21 Dec - Blogs I'm Following

8:05am MST

Local Council By-Election Results 2014

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 1 minute ago

Party Number of candidates Total vote % +/- 2013 Average/ contest +/- 2013 +/- Seats Conservative 297 157,415 29.1% +2.7% 530 +106 -13 Labour 276 157,252 29.1% -3.2% 570 -13 +2 LibDem 199 61,786 11.4% -0.4% 310 +39 +7 UKIP 209 81,109 15.0% +0.7% 388 +51 +8 SNP* 15 14,782 2.7% +0.0% 985 +18 0 Plaid Cymru** 7 2,428 0.4% +0.0% 347 +89 +1 Green 125 25,149 4.7% +1.5% 201 +50 +4 BNP 3 402 0... more »

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 25 minutes ago

*Gameday! Falcons at Saints *

President Obama: North Korea’s Cyber Attack Not An ‘Act Of War’

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 33 minutes ago

*Obama: We're Not At Cyber War With North Korea -- USA Today* The United States is not at cyber war with North Korea, President Obama said in an interview broadcast Sunday, and will "respond proportionately" as he accused that nation of the hack attack on Sony Pictures. "I don't think it was an act of war," Obama said on CNN's State of the Union. "I think it was an act of cyber vandalism that was very costly, very expensive. We take it very seriously. We will respond proportionately, as I said." Obama also said the United States will look at returning North Korea to the list of s... more »

UN Report: Afghan Civilian Casualties 'Hit Record High' For 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 33 minutes ago

Afghans lower the coffin of Afghan cameraman Zubair Hatami, who died on Saturday of injuries sustained in a Taliban attack at a French cultural centre, in Kabul December 21, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Omar Sobhani *Record Number Of Afghan Civilians Killed In 2014, Says UN -- Deutschde Welle* The UN mission in Afghanistan has released a new report saying that the country has seen more than 3,100 civilians killed in conflict in 2014. The number is up 19 percent from last year. The number of civilians killed and injured in Afghanistan this year was the highest ever recorded by the UN Ass... more »

Mossad Penetrated The Inner Circle Of Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 33 minutes ago

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in rare public appearance. Reuters *Report: Mossad Agent Infiltrated Hezbollah's Upper Echelons -- Arutz Sheva* *Mossad 'cell' reportedly managed to thwart a significant number of major plots against Israeli targets; agent was dept. head of foreign ops.* Hezbollah says it recently exposed a Mossad agent embedded among its "elite operations unit", in what the Iranian-backed terror group says is "the most serious [intelligence] breach in Hezbollah's history." According to Lebanese media reports, "sources close to Hezbollah" claimed an Israeli intelli... more »

Sunday Song

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 52 minutes ago

Will Illinois Democrats Blow The Race Against Sitting Duck Mark Kirk By Nominating Someone From The Republican Wing Of The Democratic Party?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 hour ago

Mark Kirk, who lies about military decorations he never got, wants to teach North Korea a lesson-- with a campaign fundraiser In theory, Mark Kirk has one of the most vulnerable Republican-held seats coming up in 2016. Illinois has tended to elect Democrats to the U.S. Senate. Since Paul Douglas defeated GOP incumbent Charles Brooks in 1948, only one Republican, anti-war liberal Chuck Percy, held that seat, currently held by Dick Durbin, who won reelection last month 1,850,862 (53.1%) to 1,503,942 (43.1%). The other Senate seat was won by the legendary Everett Dirksen in 1950 until ... more »

Editor's Note

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 hour ago

It has come to my attention that there is now a verification process necessary for the comments section of this blog. If you want to comment, you must* prove that you are "Not a Robot" by (checking the box if you're not a robot), and then typing in a verification request. * I am also getting hit with these requests, and even though I have disabled the comment verification process for this blog, Google keeps on putting them back. I have sent a note to Google, and I hope that with time they will address it. For the moment, I share in your frustration that we must spend an extra 20 s... more »

Rule of Law 25: Corruption in Europe

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 1 hour ago

The Economist magazine's December 6th 2014 issue featured this chart with this note, *Much about the practice of bribery remains murky. The OECD’s first report on the subject, published on December 2nd, sheds some light. Some findings confirm what was known or suspected. But the report also undermines some common beliefs. Bribery is not a sin of rogue employees or poor countries.* Yes, as governments expand, the opportunities for corruption and bribery also expands. The more restrictive, the more bureaucratic the government processes, the more corruption and bribery that will take ... more »

Whose Terrorist?

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 hour ago

http://www.terrorism.com/ The word "terrorist" is everywhere these days. But, Tom Walkom writes, the definition of the word depends as much on domestic considerations as it does on international considerations. And domestic considerations change -- frequently: Take the most basic question: Who are the terrorists? Until Wednesday, Cuba was listed by the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism. Now U.S. President Barack Obama says it is not. Why? It’s not because Cuba has changed. It’s the same old place. Raul and Fidel Castro a... more »

Video: Bill Gates, Expert On All That Matters

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 hour ago

Billionaire Bill Gates has been buying the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for years now. He started doing so after being asked to by former Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) President Gene Wilhoit and edupreneur, CCSS “lead architect” David Coleman in the summer of 2008. Gates has spent at least hundreds of millions […]

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jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 2 hours ago

*Profs Have Stopped Teaching Rape Law Now That Everything 'Triggers' Students* The influence of the "trigger warnings" movement is now so pervasive that many law professors can't even teach a class on a delicate subject without facing an onslaught of requests from students for feelings accommodation. Harvard Law School Professor Jeannie Suk sheds light on the difficulty of teaching students about rape law when the forecast for campus is always persistent offendedness: "Students seem more anxious about classroom discussion, and about approaching the law of sexual violence in part... more »

An Open Letter to Tom Mulcair.

Rural at Democracy Under Fire - 2 hours ago

Dear Sir I am in receipt of you self congratulatory email boasting of how you have just signed the *Fair Vote Canada's Politicians' Pledge,*I congratulate you on doing so and would hope that many other MPs from all parties join you in doing so but have a number of concerns with the other issues raised in you communications. Firstly your “commitment to make 2015 the last unfair election — and 2019 the first election to use a truly democratic electoral system” is clearly unobtainable...... unless you intend to either impose a new system upon Canadians without public consultation and a ... more »

Sexual crimes in the military

Boris at The Galloping Beaver - 2 hours ago

I am completely unsurprised by the ordeal faced by this woman. A former military corporal who said she faced reprisals after accusing a superior of sexual assault feels vindicated after the Canadian Armed Forces extended an apology and reparations to her. Stéphanie Raymond said the outcome will have positive repercussions, particularly for women as well as for some men serving in the

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JR at GREENIE WATCH - 2 hours ago

*Exposed: The Merchants of Smear, Climate Edition* by Russell Cook (Not John Cook) *A low probability scientific speculation has become "settled science"* For about two decades we’ve been told the science behind human-caused global warming is settled, and to ignore skeptic scientists because they’ve been paid by industry to manufacture doubt about the issue. The truth, however, has every appearance of being exactly the opposite: A clumsy effort to manufacture doubt about the credibility of skeptical climate scientists arose in 1991 with roots in Al Gore’s Senate office. The Merch... more »

Blast from the Past: Anping and Yangmingshan

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 2 hours ago

The top image of Sekkan Fortress (Anping Fort) I got from the East Asian Image Collection at Lafayette, in their collection of Taiwan Photographic Monthly imagery. The shot of the ruined fortress in the upper right inset is taken from the land side. In the main image, shot from the harbor, you can see that the fort has been restored, with the small white building still there and housing the small museum, but without the silly observation tower. The modern harbor is below, same angle but much farther away. The area behind the fortress is now developed, of course, and a major touris... more »

The Miaoli 51

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 3 hours ago

Today Drew and I rode up the Miaoli 51 (苗51), a lovely little road that starts just north of Houli, then climbs a set of switchbacks to the top of the ridge, and rolls gently over the ridge through a national forest until it hits the train station in Sanyi. The road network between Sanyi and Jhoulan is wonderful, I highly recommend exploring it. Map below the READ MORE.... *ROUTE NOTES*: This very simple route just follows the Miaoli 51. Take the 13 out of Houli, but divert onto the smaller Yili bridge, which crosses the river and then goes off towards some of the best roads in the... more »

Yard tea

risa bear at A Way to Live - 3 hours ago

The chickens and ducks have, as they do each year, leveled the piles of grass clippings, leaves and barn waste we have dumped on the garden, and return every day to sift through the sheet mulch for slugs, pill bugs and the like. They're also nipping off quite a lot of kale and collards, but I think we've had all of two frost nights so far, so the stuff is not as appealing to us as it might have been. I don't feel deprived. The potatoes, of which we have about a third of what we've harvested most years, are actually holding out well. Not as hungry for them in all this relative war... more »

Madonna: New Illuminati publicist!

D ... Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 4 hours ago

..... and speaking of occult..... Madonna apparently wants to make sure everyone knows that the Illuminati are actually the good guys.... you know, just in case you were confused by all the bad publicity they've been getting recently. No, really! It's true! Trust Madonna, she'd know, right? *insert sarcasm warning* Love d [image: View image on Twitter] Madonna *✔* @*Madonna* Follow 6 songs for you now...http://smarturl.it/RebelHeart #*rebelheart* Happy Early X-Mas! ! 13 more to come for album 13 !!! 8:25 AM - 20 Dec 2014 *2,376* Retweets *2,442* favorite __... more »

Netherlands MoD resumes deliveries of NH90 helicopters

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 5 hours ago

[image: NH90 NFH]The Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) has resumed deliveries of the final seven NH90 helicopters, following a new agreement with the manufacturer, Netherlands Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has said. NHIndustries has agreed to fix issues with wear and corrosion, which had caused the suspension of deliveries in June. As part of the deal, the aircraft manufacturer will pay for expenses involved in the development of modifications, patch ups for corrosion damage and scheming preventative measures, according to the Netherlands MoD. Read more

European multirole tanker transport fleet takes shape

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 5 hours ago

[image: A330 MRTT aircraft]The Netherlands, Poland and Norway have decided to prepare negotiations with Airbus Defence & Space for the acquisition of a fleet of A330 MRTT multirole transport and air-to-air refuelling aircraft. The participating nations would welcome other nations to join the initiative either before an actual procurement or subsequently. This initiative, facilitated by the European Defence Agency, consists of the pooled acquisition and operation of a common fleet of aircraft by the three nations. Other nations will also be able to contribute to the overall programme... more »

Russian stealth jet technology surpassed by China: Global Times

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 5 hours ago

[image: J-20 Mighty Dragon]China's stealth fighter technology has overtaken Russia based on newly-released photos of China's J-20 stealth fighter, reports the Global Times, a tabloid under the auspices of the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily. Photos of the latest version of the J-20 — a stealth, twin-engine fifth-generation fighter jet being developed by the Chengdu Aerospace Corporation — bearing the serial number 2015, reveal that the aircraft has commenced ground testing and may be conducting its first flight soon. This appears to be another step in the right direction a... more »

Occult Meanings of Winter Solstice and Christmas

D ... Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 5 hours ago

Thank you Justin and julien for posting this! love D Occult Meanings of Winter Solstice and Christmas | AstroTheology, Alchemy, Roman Solstice Practices, Occult Symbolism, Santa Claus, Reincarnation The roots of Astrotheology date back to the times of Atlantis, and were once used as an allegorical Science for Self Discovery. This became the basis for Alchemy, Kabbalah, Astrology, Religion and the Ancient Mystery schools. Later it was used to manipulate the masses, by hiding knowledge of consciousness from the people; known today as Occultism either Light or Dark. An entire host of ... more »

LCA naval version achieves milestone

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 6 hours ago

The first prototype of the light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas' Naval version — LCA NP-1 — completed its maiden flight as part of the carrier compatibility tests at the shore-based test facility INS Hansa in Goa at 12.34pm on Saturday. LCA-Navy is the second Ski Take Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR ) carrier-borne aircraft in the world, after a Russian deck based aircraft. And, this will be the only Carrier borne Fighter aircraft in the Light category. The flight in Goa comes more than two years after the aircraft completed its maiden flight on April 27, 2012. Read more

Discrete spacetimes contradict Unruh effect

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 6 hours ago

Two young Indian men, Golam Mortuza Hossain and Gopal Sardar, wrote a paper about loop quantum gravity and similar "discrete" models of quantum gravity whose mathematical argumentation seems vastly better than that of an average paper about similar subjects: Absence of Unruh effect in polymer quantization (gr-qc) Yes, the Unruh effect isn't reproduced by those theories, they say. Backreation sensibly asserted that if the paper is right, it's a way to prove that these theories are dead. Well, it's about the 500th proof that they are wrong, I would say. These two guys' mathematical a... more »

Defense spending will grow despite economic problems

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 6 hours ago

Russia’s defense sector gets guarantees that expenses are confirmed despite economic meltdown. On Friday, yet another brand new strategic missile submarine joined the Northern fleet. “The nuclear shield of our homeland is updated with this modern, worthy, beautiful, powerful vessel.” With these words, Russia’s Deputy chief of the Navy, Vice-Admiral Aleksandr Vedotenkov honored the crew lined up on top of “Vladimir Monomakh” during the solemn ceremony in Severodvinsk on Friday, the portal of the Sevmash yard reports. Read more

First Stan Patrol 3007 for Bahamas at Damen Shipyards Gorinchem

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 6 hours ago

[image: Damen Stan Patrol 3007]The first Damen Stan Patrol 3007 has arrived at Damen Shipyards Gorinchem in the Netherlands for outfitting. The vessel is one of nine that the Royal Bahamas Defence Force has ordered from Damen Shipyards. The order features four Stan Patrol 4207 vessels, one RoRo 5612 and a further three Stan Patrol 3007 vessels. Damen has designed the Stan Patrol 3007 with the client’s requirements in mind. Robin van der Zon, Project Manager at Damen Shipyards Group explains: “These patrol vessels will prevent smuggling and people trafficking, so it’s vital they c... more »

I Didn't Sell Out My People

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 8 hours ago

Post by Black Prez.

