11:53 pm MDT
Bernie Sanders Suggests Election Is Rigged, Unendorses Hillary Clinton
In an unexpected announcement Bernie Sanders has suggested that the Presidential election may be rigged, and has unendorsed Hillary Clinton. In a cryptic Facebook message posted on Sunday, Sanders warned American citizens of a rigged system and criticised the overly powerful elite who run it. “That was not Abraham Lincoln’s vision of a government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” Sanders complained. His entire message reads: “Let’s be honest and acknowledge what we are talking about. We are talking about a rapid movement in this country toward a political system ...more »
Obama Declares War On Alternative Media And The First Amendment
President Barack Obama has promised to crack down on alternative media websites in the next few weeks before leaving office, referring to them as America’s “wild, wild west“. Obama told an innovation conference in Pittsburgh on Thursday that “conspiracy theorists” are destroying the faith the public have in traditional mainstream media outlets, and warned that alternative news websites pose a threat to future elections. Yahoo News reports: Recalling past days when three television channels delivered fact-based news that most people trusted, Obama said democracy require citizens to... more »
Assad Condemns Western ‘Illegal Invasion’ Of Syria
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has condemned the West’s “illegal invasion” of Syria, claiming the U.S. is breaking international law. Speaking to Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, Assad claims that Western governments actively fund and support ISIS in order to further their agenda to destabilize the country and oust him as President. Kp.ru reports: Below is the complete transcript of the interview Question 1: Thank you very much, Mr. President. It’s a big happiness for me, and I’m very proud. Okay, I will start from my questions. The situation in Syria become more dangero...more »
‘Supersoldier’ Max Spiers Found Dead Under Suspicious Circumstances
Conspiracy theorist Max Spiers, who was due to give a talk about who really controls the world, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in July. The father-of-two had texted his mother shortly before his death to warn, “If anything happens to me, investigate,” just before being found dead on a sofa in Poland. Dailymail.co.uk reports: He was ruled to have died from natural causes despite no post-mortem examination being carried out on his body. Friends have claimed he died in a Warsaw apartment after he ‘vomited a black liquid’. His dark investigations into UFOs and government... more »
Tweet For Today
China launches longest manned space mission https://t.co/7xDsYJhQQ4 pic.twitter.com/aluNDqFfNm — Reuters Top News (@Reuters) October 17, 2016
‘Kallis-Sharlin Residence,’ by Rudolph Schindler
[image: SChindler-Kallis] Austrian architect Rudolph Schindler worked briefly with Frank Lloyd Wright in Los Angeles before breaking out on his own. Immediately after the war, in 1946, in a postwar California still with many shortages, he built this inexpensive home for artist Mischa Kallis (1903-1987) – a one bedroom *House for an Artist* with studio and living on one level, with guest area below and garage and entry above. [image: SChindler-Kallis03] The architect’s ‘Schindler Frame’ frees up the walls above head height for light and sun through clerestories, and to flexibly... more »
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry: 'US, Europe Have No ‘Big Appetite’ For Military Action In Syria'
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (L) and US Secretary of State John Kerry give a joint press conference after a meeting on the situation in Syria at Lancaster House in London October 16, 2016. REUTERS/JUSTIN TALLIS/Pool *VOA:* *Kerry: US, Europe Have No ‘Big Appetite’ for Military Action in Syria* Secretary of State John Kerry says all options remain open for the U.S. and its allies in Syria, but he admits the United States and Europe have no ‘big appetite’ for military action, even as Russia refuses to back down. Kerry held talks in London Sunday with British Foreign Secre... more »
Russian President Putin Is Hoping That Russia - U.S. Ties Will Be Restored After The U.S. Presidential Election
*Bloomberg:* *Putin Hopeful Russia-U.S. Ties Can Be Restored After Elections* * Putin says no plan to influence U.S. presidential voting * Confrontation isn’t his choice, Russian leader tells reporters Russia hopes its ties with the U.S. can be restored after elections regardless of who wins, according to President Vladimir Putin. While Democrat Hillary Clinton so far is aggressive toward Russia and Republican Donald Trump wants cooperation, the Kremlin is not ruling out the possibility that the candidates’ positions will change when one of them becomes the U.S. president, Putin t... more »
If You Snort A Couple Of Adderalls Does It Show Up In A Drug Test?
Much has been made of Trump's snorting and sniffling at the debates. So Saturday, Mr. Projection Man suggested that Hillary was hopped up on drugs and that they should both agree to a drug test. Great idea-- and I suggested it an hour into the first debate when he was so obviously out of his mind on something he tooted before he went out on stage. Many have said cocaine, though I subsequently found out through his former doctor's office that it was Adderall. Since Trump was in New Hampshire Saturday morning, ostensibly to address the state's serious opioid problem, what better ti... more »
While Talking About The NSA And U.S. Hacking Allegations The Lights Go Out During Putin's Presser
*RT*: *‘Maybe I said something wrong’: Putin mocks US surveillance during presser power blackout* During BRICS presser in India, Vladimir Putin warned all Russian journalists in the room of being a target of US intelligence. Shortly afterwards, a brief power outage made the Russian president jokingly wonder if he had “said something wrong.” The US official institutions are “snooping and eavesdropping on everyone,” Putin said at the beginning of the press conference while commenting on US Vice President Joe Biden’s statement on the possibility of cyberattacks against Russia. *Rea... more »
Picture Of The Day
*Prepping for Slingload * A Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter prepares to lift Humvees during a slingload tactics exercise at Auxiliary Airfield II, Yuma, Ariz., Sept. 30, 2016. The helicopter crew is assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One. The training is part of Weapons and Tactics Instructor 1-17, a seven-week training event providing standardized tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation training and readiness. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Artur Shvartsberg
Top Ukraine Rebel Military Leader Assassinated
Arsen Pavlov © Gennady Dubovoy / Sputnik *RT:* *Militia commander killed in bombing attack in eastern Ukraine* One of the commanders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic’s defense forces has been killed in an explosion after a bomb reportedly went off inside the elevator of the apartment building in eastern Ukraine. The DNR’s ministry of defense confirmed the death of Arsen Pavlov, better known under the alias Motorola, who led one of the self-defense units resisting the Ukrainian government forces in the beginning of the conflict in Donbas. *Read more* .... *WNU Edito... more »
Musical Interlude: Jace Vek, "Mariner's Theme"
Jace Vek, "Mariner's Theme" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB2C84CUqg0
“WikiLeaks ‘Dead Man's Switch’ Appears to Have Been Triggered”
*“WikiLeaks ‘Dead Man's Switch’ Appears to Have Been Triggered”* by Vol. News Staff UPDATE 7:53 PM EDT - "The unique sets of numbers previously thought to be Hashtags are NOT! They are DECRYPTION KEYS for certain files; passwords if you will. This means that Wikileaks has just given the entire planet the decryption keys for three sets of files, 1 on John Kerry, 1 on Ecuador and a third on the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). This is a "dead man's switch." It means that Wikileaks- or its Editor Julian Assange- are in direct danger, or Assange may be dead. By issuing t...more »
The most important economic idea in the world?
