This provides a bit of overlap from posts which ceased at oldephartte.blogspot.ca several days ago when malware kept me offline scratching my head for a few days. Since problems with this site seem cleared up, it's time to use the larger base of RSS feeds attached to it.
5:50pm MDST
5:50pm MDST
Ukraine- 10 k or 100 k buffer zone.Israel gets first deliver of Kurdish Oil
The Ukraine and Israel. The nazis and the zionists. As it was in the past
so it is in the present.
Weird how history repeats? Isn't it? Then there are the Kurds & Israel, yet
another special 'relationship'?
Recall two previous posts on the lack of border demarcation?
You can access them both at the link below
*Does the Ukraine occupy Russian Territory? Ukraine attempts one sided
demarcation*
We have had conflicting reports regarding Ukraine's planned buffer zone?
And curiously the Globe & Mail was reporting on the buffer zone and then
censored the coverage???
What the heck is up wit... more »
"Alas, goodness has ceased to be a feature of US policy and simply cannot be found in any words or deeds emanating from Washington or the capitals of its European vassal states. The Western World has succumbed to evil." "There are few patriots in Washington but many tyrants." -- Paul Craig Roberts
------------------------------
*Washington Is Beating The War Drums — Paul Craig Roberts*
------------------------------
June 17, 2014 | Original Here Go
here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter
Washington Is Beating The War Drums
Paul Craig Roberts
I wish I had only good news to bring to readers, or even one item of good
news. Alas, goodness has ceased to be a feature of US policy and simply
cannot be found in any words or deeds emanating from Washington or the
capitals of its European vassal states. The Western World... more »
"The Texans"
*"Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?"*
"On August 5, 1974, the White House released the transcript of the
celebrated “smoking gun” taped conversation of June 23, 1972 in which Nixon
discussed ways to frustrate the investigation of the Watergate break-ins.
Chairman George was one of the leading Nixon Administration figures
consulting with Al Haig in the course of the morning. When Bush heard the
news, he was very upset, undoubtedly concerned about all the very negative
publicity that he himself was destined to receive in the blowback of
Nixon’s now imminent downfall. Then after... more »
METRO | Marlo Blue : Pacifica Radio on the brink
Money problems, political struggles, could lead to dismantling of iconic
progressive radio network. By Marlo Blue | The Rag Blog | June 21, 2014
HOUSTON — Once again the radio network for peace, Pacifica Foundation
Radio, is at war. Plagued … finish reading METRO | Marlo Blue : Pacifica
Radio on the brink
Syria: NO UN 'aid' without permission from the elected government
Can't say as I blame Syria. The Useless Nations is, as has been said
before, the shiny happy face of the NATO global war machine. As an
organization it attempts to mask the ugliness of the killing machine
*Readers here should recall when a UN helicopter got caught gunning humans
down in Ukraine?*
The UN has *voiced concerns *over the apparent *use of UN-marked
helicopters by Kiev troops in their military operation against Donetsk
regional militia*. A video of a white-painted Mil Mi-24 strike helicopter
with UN logo has emerged.
Voiced concerns?... Yah, that someone got video fo... more »
Study: Jewish job seekers receive preferential treatment
An article appearing in *The Jewish Daily Forward* highlighted a recent
study which found that Jews are often given preferential treatment in the
job market, especially when they actually indicate their religious/racial
affiliation or background on their resume.
As a college student often working on my resume, I am always given
impersonal directions. “Keep the sentences concise and specific —
subject-verb-object, then get out,” college advisor wags; “Move that
‘Award’ section where it can be seen,” Mom presses; “Strong verbs are
critical. Throw in an ‘Achieved’ or ‘Progressed’ for b... more »
Think Obamacare isn't working? Think again
Republicans seem obsessed with the idea that Obamacare is a failure; that
it is a "train wreck" exacerbating unemployment. But is that really so?
First of all, the claim that the Affordable Care Act is a job killer flies
in the face of reality, as Dan Diamond at *Forbes* reports: Since the law
was signed in March 2010, the economy has added 7.7 million jobs, 982,300
of which are in the healthcare field. If Obamacare is a drag on employment,
its effect is being drowned by other factors. Of course, the fact that
healthcare is gaining jobs at a healthy clip suggests it's not a drag on ... more »
Internet rage and real rage
The other day I grabbed a trolley in supermarket entrance, but unbeknownst
to me someone had silently crept up behind me, very close, like a kind of
pedestrian tailgate. Taking a step back to extricate the trolley I came
unexpectedly into contact with a body; smack!
Slightly shocked, I let out an involuntary “Sorry” - for the bump - not an
admission of liability; for who in their right mind would push the trolly
further into the stack when removing it, rather than taking a small step
back? Not I.
The collision was obviously the fault of the person facing forward, (again
not I) wh... more »
"I Hope..."
“With optimism, you look upon the sunny side of things. People say, 'Studs,
you're an optimist.' I never said I was an optimist. I have hope because
what's the alternative to hope? Despair? If you have despair, you might as
well put your head in the oven.”
“I hope for peace and sanity - it's the same thing.”
- Studs Terkel
"What Is The Hegelian Dialectic?"
*"What Is The Hegelian Dialectic?"*
by Stirling
"The individual is handicapped by coming face-to-face with
a conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists."
- J. Edgar Hoover
“Why is it important for you to understand the subject of the Hegelian
Dialectic? Because it is the process by which all change is being
accomplished in society today. More importantly, it is the tool that the
globalists are utilizing to manipulate the minds of the average American to
accept that change, where ordinarily they would refuse it.
The Hegelian Dialectic is, in short, the critical process by wh... more »
"Why Do 'Normal' People Talk to Themselves?"
"Why Do 'Normal' People Talk to Themselves?"
By C. Claiborne Ray
Q. Why do “normal” people talk to themselves?
A. The old joke is that it is the only way to be sure of having an
intelligent conversation, but it has some real uses. “Young children often
conduct a conversation with an imaginary friend, or a real friend who just
happens not to be there,” said Randy Engle, a professor of psychology at
the Georgia Institute of Technology. And, he said, it is a normal part of
development.
