11:09 pm MST
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Far beyond the local group of galaxies lies NGC 3621, some 22 million light-years away. Found in the multi-headed southern constellation Hydra, the winding spiral arms of this gorgeous island universe are loaded with luminous young star clusters and dark dust lanes. Still, for earthbound astronomers NGC 3621 is not just another pretty face-on spiral galaxy. Some of its brighter stars have been used as standard candles to establish important estimates of extragalactic distances and the scale of the Universe. *Click image for larger size.* This beautiful image of NGC 3621 traces the... more »
Musical Interlude: Medwyn Goodall, "Eyes of Heaven"
Medwyn Goodall, "Eyes of Heaven" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC0-RJ3P1G0
The U.S. Army Band Is Forbidden To Play 'Jungle Bells' At A Religious Event
*Todd Starnes. FOX News:* *Why can't Army band play 'Jingle Bells' at Christmas show?* One of my favorite projects here at the Fox News Corner of the World is my annual Fox Radio Christmas show. It’s a two-hour extravaganza filmed in Memphis -- featuring special guest performers, celebrities, a full orchestra and the Bellevue Baptist Church Singing Christmas Tree. It’s sort of like a mash up of Grand Ole Opry meets “Prairie Home Companion” – just two-hours of family-friend fun. Last year we featured MercyMe and jazz legend Kirk Whalum. The year before that, we had an amazing pe... more »
First-Ever 360 Panoramic Footage Of A Russian MiG-29 Jet Penetrating Stratosphere At 2,000kph
*RT:* *RT shoots unique 360 video of MiG jet penetrating stratosphere at 2,000kph (EXCLUSIVE)* A Russian MiG-29 jet’s flight straight into the second layer of Earth’s atmosphere at hair-raising speed has been captured on a panoramic camera, providing one of a kind footage that is certain to send shivers down your spine. For the pilots of MiG-29 twin-engine fighter jets capable of flying at speeds up to 2,400 kilometers per hour, reaching the stratosphere in almost no time – less than two minutes – is no big deal However, now, equipped with a 360 camera protected by a temperature... more »
Paulo Coelho, "The Cry Of The Desert"
*"The Cry Of The Desert"* by Paulo Coelho "As soon as he arrived in Marrakesh, Morocco, a missionary decided he would stroll through the desert at the city’s boundary every morning. On his first stroll he noticed a man lying on the sand, caressing the ground with his hands and leaning his ears towards the earth. “He is mad,” the missionary said to himself. But he saw the man every morning during his walks and after a month, intrigued by that strange behavior, he decided to approach the stranger. He knelt beside him and asked, in broken Arabic, “What are you doing?” “I keep the des... more »
"All We Have..."
"All we have, it seems to me, is the beauty of art and nature and life, and the love which that beauty inspires." - Edward Abbey ○ LOGOS, "Cheminement"
The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum
In India, it seems, the lunatics have taken over the asylum. The banking mayhem is unimaginable. I have been to my bank branch 3-times in last one week. There is such crowd outside the bank that you can’t enter the bank-building unless you are ready to stand in queue for 2 to 6 hours. The worse thing is that the bank officials who stand at the gates to regulate entry don’t have the complete information. They are unable to tell you when you will be allowed to enter to get your work done. According to some media reports, more than 10 crore (100 million) people are now spending much o... more »
A Moment With Nature: "Polar Bear Cuddles Dog"
*"Polar Bear Cuddles Dog"* by David de Meulles "All is not as it seems in the extraordinary viral video which shows a polar bear acting as though it’s best friends with a dog. The heartwarming footage was shot by mechanic and part-time tour guide David De Meulles as he was giving two visitors a tour in Manitoba, Canada over the weekend. The fascinating clip, which quickly went viral, shows a huge polar bear hanging out with, and stroking, a placid sled dog. The powerful bear looks as if it could crush the dog with one swipe of its giant paw. However, instead it simply pets its canin... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Thanks for stopping by, eh!
Alan Grayson Offers A Plainspoken Bill That Allows Americans To Vote With Our Middle Fingers
The above is certainly one of Grayson's last floor speeches-- at least until 2019-- and he made the best of it with a proposal I've been waiting for. In fact, I think it's a proposal many people outside of the professional political class, regardless of party, will be excited about: NONE OF THE ABOVE as a ballot designation in federal elections. I talked with Grayson several times while he was writing the bill and I know he didn't just have presidential elections in mind-- let alone this particular one-- although I suspect many people will interpret it that way. But look at some ... more »
Time to Trump the Climate Hysteria
*By Viv Forbes* *Secretary* *To download a print-ready pdf of the whole article plus image click:* *http://clexit.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/de-fang-paris.pdf* The Clexit Coalition has pledged to assist any government or politician seeking to exit the Paris Agreement and to curb the wasteful and destructive UN/IPCC. The Secretary of Clexit (Climate Exit Coalition), Mr Viv Forbes of Australia, said that Clexit could call on over 190 well-qualified climate realists from 26 countries to provide scientific, business, legal and political support and advice. *See: **http://clexit.net... more »
Report: "WikiLeaks RAIDED & SEIZED by Government; Julian Assange 'Missing'- Gag Orders Served Upon Wiki Staff as of November 17"
*Report: "WikiLeaks RAIDED & SEIZED by Government; * *Julian Assange 'Missing'- Gag Orders Served Upon Wiki Staff as of November 17"* by Newsroom "A stunning claim from a WikiLeaks Staffer who says he violated a US National Security Letter to make public the fact that WikiLeaks has been taken over by government and is no longer safe. He also says Julian Assange is "missing' and presumed in Custody, while government operators use WikiLeaks computers to give the APPEARANCE that all is well. The alleged staffer claims that WikiLeaks Twitter account and all other WikiLeaks computers we... more »
Obama Vows To Destroy ‘Alt Media’ During Final Weeks
President Barack Obama has joined the war on “fake news” and has promised to take down “alternative media” websites before Trump gets into office. In the last week, left-wing mainstream media outlets have begun labelling alt. media and conservative news sites as “fake news” – bundling them in with sporadic spam websites in an attempt to flush them out of the internet forever. Activistpost.com reports: Some of these pundits are worried that bad information on the Internet paved the way for President-Elect Trump. In fact, a study published Wednesday shows that fake stories related t... more »
Trump Fires Attorney General Loretta Lynch
President-elect Donald Trump has fired Attorney General Loretta Lynch from her post and nominated Sen. Jeff Sessions to replace her. Loretta Lynch, who famously boarded a plane with Bill Clinton for a “private meeting” during ongoing FBI investigations into Hillary Clinton, is likely to leave office in April 2017 just before Jeff Sessions is confirmed by the Senate. The announcement was met by widespread applause from Republicans, but denouncement from Democrats who claim Sessions’ has overly “hard-line views on immigrants,” despite the fact that his voting record shows otherwise.... more »
Obama Stripped Of Power As Midnight Rule Relief Act Passes
Barack Obama has been stripped of the power to pass any new laws or impose new policies, as the Midnight Rule Relief Act passed on Thursday. The bill, passed by a 240-179 majority, amends the Congressional Review Act to overturn in a single vote any regulations Obama attempts to put through in his final days in office. Thehill.com reports: Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) urged his colleagues on the floor Thursday morning to pass the legislation and tell the American people that lawmakers heard them on Election Day loud and clear. “The American people have said no to the continuance of ...more »
AMC's supposed "first look" at Season 3 of "Better Call Saul" doesn't give us much to go on, but it's reassuring to know it's coming
*Better Call Saul exec producers Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould watch Bob Odenkirk being made up as Jimmy McGill during filming for Season 3.* *by Ken* Bearing in mind how historically tight-fisted *Breaking Bad* mastermind Vince Gilligan has always been about over-revealing what's to come, it's not entirely surprising that AMC's heralded first sneak peek at Season 3 of *Better Call Saul* ("First-Look Photos") is noticeably sneakier than peekier. *Okay, this would be the brothers McGill, Chuck (Michael McKean) and Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk), in Chuck's living room.* *And this would be... more »
Corporate Consolidation
Economist Michael Hudson explains how economic terms like capital gains are deployed to mislead the public about who is benefiting from economic policy and where wealth is going.
Anyone with a shred of empathy...