U.S. Drone Strike Kills 6 Militants In North Waziristan

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 9 hours ago

*US Drones Strike In Jihadist Stronghold In North Waziristan -- Long War Journal* The US launched a drone strike in the jihadist haven of Datta Khel in Pakistan's tribal agency of North Waziristan earlier today. The Pakistani military claimed it "cleared" Datta Khel in September as part of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, which was launched in mid-June this year. The CIA-operated, remotely piloted Predators or Reapers fired a pair of missiles at a compound in the village of Mada Khel in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan during the early morning, killing six jihadists, The News reported... more »

Dec 27 Jerome Keating Meet up with Will Tiao, Formosa Betrayed Producer

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 9 hours ago

Jerome put together a meet up with Will Tiao, Producer of *Formosa Betrayed,* on Dec 27th. See below... To all, A Merry Christmas to you all, We normally don't have a meeting over the holidays, but Will Tiao who both produced and acted in the film *Formosa Betrayed* is in town. And we have a chance to catch up and chat after Christmas on the 27th. Topic: Lessons Learned: Formosa Betrayed and its implications for film and politics in Taiwan. Will had spoken to us before when the film came out, and a number of you attended. This is a chance to get some insights on shall we say, the... more »

"New York, New York, it's a helluva town"

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 10 hours ago

*In June 1992, lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green narrated a famous London concert performance of On the Town at the Barbican Centre with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. (An audio recording made at the same time is still available, but there doesn't seem to be a DVD issue of the concert.) Here Comden and Green introduce the opening number, as our three sailors, let loose for a single day on the city, sing "New York, New York," with Thomas Hampson as Gabey, Kurt Ollman as Chip, and David Garrison as Ozzie.* *"On the Town was a landmark, the fir... more »

SAS Hit Squad Sent To Iraq To Hunt Down Islamic State Leaders

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago

The squadron, from Hereford, had been due to travel to Afghanistan to hunt Taliban leaders before they were ordered to turn their attentions on Isis (file picture) *SAS Hit Squad Sent To Iraq To Hunt Down ISIS Jihadists After Militants 'Started Learning How To Avoid Air Strikes' -- Daily Mail* * Squadron diverted from Afghanistan mission in a bid to target Isis leaders * Executioner Jihadi John believed to be a primary target for 60-strong team * Troopers will also pinpoint targets within Iraq to assist with air strikes * Comes amid reports Isis fanatics executed 100 of its own fore... more »

One more from today...

Majia's Blog - 10 hours ago

<img alt="" src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAeQAAAE5CAIAAADObMRfAAAgAElEQVR4nOy7Z3QbV5YuyiA5tK1giRIVmETJoZ3aWVZOzAmMYEQiQAIgEQgi55wzUIWcmHPOIiXmKJEiJdlu2+1ud3ump+/cNeHOuu/N3Hfnrnk/QFJUtDpOz1r3W98qbpw6Ydcp1Hc2dh2GhPzRCA0NCQ3947v5v/gvj9AdeKT8EeNpbZ9niD/SyefHTpf+yHFDH8afwrs/0I3fq/z/4q8ZoSEhP3LbQkPDdiI0NOyxL2JoSEhI6KaGBz9u2ls1NktCHuKzXXqczz77e/H3m50nMzRk66r/BCM9l99PxB9wVX8d+M9VsSfiSbP7e7R9Wld/ajd/PzzuQNhjeLaT/+mX8DQ8/wz/ldyLPxKhISFhWw972A57+/EPDQkLDw3fHRq+KzR8V2j47pDQ8CcpQ1hoaPhOhoXuCgvbFR6+KyxsV1jYrmBhyI4KW8PtHD308X4eMCTsWWd/H4aEhD24/mc+VE/Wxx31n13hT47ncekvhufx5BkuPeeF/F7z... more »

Today's Insurgencies Are Changing The Market For Military Jets

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago

*How ISIS And Boko Haram Could Change The Way Countries Purchase Air Power -- Clay Dillow, Fortune* *Textron’s Scorpion recon and strike jet offers cash-strapped countries air power on the cheap. Global events are making it more attractive.* Like spaceships and sports stadiums, military strike jets typically aren’t the kind of things that companies build—much less sell—off the shelf. Take the Pentagon’s new F-35, for instance: Two decades and $400 billion in the making, the F-35 had nine committed customers lined up to buy thousands of aircraft (at between $80 million and $110 mil... more »

The U.S. Air Campaign Against The Islamic State Has Cost $1 Billion

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago

Smoke rises over Syrian town of Kobani after an airstrike, as seen from the Mursitpinar border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in the town of Suruc in this file photograph taken Oct. 18, 2014. Reuters *U.S. Airstrikes In Iraq And Syria Have Cost $1 Billion -- ABC News* The cost of U.S. military airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria has topped $1 billion. "As of Dec. 11, 2014, the total cost of operations related to ISIL since kinetic operations started on August 8, 2014 is $1.02 billion and the average daily cost is $8.1 million," said Commander Bill Urban, a Pentagon s... more »

Kate Braun : On Winter Solstice, holly invites good fortune for the coming year

Thorne Dreyer at The Rag Blog - 10 hours ago

This is a time to celebrate newness: a new moon cycle, a new spiritual cycle, a shift of energy. By Kate Braun | The Rag Blog | December 19, 2014 “Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu / Ve al kulam / Salaam … finish reading Kate Braun : On Winter Solstice, holly invites good fortune for the coming year

How One Indigenous Woman Took On a Multinational Mining Corporation... And Won

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 10 hours ago

Published on Friday, December 19, 2014 by Common Dreams How One Indigenous Woman Took On a Multinational Mining Corporation... And Won Indigenous Peruvian farmworker Maxima Acuña de Chaupe withstood violent eviction attempts, beatings, and a legal battle to protect her land from being turned into an open-pit gold mine by Sarah Lazare, staff writer Acuña de Chaupe at

CheBus y Contra Las Agresinones a la Caravana Climatica

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 10 hours ago

Red Contra la Represión: Libertad a Christian Rosendahl Guerrero y contra las agresiones a la Caravana Climática Network Against Repression: Freedom for Christian Rosendahl Guerrero and against the attacks on Climate Caravan Desde marzo de este año la iniciativa Caravana Climática, integrada por distintos activistas ambientales comenzó su recorrido en el norte de México, con destino a Lima,

Castro: Cuba Won The War And We Will Stay Communist

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago

*Castro Thanks The U.S. In A Speech But Reaffirms Communist Rule in Cuba -- New York Times* HAVANA — President Raúl Castro declared victory for the Cuban Revolution on Saturday in a wide-ranging speech, thanking President Obama for “a new chapter” while also reaffirming that restored relations with the United States did not mean the end of Communist rule in Cuba. In a televised speech before Parliament and a group of favored guests — including Elián González, the center of a tug of war in 2000 between Cuban exiles and Havana, and the three men convicted of spying in the United St... more »

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago

“Point your telescope toward the high flying constellation Pegasus and you can find this expanse of Milky Way stars and distant galaxies. Centered on NGC 7814, the pretty field of view would almost be covered by a full moon. NGC 7814 is sometimes called the Little Sombrero for its resemblance to the brighter more famous M104, the Sombrero Galaxy. *Click image for larger size.* Both Sombrero and Little Sombrero are spiral galaxies seen edge-on, and both have extensive central bulges cut by a thinner disk with dust lanes in silhouette. In fact, NGC 7814 is some 40 million light-ye... more »

Mohawk Nation News 'Hands off our Russian Allies'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 11 hours ago

HANDS OFF OUR RUSSIAN ALLIES Posted on December 20, 2014  Mohawk Nation News Please post & distribute. Nia:wen. MNN. Dec. 20, 2014. We Ongwe’ho:ne, the true sovereigns of Ono’ware:geh, thoroughly object to Canada’s sanctions against our wampum carrying Russian allies. They, like us, are being targeted for genocide. Canada is going after Russia’s banking, energy and defense sectors. The

The Right to Be Stupid

theozarker at The Conflicted Doomer - 12 hours ago

December 20, 2014 Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Jong-un So, am I the only person in America that thinks Sony and Seth Rogan kinda, sorta deserved the bitch-slapping they got from North Korea last week? That our much vaunted (and much whined about) Freedom … Continue reading →

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago

Fremont, California, USA. Thanks for stopping by.

"You Are the One You Are Waiting for: Turn to Yourself"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago

*"You Are the One You Are Waiting for: Turn to Yourself"* by The DailyOM "Ultimately, you are the one. We spend a lot of our lives looking for role models, mentors, teachers, and gurus to guide us on our path. There is nothing wrong with this and, in fact, finding the right person at the right time can really help. However, it is important to realize that in the absence of such a figure, we can very safely rely upon ourselves. We carry within us everything we need to know to make progress on our paths to self-realization. The outer world serves as a mirror. Or to use another metaph... more »

Will "Twerp" Stick To Marco Rubio Forever?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 13 hours ago

twerp Marco Rubio was born in the U.S. Like many Americans, his parents were economic refugees from Cuba, looking for better opportunities for their family. Rubio has stopped, but he used to routinely lie and tell people they were political refugees fleeing Castro. Eventually someone pointed out that when they arrived, the political refugees were fleeing the U.S.-backed right-wing dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, whose fascist regime wasn't toppled by Castro until 1959, years after the Rubios were settled in America. Since President Obama's announcement of a very popular new path ... more »

Chet Raymo, “The Burden Of Thinking”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago

*“The Burden Of Thinking”* by Chet Raymo “Let me speak for gray. Not black or white. Good or evil. Truth or falsity. Yes or no. Let me speak for maybe. Sort of. More or less. I think so. I am reluctant to speak for gray for fear of being considered wishy-washy. Indecisive. Unprincipled. But lately it seems as if we are surrounded on every side by zealots, and it's not a pretty sight. We are surrounded by people who are so certain of their Truth that they are willing to strap bombs to their chests and walk into crowded pizza parlors. Or fly airplanes into towers. Or bomb abortion c... more »

Dec. 20: child soldiers and other memorabilia....

Graeme Decarie at The Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad - 13 hours ago

####Since over half of the readers of this blog are from outside Canada, and so surely cannot be interested in New Brunwick's local affairs, I'm experimenting with a new format. Foreign news will be treated separately after New Brunswick news - with the division marked by ###################### ___________________________________________________________________________ In World War 2, as his armies crumbled, Hitler signed up children to fight. He called them 'werewolves'. It was, of course, widely condemned, and understandably so, around the world. Now, in these closing days of 2014 ... more »

(CBS's Worst Decision Ever? Bye For Now Craig)   Everyone An Inside Trader:   Welcome to the USA USA USA!!! (Meet Your Newest Legislator:   Citigroup)

Cirze at Welcome to Pottersville 2 (Blogging Against Fascism!) - 13 hours ago

A Tribute to Craig Ferguson . . . something really good was happening after midnight for the last decade, and it made drinking and partying look like a waste of both time and human potential. Craig Ferguson — one of the brightest, kindest and most sincerely original talents in late night television — has been brilliantly rewriting the script for what it means to be fun and funny since taking

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago

If I didn't know the game was so totally rigged I'd ask, "Is this *really* the best we can do?" But since it is totally rigged, there's no point... But remember your basic mathematics, 2 X 0 still equals 0...

