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Musical Interlude: Kevin Kern, “Above The Clouds”
Kevin Kern, “Above The Clouds” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgdjnK6I2u0 "For I have learned To look on nature, not as in the hour Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes The still, sad music of humanity, Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power To chasten and subdue." - William Wordsworth, "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour, July 13, 1798"
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Tidally locked in synchronous rotation, the Moon always presents its familiar nearside to denizens of planet Earth. From lunar orbit, the Moon's farside can become familiar, though. In fact this sharp picture, a mosaic from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's wide angle camera, is centered on the lunar farside. *Click image for larger size.* Part of a global mosaic of over 15,000 images acquired between November 2009 and February 2011, the highest resolution version shows features at a scale of 100 meters per pixel. Surprisingly, the rough and battered surface of the farside looks v... more »
The Poor People Who Voted For Trump And For Republicans May Soon Learn What That Means To Their Families
Going into 2017, the *Christian Science Monitor* reminded its readers that boosting low wages has become less controversial as conservatives looked elsewhere to inflict their deadly ideology on working families. 19 states are about to see a rise in the minimum wage, causing the pay of more than 4 million workers go upon one fell swoop. Conservatives still make the same discredited, utrterly false argument about the minimum wage they’ve been making since the Black Plague decimated the English working class in 1348, prompting King Edward III to set a *maximum* wage, making it illegal... more »
Dog paddling, footnote
Jaffa, 19th century, print by A. Kohl., via National Maritime Museum, Haifa.Comment on a comment that grew too long. Philo, I think international law is on the side of decolonization everywhere it can be practiced, with the principles of self-determination and peaceful resolution (1919 and 1928) applying retroactively from the UN's Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples of 1960. So it took a long time between 1945 and 1960 to get there, especially for the French in North Africa and Indochina and the Dutch in Indonesia, but everybody would ulti... more »
Paulo Coelho, "Closing Cycles"
*"Closing Cycles"* by Paulo Coelho "One always has to know when a stage comes to an end. If we insist on staying longer than the necessary time, we lose the happiness and the meaning of the other stages we have to go through. Closing cycles, shutting doors, ending chapters– whatever name we give it, what matters is to leave in the past the moments of life that have finished. Did you lose your job? Has a loving relationship come to an end? Did you leave your parents’ house? Gone to live abroad? Has a long-lasting friendship ended all of a sudden? You can spend a long time wondering ... more »
"Morality..."
"Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace." - Oscar Wilde
A cartoonists' eye view of 2016: great moments from the "New Yorker" "Daily Cartoon's"
*"I blame the media."* *by Ken* "It's definitely been one year," concedes *The New Yorker*'s Colin Stokes as he looks back on 2016 in introducting "2016: The Year in Cartoons, a slide show drawn not from the heap of cartoons published in the magazine but from the website's "Daily Cartoon" blog, for which, on a rotating basis, stalwarts from the magazine's Cartoon Corps stand watch over the cartoonable universe, "getting up every day, " notes Colin, "reading the news, and forming it into a cartoon." It has to be, you would think, a markedly different process from their normal creat... more »
Plutocracy I: Political Repression in the U.S.A. + Plutocracy II: Solidarity Forever (must-see)
Dandelion Salad Part I originally published Jan. 2, 2016 by Scott Noble Dissident Voice December 31, 2015 Plutocracy is the first documentary to comprehensively examine early American history through the lens of class. A multi-part series by filmmaker Scott Noble, Part I focuses on the the ways in which the American people have historically been divided on the basis of […]
Bonus Quotes of the Day: On fake news
*“By all means: Let’s confront and defeat the menace of Fake News. But to do so, it’s critical that one not be selective in which type one denounces, and it is particularly important that one not sanction Fake News when it promotes one’s own political objectives. Most important of all is that those who want to lead the cause of denouncing Fake News not convert themselves into its most prolific disseminators whenever the claims of a Fake News account are pleasing or self-affirming."* ~ Glenn Greenwald from ‘The Guardian’s Summary of Julian Assange’s Interview Went Viral and Was C... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 30, 2016
*Al Jazeera/Inside Story:* *How will a Trump presidency impact sanctions on Russia?* *Moscow opted to wait for Trump's move rather than retaliate after US expulsion of Russian diplomats.* US President Barack Obama slapped sanctions on Moscow and gave 35 Russian diplomats just 72 hours to leave the United States over alleged Russian interference in the US election. Russia's foreign minister recommended Moscow does the same, but Russian President Vladimir Putin decided against that. Putin wants to know where President-elect Donald Trump stands on the issue. US intelligence agencie... more »
Reducing Sunspot activity indicates Global COOLING.
From NASA: (link) Sunspot Numbers In 1610, shortly after viewing the sun with his new telescope, Galileo Galilei (or was it Thomas Harriot?) made the first European observations of Sunspots. Continuous daily observations were started at the Zurich Observatory in 1849 and earlier observations have been used to extend the records back to 1610. The sunspot number is calculated by first counting the number of sunspot groups and then the number of individual sunspots. The "sunspot number" is then given by the sum of the number of individual sunspots and ten times the number of groups. Si... more »
Global Warming Alarmist NY Times Discovers Cold Is 17 Times Deadlier
[image: global-warming-alarmist-ny-times-discovers-cold-is-17-times-deadlier] But don’t expect the *Times* to pull back on its non-stop global-warming propaganda and fake news.
World News Briefs -- December 30, 2016 (Evening Edition)
*BBC: **Syria conflict: Clashes reported despite truce* Fighting between government and rebel forces has been reported in parts of Syria despite a nationwide truce coming into force early on Friday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said there had been fierce clashes and air strikes in northern Hama province. It added that rebel-held Wadi Barada near Damascus was also bombarded. But the military denied doing so. There has been no comment from Turkey and Russia, which brokered the truce. *Read more *.... *MIDDLE EAST* Former Nusra Front critici... more »
AEC 18, Some presentations during the BWorld ASEAN regional forum
The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is one year old today, I am reposting some slides of some presentations during the BusinessWorld ASEAN Regional Forum last November 24, 2016, http://bweconomicforum.com/index.php/morning-session/ These two slides are from the keynote speech by Fernando Zobel de Ayala, "Building Globally-Competitive Enterprises". Mr. Ayala is the President and COO of the big conglomerate, Ayala Corporation. Yes, the AEC is our big partner, big ally, in the world. Big population, big consumers, big pool of workers and entrepreneurs, good mixture of cultural divers... more »
If You Were Chief of CIA Consciousness Ops
*Jon Rappoport* - Brain=computer=consciousness is the greatest covert op on the planet. The post If You Were Chief of CIA Consciousness Ops appeared first on Waking Times.
Science Discovers A Song that Reduces Anxiety by 65 Percent – Listen
*Anna Hunt* - Music soothes the savage beast. The post Science Discovers A Song that Reduces Anxiety by 65 Percent – Listen appeared first on Waking Times.
Giving Driver's Licenses to Illegal Aliens Makes Illegal Voting a Real Possibility
[image: giving-drivers-licenses-to-illegal-aliens-makes-illegal-voting-a-real-possibility] An estimated 806,000 illegal aliens have received driver’s licenses in California and a law letting voters register through the DMV could result in illegal aliens voting.
"Fate..."
"Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing directions. You change direction but the sandstorm chases you. You turn again, but the storm adjusts. Over and over you play this out, like some ominous dance with death just before dawn. Why? Because this storm isn't something that has nothing to do with you, This storm is you. Something inside you. So all you can do is give in to it, step right inside the storm, closing your eyes and plugging up your ears so the sand doesn't get in, and walk through it, step by step. There's no sun there, no moon, no direction, no sense... more »
"I'll Never Understand..."
"I'll never understand why some people can't just let others live their lives, you know," Danial said. "You don't have to understand. You don't have to agree. Just leave people alone. When I look at the moon and planets and stars, all that narrow-mindedness and hate seem so petty. The universe is such a big place. One hundred thousand light years just from one end of the Milky Way to the other. One hundred. Thousand. Light years. In the time it's taken for light to travel from one end of our galaxy to the other, thousands of generations have passed. It really makes you realize how s... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Mandelieu, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France Thanks for stopping by!
