11:59pm MDT
Quote of the Day: On preserving a dying language
Today’s quote comes from Ayn Rand’s talk/article ‘Global Balkanisation,’ in which she talks about the rise of the concrete-bound tribal mentality, and how it becomes fixated not on ideas but on preserving (and demanding taxpayer’s dollars to protect) concretes like “folk songs, folk dances. special ways of cooking food, traditional costumes and folk festivals,” and of course the tribe’s language… *A symptom of the tribal mentality’s self-arrested, perceptual level of development may be observed in the tribalists’ position on language…**.* * To a person who understands the f... more »
Picture Of The Day
Marines lean into the rotor wash of a CH-53E Super Stallion as it takes off from the flight deck of the USS Bonhomme Richard in the South China Sea, Oct. 6, 2016. The amphibious assault ship is supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Diana Quinlan
Pakistan`s Vow To `Crack Down On The Taliban Appears To Not Include The Leader of The Taliban Himself
*Photo:* Taliban new leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada is seen in an undated photograph, posted on a Taliban twitter feed on May 25, 2016, and identified separately by several Taliban officials, who declined be named. Social Media/File Photo *Reuters*: *Exclusive: Afghan Taliban leader taught, preached in Pakistan, despite government vow to crack down* For 15 years until his sudden disappearance in May, the new leader of the Afghan Taliban insurgency openly taught and preached at the Al Haaj mosque in a dusty town in southwestern Pakistan, associates and students told Reuters. ... more »
Pentagon: US Navy Destroyer Targeted In Failed Missile Attack Off The Coast Of Yemen
USS Mason DDG-87 *Reuters:* *US Navy ship targeted in failed missile attack from Yemen* A U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer was targeted on Sunday in a failed missile attack from territory in Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, a U.S. military spokesman told Reuters, saying the two missiles failed to hit the ship. "USS Mason detected two inbound missiles over a 60-minute period while in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. Both missiles impacted the water before reaching the ship," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said. *Read more* .... *Update: *US Navy destroye... more »
Russia Downplays Its Nuclear Missile Deployment To Kaliningrad
Russia has moved nuclear-capable missiles near to the Polish border as tensions escalate between the world’s largest nation and the West *The Guardian*:* Russia downplays moving nuclear-capable missiles to Kaliningrad* Deployment of Iskander missiles to Baltic outpost alarms neighbours but Russia says move is part of regular drill. Russia has played down the significance of the deployment of nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to the Russian outpost of Kaliningrad after the move led to protests from Estonia, Poland and Lithuania, underlining tensions about Russian intentions. The d... more »
Western Backed Arab Coalition Says To Investigate Yemen Funeral Massacre
*The Guardian:* *US says support for Saudi Arabia not a 'blank cheque' after Yemen air raid* Coalition announces inquiry into strike that killed 140 people in Sana’a as US says its backing is not ‘a blank cheque’ The US said its security cooperation with Saudi Arabia was not a “blank cheque” as Riyadh agreed to mount an investigation into a widely condemned air raid on funeral in Yemen that killed 140 people. In one of the deadliest attacks of the country’s civil war, which Saudi Arabia entered in March 2015, airstrikes on Saturday hit a funeral hall packed with thousands of mour... more »
Debate & Switch... Ad Infinitum
Democracy is dead. Short live the oligarchy. As our two favorite despised plutocrats met for Round Two of their Neoliberal Death Match Sunday, you didn't really expect the show to be about anyone else but themselves, did you? Oh, sure, Hillary for the millionth time delved into that time 30 years ago when she liked children well enough to actually have taken a short-lived job devoted only to them. And between his own chronic sniffs and snuffles, Donald waxed fake concern for "The" African Americans in a sort of amplified dog-whistle that he totally doesn't relate to anybody outside ... more »
Only Two Democrats In The House Scored Low Enough To Be Labeled Homophobic This Year
*Abnormally ugly men are often obsessively homophobic. This is Dan Lipinski* The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) put out its 2016 congressional scorecard in time for the election. Almost all the Democrats scored 100 and almost all the Republicans got 0. The short version: *•* 190 Members of Congress earned perfect scores (188 Democrats, 2 Republicans). *•* The average score for Representatives was 53. *•* Average score for Democratic Representatives is 96. *•* Average score for Republican Representatives is 10. *•* The average score for Senators was 54. *•* Average score for Democratic S... more »
Military Forces Are Now In Place To Liberate Mosul
*Washington Post*:* In Iraq, ‘all the pieces’ are now in place to take Mosul back from the Islamic State* The U.S.-led coalition fighting against the Islamic State has prepared “all the pieces” it needs to take back the Iraqi city of Mosul, and expects military operations there are “rapidly approaching,” a senior State Department official said Friday. Brett McGurk, the State Department’s envoy to the coalition, said the mission to take back the city of more than 1 million people will be “a very unpredictable, very dynamic, very uncertain operation.” It will be the most ambitious ... more »
The Fight Over Mosul Is Exposing Kurd/Turk/Shia/Sunni Disunity
*Voice Of America*: *Sectarian Disputes Plague Planning for Long-Awaited Battle of Mosul* With the long-awaited military assault on Mosul possibly just days away, U.S. officials are scrambling to resolve flaring disputes between allies in the coalition to liberate Iraq’s second largest city, the Islamic State’s last major urban stronghold in Iraq. For weeks, the assault has been expected and had appeared imminent with coalition radio broadcasts and leaflets warning civilians in Mosul and identifying exit routes they can use to flee. But simmering disagreements between coalition a... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“This shock wave plows through space at over 500,000 kilometers per hour. Moving toward to bottom of this beautifully detailed color composite, the thin, braided filaments are actually long ripples in a sheet of glowing gas seen almost edge on. Cataloged as NGC 2736, its narrow appearance suggests its popular name, the Pencil Nebula. *Click image for larger size.* About 5 light-years long and a mere 800 light-years away, the Pencil Nebula is only a small part of the Vela supernova remnant. The Vela remnant itself is around 100 light-years in diameter and is the expanding debris cloud... more »
"Forever and Forever and Forever..."
"For nothing is fixed, forever and forever and forever, it is not fixed; the earth is always shifting, the light is always changing, the sea does not cease to grind down rock. Generations do not cease to be born, and we are responsible to them because we are the only witnesses they have. The sea rises, the light fails, lovers cling to each other, and children cling to us. The moment we cease to hold each other, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out." - James Baldwin
“A Dying Civilization: The Moral Order”
* “A Dying Civilization: The Moral Order”* by Morris Berman “The notion that there was a way of life characteristic of modern (or industrial) societies that was qualitatively different from the way of life found in pre-modern (or folk) societies goes back, at least, to the German sociologist Max Weber. Modern societies, said Weber, are governed by bureaucracies; the dominant ethos is one of “rationalization,” whereby everything is mechanized, administered according to the dictates of scientific reason. Weber famously compared this situation to that of an “iron cage”: there was no w... more »
Clinton Spokesman Summed up the Debate in Glowing Terms...