5 Ways To Keep Your Kids Learning During a School Break

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 16 hours ago

Before my husband worked in public relations, he was a middle school teacher. He always lamented going back to school after Christmas every year because he was going to have reteach and reinforce things the students had been taught before the break. He was always amazed how much information they lost over the break. We didn't want this to happen to our daughter, so we have set aside a small chunk of time, about a half hour a day, to practice the skills she was working on before the break. Here are some of the things we are doing. 1.* Reading out loud. *There is something magical a... more »

Dick Cheney's Nina Rees and the US Chamber of Charters wish you a White Christmas

Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene at Schools Matter - 16 hours ago

[image: Dick Cheney's Nina Rees and the US Chamber of Charters [aka The National Alliance for Public [sic] Charter Schools] wish you a White Christmas] *"Public-sector employment, where there is less discrimination in hiring and pay, has traditionally been an important venue for creating a black middle class." — Professor Carol Anderson* Arch-reactionary Nina Rees was a long-time deputy assistant to Dick "rectal feeding" Cheney. Rees was tapped for the US Chamber of Charters (aka The National Alliance for Public [sic] Charter Schools—NAPCS) a few years back, when the lucrative cha... more »

Crackpot Utopia: The Year in Republican Crazy, Part 2

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago

*• Repugs wonder why normal people call them racists• Sean Hannity wants to self-deport• And the First Annual Mr. Burns Award* *Crazyspeak of the Year nominee No. 2 -- the Rockin' Racist, Ted Nugent* *Crackpot Utopia:* *A dream world as envisioned by republicans; a manifestation or expression of the deranged, warped alternate universe inhabited by republicans, at least in their minds. See also: Bachmannism, Boehneresque.* *by Noah* *1. And Republicans claim to wonder why normal people call them racists (featuring Crazyspeak of the Year nominee No. 2: the Rockin' Racist, Ted N... more »

Solar Update December 20, 2014 - X2 Solar Flare

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 16 hours ago

http://www.saint-art.com/landscape.html

A French Soldier's View of US Soldiers in Afghanistan

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 17 hours ago

U.S. Marines observe surrounding compounds during a security patrol in Washir district in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Sept. 29, 2014. The Marines are assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment. The Marines patrolled to disrupt enemy operations against the Bastion-Leatherneck Complex. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. John A. Martinez Jr. *A French Soldier's View of US Soldiers in Afghanistan -- Wes O'Donnell, Warrior Lodge* What follows is an account from a French ISAF soldier that was stationed with American Warfighters in Afghanistan sometime in the past 4 ye... more »

Zapatistas: On Ayotzinapa, the Festival, and Hysteria

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 17 hours ago

On Ayotzinapa, the Festival, and Hysteria as a Method of Analysis and Guide for Action. Subcomandante Insurgente Moisés Italiano Espanol Zapatista Army for National Liberation December 2014 To the compas of the National and International Sixth: To the National Indigenous Congress: To the family members and compañeros of those killed and disappeared in Ayotzinapa: Sisters and brothers:

Zapatistas 'On the Eve of the Festival'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 17 hours ago

On the Eve of the Festival Zapatista Army for National Liberation Mexico December 19, 2014 Italiano Espanol To the National Indigenous Congress: To the National and International Sixth: Compas: Greetings to all of you. We are writing to let you know how participant registration is coming along for the First World Festival of Resistance and Rebellion against Capitalism: “Where those

"I Am Always Tempted..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago

“When I hear somebody sigh, ‘Life is hard,’ I am always tempted to ask, ‘Compared to what?'” - Sydney J. Harris

The Peltzman Effect

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 17 hours ago

My friend Allen Sanderson points out these headlines in today's *Wall Street Journal*: Safety Gear Helps Reduce U.S. Traffic Deaths and Cities Target Elevated Levels of Pedestrian Deaths As Sam Peltzman pointed out years ago, when cars get safer, drivers are less careful, increasing externalities on pedestrians.

Pentagon Has Concluded The Bowe Berghdahl Investigation.

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 18 hours ago

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is pictured here in an undated photo provided to reporters by the Army. If Bergdahl is cleared of desertion charges, he'll receive $200,000 in back pay and stands to gain another $150,000 in compensation for his ordeal *Chuck Hagel Has Been Briefed On Bowe Bergdahl 'Deserter' Investigation That could See The Sergeant Take $300k In Back Pay -- Daily Mail* * The Pentagon, including Chuck Hagel, briefed on investigation to determine is Sgt Bowe Bergdahl was 'absent without leave' or AWOL * Bergdahl could get as much as $300k in compensation * 'We explained exactly w... more »

'Why the Mountain' documentary film for Mauna Kea

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 18 hours ago

Friday, December 19, 2014 "Why The Mountain" is a documentary film for Mauna Kea Mauna Kea is inundated with 13 telescopes. The Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT) will dwarf what's already on the summit. Our goal is to produce a beautiful, powerful and evocative film to help people everywhere understand why Mauna Kea is sacred to Hawaiians, a fragile ecosystem that needs protection, and

You'd Better Not Pout, You'd Better Not Cry

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 18 hours ago

You'd better not run and you'd better not hide. Because Stasi Claus has a new helper, and his name is Little Big Brother. To get American children (whom the Obama administration has creepily designated the "Homeland Generation") ready for a whole lifetime of surveillance, there's a grotesquely cute little plastic dude called *Elf on the Shelf* that parents are being urged to buy in order to get their kids used to a total lack of privacy. It's up to Mom or Dad to place the Elf in a new spot every night after the children go to sleep. The little ones will never know when or where the... more »

What Has Been The Role Of Diego Garcia Too The CIA's Rendition Program?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 19 hours ago

Negotiations Begin On Fate Of Strategic Jewel Diego Garcia -- Aol Defense Diego Garcia Guards Its Secrets Even As The Truth On CIA Torture Emerges -- the Guardian There have long been questions on the role of the British territory in the rendition of US terror suspects. But not even the Senate’s damning report on CIA black sites has answered them It was July 2005 and Jack Straw was in combative mood. During a parliamentary debate, the then foreign secretary insisted that there was no need for a judicial inquiry into the UK’s role in extraordinary rendition – “unless we all start t... more »

“The Four Styles of Control Dramas”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 19 hours ago

*“The Four Styles of Control Dramas”* by Liz LaSaga *“Tactics of Manipulation: *Everyone has a natural tendency to rely on a form of control in their dealings with others. It’s within our nature to have these styles and feel inclined to use them in response to real or perceived threats. The ugliness of this mechanism becomes clear when self-preservation stops being the motivation and a desire to shape another person’s personal progress, compromise their free will or guarantee a desired outcome, becomes the underlying reason for these manipulations. There are three levels of person... more »

US Releases Four More Guantánamo Bay Prisoners

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 20 hours ago

Detainees sit in a holding area at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. File photograph: Reuters/US Department of Defence *US Releases Four Guantánamo Bay Prisoners To Afghanistan -- The Guardian* * Official: ‘Repatriation reflects commitment to closing facility’ * Release follows six men sent to Uruguay earlier this month The US announced on Saturday the release of four more prisoners from the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay. The four men were repatriated to Afghanistan. Paul Lewis, the Defense Department’s special envoy for the closure of Guantánamo, said: “This repatriation reflects the D... more »

The Impending "Russian Maidan"

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 20 hours ago

*December 21, 2014 *(Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - The coordinated manipulation of global energy prices, a NATO build-up in Eastern Europe, and the rekindling of terrorism in Russia's southern Caucasus region all appear to be ever-increasing crescendos toward a much larger event - a "Russian Maidan." The necessary components of a successful Western bid to overthrow the Russian political order include a political front protesting in Russia's major cities, as well as a full-spectrum economic war to put pressure on Russia's population, increasing dissent as well as swelling the ranks of ... more »

Another Planet Five Miles Down the Road

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 20 hours ago

Nikole Hannah-Jones has another terrific piece for ProPublica, and this one takes a look at segregated schools in and around Ferguson, MO. One chart below shows Michael Brown's school district compared to five miles down the road where the grand jury was convened.

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 20 hours ago

*State approves controversial drilling permit in St. Tammany ~Sara Pagones, The Advocate* *Environmental Groups Draw Recommendations from Louisiana's Coastal Master Plan ~Amy Jeffries, WWNO* *Emails show political interference for years in Civil Service system ~Charles Maldonado, The Lens* *“Small Town Heroes” – Hurray For The Riff Raff [Official Full Album Stream + Zumic Review]*

Culture Warrior Neighbor States Declare War on Legalized Pot in Colorado

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 20 hours ago

In what could be a blow to states’ rights Colorado voters face having their will nullified by two bible thumper infested neighbor states as well as the meddlesome federal government. In a lawsuit filed with the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday – States of Nebraska and Oklahoma v. State of Colorado – the border states are seeking to overturn the amendment making marijuana legal. Not all voters were a mile high when the first pot stores threw open their doors for business on January 1, 2014 and the hardened culture warriors are fighting back in the biggest clash between states since th... more »

Censored: One Woman's Journey

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 20 hours ago

Thank you to Ann-erika White Bird and Lakota Voice!Brenda Norrell, One Woman’s JourneyLakota Voice Lakota Voice contacted Brenda Norrell, Censored News, last November requesting permission to reprint her story, “Powers of deception, arm chair journalism and editorial scams”. After Censored News published a highlight of Indigenous Resistance for 2014, we again contacted Ms. Norell. This time,

A Look At The Russian - Ukraine Cyber War

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 21 hours ago

Flickr user: Kecko *Ukraine Conflict: Hackers Take Sides In Virtual War -- BBC* Throughout the bitter violence of the Ukrainian conflict, another hidden war has been waged, involving several groups of computer hackers. Little is beyond their reach. Official documents and private communications are made public, and websites blocked. They hijack CCTV cameras, electronic billboards and network printers. The best known of the virtual warriors are the Ukrainian Cyber Troops, the Cyber Berkut and Anonymous International. All three present themselves as independent activists, separate fr... more »

ADL's "Advanced Training School" brainwashing top law enforcement executives

The Realist Report at The Realist Report - 21 hours ago

According to a recent press release from the Anti-Defamation League, one of the most tyrannical, subversive, and quite frankly un-American organizations operating in the United States today, 37 top executives representing a variety of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the Advanced Training School course offered by the ADL. I wonder if these law enforcement agencies actually pay the ADL for these ridiculous courses? The *press release* reads in part: ADL held the 26th session of our Advanced Training School (ATS) course on Extremist and Terrorist Thr... more »

Kerry Bentivolio Kicked Out Of The GOP Cult-- And Forced To Sell All His Reindeer

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 21 hours ago

"This is what happens," groused Kerry Bentivolio, "when a regular guy gets an opportunity to come to Congress." He's feeling pretty aggrieved all around. Not many Republicans lost their seats this year. But Bentivolio did-- and he lost ugly to Michigan's foreclosure king, who unleashed a torrent of cash-- over $4,000,000, including $3,623,402 from his own bank account-- to smear him mercilessly from Canton, Livonia and Novi to Auburn Hills and Washington, DC. In the end Trott and his Establishment allies beat him 138,229 (56.1%) to 100,665 (40.8%). Bentivolio calls himself a "a re... more »

“Protect Yourself from Control Dramas”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 21 hours ago

*“Protect Yourself from Control Dramas”* by Dr. Jody Janati “What is a Control Drama? A control drama, as coined by James Redfield in his book, “The Celestine Prophecy,” is played by anyone who is feeling low on power or energy, to manipulate and steal the energy of another. Control dramas are unconscious strategies all people use to gain power or energy from another person and to essentially, “get their way with others.” We get our way with others by making them pay attention to us and then elicit a certain reaction from them to make ourselves feel fulfilled. The positive feelings... more »

Musings On Iraq In The News

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 21 hours ago

My article on Iranian air power in Iraq was reprinted by Business Insider. "24 Voices On The Unity of Iraq" was also mentioned in Tom Rick's Best Defense Blog.