Economist David Henderson has been pondering the single most important idea in all of economics – the one you most wish you could explain to everyone on earth. Between him, his commenters, and Steve Horwitz (whose questioner on Reddit prompted the discussion), there’s quite a list of candidates for *The Most Important Economic Idea*: *Economist Steve Horwitz: The idea that prices are knowledge surrogates. Prices aren't mere numbers--they are [a] form of communication that goes beyond language and math. Without them, we are blind and deaf in figuring out how to make choices and ... more »
ISIS Has Fled The Symbolic Village Of Dabiq Where It Prophesied The Final Battle Between Christians And Muslims
*Washington Post:* *The apocalypse is off for now: ISIS flees village where it prophesied doomsday battle* BEIRUT — The tiny Syrian village of Dabiq was to have been the site of an apocalyptic showdown between Christian and Muslim armies, an Islamic version of the battle of Armageddon that would herald the end of the world, according to ancient prophecies embraced and trumpeted by the Islamic State. Instead of waging an epic battle, however, the last Islamic State fighters defending Dabiq fled Sunday without a fight in the face of an advance by a small force of Free Syrian Army re... more »
U.S. Military Will Assist In The Liberation Of Mosul
*CNBC*: *Iraq announces start Mosul ISIS offensive, backed by US-led coalition forces* Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday announced the start of an offensive to retake Mosul, the capital of Islamic State's so-called caliphate in Iraq. "I announce today the start of the heroic operations to free you from the terror and the oppression of Daesh," he said in a speech on state TV, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. "We will meet soon on the ground of Mosul to celebrate liberation and your salvation," he said, surrounded by the armed forces' top commanders. The as... more »
Clarke and Dawe: ‘The Presidential Race is Beautifully Poised’
Crossing now to Donald Sin-Trouble, US Political Correspondent… . Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Permission to republish is granted, with attribution.
Another day, another housing scapegoat
Did you know that seventy-five percent of statistics are made up on the spot? Ninety-nine percent, if you’re a politician. Politicians are responsible for Auckland’s housing crisis, politicians from both parties who enacted, voted in, then locked in the sclerotic rules restricting the supply of land and the building of new houses. What they all need now and what they’re all so desperately looking for is a scapegoat, and a unicorn. The unicorn arrived, they still hope, in the shape of the Unitary Plan. The search for scapegoats continues. Today’s scapegoat, in the latest scare... more »
Backpacker murder exposes immigration laws promoting exploitation
[image: Mia] We know how Australia treats refugees and people arriving informally by boat. But their backpacker visa scheme is equally xeonophobic and almost as barbaric – as the tragic murder of a young British backpacker has exposed. *Mia Ayliffe-Chung [from Derbyshire, England[ was murdered in a remote Australian backpacker hostel in August 2016 … along with another Briton, Tom Jackson, 30, who courageously tried to save her.* The “remote Australian backpacker hostel” is not part of any resort. The one in which Mia was killed by another ‘inmate’ was in backblocks Queensland... more »
Iraqi General: A Corridor Will Be Established That Will Permit Islamic State Fighters To Flee Mosul
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Twitter *The Australian/The Times:* *Iraqi general will leave corridor open for Islamic State fighters to escape Mosul* The Iraqi general commanding the operation to liberate Mosul plans to leave open a corridor for Islamic State fighters to flee the city rather than trap them in an urban battle that would endanger civilians. Major-General Najim Abed al-Jubouri believes that the city’s hundreds of thousands of residents would be likely to be used as a mass human shield. “I believe in a corridor,” he told The Times. “If we surround them [Islamic... more »
Iraqi Prime Minister: The Offensive To Retake Mosul Has Begun
*CNN*: *ISIS in the crosshairs: Battle for Mosul begins* (CNN)The offensive to liberate Mosul from ISIS control has begun, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a televised statement early Monday. "Our dearest people in Nineveh province, the victory bell has rung, and the operations to liberate Mosul have begun," he said. "I am announcing today the beginning of these heroic operations to liberate you from the brutality and terrorism of ISIS. God willing, we will meet soon on the ground of Mosul where we will all celebrate the liberation and your freedom." Only forces with t... more »
Mosul Operation Coincides With U.S. Presidential Election
*Source of photo.* LOL @ the poor stupid Iraqis. Their leaders got suckered by a British con man selling them fake bomb detectors and they still use them to this day because they're either too corrupt or too embarrassed to admit their lethal mistake. They can't patrol their streets properly, and they can't defend their people because they don't have control over when they go to war. They go to war when America says so, when it is in Washington's own narrow and selfish interests, not when it is most strategic, appropriate, and wise for the nations and peoples of Iraq. ISIS should... more »
So You Want to Be the Next Director-General of the World Health Organization…
It should come as no surprise to anyone that a political scientist like me gets really excited about elections and campaigns, and we’re currently in the thick of a doozy of a campaign season. Candidates have splashy websites and brochures, and they regularly meet with voters to pitch their candidacies. Whoever wins will take over […]
Chirp from a Freshly Broken Egg
Thanks to the Duck editorial board for having me join to guest blog for the next six months. I’m looking forward to being part of the conversation here. I bring experience working with the Senate on humanitarian and national security issues, with non-profits on detainee treatment and disaster response, and in teaching which included a […]
One Good Side Effect Of Trumpism: Knowledge Of Paul Ryan's Toxicity Is Spreading To Millions More Voters