*and we thank him.* Jesse Lehrich, foreign policy spokesman for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaig, tweeted this timely message to Donald Trump. And everyone is worried about Trump using the "p" word in a "private" conversation? That is all.
serious toys utube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNVHMs0qDXw
IMF: China Facing Financial Crisis Because Of Debt
Chinese 100 yuan banknotes are seen on a counter of a branch of a commercial bank in Beijing, China, March 30, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo *The Telegraph*: *China must wean itself off debt addiction if it is to avoid financial calamity, warns IMF chief* China is edging towards "financial calamity" and must wean itself off its debt addiction and reform if it is to avoid a crisis, the International Monetary Fund has warned. Markus Rodlauer, deputy director of the IMF's Asia-Pacific department, said the world's second largest economy was approaching a tipping point where ... more »
US Appeals Court denies injunction to halt DAPL construction
. U.S. Court of Appeals denies injunction that would have halted construction during appeal process Standing Rock Sioux Tribe will continue fight against pipeline despite court setback By Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Censored News CANNON BALL, North Dakota — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit today rejected the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s request for an
The Second Presidential Debate - Thoughts off the Top
*Second Clinton/Trump Debate - Following in Real Time...and Thoughts off the Top* What a debacle this election campaign is turning out to be. What damage is being done to all concerned. What nobody in the United States seems to realize is that there is a whole world out side of the US looking at what is going on and appalled at how little respect all the actors (and I say this in every meaning of that word) have for the nation itself. They are fighting over it like pittbulls in a drug dealer's chain link back yard fight over a bone. In the court system, in Canada at least, there... more »
Alaska's Senate Race Is Winnable By Progressive Ray Metcalfe-- But Schumer Would Rather See Murkowski Win
Because the Alaska Republican Party is torn in half-- the extremists backing teabagger Joe Miller (running as a Libertarian) and the mainstream conservatives sticking with business-as-usual Lisa Murkowski, the Democrats have a chance to win the Senate seat back. But because grassroots Dems-- who backed Bernie 81.6-18.4%-- nominated Ray Metcalfe (long-time scourge of Alaska's corrupt political establishment), the Alaska Democratic Party establishment (and, of course the like-minded DSCC) don't want to win the seat. Literally. They're backing an independent candidate instead and hop... more »
West Coast Women Warriors: Prayer Counters Morton Co. Sheriff's Criminal Enterprise
. Comanche Nation leads prayer, as Morton Co. Sheriff expands its criminal enterprise, violating human rights, violating civil rights West Coast Women Warriors Media Cooperative Censored News URGENT UPDATE: October 9th 2016 Only three days after the Morton County’s Sherriff’s department staged a press conference that stated they were calling in reinforcements and
The Daily "Near You?"
Lexington, Massachusetts, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
“Post-p***y Analysis: Trump Talked About Women Almost As Crudely as Bill Clinton Treated Them”; A Comment
*A Comment and Warning:* We've sunk to new lows, folks, in this country and now on this little blog. I, like the articles author, Mike Adams, apologize in advance for the vulgarity in this article. But, let me remind you that all this is what they actually DID, this is who they really are! Remember that, please... their conduct caused all this mess, so don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger. They've set the rules, let's take off the gloves and have at it... - CP *“Post-p***y Analysis: Trump Talked About Women* * Almost As Crudely as Bill Clinton Treated Them”* by Mike Adams “I apolo... more »
Black Marks Against the West's White Helmets
The White Helmets: a heartfelt humanitarian NGO or an elaborate and cynical western PR stunt promoting illegal regime change in Syria? Does the wearing of white helmets mean they are the good guys supporting a just cause?
“A single weakness in the chain and the climate creed falls flat”
Writer Vinay Kolhatkar makes an important point about the Global Warming Creed: *Climate Change is the creed that claims that (a) there is global warming, (b) that warming is dangerous, (c) that it is manmade, (d) that it is catastrophic, (e) that it can be reversed by replacing a whole lot of fossil fuels with wind and solar (f) that such a replacement is feasible, (g) that, to boot, is an expense that an economy can bear, and, (h) that such replacement is the only avenue left, since geo-engineering solutions are destined to fail, because they are manmade as against a nature-wor... more »
‘October surprises’ still less bad than what’s right out in the open
So this weekend we have before us the spectacle of the group of political tribalists who support “family values” defending sex talk, and the tribalists who claim to support women preparing to defend the enabler of an alleged rapist. As a twitterer observed: *I just want you all to realise that this isn’t the straw that broke the camel’s back.We’ve all just been staring at a dead Bactrian camel for months like something good was going to happen.* But it’s not, is it. Did you ever think American democracy would get here, to *this *place? Or get here this soon? It makes you thi... more »
First ‘Pay-As-You-Feel’ Food Waste Supermarket Opens In UK
The Real Food Junk Project opened its first “food waste supermarket” in the UK. The store operates a “pay-as-you-feel” model to ensure nutritious food is available to local residents at a fair price. Food labelled as expired or with damaged packaging and destined for landfills by shops and supermarkets, is being sold to people on tight budgets at whatever price they can afford. Waste not, want not. True Activist reports: Two of the world’s greatest conundrums at present are the amount of food developed nations waste and the amount of people who go hungry each evening (approximatel... more »
Operation Popeye – Weather Was Modified In The Vietnam War
It turns out that the practice of seeding clouds with silver iodide and lead iodide is nothing new. During the Vietnam war the US military conducted geo-engineering weather modification as a strategy to to muddy the supply roads on the Ho Chi Minh trail by causing it to rain with cloud seeding. Operation Popeye ( also known as Project Popeye/Motorpool/Intermediary-Compatriot) was a highly classified weather modification program in Southeast Asia during 1967-1972 The operation seeded clouds with both silver iodide and lead iodide, resulting in the targeted areas seeing an extension... more »
Musings On Iraq In The News
I was interviewed by Paul Iddon for “What role does Turkey seek to play in Mosul operation?” that appeared in Rudaw.
5th Maine Peace Walk Begins October 11
*Artist Russell Wray from Hancock, Maine* There have been some minor changes to the first day Maine Peace Walk schedule. Here is the latest: *Day 1 (Penobscot Nation on Indian Island) Tuesday, October 11* - Meet in Bath (212 Centre St) 9:00 am and drive north to Indian Island via I-95 taking exit 197 to Old Town - Over bridge to Indian Island - .3 miles Stop sign turn right to Boat Landing just before the school on Wabanaki Way - 12:00 Lunch at boat landing (bring something to share) - 2:00 pm Talks by Chief Kirk Francis and Sherri Mitchell followed b... more »
Sword of Vermilion for the MegaDrive/Genesis
When you're a teenager at home and you're blessed enough not to have any responsibilities, time is a stretch of emptiness reaching toward the horizon, and is begging to get filled. In my case, at least in the early 90s, my beloved MegaDrive and collection of games were one time sink of choice. Unfortunately, most of my games were arcade-style fodder that, at most, would take a couple of hours to get through. For more cerebral or easy-going experiences, there were strategy titles like *Populous* and *Mega-lo-Mania*, and my trusty copy of *Phantasy Star III* - the only role-playing g... more »
Midday Musical Interlude: Enya, “Only Time”
Enya, “Only Time” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBSmgPxsIcA
"How It Really Is"
Hint: it wasn't men...