Totally like Hillary TFTD Abridged, about which I've enthused before, continues his sterling work of condensing every edition of Radio 4's *Thought For The Day *into less than 140 characters. His tweet on Today's edition, featuring the go-ahead Bishop of Leeds, The Right Reverend Nick Baines, runs as follows: That's a surprisingly spot-on summary. That said, it did make me pause for thought (BBC-related pun intended). The Rt Rev Nick started wondering about what was going on in Hillary's mind after losing the election. He noted that she'd "spoken about wanting to curl up with ... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- November 18, 2016
*Stratfor*: *A Look at What's Left of Mosul* *Analysis* After more than two years of occupation by the Islamic State, the Iraqi city of Mosul has taken a battering. Numerous reports have detailed the city's state of disrepair, some documenting a moderate degree of destruction while others describe a town laid to waste. Based on recent satellite imagery, Mosul appears to have suffered significant damage, though accounts of the city in ruins seem to have been exaggerated. *Read more* .... *Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- November 18, 2016* What ISIS leaves behind in Mosu... more »
Economic News , Data & Views ....... November 18 , 2016...... Quick Hits For Friday - 1) Markets & Market Moving News : US Stocks End Modestly Down On Friday , Bond Rout Continues , FX Turmoil Continues ; Oil : Baker -Hughes Rig Data , OPEC Jibber Jabber From Doha ; ECB & Fed Speakers ; Additional Items To consider. 2) US Politics : Transition Updates ; Overall Political Potluck special Of News. 3) Around The Horn for Europe ; Greece ( Debt Relief discussions , Polytechnic Clash Arrests , Creditor Talks , Additional News Of note , Charts Touching On Italy , Merkel - Brexit Comments , French Politics Update , Further News Of Note, 4) Odds & Ends - Syria , Iraq , Libya , India And Additional Items Of Note.
Markets....... *zerohedge* @zerohedge 46m 46 minutes ago Trump-gasm Sends Stocks To Longest Win Streak In 13 Years Despite Currency, Curve, & Credit Carnage http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-11-1 8/trumpgasm-sends-stocks-longest-win-streak-13-years-despite-currency-curve-credit-car … *ForexLive* @ForexLive 24m 24 minutes ago US stocks end the day down by only modestly *ForexLive* @ForexLive 2h 2 hours ago A look around the major currency pairs as the week comes to a close *Livesquawk* @Livesquawk 2h 2 hours ago WTI futs settle +27c (+0.6%) @ $45.69/barrel... more »
World News Briefs -- November 18, 2016
Shi'ite fighters look at smoke rising from clashes during a battle with Islamic State militants at the airport of Tal Afar west of Mosul, Iraq November 18, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani *Reuters*: *Iraqi troops expand foothold in Mosul as Islamic State pledges more suicide attacks* U.S.-backed Iraqi troops expanded their foothold on the eastern side of Islamic State's stronghold of Mosul on Friday, as the group pledged to mount more suicide attacks on their offensive to take the city. The elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) stormed the Tahrir district on the northeastern edge ... more »
Judge Dismisses Trumped-Up Felony Charges of 15 Water Protectors at Standing Rock
Photo Riot Police Attack Water Protectors on Oct. 27. Photo copyright Rob Wilson. Judge Dismisses Trumped-Up Felony Charges Against 15 Water Protectors at Standing Rock By Tasha Moro National Lawyer's Guild Communications Director Censored News BISMARCK, ND—On Thursday, Burleigh County Judge Cynthia Feland dismissed felony charges against 15 Water Protectors arrested on October 27
'Newsnight': Is Mrs Merkel the new Obama?
Though tonight's *Newsnight *is not only already upon us but by the time I've finished writing this post will have ended, I still have to say something about last night's *Newsnight.* It calls out for comment because it was quite extraordinary. The opening segment looked at the following question: "Is Germany the new leader of the liberal world?", which Evan Davis duly paraphrased as, "In the era of Brexit and Trump is this the new leader?", before showing an image of Angela Merkel, cast in an Obama-like light. The programme wondered if the baton of leader of 'the liberal world ... more »
New World Order Plans To Assassinate Donald Trump Revealed
New World Order watchers believe Donald Trump is right to fear he will be the first president since John F. Kennedy to be assassinated due to his anti-establishment views. Despite the best efforts of the establishment, mainstream media, Wall St., Hollywood and the global elite, an outsider won the presidential election. Now mainstream media are at war with President-elect Trump, feeding dangerous rhetoric to the people and encouraging rioters and protestors. CNN’s Don Lemon, while talking about Trump’s transition, just showed footage of the Reagan assassination attempt for about ... more »
Arizona Police Officer Brutally Punches Woman In Face
A police officer in Arizona has been caught on camera violently punching an unsuspecting woman in the face during an arrest. The officer has been placed on leave following the release of a video online. New York Post reports: The Flagstaff Police Department learned of the video Wednesday. It shows Officer Jeff Bonar punching a woman during an arrest earlier in the day, Sgt. Cory Runge said in a statement to the Arizona Republic. “Our agency is very concerned by what is depicted in this video,” Runge said. “We are immediately initiating an internal investigation into this incident.... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- November 18, 2016
*WSJ*: *Trump’s NATO Demand Clashes With EU Budgets* Countries under pressure to narrow deficits now face renewed pressure to spend more on defense Some governments in Europe are bracing for the conflicting demands of two key alliances: the new U.S. administration driving them to ramp up military spending even as the European Union requires that they tighten their budgets. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization calls for its members to spend 2% of their GDP on defense, with a fifth of that going to equipment. There are no sanctions for countries that fail to meet that goal. U.S.... more »
Blondie - The Tide Is High
For over 30 years, I've wondered how one of the coolest bands ever could have turned out such a .... well, shit video?
It hasn't gone unnoticed!
The face of BBC World News America tweets: I bet it hasn't!
Two Charts That Help Explain Why Pelosi's Hopelessly Inept DCCC Isn't Capable Of Winning Back Congress
Just above we have the election results for two blue Miami-Dade congressional districts, FL-26 and FL-27. The Republican House incumbents, respectively Carlos Curbelo, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, won both. In 2012, Obama won Miami-Dade 540,776 (62%) to 332,602 (38%). This year, Hillary did even better than Obama did-- 623,006 (63.7%) to 333,666 (34.1%). Even the hapless Patrick Murphy-- the worst possible Senate candidate the DSCC could find-- won in Miami-Dade (Rubio's home base) 528,555 (54.6%) to 419,623 (43.3%). Obama beat Romney in FL-26 53-46% and beat him in FL-27 53-47%. I do... more »
Outrage As Turkey Legalise Rape Of Young Girls
Turkey may be about to legalise the rape of young girls under the of 15, as Parliament consider passing a controversial new bill. Turkey’s governing party has left MPs furious after proposing a bill that will pardon thousands of existing child rapists if the perpetrator marries his victim. It will also allow would-be rapists to rape young girls in the future, as long as they marry them. Telegraph.co.uk reports: The controversial proposal would apply to statutory rape cases without use of “force, threat, or any other restriction on consent” involving girls aged 15 or younger. Men ... more »
World’s Largest Megaliths Found In Russia Suggest Advanced Civilisation
Scientists have been left baffled after discovering huge megaliths in Russia that they say are the largest in the world. Researchers state that the megaliths found in Russia are 2 to 3 times larger than the largest known megaliths in Baalbek, and defy any explanation beyond some kind of advanced civilisation existing thousands of years ago to help build them. Ancient-code.com reports: However, the megaliths located in Russia are even more impressive than Baalbek and have caused confusion among researchers ever since their discovery. We are talking about the megalithic site of Gor... more »
Clinton Foundation Investigator Found Dead
A woman investigating human trafficking and pedophile ring connections to the Clinton Foundation has been found dead in a suspicious suicide. As uncovered on Reddit, Monica Peterson was working for the Human Trafficking Center in Haiti and had uncovered evidence of a child sex ring and human trafficking scheme connected to the Clintons. Thepoliticalinsider.com reports: Peterson previously worked for the Colorado Human Trafficking Council’s Data & Research Task Force. Early in 2016, a friend shared her blog post which was critical of Hillary Clinton’s shady dealings in Haiti. Carl... more »
Jay Z and Beyonce Announce 2020 Presidential Bid
Jay Z and wife Beyonce have announced plans to run for President in the 2020 race, with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s blessing. The superstar couple are apparently preparing to launch a huge political campaign that will rival fellow rapper Kanye West’s bid for President in 2020 too. According to Radar Online, the couple openly support the Democratic party and Hillary Clinton, and following her defeat earlier this month, they’re now seriously considering trying to win the White House. Inquisitr.com reports: The rapper and his 32-year-old wife openly support the Democratic par... more »
Kanye West Supports Donald Trump, Vows To Run In 2020
Kanye West has come out in support of Donald Trump, telling a stunned audience in California that he has been inspired to run for President himself in 2020. To a collective boo from the audience, an undeterred Kanye West explained that even though he didn’t vote for either candidate earlier in the month, “if I would have voted, I would have voted on Trump“. He went onto reiterate his plans to run in the 2020 presidential election, a promise he made last year at the MTV VMA’s. West told the crowd that he’s thinking of running in 2020 partly because Trump has proved that you don’t... more »