Quarter Four Local By-Election Results 2014

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 21 hours ago

Party Number of candidates Total vote % +/- Q2 Average/ contest +/- Q3 +/- Seats Conservative 72 36,322 29.0% +0.9% 504 +115 +1 Labour 67 29,952 23.9% -2.5% 447 +57 -4 LibDem 44 13,440 10.7% -3.6% 305 +18 +3 UKIP 60 23,648 18.9% +3.7% 394 +124 +3 SNP* 6 7,200 5.8% +5.1% 1,200 +605 +3 Plaid Cymru** 3 702 0.6% -0.1% 351 +123 +1 Green 32 3,257 2.6% -1.6% 102 -9 0 BNP 1 17 0.0% +0.0% ... more »

UN: Situation Serious For 1.7 Million Ukrainian Children

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 22 hours ago

*Unicef: 1.7 Million Ukrainian Children Suffering Amid Conflict, Winter Cold -- CNN* (CNN) -- More than 1.7 million children in conflict-torn areas of eastern Ukraine face an "extremely serious" situation, the U.N. children's agency has warned, with their suffering exacerbated by harsh winter weather. Many families have been forced from their homes and lack access to safe water, sanitation and schooling. "Children continue to bear the brunt of this conflict, with schooling disrupted and access to basic services limited," said Marie-Pierre Poirier, Unicef regional director for Cen... more »

Being Prepared is not Fear- do YOU have the power?

D ... Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 22 hours ago

As I said in last nights Transpicuous News Report, I am not a negative person, nor a pessimist- far from it in fact. But I am a Realist, and right now, the Realist in me says "Be Prepared". At this moment, the world of "Finance" "Economy" and Government idiocy is collapsing all around the globe. I do not say this lightly. After posting TN last night, I opened my skype to 5 more news articles that point a very huge finger at just how close the collapse of the current financial system is. I have written for years about the coming changes to the currently slavery financial system a... more »

Leaked CIA Report Says Targeting Taliban Leaders For Assassination Had A Limited Effect

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 23 hours ago

*CIA Analysis: ‘High-Value Targeting’ Had Limited Effect Against Taliban -- Washington Post* Raids, drone strikes and other military operations designed to capture or kill “high-value targets” in the Taliban have had little overall effect in part because of the militant group’s ability to replace leaders, according to a 2009 CIA analysis newly released by WikiLeaks. The document, titled “Making High-Value Targeting Operations an Effective Counterinsurgency Tool,” is dated July 7, 2009, and was produced as the Obama administration grappled with whether to send additional U.S. troops... more »

Local Council By-Elections December 2014

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 23 hours ago

Party Number of Candidates Total Vote % +/- Nov Average/ contest +/- Nov +/- Seats Conservative 16 7,090 29.2% -2.1% 443 -183 0 Labour 17 6,493 26.8% +3.5% 382 -127 -1 LibDem 10 2,443 10.1% +1.2% 244 -49 +1 UKIP 15 4,472 18.4% -0.6% 298 -216 +1 SNP* 2 1,670 6.9% +1.6% 835 -375 +1 Plaid Cymru** 2 598 2.5% +2.3% 598 +494 +1 Green 5 375 1.5% -1.8% 75 -43 0 BNP 0 0 0 TUSC 1 29 0.1% -0.2% 29 +3 0 Independent*** ... more »

All About Us

gail zawacki at Wit's End - 23 hours ago

In this post are screenshots and notes I made from a lecture by James White of INSTAAR, U Colorado Boulder, given last week at the annual meeting of the AGU (American Geophysical Union) in San Francisco. Anyone can see it, for free, although it requires jumping through some hoops to register. Here is the link I used to access it - you can try to login as me (email witsendnj@yahoo.com, password agupass1) or register yourself and search for James White in "Virtual Options" at the conference home site. It is well worth persistence to see. The title refers to his recent study, "Abrup... more »

Why The Legendary Region Of Khorasan Is Important To The Islamic State

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 23 hours ago

Wikipedia *ISIS Targets Afghanistan Just as the U.S. Quits -- Sami Yousafzai and Christopher Dickey, Daily Beast * As the United States moves out of Afghanistan, ISIS is moving in to compete with al Qaeda and the Taliban in the legendary region of Khorasan, which also includes Pakistan and Iran. LONDON — Few sayings of the Prophet Mohammed have a stronger hold on the imagination of the world’s jihadists than his prophecy about the flags: "If you see the black banners coming from Khorasan, join that army, even if you have to crawl over ice,” he is supposed to have admonished the fa... more »

What's The Conventional Wisdom?

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 day ago

http://www.slideshare.net/ Parliamentary government is rooted in a series of conventions. The problem, Andrew Coyne writes, is that our political parties are no longer paying attention to those conventions. And if -- as seems likely -- we elect a minority government the next time around, what, he wonders, will happen in the wake of no political consensus: We are notably lacking in consensus in this country on even the most basic rules of the game. We flirted with an all-out constitutional crisis on more than one occasion then. The... more »

PC revolution, Altair 8800: 40th anniversary

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 1 day ago

Fourty years and one day ago, the PC revolution started when Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) released its Altair 8800 personal computer. In 1994, this guy, Bill Gates, said a few words about his and Paul Allen's decision to write BASIC for that machine (which was released in early 1975). Note that BASIC was invented as a popular language at a New Hampshire school in 1964. I was just one year and two weeks old when the model was introduced. But even for those of you who are older, it must feel like some mysterious pre-history of the PCs because almost no one bou... more »

Is Morale Among Islamic State Fighters Falling?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

Photo Credit: Oleg Zabielin | shutterstock.com *Isis Morale Falls As Momentum Slows And Casualties Mount -- Financial Times* Flagging morale, desertion and factionalism are starting to affect the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, known as Isis, testing the cohesion of the jihadi force as its military momentum slows. Activists and fighters in parts of eastern Syria controlled by Isis said as military progress slows and focus shifts to governing the area, frustration has grown among militants who had been seen as the most disciplined and effective fighting force in the country’s... more »

Truth In Settlements Act

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago

In the video above, Elizabeth Warren explains why she introduced the Truth in Settlements Act (S.1898) as soon as Congress got back to work last January. She also explains why it was never sent to President Obama's desk to be signed. It would help just about anyone understand why there is so much grassroots support for electing a president like Warren instead of just another tired political hack like Clinton or Bush who doesn't stand for anything that means squat for the well-being of the 99%. She introduced the bill, co-sponsored by "Senator No"-- AKA-Tom Coburn (R-OK)-- and wha... more »

UKIP's quips

Boris at The Galloping Beaver - 1 day ago

Ah, I believe we're a familiar with this sort of problem with our ReformatoryCons, who are basically now required to think only in verbatim PMO talking points. Nigel Farage is cracking down on Ukip supporters’ social media activity after a series of scandals over racist comments. The party has changed its constitution to prevent unauthorised use of the Ukip logo by supporters, members and

More U.S. Troops Being Sent To Iraq

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*US To Send More Military Advisers to Iraq, Mainly Anbar Province -- Rudaw* WASHINGTON DC—Outgoing US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel authorized the deployment of up to 1,300 American troops to Iraq early next year to assist and advise Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), the Pentagon said on Friday. “Their mission will be to train, advise and assist Iraqi security forces. This deployment is part of the additional 1,500 troops that the president authorized in November,” Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters at a Pentagon briefing. The annou... more »

VOCP - Voluntary One Child Policy - doing what's right for Free Planet

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 1 day ago

*VOCP* or Voluntary One Child Policy. *this is the basis of how we bring planet Earth back under our rightful Custodianship.* There are megalomaniacs and genetic engineers out there who suggest that we should Logan's Run the future to avoid endemic Soylent Greenism, this means agree to have our parents murdered by the state after a certain age and/or turn certain parts of the Human Race into FOOD to feed *the unworthy breeders*. Free Planet says, "Leave the planet better than you found it." Free Planet says, "Live within your means, for free." Free Planet says, "Be your own man, do... more »

U.K. Defense Minister: Women May Serve In Close Combat Roles By 2016

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*Women May Serve In Close Combat Roles By 2016, Says Fallon -- BBC* Women may be allowed to fight in front line combat roles for the first time - pending a further review by the Ministry of Defence. A government-commissioned report on the ban on women serving in close combat roles called for more research to assess the physical demands involved. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said armed forces roles "should be determined by ability and not gender". And he added that he hoped to "open up combat roles to women" in 2016. Currently women can serve on the front line, but not where t... more »

Crimea Hit With Wide Ranging Sanctions From Both The EU And The U.S.

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*Obama Orders Trade Ban on Crimea for Russian 'Occupation' -- Voice of America* President Barack Obama has imposed a wide-ranging trade ban on the Russian-annexed Crimea peninsula, with an executive order that bars exports of key U.S. goods and services and blocks Crimean imports. A White House statement Friday said the order is "intended to provide U.S. clarity to American corporations doing business in the region." It also said it aimed to demonstrate that Washington "will not accept Russia's occupation" of Crimea. The ban includes sanctions on 24 individuals and companies ide... more »

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JR at GREENIE WATCH - 1 day ago

*Climate skepticism is racist* *The hysterical Naomi Klein says so. Too silly to be worth fisking. A mountain of argument built entirely on false premises. Some background on the brainless braying bimbo here. Her dream is to become a revolutionary leader ("Fuehrer" in German) and her rhetoric matches that* The annual United Nations climate summit is wrapping up in in Lima, Peru, and on its penultimate day, something historic happened. No, not the empty promises from powerful governments to finally get serious about climate action—starting in 2020 or 2030 or any time other tha... more »

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jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 1 day ago

*From just two hours a week to a relentless 14, after-school workloads across the globe* A new study reveals just how much time teenagers spend on their homework across the globe. According to a brief from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, homework varies drastically from country to country, with the average 15-year-old American spending six hours a week on it in 2012 and those in Korea and Finland spending less than three. In Shanghai, students tend to be burdened with the most time-consuming assignments, with the average teen spending about 14... more »

Welcome to the Solstice Gathering around the Pond, Sunday December 21

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago

*Welcome to the Solstice Gathering around the Pond, Sunday December 21 * December 19, 2014 in Gatherings around the Pond By Aisha North Dear family of light! We are approaching a pivotal point of the year, and the CCs have asked us to have a special Solstice Gathering around the Pond this Sunday at 21:00 Oslo time. Here is what the CCs wanted to share about it: “And so it is that we ask you once again to come together to pool your resources the way that only you can do, and this time it is indeed for a very special occasion. For this time, we ask you all to come together to ma... more »

GDEB Awarded $36 Million for Development of Advanced Submarine Technologies

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: USS Minnesota]General Dynamics Electric Boat has been awarded a $36.5 million contract modification from the U.S. Navy to develop advanced submarine technologies for current and future undersea platforms. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics. Under the terms of the modification, Electric Boat will perform advanced submarine research and development studies in support of a wide range of technology areas including manufacturability, maintainability, survivability, hydrodynamics, acoustics and materials. Read more

Brian Kelly's Story: A Journey to Discovering Purpose -- Part II

D ... Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 1 day ago

*My Story -- A Journey to Discovering Purpose -- Part II* December 18, 2014 This post is not just about a business idea, it's about "Inspiring a Revolution of Change".... ~BK In Part I, I told my personal journey of self discovery, which can be read here. On my mission to find purpose, here's a quick recap from the last article of the major lessons I learned along the way: 1. *BE HAPPY* 2. *PROVIDE VALUE* 3. *BE OF SERVICE* 4. *HAVE FUN* 5. *GIVE, GIVE, GIVE & then GIVE some MORE* 6. *WE ARE ALL PART OF ONE HUMAN FAMILY* 7. *NEVER WORK A JOB JUST FOR THE PAYCHE... more »

Navy to take delivery of new stealth missile corvette next week

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

The Navy is set to take delivery of its first locally designed stealth missile corvette from a Taiwanese shipbuilder during a ceremony slated for Dec. 23, the Ministry of National Defense said Friday. During the ceremony in a commercial harbor in Suao, the 500-ton corvette -- the Tuo Jiang ("Tuo River") -- will be officially transferred from Lung Teh Shipbuilding Co. to the Navy. After receiving the corvette, the Navy will begin training personnel to familiarize them with the craft, and Navy officials did not think it would take long before the vessel is put into service. Read more

Canister Launch of Agni-V Next Month

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: Agni V ICBM]Preparations are afoot at the defence base off Odisha coast for the first canister launch of India’s longest range nuclear capable missile Agni-V. The test is likely to be conducted on January 7 or 8 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to witness the launch. The motor, body and other sub-systems of the indigenously developed missile having a strike range of 5,000-km have been brought to the Wheeler Island test facility and DRDO scientists are busy assembling the weapon system. Sources told this paper that the schedule of the missile test depends on ... more »