When adults talk to themselves, Professor Engle said, it could reflect a
mental disease, but most pe... more »
Yes, Progressives Are Proud Running On Health Care Reform-- Meet Martha Laning Of Sheboygan
A few days ago we took a look at the first of our progressive candidates
for the Wisconsin state Senate, Assemblywoman Penny Bernard Schaber from
Appleton. Blue America is working to help Wisconsin Democrats flip the
state Senate and deprive Scott Walker-- yes, that Scott Walker-- of his
near dictatorial control over the state. They only need to win three races
to do it. Our second candidate, Martha Laning has never run for office
before. But her stunning record of achievement in the realm of civic
engagement would be the envy of most politicians.
Martha and her husband and their ... more »
Russia to Swap Intel-AMD Processors For Local Technology
Breaking the back of multinational monopolies is a matter of national
security.
*Image: The NSA is not an independent agency nor doesit merely answer to
those in Washington. It is amanifestation of an overreaching corporatocracy
thatwill stop at nothing to expand its various monopolies.The key to
defeating the NSA is not attacking it directlybut by undermining and
replacing the corporateinterests that created it and direct it in the first
place. **June 22, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - LocalOrg) - Russia's ITAR-TASS
News Agency reported in an article titled, "Russia wants to repl... more »
“Gaza Will Live”
*“Gaza Will Live”*
by César Chelala
“As Gaza reaches seven years of occupation the situation continues to
deteriorate, causing enormous and unnecessary civilian suffering to a
population whose main sin is to want to remain alive and proper in their
own land.
As a result of the Israeli government actions, a “separation policy”
between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is in effect, closing the
possibility of family reunions either to celebrate or mourn the death of a
relative. As Amir Rotem, Director of the Public Department at Gisha – Legal
Center for Freedom of Movement, an Israel... more »
Obama and ISIL
President Obama announced that the U.S. will send up to 300 military
advisors to assist the Iraqis in the fight against the Sunni Islamic State
in Iraq and the Levant, ISIL, but there will be no American troops on the
ground and no air strikes for now. “Ultimately, this is something that is
going to
Continue reading
Satire: “Bush Creates Painting of What He Imagines Iraq is Like Today”
*“Bush Creates Painting of What He Imagines Iraq is Like Today”*
by Andy Borowitz
DALLAS (The Borowitz Report)— “President George W. Bush unveiled his latest
offering as an artist today—a painting of what he imagines Iraq looks like
now. Talking to reporters at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and
Museum in Dallas, the President said he did not read the news before
composing his latest work. “I was never big on that,” he said. Pronouncing
himself pleased with his painting of Iraq, Mr. Bush said he was getting to
work on a new painting entitled, “The World’s Really Nice Climat... more »
The Iraqi Army Is Not A Genuine Fighting Force, But A Giant Cash Making Machine
For people who have trouble understanding how a few thousand Jihadist
fighters managed to take large cities from the Iraqi army, whose numbers
are so much larger, remember one thing: this is the army that is still
using fake bomb detectors on checkpoints and streets that were sold to them
by a British con artist during the U.S. occupation years ago. That is all
that the world needs to know to better understand the nature of the Iraqi
army.
Even after the bomb detectors were proven to be fake Iraq's military
leadership still have not gotten rid of them. This might be a small and
ins... more »
Emma Hewitt - Rewind (Mikkas Remix)
The Solid disco has been too, too commercial of late. It's *even had
guitars on*. Enough of this nonsense, let's get back to brass tacks.
Tonight's dancefloor is reverberating with the sound of this:
Who’s on First?
June 21, 2014 Okay, let me see if I can get this straight. The Saudis
(our Sunni friends) trained ISIS (their Sunni terrorists) to fight in Syria
(their Shia enemies) and we supported them because they were the “good”
terrorists … Continue reading →
Top 10 Suggestions That Should be Made by the North Carolina Black Advisory Board
Yesterday, the Republican National Committee announced it was forming
a Black Advisory Board in North Carolina. Chairman Reince Priebus said, “We
are fortunate to have this accomplished group of leaders to help guide our
engagement efforts in North Carolina. Their knowledge and roots in black
communities across the state will be invaluable as we share our message of
empowerment and expanding access to the American Dream.” However, just last
February, that same state passed one of the most restrictive voter ID laws
in the nation in light of the Supreme Court essentially gutting ... more »
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin - A Governor of The People.
IN VERMONT, the GMO battle between the people and corporate greed rages on. Vermont
Governor Peter Shumlin signed GMO Labeling Bill H.112 into law. But the
Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), made up of companies like
Monsanto, Syngent...a, Kellogg's, Nestlé, and General Mills, seems to be
allergic to the democratic process - and fearing that consumers will reject
genetically engineered foods if labeled - has sued Vermont to overturn the
law. This suit is in addition to their attempts at the federal level to
outlaw states' rights to pass laws mandating GMO labeling.
Vermont ... more »
Big Agri's GMO "Super Bananas for Brown People"
Perhaps the most racists, disgusting public relations stunt yet to sell
genetically modified poison to the masses and monopolize the world's food
supply.
*June 21, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - LocalOrg) - Much of the starvation and
malnutrition across the so-called "developing" or "third" world, is due to
the unmitigated, global campaign of human exploitation driven by
globalization. The Walmarts and Tescos of the world line their shelves with
goods cultivated, manufactured, and otherwise sourced from millions of
people living under unhealthy, inhumane conditions up to and including
li... more »
June 21:It was last night on St. George St.....-
.....as I drove by I caught a glimpse of an elderly man. He looked pretty
ragged, and he was sleeping in the doorway of a business closed for the
day. Gosh, I thought. We really should do more for these people. Then it
hit me. Big business has already taken steps to solve that problem. We'll
borrow over a hundred million to build an "events centre'. Yeah. That that
old man will have a much nicer doorway to sleep in.