Aliens May Destroy Human Civilization To Stop It Expanding
Scientists believe intelligent aliens could destroy the human civilization in order to protect other cosmic civilizations. A scientific report says intelligent alien civilizations watching us from afar may detect signs in the earth’s atmosphere that human civilization is expanding rapidly and decide to take drastic action to stop it being a threat to other civilizations in the cosmos. Ancient Code reports: Have you ever wondered about how much ‘Good’ the human race is doing? I mean look at our planet and everything we are doing to it. Look back at the history of modern civilizatio... more »
Prepare yourself, market apologists: we are going to be digging out from under the Trump rubble for years to come
*Trump is doing to the Republican Party precisely what the Republican Party deserves. What he is doing to capitalism is undeserved however, says Jeffrey Tucker, and much worse. And it started well before the weekend’s very public non-apology.* The public-relations disaster that Trump has caused the GOP won’t soon be repaired. [image: Trump1]But I’m worried about another, and ultimately more serious problem: the damage that Trump has inflicted on the reputation of capitalism, business, and commerce – the very basis of our standard of living that is forever under attack. Tru... more »
So the Auckland mayoral election winner is … no confidence
This year in the Auckland mayoral election there were more than a dozen candidates, and no-one to choose from – which is why I stayed home. Why would it matter to me which of the power-lusters put my rates up when there’s nothing of any importance to choose between them? It seems I wasn’t the only one feeling this way, but with only a 35 percent turnout across the greater Auckland electorate. Which means around 65 percent of people didn’t vote – many, like me, because there was only garbage to vote for. Don’t encourage them, I reason, it only encourages the bastards. So centr... more »
"Are we paying for Vietnam now by seeing our children become monsters?" (May Sarton, 11/18/1974)
*"If we had imagined what we were doing in Vietnam it would have had to be stopped. But the images of old women holding shattered babies or of babies screaming ended by passing before our eyes but never penetrating to consciousness where they could be experienced. Are we paying for Vietnam now by seeing our children become monsters?"* *-- May Sarton, in The House by the Sea,journal entry for November 18, 1974* *by Ken* Thanks to a book-club meeting I'll be attending tonight -- after missing a bunch of monthly sessions, mostly because of serial schedule conflicts, but more recently... more »
Palestinian Scientist Jailed For Anti-Israeli Comments On Social Media
An Israeli court has sentenced a Palestinian astrophysics professor to seven months in prison on charges of “incitement” of violence after posting anti-Israeli comments on social media. Dr Imad Barghouthi, a renowned professor at Al-Quds University in Abu Dis, was sentenced at the Ofer military court on Sunday after being arrested in April for posting about Palestinian politics, Israeli military attacks and occupation. His imprisonment will be calculated from the date of his arrest meaning that he should be released in November. Barghouthi’s case is one of the more prominent cases... more »
The bubble-covery in two graphs
Global debt is now $200 trillion [image: GlobalDebt] Nice bubble you have there … [image: Bubble] [Hat tip *NIRP Umbrella* & *José Manuel García*] .[Hat ti Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Permission to republish is granted, with attribution.
Yemen: Thousands Protest Deadly Saudi Attack On Funeral In Sanaa
Tens of thousands gathered in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Sunday to protest the Saudi-led airstrikes on a funeral ceremony that left over 150 people dead and hundreds injured on Saturday. The angry protesters, some of whom were armed, gathered outside the UN office in Sanaa demanding an investigation. RT reports: Some of the protesters chanted “Allahu Akbar! America is the Great Satan!” while reportedly also shouting death threats directed at Saudi Arabia’s rulers, according to AFP. The demonstration came a day after an airstrike reportedly targeted a funeral service in the Yem... more »
Apropos of nothing...
An avant-garde post for a Sunday evening... I don't know what got into Adam Henson, *Countryfile*'s farmer, this week. *[Pause]. *He was walking across Dartmoor, watching sheep by day whilst listening to Radio 3's magnificent *Radio Beckett...**[Pause],*...when suddenly he burst out, silently, in Beckettian poetry (or so it seemed to me)...*[Pause]...*on prime-time BBC One. *[Stagy look of horror from Ian Hislop]*: *[Silence]* All is still. No living soul in sight. There is no one to ask. The world is feeding. The wind scarcely stirs the leaves and the birds are tired of singi... more »
“Sacrifice”
*“Sacrifice”* by Hardscrabble Farmer "Fall has come on in full, the depressions in the land rich with color, the scarlets and canary yellows of maple and birch setting fire to the landscape. There is a vibrancy in the air that belies the process of decay and calls out to the hope that lies in every heart. As all things wind down, so too does the coil tension itself. Every aspect of the farm looks like an N C Wyeth painting and each morning as I sit and either read or write before chores it emerges from the darkness in an pale mist, the first traces of silvery light illuminate the p... more »
The Poet: Wendell Berry, “Leavings”
*“Leavings”* “In time a man disappears from his lifelong fields, from the streams he has walked beside, from the woods where he sat and waited. Thinking of this, he seems to miss himself in those places as if always he has been there. But first he must disappear, and this he foresees with hope, with thanks. Let others come.” - Wendell Berry
"Don’t Worry, Everybody Else is Crazy Too"
*"Don’t Worry, Everybody Else is Crazy Too" * by David Cain "Human beings make a big deal about being normal. We’re probably the only species for which it’s normal to think you’re not normal. Every society operates under thousands of unspoken rules, and when you break them people get nervous. There are acceptable and unacceptable ways to stand in line at the bank, order at restaurants, and answer the phone. There are appropriate and inappropriate birthday gifts, wedding toasts, and hugging styles. Every type of social situation has its own subsection of laws and procedures. You can... more »
"The Right Questions..."
"People often ask themselves the right questions. Where they fail is in answering the questions they ask themselves, and even there they do not fail by much. A single avenue of reasoning followed to its logical conclusion would bring them straight home to the truth. But they stop just short of it, over and over again. When they have only to reach out and grasp the idea that would explain everything, they decide that the search is hopeless. The search is never hopeless. There is no haystack so large that the needle in it cannot be found. But it takes time, it takes humility and a se... more »
Pol. Ideology 68, On factions and diversity in society, thoughts of James Madison
The fourth President of the USA (1809-1817), *James Madison*, was a political philosopher and stateman before he rose to Presidency. Below are some of his writings in *The Federalist Papers* in 1767, about factions in society: *" Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency.* *"As long as... more »
Jerusalem shooting: Two killed by Palestinian gunman per BBC News who don't dignify the dead Jews with a name
This BBC report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-37600221 tells the world that two Israeli Jews 'have died': 'An Israeli pedestrian and a policeman have died after a Palestinian gunman opened fire from his car in an attack in East Jerusalem, Israeli police say.Six other people were wounded in the attack that began at Ammunition Hill. ... Reports said the pedestrian was a 60-year-old woman.' Actually the two Israeli Jews were killed, they didn't just die. However as they're Israeli Jews what the hell eh BBC? Note that any Palestinian, even a terrorist, would be deemed ... more »
US Winters Getting Colder, As They Get Warmer!