Pilots Died Because of Lack of Trainer Aircraft and Training Aid, Says Government Auditor

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: HJT-36 Sitara]Accidents involving fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force in 2012-13 were caused due to "technical defects" and "human error", according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The number of such mishaps were considerably higher than in the past, says the government auditor. The CAG report says there were as many as 33 accidents in which 27 pilots lost their lives in the period that was audited. These accidents happened, the report says, because the Air Force could no longer train its pilots properly - it didn't have the full complement of basic... more »

US Grants $3B Sale Of Tanks, Armored Vehicles To Iraq; Will Send 1,300 Troops To Assist Iraqi Forces

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: M1A1 Abrams MBT]The U.S. State Department has approved sales of tanks and other armored vehicles to Iraq as part of a deal worth about $3 billion. The latest development coincided with a statement from the Department of Defence announcing the deployment of more than 1,000 U.S. troops in Iraq next year. “The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq for M1A1 Abrams tanks and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $2.4 billion,” the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in ... more »

Insitu lands $41M Navy drone order

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: RQ-21A Blackjack]Insitu, the Bingen-based manufacturer of drones, has landed a $41.07 million Navy contract to supply three RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft systems. The company, a subsidiary of aerospace giant Boeing, will perform the contract work in Bingen and is expected to complete it in January 2016, the U.S. Department of Defense said Thursday. The $41.07 million will pay for "the air vehicles, ground control stations, launch and recovery equipment, initial spares, and system engineering and program management," according to the Defense Department. Following federal... more »

Danny Vendramini - Planet of the Neanderthals - profile of a super predator

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 1 day ago

here's a very interesting video concerning Danny Vendramini's book *Them and Us* (how Neanderthal predation created Modern Humans). Danny's bold and brave claim is that *Neanderthals were horrible nightmarish monsters that hunted and devoured puny humans*. Their large eyes suggest that most of this might have been done nocturnally i.e. at night, nightmarish indeed... *Once the traditional anthropomorphic approach is put aside, and it is acknowledged that human physiology and behaviour are a one-off case, Neanderthal physiology can be seen in its correct evolutionary context.* *Nean... more »

Canada commits $200 million to development of next generation of Seasparrow missile

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: Evolved Seasparrow Missile]The Department of National Defence has announced that it is joining efforts to improve missile systems for naval vessels. The upgrade process includes the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of the Evolved Seasparrow Missile Block 2 – the next generation of that missile. Canada’s contribution to participate in the development memorandum of understanding is approximately $200 million, according to DND. Read more

Canada sending HMCS Fredericton to Mediterranean Sea over Ukraine crisis

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: HMCS Fredericton]Canada is sending another one of its frigates to help a NATO maritime force aiming to provide reassurance to eastern European allies that are jittery over the crisis in Ukraine. The Defence Department says HMCS Fredericton will deploy in the coming weeks to replace HMCS Toronto in the Mediterranean Sea. HMCS Toronto has been in the area since August. Read more

Sale of US Warships to Taiwan Violates China-US Agreements: Beijing

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: USS Halyburton]The sale of four Perry-class guided missile frigates by the United States to Taiwan violates joint communiques signed by China and the United States, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Friday. "The Chinese side is firmly opposed to the arms sales by the US to Taiwan. This position is steadfast, clear and consistent. The aforementioned act constitutes a grave breach of the spirit of the three joint communiqués between China and the US, especially that of the August 17 Communiqué," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Qin Gang was quoted as saying in a statemen... more »

Russian Nuclear Bombers Again Buzz Guam

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: Tu-95 Bear D & F-15 Eagle]Russian strategic bombers conducted a third circumnavigation of the U.S. Pacific island of Guam last week as other bombers flew close to Alaska and Europe, defense officials said. Two Tu-95 Bear H bombers made the flight around Guam, a key U.S. military hub in the western Pacific, on Dec. 13. No U.S. interceptor jets were dispatched to shadow the bombers. Separately, two Canadian F-18s intercepted two Bear bombers that intruded into the Alaska air defense identification zone on Dec. 8 that a military spokesman called “unwanted, provocative, and pote... more »

Russian military received 38 intercontinental missiles in 2014 — defense minister

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: Yuri Dolgoruky SSBN]Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces added 38 new intercontinental ballistic missiles to their tables of equipment this year, including 22 submarine-based missiles, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Friday at an expanded session of the Defense Ministry's Board. The percentage of upgraded armaments in the Armed Forces has thus reached 56%, he said. The Strategic Missile Troops now have three new regiments operating Yars missile complexes. By the end of December, the Navy will have three strategic nuclear-powered submarines of the Borei class. The first o... more »

Repair of nuclear-powered submarine Yekaterinburg completed at Zvezdochka shipyard

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: Yekaterinburg SSBN]Zvezdochka shipyard has completed repair and extension of the lifetime of the strategic nuclear-powered submarine Yekaterinburg (project 667BDRM), the shipyard says in its press release. The ship has been officially delivered to Russian Navy on December 19, 2014. In June 2012, the ship was delivered to Zvezdochka (Severodvinsk) for repair and extension of the ship’s lifetime by 3 years. In early June 2014, the Yekaterinburg left the slip dock of Ship Repair Center ‘Zvezdochka’, the outfitting work was completed in the first half of November 2014 and the s... more »

CAG says submarines hit by delay in buying spares

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: INS Sindhurakshak]The comptroller and auditor general (CAG) on Friday slammed the government for unreasonable delays in projects that compromised the navy's ability to fully exploit its Russian-origin Kilo-class submarines and also hit the training of air force pilots. In a report tabled in Parliament, the national auditor condemned the defence ministry over its failure to indigenise heavy-duty Tatra trucks used for carrying missiles, a target that should have should have achieved in 1991. The trucks were at the centre of a controversy in 2012 when former army chief Genera... more »

NSM Coastal Defence contract valued at NOK 1,3 Billions with Poland

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: NSM (Naval Strike Missile) Coastal Defence System]Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KONGSBERG) has signed a contract with the Polish Ministry of National Defence for an NSM (Naval Strike Missile) Coastal Defence System valued at NOK 1.3 Billion. The scope of delivery is a Squadron-size unit similar to the contract won with Poland in 2008. After a successful delivery and acceptance of the first Squadron, this second Squadron will increase the cooperation with the Polish Government and industry and further enhance security of supply by establishing the capability to maintain the ... more »

Financial Services Regulators' heads and bonuses roll, punished for suggesting they might Regulate Financial Services.

Jake at Ripped-off Britons - 1 day ago

Standing watch over the British Consumer "No good deed ever goes unpunished": A cautionary tale from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for Christmas and beyond.  In December 2014 FCA heads rolled and FCA bonuses were cancelled. Was it due to a failure to show adequate Authority over a firms' Financial Conduct? To find out, we travel ten months back in time. In February 2014 the FCA

thelapine.ca - Talk to the Rabbit

greencrow at Greencrow As The Crow Flies - 1 day ago

*Scared Rabbit* As my reader(s) might have noticed...I've added more than 80 "*Greencrow's Recommended Blogs*" to my website lately. This is the latest one: thelapine.ca "Lapine" is French for rabbit. Here's the item that caught my eye: http://thelapine.ca/putin-calmly-told-harper-to-bugger-off-you-gas-bag/ Putin Calmly Told Harper to “Bugger Off You Gas Bag” Posted on November 16, 2014 by The Lapine [image: HarperPutin] BRISBANE — Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper today repeated his version of a “testy exchange” with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 meeti... more »

Are We Responding To The New Demands Of The Supply Chain?

Martyn Daniels at Brave New World - 1 day ago

A Supply Chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The delays in internet deliveries has highlighted how the existing supply chain is not capable of responding to spikes in volume and demand. So what will be the future? Will we be any better at forecasting next year than we were this year? Will the lack of responsiveness actually choke back consumer demand to shop online? Will the cost of carriage rise sharply to mitigate the risks to carriage companies? The growth of internet transactions across all goods is heavily dependent on an effective and responsive transport infrastru... more »

Transpicuous News Dec 19 2014: Tantrums and Financial Terrorism

D ... Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 1 day ago

*Side note: Sorry everyone, apparently the first 2 minutes of the video (of me ranting and having a tantrum) somehow got cut in the editing process. .... yet another thing for me to rant about, no doubt. The missing section contains me ranting about the ridiculousness of everything in the past 72 hours or so, and that I felt I needed to bring this information out today.... the remaining video contains the entire news footage, so I guess you don't get to see D have a tantrum.... this time.* Well my friends, I'm back again, even though I said I wouldn't be recording any updates ti... more »

Israel launches Gaza air strike on 'Hamas target' per BBC News

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 day ago

This BBC article http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-30558922 is so blatant in its anti Israel structure that I can't even be bothered to fisk it. Have a look for yourself.

Cheryl Robbins' new guides in her series A Foreigner's Travel Guide To Taiwan's Indigenous Areas

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 1 day ago

[image: DSC03632]Cheryl Robbins, the well-known, longtime resident of the island, is building a travel service that takes visitors to remote areas to tour in aboriginal villages. Highly recommended! She's also put out a set of guidebooks for traveling in Indigenous areas. I've blogged on them before, but I'd like to remind readers that these bilingual texts are available from her website. Recently she has released two more volumes in the series, the Hualien and Taitung volume, and the Northern Taiwan volume. These incredibly useful books, roughly 200 pages each, contain road directi... more »

Did the Ancient Chinese Make Contact With Native Americans?

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago

[image: Illustrations of a Chinese man and a Native American from the 18th or 19th century, artist unknown. Background: Mention of Fusang (] Of course they did, just as sporadic contact took place across the Atlantic. The pro0blem was that no one had a good reason to establish a long term trade system that would have sustained colonies and mutual interest. That changed during the European Bronze Age between 2500 BC and 1159 BC and in 1492 when European military advantages was able to liberate Indian gold and other valuable metals to support serious colonization. after that it ev... more »

The Great Wall of Texas

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago

Claiming that nature created a rectangular structure 3.5 miles by 5.6 miles is rather curious and impossibly unconvincing. Then the blocks from which it is made just turns out to be a porridge of clay, sand and calcite which is just what we use to make a crude cement. size would then be determined by its curing behavior. This is complete conformable to Bronze Age technology. The size suggests a large city needing serious defenses and able to protect the surrounding population who were surely growing corn. The building of this wall would use box frames to set up the blocks ... more »

Milkweed Touted as Oil-Spill Super-Sucker

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago

Finally someone is making the milkweed market work for us. Once this becomes properly established, i expect plenty of additional applications. It may even replace feathers in bedding. This was kapok during the Second world war and provided floatation then. I suspect it could do it again. But you can see the problem. This is all niche marketing and contract driven which discourages serious equipment investment. Too bad we could not blend it with cotton to provide a superior ? I posted several years ago so this chap is not the only player out there. Let us hope someone ga... more »

How to Graft Fruit Trees

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago

[image: featured image] . One thing that i have become aware of is that every farmer on Earth is missing a serious contributor to farm revenue by not integrating trees into all field crops. Most such needs to be single rows or perhaps staggered double rows that still allow large root balls that then leave ample room between for at least two combine sweeps or their equivalent on annual crops. This also allows sufficient spacing to minimize the shade effect. All this can produce a thriving crop as well as a healthy tree crop with minimal losses in terms of the field ... more »

More Chu joy: Chu's Ancestral House Renovated by Taoyuan Culture Bureau

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 1 day ago

*My friend Iris shoots a mountain road.* Business as usual: Solidarity.tw translates/writes on how the Taoyuan County culture bureau hurriedly signed $NT 30 million in contracts to renovate incoming KMT Chairman Eric Chu's ancestral home as a cultural/historic site, before the DPP could get in and stop the silliness. What a coincidence! It was declared to be a historic when Chu was the County Chief. Chu is a reformer? This is business as usual, in which high-ranking KMTers treat the government and the nation as a combination ATM and game preserve. From the piece: Councilor Huang C... more »

"Never Be Ashamed..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

"Tell Them..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

"Then tell them we've all got some meanness in us... but tell them that we have some good in us, too. And the only thing worth living for is the good. That’s why we’ve got to make sure we pass it on." - Billie Letts

Let's see how quickly Dwight has a submission picked for the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago

*by Ken* "Got this e-mail the other day," writes *New Yorker* cartoon editor Bob Mankoff, adding, "It’s not the first of its kind." This reader is completely non-plussed by the premature deadlines for your cartoon contest, in that they are dated one day before the cover publication date of the magazine, which in my case is often not delivered in the mail until too late to enter. What exactly is the point of this kind of discouragement to your enthusiastic subscribers? I hope and pray you will not ignore this complaint in an all too common post-modern electronic game of passive a... more »

Europe Prepares For A Long Confrontation With Russia

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

(L-R) Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, French President Francois Hollande and Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho meet European Union leaders summit in Brussels, on December 18, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Emmanuel Dunand/Pool *EU Leaders Prepare For Long Confrontation With Russia -- Reuters* (Reuters) - European Union leaders warned Moscow they are ready to flex their combined muscle and "stay the course" in a long confrontation with Russia if President Vladimir Putin refuses to pull back from Ukraine. "We must go b... more »

"3 Questions To Ask Before You Die"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

*"3 Questions To Ask Before You Die"* by Yurianddinna *"The unexamined life is not worth living: *Socrates once said that the unexamined life is not worth living. I grieve at the grim reality that most of us live such “unexamined” lives and then we die. Inside your head is one of the most irreducibly complex wonders of the universe, and you are afraid to use it for more than a game of Angry Birds. Around you is a world filled to the brim with miracles, marvels, manifestations that shout questions at you, but you prefer to focus all your attention onto the lives of the Kardashians. ... more »

"Questions..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

"You have been given questions to which you cannot be given answers. You will have to live them out - perhaps a little at a time." *"And how long is that going to take?" * "I don't know. As long as you live, perhaps." *"That could be a long time."* "I will tell you a further mystery," he said. "It may take longer." — Wendell Berry, "Jayber Crow"

"What Lies Beyond the Edge of the Universe?”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

* "What Lies Beyond the Edge of the Universe?”* by Andrew Moseman “The visible edge of the universe is, by definition, the most distant thing that we can see. That does not mean it is the most distant thing we can feel, however. According to astrophysicist Alexander Kashlinsky of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, something from way beyond the edge seems to be pulling powerfully on galaxies in our universe, yanking them along in a motion he calls “dark flow.” Kashlinsky and his team noticed this phenomenon while studying the cosmic microwave background, radiation left over from ju... more »

Putin: Russia's Military Doctrine Remains Defensive

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

© Sputnik/ Alexei Druzhinin *Putin: Russia's Military Doctrine Remains Defensive Despite NATO Buildup -- Sputnik* Russian President Putin said at a meeting with the top military brass in Moscow that Russia's military doctrine, which has an absolutely defensive nature, remains unchanged. MOSCOW, December 19 (Sputnik) — The Russian military doctrine will remain defensive despite NATO military buildup in eastern Europe, but Russia will make consistent and determined efforts to safeguard its security, President Vladimir Putin said Friday. "Our military doctrine, which has an absolute... more »

Israel Launches Airstrikes Against Hamas

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

Israeli security forces stand next to the remains of a rocket that was fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel on Friday, on the Israeli side of the border December 19, 2014. REUTERS/Ilan Assayag *Israel Bombs Gaza Militant Base After Rocket Hits Southern Israel -- Reuters* (Reuters) - Israeli aircraft bombed a Hamas militant base in the Gaza Strip on Friday for the first time since the end of a war in the territory, in response to a rocket that militants launched earlier in the day, the army said. The bombs struck in the Khan Younis area in the southern Gaza Strip. Local hospi... more »

Hollywood And Sony Criticized For 'Caving - In' To Cyber Threats

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*George Clooney Criticizes Hollywood in Sony Cyberattack -- Voice of America/Reuters* NEW YORK - Oscar-winner George Clooney slammed Hollywood power players for not supporting Sony Pictures following the cyberattack on the company over the satirical comedy "The Interview" about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Sony on Wednesday pulled the Christmas Day release of the film depicting a fictional assassination of Kim after major theater chains said they would not show it because of unspecified threats made by the hackers. Clooney, in an interview Friday with online trade publication ... more »

President Obama Responds To Sony Cyber Attack

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*Obama Mocks Absurd Plot Twist Of Cyber Attack On Sony -- Reuters* (Reuters) - Faced with the most destructive cyber attack of a company on U.S. soil, President Barack Obama resorted to humor to explain an absurd plot that even Hollywood did not see coming. In his rebuke of Sony Pictures' decision to shelve "The Interview," about a fictitious plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Obama said the public did not have to look farther than the film's stoner-comedy stars to gauge its threat. "I think it says something interesting about North Korea that they decided to ha... more »

snippy the horse

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago

On Sept. 7, 1967 - Snippy the horse, a 3-year-old Appaloosa, who’s actual name was Lady, failed to show up for her usual morning drink in a pasture on the Harry King ranch 20 miles northeast of Alamosa, at the foot of Mount Blanca. Two days later, Snippy's body was found in the pasture, her death cloaked in mystery. The skin and flesh had been cleanly cut away from the shoulders to the ears. There were no tracks near the body and no blood on the ground, but strange markings were found on the ground around Snippy's body. The horse's owner, Nellie Lewis, said she was positive that e... more »

Noted Tin-Foil Crazy Alex Jones and Infowars steps in it by going after Spokane Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich...w/Update

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 1 day ago

*a good man and a good sheriff.* *As I keep saying, do not believe everything you read* InfoWars is bashing the sheriff's department of Spokane County for taking a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) to a charity event where the deputies take children shopping for Christmas. Some unidentified woman films herself badgering some of the deputies about the MRAP until she catches a deputy saying that there a lot of "constitutionalists" in the area, and they are well armed. At first, InfoWars shows only the few seconds where he makes that statement. Is it taken out of context? You ... more »

Musical Interlude: 2002, "Starwalkers"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

2002, "Starwalkers" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SovcBYRFIxw

meditate on love

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago

Baraka

Ringing sleighbells and roasting chestnuts tell us it's that time of year: Be afraid for the holidays

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago

*by Ken* It's Friday, and I realize many of you were probably in such a hurry to get wherever you were going for the weekend -- and possibly beyond, with those two skeletal work weeks coming up surrounding the holidays -- that you missed this news. So as a public service, *DWT* wants to be sure you've heard the latest from your State Dept., courtesy of the *Washington Post* "In the Loop" team: *State Department warns travelers about worldwide terror threat* By Colby Itkowitz | December 19 at 5:30 PM It’s the Friday before Christmas, but the State Department is not spreading holi... more »

Edwin Black : The Transfer Agreement

Spike EP at News Spike - 1 day ago

Edwin Black : Book Discussion on The Transfer Agreement from Spike EP on Vimeo. *Book Discussion on The Transfer Agreement* Edwin Black talked about his book The Transfer Agreement: The Dramatic Story of the Pact Between the Third Reich and Jewish Palestine (Dialog Press; 25th anniversary ed. August 25, 2009). He pieced together the story of an agreement made between Hitler’s government and a group of Zionist leaders in 1933. The agreement called for the transfer of 55,000 Jews and $100 million to Palestine in exchange for calling off a planned economic boycott of Nazi Germany by ... more »

With Apologies....

Catelli at Not Quite Unhinged - 1 day ago

Good King Wenceslas went out, for pizza he was craving. Homemade fresh rolled dough deep and crisp and even. Brightly shone the oven light, while the cheese did bubble. Now his hunger it did bite, and his stomach gru-um-bled. O'er the menu he did pore Meat and cheese and mushrooms Marked his choices one by one All his favourites lusting Now his order's all but done Gives to cashier waiting

Luxembourg to prosecute a tax dodge accountant!.. but not for dodging any taxes

Hari at Ripped-off Britons - 1 day ago

KJ learns how the world really works from Fee and Chris... SOURCE GUARDIAN: Luxembourg tax dodge whistleblower charged with theft, says he acted out of conviction 28-year-old Antoine Deltour has been charged in Luxembourg with a string of criminal offences including theft, violation of professional secrecy, violation of trade secrets and illegally accessing a database. Deltour joined PwC

So much for substantial compliance

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 day ago

Canadian courts usually now waive technicalities and focus on substantive rights. But not always. In High Tower Homes Corporation v. Stevens, 2014 ONCA 911 the Court insisted that a failure to make waiver precisely as set out in a contract, despite dealings between counsel being accepted to that point, made the waiver void. So what to do? Try to follow terms precisely but recognize sometimes the Court will insist on precise compliance and sometimes not: [43] In *Technicore Underground Inc. v. Toronto (City)*, 2012 ONCA 597, 354 D.L.R. (4th) 516, at para. 63, Gillese J.A., w... more »

Churchill : Opertation Unthinkable and the Masonic Partitions of Europe and India

Spike EP at News Spike - 1 day ago

*Allied army positions in central Europe on 10 May 1945. * *The Soviet numerical superiority in relation to the Western Allies was roughly 4:1 in men and 2:1 in tanks at the end of hostilities in Europe.* *"The overall political object is to impose upon Russia the will of the United States and British Empire.* *Even thought "the will" of these two countries may be defined as no more than a square deal for Poland, that does not necessarily limit the military commitment. a quick success might induce the Russians to submit to our will at least for the time being; but it might not. * ... more »

Tonight's Movie Is '1492 Conquest of Paradise' (1992)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

“Shiny NGC 253 is one of the brightest spiral galaxies visible, and also one of the dustiest. Some call it the Silver Dollar Galaxy for its appearance in small telescopes, or just the Sculptor Galaxy for its location within the boundaries of the southern constellation Sculptor. First swept up in 1783 by mathematician and astronomer Caroline Herschel, the dusty island universe lies a mere 10 million light-years away. *Click image for larger size.* About 70 thousand light-years across, NGC 253 is the largest member of the Sculptor Group of Galaxies, the nearest to our own Local Group ... more »

Chet Raymo, “The Eternal Silence of Infinite Spaces...”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

*“The Eternal Silence of Infinite Spaces...”* by Chet Raymo “The little book, British psychologist Nicholas Humphrey's “Leaps of Faith,” published in 1995, may have been the first (and best?) shot in the current brouhaha of science and faith. I've been reading again my copy, and recognize my debt to his trenchant analysis. I seem to recall quoting him in my own “Skeptics and True Believers” (1998). He poses his theme with this statement: "All great supernatural belief systems- indeed, all philosophical systems, up till now- have catered to two central human needs: the need for a ra... more »

"Tips For Dealing With Sadness and Depression"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

"Tips For Dealing With Sadness and Depression" by Vijai P. Sharma, Ph.D “Depression with its characteristic sad face, stooped posture, and slow movements is universal; it is found not only in humans in all cultures, but even in animals, notably, monkeys, chimpanzees, and dogs. In the English language, we have even invented a metaphor to describe a sad face, the "hang dog" appearance. Everyone now and then feels sad, unhappy or disappointed because of a thought, memory, behavior or spoken words. But then such feelings are cleared up in just a few hours and we get back to our normal ... more »

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 19, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*The Sony Hack and America’s Craven Capitulation To Terror -- David Keyes, Daily Beast* *Americans are giving in to North Korean blackmail—and it will only get worse.* If the noble experiment of American democracy is to mean anything, it is fidelity to the principle of freedom. It is to champion the idea that all men and women are endowed with certain unalienable rights—free to think our thoughts, speak our minds, associate with whom we want and express our feelings without fear that a tyrant will silence us. Slavery is not only the physical restraining of the body. It is also th... more »

Why Doctors Aren't Shocked that Mumps has hit the NHL

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 1 day ago

I was not intending on posting today, being a tad under the weather. However, their are times when information calls out to me.... *"place me at the blog"* it implores ! And so, it must be. Fully realizing that some readers still here, or perhaps no longer here, can't get past their cognitive dissonance when it comes to the fact t*hat they hold a completely unsubstantiated and unrealistic belief in VACCINE.* Their effectiveness. Their safety. The ethics of the pharmaceutical manufacturers. An almost irrational belief that the first priority for big pharma is something other th... more »

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

Vitrolles, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France Thanks for stopping by.