That all came to mind as I read E6 of today's paper. with pictures of three
people who never sleep in doorways. It seems they're being honoured by the
New Brunswick Busi... more »
Notes on a co-location. It’s the little differences. #charterschools @revolutionfoods
We are often told that, in some areas, charter schools are STILL public
schools, as if this is meant to placate any of our concerns. This comment
proves that we should have something to worry about. I can think of
innumerable ways charter schools are both exactly like public schools and
not in the least […]
Siméon Denis Poisson: a birthday
Siméon Denis Poisson was born at the beginning of Summer 1781, on June 21st
(like today), to a French royal soldier. He would die in 1840, at age of
58. He was a top French mathematician, geometer, and physicist of his era.
Both Lagrange and Laplace were his advisers. Liouville, Dirichlet, and
Carnot (of the thermodynamic cycle fame) were among his students.
Revolutionary changes in France have influenced him in many professional
ways. You may read it elsewhere.
But I want to mention his work. It's remarkable how many insights have been
named after him.
First, there are some ... more »
Some Candidates For Congress Favor Domestic Spying And Some Oppose It-- Where Do You Stand?
I almost never leave the house anymore unless I'm going to Mali or India or
Tuscany or someplace cool. But Thursday evening I went out-- to the
Japanese Community Center to see a lecture by Glenn Greenwald, ostensibly a
book talk for No Place To Hide. It was sold out-- every single seat taken
and when Glenn walked out onto the stage, he had a roaring standing
ovation. The event, at least for me, was better than most rock shows. I touched
on it yesterday but up top you can watch a section, towards the end of his
talk, about why privacy-- which authoritarian/comformist societies are... more »
HISTORY LESSON: YOUR TAX $$$ AT WORK
The U.S. Army's Top Secret Arctic nuclear base under the ice - "Camp
Century" restored classified film.
In the late 1950's, during the height of the Cold War, the Pentagon created
a "secret base" in the Arctic for "research purposes".
Project Iceworm was the code name for a top-secret US Army program during
the Cold War to build a network of mobile nuclear missile launch sites
under the Greenland ice sheet. The ultimate objective of placing
medium-range missiles under the ice – close enough to strike targets within
the Soviet Union – was kept secret from the Danish government. To... more »
Untitled
*St. Rose Stench Traced to Crude ~NOLA DEFENDER*
*Our Views: The decider is upstairs ~The Advocate*
*2014 IFT Annual Meeting*
*New Orleans Based Franchise Expands into Poland ~Digital Journal*
*Forgotten Bayou, life on the edge of the Bayou Corne Sinkhole*
Transcript of Gates’ March 2014 Washington Post Interview
On June 7, 2014, Washington Post reporter Lyndsey Layton published a
blockbuster article largely based on a 28-minute interview she had with
Gates following his keynote speech at the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards’ (NBPTS) Teaching and Learning Conference in Washington,
DC, on March 14, 2014. I am writing my second book, this one on the origins
of the Common […]
US Supreme Court Protects Polluters
A week or so ago the US Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that state laws posing
statutes of limitations for environmental crimes are NOT trumped by the
federal Superfund law:
"Toxic Water Ruling May Doom Marines' Claims" (2014, June 10) The Arizona
Republic, p. 3B."North Carolina's law requiring lawsuits to be brought
within 10 years of contamination is not superseded by a federal law
designed to give victims a two-year opportunity to file claims after the
pollution comes to light"
Other states have similar laws limiting liability for polluters. Victims
are simply out of luck.
Another a... more »
French anti-Semitism on the front page!
*SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014*
*Colbert King's column inside:* Atop the front page of the Washington Post,
Anthony Faiola offers a powerful portrait of growing anti-Semitism in
France. We strongly recommend it.
(First point of weirdness: Faiola’s impressive piece dominates the front
page of the hard-copy Post. But go figure! As we write, his report isn’t
cited anywhere on the front page of the Post’s web site. It isn’t linked
there at all.)
Faiola builds his portrait around the work of the demented French
“comedian,” Dieudonné M’bala M’bala. We’ll admit that several uncharitable
conne... more »
Security In Iraq’s Anbar Shows Battle Against Insurgents Will Be Long And Often Futile
The Iraqi insurgency’s sudden charge across the country has focused most of
the world’s attention upon Ninewa, Salahaddin, and to a lesser extent
Diyala province. In western Anbar however, the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF)
have been in a pitched battle against militants since the very end of
December 2013. The fighting there provides important examples for how the
government’s forces will confront the insurgency in the rest of the
country. The major lessoned learned is that the army and police even with
help of local tribes can take any area, but they simply cannot hold it
leading t... more »
UPDATING FROM HOT KANSAS
- Having a great visit with my son in Kansas City where he brought 17 of
his debate students from Taiwan for a big tournament. There were about
3,000 kids at the tournament from the US and around the world. Six of his
kids made it to quarterfinals and it was fun to see them get their awards
yesterday in the closing ceremony. Last night we took seven of the boys to
a Kansas City Royals baseball game. This morning one of the Taiwanese moms
thanked me for raising such a good son. Just the kind of compliment a
parent likes to hear about their kid. Right n... more »
The Ukraine Genocide and Its Cheerleaders
(Ed. note: Be sure to follow the link to State Department Spokesperson Jen
Psaki's press conference earlier this week, in which she seemed O.K. with
the Ukrainian ambassador's characterization of ethnic Russians as
"subhuman.")
By Vera Graziadei
crossposted from Global Research
copyright globalresearch.ca
As the world’s media circus moves on to Iraq and the international
community’s already-waning attention switches from Ukraine to a new series
of the ‘US foreign policy disaster’ horror show, the Prime Minister of
Ukraine Yatsenyuk publicly announces Kiev government’s genocida... more »
Multiple Use Mid-River highway - more economical & beneficial than the proposed riverside project.