I didn't know *NY Times* reporter reporter Josh Barro was a Republican who has only this week registered as a Democrat. He explained his metamorphosis earlier today. "The most important thing we have learned this year," he wrote, is that, when the Republican Party was hijacked by a dangerous fascist who threatens to destroy the institutions that make America great and free, most Republicans up and down the organizational chart stood behind him and insisted he ought to be president." He pointed out that "some did this because they are fools who do not understand why Trump is danger... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“A gorgeous spiral galaxy some 100 million light-years distant, NGC 1309 lies on the banks of the constellation of the River (Eridanus). NGC 1309 spans about 30,000 light-years, making it about one third the size of our larger Milky Way galaxy. Bluish clusters of young stars and dust lanes are seen to trace out NGC 1309's spiral arms as they wind around an older yellowish star population at its core. *Click image for larger size.* Not just another pretty face-on spiral galaxy, observations of NGC 1309's recent supernova and Cepheid variable stars contribute to the calibration of the... more »
Chet Raymo, “Moments of Being”
*“Moments of Being”* by Chet Raymo “A passage from the "Pensees" of Teilhard de Chardin: "Though the phenomena of the lower world remain the same- the material determinisms, the vicissitudes of chance, the laws of labor, the agitations of men, the footfalls of death- he who dares to believe reaches a sphere of created reality in which things, while retaining their habitual texture, seem to be made out of a different substance. Everything remains the same so far as phenomena are concerned, but at the same time everything become luminous, animated, loving..." Whatever we think of Te... more »
“Chronic Stress: The Hidden Health Risks”
*“Chronic Stress: The Hidden Health Risks” * By Meryl Davids Landau “According to a recent American Psychological Association poll, nearly a quarter of Americans confessed to currently feeling under "extreme stress." Respondents especially blamed money, work, and the economy—a feeling 50-year-old Sue Wasserman knows all too well. In February 2012 the public relations manager left Atlanta after her job was eliminated by a corporate restructuring and took a new post in Asheville, N.C. When that proved a bad fit, she struck out on her own as a freelance writer and publicist. Though Wa...more »
"A Chime Of Words..."
"Yes there is a meaning; at least for me, there is one thing that matters- to set a chime of words tinkling in the minds of a few fastidious people." - Logan Pearsall Smith
The Poet: Mark Jarman, "Coyotes"
*"Coyotes"* "Is this world truly fallen? They say no. For there's the new moon, there's the Milky Way, There's the rattler with a wren's egg in its mouth, And there's the panting rabbit they will eat. They sing their wild hymn on the dark slope, Reading the stars like notes of hilarious music. Is this a fallen world? How could it be? And yet we're crying over the stars again, And over the uncertainty of death, Which we suspect will divide us all forever. I'm tired of those who broadcast their certainties, Constantly on their cell phones to their redeemer. Is this a fallen world? For them... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Sandia Park, New Mexico, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
"Boom! Deutsche Bank Largest Customer, QATAR, Pulls the Plug"
*"Boom! Deutsche Bank Largest Customer, QATAR, Pulls the Plug"* by Newsroom "Germany's largest bank, Deutsche Bank, is likely to spiral immediately into complete failure and collapse *tomorrow* as its largest lender, the country of Qatar, pulls the plug! "No future lending to Deutsche Bank" to keep it afloat under pressure of U.S. fine. According to sources the bank is now facing a crisis of gargantuan proportions after the Qatari royal family, who were reported to be involved in bond deals just last week, expressed concern over their long-term strategy. Analysts say this could be ... more »
The Economy: "Drowning In Debt: 35 Percent Of All Americans Have Debt That Is At Least 180 Days Past Due"
*"Drowning In Debt: 35 Percent Of All Americans Have * *Debt That Is At Least 180 Days Past Due"* By Michael Snyder "More than a third of all Americans can’t pay their debts. I don’t know about you, but to me that is a shocking figure. As you will see below, 35 percent of the people living in this country have debt in collections. When a debt is in collections, it is at least 180 days past due. And this is happening during the “economic recovery” that the mainstream media keeps touting, although the truth is that Barack Obama is going to be the only president in United States hist... more »
Short-Term Government Built Short-Term Capitalism
*Guest post by John Allison* Hillary Clinton recently highlighted a major problem in the economic system: The business community increasingly pursues short-term profits at the expense of the long-term investments that increase employment, wages and innovation. This weakens the economy and leaves people worse off. I applaud Clinton for identifying this issue — I witnessed it firsthand during my tenure as CEO of BB&T Bank. But if she’s serious about solving it, she needs to identify the real culprit: the government, especially the vast — and growing — regulatory state. Not only... more »
Did Hurricane Matthew Ever Get Anywhere Near Cat 5?
By Paul Homewood Damage from Hurricane Matthew I was away when Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti, so did not get the chance to analyse it. According to the official records, it hit 160 mph sustained speeds on 1st October, making it the first Cat 5 Atlantic hurricane since 2007. Apparently, if you believe […]
An Insecure West and Turkey?
Certainly a loaded headline. How is the West insecure? Why is the West insecure? What does their insecurity have to do with Turkey? Did their insecurity stem from their failed coup attempt? Is the article the Greek perspective? NATO perspective? Both? * Greece spends large on NATO. * *On Monday, figures were released showing Greece as having the second highest spending in NATO, second to the U.S.* *Greece was pivotal in moving ‘refugees’ to Europe as part of NATO's weaponized refugee movement. This has been discussed previously here at the blog.* Paints the US as victim to Turkey... more »
Channel 4 visits Mosul and the Yazidis in 2003 (ITN Archive)
*Two years ago the evil U.S. and its worthless allies in Iraq surrendered and handed Mosul to ISIS, putting at risk the lives of hundreds of thousands, including members of the Ezidi minority who had to be saved by the PKK.* Below is a video report in Mosul in 2003. When the U.S.-Saudi-Turkish-Israeli-KRG-Qatari-British sponsored ISIS terrorists took the city over a decade later all they had to do was walk in. Watching this clip now it's funny that the only thing on the clueless reporter's mind was the name of CIA patsy Bin Laden, as if he really mattered. Now the new name to f... more »
"Who will care for the children of Calais?"