Chinese Astronauts Return After Longest Ever Manned Space Mission
Two Chinese astronauts have completed the country’s longest manned space mission and successfully returned home after spending 30 days in space on board the Tiangong-2 space laboratory orbiting the earth. Taikonauts Jung Haipeng and Chen Dong returned to earth on board the Shenzhou 11 spacecraft, landing safely in China’s northern region of Inner Mongolia on Friday. RT.com reports: The Shenzhou-11’s reentry module carried the two taikonauts – Jing Haipeng, the mission commander, and Chen Dong – to safety in Inner Mongolia, touching down at around 1:59pm Beijing time on Friday, acc... more »
Islamic State Close To Defeat In Libya's Sirte
Fighters of Libyan forces allied with the U.N.-backed government walk at the front line of fighting with Islamic State militants in Ghiza Bahriya district in Sirte, Libya November 9, 2016. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny *Reuters:* *Far from Mosul, Islamic State close to defeat in Libya's Sirte* After six months of heavy fighting, Libyan forces have advanced so deep into the strategic city of Sirte that they can pick out the Tunisian and Egyptian accents of their Islamic State enemies as they trade insults over the frontline. Victory is imminent on this remote front of the war against Islam... more »
Controversial hardliners
Controversial BBC hardliner, Nick Bryant I drove home tonight listening to *PM *and picked up the message that Donald Trump's latest appointments were "controversial". I picked up on that because Gary O'Donoghue kept saying they were "controversial". ("Very controversial", "controversial" and "quite controversial" he variously called them). From Nick Bryant on BBC One's *News at Six,* however, I learned that the other word to use alongside "controversial" is "hardline". (Nick used it three times within the space of 38 seconds.) And it's the word the BBC News website favours too i... more »
Post you may have missed: Tomato study squashed by authorship, data problems
A technical glitch prevented a story from reaching our email subscribers earlier today, so in case you missed it: Tomato study didn’t get co-author okays, includes unreliable data Like Retraction Watch? Consider making a tax-deductible contribution to support our growth. You can also follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, add us to your RSS reader, sign up […] The post Post you may have missed: Tomato study squashed by authorship, data problems appeared first on Retraction Watch.
The Battle For The Iraqi City Of Mosul -- News Updates November 18, 2016
*Daily Mail*: *Streets of fire: The moment an Iraqi convoy of armoured vehicles runs into an ISIS ambush during the battle to free Mosul* * Three of the advancing soldiers, one clutching a grenade launcher, can be seen crouched in the foreground * Another image shows a boy of 18 months with shrapnel injuries being taken from the battle zone * Mosul in northern Iraq is the largest city still in the hands of the Islamic State * For last two weeks, US-backed coalition forces have been engaged in brutal slog through eastern suburbs A flash of light, a shuddering concussion and a reside... more »
Canadian Taxpayers Subsidize Priests for Life
There are many whackadoodles among the fetus fetishist set, but Frank Pavone of Priests for Life is one of the whackier. He was one of the vultures hanging around not-quite-dead Terri Shiavo and practically did a jig when Dr. Tiller was assassinated. He's been in trouble with his titular bosses, the Catlick Church, for among other things, financial improprieties. But just before The Tragedy, he outdid himself. Ahead of Tuesday’s presidential election, the Rev. Frank Pavone took an aborted fetus, laid it upon an altar Sunday and posted a live video on Facebook. Pavone, a Catholic p...more »
Nov. 15: The great American debate - without cause or effect.
One of the characteristics of North American privately owned news media is that they are almost never critical of big business. Of course not. The people who own big business also own them. That's why media commentators will attack anybody who isn't rich and influential. In fact, they just love to do it. (The case of Trump has been exceptional - but I suspect that will change so long as he does nothing to annoy big business.) In my local papers, this is obvious when a commentator deals with something like education. Teachers are easy meat for commentators. They don't have much pow...more »
The great divide
Two of our regular commenters have mentioned this on separate threads. *H/T David Preiser and Sue Sims* and see R. Emmett Tyrrell’s reaction here https://www.creators.com/read/r-emmett-tyrrell "A Quiet Afternoon with the BBC" “…………a Nigerian lady of supposedly great gifts named Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, though it soon became apparent that she was in an impenetrable fog about the recent election. She gave a highly emotional rendering of the election, saying something about how it left her feeling very much alone, and I guess bereft. Why on Earth she was appearing before a British ... more »
Aleppo Deaths Pass 1000 Since The Collapse Of September's Ceasefire
*CNN:* *Aleppo deaths pass 1,000 since brief ceasefire collapsed* (CNN)More than 1,000 people have died in airstrikes and shelling in the Syrian city of Aleppo since a short-lived ceasefire broke down 60 days ago, according to a UK-based monitoring group. The figure includes deaths in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, in government-controlled western Aleppo and in the surrounding countryside, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday. The group's tally comes as Russian-backed Syrian government forces once again pummel eastern Aleppo. The weeklong ceasefire brokered by the Unit... more »
Putin Vows To Oppose Any Attempts To Break Global Strategic Balance
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his country will oppose any attempts to disrupt the strategic balance around the world, including those by NATO’s global anti-ballistic missile defense system. Putin told the Russian military: “Our goal is to effectively neutralize any military threats to Russia’s security, including those of the (NATO) strategic anti-ballistic missile defense system, the prompt global strike concept and information warfare” “We will continue to do everything needed to preserve the strategic balance of power,” he said, adding that it was the balance that ... more »
Europe Orders Britain Not To Call Terrorists Muslims, Even If They Are
The European Union have ordered the British press to stop exposing the religious beliefs of terrorists if they turn out to be Muslims. According to the European Commission against Rasism and Intolerance (ECRI), the British press is to blame for an increase in so-called hate speech in the UK due to the fact that they often use anti-Islamic rhetoric when referring to terrorists. The report says: some traditional media, particularly tabloids… are responsible for most of the offensive, discriminatory and provocative terminology. The Sun, for instance, published an article in April 20... more »
Trump Surrogate Cites Internment Camps As Excuse For Muslim Registry
A prominent Donald Trump surrogate has suggested that the internment of Japanese Americans during world war two has set the precedent for a potential Muslim registry, as advocated by president-elect’s transition team. Quartz reports: Carl Higbie, a former Navy SEAL and a spokesman for the pro-Trump Great America PAC, made the argument on Megyn Kelly’s Fox News show Wednesday (Nov. 16) night, explaining that a Muslim registry would “hold constitutional muster.” Trump surrogates are already citing Japanese internment camps from WW II as “precedent” for Muslim registry pic.twitter.c... more »
The Battle For Aleppo -- News Updates November 18, 2016
*Reuters*: *Battle for Aleppo escalates, U.N. sees 'bleak moment'* Syrian rebels fought fiercely with pro-government forces trying to advance into opposition-held areas of eastern Aleppo on Friday and warplanes kept up their bombardment of the area in a renewed bid by Damascus to retake the entire city. The U.N. humanitarian adviser said on Friday the besieged population of eastern Aleppo faced a "very bleak moment" with no food or medical supplies, winter approaching, and an increasingly fierce attack by Syrian and allied forces. Violence also escalated in and around Damascus, w... more »
Russian President Putin Boasts That Russia Is Now Developing New ‘Advanced Weapons Systems’
Russian President Vladimir Putin © Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters *Washington Free Beacon*:* Putin Highlights Russia’s Development of New ‘Advanced Weapons Systems’* Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday underscored Moscow’s pursuit of advanced weapons systems and commitment to maintaining forces that can “neutralize” threats to the country’s security. Russia like other countries is focusing on the development of laser, hypersonic, and robotic weapons, Putin said at a meeting on developing new types of weapons, according to remarks released by the Kremlin. The meeting, which too... more »
Donald Trump Appoints Mike Pompeo As CIA Director
President elect Donald Trump offered the position of CIA director to three term Republican representative Mike Pompeo and Pompeo has accepted. The transition team also confirmed that the position of attorney General will go to Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama), and the National Security Advisor post will go to retired General Michael Flynn. It’s official: Flynn, national security adviser Sessions, attorney general Pompeo, CIA director pic.twitter.com/s89LoMCfIc — Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) November 18, 2016 Mike Pompeo’s appointment is already drawing criticism due to controver... more »
Jeff Sessions, Mike Flynn, Mike Pompeo?...