- by BK Lim & FASEI ( Jan 2013, revised 18 June 2014 with special
emphasis on the Chao Phraya Mid-River project)
*Duped into Oil Addiction when cheaper & cleaner alternatives are available*
The world had been duped into over-dependence (read addiction as in drug
addiction admitted by Pres. GW Bush) on expensive “fossil oil” by the Oil
Cabal Mafia (OCM). The truth is, more than 90% of the so-called fossil oil
extracted commercially to-date, were abiogenic (ie non biogenic/fossilised
fuel) in origin. Through slow geological migration process, these long-term
renewable de... more »
Multiple Use Mid-River highway - more economical & beneficial than the proposed riverside project.
- by BK Lim & FASEI ( Jan 2013, revised 18 June 2014 with special
emphasis on the Chao Phraya Mid-River project)
*Duped into Oil Addiction when cheaper & cleaner alternatives are available*
The world had been duped into over-dependence (read addiction as in drug
addiction admitted by Pres. GW Bush) on expensive “fossil oil” by the Oil
Cabal Mafia (OCM).
The truth is, more than 90% of the so-called fossil oil extracted
commercially to-date, were abiogenic (ie non biogenic/fossilised fuel) in
origin. Through slow geological migration process, these long-term
renewable d... more »
KIEV'S JOB: TRANSLATE INSTRUCTIONS FROM WASHINGTON
The real job of the new "president" of Ukraine is to translate instructions
from the US.
Any talk about ceasefire is a joke as US-NATO do everything possible to
bring the conflict to Russia.
The western media distortions of the reality underway in Ukraine is more
than revealing to anyone actually paying attention to what is going on.
Trans-National Corporate Mole, Stephen Harper, Corporation`s Inside Man
*Written by Mark Taliano*
*Stephen Harper’s very ascent to the Prime Minister’s office was enabled by
a corporate media strategy of censorship through omission. *
Corporate media conveniently suppressed Harper’s previous affiliation with
the fascistic Northern Foundation Northern Foundation and the National
Citizens Coalition – an extreme right wing lobby group. The convenient
suppression of his past political associations --- enabled by media baron
Conrad Black (who was also a member of the Northern Foundation), allowed
Harper to present himself as a “moderate” conservat... more »
A comparison of Formula One pitstops in 1950 and today
Quite a difference, but they can go wrong...
Mike's Story Part 57 - The Social Ladder of Psychiatric Asylums
*By **Jenna** Orkin*
*3/13/2007 2:44:24 PM Eastern Standard Time*
*To Ray *Kohlman
*Subj: he wants to know the likelihood of your being named administrator *
*[email text] if he died intestate. **he's rattled bcs the will requires
three witnesses. he knows i wouldn't help out there. nor should i, if i'm
named in it. *
*i think he could probably get the three witnesses at the stationery store
[a central source of materials required by the legal profession and
located on the accurately named "Court Street" in Brooklyn, the store could
have summoned five witnesses at a snap simp... more »
Kansas? Louisiana? Nope. New Brunswick refers patients to religious counsellors
Imagine for a moment that you or a friend or rellie has a health concern.
It's not (yet) 911-ambulance time, but you want some information on what
your options are should it come to that.
All (?) provincial health ministries run handy tele-health lines with
supposedly trained professionals ready to answer your questions with good,
up-to-date info. In New Brunswick, this service is called Telecare.
Back in April, when we learned that the only private abortion clinic east
of Montreal was closing, we predicted that there'd be some unintended
consequences for the NB and PEI governments... more »
On Inherited Wealth
Click here to read my column in Sunday's *NY Times*.
Rahm Emanuel: "MEGA"
*"MEGA" reads "My Pet Fish" to some constituents he has just realised
cannot legally vote*
*Prior to the IDF.*
"...And then after the mid-air rendezvous over the Stewart Air National
Guard Base, we replace each of the 767s with a drone..."
*"It is possible to create an incident which will demonstrate convincingly
that a Cuban aircraft has attacked and shot down a chartered civil airliner
enroute from the United States to Jamaica, Guatemala, Panama or Venezuela.
The destination would be chosen only to cause the flight plan route to
cross Cuba. The passengers could be a group of col... more »
All sorts of corruption, but who is actually being punished?
*Suhua views*
Today offered contrasting corruptions. First, Ex-Chiayi County Council Yu
Cheng-ta skipped out on his prison sentence...(TaiwanNews)
The 53-year-old's guilty verdict was upheld by the Supreme Court on May 22
for soliciting a bribe of NT$1 million (US$33,000) from local businessmen
in 2007 when the county organized street fairs for the Taiwan Lantern
Festival that year. In the final verdict on the case, the court gave a
sentence of 10 years and four months with a suspension of civil rights for
five years. His jail term was set to begin June 6, but Yu did not show up.
... more »
Dennis Ross Taunts His Moderate Tampa Bay Constituents That He's "More Conservative Than Allen West"
A few days ago, we pointed out that a Tampa-area district, FL-15, has been
off the national electoral radar but has come into play in light of a poll
showing that voters are open to replacing right-wing extremist Dennis Ross
with Alan Cohn, the progressive Democrat running for the seat. Cohn is the
recipient of the 2007 George Foster Peabody Award, one of journalism's
highest honors, for uncovering and then reporting on a case that showed
defective parts were being installed on Black Hawk helicopters built by
Connecticut-based Sikorsky Aircraft.
Unlike O'Reilly, Cohn is an *actua... more »
Untitled
*After Denying Promotion to Conservative Prof, UNC Must Pay His $700K Legal
Tab*
A criminology professor who successfully sued the University of North
Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) for denying him a promotion because of his
conservative and Christian views has been awarded over $700,000 in legal
fees.
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Malcolm Howard ruled that UNCW must
pay Prof. Mike Adams' attorneys' fees after a jury concluded in March that
the university had unfairly discriminated against him.