World News Briefs -- December 19, 2014 (Evenig Edition)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*Obama Defends Cuban Opening But Faults Sony Over Movie In Year-End Press Conference -- New York Times* WASHINGTON — President Obama on Friday rejected critics who say he should not have opened American relations with Cuba because of that nation’s human rights record, saying the historic thaw would give the United States more sway with the Cuban government. “I share the concerns of dissidents there and human rights activists that this is still a regime that represses its people,” Mr. Obama said at a wide-ranging news conference that ended a period of extraordinary domestic and fo... more »

“The Day Einstein Feared Has Arrived”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

*“The Day Einstein Feared Has Arrived”* by Administrator "The day Albert Einstein feared may finally have arrived..." *Click image for larger size.* - http://www.theburningplatform.com/

The Monopoly of Hydro Electricity

Waking Times at Waking Times - 1 day ago

*Waking Times - *Can you imagine a world where electricity flows in an open and free market? The post The Monopoly of Hydro Electricity appeared first on Waking Times.

"We" Still Torture Some Folks

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 1 day ago

Uh-oh. Looks like President Obama goofed in the grammatical tense department. Seriously, though, when he signed his executive order banning torture on his first day in office in 2009, he didn't say anything about not outsourcing torture to compliant friends, and allowing CIA and Special Ops forces to still *threaten* to torture and sexually abuse prisoners in black sites abroad. No word whether these still-active "enhanced interrogators" were among the anonymous patriots whose identities were redacted from the Senate torture report, so that they may continue to work and thrive with ... more »

Is This Tesla Energy Generator a True Free Energy Device?

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 1 day ago

*Terence Newton* - The Quantum Energy Generator based on a patent of Nikola Tesla is supposed to be the world's first free energy device, but does it work? The post Is This Tesla Energy Generator a True Free Energy Device? appeared first on Waking Times.

GAO Report: U.S. Not Prepared For Nuclear Terrorist Attack Ar A large-Scale Natural Catastrophe

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*GAO Report Finds US Unprepared For Catastrophic Disaster -- FOX News* The federal government is not fully prepared to handle a nuclear terrorist attack or other sort of large-scale catastrophe and is years away from ensuring the safety of Americans if an event should happen, a Government Accountability Office finds. The report obtained by the Associated Press finds that the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not always keep track of safety efforts, which affected the preparedness of states even after Superstorm Sandy devastated the northeast. "FEMA is not aware of the full ... more »

Crackpot Utopia: The Year in Republican Crazy, Part 1

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago

*• Princess Liz Cheney -- 2014's Smoothie of the Year?• "Miss Beck regrets" -- Crazyspeak of the Year nominee No. 1• And the Crackpot Party reacts to President Obama's SOTU* *The Curious Case of the Princess and the Senator (see No. 1)* *Crackpot Utopia:* *A dream world as envisioned by republicans; a manifestation or expression of the deranged, warped alternate universe inhabited by republicans, at least in their minds. See also: Bachmannism, Boehneresque.* *by Noah* *1. Princess Liz Cheney tries for the Smoothie of the Year Award* Since we're talkin' about crazy crackpot fol... more »

Russia Invites North Korean Leader To Moscow For 'Victory Day Celebration' In May

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves to workers during a visit to the Pyongyang Children's Foodstuff Factory in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang December 16, 2014. REUTERS/KCNA *Russia Invites North Korean Leader To Moscow For May Visit -- Reuters* (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Moscow next year to mark the 70th anniversary of the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two, the Kremlin's spokesman said on Friday. It would be Kim's first foreign visit since ... more »

US tax dollars massacred Pakistani children

Kevin Barrett at truthjihad.com blog - 1 day ago

Most Americans are decent people. Naturally they are horrified by the massacre of over 100 children at a school in Peshawar. They would be even more horrified if they knew their tax dollars had paid for it. Full story: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2014/12/19/us-ttp/

Benjamin Fulford: Torture report paves way for arrest of top Nazionists - December 15, 2014

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago

*Views expressed below are those of Benjamin Fulford - AK* *Torture report paves way for arrest of top Nazionists* *Benjamin Fulford* December 15, 2014 The 500 page report of Bush era torture issued by the US Senate marks a major turning point in US power. While much of what is in the report is old news to most aware humans, the fact that it was issued by the US Senate Intelligence Committee and the fact that it was widely reported on in the corporate propaganda media is very important. For one thing it shows that Nazi faction of the cabal no longer controls the corporate media. I... more »

The Holocaust Uniqueness Doctrine

Spike EP at News Spike - 1 day ago

The Open Mind - Lucy Dawidowicz and the Holocaust Uniqueness Doctrine from Spike EP on Vimeo. THE OPEN MIND Host: Richard D. Heffner Guest: Lucy Dawidowicz Title: “The Holocaust and the Historians” VTR: 6/16/82 I’m Richard Heffner, your host on THE OPEN MIND. When I first went to Rutgers University nearly 35 years ago, it was as a young American historian. And in preparing for today’s program, I came across some notes for a talk I gave then, as only a very young academic could or would, on the nature of history, on the confusion between history as the past, and history as onl... more »

Stocking Full of Cynicism: Obama Sticks It to a Handful of Dying Nazis

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 1 day ago

President Barack Obama, the high priest of pandering was at it again on Thursday to sign a bill stripping a handful of aging Nazis of their Social Security benefits. The bill had originally gotten media play earlier this month when McClatchy reported that the House of Representatives had voted 420-0 to waste millions of taxpayer dollars on getting payback against a pack of fossilized rat bastard war criminals who will all be dead soon anyway. For Obama, who seems to believe that this latest dog and pony show somehow makes him into a darker complected version of Simon Wiesenthal o... more »

Double Flare Solar Burst

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago

Ken Derstine Update on Philadelphia CorpEd Reform

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago

No one does it better than Ken: Mark Gleason Turns 'Dump the Losers' Into a Pseudoscience

FBI Confirms That North Korea Is Responsible For Sony Cyber Attack

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*FBI: North Korea Responsible For Sony Hack -- CNN* Washington (CNN) -- North Korea is officially responsible for the cyberattack on Sony Pictures, the FBI announced Friday. An FBI investigation linked the malware, infrastructure and techniques a group of hackers called "Guardians of Peace" used in the Sony attack to previous North Korean cyberattacks. The North Korean-backed hackers broke into Sony's servers, published private emails and information and threatened to attack movie theaters screening "The Interview," a comedy film about an assassination plot on North Korean leader ... more »

Oncology Nurse Quits After 17 Years to Promote Natural Cures for Cancer

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 1 day ago

*Alex Pietrowski* - This cancer nurse had seen enough people lose their fight with cancer after suffering terribly from the effects of conventional treatments... The post Oncology Nurse Quits After 17 Years to Promote Natural Cures for Cancer appeared first on Waking Times.

它的空乘人有一杯熱水和方便麵扔在她的臉上

Barbara Diamond at American Scofflaw - 1 day ago

它的空乘人有一杯熱水和方便麵扔在她的臉上 她的頭推到頭頂的儲物櫃的爭吵爆發

Report: The Islamic State Is Selling Human Organs From Hostages On The Black Market

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

ISIS Trafficking Human Organs From Bodies of Kidnapped Captives: http://t.co/pZ591HBTgB pic.twitter.com/V3RXpZeZnH — The Christian Post (@ChristianPost) December 8, 2014 *Blood Money: How ISIS Is Selling Human Organs Harvested From Living Hostages And Its Own Dead Soldiers To Fund Terror Across The Middle East -- Daily Mail* * IS is hiring foreign doctors to harvest organs in hospitals in Iraq and Syria * Doctor in Mosul says new doctors secretly flooding into his hospital * They extract organs from dead IS militants as well as living captives * Organs then fed into global organ t... more »

Enbridge Spills 56,700 Gallons of OIL, and Attempts To Conceal the Information From the Public?(breaking)

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 1 day ago

*Enbridge Line 4 spills 56,700-gallons of oil, causing closure of pipeline to U.S.* The Vancouver Observer has confirmed that Enbridge has spilled another huge amount of crude oil.. The most disturbing part of this report is....It appears that Enbridge was not going to report this massive oil spill in Saskatchewan as the spill was within the confines of an Enbridge pumping station grounds... Evidence is pointing to an Enbridge employee, a whistleblower who tipped the Vancouver Observer to this oil spilling event..The spill has now been confirmed by Enbridge.. _______________*The d... more »

President Obama Will Hold A Live News Conference At 13:30 EST

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

Friday Pussy - depressed cat version

Demeur at Demeur - 1 day ago

We wonder why the drug companies sell so many anti-depressants. Look no further than any headline news. Note the words used on a daily basis. A brief list from the BBC latest headlines: blames dies bloodbath dead tough scandal offended failed hampers worried struggle violence fled kills murder mayhem Yes these were actual words taken from today's headline news. The list goes on but you get the idea. It makes one wonder if there are any of life's pleasures left. Maybe a little to eat would life a spirit? Oh think again. Salt fat and sugar content are far too high, didn't you read t... more »

Why Are Voters So Unenthusiastic About Reelecting Run Of The Mill, Garden Variety Democrats?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago

You mean Crowley rocking out with Huckabee doesn't get Queens & Bronx voters out to the polls? Turnout for the midterms in California was a dismal 42% this year. Barbara Lee (CA-13- Oakland) didn't have a real race, but her constituents turned out for her in greater numbers than any other congressional candidate in the whole state, more than any other Democrat and more than any Republican. 166,182 went to the polls to voice their gratitude for a congresswoman who stands up for working families. (In 2012 she was reelected with 250,436 votes and Obama won the district with 268,093 in 2... more »

Iraq's Military Is Losing The Battle For Anbar

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*Inside Iraqi Air Base As Islamic State Closes In -- BBC* Ain al-Asad air base, the largest in Iraq's western province of Anbar, has been encircled by militants from Islamic State (IS). The BBC's Quentin Sommerville, the first Western journalist to make it to the facility since IS launched a nationwide offensive in June, found soldiers on the defensive as the militants close in. At Ain al-Asad, soldiers and their armoured vehicles had departed. The camp was quiet, almost peaceful. But we were in fact in the eye of a storm. On multiple fronts, troops were out fighting - and losing ... more »

Coke, Drugs, Pickup Trucks & War

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago

Despite the torture horrors Americans by half say CIA cruelty is justified How could that be a surprise? We are a war addicted nation our economy runs off blood money the signs are everywhere We are proud to plant flags (made in China) in cemeteries honoring those formerly jobless working class servants who 'sacrificed' their lives on behalf of Mr. Big We uncritically salute the flag Hitler would have been impressed by how our 'blitzkrieg' has seeped deeper into our culture than 'Sieg Heil' did into his We are arrogant we fabricate embellish lie and then deny it all before god and the... more »

Satire: "Rubio Vows to Block Twenty-First Century"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

*"Rubio Vows to Block Twenty-First Century"* by Andy Borowitz WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)— "Seizing upon an issue that could become the cornerstone of a possible 2016 Presidential campaign, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said on Thursday that he would do everything in his power to block the twenty-first century. “A lot of folks in Washington believe that the twenty-first century is a forgone conclusion, and that there’s nothing we can do about it,” Rubio said. “I say, ‘Not on my watch.’ ” Explaining his strategy, Rubio said that he and fellow Republicans were exploring ways to s... more »

Colombia: The UFO Was a Balloon, Says Planetarium

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 1 day ago

*Source: La FM, Peru.com and Planeta UFODate: 12.19.2014* *Colombia: The UFO Was a Balloon, Says Planetarium* BOGOTA. Dozens of people looked skyward for several minutes watching an object that flew around erratically in the vicinity of Bogotá, Colombia's Zona Rosa. Those who thought they were seeing an unidentified flying object (UFO), and those who took an endless number of photographs of what they took to be an unusual phenomenon were disappointed after the Bogotá Planetarium reported its findings. Given that the UFO subject became a trending topic on Twitter, the *Planetario... more »

Bill Whittle: Stories Liberals Tell: How Conservatives Can Win Back the Country and Rush on Liberalisim......