Mohammed and Ed Thomas The BBC is showing a report from Calais tonight by Ed Thomas. Though we see scenes of migrant 'children' (many of whom look like young men - though Ed was clearly taking their declared ages on trust) rioting and battling police, Ed is emoting about how "alone" they are, and wondering "who will care for the children of Calais?" The social media reaction hasn't been very positive: *BBC "reporting" from the Calais Jungle on Sunday. Or was I watching an outtake from Drop the Dead Donkey?* *@BBCNews report from Calais Jungle shows why we should never listen to B... more »
Pot Luck Sunday
What, you think I save all the tastiest bits for you? Guess again, Bucko. .@Eileen43Eileen @thejurasout How horrible it is for Boris Johnson to look exactly like Donald Trump first thing in the morning. — BasementDweller Zero (@jurassicpork59) October 16, 2016 .@LOrionII @HuffPostWomen @PPact And men who can't tolerate even the mildest criticism don't belong in the White House. — BasementDweller Zero (@jurassicpork59) October 16, 2016 This about face & marching away from Cohn after being diagnosed w/AIDS is the closest Trump got to military service. https://t.co/r8iJsZE9cb — Bas... more »
A solitary day syncs up with thoughts on solitude from two distinguished writers -- plus a brilliantly funny take on the Billion-Dollar Loser
*Donald Hall with, uh, some other guy* *"Now and then, especially at night, solitude loses its soft power and loneliness takes over. I am grateful when solitude returns."* *-- the poet Donald Hall, writing at age 87for *The New Yorker*, in "Double Solitude"* *by Ken* Donald Hall's piece is one of two literary plugs I absorbed this afternoon from Jonathan Schwartz's radio show. As readers familiar with both Jonathan's and my musical predilections will realize, they're not exactly the same. Nevertheless, for decades now one or another of his radio shows has come on after shows I li... more »
Biden Threatens Russia With Cyber Revenge
U.S. vice-president Joe Biden has threatened Russia with a cyber attack in retaliation for its alleged cyber strike on this year’s U.S. presidential race. Russian President Vladimir Putin “will know it” when it happens, says VP Biden. Fort Russ reports: Washington is preparing measures in response to the actions of Russian hackers accused of hacking American politicians’ computers. This was stated by US Vice President Joe Biden today, who threatened that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will know it” when an attack happens. Biden remarked that Washington will choose a time and pla... more »
Attempting to play up
A comment at *Biased BBC *this evening: quisquose October 16, 2016 at 8:09 pm I’ve been listening to the BBC R4 news bulletins occasionally today, and each time they have mentioned the Johnson pro-EU essay ‘story’ they have said “Boris is trying to play down”. Talk about a loaded statement. “Trying to play down” is what guilty people do. The message they are trying to convey is quite obvious. You can hear an example of that ("Boris Johnson has attempted to play down...") on tonight's Radio 4 Six O'Clock News (at 05:48).
Haiti - Clinton's personal money bag?
*Haiti* Haiti has, since its inception as a nation, always been one of the poorest nations on the planet. Sharing the Carribean Island of Española with the Dominican Republic, *Haiti was carved from the island to provide a homeland for rebellious African slaves*, slaves originally brought to Española by the Spaniards to harvest the sugar cane. Hard to believe now, but way back in the 1600's and 1700's Haiti was one of the richest economies on earth...with huge sugar plantations and ultra rich plantation and slave owners. The Haitian Revolution (French: Révolution haïtienne [ʁevɔ... more »
Trouble at t' Minster
I had the pleasure a few years ago of sitting in the grounds around York Minster and listening, for nigh on an hour, to its bell-ringers practising their magnificent art. Part of that magnificence comes from the fact that the two Western towers there have more bells than any other cathedral in England - something I learned from this morning's* Sunday.* Quite possibly one of those very bell-ringers that magical afternoon was being interviewed by Ed Stourton this morning. The story that unfolded - from him and his dean - would make for an easy-to-write novel with a guaranteed TV... more »
In western Aleppo
After having just written a piece about how I feel that the BBC has focused almost exclusively on the suffering of the anti-Assad, rebel side in the Syrian Civil War (Jeremy Bowen excepted), I tuned into this morning's *Sunday *on Radio 4 to have my expectations confounded. Ed Stourton talked to someone who works to counter the suffering of people on the other side of the conflict - namely Catholic Armenian nun Sister Annie Demerjian, who helps the sick and elderly in government-held areas. Ed, on introducing her, said she "does relief work in Aleppo - western Aleppo that is, n... more »
Shaken to *what* core?
A friend posted what she decribed as Michelle Obama’s “brilliant speech” in which she claims to have been “shaken to the core” by what the Trump campaign has called “locker room talk.” So I watched it. And to me every bit of her faux outrage rang false. So I said so: *It's not about politics, she says? I'm not sure I can believe that. I'd have a lot more respect for the speech if she'd mentioned the ex-President who demeaned the office with an intern and a cigar, and the wife of that man (for whom Michelle is campaigning here) who impugned every single one of the wome... more »
The Things Peter Stanford Did Not Tell You About Hurricanes
By Paul Homewood h/t Bloke down the pub More of the usual misinformation, or maybe just ignorance, from Peter Stanford. He might have noticed that Bermuda is no more than a speck in the vastness of the Atlantic, and because of that landfalling hurricanes, of any size, are extremely rare. As Wikipedia […]
WikiLeaks Dumps More Podesta Emails, Bringing Total To Over 11,000
WikiLeaks, as promised, has done another data dump in its eighth installment of so-called Podesta Emails. The website that oozes with secret classified juicy information, on Saturday leaked a new batch of over 1,000 emails allegedly from Hillary Clinton’s campaign chair, John Podesta. In an ongoing email-dumping campaign that is to run till the U.S. presidential election. RT.com reports: The latest, eighth, release of emails brings the total number of files released to over 11,000. These emails shed more light on the Clinton campaign’s efforts to control and shape media coverage of... more »
Preparing for Apocalypse?