*all good choices.* How do I know this? Because I took a swing by Huff and Puff and they are having a complete meltdown. Naturally the first salvo* thrown out was "racist." Also bandied about was Nazi, Fascist, anti-immigrant. Do they even know what those words mean? Libtards are completely predictable. The comments are hilarious. And just think, we have 4 more years of watching them grind their back teeth down to nubbins. ** Did you know that salvo also means a simultaneous discharge of firearms? Of course you did. I have the smartest readers - ever. I'd say the left has ... more »
Pic o' the Day
*"Alas, poor America. I knew it well..."*
Banned in the EU, What is This Dangerous Chemical Doing to Americans?
*Alex Pietrowski* - It is known to harm frogs and rats, so what is it doing to our children? The post Banned in the EU, What is This Dangerous Chemical Doing to Americans? appeared first on Waking Times.
Megyn Kelly cons the folks!
*FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016Completing eight years of Obama:* On Wednesday night, we caught this tease by Megyn Kelly: KELLY (11/16/16): Still ahead, *President Obama delivering his toughest remarks yet on President-Elect Trump.* Chief Washington Correspondent James Rosen has all the fall-out. Good lord! There he went again! We decided to stick around to see what Obama had said. And to examine "all the fall-out!" Kelly teased these "toughest remarks" throughout her hour-long program. Eventually, we got her hard-hitting report. The segment started with tape of Obama on his 2009 "apo... more »
President-Elect Trump Has Selected Kansas Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo To Be The CIA's Next Director
*McClatchy News*: *Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo, an Army veteran, will become Trump’s CIA director* WASHINGTON: Donald Trump has selected Kansas Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo to lead the CIA, the president-elect announced Friday morning. Pompeo is a West Point and Harvard Law School graduate and a vocal member of the House Select Committee on intelligence. He’s been a fierce critic of the Obama administration’s policies on Iran and Libya. “He has served our country with honor and spent his life fighting for the security of our citizens,” Trump said in a statement. “He will be a brillian... more »
These Are The Foreign Leaders That Trump And Pence Have Talked To Since The Election
U.S. President Barack Obama meets with President-elect Donald Trump (L) to discuss transition plans in the White House Oval Office in Washington, U.S., November 10, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque *Politico:* *Trump says he and Pence have talked to 32 foreign leaders. Here they are.* Donald Trump and Mike Pence have provided a list of 31 foreign heads of state (plus the the Secretary General of the United Nations) that they've spoken with since last the election. The release comes after a story published Wednesday morning by the New York Times said foreign leaders were "scrambling to... more »
Foreign Central Banks Are Getting Rid Of Their U.S. Dollars
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Zero Hedge*:* Saudis, China Dump Treasuries; Foreign Central Banks Liquidate A Record $375 Billion In US Paper* One month ago, when we last looked at the Fed's update of Treasuries held in custody, we noted something troubling: the number had dropped sharply, declining by over $22 billion in one week, one of the the biggest weekly declines since January 2015, pushing the total amount of custodial paper to $2.805 trillion, the lowest since 2012. One month later, we refresh this chart and find that in last week's update, foreign central banks continued ... more »
700 Million Android Phones Have Chinese Spyware On Them
*New York Times*: *Secret Back Door in Some U.S. Phones Sent Data to China, Analysts Say* WASHINGTON — For about $50, you can get a smartphone with a high-definition display, fast data service and, according to security contractors, a secret feature: a backdoor that sends all your text messages to China every 72 hours. Security contractors recently discovered preinstalled software in some Android phones that monitors where users go, whom they talk to and what they write in text messages. The American authorities say it is not clear whether this represents secretive data mining fo... more »
This Is The NSA's Spy Hub In New York City
*Ryan Gallagher and Henrik Moltke, The Intercept*: *Titanpointe* *The NSA’s Spy Hub in New York, Hidden in Plain Sight* They called it Project X. It was an unusually audacious, highly sensitive assignment: to build a massive skyscraper, capable of withstanding an atomic blast, in the middle of New York City. It would have no windows, 29 floors with three basement levels, and enough food to last 1,500 people two weeks in the event of a catastrophe. But the building’s primary purpose would not be to protect humans from toxic radiation amid nuclear war. Rather, the fortified skyscrap... more »
Sanders Is Willing To Work With Trump
Bernie Sanders is willing to ally with President-elect Donald Trump to help fulfil his centre-left campaign promises. The Vermont senator said on Thursday that Trump’s campaign spoke of the concerns of the working class and promised to work with the President-elect…. “if Mr. Trump was sincere.” CNN Politics reports: “If Mr. Trump has the guts to stand up to those corporations,” said the former Democratic presidential candidate, “he will have an ally with me.” The willingness on the part of Sanders, a longtime democratic socialist, to work with Trump on a series of economic issues ... more »
Scary Headlines About Thames Estuary Sea Levels Don’t Stand Up To Scrutiny
By Paul Homewood h/t TomO https://twitter.com/DrSimEvans/status/799214738718736385 Latest news from the “We’re all going to drown department”. Simon Evans, who is Policy Editor at Carbon Brief, and calls himself a Doctor, is referring to a recent publication by the Environment Agency – TE2100 5 Year Monitoring Review. But as is usually […]
Musk wants to piss me off: Gigafactory #2 planned for Czechia
Elon Musk has done some good things but in recent years, he's been notorious for several Ponzi schemes, economically unwise big projects that have to be fed by subsidies and constantly added and exponentially growing new investments by increasingly brainwashed Musk investors who resemble a religious sect. *Tesla's PMD 85, a Czechoslovak answer to Sinclair ZX Spectrum in the mid 1980s. We did have those in Pilsen's Station of Young Technologists but PMD 85 was generally widespread in Slovak schools while Czech schools were full of IQ 151, a much less compact and overheated product.... more »
Scientific publisher hacked, affecting 65 papers
A publisher in the Netherlands has retracted 13 published studies and withdrawn 52 that were under consideration (but not yet published) after learning that someone illegally accessed its workflows to add fake authors and manipulate text. According to Seyyed Mohammad Miri, the founder, CEO, and managing director of Kowsar Publishing, the 13 retracted papers all included extra authors […] The post Scientific publisher hacked, affecting 65 papers appeared first on Retraction Watch.
North Dakota Cops Get 'Doxed' and Don't Like It
An Officer smiling as he sprays Warrior Women with OC Spray. Photo copyright by photographer. By Brenda Norrell Censored News The Morton County Sheriff Department -- responsible for shoorting water protectors with rubber bullets, tear-gassing them, beating them, strip searching them, and jailing them in 'dog kennel's with Nazi type numbers written on their arms -- says it has been 'doxed.'
TEABAGGED: In praise of reductionist solitarism!
*FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016—Epilogue—Our tribe's modern rules for the road:* Did we liberal get teabagged last Tuesday night? We'd have to say that we did. Here's how the bagging went down: When the teabaggers first appeared on the scene, we were honest enough to push back. We called them racists, homophobes, bigots, misogynists, nativists and Islamophobes. Their xenophobia was also quite clear. They didn't much care for our truth-telling ways. The baggers have always been like that! Certain people keep insisting that We should take a different approach. Plainly, Professor Arlie ...more »
Civil Lawsuits Could Pursue Trump, Like They Pursued Clinton, for the Rest of His Time in Office
*Donald Trump, not yet president-elect, ironically seated with Paula Jones (right), the woman who established the right of a citizen to sue a sitting president* *by Gaius Publius* In an unusually ironic twist, the Paula Jones lawsuit against a sitting president, Bill Clinton, has set a precedent for four years of lawsuits against another sitting president, Donald Trump. With a caveat. Story first, then the caveat. From Stephanie Mencimer writing at *Mother Jones* (my emphasis): *How Paula Jones Paved the Way for Donald Trump to Be Repeatedly Dragged Into Court as President* *The... more »
Israel’s Parliament Gives Preliminary Approval To Legalize Settlements
The Israeli parliament has approved a draft bill that would legalize settler homes built on private Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, a measure that has drawn condemnation by left-wing MPs and Israel’s close ally, the United States. Pro-settlement nationalists that dominate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government voted to move the bill through the Knesset on Wednesday. Palestinians have condemned the bill and also the international community’s inaction. Press TV reports: The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Thursday urged the international community to “u... more »
Untitled
*From Jenna Orkin *A report that fake news 'outperformed' real news on Facebook suggests the problem is wildly out of contro Brazilian police arrest former governor in $64 million embezzlement probe The largest oil deposit ever found in America was just discovered in Texas War On Cash Intensifies: Citibank To Stop Accepting Cash At Some Branches Saudis, China Dump Treasuries; Foreign Central Banks Liquidate A Record $375 Billion In US Paper Zero Hedge Targeted On Liberal Professor's List of "Fake News" Sources Two-Thirds Of Workers In Developing Nations To Be Replaced by Robots, Repo... more »
Morning Musical Interlude: George Winston, “Sea”
George Winston, “Sea” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXEm72YtMJU
“Dealing with Difficult People: Opening the Channels of Communication"
*“Dealing with Difficult People:* *Opening the Channels of Communication"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM “We all have the experience of difficult people in our lives at one point or another and honest but clear communication is the answer. We encounter a wide variety of people throughout our lives. Many of them touch us in some positive way. Occasionally, however, we encounter those individuals who, for whatever reason, can be difficult to deal with. Perhaps this person is a colleague or close friend that you feel is deliberately being obtuse, inviting in trouble, or doing foolish ... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Desperate Ground'
DESPERATE GROUND Posted on November 18, 2016 Post & Distribute. MNN. Nov. 18, 2016. Our enemy, DAPL and their corpo cohorts, are accelerating their criminal activity and war-mongering of the Lakota at Standing Rock. We and our friends and allies are facing organized criminals who are deliberately destroying great turtle island, and our environment. We are all targeted and being directly
Failure to comply with CBCA not, standing alone, oppressive conduct
Mennillo v. Intramodal inc, 2016 SCC 51: There are two elements of an oppression claim. The claimant must first identify the expectations that he or she claims have been violated and establish that the expectations were reasonably held. Then the claimant must show that those reasonable expectations were violated by conduct falling within the statutory terms, that is, conduct that was oppressive, unfairly prejudicial to or unfairly disregarding of the interests of any security holder. The fact that a corporation fails to comply with the requirements of the *CBCA *does not, on it... more »
"The Choice Of Achilles..."
"Suppose that we are wise enough to learn and know- and yet not wise enough to control our learning and knowledge, so that we use it to destroy ourselves? Even if that is so, knowledge remains better than ignorance. It is better to know- even if the knowledge endures only for the moment that comes before destruction- than to gain eternal life at the price of a dull and swinish lack of comprehension of a universe that swirls unseen before us in all its wonder. That was the choice of Achilles, and it is mine, too." - Isaac Asimov
The FRAUD "Refugee Crisis" In Europe: It Never Was About "Refugees" But About Destroying Europe!
For quite a while now, I called this "refugee crisis" that has been flooding into Europe a massive fraud... I stated clearly that the reality is that these "refugees", that the Jew spew media has been trying to sell to the dumb ass and gullible people that still watch their crap, are NOT refugees at all but are in fact illegal migrant workers that the criminals that run most European nations are allowing into their countries to basically have them destroyed... It is an insult and a travesty to the people living in Europe that have developed their cultures and their identities for se... more »
Michael Flynn Offered Post As Trump’s National Security Adviser
President-elect Donald Trump has offered retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn the post of national security adviser. The former DIA chief has been criticized by some for his refusal to taking an anti-Russian stance. RT reports: The 57-year-old three-star general, who once ran the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), is considered a controversial figure in US circles for a number of reasons. In May, he claimed in an Al Jazeera interview that the rise of Islamic extremism in the Middle East, including the emergence of Al-Nusra Front and Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Sy... more »
The Poet: Charles Bukowski, “roll the dice”
*“roll the dice”* "if you’re going to try, go all the way. otherwise, don’t even start. if you’re going to try, go all the way. this could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs and maybe your mind. go all the way. it could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days. it could mean freezing on a park bench. it could mean jail, it could mean derision, mockery, isolation. isolation is the gift, all the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. and you’ll do it despite rejection and the worst odds and it will be better than anything else you can imagine. if yo... more »
"Memo To Millennials: That Awful Feeling You've Got Is Called Losing"
*"Memo To Millennials: * *That Awful Feeling You've Got Is Called Losing"* by Piers Morgan "Cheer up, American millennials! I mean, seriously, CHEER THE **** UP! Oh, I know you’ve had a rough week ever since Donald Trump won the election. But it’s time to get a grip. STOP crying. STOP taking personal days off work to ‘process’ what happened. STOP huddling with your equally distraught buddies in Starbucks over your Venti Iced White Chocolate Mocha. STOP howling away on social media about how unfair life is and how it’s the end of the planet as we know it. STOP updating the exact numbe... more »
1984 Unfolding as Public Surveillance Technologies Deployed Without Consent
*Isaac Davis* - Privacy and anonymity are the enemies of the state. The post 1984 Unfolding as Public Surveillance Technologies Deployed Without Consent appeared first on Waking Times.
Sphere Alliance #216 The Arc of Gabriel
Sophia from New Zealand wrote: Howdy Terran, I feel guided to run the above topic past you. I live in New Zealand and there is SO much activity transpiring down here in the southern hemisphere right now as you will be aware. The Arc of Gabriel was supposedly discovered in September 2015 under a mosque in Mecca. A series of ominous events took place following its discovery which I'm sure you will find fascinating upon further inquiry, provided you don't already know. This artifact was moved from Mecca to Antarctica in November under a shroud of secrecy. John Kerry visited Anta... more »
Sphere Alliance #216 The Arc of Gabriel
Sophia from New Zealand wrote: Howdy Terran, I feel guided to run the above topic past you. I live in New Zealand and there is SO much activity transpiring down here in the southern hemisphere right now as you will be aware. The Arc of Gabriel was supposedly discovered in September 2015 under a mosque in Mecca. A series of ominous events took place following its discovery which I'm sure you will find fascinating upon further inquiry, provided you don't already know. This artifact was moved from Mecca to Antarctica in November under a shroud of secrecy. John Kerry visited Anta... more »
Mosul Campaign Day Thirty-Two, Nov 17, 2016
The Golden Division announced it freed five neighborhoodsin eastern Mosul. Tahrirand Adenhowever had been cleared once before, and Khadra three times. That unit along with elements of the 16th Division attackedfour otherareas of the city, but again one of them, Palestinewas declared freed before. There was also mopping up operations in Gogjali, which was the first place entered by the Golden Division in the east. In the south the Federal Police and Hashd were moving forward. The Federal Police tookfive townsin the southeast. One of those, Hamza, had been freed twice already. In t... more »
Donald the Dread
This might sound perverse, but as part of my post-Trump therapy I've been reading a biography of Ivan the Terrible. No, I am not steeling myself for the dark days when the American Tsar (Caesar) and his corporate coalition of Oprichniki flay his political opponents alive before poking holes in the icy Potomac to dispose of their dismembered bodies. (especially since it's been the Hottest Year on Record for each of the last several hot years.) And I really doubt that Trump will personally murder one of his own sons and drink his blood for dessert. (although, once Obama hands over his... more »
Tomato study didn’t get co-author okays, includes unreliable data
A journal has retracted a paper examining the traits of drought-resistant tomatoes after an investigation at the first author’s institution in Italy found a number of problems. For starters, the first author — Maria Riccardi of the National Research Council of Italy-Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems in the Mediterranean (CNR-ISAFOM) in Ercolano, Naples, Italy — […] The post Tomato study didn’t get co-author okays, includes unreliable data appeared first on Retraction Watch.