"Mu"
*"Mu"* "A strange game. The only winning move is not to play." - Joshua, "War Games" "There is a word, a concept, in Zen Buddhism that doesn't quite translate perfectly into the English language: Mu. Mu is the response given by a Zen monk to a question that cannot be meaningfully answered. It suggest that the question's premises are not real, that there is a state of emptiness that lies beyond yes and no, that the asker should unask the question - indeed, that anyone who would ask such a question in the first place might well to question his entire perspective on life. Though the... more »
Finding trust and understanding in autonomous technologies
David Danks, Professor of Philosophy and Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University at Science + Technology – The Conversation - 7 hours ago
In 2016, self-driving cars went mainstream. Uber’s autonomous vehicles became ubiquitous in neighborhoods where I live in Pittsburgh, and briefly in San Francisco. The U.S. Department of Transportation issued new regulatory guidance for them. Countless papers and columns discussed how self-driving cars should solve ethical quandaries when things go wrong. And, unfortunately, 2016 also saw the first fatality involving an autonomous vehicle. Autonomous technologies are rapidly spreading beyond the transportation sector, into health care, advanced cyberdefense and even autonomous wea... more »
President-Elect Trump Praises Russian President Putin Amid Hacking Expulsions
Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2016 *BBC*: *Russia-US row: Trump praises Putin amid hacking expulsions* US President-elect Donald Trump has praised Vladimir Putin after the Russian president ruled out a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of diplomats in a row over hacking. Mr Trump tweeted: "Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!" Mr Putin had earlier said Russia would not stoop to "irresponsible diplomacy". Washington expelled 35 diplomats over hacking relate... more »
Growing Doubts On The U.S. Russian Hacking Story
*Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone:* *Something About This Russia Story Stinks* Nearly a decade and a half after the Iraq-WMD faceplant, the American press is again asked to co-sign a dubious intelligence assessment. In an extraordinary development Thursday, the Obama administration announced a series of sanctions against Russia. Thirty-five Russian nationals will be expelled from the country. President Obama issued a terse statement seeming to blame Russia for the hack of the Democratic National Committee emails. "These data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed ... more »
Quote of the Day: On the demonisation of Israel
Today’s long quote is from Joshua Muravchik’s book Making David into Goliath: How the World Turned Against Israel*:* “[Around the world] Jews face mounting peril… [T]he number of places on Earth where Jews can reside in peace and security has been shrinking, and the question of the day is whether the countries of Europe will continue to be among them… “It makes little difference which comes first, hatred of Jews or hatred of Israel. The peril does not arise because the hatred is spreading: indeed it may not be spreading. The peril arises because the hatred is growing more ... more »
Would There Ever Be a “Problem of Blackness” Course?
[image: would-there-ever-be-a-problem-of-blackness-course] “The white race* is* the cancer of human history,” insisted writer Susan Sontag in 1967. Since then, anti-white race-hatred has gained enough currency to breed “white-privilege” theory, a college professor expressing a desire for “white genocide,” and “Problem of Whiteness” courses in academia — the latest example being one disgorged by the University of Wisconsin.
Debbie Reynolds (1932-2016)
*No, we're not allowed to embed this clip of Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, and Gene Kelly singing and dancing "Good Morning" from Singin' in the Rain, but you can watch it on YouTube, where it doesn't even look too bad expanded to full screen. Is this magic, or what?* *by Ken* Yes, yes, it's horrible, the sequence that on consecutive days brought the deaths of Carrie Fisher, at only 50, and then her mother, Debbie Reynolds, 84, after coping first with her daughter's heart attack, the seeming gradual recovery, and then the end for first the daughter and the next day the mother.... more »
Things I Learned in 2016
Instead of a customary look back, I'm nicking Paul's idea and having a think about what I've learned this year. We never stop learning, after all, and for anyone who comments on politics and society to make sense of them *in order to change them*, it behooves them to take stock and reflect. 1. Liberalism has gone the way of the walking dead. It is a ruling set of ideas every bit as decadent and useless as Conservatism, and 2016 was the year this was demonstrated in no uncertain terms. I would say more, but I'm brewing a post on this very topic in the near future. Thunder, stealing,... more »
Censored News Heroes 2016 -- Water Protectors of Standing Rock Camp
Censored News Heroes 2016 Water Protectors of Standing Rock Camp . Red Warrior Camp Frontline Water Defenders SiouxZ Dezbah, shot in the eye with a rubber bullet by militarized police only six feet away. Photo by Yvonne Gougelet . Sophia Wilansky, a water protector in Standing Rock Camp from New York.
Anonymous Just Hacked Bilderberg & Issued Ominous Threat — ‘Work for Humanity’ Or Lose It All
[image: bilderberg]Anonymous to Bilderberg: "we are inside your beloved banks and we are reading your assets. You won’t be safe anywhere near electricity anymore."
Political Change Does Not Affect the Underlying Scientific Incompetence
The election of Donald Trump should herald the dismemberment of the political alarmism over so-called global warming, but it does not begin to address the underlying problem, of gross incompetence in science today. As I have tried to inform everyone, there is no valid global climate science, and no competent climate scientists -- and the incompetence in climate science is just the tip of the iceberg in science today, across the board. I originally wrote the following comment for a Jo Nova post in October 2011 (this was before I began saving links, so I can't put one here). My commen... more »
Senior Chinese Spy Chief Arrested For Bribery And Corruption
*File photo of Ma Jian* *South China Morning Post:* *China to prosecute former senior spy chief for corruption* Ma Jian, who ran counter-espionage at the State Security Ministry, tried to hide wealth, use his power to help relatives’ businesses and interfere with the judiciary, Communist Party says China will prosecute a former senior spy chief for bribery and abuse of power, the Communist Party said in a brief statement on Friday. Ma Jian led counter-espionage operations at the Ministry of State Security, the vast secretive intelligence agency that monitors both citizens and for... more »
2004: Hunter Allegedly Shoots "Amphibian Alien"
*ARGENTINA: HUNTER HAS A UFO EXPERIENCE* *By Raul Oscar Chaves, CIUFOS-La PampaLocation: Rural area west of Toay, La Pampa (Argentina)Witnesses: TwoDate: December 2004* While stalking animals in a hunting preserve, two hunters witnessed a light described as “a full moon” engaging in ascent and descent movements on a hillside, subsequently coming close to the ground. The larger light – orange in color – was static while smaller multicolored lights danced around it. It is worth noting that at the time of the sighting, there was a moment of confusion, since two “full moons” were... more »
Obama’s Ouster of Russians Has U.S. Political Implications
[image: obama-s-ouster-of-russians-has-u-s-political-implications] While Obama's expulsion of 35 Russian intelligence operatives, and the sanctioning of five Russian entities and four individuals, may appear to be a foreign relations move, one can safely conclude that his actions have more to do with undermining the incoming Trump administration than taking pot-shots at Vladimir Putin.
Charles Rangel, 23-term N.Y. Democrat, Finally Packs It In
[image: charles-rangel-23-term-n-y-democrat-finally-packs-it-in] Rangel's moral, eithical, and political lapses, failures, and shortcomings are legendary.
Delete Your Account — Episode 30: Lessons From 2016
It's been a difficult year for everyone left-of-center, and, if we are going to be honest with ourselves, a lot of our assumptions have been seriously challenged. The post Delete Your Account — Episode 30: Lessons From 2016 appeared first on Shadowproof.
#TopTen | No. 8: 12 celebrities who wallow in hypocrisy
*Hypocrisy, they say, is the tribute vice pays to virtue – and there is no higher virtue to any celebrity than very public displays of altruism. Number eight in this year’s top-ten most popular posts here at NOT PC is a link to a report on celebrity hypocrisy. Turns out that nine out of ten Hollywood gasbags think that *other *people should sacrifice for their latest vacuous cause *… ------------------------------ *12 celebrities who wallow in hypocrisy* [image: MRC-report] It’s no sin to live palatially, not if you’ve earned it. It is rank hypocrisy however to maintain that... more »
Multiple timelines & viewpoints. Science fiction is international
For weekend-holiday distraction - and in our year-change mood - let's get back to *Science Fiction! *First, have a way cool look at the physics and paradoxes of time travel. A nonlinear history of time travel: Nautilus offers an excerpt from the mind-expanding experiment Time Travel: A History by James Gleick. As usual, a delightful, intellectual and verbal feast. Of course, this survey barely does credit to the array of possible means by which we sci fi authors try to weasel our way around causality and temporal protection. One is the *Multiverse Branching Point* or MBP. Take one... more »
Inside the Tiny, Uncluttered Mind of a Cop
A retired member of the exalted Brotherhood of State-Sanctified Coercion recently rebuked a heretic: *I take umbrage with your article for Lew Rockwell. While certainly I agree with your premise that one should not give to police charities and thereby expect special privileges, you cubby-hole police officers with your example in Idaho. How utterly disgusting that you berate this officer and his wife for exercising their Constitutional Right to file bankruptcy! You DO NOT KNOW their circumstances—they may have had extreme medical expenses with themselves or one of their child... more »
On The Front Lines Against The Islamic State
*Washington Post*: *On the road to Raqqa* A Kurdish-Arab force is closing in on the Islamic State’s capital in Syria, but there is still no plan to seize it. TAL SAMAN, Syria — “Raqqa we are coming” say the words spray-painted in Kurdish at the entrance to this empty little town, which lies on the front line of a U.S.-backed advance toward the Islamic State’s capital. The city of Raqqa is 17 miles away, a tantalizingly short hop to the place showcased in the militants’ propaganda videos as an Islamist utopia, where the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels were planned and where... more »
Putin gets the last laugh and makes Odumbo look like the irrelevant fool he is...