Hat Tip: ZeroHedge for the NBC story Sustained power outages to national or regional grids have the potential for catastrophic consequences. Among the most likely scenarios for sustained power outages include cyber-hacks and solar flares. Both of these scenarios are "black swan" type events whose likelihoods may be under-estimated. The risk of cyber-attacks seem to rise daily with the escalation of international tensions by saber-rattling politicians. NBC is reporting that the CIA is prepping for a possible cyber strike against Russia: William M. Arkin, Ken Dilanian and Robert Win... more »
For reference: Callahan's Touch & Intro to Solace
I've talked about the character "Solace", the self created conscious computer in the "Callahan's " Books by Spider Robinson. With the introduction of "Lola", I thought I'd post his as a reference point. This is the PDF of Spider Robinson's "Callahan's Touch". The Introduction of "Solace" is towards The bottom of page 119. Callahan 06 - The Callahan Touch - Spider Robinson by breakingthesilence on Scribd
"The Pale Blue Dot: Where We Make Our Stand"
*"The Pale Blue Dot- Where We Make Our Stand"* "Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every co... more »
"Going Beyond Propaganda: Nuclear Conflict- Deception Or Real Threat?"
*"Going Beyond Propaganda: * *Nuclear Conflict- Deception Or Real Threat?"* by Federico Pieraccini "The events in the Middle East, Syria and Aleppo are the focus of global attention. Rarely has a battle been so decisive to the outcome of a war and the fate of hundreds of millions of people around the world Hillary Clinton in the last presidential debate repeatedly called for the establishment of a no-fly zone (NFZ) in Syria. The concept, reiterated several times, clashes with the revelation contained in her private emails admitting that the implementation of a NFZ would entail the i... more »
Retirement bodes well for Helen
According to the *Daily Mail*, the future of outgoing, Harvard-bound BBC Director of Radio Helen Boaden looks very rosy indeed, financially-speaking, thanks to her BBC pension: Helen Boaden, 60, the director of radio who is due to retire soon, will get a pot of £2.8m, worth £840,000 more than she would have done three years ago.
Our Fleet Of Trucks... Needs Gas Money
It's that time of year again. Staring tomorrow we have trucks, 2-sided mobile billboards prowling the highways and byways of at least 4 districts with Republican incumbents that we think are flippable. These are the four races: *•* *NV-04*, where we expect Ruben Kihuen to beat NRA patsy Cresent Hardy *•* *NH-01*, where Carol Shea-Porter looks like she can end the political career of dishonest Trumpist Frank Guinta *•* *NY-02*, where Suffolk County legislator DuWayne Gregory is on track to oust right-wing crackpot Peter King *•* *TX-21*, our long-shot race, where Berniecrat Tom Wake... more »
Economic News , Data & Views ...... October 16 , 2016...... Items To Consider On Sunday -- 1) Around The Horn In Europe : Spanish Politics ; Brexit Items ; Germany Engaging In Protectionism , Deutsche Bank Items De Jour ; EU Items ; Greece In Focus . 2) Oil Items - Kuwait Parliament Dissolved , OPEC - Russia Items , Saudi Arabia & Venezuela Selling Bonds ( Raising Cash Fast ) , Iran Tender News , Consolidation Item. 3) US Politics - Selected Articles & National Polls For US Presidential Elections. 4) Libya In Focus - Updates On Situation In Tripoli In Primary Focus , Additional Items Of Note.
Around The Horn - Europe..... *Yannis Koutsomitis* @YanniKouts 49m 49 minutes ago #Spain poll [@metroscopia-@el_pais]: Spaniards believe an agreement will be reached til end Oct to avert 3rd elex http://ow.ly/e8Ov305e3dR *The Spain Report* @thespainreport Oct 13 And Theresa May and Mariano Rajoy, of course, now see eye-to-eye on Scottish independence and any thoughts of secession. *The Spain Report* @thespainreport Oct 13 BREXIT & SPAIN: May & Rajoy Say Spaniards & Britons Need Not Panic Over Brexit https://www.thespainreport.com/articles/947-1 61013094543-... more »
Putin Slams Washington Over Cyber Attack Threat
Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken Washington to task over its threats to launch a cyber attack against Moscow. On Friday US Vice President Joe Biden said that Washington was ready to respond to hack attacks claiming they were conducted by Russia and designed to interfere with the upcoming US election. Commenting on Joe Biden’s statement on the possibility of cyberattacks against Russia, Putin said it wass the first time that Washington has admitted involvement in such actions. The Russian leader said that the US cyber threats don’t correspond to the norms of international... more »
Zero Point Energy: Alien Technology That Will Change Everything
Zero Point Energy could help us reach interstellar space in no time. Free unlimited energy that exists in the vacuum of space is available now. Recently published Wikileaks emails allegedly show Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta and Former NASA astronaut Edgar Mitchell discussing “free energy” and Extraterrestrial Disclosure. This ALIEN technology could be at our fingertips. But are we ready for it? Disclose.tv reports: What is “Zero Point Energy”? It is the energy of the vacuum, which in quantum field theory is defined not as empty space but as the ground state of ... more »
Not sticking with the papers
This morning's *Broadcasting House *saw Brexit being discussed during the paper review (with a balanced-sounding panel on the subject). Paddy always likes to keep things tied to what's in the papers ("Stick to the papers!") but, unusually, broke his own rule today by twice pushing a theme no one else was discussing and which didn't seem to be in any of the papers under discussion: Here's a question that I think Radio 4 listeners would like to know, that should be answered by...I don't know if you can answer it...Should our parliament have a vote on the Brexit deal? So, in other ... more »
Why is the Passing of Thailand's King a Big Deal?