US Led Coalition NOT backing Turkish Move on Al-Bab: ISIS leaves 8 Villages for Kurds
*Yup, ISIS just walked away from 8 Syrian villages. US backed ISIS hands 8 Syrian villages over to US backed Kurdish militias PKK/YPG.* *Ekurd * *Colonel John Dorrian- REMEMBER THAT NAME!* * The US-led international coalition battling to defeat the Islamic State* group *is not backing a drive by Turkish forces and Syrian rebels to retake a jihadist stronghold* in northern Syrian, the Pentagon said Wednesday. *Clearly Turkey and the US are no longer allies (save for turncoats still embedded in Turkish military?)* *Their offensive on the city of Al-Bab is not being supported by coali... more »
Pie In The Sky-- White Workers Put Their Future In The Hands Of Donald Trump
Last week Noah introduced *DWT* readers to union activist Joe Hill for a quote he's most famous for, made just before he was executed by a firing squad, "Don't waste any time mourning. Organize!" Hill was a Swedish immigrant who, age 23, came to the U.S. in 1902. He was a day laborer and rose in the ranks of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World, AKA- the Wobblies). He was a union organized, known for his political songs and invented the phrase "pie in the sky." The video up top is the documentary Bernie Sanders made in 1979 about Eugene V Debs, one of the founders of the IWW.... more »
Origin of Loneliness - A Quotation from Carl G. Jung
*“Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.”* Carl G. Jung
Professor Francis Boyle's opinion of the ICC on Israel-Palestine
"International Criminal Court Prosecutor's Report 14 Nov. 2016 p. 32 “…Additionally, the Office engaged with the law faculty at Hebrew University….” LOL! On Land Stolen from the Palestinians in violation of the Laws of War and thus a War Crime. Meanwhile the ICC refused to go to Gaza to investigate the situation there after Israel’s slaughter of over 2000+ Palestinians in Gaza. So the War
The Ball Is In The Government's Court
The NDP has come out in favour of holding a referendum on electoral reform. Given the recent history of such efforts -- Brexit and the American election -- we're getting into dangerous territory. The status quo looks more and more like the outcome. Dennis Pilon writes that there are essentially three positions on electoral reform: Since the Liberals announced their plan to move forward on voting system reform, responses have fallen into three broad categories. One response insists that everything about changing the voting system is constitutional in nature and would, at the very ... more »
Was Astronaut Warning About Aliens Before Suicide Attempt?
It has been claimed that French astronaut Claudie Haigneré screamed “Earth must be warned!” before she attempted suicide in 2008. It was widely reported that Haigneré had to be rushed to hospital after she tried to commit suicide. It was alleged that she had to “be restrained” after yelling out her caution prior to falling into a coma following an overdose of sleeping pills. The laboratory where she worked was also allegedly destroyed by fire. The following YouTube film by UFOmania has recently resurfaced examining her story. New York Post reports: In 1993, esteemed scientist Clau... more »
Editor's Note
Stuck in meetings this morning. Blogging will return around 13:00 EST.
Will The New Trump Administration Appoint 'Neocons' To The Government?
*Blake Franko, National Interest:* *Who Cares What the Neocons Think?* The new administration should not listen to neoconservatives like Eliot A. Cohen, who enthusiastically led America into fiascos such as the Iraq War. George Orwell once famously observed that Western intellectuals, more often than not, harbor a dirty secret. For all their pious talk about democracy or equality, their true temptation is to “usher in a hierarchical society where the intellectual can at last get his hands on the whip.” Orwell was talking about James Burnham, who went from being a prominent Trotsky... more »
Why The Pentagon Secrecy About A Flight Over Denver?
*The Denver Channel:* *Navy identifies mystery plane over Denver; Its mission still a secret* DENVER -- A plane shrouded in mystery captured the attention of thousands on Wednesday. Nobody knew why a high-altitude plane circled the City of Denver for hours. Now the Navy has some answers. Denver7 tracked IRON99 as it traveled from the West Coast to Oklahoma, where it eventually landed at Tinker Air Force Base, however it spent roughly an hour in Denver, circling in a racetrack-style holding pattern over the city. A clear day allowed thousands to see the flight path and contrails... more »
Maybe The US Navy Should Look At Science Fiction To Learn How To Defeat China
*James Holmes, National Interest*: *How Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica Can Teach the U.S. Navy to Defeat China* *Should China’s navy look to the Cylons?* How would you punk the U.S. Navy if the lords of naval warfare handed you the keys to, say, China’s navy? Well, you might do the obvious thing: read or watch some science fiction! In the latest Star Trek flick, for instance, a new foe harnesses swarm tactics to eviscerate the starship Enterprise. A coordinated stream of small craft overpowers the starship’s defenses through the simple expedient of presenting more targets tha... more »
Tweet For Today
Another 100 migrants feared drowned in Mediterranean https://t.co/B1ZAc951Ca pic.twitter.com/juJ6bIimX7 — AFP news agency (@AFP) November 17, 2016
Canadian Army Recruitment Website Hacked With The Website Redirected To The Chinese Government
Users trying to visit the Canadian Forces recruiting website were redirected to this Chinese government page. *Global News:* *Hacked Canadian Forces website taken down after redirecting to Chinese state portal* Canadians trying to learn about career opportunities with the military instead found themselves staring at the landing page of the Chinese central government’s official web portal after the website forces.ca was apparently hacked Thursday to redirect users to the gov.cn domain. The recruiting website, registered by the Department of National Defence (DND) in February 2001, ... more »
Some Propagandists Are More Equal Than Others
President Obama momentarily forgot his conciliatory overtures to President-elect Trump the other day as he grasped at yet another straw man to blame for the ignominious defeat of Hillary Clinton. Not only did the Real Media fall down on their assigned job of propagandizing Hillary or Bust, complained Obama, but something called "Fake News" has arisen from the Internet swamp and gobbled up all our brains. This sad state of affairs has even taken the self-burnished luster right off his own final propaganda tour of the globe. As a stalwart example of Real Media in the service of the po... more »
Mexico: A Beam on the Tombstone
*Mexico: A Beam on the Tombstone* *By Scott Corrales (c) 2016* A few years ago I wrote an article discussing the unusual interest displayed by the UFO phenomenon,regardless of its nature or provenance, with cemeteries and burial sites of all kinds: *A Touch of Darkness-Cemeteries and UFOs * (http://inexplicata.blogspot.com.ng/2012/06/touch-of-darkness-cemeteries-and-ufos.html_ Today, I learned that Mexican author *Oscar Zapién Jimeno* had contributed another piece to this fascinating and creepy puzzle in an article for *Reporte Ovni* magazine: *"Platillos Voladores en el Cementerio... more »
“Human Condition And Human Nature”
*“Human Condition And Human Nature”* by MeaningsOf Life "For in fact what is man in nature? A Nothing in comparison with the Infinite, an All in comparison with the Nothing, a mean between nothing and everything. Since he is infinitely removed from comprehending the extremes, the end of things and their beginning are hopelessly hidden from him in an impenetrable secret; he is equally incapable of seeing the Nothing from which he was made, and the Infinite in which he is swallowed up. We burn with desire to find solid ground and an ultimate sure foundation whereon to build a tower r... more »
Libingan ng mga Bayani... at Diktador-Kawatan
Noontime today, former dictator and President of the Philippines for 20 years (1965 to late February 1986), Ferdinand Marcos was hurriedly and secretly buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LnmB, Cemetery for Heroes). Air Force choppers were used to transport the coffin, etc. and flew straight from Ilocos to LnmB. *Ang bagong pangalan na nito dapat ay "Libingan ng mga Bayani, at Diktador-Kawatan". Naghalo na ang mga bayani at anti-bayani, magnanakaw at berdugo sa sementeryong iyon.* Good points from Bernard Ong. The photos and memes I just added here, taken from the web and fb. ... more »
Greg Hunter, “Weekly News Wrap-Up 11/18/20016”
*“Weekly News Wrap-Up 11/18/20016”* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "The mainstream media (MSM) is in full panic mode as it realizes it is becoming irrelevant. Now there is a so-called list of “fake news” sites out and Breitbart.com and InfoWars.com are on the list. That is an outrageous claim considering President Elect Trump has called Alex Jones at InfoWars.com to thank him for the coverage. It is preposterous to think Trump would call a “fake news” site to thank them. Also, Steve Bannon, who used to run Breitbart, is being tapped by Trump to be his top advisor. The MSM is los... more »