*on the dawn of a New Year.* Although we have the right to retaliate, we will not resort to *irresponsible ‘kitchen’ diplomacy *but will plan our further steps to restore Russian-US relations based on the policies of the Trump Administration. source There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. *21 days until a vastly scaled back inauguration day - as it should be. *The days of Odumbo crass and phony excess are over. No more fake Roman pillars. I have a house to clean. You just can't welcome in the New Year in a house that is not pristine. *What plans do you have for tomorrow?... more »
Sanctions for Election Hacking? More Escalation of the New Cold War
The Obama Admin is sanctioning Russia for alleged interference in the 2016 election cycle: Obama administration announces measures to punish Russia for 2016 election interference. The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-administration-announces-measures-to-punish-russia-for-2016-election-interference/2016/12/29/311db9d6-cdde-11e6-a87f-b917067331bb_story.html?utm_term=.0e858081468a&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1 Proof of the means and effects of the alleged election hacking have not been disclosed. I've blogged previously about the absolute stran... more »
“Bitterness: Lifting Pain's Veil”
*“Bitterness: Lifting Pain's Veil”* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM “Bitter feelings allow us to become perfect victims in that we no longer feel obliged to work toward healing. It is natural to feel resentment or anger when life does not unfold as expected. We consciously or unconsciously anticipated one experience, and we grieve for the loss of it when the universe puts something else in our path. Most of the time, we work through these feelings and they pass. Occasionally, our anger and resentment do not fade and are instead transformed into bitterness. Bitter feelings allow us t... more »
Obama: Sanction Russia....Kick out their diplomats....but don't touch the International Space Station...or Russian Rockets!
*What do I need to do to get a * *war started around here anyway?!* This morning's press headlines are all about how Obama has escalated his efforts to start a war with Russia by expelling 35 diplomats from the US over unsubstantiated allegations of Russia "hacking" the US November 8, 2016 election which was won by Donald Trump. In this "death throes" attempt to derail the coming Trump presidency: first, more economic sanctions were levied; then the Russian ambassador to Turkey was assassinated; then another Russian plane was blasted out of the air (this plane transporting an entir... more »
"It's Strange..."
"It's strange how what drives us may abandon us midstream, how what tickles our ears with lies one moment may tell us truths that knock us on our emotional ass the next. After all, it is an unbelievably real world, with Darwin scribbling his thoughts into books and telling us what monkeys we are. Each of us explores possibility, hungry for sustaining adoration, yet we know enough to render ourselves helpless. We strive and strain, bellow and believe, we learn, and everything we learn tells us the same thing: life is one great meaningful experience in a meaningless world. Brilliance ... more »
Plantations... of the Future!
Yesterday, during a routine media investigation into its patents, an enterprising journalist discovered that last April Amazon had bought through bribes been given a patent, *by the United States Patent Office in our nation's Capitol*, for a flying warehouse. Yes, you read that correctly. Jeff Bezos's latest brainchild is to launch an Arial Fulfillment Center in the form of a blimp, eventually reaching an altitude of 45,000 feet (or about 15,000 feet above the cloud deck). Then, once the orders come in via satellite signal, UAVs (Unmanned Arial Vehicles or drones) will the... more »
7 Day Truce Declared In Mozambique's 'Silent War'
*RFI*: *Mozambique Christmas truce fuels hopes of peace* The people of Mozambique has welcomed a seven day ceasefire to end hostilities between Renamo opposition fighters and the ruling Frelimo government. Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama, declared the truce on Tuesday to allow the public to enjoy the New Year festivities. It comes after an upsurge in fighting that has displaced thousands. The truce comes at the end of a gruelling year, with rights groups reporting that more than 15,000 people have been forced to flee the fighting between Renamo opposition fighters and the ruling Fre... more »
In several of my blog posts I’ve remarked on the difference between Stalin’s “iron curtain” created to keep Russians and members of conquered eastern European countries from learning how much better life was in the west (at that time) …and Obama’s new “iron curtain” preventing the average American from knowing that (1) things are actually better in Russia than they are in the US and (2) the truth of the American role in Syria …i.e. arming murderous terrorists groups known as Daesh, Islamic State (IS), ISIS, ISIL, etc. …whereas the lying US “mains stream media” has been claiming that the murders have been the is work of Assad and Putin’s Russia. So the only way for any American to decide which of the two “iron curtains” is true, and which is a lie, is to compare your evening news with the journalism of someone continuously working on the far side of Obama’s “iron curtain.” For that purpose, the following column by The Saker below will bring you up to date as of December 17, 2016.
------------------------------ There are clear signs that the Neocons running the AngloZionist Empire and its “deep state” are in a state of near panic and their actions indicate they are truly terrified. *The home front* One the home front, the Neocons have resorted to every possible dirty trick on the book to try to prevent Donald Trump from ever getting into the White House: they have - organized riots and demonstrations (some paid by Soros money) - encouraged the supporters of Hillary to reject the outcome of the elections (“not my President”) ... more »
Midday Musical Interlude: Mason Williams, "Classical Gas"
Mason Williams, "Classical Gas" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mREi_Bb85Sk
The Dissenter’s Top Films Of 2016
Kevin Gosztola highlights some of the best films of the year: movies that push boundaries, involve fresh storytelling, and provoke conversation. The post The Dissenter’s Top Films Of 2016 appeared first on Shadowproof.
Woman, Child and Hammer and Sickle
No new writing at this time. So here's something different. A photo from from my India collection. I took this with a cheap point and shoot camera in Howrah (West Bengal) in early 1999.
WATCH: Brave Cop Refuses to Arrest Teen for Smoking Weed, Lets Him Do Push-ups Instead
[image: Push-ups]Instead of ruining his life, an officer chose push-ups. He used his discretion and refused to kidnap and cage a teen who was seen smoking marijuana.
Mainstream Media Exposed Pushing Fake Story on ‘Mysterious Illness’ in States With Legal Weed
[image: illness]There's nothing mysterious about the rare, non-life-threatening illness, and no actual evidence that it's on the rise in legal cannabis states.
“The Night That Is Upon Us and the Dawn of a New Era”
*“The Night That Is Upon Us and the Dawn of a New Era”* by Hugo Salinas Price A speech by Hugo Salinas Price at the inaugural ceremony of the Fourth Convention of the Association of Mining Engineers, held in the city of Durango, State of Durango, Mexico, on August 25, 2016. "At what point in History does humanity find itself? Where are we? In the course of the past centuries, the study of the physical sciences, born in the 16th Century when the Englishman Francis Bacon established the "Scientific Method", has had such enormous success and has so greatly influenced humanity, that Sc... more »
Is Steve Bannon Leading America to a 21st Century Crusade?
*-by Alex Campbell* *”Darkness is good. Dick Cheney. Darth Vader. Satan. That's power. It only helps us when they get it wrong. When they're blind to who we are and what we're doing.”* -- Steve Bannon, as quoted by Michael Wolff in an exclusive interview for the *Hollywood Reporter*. So who is Steve Bannon and what is he doing? The mainstream media have come close to calling him a white nationalist and the blogs are already there. I think the fairest treatment came from David Corn at *Mother Jones*: Whatever he might believe, Bannon is a self-proclaimed ally of the alt-right.... more »
Who Runs the Show?
I'll never forget while living in Florida watching former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) stand amongst the state government buildings in the capital city of Tallahassee delivering his first speech after winning election. He pointed to the state offices and said, "My dream is that someday all these buildings will be shut down." That is the corporate oligarchy talking. Like the graphic above so well points out, the goal of the top 1% is to kill any 'regulation' of their corrupt business dealings. They don't want environmental regulations, labor wage & hour regulations, they don't want the... more »
YEAR(S) IN REVIEW: Post columnist pushes back!
*FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016Interlude 2—The late Debbie Reynolds and health care:* We always knew that Catherine Rampell was likely to push back hard. She does so in today's Washington Post. In her new column, Rampell says that Singin' in the Rain has always been her favorite film. We've always found the film to be unwatchable. (In part, our gender politics are probably tougher than Rampell's.) As such, it's obvious that this column constitutes Rampell's response to our earlier post, in which we challenged her portrait of the racist stupidity of the white working class. In the colum... more »
The Battle For The Iraqi City Of Mosul -- News Updates December 30, 2016
*Reuters:* *Iraqi forces face Islamic State car bombs, fierce resistance in south Mosul* Iraqi forces faced car bombs and fierce resistance from Islamic State militants in southern Mosul on Friday, the second day of a renewed push to take back the city after fighting stalled for several weeks. An officer in the federal police forces, which joined the battle on Thursday, said there were heavy clashes in the southeastern Palestine district, but they had made progress in two other neighborhoods, disabling a number of car bombs. Another officer, from an elite Interior Ministry unit f... more »
Putin Takes the High Road
In the war of words between the American progressives, still aching from their loss to President Trump in November - Barack, who has known about Russian hacking for six months or so, now decided to expel 35 Russian diplomats suspected of being spies. President Vladimir Putin took a different approach and said that he would not respond in kind. Putin said he was already looking ahead to the incoming Trump administration -- but he vowed that Moscow would stand firm. "Although we have the right to retaliate, we will not resort to irresponsible 'kitchen' diplomacy but will plan our fur... more »
Holidays with a Storm on the Horizon
We are in the midst of the holidays and I ask myself, what compels me to write when I should instead simply be enjoying the holidays? The answer: because the proverbial calm before the storm is upon us and it seems a bit too eerie for me. This past week, I filled out that professor watchlist petition because the times remind me of that Tagalog expression, Isang Balsak — when one falls, we all fall, and conversely, when one rises, we all rise. There appears to be a consensus that the incoming administration will be anti-education in general, anti-academic freedom specifically, and ... more »
Syria War News Updates -- December 30, 2016
*Reuters*: *Clashes, air raids tarnish Russia and Turkey's Syria truce* Clashes, shelling and air raids in western Syria marred a Russian- and Turkish-backed ceasefire that aims to end nearly six years of war and lead to peace talks between rebels and a government emboldened by recent battlefield success. Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, announced the ceasefire on Thursday after forging the agreement with Turkey, a longtime backer of the opposition. The truce went into force at midnight but monitors and rebels reported almost immed... more »
Gauge symmetry: its virtues and vices don't contradict each other
Three physicists affiliated with Princeton (now or recently) published an interesting preprint, Locality and Unitarity from Singularities and Gauge Invariance I know Nima from Harvard very well, he's brilliant and fun. Jaroslav Trnka is a big mind and my countrymate. Although I am a French writer (a month ago, I had to memorize sentences like "Je suis un écrivain français" for my sister's BF, one of the 21 cops who shot the terrorist in Nice), I only know that both Laurentia and Rodinia were supercontinents about 1 billion years ago. Laurentiu Rodina is a particularly interesting ... more »
To Combat Homelessness, Cities Install Meters Designed to Keep Money from the Homeless
[image: panhandling]Cities all across the U.S. are installing donation meters in a futile attempt to end homelessness, hunger, and panhandling.
Has Russian President Putin 'Outfoxed' President Obama On The Alleged Hacking Scandal?
*Anna Nemtsova, Daily Beast:* *Putin Outfoxes Obama in Spy War* *Moscow portrays the Obama administration’s sanctions and expulsion of Russians as a feeble last gesture, and responds in kind—then doesn’t.* MOSCOW — In the closing days of the old year, the United States and Russia are slapping each other in the face in the second big spy crisis of the fast-ending era of Obama, but it's a confrontation full of feints and surprises. Back in 2010 the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested a ring of alleged Russian “sleepers,” including a red-haired Russian “Bond Girl” Anna Ch... more »
The Retraction Watch 2016 year in review — and a sneak peek at our database
It’s been another exciting year for us at Retraction Watch. As always, there has been more to cover than we have time for. At the same time, we’ve expanded our efforts in other media, telling bigger stories and offering more analysis. And we’ve made major progress on our database — more on that in a […] The post The Retraction Watch 2016 year in review — and a sneak peek at our database appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Mosul Campaign Day 74, Dec 29, 2016
The second phase of the Mosul campaign officially opened on December 29. Offensive operations actually started on December 24 when several east Mosul neighborhoods were attacked. The new push involves unitsfrom the Golden, 16th, 15th, 9th Divisions, along with the Federal Police, SWAT, and Hashd al-Watani, a militia backed by Turkey, which follows former Ninewa Governor Atheel Nujafi. There are three lines of attack, one from the northeast, one from the east, and another from the southeast. It appears the plan is to have the Golden Division supported by the army and Federal Police ... more »
Putin Exposes Obama’s Lame Duck Attempt to Start a New Cold War by Refusing to Retaliate
[image: putin]Putin just slammed the Obama administration's expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, calling the move 'kitchen' diplomacy and refusing to respond in kind.
Corporate Media Admits to Publishing Viral Fake News After Independent Media Busted Them
[image: assange]Mainstream media has again committed an act of journalistic fraud with a flagrant fabrication linking Julian Assange to Russia and saying he praised Donald Trump.
Houston's Systematic Mistreatment of Special Needs Children
The Houston Independent School District has an established history of miseducative corruption, which goes back to the glory days of Rod Paige, who made a national reputation with made up graduation and dropout numbers for Houston high schools. His compelling lies earned him a spot as Secretary of Education for Geo. W. Bush, and since leaving ED to make room for the bovine Margaret Spellings, Paige has been on the prime rib speaking circuit of corporate ed reform. In 2009, Houston elites brought in corporate ed reformers' poster boy, Supt. Terry Grier, to initiate as many half-baked... more »
Me at the ASSA
If you want to see me at the upcoming ASSA meeting in Chicago, here is some relevant information. I will be chairing a session on “Economic Issues Facing the New President,” with talks from Jason Furman (Council of Economic Advisers), Glenn Hubbard (Columbia University), Alan Krueger (Princeton University), and John Taylor (Stanford University). The session is on Saturday, January 7, starting at 10:15 am in the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Grand Ballroom AB. I will also be introducing the new edition (the 8th) of my Principles text, which has just published. You can meet me at the Cengage ... more »
Trump Says Sprint, OneWeb to Create 8,000 New Jobs in U.S.
[image: trump-says-sprint-oneweb-to-create-8-000-new-jobs-in-u-s] Let's give Trump some credit for creating the psychological environment that billionaires need in order to make these kinds of decisions.
Important to Oppose Production of Technetium 99m Precursor (Mo 99) Even Late; Technetium 99 Stays Radioactive for Millions of Years
We strongly encourage opposition to the new technetium production facility even late. The US NRC has accepted pro-nuclear comments 10 … Continue reading →
"The Illusion of Knowledge"
*"The Illusion of Knowledge"* by Scott Adams "Yesterday I kicked the hornet’s nest by suggesting that no scientist really believes that complicated models with lots of variables can reliably predict the future. This is a subset of my larger point that no non-scientist can evaluate the claims of climate science because BOTH sides look 100% convincing to the under-informed. So how did the public respond to my claim that BOTH sides of the debate look convincing? They berated me for not sufficiently researching materials from ONE side of the debate that happens to be their side. Many ... more »
Fire Chief Arrested For Preventing A Cop From Making A Fire Worse — House Burns as a Result
[image: fire]A police officer's ego led to a fire chief facing a felony charge and a family's home burning to the ground after refusing to allow firemen on scene.
Authors in Spain issue string of corrections
Following a journal probe and questions on PubPeer about their work, authors in Spain have issued four corrections, citing missing raw data for experiments conducted more than 10 years ago. All papers include the same last two authors, Mireia Duñach at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and Antonio García de Herreros at the Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions […] The post Authors in Spain issue string of corrections appeared first on Retraction Watch.
World News Briefs -- December 30, 2016
*Reuters*: *Russia will not expel anyone in response to U.S. sanctions, Putin says* President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would not expel anyone in response to Washington's decision to throw out 35 suspected Russian spies and sanction intelligence agencies it believes were involved in computer hacking in the 2016 presidential election. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier proposed expelling 35 U.S. diplomats after outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama ordered the expulsions and sanctions on Thursday. But Putin said he would wait for the actions of President-elect Donald Trump, w... more »
"The Shocking Retirement Crisis Coming Your Way"
*"The Shocking Retirement Crisis Coming Your Way"* by Michael Covel "The nation’s largest retirement system is in serious trouble. The $303 billion California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CALPERS) just announced that it’s lowered its annual assumed rate of return to 7% from 7.5%. That means retirees will have to contribute more money to the plan to make up the difference in expected return. This shortfall is just a small piece of the massive U.S. state and local pension funds deficits that are going to explode in the next decade. And the total amount of the shortfall will a... more »
Privatization 13, Firesale of GOCCs, notes in 2005
Cleaning my old emails, I found these notes interesting, about privatization plans of government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) in the Philippines. ------------- (1) Let's have a fire sale! By *Peter Wallace * January 26, 2005 The President, in her State of the Nation address, said National Power Corp. and Transco must be sold, but not at fire sale prices. I had earlier suggested that, if necessary, they should be sold at fire sale prices… Get these massive debts off the government's books and operating efficiently. This is far more important than maximizing cash returns ... more »
The War Against Medicare
We live in an age where the rich get to buy their way to the front of the line. And, Linda McQuaig writes, they are pushing to have that privilege extended to medical care: The push for private, for-profit medicine really got going after the Chrétien Liberals deeply cut federal health-care funding in 1995. Ottawa had contributed 25 per cent of total health spending in 1977, but that contribution dropped down to just 9.8 per cent by the late 1990s, leaving the provinces reeling and sending hospital wait-times climbing. Advocates of private health care eagerly moved in, and have bee... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 30, 2016
The other compound that is reported to have been shut down by the State Department is Killenworth, the Glen Cove estate (pictured) once owned by George Dupont Pratt on the North Shore of Long Island *Daily Mail: **Inside the luxury resorts where Russian spies roamed free for DECADES: Obama's 'cold war' directive shuts down two huge properties in Maryland and Long Island - leaving many angered that they were allowed to exist on U.S soil in the first place* * Maryland property is a luxurious 45-acre compound once owned by man who built the Empire State Building * The property is loca... more »
Will Congress Prevent Trump From Cozying Up With Cozy Bear?