By Paul Homewood https://wattsupwiththat.com/2016/10/02/study-global-warming-causes-cold-winters/ Eric Worrall covered this latest study in WUWT last week: Recent amplification of the North American winter temperature dipole Deepti Singh, Daniel L. Swain, Justin S. Mankin, Daniel E. Horton, Leif N. Thomas, Bala Rajaratnam, Noah S. Diffenbaugh During the winters of 2013–2014 and 2014–2015, anomalously warm temperatures […]
Michael Crick on UKIP
Alan at Biased BBC*....*(in a piece headlined 'BBC Stalinists grind out the propaganda' - something which might well win Seumas Milne and the Corbynistas back to the BBC again!)....gives the BBC a good right hook over this morning's *Broadcasting House* and its treatment of UKIP: This morning on R4’s *Broadcasting House* we heard another addition to the BBC’s long sneer (28 mins) at UKIP as it again tried to paint it as racist and an irrelevant rabble. We were told we’d have a quick run down of UKIP background but you’d have little idea that this has been a highly successful par... more »
U.S. Drops Two Dummy Nuclear Bombs In Nevada Desert
The U.S. Air Force in collaboration with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) test-dropped two dummy nuclear bombs in the Nevada desert earlier this month. The Pentagon is in the process of modernizing the U.S. nuclear stockpile. Sputnik reports: With the United States’ Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBMs) arsenal aging, the US Air Force has pushed the Pentagon to fund nuclear modernization programs. To that end, the Air Force conducted successful tests with two B61 nuclear bombs. Neither carried a live warhead. “The primary objective of flight te... more »
Gunman Opens Fire At Party In Grand Rapids, Michigan
One person has been killed and eight others injured after a gunman opened fire at a party near a shopping mall in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Sunday. Mirror reports: Emergency services raced to the scene on 28th Street at around 3.30am local time (9.30am UK time) where a “huge party” with around 60 people is believed to have been taking place. Sgt Terry Dickson of Grand Rapids Police confirmed there were “multiple victims” and at least one person – understood to be male – is confirmed dead. There are NO suspects in custody – as police try to police together what happened. The man is... more »
Syria , Iraq & Afghanistan Updates - October 9 , 2016......1) Syria ( Difficult Keeping Track Of Complicated State Of Play - Just Among Opposition Fighting Forces , Competing Resolutions Fail At UNSC. ) 2) Iraq & Kurdistan Situations ( Mosul Campaign , Oil , ISIS , Domestic & International Politics , Security Issues. ) 3) Afghanistan ( Economic Items , State Of Play Regarding Security , Junction Between MENA & Afghanistan Regarding Fight Against Political / Religious Extremists
Syria .... *Michael S. Smith IIVerified account* @MichaelSSmithII 59m 59 minutes ago IS propagandists at Amaq have released English version of infographic re IS suicide attacks in Syria and Iraq in September (no *Libya* data) *David Chapman* @Davcha12 3m 3 minutes ago ISIS, Not Russia, Is the Enemy in *Syria* http://buchanan.org/blog/isis-not- russia-enemy-syria-125800 … - I'm not a fan of Buchanan but he does get it right. *Paolo Di Martino* @Cascavel47 10m 10 minutes ago Turkey kills 38 ISIL militants, rebels advance in *Syria* http://www. hurriyetda... more »
Fighting the Unicorns
*Moderate Rebels in Syria* Last week, Syrian President Dr. Bashar al Assad gave another excellent interview to the Western media. This time he was interviewed by a Danish interviewer. Denmark, as close followers of the USrael/NATO war against the sovereign state of Syria will know, was one of the countries whose airfarce joined in the war crimes act of bombing the Syrian army in Dir az Zour on September 17, 2016. This war crime, which the West cowardly sluffed off as a "mistake" (for which they never apologized to Syria for) was intended to trigger World War III. Some bloggers ... more »
TODAY: Censored News Coverage Fundraiser: Native American Forum on Nuclear Issues
Nevada Test Site on Western Shoshone lands; Navajo uranium miners in Four Corners area working unprotected with radioactive ore during U.S. government's Cold War; Supai children and friends at Havasupai Uranium Summit (Photo Brenda Norrell) and Dineh marching against uranium mining in Church Rock, N.M. By Brenda Norrell Censored News We've just returned from Sonora, Mexico, and would like
Humanising victims of terrorism
The lack of humanising detail in BBC reports about Israeli victims of terrorist attacks is something that's often been noted before. The BBC online report on today's drive-by killings in Jerusalem, for example, is typical in describing the victims as "an Israeli pedestrian/60-year-old woman" and "a policeman", and going no further than that. In contrast, ITV's online report goes beyond "a police officer and a pedestrian" and names the victims as "Levana Malihi, a 60-year-old grandmother, and police sergeant Yosef Kirma, 29".
Who Knows How To Fight Trumpism? Ruben Kihuen And Carol Shea-Porter Sure Do
Yesterday afternoon we talked a little about the congressional race in central Nevada (NV-04) pitting progressive state Senator Ruben Kihuen against freshman sociopath and Trump fanatic Cresent Hardy. Today one thing has changed about Hardy. He's still a freshman and a far right sociopath... but he's suddenly no longer a Trump fanatic. Watching one Mormon after another distance him and herself from Trump, calling on him to resign from the ticket and stating bluntly that they won't vote for him, Hardy realized he'd better jump off the sinking ship as well. Ruben has one of the mor... more »
Russiaphobia Rhetoric
Reuters is reporting that Russia is challenging US actions perceived as threatening its national security. When you read the article its pretty plain to see why Russia might be concerned by US actions. As a neutral observer its clear to me that the Russiaphobia has been on a sharp tick upward: Russia says U.S. actions threaten its national security. October 9, 2016. Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-usa-idUSKCN1290DP Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ... complained that NATO had been steadily moving military infrastructure closer to Russia's borders and lashe... more »
Tipped
(h/t David Keighley) According to *The Mail on Sunday*, Baroness (Tina) Stowell is tipped to replace Rona Fairhead as chair of the BBC's new unitary board (replacement for the BBC Trust). Her history is that she was an aide to John Major and William Hague. She then became Head of Communications for three Chairmen of the BBC: Gavyn Davies, Michael Grade, and Michael Lyons (from 2003-08), and then became Head of Corporate Affairs at the BBC (from 2008) before leaving the BBC to rejoin the Conservative Party becoming Leader of the House of Lords in 2014 and a full member of David C... more »
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, October 9th, 2016
[image: rant-jpeg-b] Sunday.... And again time for my weekly rant... I have been sick on and off this last week... As I stated earlier in the week in a previous article, I have been suffering from a combination of a head cold that simply will not quit and of course with my almost annual bout of sinusitis... It seems that with the change in weather this time of year in central Canada towards a colder climate, I am always coming down with this damn illness.... However, this time it is a bit different, as I have been taking some proper supplements and taking better care of myself...... more »
Arrogant Pentagon Warmongers
American people better wake up before it is too late....these cats want war!
Editor's Note
Blogging will return later this evening.