But since UNCW is a state university, North Carolina taxpayers will have to
foot... more »
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
By Capt. Fogg
Remember Rosemary Woods? Perhaps I should give my customary sigh and ask
if you're even *old *enough to remember Richard Nixon's secretary who, as
she claimed was dextrous enough 'accidentally' to erase a potentially
incriminating tape *seven times*! that was long before e-mail but she gave
many months of material to the comedians of the mid 70's when Republicans
were heavy handed thugs and bungling burglars as well as ordinary liars,
crooks and cheats. The psychotic religious mystics and professional
manipulators came later. Somehow we became inured to such executi... more »
The Norwegian Model
As a truly nasty fight takes shape over the Northern Gateway, Mitchell
Anderson writes that there was always another way. Call it the Norwegian
Model -- and it contains three distinct lessons which Stephen Harper
ignored:
Lesson 1: *Norway built pipelines -- to Norway*
Back in the early 1970s, Norwegians insisted that North Sea petroleum be
processed in Norway through a pipeline controlled by their state-owned oil
company Statoil. This was not just an economic advantage, but an expression
of resource sovereignty. The outraged negotiators for Phillips Petroleum,
who were counting ... more »
US vs Syria: How to Lose a War in 3 Years
*June 21, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - The government in Damascus and
the Syrian Arab Army have begun restoring order across the country after
over 3 years of devastating fighting. The so-called "capital of the
revolution," the city of Homs, has been reclaimed by government forces and
people have begun returning home. A recent election carried out across
Syria and throughout expatriated Syrian communities around the world
portrayed widespread support for the government in Damascus and more over,
the idea of Syria as a nation itself.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for the ... more »
S-400 Air Defense Systems to Protect Russia's Kamchatka
[image: S-400 Triumf]Anti-aircraft defense in Kamchatka will be reinforced
with new S-400 Triumf systems, the Ministry of Defense said Friday.
“They acquired new military hardware there – air defense missile system
S-400, which in the near future will be delivered to the anti-aircraft
division in northeast Russia,” Pacific Fleet spokesman Roman Martov said.
Several months ago combat units from the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky air
defense missile division underwent successful training at the Air Force
Training center in Gatchina, Leningrad Region.
Read more
How much has the Affordable Care Act reduced potential GDP?
The Affordable Care Act added "about six percentage points to the marginal
tax rate faced, on average, by workers in the economy." So estimates the
University of Chicago economist Casey Mulligan.
Given that labor income was already taxed by income and payroll taxes, that
figure indicates the return to working fell by about 10 percent. If we
apply a plausible aggregate labor supply elasticity of 0.5, this in turn
suggests a decline in labor supply of about 5 percent. In the long run, as
the capital stock adjusts, a fall in labor supply leads to a proportionate
fall in output. So w... more »
Yars missile complex facilities to be commissioned in Kaluga region in December
[image: RS-23 Yars ICBM]Infrastructure facilities at the Yars missile
system complex near the city of Kaluga in central European Russia are to be
commissioned in December 2014, in line with the schedule, the press service
of Russia’s Federal Agency for Special Construction Projects (Spetsstroi)
told ITAR-TASS on Friday.
The Kozelsk missile troops unit has been shifting to RS-24 Yars
intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2012 to be the first one in the
Russian army to be completely equipped with such weapons.
“The complex is planned to be commissioned in December 2014 in full
co... more »
Tu-95 bomber fires new cruise missiles at Kamchatka range in training
[image: Tu-96MS Bear]A Tu-95MS strategic bomber in exercises on Friday
fired six new high precision cruise missiles at targets in Kamchatka, the
press service of the Russian Defense Ministry told ITAR-TASS.
The ground targets in the Kura firing range in Kamchatka were hit
successfully.
"One strategic missile carrier Tu-95MS fired six new air-launched high
precision cruise missiles with the use of a multipurpose launcher at ground
targets in the air firing range of Kura. The crew carried out its tasks
well the training targets in the range were hit," a defense ministry source
said.
... more »
Mauritania turns DC-3 into surveillance aircraft
[image: BT-67 aircraft]The Mauritanian Islamic Air Force (FAIM) has
increased its ability to monitor the country's vast, sparsely populated
territory by upgrading its Basler Turbo BT-67 with an electro-optical (EO)
turret and associated mission systems so it can carry out surveillance as
well as transport duties.
The upgraded aircraft featured in a news package broadcast by the France
24's Arabic channel, which included footage of the aircraft taking off from
Nouakchott International Airport and carrying out a surveillance mission
over Assaba, more than 500 km to the southeast, on 2... more »
Astra Missile Testfired from Fighter Jet
[image: Astra missile launch]The country’s first indigenously developed
Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile Astra was test-fired successfully
from fighter aircraft Su-30MKI by the Air Force from a naval range off Goa
on Friday.
Defence sources said the launch conducted at an altitude of six km was a
control and guidance flight, which successfully demonstrated interception
of an electronically simulated target at long range.
On June 9, a similar trial was conducted from the same defence base. Both
the tests conducted to demonstrate the aerodynamic characteristics of the
missile, ... more »
More Than 400 Military Drones Have Crashed Worldwide
[image: Drone crash]More than 400 military drone aircraft have crashed in
“major accidents” both abroad and in the United States since 2001,
according to a new Washington Post investigation.
The report Friday, based on more than 50,000 pages of documents obtained
under the Freedom of Information Act, found that hundreds of military
drones have crashed in previously unreported incidents due to a host of
problems, including mechanical failure, human error, weather and other
reasons.
No deaths from drone crashes have been reported yet but the documents
detail close calls, including in... more »
The Air Force Is Already Planning Its Next-Generation Drone Fleet
[image: Phantom Ray]Air Force leaders are in the early stages of planning
the service’s next-generation drone fleet that could reshape the Air
Force’s entire fleet and continue to lower the number of airborne pilots,
service officials said.
The Air Force’s drone fleet has taken over a much more prominent role in
combat operations over the past ten years, but the technologies
incorporated into the Air Force’s drone fleet still lag woefully behind the
most advanced manned fighters and bombers.