Ultimately, the American people are going to want to know what Trump and his inner circle knew about Russian hacking— and when did they know it? McConnell and Ryan— who aggressively covered it up during the election— are now trying to cover their own asses by pretending to be indignant over Russia helping steal the election for their candidate. Blaming Obama for failing too prevent Russian hacking, Miss McConnell lisped menacingly that Russians “are not our friends… Sanctions against the Russian intelligence services are a good initial step, however late in coming. As the next Con... more »
Russian President Putin: We Will Expel No One In Response To U.S. Expulsions And Sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin © Aleksey Nikolskyi / Sputnik RT: *Putin: Russia will not expel anyone in response to US sanctions* The Russian president has rejected a suggestion of the foreign ministry to expel 35 American diplomats in response to a similar move by the US. He said Obama’s act was designed to provoke a reaction, but Russia would not take the bait. “We reserve the right to retaliate, but we will not sink to the level of this irresponsible ‘kitchen’ diplomacy. We will take further moves on restoring Russian-American relations based on the policies that the adminis... more »
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies: A Symposium on Nathaniel Branden
*The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies* Volume 16, Numbers 1 - 2, December 2016 The new edition of *The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies* is a symposium on the work and the legacy of Nathaniel Branden. Its collection of essays reveal a new kind of image of Nathaniel Branden that may have been out of view to many people. In the prologue, Robert L. Campbell and Chris Matthew Sciabarra say that “despite criticisms of Rand in his later work, Branden became a veritable “neo-Objectivist”…” This is a striking statement, one that gives rise to several questions. How does a “neo-Objectivist” differ fr... more »
A Look At How Transnistria Could Further Strain U.S. - Russia Relations In 2017
Economist *Washington Examiner*: *The obscure Eastern European country that could further roil US-Russia relations in 2017* An obscure, controversial Eastern European country that houses Russian troops is a wild card in U.S.-Russia relations entering 2017, observers say. Russia's military presence inside the self-declared republic of Transnistria has sparked regional fears. Some fear the troops will threaten neighboring Ukraine if they remain; others worry about a vacuum of vulnerability if they withdraw. These concerns come just as hostilities flare in Ukraine's beleaguered easte... more »
(Tip of the Iceberg? Record-Breaking Corruption Returns) Must First Recognize Then Eradicate Evil (THE Don Pays Off His Personal Mafia?) Final Obama Doctrine Body Count and Trump Counting Bodies (Advantaging the Very VERY Rich) Model Behavior? (Sugar Daddies Galore)
Something needs to be said about this. And soon. Smooth-talking con artists are familiar figures in American folklore. The well-dressed hustler arrives in an unsuspecting town. He pitches some miracle cure or get-rich-quick scheme, door-to-door or from atop a soapbox. Then before his customers realize they've been duped, he steals away in search of his next mark. It's a risky vocation,
Untitled
*From Jenna Orkin*Sears and Kmart are closing more stores — see if your store is on the list Scientists just released this rare footage of a hidden underwater habitat in Antarctica Minority children in the UK perform better in school but are still less likely to be employed German anti-terror experts ranked Berlin truck attack suspect Anis Amri as 'a low threat' Amazon is considering using blimps as huge airborne warehouses A record number of refugees voluntarily left Germany this year 4 Out Of 5 Middle-Aged Brits Are Fat, Lazy Drunks; New Study Finds Israeli Prime Minister... more »
Greg Hunter, "Weekly News Wrap-Up 12/30/2016"
*"Weekly News Wrap-Up 12/30/2016"* by Greg Hunter of USAWatchdog.com "The Obama Administration basically stabbed Israel, its top U.S. Middle East ally, in the back by not stopping a UN resolution that makes the Western Wall occupied Palestinian territory. It also makes building Israeli settlements in the West Bank an international crime. This is all taking place less than thirty days before Trump’s inauguration. Is Obama creating as much chaos as possible before he leaves office? I say YES! On another front, President Obama has expelled 35 Russian officials from the U.S. because of... more »
Tc 99m Becomes Tc 99 Which Stays Radioactive in Environment for Millions of Years – Medical and Non-Medical Production Should Be Banned – Comment Deadline 30 December 2016
Originally posted on Mining Awareness + : Proponents of medical radioisotopes, and the nuclear industry, continue to hide – through ignorance or malice – the fact that some so-called short-lived radioisotopes, such as Technetium 99m degrade to insanely long-lived radionuclides. Even many anti-nuclear activists fall into this trap. Technetium 99m becomes Technetium 99 which remains radioactive, and…
Inside The White House Residence
Take a look inside the White House Residence, the First Family’s home for the last eight years: https://t.co/USm7ywLevu — The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 30, 2016 *WNU Editor:* This is cool.
Best Of: Six Bad Ideas That Triggered the Autism Epidemic
Best of from December 2015 By Dan Olmsted We probably all know the saying that Ideas Matter. Lately I’ve been mulling a handful of ideas – very bad ideas, I’d say – that have come together to trigger, expand, and...
Birds migrating earlier as temperatures rise
By Paul Homewood h/t AC Osborn http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-38450228 This one was doing the rounds yesterday. From the BBC: Migrating birds are arriving at their breeding grounds earlier as global temperatures rise, a study has found. Birds have reached their summer breeding grounds on average about one day earlier per degree of increasing […]
Pentagon Admits Mosul Hospital Airstrike May Have Killed Civilians
© REUTERS/ Khalid al Mousily *The Independent*:* US military admits Mosul hospital airstrike may have killed civilians* *The Pentagon said a coalition airstrike struck Isis fighters * The US military has said coalition forces may have killed a number of civilians after striking a van in a hospital compound in Mosul while targeting Isis fighters. In a statement, the Pentagon said that a coalition airstrike hit a vehicle believed to be carrying Isis fighters. “The van was struck in what was later determined to be a hospital compound parking lot resulting in possible civilian casual... more »
Politics and Intrigue (a rant)
*What Good is a Budget?* - F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (48 percent over budget on a program already planned to cost hundreds of billions of dollars) - DDG-51 guided missile destroyer (619 percent over on a hundred-billion-dollar-plus program) The ships will not have the capacity to carry the envisioned and yet to be developed follow-on to the Harpoon anti-shipping missile. It will cost still more to add that into the equation. - V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft (44 percent over on a roughly sixty-billion-dollar program) - VC-25 (Air Force One) program - two ... more »
White House On The Defensive As More Evidence Indicates That They Are Responsible For Last Week's Anti-Israel UN Action
Samantha Power, center, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, votes to abstain during a U.N. Security Council vote on condemning Israel’s settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, Friday, Dec. 23, 2016 at United Nations Headquarters. (Manuel Elias/The United Nations via AP) *Washington Free Beacon*: *White House On Defense After Being Exposed as Architect of Anti-Israel U.N. Action* *White House denies it worked to ensure the anti-Israel measure won approval* Senior Obama administration officials are scrambling to provide explanations after multiple reports, i... more »
Psychiatry is a pseudo-science used as a replacement for trust
Some 6 years ago, Forbes published an article on The Economics of Trust, where the author Tim Harford made the case that “trust is about more than whether you can leave your house unlocked; it is responsible for the difference between the richest countries and the poorest. How could that be? Trust operates in all sorts of ways, from saving money that would have to be spent on security to improving the functioning of the political system. But above all, trust enables people to do business with each other. Doing business is what creates wealth. ” http://ieet.org/archive/despair-51352... more »
Edward Snowden's Leaked Documents Reveals What The NSA Knew About Earlier Russian Hacking
*The Intercept:* *Top-Secret Snowden Document Reveals What the NSA Knew About Previous Russian Hacking* TO DATE, THE only public evidence that the Russian government was responsible for hacks of the DNC and key Democratic figures has been circumstantial and far short of conclusive, courtesy of private research firms with a financial stake in such claims. Multiple federal agencies now claim certainty about the Kremlin connection, but they have yet to make public the basis for their beliefs. Now, a never-before-published top-secret document provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden ... more »
Why curiosity is the key to science and medicine
Science is a learning process that involves experimentation, failure and revision — and the science of medicine is no exception. Cancer researcher Kevin B. Jones faces the deep unknowns about surgery and medical care with a simple answer: honesty. In a thoughtful talk about the nature of knowledge, Jones shows how science is at its best when scientists humbly admit what they do not yet understand.