There is No Consensus Within The White House On How To Prevent The Fall Of Aleppo To The Syrian Military
*Washington Post:* *Little consensus within administration on how to stop fall of Aleppo to Assad* It may be no small irony that President Obama’s peripatetic secretary of state will travel this week to Rwanda, where up to a million people were killed in a three-month ethnic genocide in 1994, and has tentative plans to attend an international meeting on Syria, where civilian dead are fast approaching the halfway point of that number. Bill Clinton, president at the time of the Rwandan massacre, has said that U.S. failure to intervene there is one of his biggest regrets. Just two ye... more »
Spain: A Giant Humanoid in Sangonera, Murcia (1979)
*Spain: A Giant Humanoid in Sangonera (Murcia)* *By Luis Jimenez Marhuenda * Contactos Extraterrestres, Vol. 2 No.7 (1979) [The late *Luis Jiménez Marhuenda* was a distinguished radio personality, having begun his career in broadcasting in Equatorial Guinea (Africa). He went on to become a beloved figure in Spain's UFO and paranormal circles, and INEXPLICATA is pleased and honored to share one of his articles with our readers - SC] *"Look! Can you see that light? How weird!""Probably a car""A car on a mountaintop? With that kind of headlight?""Hail it with the motorcycle headli... more »
Donald Trump is obscene ? Let me tell you what's really obscene ...w/Update
*because I've had just about enough of this crap.* *Here's what's really obscene:* These very politicians, who are so outraged by something Trump said 11 years ago, are the very same people who repeatedly vote to fund Planned Parenthood, which is nothing more than a slaughter house for babies. Little humans who are poisoned, chopped up, ripped limb from limb with their little body parts sold to the highest bidder. Obscene is the leftists demanding that we pay for this slaughter of innocents. Obscene is sick and aging veterans waiting in line to get the health care they were promis... more »
Economic News , Data & Views .....October 9 , 2016...... Items For Sunday Ahead Of The Key Presidential Debate - 1) Europe In Focus - Greece ( Creditor Talks News , Refugee Related Concerns ) , ECB / Country - Specific Central Bank Comments , Germany - Deutsch Bank Fails To Reach Settlement With DoJ Over MBS Litigation , Additional News Of Note. 2) US News - Key News & Data For US Presidential Election , Big Debate This Evening , Hurricane Matthew Follow Up Items.
Around The Horn - Europe.... Greece.... *Manos Giakoumis* @ManosGiakoumis 5m 5 minutes ago Manos Giakoumis Retweeted Lena Argiri #IMF response on Reuters report. #Greece #economy Manos Giakoumis added, *Lena Argiri* @lenaargiri IMF on Reuters's:We remain fully engaged with the aim of reaching agreement on a program that the Fund can support with a new arrangement *Yannis Koutsomitis* @YanniKouts 2h 2 hours ago Second bailout review by #Greece's creditors is expected to be completed my mid or end of November, says FinanceMin official /via @nstamouli *Prope... more »
Mark Mardell on Brexit
Where Mark Mardell may have dined for the second time this year A definite pattern of post-referendum Brexit reporting is appearing on Mark Mardell's *The World This Weekend *- and it's quite similar to the pattern of its pre-referendum Brexit reporting... ...where a strong anti-Brexit angle would open the programme then, after the news, a string of anti-Brexit experts would appear making a damning case against Brexit and, finally, a pro-Brexit interviewee would appear to answer all the charges (often with Mark interrupting). Regular readers of this blog might recall Mark Mardell j... more »
Mark Mardell, Mrs May and the charismatic clowns
Mark Mardell's latest blog post bears the headline *Theresa May and the charismatic clowns*. The "charismatic clowns" turn out to be "Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson and of course Donald Trump" - frank, offensive, authentic men who "galumph through minefields" with a "casual disregard for the impact of words". In contrast, Mrs May is like Hillary Clinton and Angela Merkel are women "who weigh the balance, check their language and try not to talk about themselves". I don't think it's hard to work out where Mark Mardell's sympathies lie. Given that a "chain of explosions" has "comple... more »
Mark Mardell on Barack Obama's Syria policy
Those of us who followed Mark Mardell's progress as BBC North American editor from 2009-14 will recall his many opinionated blog posts where he'd often be found defending President Obama or airing his own 'dovish' views on Western military intervention. Though now presenting *The World This Weekend*, he's still blogging and still posting such pieces: It's true that President Obama has absolutely no appetite for such confrontation, nor for wading knee-deep into another unwinnable occupation of an Arab country... It is fashionable to castigate President Obama for flaccidly allowin... more »
Brand Trudeau & Regime Revoking Canadian Citizenship At Higher Rates Then Harper
*Yup, Trudeau is nothing more then a brand!** He's not a leader therefore he should not be followed. He's not an intellectual. He is a BRAND The Trudeau campaign and the creation of brand Trudeau was done by the same PR firm used by the Obama. Featuring much of the same memes. Sadly, Canadians swallowed it hook, line and sinker* "A *brand* is a set of marketing and communication methods that help to distinguish a company from competitors and create a lasting impression in the minds of customers. The key components that form a brand's toolbox include a brand's identity, brand commun... more »
Low Pressure System Responsible For Lower Antarctic Sea Ice Extent Last Month
By Paul Homewood http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/2016/10/rapid-ice-growth-follows-the-seasonal-minimum-rapid-drop-in-antarctic-extent/ A reader, (sorry, forgot who!), pointed out last month the sharp drop in Antarctic sea ice early in September. It turns out that weather was to blame. From the NSIDC report for September: Antarctic sea ice extent reached 18.44 million square kilometers (7.12 million square miles) […]
The Guardian’s ‘100 months to save the planet’ was always just a fantasy
By Paul Homewood http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/10/08/the-guardians-100-months-to-save-the-planet-was-always-just-a-fa/ Booker follows up on my post last week: You may not have noticed, but 2016 was the hottest year for over 100,000 years. At least this was the claim reported last week by The Guardian, under the headline “Planet at its hottest for 115,000 years thanks to […]
Ethiopia Declares State Of Emergency Over Widespread Protests
*Reuters*: *Ethiopia declares state of emergency to restore order after protests* Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn declared a six-month state of emergency on Sunday, saying it was to restore order after weeks of protests that have resulted in deaths and damage to mostly foreign-owned factories and flower farms. Last week, protesters also destroyed scores of vehicles, adding economic casualties to a rising death toll in a wave of unrest over land grabs and rights. "A state of emergency has been declared because the situation posed a threat against the people of the c... more »
Latest Guest - Phui Yi Kong from Malaysia
Phui Yi Kong, from Malaysia, spent some of her first fall as a student a Bowdoin College living at the Occupy encampment in Portland, Maine learning about American political issues and teaching acting methods from The Theater of the Oppressed. On graduating from Bowdoin with a Watson Fellowship, she engaged different communities in Maine and elsewhere in the world by means of theater exercises, finding that their strong sense of personal identity (individualism) hinders many Americans from forming strong empathetic and nurturing relationships with those different from themselves.
