEATTLE (AP) -- A gunman attacked a gathering of young adults at a suburban Seattle home early Saturday, killing two people at a fire pit before firing more shots from the roof, the grandmother of one of the witnesses said.... more »
Hot Air Balloon Crashes In Texas, 16 Feared Dead
A hot air balloon with 16 people on board caught fire and crashed in central Texas. The balloon came down 30 miles from Austin near the city of Lockhart on Saturday morning, with all on board feared dead. No Survivors After Hot Air Balloon Catches Fire and Crashes in #Lockhart Texas https://t.co/Q3O98WLX8i pic.twitter.com/F1nI04dhUI — KTEM (@ktemnews) July 30, 2016 CNN reports: There were no survivors in the crash near Lockhart, the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement to CNN affiliate TWC News Austin. Here’s the latest information on the crash: — The National Transp... more »
"There Is Beauty..."
"There is beauty laced within this day… be courageous enough to find it, be kind enough to share it, and at the end of the day, be wise enough to let it go." - Steve Maraboli
"How It Really Is"
Not to worry... *"Polls Show Trump with MAJOR Lead over Hillary in Presidential Race"* "July 30, 2016. National Polling is out showing Donald Trump enjoying a major lead ahead of Hillary Clinton for the US Presidential Election. They also show that Hillary did NOT get any "Bounce" from the Democrat Convention. Full article at link:" - https://www.superstation95.com/index.php/world/1733
Musings On The Iraq In The News
I was interviewed by Alex MacDonald for “Iraqi militias to be given official army status, says prime minister” in Middle East Eye.
FBI Monitored Holocaust Survivor Over Her Palestinian Activism
Files released by the FBI have revealed that Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein was under government surveillance for her activism work in support of Palestinian causes. The files were released in response to a Freedom of Information request by writer and researcher Waqas Mirza. Epstein died in May this year at the age of 91 Hedy Epstein, Rights Activist and Holocaust Survivor, Dies at 91 https://t.co/Q3o2MTnONo pic.twitter.com/FhPN5eQBoz — VOW Peace (@VOWPeace) June 1, 2016 RT reports: Documents reveal the FBI was monitoring Epstein’s work with the International Solidarity Movement and... more »
Bomb Threat Closes Munich Shopping Centre And Train Station
Munich police evacuated a shopping centre and a train station this afternoon after a tip off that a bomb was placed in the area. Pasing Arcaden shopping centre and Pasing railway station were evacuated as a precaution against another terrorist attack. A gunman killed 9 people a week ago in a shopping centre just a few miles away. #Munich: the Arcaden Shopping Mall in #Pasing has been evacuated, police units are at the scene pic.twitter.com/FQKoSuZiSE — I.E.N. (@GoldenKrant) July 30, 2016 The Daily Mail reports: Officers sealed off the area around Pasing Arcaden shopping centre and P... more »
Booker On Hinkley
Booker’s take on the Hinkley Point saga: In the nick of time, it seems, a glimmer of sanity is at last breaking in on what I have long been describing as the most insane single project a British government has ever put its hand to. We can credit the decision to put on […]
The Dirty Business of US-Funded "Election Monitors"
*July 30, 2016* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - Thailand faces an upcoming referendum regarding a new national charter meant to put the country back on track after over a decade of political conflict revolving around US-backed proxy Thaksin Shinawatra. Shinawatra and his foreign sponsors have increased pressure on the Thai government as the vote in early August nears. This includes maneuvering into place overt fronts engaged in political agitation, and leveraging the West's monopoly over the international media to portray any attempt to crackdown on such fronts as heavy-handed and unjust... more »
Editor's Note
Blogging will return later tonight.
Perhaps a bit less than comic relief!
*SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016Perhaps a bit less than accurate:* Reluctantly, we wanted to show you something Rachel Maddow said on last night's Rachel Maddow Show. We're going to have to wait! MSNBC hasn't posted a transcript yet, not even on Nexis. Having already burned our time transcribing remarks from Thursday evening's convention coverage, we'll be danged if we're going to burn more time transcribing last night's program. We could do it. But it would be wrong. MSNBC has a remarkably slacker corporate culture. At this, its official site, the channel has posted transcripts for exa... more »
The Case Against Corrupt Conservative Joe Garcia... In Miami-Dade
*CROOK* I first met Miami Democrats Annette Taddeo and Joe Garcia at around the same time-- 2008. They were two of the three Democrats running for blue-trending congressional seats in Miami-Dade who were sabotaged by then DCCC Red-to-Blue chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She moved swiftly and effectively to cut off their legs and back her GOP cronies, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and the Diaz-Balart brothers. The DCCC's Red-to-Blue committee only has one job: defeating Republican incumbents and replacing them with Democrats. As chair, Wasserman Schultz made it clear she was on the other side... more »
Full Event: Donald Trump Rally in Colorado Springs, CO 7/29/16...