The Absurd World of Agriculture Subsidies
There are excellent arguments for supply management by cooperatives open to all producers, so long as they do not become monopoly driven and that is a fine line and difficult enough to work with.. The main threat that they respond to is good old fashioned dumping based on some form of geographic unit. After saying all that, what is unacceptable is any form of direct subsidy. A short term monopoly on a case by case basis often makes excellent sense such as Quebec's current maple sugar system now overdue for dismantlement. That is a form of indirect subsidy that naturally promote... more »
Why are taxes so high in Sweden, Finland and Denmark?
This is an important item. The VAT is high but then Canada has a combined federal and provincial tax that comes to about fifteen percent as against Sweden's 25%. I expect the same system to be applied in the USA sooner than later and i expect them to follow the fifteen percent level splitting it with the States and pushing medicare onto the States as was done in Canada. It really works better all the way around. All other countries have VAT and most are around 20% or more. All in Sweden is no worse than anyone else. In fact a general drop in rates should actually expand r... more »
One Tiny Wasp Turns a Fig Tree Into a 150-Foot-High Eden
The astonishing fig tree is poorly understood by the average person although that is obviously changing. As agriculture truly expands into the tropics more effectively through the use of biochar in particular, expect to see this tree dominate natural fence rows. It is an excellent teacher of natural complexity and interdependence. Thus worth a special effort. This item is a great start. *One Tiny Wasp Turns a Fig Tree Into a 150-Foot-High Eden * *Birds, bats, monkeys by the dozen: A fruiting fig tree is a riot of life. It all goes back to the tree's ancient partnership with... more »
The Dispersion Trade
This is not too useful for retail investors who simply cannot get commission levels low enough or their trades easily executed. Also you need to be truly proficient in options as well. In short you need to be an active experienced trader. Putting all that aside there is profit now to be made here and it is likely to work well enough for years and that is all you can ask of any trading strategy. Otherwise this is a bit of investment arcana that one should be aware of.. *.* *The Dispersion Trade* *By Jared Dillian* *http://www.mauldineconomics.com/* *There is a mathematical ... more »
"Islamic State General Flees to Europe with 400 Soldiers Disguised as Refugees"
Breitbart reports http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/12/29/isis-general-flees-europe-400-soldiers-disguised-refugees/ that: 'According to an Italian intelligence report quoted by the UK Daily Mail, former NATO soldier-turned Islamic State (ISIS) commander Lavdrim Muhaxheri has fled the Syrian battlefield and returned to Europe with up to 400 of his savage troops in tow, posing as refugees. Muhaxheri, aka Abu Abdullah al Kosova, is of Kosovo Albanian extraction. His NATO training reportedly included a stint at the U.S. Army's largest base in the Balkans. He has been d... more »
Ukraine Accuses Russia Of Waging A Cyberwar
*RFE: **Poroshenko Says Russia Waging Cyberwar With 6,500 Attacks On Ukraine* Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Russian security services are waging a cyberwar against the country, with hackers targeting Ukrainian state institutions about 6,500 times in the past two months. Just this month, Ukraine's finance and defense ministries were hit along with the State Treasury that allocates cash to government institutions. A suspected hack also wiped out part of Kyiv's power grid, causing a blackout in part of the capital. "The investigation of a number of incidents indicated the... more »
18 revelations from Wikileaks' hacked Clinton emails per BBC News
This BBC report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37639370 on the Wikileaks leaked Clinton emails is fascinating. It is a pretty fair summation of the content of those emails and is apparently dated October 2016. It now appears on the BBC news home page under the latest USA versus Russia news. Strangely I don't recall seeing it linked from the front page before the US Presidential Election, do you?
Bacon on mosque offender dies in prison per BBC News
Apparently: 'A man who placed bacon on the doors of a Bristol mosque has died in prison while serving a 12-month sentence. ... The prison service has declined to give any further details of the circumstances of his death.' More here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-38458529 I wonder what caused his death.
Tweet For Today
President Obama expels 35 🇷🇺 diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl 🇺🇸 people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm. pic.twitter.com/mleqA16H8D — Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) December 29, 2016 WNU Editor: The Russian embassy in London feel very cocky with their above tweet. My advice to them is that they should not be. These expulsions, sanctions, and threats to do more will help no one .... especially Russia.
Russian President Putin's Approval Rating Is At An All Time High In Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin talks to workers in the ETERNO shop of the Chelyabinsk Pipe-Rolling Plant. © Sergey Guneev / Sputnik *RT:* *Putin’s approval rating hits 2016 high* Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has risen 1 percent from November, reaching 86.8 percent which is the highest recorded in 2016, reports the state-run Russian Center for Public Opinion Research (VTSIOM). In the report released on Thursday, the agency noted that the only higher rating Putin has achieved was registered only in December 2014 – back then it reached 89 percent. The share of ... more »
Picture Of The Day
*WNU Editor*: That's one very hungry helicopter!
Observational evidence for a nonlinear night time cooling mechanism
An analysis of nightly cooling has identified non-linearity in cooling rates under clear sky no wind conditions that is not due to equilibrium with the with the radiative temperature of the sky. This non-linearity regulates surface temperature cooling at night, and is temperature and dew point dependent, not co2, and in fact any additional warming […]
Measuring Surface Climate Sensitivity
By calculating the daily rate of change in the extra-tropics as the length of day changes throughout the year, it is possible to use this data when added to the clear sky daily solar input for that location to generate an actual measured climate sensitivity. I started with the day to day change in both […]
Evidence against warming from Carbon Dioxide
Day to Day Temperature Difference Surface data from NCDC’s Global Summary of Days data, this is ~72 million daily readings, from all of the stations with >360 daily samples per year. Data source: ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/gsod/ Code and reports (chart source data): http://sourceforge.net/projects/gsod-rpts/ y = -0.0001x + 0.001 R² = 0.0572 This is a chart of the […]
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials On The U.S. Imposing Sanctions On Russia Over Election Hacking Allegations
*David A. Andelman, USA Today:* *Obama's lame-duck spy caper: David Andelman* It is not 'time to move on,' but we should avoid escalation. The tweet from the Russian Embassy in London put it concisely: “President Obama expels 35 Russian diplomats in Cold Ward déjà vu,” followed by an image of a “lame duck” waddling across the page. And truly the American actions by the unquestionably lame duck Obama administration — those announced on Thursday and those deep cover cyber operations that may never be disclosed — had the smell, taste and feel of a Cold War era spy caper. But this ti... more »
Musical Interlude: Adiemus, “Adiemus”
Adiemus, “Adiemus” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL8kZ-iVk90
Would Trump Cut Coke With Rat Poison To Make A Nickel If He Was A Drug Dealer? Oh Yes
I’m not kosher; I’ve never tasted vodka and there was never a time in my life that I would have bought something branded “Trump.” The very idea is— and has always been— disgusting. I do eat organic food, however, and I know well about the scam-artists who claim something is organic, usually more attractive to discerning customers (as well as more expensive), when it isn’t organic at all. That;’s illegal. Shady merchants do it anyway… shady merchants like Trump. Only he doesn’t do it with stuff he claims is organic. The self-professed “great friend of Israel” does it with stuff he ... more »
Musical Interlude: 2002, “Falling Through Time”
2002, “Falling Through Time” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7nsclNsW5Y "We are sun and moon, dear friend; we are sea and land. It is not our purpose to become each other; it is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him for what he is: each the other's opposite and complement." - Hermann Hesse, "Narcissus and Goldmund"
"A Look to the Heavens"
“What happened to this ship? It was carried aground by a giant storm that struck the coast of Argentina in 2002. The pictured abandoned boat, dubbed Naufragio del Chubasco, wrecked near the nearly abandoned town of Cabo Raso (population: 1). The rusting ship provides a picturesque but perhaps creepy foreground for the beautiful sky above. This sky is crowned by the grand arch of our Milky Way and features galaxies including the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, stars including Canopus and Altair, planets including Mars and Neptune, and nebulas including the Lagoon, Carina, and the C... more »
Chet Raymo, “Universal Constants, Universal Consensus”
*“Universal Constants, Universal Consensus”* by Chet Raymo “I received a book in the mail, as I sometimes do, for potential review on this blog, James Stein's “Cosmic Numbers: The Numbers That Define Our Universe”. I often write here about books I read, but I don't review. I did glance at Stein's book, however. It has an audience, but it's not for me; been there, done that. The subtitle is provocative, however. The idea that a dozen or so numbers "define the universe." *That's* a mind-blowing concept. The gravitational constant. The speed of light. Absolute zero. Planck's constant.... more »
The Poet: Charles Dickens, “Things That Never Die”
*“Things That Never Die” * "The pure, the bright, the beautiful that stirred our hearts in youth, The impulses to wordless prayer, The streams of love and truth, The longing after something lost, The spirit's longing cry, The striving after better hopes- These things can never die. The timid hand stretched forth to aid A brother in his need; A kindly word in grief's dark hour That proves a friend indeed; The plea for mercy softly breathed, When justice threatens high, The sorrow of a contrite heart- These things shall never die. Let nothing pass, for every hand Must fin... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Wellington, New Zealand. Thanks for stopping by!