Peace Pagoda Ceremony: Protect the Mother Earth
Mary Beth and I drove to Albany, New York on Friday arriving there just in time for a dinner at a local restaurant that we just happened to stumble upon. I had a wonderful eggplant Parmesan - one of the best yet. We stayed in the home of a local Veterans For Peace member and early Saturday morning drove about an hour more to the Grafton Peace Pagoda 23rd Anniversary Celebration. I was invited to speak about conversion of the military industrial complex by our dear Buddhist nun friend Jun-san Yasuda who lead the construction of the pagoda when it was built 23 years ago. Jun-san h... more »
Russian Foreign Minister: 'Aggressive U.S. Actions Threaten Russia's National Security
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a joint news conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault following their meeting in Moscow, Russia, October 6, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov *Reuters:* *Russia says U.S. actions threaten its national security* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday he had detected increasing U.S. hostility towards Moscow and complained about what he said was a series of aggressive U.S. steps that threatened Russia's national security. In an interview with Russian state TV likely to worsen already poor relations with ... more »
Death Toll Continues To Rise In Haiti From Hurricane Matthew
*BBC: **Hurricane Matthew: Haiti in national mourning as aid gears up* Haiti has begun three days of national mourning for those killed by Hurricane Matthew, which devastated the south of the country. At least 900 people are believed to have died. Tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed and some 350,000 people need aid, the government says. Cholera is a major fear, with several deaths reported, as are food supplies, given the destruction of crops. Matthew went on to barrel up the south-eastern coast of the US, killing 10. It caused extensive flooding, power cuts and damage ... more »
Understanding Jeremy Corbyn's Reshuffle
Groundhog Day. Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but hasn't Labour just gone through a ruinous and utterly unnecessary leadership contest that saw the party leader reconfirmed in his position? Please tell me the spectacle of sundry MPs appearing on Sunday politics television playing the unity card and positioning themselves as the paragons of such wasn't a half-remembered dream from a fortnight ago? I feel moved to ask these questions, because since Jeremy Corbyn began his shadow cabinet reshuffle, the bellyaching and briefing are back. And so, on Thursday, when it was clear he intended t... more »
Untitled
*From Jenna Orkin* Pilots flew straight into Hurricane Matthew and caught this incredible first-hand footageRussia is moving nukes to its European enclave amid high tensions with the WestVerizon will soon use drones to blanket cellular service in areas during emergency disasters'Outrageous': Donald Trump stands by claim that exonerated 'Central Park 5' are guilty Ferguson Effect: Chicago Cop "Afraid To Use Her Gun" Despite "Fearing For Life" During BeatingWikileaks Releases Hillary's Paid Wall Street Speech Transcripts: Hundreds Of "Sensitive" ExcerptsNorway Announces Massive Withdr... more »
Is The Republican Party Going To Jump Off The Cliff With Trump?
By the early 2000s pretty much everyone on Capitol Hill had a good idea that flamboyant Florida Republican Mark Foley was spending a lot more time with teenagers than men his age normally did. Not everyone knew he was screwing underage male congressional pages. But Rahm Emanuel did. Emanuel knew for *certain* for as long as the GOP leadership knew, at least year. But Rahm didn't call the police and put a stop to it and Foley kept seducing the under-age sons of wealthy GOP donors-- that's who the pages tended to be. Instead Rahm (and Hoyer) relentlessly attacked the progressive can... more »
Untitled
*British University considers banning the National Anthem from graduation ceremonies - because of its links to 'increasing far right nationalism'* *Mahamed Abdullahi, a most unhappy person* A student union welfare officer has called for the National Anthem to be removed from a leading university's graduation ceremony because of 'increasing far right nationalism'. Mahamed Abdullahi, from King's College London Students' Union, called the traditional rendition of God Save The Queen 'outdated'. Although the suggestion was dismissed as 'petulant and disrespectful' by fellow students,... more »
Did Hillary Clinton Reveal Classified Information On How Osama Bin Laden Was Found?
Hillary Clinton in private speech: Bin Laden was discovered as a result of phone intercept, not walk-in https://t.co/2kL8e8fz5W pic.twitter.com/A4FyvIlYXv — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 8, 2016 *Sputnik:** Hillary Spills Top Secret Intelligence During Paid Speech to Goldman Sachs* The recently WikiLeaks dump of Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta’s personal emails exposed the “missing” transcripts of the former Secretary of State’s speeches to Wall Street and suggest that she may have violated laws pertaining to confidential information by spilling the beans about state sec... more »
Untitled
*Climate change "scientist" who said Arctic would be free of sea ice by last month eats humble pie as data show there's MORE there now than there was four years ago* *But he is still making his nutty prophecies* A prominent climate change scientist has been forced to backtrack on his prediction that the Arctic would be free of sea ice by September this year - after data showed there is more now than four years ago. Professor Peter Wadhams, from the University of Cambridge, predicted in 2012 that the Arctic would be ice-free by September this year. However, figures show there was ... more »
DARPA Is Predicting That Future Wars Won With Hypersonic Weapons And Artificial Intelligence
Artist's concept of an X-51A hypersonic aircraft during flight. Wikimedia Commons *We Are The Mighty*: *DARPA sees future wars won with hypersonic weapons and artificial intelligence* NATIONAL HARBOR, Md — In comments that conjure up dystopian images of a future dominated by robot soldiers controlled by Skynet, researchers with the Pentagon’s futuristic think tank said they are working on better ways to merge the rapid decision making of computers with the analytical capabilities of humans. In fact, scientists at the Defense Advanced Research Projects agency, or DARPA, are even l... more »
The Clump
Since there's virtually no difference between Trump & Clinton, I say we consolidate them into one word: The #Clump. #Trumptapes #Trumpquit pic.twitter.com/6em2M9Wycj — BasementDweller Zero (@jurassicpork59) October 8, 2016 Open thread.
Tonight's U.S. Presidential Debate: Trump vs. Clinton Sex Scandal Showdown
*Washington Examiner:* *The coming Trump vs. Clinton sex scandal showdown* The odds that Donald Trump will bring up Bill Clinton's sexual peccadilloes in Sunday night's presidential debate just increased. Consider Trump's reaction to reports on his lewd hot mic moment. "This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course — not even close," he said in a statement. "I apologize if anyone was offended." Up until now, Trump's references to the former president's sex life — both confirmed infidelit... more »
An Electoral Framework for the 21st Century
Marc Mayrand, the outgoing chief electoral officer, has apparently put together a number of suggested changes that he would like to see made to our electoral system. I can only say thet the eight highlighted by Kady in the Ottawa Citizen look pretty good to me........ “While it’s well worth *perusing the full document* when/if you have time, here’s a quick overview of the chief electoral officer’s most (seemingly) commonsensical recommendations, several of which, it’s worth noting, can also be found *in Team Trudeau’s 2015 campaign platform*, but have thus far failed to materializ... more »
The West's Weaponisation of Corruption Indexes
*October 9, 2016* (Joseph Thomas - NEO) - For the Southeast Asian state of Thailand, overcoming corruption could be one of several essential steps required to fully tap the human and natural resources this already influential ASEAN state has benefited from for centuries. However, to tackle corruption, the nation must first define what it is, and what it hopes to achieve by confronting and overcoming it. Currently, the focus unfortunately appears to be on addressing Thailand's score upon the so-called Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) put out by alleged nongovernmental organisation... more »
The Forest And The Trees
When it comes to taxing carbon, the Conservatives are into self-flagellation. Foremost among them is Brad Wall. Stephen Maher writes: Like the previous federal Conservative government, Wall seems to represent the view held by some fossil fuel companies — that climate change likely isn’t caused by carbon emissions, but even if it is we shouldn’t do anything about it, since little Canada can’t have much impact on global emissions and we’d be certain to lose revenue and jobs. That seems to also be the view of Calgary MP Michelle Rempel, who took to Twitter to attack Telus and other c... more »
"U.S. Caught Repainting Fighter Jets to RUSSIAN COLORS - False Flag Bombing Imminent?"