*Trump/Pence 2016*
Untitled
*Lake Tahoe: Warmest water temperatures ever recorded* *Absurd to think that a climate record that goes back to 1968 only can give you a picture of a long term trend. But since the record goes back to 1968 only, we cannot test for a long term trend. We can however look at the air temperature record from the nearby Tahoe station. It's below. What do we see? We see that temperatures in the Tahoe area were markedly higher in the 1920s and 1930s. Tahoe as a whole has been COOLING long term. How likely is it that the lake is going to be different from its region? Clearly, the ... more »
'Comfort Women' Protest in Seoul
From our Wednesday participation in the 'Comfort Women' protest in Seoul. Video taken by VFP member Will Griffin and production work by Zoom in Korea staff in New York.
Hillary's Mountain
Hillary Clinton has the Democratic nomination for president. Now the hard part begins. She'll have to climb a mountain. A substantial number of Americans see her as the status quo in an election where the majority of them are clamouring for change. Tom Walkom writes: When U.S. President Barack Obama called the former senator and secretary of state the most qualified presidential candidate ever, he wasn’t far off. When he noted on Wednesday night she was more qualified than both he and former president Bill Clinton had been when they first took office, he was absolutely correct. Co... more »
Chris Kyle's Hometown of Odessa, TX Have Unveiled His Memorial Statue
Chris Kyle's hometown of Odessa, TX unveiled his memorial statue. RIP Legend. pic.twitter.com/5D8uQX71sd — Military (@MilitaryEarth) July 29, 2016
Fukushima Daiichi, the "Blob" and Pacific Coastal Life
I returned from a vacation trip to San Diego a few days ago. I had not been in San Diego since the summer of 2011. Please see my post about the condition of tide pools that year at Wynd and Sea Beach in La Jolla. http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/speculation.html Unfortunately, this year we didn’t make it back to that same beach at low-tide so I wasn’t able to inspect the tide pools to see if they have recovered. I did visit La Jolla Cove with my family this year (1-2 miles north of Wynd and Sea). The water at La Jolla Cove was very, very warm at 79 degrees in La Jolla ...more »
Koch Brothers and Uranium Mining
A big ARRRGGGGHHHHH for this find, which is only recent news to me: Koch Brothers Help Fund Anti-Grand Canyon Monument, Pro-Uranium Mining Efforts in Arizona, Tax Documents Show. Phoenix New Times, Monday, April 18, 2016 http:// www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/koch-brothers-help-fund-anti-grand-canyon-monument-pro-uranium-mining-efforts-in-arizona-tax-documents-show-8222461 A string of dark-money organizations with ties to the billionaire Koch brothers is helping Arizona politicians and special-interest groups fight the popular Grand Canyon National Heritage Monument proposal, tax doc... more »
Thousands In South Yorkshire Warned Not To Use Tap Water
Thousands of people in South Yorkshire have been told not to drink their tap water or use it for cooking after high levels of bacteria had been found. Yorkshire Water also warned that customers should refrain from cleaning their teeth with the water and not let their pets drink it. Bacteria detected in #DN8 water supply, DO NOT DRINK. Affected post codes, bottled water collection + more info here https://t.co/Eq8aF6kn3b — Yorkshire Water (@YorkshireWater) July 29, 2016 Sky News reports: Around 3,600 properties in parts of Thorne, near Doncaster, and the neighbouring village of Moore... more »
Century of War, by Lunartrax - Steve Carlisle
ZZZZZzzzzzz.....
U.S. worries Russian humanitarian operation in Syria may be 'ruse'
*So the headline reads.*...Is the US really concerned the humanitarian operation may be a ruse ? Or *does the concern lie with the fact that if the control of the portion of Aleppo*, which has been occupied by US/Israeli backed thugs, *swings back into the arms of Syria, *the *NATO backed destabilization of Syria is a fail!* Is the US additionally concerned at the possibility of *their thug/terrorist/killer inventory being reduced? **One way or another?* *The importance of the battle for Aleppo was written about here on January 16/2016 : Syrian Endgame Could Begin in Aleppo- Who Woul... more »
How Wide Do The Democrats Have To Open Their Tent Before Progressives Wake Up And Flee Out The Back?
In his most recent book, Listen Liberal" Or, What Ever Happened To The Party Of The People, Thomas Frank put forward a compelling thesis that an American political realignment is already well underway. We've covered it before and you probably noticed it during the Democratic convention, especially on the last day, this week. They were applauding Ronald Reagan, extolling the military-industrial complex, escorting noisy progressives out of the building-- when they even let them *into* the building to begin with-- and ended with the music from *Hamilton*... a play based on a characte... more »
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