*Image: Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej.**October 16, 2016* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - The passing of Thailand's head of state, the 88 year old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, marks a historically significant event in Thailand's history. For most Thais, they have known only one king their entire life - King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The significance of Thailand's monarchy to Thai people is difficult for Westerners to understand. Unlike Western monarchies who rule from above, Thailand's monarchy has historically ruled through service to the people. It is in recognition of this service that dri... more »
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, October 16th, 2016
[image: rant-jpeg-b] Well, after a busy and very stressful week, it is Sunday once again... And therefore time for my weekly rant... First I must state again how much I do hate getting sick.... I have been taking better care of my body these last few years, but it did not make a damn difference these last two weeks as I went through a bout of sinus infections and one heck of a severe cold.... I have finally been feeling so much better these last few days.... I do want to thank all those who sent me some "get well" messages and comments.... Lets face it... That "debate" last Sunda... more »
Complicating the story
The BBC helped in staging Lily Allen's pro-migrant stunt in Calais. It's the kind of thing they do. What they don't tend to do is to dig behind the sob stories and seek the truth. So it's left to the likes of *The Mail on Sunday *instead to investigate the background to the story which so upset Lily Allen - the story of an Afghan boy who's seeking to join his father in the UK...and this is what they found: Will the *Victoria Derbyshire *show update its viewers on Monday? Will Catrin Nye, the BBC reporter who accompanied Lily, ever get round to tweeting something about this (maybe ... more »
Eco Loon Attacks Hydro Power
By Paul Homewood http://www.ecowatch.com/rivers-under-attack-dams-2041546416.html Perhaps the loons at EcoWatch need to make up their minds what they want! Hydropower, falsely sold to the public as a source of "green" or "clean" energy, is expanding at an alarming rate in many of South America’s beautiful and ecologically pristine rivers. In line with a […]
And the prize should have gone to...
The BBC has given much discussion to the question of whether Bob Dylan deserved his Nobel Prize for Literature or not - and, to give them their due, I think they've done so in an unbiased way! - but I myself think it's a mistake, As they obviously felt the need to turn in that direction, the Nobel Committee *should* have chosen the man who wrote *Sisters of Mercy * instead.... Well, they lay down beside me, I made my confession to them. They touched both my eyes and I touched the dew on their hem. If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn, They will bind you with lo... more »
U.S. Defense Contractors Are Getting Ready To Bid On Developing The U.S. Air Force's 6th Generation Fighter
An F-35B joint strike fighter jet conducts aerial maneuvers during aerial refueling training over the Atlantic Ocean, Aug. 13, 2015. © United States Marine Corps / Flickr *Kris Osborn, National Interest*: *Why America's 6th-Generation Fighter (What Comes After the F-35) Could Be a Game Changer* Fighter jets in 20-years may likely contain the next-generation of stealth technology, electronic warfare advanced, sophisticated computer processing and algorithms, increased autonomy, hypersonic weapons and so-called "smart-skins" where sensors are built into the side of the aircraft itsel... more »
Anti-Semitism and Labour, Again
Among Jeremy Corbyn's failings, according to *The Times* this morning, is the Labour Party becoming a "safe space" for anti-semites. Of course, it is not now nor has ever been a safe space for anti-semitism - as the recent expulsions testify. Yet this is the spin our increasingly partisan "paper of record" chooses to put on the release of the Home Affairs Select Committee report, Antisemitism in the UK. On page six it says, This report focuses to some extent on the Labour Party, because it has been the main source of recent allegations of antisemitism associated with political pa... more »
Paddy makes an analogy
Tim Loughton, acting chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, was on *Broadcasting House *this morning to discuss the committee's *Antisemitism in the UK* report. Paddy O'Connell put the following, startling question to him (in defence of Jeremy Corbyn): But then...did you...did you...did you hear evidence that 75% of antisemitic incidents come from far-right sources? Did you hear that evidence?...So...*(inaudible)*...with Mr Corbyn...It would be the same, isn't it, as saying, with the volume of hate crime in Britain, which is rising, is somehow something to do with Theresa M... more »
The US Navy Commissions Its First Zumwalt Destroyer
*USNI News*: *Destroyer Zumwalt’s Commissioning Ceremony Latest in Long Tradition* On Saturday, the guided missile destroyer Zumwalt (DDG-1000) will formally enter the U.S. Navy fleet in Baltimore in an act of pageantry that goes back thousands of years – the commissioning ceremony. As late as 3,000 B.C., a Babylonian narrative described the sacrifice of an ox to the gods to protect sailors at the completion of a new ship, according to the U.S. Navy’s History and Heritage Command. In ancient Greece those who launched a ship, “wreathed their heads with olive branches, drank wine t... more »
Russian President Putin Comments On U.S. Cyber Threats And The U.S. Election
© Ruptly *RT:** Putin on Biden cyberthreat: First time US admits such thing on highest level* Commenting on US Vice President Joe Biden’s statement on the possibility of cyberattacks against Russia, Vladimir Putin said it’s the first time that Washington has admitted involvement in such actions. Putin noted that US threats of hack attacks do not correspond to the norms of international relations. *"The only novelty is that for the first time, on the highest level, the United States has admitted involvement in these activities, and to some extent threatened [us] – which of course ... more »
Russian Coastguard Opens Fire On North Korean Fishing Vessel Killing One
FILE PHOTO © Vitaliy Ankov / Sputnik *RT*: *Russian border patrol opens fire as North Korean fishing vessel crew resists search – FSB* Russian border patrol was forced to open fire during inspection of a fishing vessel with North Korean crew onboard. The crew resisted search, behaved aggressively, and tried to flee with the members of the Russian security forces on board, according to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). One Russian border patrol officer and nine North Korean fishermen were injured in the stand-off. One of the injured fishermen later died in the hospital. ... more »
Untitled
*From Jenna Orkin* The Day Has Arrived: As Of Today Prime Money Markets Can Suspend Withdrawals - Here Are The Implications Every map of Louisiana is a lie — what it really looks like should scare you A tectonic shift just occurred in a $2.65 trillion investment industry The world is phasing out a greenhouse gas that was introduced to save the ozone layer A third of the planet's food goes to waste — here's what we throw out the most Streets of Paris Transformed by Immigrant Crisis These images should be seen, although the original headline misleadingly blames the immigrants. Oba... more »
Just Because It's A Congenital Liar Like Trump Who Says The System Is Rigged, That Doesn't Mean It Isn't. It Is
Yes, Trump is a disgusting monster, unfit for public office. And, yes, almost every self-promoting utterance out of his mouth is a lie. But there are kernels of truth in much of his bullshit. This weekend the establishment media outlets (and Democratic Party) are OD-ing on smelling salts because Trump is undermining American democracy by calling the system rigged. He says the system wanted to see Hillary Clinton in the White House. He doesn't say, the media started the process by making sure the GOP would nominate the most flawed candidate imaginable. (Friday, CNN president-- and ... more »
The U.S. Marines Need To Modernize
*National Defense*: *Marine Corps Needs New Vehicle Armor, Ammunition* The Marine Corps is looking for a slew of new technologies that will better equip the infantry of the future with better, more capable devices and weapons. The service — which recently rolled out a new operating concept that discussed how the Marines will fight in 2025 and beyond — is looking for a variety of systems, Brig. Gen. Joseph Shrader, commander of Marine Corps Systems Command said Oct. 12. High on the list are active protection systems, he said during the National Defense Industrial Association’s ann... more »
Is Saudi Arabia's Economy About To Crash?