This could change over the next 25 years if the service can execute its
Remotely Pilot Airc... more »
Japan criticizes Navy defense drill
[image: ROCN Parkdongjin]The Navy carried out a gunnery exercise in waters
near the Dokdo islets in the East Sea yesterday, rejecting Japan’s request
Thursday not to conduct the drill as it overlaps with a maritime zone the
island nation claims.
The exercise came after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un paid a visit to a
North Korean submarine unit. The South Korean Navy said it released
information about the drill, which is conducted annually but not usually
publicized, as a measure against heightened threat from Pyongyang.
“The drill is intended to deliver a strong message after Pyo... more »
Musical Interlude: Brule', “Stomp Dance”
Brule', “Stomp Dance”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_l2Zt_um6M
Northrop set to receive $4B contract with Navy for Hawkeye aircraft
[image: E-2D Advanced Hawkeye]Falls Church-based Northrop Grumman Corp. is
likely to win a $3.86 billion contract from the Navy to build new
surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, according to Bloomberg
Businessweek.
Northrop’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft would help boost Navy carriers’
ability to detect incoming hostile aircraft and missiles. The five-year
contract for 25 Hawkeyes to be flown from aircraft carriers may be awarded
by the end of the month.
The future contract was revealed in a notice sent by Pentagon acquisitions
chief Frank Kendall to Congress last month.
Re... more »
U.S. House of Representatives Approves $570 Billion Defense Bill
[image: A-10C Thunderbolt II]In an election-year challenge to President
Barack Obama, the Republican-led House of Representatives on Friday
overwhelmingly approved a $570 billion defense bill that halts any
Guantanamo transfers for a year, in the furor over the American-for-Taliban
swap, and pulls back government spying.
The vote was 340-73 for the legislation that provides money for military
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, personnel, ships and aircraft. An
unusual coalition of libertarian Republicans and liberal Democrats pushed
through new limits on National Security Agency su... more »
Video art - Vincent Brady - Toroidal Sky
While experimenting with different photography tricks and techniques back
in 2012, photographer Vincent Brady was shooting 360 degree panoramas in
the daytime and long exposures of the stars streaking in the sky at night.
It suddenly became clear to Brady that the potential to combine the two
techniques could be a trip! Since the Earth is rotating at a steady 1,040
mph he created a custom rig of 4 cameras with fisheye lenses to capture the
entire night-sky in motion. The images show the stars rotating around the
north star as well as the effect of the southern pole as well and a 36... more »
Musical Interlude: Enya, "Only Time"
Enya, "Only Time"
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6g2BoHQGwk
EMALS to start sled trials on CVN 78 in late 2015
Dead-load launches from the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS)
technology equipping the new Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) are set to start in late 2015, the US Navy (USN)
has confirmed.
At-sea aircraft launches from EMALS are expected to follow in 2016 after
Ford 's delivery from Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News
Shipbuilding business.
An industry team led by General Atomics has developed EMALS as the
successor to the venerable C-13 steam catapult installed on all current USN
nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Ford , n... more »
Musical Interlude: Vangelis, “Last of the Mohicans”
Vangelis, “Last of the Mohicans”
- http://www.youtube.com/
A Czech anti-Maidan warrior
This guy came to Eastern Ukraine to protect Donbass and to fight against
the Maidan regime:
I must say that I sort of admire him. His name is Ivo Stejskal and he is a
teacher of physical education and civic education in Brno, Moravia,
Czechia. He must be sort of inspiring for his (basic school, Novolíšeňská
Street) students. The Czech media inform that he's a polite, likable person
who gets the best ratings from his friends and colleagues.
In his broken but decently understandable (surely for me!) Russian, he told
the demonstrators that he considers himself a Slav and came ther... more »
METRO PODCAST | Thorne Dreyer : Visionary artist & storyteller Luis Guerra on Rag Radio
‘As the Huicholes of northern Mexico have demonstrated to me, art is (or
should be) a way of praying, of making an offering to the gods.’ Interview
by Thorne Dreyer | The Rag Blog | June 20, 2014 Our Rag … finish reading *METRO
PODCAST* | Thorne Dreyer : Visionary artist & storyteller Luis Guerra on
Rag Radio
Untitled
METRO PODCAST | Visionary artist and storyteller Luis Guerra joins Thorne
Dreyer on riveting episode of Rag Radio.
Untitled
METRO | Beverly Baker Moore reports that Austin’s ‘Hippie Church’ is all
celebration, no dogma.
What The Future Holds: A Multifront War In Iraq And Across The Region
*Scenes like this will repeat across Iraq and the region only if it is
allowed by the international community.*
*1. ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant or, alternatively, I$I$
(Islamic State of Israel and the States) vs. the states of Syria, Iraq,
Iran, and maybe Turkey.* The takeover of Mosul by ISIL is a direct threat
to the interests of all four of these countries. The Jihadists who have set
up shop on the doorsteps of these states, thanks both to foreign
intelligence support and the incompetence of the Iraqi army, will look to
organized crime like their ideological cousi... more »
Friday Beaver - thrifty too
Oops looks like these two are trapped. Hope they aren't under the burden of
debt. Wars are fought over that you know.
Aside from the centuries old blood feud you just knew Iraq would break out
in civil war once U.S. troops left. There was no way we could have remained
in the country indefinitely. At some point all parties had to come to the
table and work out a solution, however installing another puppet dictator
didn't help the situation. It's a failed policy on so many occasions. We've
done the exact same things in Iraq, Iran, Vietnam, and many of the South
American countries al... more »
Money Laundering In WI Cleanses Scott Walker of Rove Stain (When You Have Such a Byzantine Structure It’s Hard To Keep Track of Where All the Millions Are Going: It's Estimated That Nearly 140 Million Dollars Was Spent by Outside Groups In That Election) The Loooong Shadow of a NeoCon
BREAKING! Earthquake Strikes 20 Miles From FukushimaLauren McCauley, Common
Dreams16 June 2014 According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, one quake
measuring magnitude 5.8 and another measuring 5.6 struck off the coast of
Honsu — Japan's largest and most populated island — overnight.. . . the
larger of the two quakes hit just 21 nautical miles from the Fukushima
plant, where the
Support benefits for vets. Don’t support the common core
Sent to the Santa Monica Daily Press
June 20, 2014
There is concern about a US Senate bill (S. 2450) that would expand medical
coverage for veterans. The cost will be high, about $50 billion per year.