“The War Hypothesis Is Strengthening”
*“The War Hypothesis Is Strengthening”* by Jim Rickards "At my research service, "Intelligence Triggers," we use a unique method to forecast and invest in markets. We call it the Kissinger Cross. And it’s backed by the same method used at the CIA to forecast terrorist attacks, war and other geopolitical events. It gives you an advantage over everyone else. Here’s what I mean… War has existed as long as civilization (perhaps longer) and shows no signs of disappearing soon. Veterans and affected populations know the horrors of war firsthand. Even the casual student of history is acqu... more »
Is North Korea's Kim Jong Un 'The World's Most Dangerous Man'?
*CNN:* *North Korea: Is Kim Jong Un 'the world's most dangerous man'?* (CNN)North Korean leader Kim Jong Un heads into 2017 with two things that loom ominous for the rest of the world -- he's tested a nuclear weapon, and no one really knows how willing he'd be to use one in anger. North Korea conducted two nuclear tests in 2016, one in January and another, its most powerful ever, in September. Add that to a string of missile tests, both land- and sea-launched, and the world has plenty of reason for worry. "Combining nuclear warheads with ballistic missile technology in the hands ... more »
A Look At The 45-Acre Russian Compound In Maryland
NBC *Washington Post*: *The luxurious, 45-acre compound in Maryland being shut down for alleged Russian espionage* On Thursday afternoon, the Obama administration announced its long-awaited retaliation for what has been characterized as Russian interference in November's presidential election. Among the wide-ranging measures, the White House announced that the State Department would be closing two Russian-owned compounds — one in Maryland and one in New York — that it says were used by Russian personnel for intelligence-related purposes. It is also declaring 35 Russians “persona ... more »
President-Elect Trump On President Obama Imposing Sanctions On Russia: 'It’s Time To Move On To Bigger And Better Things'
*Washington Post:* *After Obama sanctions Russia, Trump says it’s time ‘to move on to bigger and better things’* President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday played down the ramifications of any Russian interference in the U.S. election, saying it is “time for the country to move on to bigger and better things” in a statement issued just hours after President Obama announced sweeping sanctions against Moscow. Trump, who has for weeks voiced skepticism about Russia’s role in the hacking of Democratic email accounts and other hostile actions, said he would seek to learn more about the s... more »
The Trumpf Inauguration Committee Finds The Perfect Inauguration Entertainment At Last!
*2016 In Review: America Off The Rails, Part 3* *by Noah* There have been a lot of stories lately about the difficulties Herr Trumpf's troops have had finding people who want to perform at his inauguration. His entertainment committee can't even find a local or regional high school marching band that's willing to participate. Such bands *always* participate; not this time. The stench is strong with this one. Naturally, the media points out that many music artists, being lefties, aren't about to avail themselves of the dubious opportunity and the soiling exposure it would provide... more »
Quote of the Day: On Aristotle’s ancient city
[image: School-of-Athens-720-330] *“[Alexandria] was the first modern city. It stood at the confluence of three ancient cultures: Greece, Egypt & the Middle East, including Babylon. People of of every colour and religion from Syria, Asia Minor, Iberia, Phoenicia, Nubia, the Arabian Peninsula, Persia & India swarmed its streets, did business in its shops, and unloaded their goods in its warehouses… [Until the arrival of Christianity centuries later, p]eople were too busy making money to fight over religious or ethnic differences. “No other ancient city demonstrated so power... more »
Chris Hedges: They Seek To Subjugate Us All
Dandelion Salad with Chris Hedges Originally published January 27, 2013 NashvillePress on Jan 25, 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Chris Hedges speaks at the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center banquet Jan. 19, 2013. Hedges and others have sued President Obama and the Department of Defense to squash the National Defense Authorization Act, which permits the government […]
Russian Reaction To New U.S. Sanctions And Expulsions
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) From right: Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov. © Michael Klimentyev / Sputnik *RT*:* Kremlin: New sanctions underline Obama admin’s ‘unpredictable & aggressive’ foreign policy* The new US sanctions against Russia are another manifestation of the unpredictable and aggressive foreign policy by the Obama administration, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin press-secretary, said. “In our point of view such actions of the US current administration are a manifestation of an unpredictabl... more »
A New Map
*Kingsley L. Dennis* - We are desperately in need of a new understanding that allows us to recognize the greater truth. The post A New Map appeared first on Waking Times.
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 29, 2016
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks on Middle East peace at the Department of State in Washington December 28, 2016. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan *Scott Peterson, CSM*: *For a Mideast roiling with conflict and change, 2017 promises more of same* The conflict with ISIS and even older war in Syria will continue to radiate ferment across a region that will also witness an as-yet unknown Trump effect. Already in turmoil, the Middle East is set to further transform in 2017, with critical changes likely in many countries throughout the region. Even as politics and confli... more »
BWorld 99, China insecurity and belligerence
* This is my article in BWEconomicForum last December 14, 2016. ON OCCASION, a fraternity gets big enough such that its members begin to establish cliques of their own, causing disunity in the organization. This, in turn, prompts the officers to initiate a “rumble” with another fraternity. As a result, cliques are set aside and the frat moves as one in protecting their brods or beating up members of the other fraternity. This same logic may apply to China. One of my dormitory roommates, a member of a fraternity, told me that anecdote while we were both students at the University o... more »
A World Disconnected From Imagination
*Tim Bryant* - How will we go about changing the world for the better? The post A World Disconnected From Imagination appeared first on Waking Times.
World News Briefs -- December 29, 2016
*Reuters:* *U.S. evicts Russians for spying, imposes sanctions after election hacks* President Barack Obama on Thursday ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian suspected spies and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over their involvement in hacking U.S. political groups in the 2016 presidential election. The measures, taken during the last days of Obama's presidency, mark a new post-Cold War low in U.S.-Russian ties, which have deteriorated over differences about Syria and Ukraine. Allegations by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russian President Vladimir Putin pe... more »
David T. Lange, Au Revoir
David T. Lange was one of my earliest readers, and a staunch supporter of the conclusion that pollution from ozone derived from fossil fuels and excess reactive nitrogen is killing trees - as well as people and other life forms on our planet. He had his own blog on the subject, WindSpiritKeeper, where he posted wonderful photographs, and gritty videos, documenting the damage - so obvious to us and yet so invisible to almost everyone else. Aspen ~ DT Lange I never had the fortune to meet David in real life, but we corresponded via email, and comments on each other's sites. I follo... more »
Russia and Turkey Broker Ceasefire in Syria
[image: russia-and-turkey-broker-ceasefire-in-syria] The Russian and Turkish governments have brokered a ceasefire agreement in Syria to end fighting between the forces of Bashar al-Assad and the anti-Assad rebel coalition.
X-Zone Boradcast Network - Noe Torres
Noe Torres This week I chatted with Noe Torres who has published a number of UFO books and by published I mean published as opposed to having written. Make no mistake, he has written books as well and he, with his partner,Ruben Uriarte, have collaborated on other books that can be found at www.RoswellBooks.com. During the radio interview, we talked at length about a reported UFO crash in Mexico in which a number of Mexican soldiers died when they attempted to recover the disk-shaped craft. Intervention by American soldiers sometime later, cleaned up and covered up the mess, and br... more »
"Fake News"
*Fake News* Once a year I touch bases with my two years older brother who lives on the other side of the continent. We were close as youngsters due to our birth order...but upon reaching adulthood...we drifted apart both emotionally, geographically and, particularly, politically. He is far right (but thinks Trump is even further right) while I am "left of Lenin" as I always like to say. Over the holidays, we had our traditional phone call with Seasons Greetings and brief up-date on family and other news. We touched on the US election. His daughter is married to a writer for a ... more »
"Bombshell: Court Rules Trump ‘Required By Law’ To Pursue Clinton"
*"Bombshell: Court Rules Trump ‘Required By Law’ To Pursue Clinton"* "Law ‘strictly limits circumstances under which records can be removed from federal custody.’" by Baxter Dmitry "A federal appeals court has ruled that Donald Trump’s U.S. attorney general, which will be Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., will be required by law to intervene in the case of Hillary Clinton’s use of an unsecured, private computer server in her home for classified information. The decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia states clearly that the law requires it, rejecting the Obam... more »
Anti-Trump Discrimination: Good. Christians Against Homosexual “Weddings”? Bigotry!