Election 2016 and the Growing Global Nuclear Threat
The real threat to all those treaties is actually in the form of tactical nuclear weapons. A viable argument can be made regarding their use. In fact certain experts have claimed that they were used to bring down the world Trade towers on 9/11 and more recently that rail yard in China. My concern is that this is not an unreasonable conjecture and may well be the tip of a much larger testing program. This devices could be tested over the Southern Oceans forever with no one noticing. What i am saying is that the threat could be real and immediate. With Trump as president ... more »
Down-Ballot Republicans Jump at Chance to Emulate Trump
[image: Senator John McCain speaks at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry's Annual Legislative Luncheon in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 25, 2014. (Photo: Gage Skidmore)] If this election merely ends politicians never saying what they actually think and sounding like a band of trained seals, then perhaps it was all a good thing. Authenticity wins votes. Voters do not mind if you are loose with your tongue as they are also. What they want is action and plenty of sober second thought. That is what the Trump style portends. He too can react and get it wrong. Then y... more »
Electric Cars to reshape Copper and Oil Demand
I do agree that the development of the EV has now matured to the point that it will become common place. It has taken a full decade of serious effort to reach a natural tipping point. The surprise is that we are still dealing with this option almost alone. So called free energy devices do work and will turn out to be easily switched into this industry. That be as it may there is one other issue worth addressing and that is the reality that the copper option is a weight pig and we have always known this. Once we are comfortable on a manufactured vehicle it will m... more »
The Greatest Invention of One Thousand Years Ago
Sometimes we truly need to be reminded that some apparently small thing just happens to be the wedge that allows greatness to flow into our world. we know from this that the inventor died not even glimpsing how far his invention would reach. Yet it is as basic as our alphabet which i must say took vastly more human effort to reach its modern form. Its importance was apparent from first inception but its lack of utility was also apparent and it was the Greeks that finally put it to bed after about three thousand years. It took another thousand years for the number zero to be a... more »
Tye, Wong claim that type IIB string theory generically predicts a tiny cosmological constant
*...along with very light scalars...* According to the rules of naturalness in quantum field theory, the observed small Higgs mass is unlikely (because unless some special adjustments are made, scalar fields "love" to eat loops and become as fat as the cutoff scales) and therefore deserves an extra explanation, much like the even tinier magnitude of the cosmological constant (the energy density of the vacuum, the dark energy). However, in the new paper Linking Light Scalar Modes with A Small Positive Cosmological Constant in String Theory Henry Tye and Sam Wong claim that string t... more »
Only 8 Years Ago Alarmists Were Sure the U.S. Was Out of Gas
Many environmentalists and anti-business people in the U.S., most centered in the Democrat Socialist Party, were sure that the U.S. production of oil and gas was going to rapidly dwindle. It was one of their many reasons for attacking U.S. oil companies as dinosaurs of the past. It was time to make these dinosaurs extinct, at least with a government-controlled and accelerated culling and size-reduction plan. Oil and gas when burned both produced the fatal gas carbon dioxide, which was claimed to be slowly or not so slowly killing the planet. We were told that the only energy that... more »
FBI: Rumors About Clinton Pedophile Ring Are True
Multiple sources within the FBI and NYPD have confirmed Hillary Clinton’s involvement in a massive pedophile ring in Washington DC. According to experts on Reddit, insiders have recently confirmed rumors that a child sex scandal involving the Clinton’s and their cronies are true and about to become public knowledge. Reddit.com reports: It seems that things are about to heat up. We are told that of the 662,871 emails lifted from Anthony Weiner’s computer, 11,112 emails are Huma Abedin’s… and pay to play – including Saudis and Israelis. Meaning Huma was the one Hillary used to comm... more »
Is the Wake up Alarm going off?
Was the Matrix movie more of a documentary than we dared to believe? Spontaneous chat between Lisa M Harrison, Dani Arnold McKenny and friends.
Picture Of The Day
*Searching A Suspect* A soldier helps search a mock suspect while a military working dog stands ready during a training exercise at the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital at Fort Belvoir, Va., September 13th, 2016. Army photo by Sgt. Cody W. Torkelson
Geeky Gamer Responsible For Internet Outage, Not Russia
The person responsible for shutting down large parts of the US internet in October was a disgruntled gamer, and not a Russian operative. Dale Drew, chief security officer for Level 3 Communications, told a Congressional panel that the geeky hacker had rented time on a botnet in order to launch the attack. Phys.org reports: Using a powerful malware known as Mirai, the attacker harnessed some 150,000 “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices such as cameras, lightbulbs and appliances to overwhelm the systems of Dynamic Network Services Inc, or Dyn, which operates a key hub in the internet,... more »
Malik Obama Blasts Mainstream Media As ‘Fake News’
Barack Obama’s half brother, Malik Obama, has called on the public to boycott mainstream media, labelling them as mostly “fake news”. In a series of tweets, Malik blasted news outlets such as CNN, MSNBC and the New York Times as being biased against Donald Trump. Everybody. Please boycott CNN! — Malik Obama (@ObamaMalik) November 16, 2016 Infowars.com reports: Malik’s latest tweets follow statements over the weekend concerning unfair coverage from the New York Times and other establishment outlets still hellbent on publishing negative stories about President-Elect Donald Trump. Reg... more »
Is The U.S. On Pace To Increase The Debt By $2.4 Trillion This Year
*Zero Hedge/Sovereign Man*: *Obama on pace to increase the debt by $2.4 trillion this year* OK, this is pretty nuts. According to data released by the Treasury Department yesterday, the US national debt has soared by a whopping $294 billion since the start of the 2017 fiscal year, just 45 days ago. That’s an annualized increase of 14%. So if they keep up this pace, the national debt will increase by $2.4 trillion this fiscal year, surpassing $21 trillion by next September. It’s hard to believe how rapidly the debt is growing; debt growth is far outpacing the growth of the US eco... more »
How Big Is Fake News?
*New York Times*: *Obama, With Angela Merkel in Berlin, Assails Spread of Fake News* BERLIN — In his strongest public comments since the election, President Obama on Thursday sharply criticized the spread of fake news online and said that President-elect Donald J. Trump would not remain in office for long if he failed to take the job seriously. Mr. Obama made his remarks at a news conference in Berlin beside the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, one of his closest allies on the Continent, calling the pair “veterans” of the international political stage. Ms. Merkel was unusually s... more »
Will Trump Be The American Duterte?
*DWT* isn't the only news source which has noted the scary similarities between Trump and Filipino authoritarian crackpot Rodrigo Duterte. This week Adrian Chen fleshed out the claims-- and fears-- for *New Yorker* readers: When A Populist Demagogue Takes Power. He's using a war against drugs to have anyone he wants killed with impunity-- over 3,000 since he took office in May. A foul-mouthed, homophobic bully and compulsive liar, Duterte paints himself as a rebel opposing the Philippines' entrenched elites, who he has termed "feudal." Like Trump, he keeps promising to behave more... more »
Exhausted Hillary Clinton May Be Suffering From Dementia
Hillary Clinton may be suffering from dementia, according to her daughter Chelsea who sent out a Tweet suggesting her mother has the fatal brain disease. Hillary’s campaign seemed to take a dramatic nosedive shortly after she collapsed at the September 11th memorial in New York City, which forced the Clinton Campaign to downplay longstanding rumors that she had a deadly illness. Up until this week, the Clinton camp refused to admit that Hillary’s ill health was anything more than a bout of pneumonia. However, Chelsea posted a tweet on Thursday that suggests her mother may have be... more »
Obama's Corporate Apartheid -- Standing Rock Reminiscent of Apartheid South Africa
Apartheid South Africa Standing Rock Water Protectors Attacked by Militarized Police and Attack Dogs of Dakota Access Pipeline. Cannon Ball, North Dakota, September through November 2016.OBAMA, YOU COULD HAVE STOPPED THIS! Obama said two weeks ago, "We are going to let it play out for several more weeks" By Brenda Norrell Censored News Militarized police repeatedly beat the
"I Marvel..."