*"U.S. Caught Repainting Fighter Jets to RUSSIAN COLORS-* * False Flag Bombing Imminent?"* by Newsroom The United States has been caught repainting several of their fighter jets in RUSSIAN Air Force Colors. Training? Or are they preparing to launch a horrific bombing inside Syria, then blaming it on the Russians as a precursor to US military action inside Syria? The US federal Government is full of snakes and vipers. Don't put anything past these filth. By repainting these planes, they can send them out on bombing missions, make certain they fly low and slow around a target a fe... more »
New article online: Conscientious Refusal in Healthcare: The Swedish Solution
Indeed, as flagged before, I have a new article published online in the *Journal of Medical Ethics *on the topic of the Sweden's longstanding policy on conscientious objection by health professionals. I briefly describe the policy and its background and chart some recent challenges to it. The published article, which is to be included in a coming special issue on conscientious objection, is here. Preprints for free reading and download those of you who lack institutional access to the JME are here and here. *** *Philosophical Comment Blog: Christian Munthe, Professor of Practical... more »
Celebrating 400 000 reads.
Yep, sometime tonight, *Philosophical Comment*, passed 400 000 reads. Thanks to everyone! *Philosophical Comment Blog: Christian Munthe, Professor of Practical Philosophy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Chief interests are ethics/moral philosophy, political philosophy and their applications to practical issues*
Hillary Clinton lies about her Bosnia Reception
https://youtu.be/8EENUb2mQlw Just like Tony Blair's lies about watching Jackie Milburn etc. Hillary Clinton lies and lies but the mainstream media ignore the lies and attack Donald Trump. I'm no fan of Trump but I also hate media bias.
Yale University Announce Psychic Abilities Exist
Skeptics have been saying for years that psychics are crooks and charlatans, but a new study published by Yale University proves that some people have real psychic abilities. Yale News reports: People with psychosis are tormented by internal voices. In an effort to explain why a Yale team enlisted help from an unusual source: psychics and others who hear voices but are not diagnosed with a mental illness. They found that the voices experienced by this group are similar in many ways to those reported by people with schizophrenia, with a few big differences: Psychics are much more l... more »
Sir Craig Oliver gets it wrong
On this week's *The Media Show*, Sir Craig Oliver got to complain about BBC 'false balance' during the EU referendum campaign and used the following specific example: One of the stories that I tell in the book is: George Osborne and I were standing outside the Prime Minister's office on Sunday evening watching the BBC News, about to go into a meeting. And in the morning Penny Mordaunt, who was a government minister, had said that Britain does not have a veto on Turkey joining the EU. It *does*. It's a straightforward fact. And yet all day long on BBC bulletins, on BBC online, we w... more »
Disquiet
Radio critics are still not warming to the appointment of James Purnell as Head of Radio and Education (and arts, music, learning and children). Kate Chisholm of *The Spectator *writes that his appointment "makes no sense": It’s not just that Purnell was formerly a politician, although that makes the appointment not just odd but alarming, given the BBC’s essential requirement always to be seen as independent of all political influence. It’s much more that Purnell has no editorial experience, no technical know-how, no track record in creating audio programmes. And Gillian Reynol... more »
Could Russia Actually Shoot Down An F-22, F-35, Or B-2 Stealth Bomber Over The Skies Of Syria?
A Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor fighter streaks by the ramp at the 2008 Joint Services Open House (JSOH) airshow at Andrews AFB. Wikipedia *Dave Majumdar, National Interest*: *Could Russia Really Shoot Down an F-22, F-35 or B-2 Stealth Bomber in Syria?* As tensions between Washington and Moscow flare, the Russian military is warning the United States that it has the ability to target stealth aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit that might be operating over Syria with the Almaz-Antey S-400 (NATO: SA-21 Growler) an... more »
Tweet For Today
US Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges discusses the first rotational heavy brigade deploying to Europe, Sunday at 11 a.m. on ABC 7 - WJLA. #DNTV pic.twitter.com/wbFapgp1Bb — Defense News (@defense_news) October 8, 2016
Should The U.S. Close Its Overseas Military Bases?
(Click on Image to Enlarge) Located: The U.S. has military bases around the world, as depicted in this graphic. Daily Mail *John Glaser, Time:* *Why We Should Close America’s Overseas Military Bases* *They do not support our core national interests* Despite our unorthodox presidential election, America’s overseas military bases are largely taken for granted in today’s foreign policy debates. The U.S. maintains a veritable empire of military bases throughout the world—about 800 of them in more than 70 countries. Many view our bases as a symbol of our status as the dominant world pow... more »
Picture Of The Day
The Rubezh 2016 (Boundary-2016) anti-terrorist exercises held at the Edelweiss range in Kyrgyzstan. Over 1,000 troops from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, 200 armored vehicles and 20 aircraft and helicopters took part in the drills. © SPUTNIK/ MIKHAIL VOSKRESENSKIY
Iran's Long Term Strategic Goal Is To Secure A Path To The Mediterranean
*Martin Chulov, The Guardian:* *Amid Syrian chaos, Iran’s game plan emerges: a path to the Mediterranean* *Militias controlled by Tehran are poised to complete a land corridor that would give Iran huge power in the region.* Not far from Mosul, a large military force is finalising plans for an advance that has been more than three decades in the making. The troops are Shia militiamen who have fought against the Islamic State, but they have not been given a direct role in the coming attack to free Iraq’s second city from its clutches. Instead, while the Iraqi army attacks Mosul fro... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“NGC 253 is not only one of the brightest spiral galaxies visible, it is also one of the dustiest. Discovered in 1783 by Caroline Herschel in the constellation of Sculptor, NGC 253 lies only about ten million light-years distant. *Click image for larger size.* NGC 253 is the largest member of the Sculptor Group of Galaxies, the nearest group to our own Local Group of Galaxies. The dense dark dust accompanies a high star formation rate, giving NGC 253 the designation of starburst galaxy. Visible in the above photograph is the active central nucleus, also known to be a bright source o... more »
Chet Raymo, "The Great Silence"
*"The Great Silence"* by Chet Raymo "If there is one word that should not be uttered, it is the name of - no, I will not say it. Any name diminishes. In the face of whatever it is that is most mysterious, most holy, we are properly silent. It is appropriate, I think, to praise the creation, to make a joyful noise of thanksgiving for the sensate world. But praising the Creator is another thing altogether. When we make a big racket on His behalf we are more than likely addressing an idol in our own image. What was it that Pico Iyer said? "Silence is the tribute that we pay to holines... more »
"Big Deal..."
“The development of our cerebral cortex has been the greatest achievement of the evolutionary processes. Big deal. While allowing us the thrills of intellect or the pangs of self-consciousness, it is all too often overruled by our inner, instinctive brain- the one that tells us to react, not reflect, to run, rather than ruminate. Maybe we have gone as far as we can go and the next advance, whatever that may be- will be made by beings we create ourselves, using our own technology. Life forms we can design and program not to be ultimately governed and constricted by the rules of surv... more »
"Why Does This Happen on My Vacation? (The Trump Tapes)"
*"Why Does This Happen on My Vacation? (The Trump Tapes)"* by Scott Adams, creator of "Dilbert" "By now you know about the Access Hollywood recording in which Donald Trump said bad things eleven years ago. Many of my readers asked me to weigh in. One of the requests came from anti-Trump GOP elite person Erick Erickson. (Middle name Erick, I assume.) This was his polite request and my response. Read it from bottom to top. Challenge accepted! I’ll give you my thoughts, in no particular order. *1. *If this were anyone else, the election would be over. But keep in mind that Trump does... more »
He's A Mutt?