[image: anti-trump-discrimination-good-christians-against-homosexual-weddings-bigotry] If you’re a Christian businessman who doesn’t want to service a faux wedding, you may be destroyed by your government. But if you’re a restaurateur who doesn’t want to serve Trump voters, well, hey, you’re just exercising your rights.
Obama Gives Parting Shots To Israel, Russia On Way Out The Door
The lame duck period is rarely a productive time for a president, and through the course of four to eight years they undoubtedly make some enemies they would like to payback. The post Obama Gives Parting Shots To Israel, Russia On Way Out The Door appeared first on Shadowproof.
The FBI And DHS Report On Russian Hacking Has Been Released
*The Hill:** FBI, DHS release report on Russia hacking* The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday released a joint report detailing how federal investigators linked the Russian government to hacks of Democratic Party organizations. The document makes clear reference to the hacks of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, though it does not mention either by name. The 13-page report provides technical details regarding tools and infrastructure used by Russian civilian and military intelligence services to... more »
Will President Obama's Foreign Policy Legacy Be Remembered As One Big Mess?
Reuters *WNU Editor: *In all of my years of covering diplomacy and international relations .... I have never seen U.S. diplomacy and its relations with many of its allies and adversaries this low. Today's *U.S. sanctions on Russia* has destroyed diplomatic relations between the two countries for the foreseeable future .... even with President-elect Trump entering the White House. U.S. Secretary of State Kerry's speech yesterday has destroyed the White House's relations with the current Israeli government .... *Relations between Obama, Netanyahu camps hit rock bottom* (AP). U.S. rel... more »
Hopi Squash Blossom: The story behind Princess Leia's hairstyle
After news of Carrie Fisher's untimely death spread, fans took to social media to pay tribute to the film star. Amidst the outpouring of grief, one image was repeated again and again: little girls, their hair in two perfect "cinnamon buns", smiling for the camera. Fisher was, of course, much more than the role she won aged 19, yet Princess Leia - and an iconic hairstyle - have come to symbolise the actress, author and script doctor. Fisher took it in her stride, telling Time Out in 2014: "I am Leia and Leia is me. We've overlapped each other because my life has been so cartoony o... more »
"Hugo" (at NYC's MoMI tomorrow) may be not just Martin Scorsese's best film but possibly the greatest movie ever made
*The trailer for Hugo doesn't give much hint of the movie's brilliance, but then, it may be that nothing except the movie itself could do that. Which is kind of the point.* *by Ken* *SHORT VERSION*: If you’re available and within range of the Museum of the Moving in Image Friday afternoon, and you haven’t seen Martin Scorsese’s *Hugo* (2011), or for that matter *if you have*, what you need to know is that there’s a repeat screening scheduled at 3pm, concluding the initial installment of the museum’s planned Scorsese retrospective, *Martin Scorsese in the 21st Century*. *You'd be n... more »
BREAKING: Without Providing Proof, US Retaliates Against Russia for ‘Election Hacking’ — Russia Responds
[image: sanctions]With no proof, the US has given 25 Russian diplomats 72 hours to leave the country, closed two Russian compounds, and issued a myriad of sanctions.
Trump Sec. of State Pick ExxonMobil CEO Tillerson Threatens Critically Endangered Whales in Russia, Along with Undermining Sanctions
ExxonMobil CEO, Trump Secretary of State Pick Rex Tillerson April 2016, https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/34088/000119312516539460/d14941ddef14a.htm Exxon Neftegas Limited, a Bahamas based subsidiary of … Continue reading →
Asian stockmarkets and governments
One more day and it's Goodbye 2016, thanks for the blessings, lessons from whatever misery. Meanwhile, when I posted my paper on the stockmarket in my fb wall, some anarchists and Duterte supporters came attacking it. Among their whines and complaints: 1. Less than 1% of the PH population invest on it or are even aware of it, the average person doesn't understand it nor does he feel the economic gains. 2. Stock market is a hit and run investment. It is a poker game. The health of poker game does not represent the overall health of economy. 3. The stock market is dominated by oliga... more »
Shadowproof’s Favorite Things In 2016
We asked our contributors to share some of their favorite things they read, saw, and heard in 2016. The post Shadowproof’s Favorite Things In 2016 appeared first on Shadowproof .
Standing Rock Spirit Resistance Radio is Live!
Standing Rock Spirit Resistance Radio is LIVE! Listen between 11 am to 2 pm daily, depending on the sun. Solar powered radio station, Indigenous Rising Media, is broadcasting live from Oceti Sakowin Camp! http://142.4.217.133:9827/standingrock1 Weathering the blizzards, bitter cold and snow, Standing Rock Spirit Resistance Radio is live! Thanks to Govinda of Earthcycles will beginning
Former Iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein Was Executed Ten Years Ago
This screen grab taken from Iraqi national television station Al-iraqia shows the moments leading up to the execution of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein on December 30, 2006. *CNN: **'I was shocked': Iraqis remember day Saddam Hussein was hanged* (CNN)On the morning of the start of Eid al-Adha on December 30, 2006, Saddam Hussein was hanged to death for committing crimes against humanity. It's a day that will forever be entrenched in the memory of Iraqis who watched their ruthless leader walk towards the gallows and have a noose tightened around his neck. Hussein, who ruled I... more »
White House To Release Report To Congress On Alleged Russian Hacking
The seats for the Russian delegation are seen unoccupied during the session of the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. Headquarters in New York. © Mike Segar / Reuters *Sputnik*: *Obama Set To Release Report To Congress On Alleged Russian Hacking* President Barack Obama said his administration will provide lawmakers a detailed analysis regarding allegations of Russian "efforts to interfere in our election" in addition to accusations of "malicious cyberactivity." Congress is not currently in session and lawmakers will not return to Washington DC until after January 1, but ... more »
World Rarest Bat: Meet Very Unique Rescued Grey Headed Flying Fox
Stunning photos of Tal'ngai Dha'run - a very unique Grey Headed Flying Fox in care with Australian Bat Clinic & Wildlife Trauma Centre. He is truly photogenic. Some people might view bats as terrifying creatures but in reality, that’s not the case. We know that many animals are unfortunately given bad reputations because of our misconceptions about them, and bats are one example of this. Most bats pose little or no threat to humans and are actually quite beneficial to us. For instance, one brown bat – about the size of a human thumb – can consume about 600 mosquitoes and other unw... more »
En flaske rosa Champagne
God romjul alle fine ❤ Nå er det en måned siden forrige innlegg (#dårligsamvittighet), og forklaringen er nå som før: jeg er i PhD-innspurtsboblen, og her er det så å si kun jeg som eksisterer (og de få andre tingene jeg faktisk MÅ gjøre, som feks feire jul med Alexandra). Nå er det veeelidg kort tid til denne avhandlingen skal leveres, og med tre dager helt fri (lille julaften, julaften og første juledag) er stresset ikke akkurat mindre enn det var. Heldigvis var jeg på Blindern og møtte veileder-Sunniva i går, så nå er den siste artikkelen min endelig i ganske god shape igjen. Det ... more »
Texas Parents Told They Will Be Charged & Arrested if They Walk Their Children to School
[image: school]Walking your child to and from school in Magnolia, Texas can now end in your extortion through fines and even jail time thanks to a new policy.
Mohawk Nation News 'Plain Speak'
PLAIN SPEAK Posted on December 29, 2016 Mohawk Nation News Please post & distribute. MNN. Dec. 27, 2016. A tyrant doesn’t suddenly take power. The people hand it over, out of fear and a desire for safety. At Standing Rock the army is attacking and trying to kill us” for our own safety”! FAKE NEWS IS PROPAGANDA! Steps to fascism. War is tyrannical power based on lies, to get the
SEIU to Cut Its Budget by Nearly a Third
[image: seiu-to-cut-its-budget-by-nearly-a-third] The Service Employees International Union is cutting its budget by $100 million — nearly a third of the union’s operating budget — along with severe cuts in staff starting the first of the year.
BWorld 98, Asian stock markets and the Duterte administration
* This is my article in BWEconomicForum last December 14, 2016. The stock market is one of several indicators that show how an economy or a country is doing because it represents the inflow and outflow of investments, which are mainly driven by outlooks over the short and medium terms. It is also an indicator of how the rule of law is respected or trampled by a government in power. During the BusinessWorld-PAL ASEAN Regional Forum last Nov. 24 held at Conrad Hotel, SM MOA Complex, among the sessions tackled was “Unity in Diversity: A Political-Economic Outlook.” The speakers were De... more »
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