*Forbes*: *Saudi Arabia Burns Through Cash Subsidies, Economic Crash Possible* Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s de facto leader and the world’s largest oil exporter, has seen better days – much better days. Its now infamous decision in November 2014 to abandon its role as swing producer and actually ramp up production as global oil supplies were increasing and prices were tanking has hurt itself as much or more than U.S. shale oil producers it wanted to drive out of the market. In the ensuing two years since that decision, Saudi Arabia’s state coffers have taken a hit. Due to low oil prices, ... more »
Untitled
*53% of College Students ‘Feel Intimidated’ When Disagreeing With Their Professors* Slightly more than half (53 percent) of U.S. college students reported feeling “intimidated” when they expressed ideas or beliefs that differed from their professors’, according to a national survey commissioned by the William F. Buckley, Jr. Program at Yale. Last year, slightly less than half (49 percent) of college students felt that way, the survey found. “Freshmen and sophomores in 2016 report feeling slightly more intimidated than juniors and seniors,” the Classroom Intimidation Index found. ... more »
Untitled
*HFCs: Mistaking theory for achievement* *CFCs and HFCs are the safest gases for use in refrigeration. But in accord with their unfailing agenda of destruction, Greenies have now got both banned. So more dangerous gases will have to be used. Air conditioners that explode or burst into flames coming to a place near you shortly.And for what? Because HFCs absorb some frequencies of electromagnetic radiation in the laboratory. So the Greenies assume that HFCs warm the earth. But HFCs break down rapidly once they get into the atmosphere so the amount resident at any one point... more »
Sloppy BBC reporting
The news bulletin on this morning's *Broadcasting House *presented the story of Boris's alternative 'Remain' article in a less than accurate manner. They selectively quoted his article, which made it seem more adamant (against Brexit) than it was, and then added their own editorial comment along the lines of 'this directly contradicted what he said later' (over the cost of the UK's EU membership fee). And, for some reason, they kept on attributing lines lifted directly from *The Sunday Times *and written by a *Sunday Times *reporter and ascribing them to "sources" or, even less... more »
LOLz from Reuters on the defeat of Gambling referendum in the Penghu
*Three former students I miss very much show off curry cooked by Indian students for one of the campus festivals.* With the sound of that train wreck that is the US election crescendoing across the Pacific, it's always fun to explore what our unbiased international media is feeding us. Reuters reports on the crushing defeat of casino gambling in the Penghu referendum on Saturday... Taiwanese residents in Penghu on Saturday shut the door to casino development in a referendum that proponents had said would bring jobs to the isolated, tiny, offshore archipelago. [no presention of case... more »
NASA: Megadrought Lasting Decades Is 99% Certain in American Southwest
By Paul Homewood h/t Paul2 http://www.ecowatch.com/megadroughts-2031955357.html The latest piece of junk science, from Eco-Watch: A study released in Science Advances Wednesday finds strong evidence for severe, long-term droughts afflicting the American Southwest, driven by climate change. A megadrought lasting decades is 99 percent certain to hit the region this century, said […]
No Consensus without Referendum say Conservatives.
“*There will be no consensus that includes the Conservative party that does not include a referendum” “there is simply no flexibility of any form.”* *Conservative MP Scott Reid **the party’s senior member on the electoral reform committee* *.* Well Mr Reid how one can achieve consensus by setting preconditions, particularly ones that are all but impossible to achieve in the time frame available is beyond me. Then you have the gall to say:- “*The Conservative party does not have a position,*” “*Our goal is to achieve a consensus, and by a consensus, I want to be clear, it would be all ... more »
Millennials Not Apathetic or Uncaring? (Fascists Gather As Election Putridity Quotient Increases Sharply) Civil War? (They've Been Hoping for It) Ceaucescu Memory Evoked (Why Hillary's Speeches Worth So Much) Clinton Foundation in Haiti Questioned
Fascist attack? In a speech delivered by Donald Trump to an audience of thousands in West Palm Beach, Florida, the Republican candidate turned his campaign in a more distinctly fascistic direction. Presenting himself as both the savior of America and the victim of a ruthless political and economic establishment, Trump sought to connect deep-seated social
Russian-American Relations
The War in Syria has severely damaged relations between Russia and The United States. Tony Burman writes: Not since the darkest days of the Cold War, we are being told, are the dangers of a catastrophic conflict between Russia and the West so genuine. Last Sunday on Russian television, Dmitry Kiselyov, an influential current affairs host, warned that U.S. military action against the Russian-backed Syrian regime could provoke a world war: “Offensive behaviour toward Russia has a nuclear dimension.” This week, Germany’s foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, wrote that today’s ... more »
Top Trump
Of course (unlike ITV News or Sky) the top story on the BBC News website is (inevitably)... ...drum roll please...