"The finest thing under the sun and moon is the human soul. I marvel at the small miracles of kindness that pass between humans, I marvel at the growth of conscience, at the persistence of reason in the face of all superstition or despair. I marvel at human endurance." - Anne Rice "What can we know? What are we all? Poor silly half-brained things peering out at the infinite, with the aspirations of angels and the instincts of beasts." - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Musical Interlude: 2002, “Lady of the Moon”
2002, “Lady of the Moon” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lm8safHurM
Musical Interlude: Michael Jackson, “Earth Song”
Michael Jackson, “Earth Song” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAi3VTSdTxU "Humans, I finally decided after a few more minutes of watching him, are paradoxically capable of both unattainable depths of kindness and unimaginable depths of cruelty, sometimes within the same body..." - Kiley MacLeod
"A Look to the Heavens"
“One of the bright spiral galaxies visible in the north sky is M63, the Sunflower Galaxy. M63, also catalogued as NGC 5055, can be found with a small telescope toward the constellation of Hunting Dogs (Canes Venatici). The featured picture from the Hubble Space Telescope exhibits the center of M63, complete with long winding spiral arms glowing blue from a few bright young stars, emission nebulae glowing red from hot ionized hydrogen gas, and dark dust in numerous filaments. M63 interacts gravitationally with M51 (the Whirlpool Galaxy) and several smaller galaxies. *Click image for l... more »
Chet Raymo, “The Incredible Potential of Unexpectedness”
*“The Incredible Potential of Unexpectedness”* by Chet Raymo “The Jesuit scientist/mystic Teilhard de Chardin imagined what he called a "noosphere" (from the Greek word for "mind") as the next stage of terrestrial evolution- an envelope of pure human thought embracing the planet. This would be the inevitable result of human progress on a spherical Earth of finite surface area. We rub up against each other. We are stimulated by proximity. Railroads and airplanes extend the range of our interaction. Better still (he wrote), "thanks to the prodigious biological event represented by t... more »
The Universe
“There is always something to be happy about. Truly happy. And if you have the audacity to find it and the courage to make it your focus, in spite of the countless temptations to do otherwise, you will have learned well, your life will be transformed, and all things will be added unto you. Trust me, I have connections.” "End" game, The Universe "Thoughts become things, choose the good ones." - http://www.tut.com
“Committing Suicide is Also Radical.” ~ Arun Shourie on Currency Demonetization
Yesterday I saw on NDTV an interesting interview by Arun Shourie. He said the government had not anticipated the distress that would be caused by doing "away with 85% of Indian currency." The government’s sudden decision on 8th November to ban Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes has led to chaos in the country. Tens of millions of people are spending hours in queues outside banks and ATMs everyday. The transport industry, according to media reports, has come to a standstill. Farmers are suffering. The markets are shutting down as people are not willing to spend on anything except e... more »
The Poet: Stephen Levine“Half Life”
*“Half Life”* "We walk through half our life as if it were a fever dream, barely touching the ground, our eyes half open, our heart half closed. Not half knowing who we are, we watch the ghost of us drift from room to room, through friends and lovers never quite as real as advertised. Not saying half we mean or meaning half we say, we dream ourselves from birth to birth seeking some true self. Until the fever breaks and the heart can not abide a moment longer as the rest of us awakens, summoned from the dream, not half caring for anything but love." ~ Stephen Levine
The Daily "Near You?"
Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA. Thanks for stopping by!
What's Distracting Me Now: Fall 2016 Edition
So we've a few Penny Dreadful Call of Cthulhu sessions under our belt right now. Our adding the pulp rules definitely add a bit of a twist - our most recent session had a character survive a blow from a Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath that would have been fatal in a non-pulp rules set. I've got the next 2 adventures pretty much ready so of course I've been flipping through other gaming stuff on my shelves. The Star Trek RPG playtest is coming up - we've had some thoughts of trying that out. The playtest materials should be out soon so we'll see how that looks. The Golden Age Champi... more »
Friday Arvo Ramble, 18.11.16
[image: 15027368_1255923874465124_6730414110345738271_n] “Geonet have been busy measuring how much the ground moved in this week’s earthquakes.” *Measuring the ground movement* – YOUR NZ “I hear folk who think it’s simple; who wonder why even in a “moderate” quake Wellington’s buildings seem to be falling apart. The thing is that designing to respond properly to every earthquake means designing to respond to every *possible* earthquake – and there’s no way of knowing what earthquake you are going to get when even The Moderate One comes.” *Earthquake engineering is harder than yo... more »
"When The Preponderance of Human Beings Choose..."
"When the preponderance of human beings choose to act with justice and generosity and kindness, then learning and love and decency prevail. When the preponderance of human beings choose power, greed, and indifference to suffering, the world is filled with war, poverty, and cruelty." - Mary Doria Russell Look around... what do you see?
Military Drones And Drone Warfare Are Here To Stay
*Paul D. Shinkman, U.S. News and World Report:* *The Drone Age* A controversial technology has solidified its place in modern U.S. wars. When the history of drone warfare is written, the otherwise unremarkable battle of Manbij that liberated a small city in northern Syria from the clutches of the Islamic State group this summer could end up with a chapter of its own. Drones played an integral part of the fight for this key terrain roughly 20 miles from the Turkish border, representing a dramatic escalation of war planners' reliance on the remote-controlled machines for intelligenc... more »
Lather, Rinse, Repeat....
November 17, 2016 *Lather, Rinse, Repeat.... until..... you wake up....* By American Kabuki Seeing some common themes playing out nationally and with the world at large. Stuff circling back to addressed and finally let go. Its happening individually, it happened here this week with all of us. Madison Avenue set up quite a curious neural linguistic programming endless loop coding for its shampoo clients, "LATHER, RINSE, REPEAT"... and the implicit infinite loop that represents. A lot of lessons been repeated until its seen for what it is. And its becoming more forcefully in ... more »
Chasing Footnotes -The Socorro Case
As anyone who visits here regularly, you know that I chase footnotes. I sometimes try to find specific instances to make the case, but when I search without a known destination, it seems to be an impossible task. Instead, I find the bad footnotes by accident. This is just something that cannot be forced. Lonnie Zamora As you all also know, I have been looking into the symbol that Lonnie Zamora reported seeing on the side of the landed UFO. That research has bled into other areas, including the idea that other members of the Socorro Police Department or the New Mexico State Police s... more »
Rump: Couldn't The Republicans Come Up With Somebody Better Than This?
By Manifesto Joe One thing I've learned in 60-plus years on this planet is that political ideology is not the measure of a person. As a veteran blogger, I've personally known right-wingers who are stand-up folks, and lefties who aren't worth their own shit. And trying to change someone's mind on politics is like trying to change their religion. It tends to be a cognitive thing that one learns from one's parents or other authority figures. Even when it contradicts one's life lessons, you see people cling to those beliefs. I tend to avoid judging people by ideology, or by religion, b... more »
“The Fog of Politics”
*“The Fog of Politics”* by Jesse "People of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage. Intellectual myopia, often called stupidity, is no doubt a reason. But the privileged also feel that their privileges, however egregious they may seem to others, are a solemn, basic, God-given right. The sensitivity of the poor to injustice is a trivial thing compared with that of the rich." - John Kenneth Galbraith The sugar high of the Trump election seems to be wearing a bit thin on Wall Street. I had said at the time that... more »
The Iraqi City Of Tal Afar Is The Next Major Battle Against The Islamic State
*The Independent*: *'Isis is full of killers, the worst come from Tal Afar': Bitter fight for city ahead and the violence may not end there* *The city of Tal Afar has become notorious for sectarian hatred - with many worried that even an Isis defeat on the road to Mosul will not bring peace* Tal Afar is a small city notorious for sectarian hatred and slaughter, which may soon be engulfed by a final battle between Isis and its bitterest enemies. Shia paramilitaries seeking revenge for past massacres of their co-religionists may soon assault the place which has provided many of the ... more »
Dictators Don't Need Courts-- Just Ask Putin
Despite Lindsey Graham's public hissy fit on the matter, we'll probably never know the full extent of Putin's infiltration of the 2016 election, but what we do know is that Putin's puppet candidate is certainly the President-elect of the United States now, even though the other candidate got around 2.2 million more votes than he did-- albeit in the wrong states apparently. Putin ever so lightly hacked Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan... maybe Ohio. Or not. In any case, Trump's role model announced he had withdrawn Russia from the International Criminal Court. I checke... more »
The Economy: "The Pressing Problem Nobody Dares Discuss"
*"The Pressing Problem Nobody Dares Discuss"* by Charles Hugh-Smith "The list of pundits jostling for air time to add their two cents to discussions of hot-button issues such as immigration is endless. The airwaves and social media are overflowing with people wanting to comment on hot-button social issues, but when it comes to the the one truly critical dynamic that will shape the future- everyone's strangely silent. The reason nobody dares address this problem is that it has no solution within the current mode of production, i.e. the status quo. The problem is an oversupply of lab... more »
The Battle For Mosul Is Now Going Underground
*USA Today:* *Battle for Mosul goes underground: Column* *ISIL has had two years to dig intricate tunnels* The fight against the Islamic State terror group is heading underground. As Iraqi forces, with U.S. support, close in on Mosul, the toughest fighting likely will not be in the streets or door-to-door, but in sophisticated miles-long tunnel networks ISIL has constructed under the city. Fighting in this subterranean domain presents unique tactical, operational, technological and even legal challenges, for which the U.S. military must be better prepared. This is far from the fir... more »
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