Far right extremist Martha Roby represents a blood red (R+17) hellhole-- ethnically cleansed-- in southeast Alabama. Romney beat Obama there 63-36%. No Democrat will ever win her district; the DCCC doesn't even run candidates there. This morning she woke up-- perhaps having slept badly because of yesterday's Trump revelations-- and withdrew her ill-advised Trumpy-the-Clown endorsement. "Trump's behavior," she said, "makes him unacceptable as a candidate… and I won't vote for him." GOP crackpot Barbara Comstock, who represents a very swingy (R+2) northern Virginia district Hillary... more »
Tweet For Today
Russian Paratroops Jump From Wing Of Tupolev TB-3. (1937) pic.twitter.com/KKLsboDOlJ — Only In Russia (@CrazyinRussia) October 8, 2016
The Islamic State Continues To Lose territory In Syria And Iraq
*BBC: **IS 'loses more than a quarter of its territory' in Syria and Iraq* So-called Islamic State (IS) has lost more than a quarter of the territory it once controlled, new data shows. Security and defence analysts IHS say the group's control has shrunk by 28% since its height in January 2015. In the first nine months of this year, IS' territory fell from 78,000 sq km (30,115 sq miles) to 65,500 sq km - an area equivalent to the size of Sri Lanka - IHS analysts said. However, IS losses have slowed in the three months to October. *Read more *.... *WNU Editor:* They still are hol... more »
Russia Vetoes U.N. Security Council Resolution To Stop The Bombing Of The Syrian City Of Aleppo
*Washington Post*: *Russia vetoes U.N. Security Council resolution to end Aleppo bombing* Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Saturday aimed at stopping the bombing in Aleppo as France warned that the city would be remembered as a place where civilians were “abandoned” to death. It was the fifth time Moscow has used its veto in as many years as a deadlocked Security Council tries to end a war that has claimed almost half a million Syrian lives. During that time, the warplanes of President Bashar al- Assad have focused their might on the rebel-held suburb... more »
Did Lonnie Zamora See Alien Creatures?
We have discussed the Socorro case a couple of times here recently. When Ben Moss and Tony Angiola appeared on the *Different Perspective* radio show, they suggested that Lonnie Zamora had not said that he had seen creatures or aliens or figures. He had merely said that he had only seen two pairs of white coveralls in the distance, suggesting a humanoid shape but he couldn’t make out a head or facial features. Socorro, New Mexico. Photo copyright by Kevin Randle. This seemed odd to me because nearly every account I had read talked about the humanoid creatures. That was one of the mo... more »
Suicide Truck Bomb Attack In Kuwait Fails To Kill 5 U.S. Soldiers
*DW: **Suicide truck bomber in Kuwait fails in attack on US soldiers* Kuwaiti officials say the bomb-laden truck failed to detonate, leaving only the truck driver injured. Kuwait has largely been spared from IS attacks, however, officials say they thwarted three such attempts in July. Kuwaiti security officials arrested a suspected Islamic jihadist after he slammed an explosives laden truck into a vehicle carrying five US soldiers in Kuwait on Saturday. The explosives failed to detonate, and the only person injured in the attack was the Egyptian truck driver identified as Ibrahim S... more »
WikiLeaks: Clinton Met With Astronaut To Talk ‘Alien Disclosure’
An email released by WikiLeaks on Friday reveals Hillary Clinton and her campaign chairman John Podesta met with famous astronaut Edgar Mitchell to discuss “alien disclosure.” The leaked email, sent by Edgar Mitchell to John Podesta, also suggests the Vatican is aware of extra-terrestrial intelligence (ETI). email for John Podesta (c/o Eryn) from Edgar Mitchel re meeting ASAP (source: WikiLeaks) “It is urgent that we agree on a date and time to meet to discuss Disclosure and Zero Point Energy, at your earliest available after your departure. My Catholic colleague Terri Mansfield wi... more »
Russia Vetoes UN Proposal To End ISIS Fight in Syria
Russia has condemned the UN and Western governments for attempting to thwart their attempts at defeating ISIS in Syria, vetoing a UN Security Council proposal to end fighting. Russia vetoed a French-drafted resolution that would have ended air strikes against key ISIS strongholds in Aleppo. Aljazeera.com reports: It is the fifth time Russia has vetoed a UN resolution on Syria during the more than five-year conflict. The previous four times Russia was backed by China, but on Saturday China abstained from the vote. Eleven of the 15 council members voted in favour of the draft resol... more »
RNC Chairman Hints Trump Campaign is ‘Over’
RNC chairman Reince Priebus has hinted that the Donald Trump campaign might be finished, fueling rumors that the Republican party will oust their Presidential nominee. Priebus condemned Trump’s sexually explicit comments about women on Friday, saying “No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner. Ever.” Politico.com reports: The statement, released after 7 p.m. Friday, came as the revelations about the Republican nominee’s crude remarks added a newly urgent threat to his candidacy. In the recording, Trump boasts about his sexual prowess and desc... more »
Chelsea Manning Has Gone Missing
Fears are growing for the safety and whereabouts of Chelsea Manning after the whistleblower failed to return three phone calls recently. The Chelsea Manning Support Network reports that “Chelsea has missed three planned calls so we are worried about her and so far we don’t know why. The support network can be reached at staff@chelseamanning.org.” Chelsea Manning is a United States Army soldier who was convicted by court-martial in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses, after disclosing to WikiLeaks nearly three-quarters of a million classified or unclassif...more »
After Today's Massacre In Yemen The US Is Launching An 'Immediate Review' Of It's Support Of The Saudi-Led Coalition In Yemen
© REUTERS/ Khaled Abdullah *Reuters*: *U.S. says it will review support to Saudi-led coalition in Yemen* The United States will review its support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, a U.S. National Security Council spokesman said on Saturday, after an air strike killed at least 82 mourners at a hall in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. "U.S. security cooperation with Saudi Arabia is not a blank check," said NSC spokesman Ned Price in a statement. "In light of this and other recent incidents, we have initiated an immediate review of our already significantly reduced support to the Saud... more »
You won't learn this from the so-called mainstream media. "Russia has a sufficient nuclear arsenal capable of inflicting a deadly blow on the United States. Washington recognizes this as well." "the State Department’s statement was immediately followed by the Pentagon's announcement that it is ready to launch a preventative nuclear strike on Russia." Thank goodness that Putin does not want a war with the US. But "we don’t know what choice Washington will make."
------------------------------ Following the president of the Russian Federation’s decree on suspending Russia’s compliance with agreements with the US on the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium and the submission of the corresponding bill to the State Duma, disputes have begun in the media on whether this is connected to the rupture of the Syria deal. The second stumbling block is a question: Why is Russia, having known that the US has not fulfilled its part of the deal, only reacted now after a few years? Some nuclear experts argue that the deal was objectively beneficial for Rus... more »
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