I propose we pay for this important bill by dumping the common core state
education standards. The standards will probably cost taxpayers close to
$50 billion a year – all common core tests will be given online, which
means each student must have an updated computer (figure 50 million
students with a new computer every three years), and new software and
infrastructure. The common co... more »
"Defiance!"
"Action trumps depression. Confronted with a situation in which our
feelings of powerlessness are more than just feelings, we choose to fight
the odds, as an existential statement. We bellow our savage war cry in the
face of the Roman Legions. We swim against the tidal wave. We attack
Goliath with a slingshot, and throw stones at a Sherman tank, and ravage
ICBMs with our ball peen hammer. We actively reject the reality of our
helplessness; and as we assert defiance, we fan the embers of humanity
wherever they live within ourselves and our brothers and sisters."
- Josh Mitteldorf
•
... more »
Rumi, "Never Alone..."
"On this earth as beyond this earth you never are alone,
But are in constant company of things and beings
That take a share in your life as you take a share in theirs.
As you seek them, so they seek you.
As you partake of them, so they partake of you."
- Rumi, “The Book of Mirdad”
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Scanning the skies for galaxies, Canadian astronomer Paul Hickson and
colleagues identified some 100 compact groups of galaxies, now
appropriately called Hickson Compact Groups. The four prominent galaxies
seen in this intriguing telescopic skyscape are one such group, Hickson 44,
about 100 million light-years distant toward the constellation Leo. The two
spiral galaxies in the center of the image are edge-on NGC 3190 with its
distinctive, warped dust lanes, and S-shaped NGC 3187. Along with the
bright elliptical, NGC 3193 at the right, they are also known as Arp 316.
* Click image... more »
The Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke, "The Apple Orchard"
*"The Apple Orchard"*
"Come let us watch the sun go down
and walk in twilight through the orchard's green.
Does it not seem as if we had for long
collected, saved and harbored within us
old memories? To find releases and seek
new hopes, remembering half-forgotten joys,
mingled with darkness coming from within,
as we randomly voice our thoughts aloud
wandering beneath these harvest-laden trees
reminiscent of Durer woodcuts, branches
which, bent under the fully ripened fruit,
wait patiently, trying to outlast, to
serve another season's hundred days of toil,
straining, uncomplaining, by not ... more »
"Kurt Vonnegut: Quotes And Comments"
*"Kurt Vonnegut: Quotes And Comments"*
by Josh Modell, Kyle Ryan, Noel Murray, Scott Gordon, And Tasha Robinson
"So it goes." Unlike many of these quotes, the repeated refrain from
Vonnegut's classic 'Slaughterhouse-Five' isn't notable for its unique
wording so much as for how much emotion—and dismissal of emotion—it packs
into three simple, world-weary words that simultaneously accept and dismiss
everything. There's a reason this quote graced practically every elegy
written for Vonnegut over the past two weeks (yes, including ours): It
neatly encompasses a whole way of life. More ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Kansas City, Kansas, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Chet Raymo, "Free As A Bird"
*"Free As A Bird"*
by Chet Raymo
"All afternoon I have been watching a pair of hummingbirds play about our
porch. They live somewhere nearby, though I haven't found their nest. They
are attracted to our hummingbird feeder, which we keep full of sugar water.
What perfect little machines they are! No other bird can perform their
tricks of flight - flying backwards, hovering in place. Zip. Zip. From
perch to perch in a blur of iridescence. If you want a symbol of freedom,
the hummingbird is it. Exuberant. Unpredictable. A streak of pure fun. It
is the speed, of course, that gives the ... more »
Jonah Raskin : BOOKS | El Paso poet Bobby Byrd soars
In ‘Otherwise, My Life Is Ordinary,’ Bobby Byrd has taken ordinary things
and people and turned them into something extraordinary. By Jonah Raskin |
The Rag Blog | June 20, 2014 [Otherwise My Life Is Ordinary: Poems by Bobby
Byrd … finish reading Jonah Raskin :
*BOOKS* | El Paso poet Bobby Byrd soars
U2: THERE IS NO THEM, ONLY US
Check out the Red Galactic Uniforms on the left... ;)
*"Invisible"*
It’s like the room just cleared of smoke
I didn’t even want the heart you broke
It’s yours to keep
You just might need one
I finally found my real name *[I AM]*
I won’t be me when you see me again
No, I won’t be my father’s son
*I A*M more than you know
*I AM* more than you see here
More than you let me be
*I AM* more than you know
A body in a soul
You don’t see me but you will
*I AM* not invisible
That's right
I’ll be in the invisible world
I don’t dream, not as such
I don’t even think about you that much
Unless ... more »
Melli vs. Messi:Iran's Soccer Team Squares Off Against Sanctions, Shrinkage, and Argentina's 'La Selección'
Attempting
to navigate a field of international rivals, under close scrutiny on a
world stage, and achieve multilateral recognition before the window of
opportunity closes in mid-July, top-level representatives of the Islamic
Republic of Iran have their work cut out for them this summer. While
hopes for a positive outcome have waned of late, there is still time to
turn things around.
This is
What's next for the Washington R------s?
[*Click to enlarge*]
*"It's chilling, because what they're really talking about is the result of
centuries of United States policy against native people and the historical
precedent of genocide. That argument speaks to the idea that people do not
believe that Native Americans exist. In their experience, there are no
Native Americans, so the only context you've ever heard that term is
through football."*
*-- Jacqueline Keeler, a co-founder of Eradicating OffensiveNative
Mascotry, to *The New Yorker*'s Jay Caspian Kang*
*"[Suzan] Harjo ["the woman who was the driving force behind th... more »
“Cognitive Dissonance? Or Mass Dissassociative Disorder?”