Antisemitism in the UK
I read a despairing prediction elsewhere that the BBC wouldn't bother to report the Home Affairs Select Committee's report on antisemitism in the UK but, thankfully, this hasn't turned out to be the case and the story is running as the second new story on the BBC website this morning: The BBC article sketches out all of the main points in the report - the Committee's criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn and Labour, of Twitter, of Shami Chakrabarti and her report, and of Malia Bouattia of the NUS - and gives rights of reply to all of the people on the receiving end. I'd note that the BBC ... more »
A Cambridge video introduction to strings
Giotis has told us about a new 30-minute video presenting the basics of string theory and related matters: Elemental Ideas – String Theory Part One (click for the video) It's a fun conservative video focusing on the physics ideas and not the sociological šit that tries to surround string theory in the recent decade. I've never stopped counting Cambridge among the top 5 theoretical physics places on the European continent (a concept that includes certain nearby islands) so it's natural for them to offer some seriously good video. The host and the generalized mastermind of the p... more »
Two takes on Boris's doomsters
The third story on the BBC News website this morning is this: This is based on a somewhat sensationally-presented report in *The Sunday Times*, which has now printed Boris's 'secret' alternative, pro-Remain article. The paper's main report goes on to puts it (less sensationally) in context: The text of Johnson’s column is published in this section. Its existence was known but its contents, which contradict positions the foreign secretary has adopted since he joined the cabinet, have remained secret. He wrote it on February 19, two days before shocking Cameron by opting publicly ... more »
Leave Voter Died Hours After Brutal Attack by Neighbour Following Brexit Row
'A man died just hours after he was brutally beaten and threatened with being set alight by his neighbour, who was angry with him for having voted for Brexit, a court has heard.' More here at Breitbart http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/10/15/leave-voter-died-hours-brutal-attack-neighbour-following-brexit-row/but not on the institutionally anti Brexit BBC.
Are The Russians REALLY Preparing For War Against The West?
*David Filipov, Washington Post*:* Are the Russians really preparing for war?* Some activities going on in Russia these days might make it seem like the country is genuinely preparing for war. Talk of bunkers and rations; missiles moving around; politicians uttering dire warnings — are these harbingers of a Russian-U.S. conflict? The Washington Post's Moscow bureau decided to rank the signs to see how likely they suggest that Russia is getting ready to fight. *Read more *.... *WNU editor*: I concur with this Washington Post analysis. My friends and family back in Russia are more... more »
Mark Mardell makes the case for Parliament (against Mrs May and the Brexiteers)
Mark Mardell has long been an admirer of the EU. He could never disguise that fact - or his scepticism about Eurosceptism - even while he was acting as the BBC's Europe editor. (If you want a reminder of just how far he went in making that clear even at the time then please re-read the remarkable final essay of his old BBC Euroblog from 2009). Mark Mardell's latest BBC News website blogpost suggests a man whose heart still beats to a Remain tune. It makes the case *against *Theresa May's strategy of *not *allowing MPs to keep voting on Brexit between now and Brexit itself. He ... more »
US Just Waged War With Yemen Amid Media Blackout
The US officially entered into war with Yemen this week, launching air strikes on Houthis for the first time, purportedly in retaliation for attempted missile attacks on American warships in the Red Sea earlier this week. A US navy destroyer fired a barrage of cruise missiles at three radar sites controlled by the rebel Houthi movement in Yemen, according to the Pentagon. The attack marks the first time the US has fought the rebels directly in Yemen’s devastating civil war, and has dragged the country into another protracted and escalating conflict. “These unjustified attacks are ... more »
Snowden Slams US Cyber War Threats Against Russia As Ridiculous
Whistleblower Edward Snowden has ridiculed Vice President Joe Biden’s announcement that the U.S. government will respond to alleged Russian hacks with “covert cyber strikes” of their own. Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press this week, Biden took the unusual step of announcing a “covert CIA” cyberwar to the world. “At the time of our choosing, and under the circumstances that will have the greatest impact,” Washington will exact revenge against Moscow for its alleged hacks and interference in the US election. The revelations about a supposedly covert operation – the kind that is con... more »
U.S. To Use Internet ‘Kill Switch’ By November In Cyberwar With Russia
The US government is preparing to activate an “internet kill switch” according to cyber security experts, and the groundwork has been laid to blame the unprecedented act on Russia. Obama effectively declared “cyber-war” on Russia this week, promising “retaliatory hacks” and suggesting the US would covertly release “embarrassing” information about Putin as tensions between Washington and Moscow continue to escalate. However analysts, including WikiLeaks, are questioning the seriousness of Obama’s claims of a “covert” and “clandestine” campaign. Considering the quotes were given to ... more »
Syrian Peace Talks End In Failure
(From L-R), Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Iraq's Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Turkey's Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, speak together around a table during a bilateral meeting where they discussed the crisis ... more »
Tweet For Today
ICYMI-Escalation in the Red Sea: #Yemen’s Civil War, #Iran, and Saudi Arabia https://t.co/O21Q7kULVx pic.twitter.com/Hb06Cjv4bC — Critical Threats (@criticalthreats) October 16, 2016
Jeremy Corbyn Condemned By Home Affairs Anti-Semitism Inquiry per Guido Fawkes
'Jeremy Corbyn has been strongly condemned by the Home Affairs Select Committee for failing to understand anti-Semitism and creating a"safe space" for racists in the Labour Party. The inquiry's damning findings are laid out in as severe language as you will ever see from a select committee: "Despite his proud record on fighting racism, the Committee is not persuaded that Mr Corbyn fully appreciates the distinct nature of contemporary antisemitism, and the fact that it is perfectly possible for an 'anti-racist campaigner' to express antisemitic views. His lack of consistent leader... more »
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