*“Cognitive Dissonance? *
*Or Mass Dissassociative Disorder?”*
by Zen Gardner
"Sounds like a false choice, I know, but it’s not. Unconscious humanity is
in a real pickle. A little term defining first since these concepts may
seem confusing.
Cognitive dissonance, which most people are familiar with, is a
psychological phenomenon that takes place in less than conscious human
thinking, and a favorite tool for manipulation by social engineers. It pits
the experiencer between what they’re being told and the fact that what
they’re witnessing is nothing of the sort. The subject then has ... more »
"Cognitive Dissonance"
“Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong. When they are
presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new evidence
cannot be accepted. It would create a feeling that is extremely
uncomfortable, called cognitive dissonance. And because it is so important
to protect the core belief, they will rationalize, ignore and even deny
anything that doesn't fit in with the core belief.”
- Frantz Fanon
Concerning knotweed
*Reposted from 2010.*
[Twenty-one] years ago, our family occupied this site. I'm not absolutely
certain what "ownership" means; my own tribe has behaved badly, in my own
opinion, and I can only plead that that was before my time. And so here we
are. I can quibble that our whole species is invasive on this continent,
for what that's worth. I do know we Bears gave up what was, to us, a lot of
money for fifteen years in order to be able to say the place is "ours," and
I know that we have to give a certain sum to the local jurisdiction --
something called a "county" -- every year, or we... more »
THE CASE FOR AUSTRALIA DECLARING ITSELF A SOVEREIGN NEUTRAL NATION
Australia is a Westernised nation that exists within the Asian sphere of
influence. Despite our geographic position, however, Australia has
steadfastly clung to its Western roots, first with Britain and latterly
with the US. But with changing times in a changing world it may be time to
rethink our traditional and outdated alliances and consider our position
relative to our neighbours.
There has been a massive socio-economic gap between us and many of our
neighbours in the region but now that gap is slowly getting narrower. There
are also fundamental societal differences including re... more »
Satire: “In Rare Consensus, Sunnis and Shiites Tell Cheney to Shut Up”
*“In Rare Consensus, Sunnis and Shiites Tell Cheney to Shut Up”*
by Andy Borowitz
BAGHDAD (The Borowitz Report)— “In a development that offers a faint
glimmer of hope for Iraq, both Sunnis and Shiites are finding common ground
in the view that former Vice-President Dick Cheney seriously needs to shut
up. In the days following the publication, this week, of a Wall Street
Journal op-ed piece about Iraq that Cheney wrote with his daughter Liz,
hatred of the former Vice-President has, to the surprise of many, become
the first thing that Sunnis and Shiites have agreed upon in centuries.
... more »
Mr. Netanyahu Crows to Washington (A Brief Retrospective)
(Photo
Credit: Platon)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loves recycling dire warnings
about Middle Eastern rivals acquiring nuclear weapons. He's been doing
it for years.
For as long as we can remember, Netanyahu has insisted that "time is
running out" on preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, despite
the fact that Iran has no nuclear weapons program.
In July 2013, he declared
Rabid Rabin: Remember, Netanyahu's Nuclear Propaganda is Nothing New
Rabin
at the White House with President Bill Clinton, 1995.
(Robert Giroux/AFP/Getty Images)
Lest anyone think that Benjamin Netanyahu invented the talking points so
often repeated in hysterical Israeli warnings about Iran, here's a
glimpse at what Yitzhak Rabin told AIPAC back in 1995:
Oh yeah, and just in case you thought presidential pandering to Israeli
alarmism has
Does anyone doubt that "Slimy Scott" Walker is a crook? Still, don't expect to see him on a chain gang anytime soon
Screen cap from Billionaires for Wealthcare (click to enlarge)
*"Shit just got real. 'Scott Walker Involved in Criminal Scheme' is
currently the BANNER headline on the front page of 18 Wisconsin newspaper
sites. The breath and depth of the coverage is simply devastating. The
story is engulfing Walker across the entire state, from cities to suburbia
to even rural farm country."*
*-- from Billionaires for Wealthcare's Daily Kos postlast night,* "Wisconsin
Firestorm Engulfing Walker"
*by Ken*
So now at least we have some idea what it is that Wisconsin Gov. Scott
Walker is thought to... more »
I've Hit the Big Time. Yay?
Every now and then, I like to look through my hit counter's stats and
see where my hits come from. I've noticed lately that I get a middling
number of hits from universities (Auburn, U of So Cal, Cornell, Princeton,
etc), and one regular reader from the DoD Network Information Center,
whatever the hell that is. But one caught my eye tonight and it's this one:
So I looked up the IP address 143.231.249.138 in an attempt to see
whose staffer read my blog. I was hoping for a Democrat but my heart sank
into my stomach when I did a Google search and found the following 2009
Wiki... more »
"Everyone Knows That the Federal Reserve Banks Are PRIVATE… Except the American People"
*"Everyone Knows That the Federal Reserve Banks Are PRIVATE…*
* Except the American People"*
By Washingtons Blog
"The country’s most powerful “agency”– the Federal Reserve– is actually no
more federal than Federal Express. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1928:
"Instrumentalities like the national banks or the federal reserve banks, in
which there are private interests, are not departments of the government.
They are private corporations in which the government has an interest."
The long-time Chairman of the House Banking and Currency Committee (Charles
McFadden) said on June 10, 19... more »
The Economy: “Fed Policies Are Dangerous Claptrap... Here's Why...”
*“Fed Policies Are Dangerous Claptrap... Here's Why...” *
by Bill Bonner
“When we left off yesterday, we promised to take up an important theme on
the morrow. The morrow is here. True to our word, we will do so. The
subject is wages. And we are digging in. On the surface, we lament the lack
of any forward progress in US hourly compensation over the last half
century.
Deeper down, in the clay and subsoil, we wonder how it is possible that the
world's richest and most technologically advanced economy ever, operating
during a 50-year period that included the invention of the Internet... more »
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