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 1 day ago

*according to Bill we need to start telling our own stories. * *But first - Rush. * *Yesterday, Rush Limbaugh opened his show by talking about how easy it was to be a liberal. Luckily, I was able to find a transcript on his site so you won't have to be subjected to what would, no doubt, be my tortured paraphrasing.* *I realized that he was describing every single liberal I know.* *From Rush: * Do you remember the name John O'Sullivan? Used to be the editor at National Review in the days shortly after -- well, Mr. Buckley was still alive and running the place. And he also was a... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

“Habitual Anger: Unblocking the Ally”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

*“Habitual Anger: Unblocking the Ally”* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM “Anger can easily become our go-to emotion; to remedy, start noticing when and why you get angry. Sometimes when we feel anger, it is coming from a deep place that demands acknowledgment and expression. At these times, it is important that we find healthy ways to honor our anger, remembering how dangerous it is to repress it. However, anger can also become a habit, our go-to emotion whenever things go wrong. Often this is because, for whatever reason, we feel more comfortable expressing anger than we do other em... more »

Greg Hunter, “Weekly News Wrap-Up, Friday 12.19.14”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

* “Weekly News Wrap-Up, Friday 12.19.14”* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com “My top story is the economy, and I think the Fed and Congress just signaled that something is seriously wrong, and it’s going to get worse. First off, the Federal Reserve just came out and said that it was going to be “patient” when normalizing the monetary policy. I know Wall Street is jubilant and the stock market spiked on the news, but I think this is really ominous, and it is nothing to be celebrated. To me, that means don’t expect the Fed to raise interest rates anytime soon because the economy is much... more »

This Is Laughable: US Criminal Government Decides To Rebrand Their CIA/Mossad Operation Known As "ISIS" As "Daesh"

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 1 day ago

Recently I was sitting in a coffee shop where I go to unwind and mingle with some local people, and I could not help but overhear some people sitting at the table next to me discuss a few "current events"... Of course one of them brought up the fraud CIA/Mossad scam known as "ISIS" and started spewing exactly what the MSM has been brainwashing into people for the last few years now, and that was the BS that this "ISIS" was somehow a "threat" to everyone, and we "must do something to stop them".... I decided not to say a word, knowing that my previous attempts to awaken people came w... more »

Iraqi Kurds Claim To Have Broken The Islamic State Siege Of Mount Sinjar

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*Iraqi Kurds Say Siege Of Mount Sinjar Broken -- Al Jazeera* Peshmerga forces claim breakthrough against ISIL, reaching mountain where hundreds of Yazidis are trapped. Kurdish Peshmerga fighters have fought their way to Iraq's Sinjar Mountains where hundreds of people have been trapped for months by fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, a Kurdish official said. "Peshmerga forces have reached Mount Sinjar, the siege on the mountain has been lifted," Masrour Barzani, head of the Iraqi Kurdish region's national security council, told reporters from an ope... more »

After Tuesday's School Massacre, Pakistan Prepares To Execute The First Of 3,000 Terrorists Convicted Of Terrorism

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

Rescue team members go through debris inside the Army Public School, which was attacked by Taliban gunmen, in Peshawar, December 17, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Zohra Bensemra *Pakistan’s Gallows Await 3,000 Convicted Terrorists; First Will Hang ‘Within Days’ -- McClatchy News* ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s government fast-tracked warrants of execution for convicted terrorists Thursday, moving swiftly on its promise to crack down on militants after a Taliban massacre of 132 schoolchildren Tuesday in the northern city of Peshawar. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had lifted a six-year moratorium on ... more »

The Easiest Snowflakes

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 1 day ago

My daughter loves to make snowflakes and I can't tell you how many times I have looked up online how you are supposed to fold a pieces of paper to make a snowflake. When I discovered this way of making snowflakes I was floored! It is SO easy, all you need is a stack of coffee filters which you can find at the dollar store and some scissors. These are so easy, my 6-year-old can make them all by herself. I have made a simple infographic to help you out! What are some of your favorite traditions to do with your children? [image: post signature]

Sydney Shooting HOAX: Something To Seriously Consider Regarding The Fraud Shooting In Sydney Australia

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 1 day ago

I am seriously disgusted these days... In spite of the evidence that clearly shows that the recent "shooting" in Sydney, Australia was indeed a staged event using the usual terrible "crisis actors", we still have the Jew spew media shills and the criminals in our own governments still trying to spoon feed the general public with the notion that it was real.... These same criminals are now doing what has happened after all previous fake shootings, and that is to sell both "gun controls" and the false notion that we must surrender more of our freedoms for the illusion of "security"...... more »

Pakistan Launches Airstrikes Against Taliban Militants

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*Pakistan Targets Militants After School Massacre -- Voice of America* Pakistani officials say jets and ground forces have killed 58 militants days after Taliban fighters attacked a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing 149 people, mostly children. As Pakistan began a third day of mourning, the troops ambushed and killed at least 50 militants in Khyber near the Afghan border. Another eight were killed in southwestern Baluchistan province, including a senior Taliban commander. *Read more *.... *More News On Pakistan Launching Airstrikes Against Taliban Militants * ... more »

Depressing discourse watch: From the banana republic files!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago

*FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014The disintegration of the American discourse:* We don’t know when the American discourse has ever been so depressing. In fact, we don’t know when it was ever depressing at all. We’ve covered a lot of journalistic misconduct since 1998, when this site began. Only now has our national discourse struck us as truly depressing. Why do we find the current discourse depressing? Because the liberal world is playing an active role in its disintegration. In 1998, the liberal world was largely asleep in the woods. A person could imagine that we liberals might turn o... more »

A CE-2 from 2004? UFO Landing at Puerto Natales, Chile

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 1 day ago

Our friend and colleague *Liliana Núñez,* formerly with *Archivos Forteanos Latinoamericanos*, reminds us of this intriguing video from 2004 allegedly showing a "UFO landing at Puerto Natales" (in the commune of Natales, Province of Ultima Esperanza, Chilean Patagonia). There is no narration beyond random voices: at 00:29 someone asks "Where is Humberto?" and "It has a weird shape" at 00:36. The video is credited to the C*entro de Investigacion Ovnilógica de Natales* (Patricio Frias, Jose Loalza, Eladio Godoy & Walter Vera). VIDEO AT: *http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x93yrl_ate... more »

Quantum Physics and How We Affect Reality

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 1 day ago

*Video* - Are we about to unlock the secrets of the universe and understand quantum entanglement and how we affect reality? The post Quantum Physics and How We Affect Reality appeared first on Waking Times.

Protesters Disrupt Seattle Housing Authority Hearing With Chants Of `Rent Hikes — No!'...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 1 day ago

*not just any protesters, but what appears to be Somalians brought here and given free stuff. * Lots and *lots* of free stuff compliments of you, the taxpayer. But they want more. And guess what? They're bringing more of these angry demanding freeloaders in all the time. via: News You May Have Missed Original Story: KPLU in Seattle *Is your city on the list?* From: Refugee Resettlement Watch: * Handy directory for US Refugee Resettlement Offices in 180 cities*

stephen harper, the Laughable, Pathetic Coward, Part XXXIX

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 1 day ago

Is it CBC anchor Peter Mansbridge's job to suck all of the klingons off of the hairs around stephen harper's asshole until they're as clean as if they'd had a shampoo at the beauty salon? I'm just asking a question here. Reading Montreal Simon yesterday, I got to find out how the perpetually fearful (of everything) stephen harper has decided to rationalize his laughable, pathetic cowardice when a gunman entered the Parliament building last October. The CBC has helpfully (because there's no way in Hell that I would ever listen to that jackass for even five minutes) provided a transc... more »

The Healing Power of Cannabis Has Barely Been Tapped

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 1 day ago

*Allan Badiner* - here are now legal medical cannabis programs in 23 states, but, Ironically, the actual healing power of the plant has barely been tapped... The post The Healing Power of Cannabis Has Barely Been Tapped appeared first on Waking Times.

World News Briefs -- December 19, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*Iraqi Kurds Claim Major Victory Over Islamic State -- Voice of America* Kurdish forces in northern Iraq pressed forward Friday with their largest offensive to date against the Islamic State group, moving to secure territory reclaimed from IS fighters in a two-day offensive and to capitalize on news of several IS leaders’ deaths. Officials said roughly 8,000 Kurdish peshmerga troops, aided by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, on Thursday recaptured a large amount of territory and broke a siege on Iraq's Mount Sinjar. Thousands of civilians and soldiers from the Yazidi religious mino... more »

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 19, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

*U.S. to Continue Push for Stronger Military Ties With China -- Wall Street Journal* *Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., the Next U.S. Pacific Commander, Says North Korea Poses Biggest Threat to Security in Asia* SINGAPORE—The next commander of U.S. military forces in the Pacific said Thursday he wouldn’t deviate from his predecessor’s strategy of seeking stronger military ties with China and other countries in the region despite conflicting territorial claims in the South China Sea. Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., who currently commands U.S. Navy forces in the Pacific and was confirmed last we... more »

Hess

Spike EP at News Spike - 1 day ago

*Hess was Hitler's interlocutor when he was writing Mein Kampf* *"[Of Herzl and the Authorship of Juedenstatt] Yeah, there are real problems... Herzl claims he wrote Judenstatt while he was in Paris... in... 1891... Even though he was not in Paris when he claimed he wrote the book in Paris...* *There are lots of problems. * *He was not a very good writer before he wrote this book... But he was known to be a pretty bad writer, a**nd the Judenstatt is brilliant...* *So, we can guess, he was chosen because he as handsome and charismatic - but that's all irrelevant.* *So, without pr... more »

Seeing Through the Veil of Your Limitations

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 1 day ago

*Michael Forrester* - Humanity is very much like the elephants that are tied to a rope from birth. As the elephant ages, it could easily break free from that rope at any time, but it doesn't. The post Seeing Through the Veil of Your Limitations appeared first on Waking Times.

PRI VIDEO: The World Rise Of ISIS Panel

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 1 day ago

A Look At The Global Conflicts That Matter To The U.S.

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 days ago

Center for Preventive Action/Council on Foreign Relations *The Global Conflicts To Watch In 2015 -- Uri Friedman, The Atlantic* A survey shows which countries matter more to U.S. policymakers—and which matter less Foreign policy often involves making difficult and debatable choices about which parts of the world matter more to a given country—and which, by extension, matter less. It's about defining national interests and determining where those interests are most evident and endangered. This is why the United States has done far more to stop ISIS in Syria and Iraq than, say, sec... more »

The Curse of Petro-Politics

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 2 days ago

http://thetyee.ca/ Stephen Harper has made no secret that it is his intention to transform Canada into a petro-state. Stanford professor Terry Lynn Karl has devoted her academic career to the study of petro-states. And she has concluded that petro-politics lead to self immolation. In an interview with Andrew Nikiforuk, she predicts that falling oil prices will have catasrophic consequences for several petro-states: "The effects of falling oil prices will be quickly felt in Venezuela, which is extremely vulnerable. If oil ke... more »

So Much For The U.S. Rule Of Not Negotiating With Hostage Takers

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 days ago

*US Backed Talks Between Jihadi Clerics And Isis In Effort To Save Hostage’s Life -- The Guardian* Exclusive: Talks with leadership of Isis to secure release of Abdul-Rahman (Peter) Kassig ran for several weeks with knowledge of FBI • Long read: the full story behind the race to save Peter Kassig • Revealed: the secret talks US hostage – video US counter-terrorism officials backed a high-stakes negotiation involving two of the world’s most prominent jihadi clerics as well as former Guantánamo detainees in an attempt to save the life of an American hostage held by Islamic State, the... more »

Today I am full on anti Muslim

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 2 days ago

The death toll of children is too much. The fact these warriors did it on purpose reminds me of a horror movie. I got no problem with belief but when its so fouced that you can double tap a six year old I ask for relief. Or maybe a atomic strike, Nuke the fuckers in the wild Zone. Then say we will nuke anyother outbreak of madness.

Hannaka

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 2 days ago

have no idea how to spell it and I know you just do not care as long as the sentiment was genuine. As a pastafrain Christmas to me is all commercial. Yet some of my sorta Christian memories still exist. I left the Christians cause they will never leave you. IMHO there is nothing more silly than growen men in dressess speaking about the holy ghost. I am not anti Christmas its a time of joy for children but I am no longer part of that compart Right now Christmas is a battleline between us and Muslims with Madison Ave fafouring Christmas over the wonderful sales of pyjamis during the H... more »

Can Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders And Sherrod Brown Stop The TPP?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 2 days ago

Fox Business host Melissa Francis yesterday: "Without question, Elizabeth Warren is the devil" Last week we looked at the growing opposition within the Democratic Party to the corporate trade policies-- particularly the Trans Pacific Partnership-- Obama is teaming up with McConnell and Boehner to ram through the Republican-controlled Congress next year. Alan Grayson called the TPP "the final nail in the coffin of the middle class in this country." Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), whose husband worked to pass NAFTA and whose tenant-- Rahm Emanuel-- is credited with getting it through the House, ... more »

Special issue of Bioethics: Ethical Implications of New and Future Technical Developments in Prenatal Testing and Screening

noreply@blogger.com (Christian Munthe) at Philosophical Comment - 2 days ago

One of my core research fields over the years has been reproductive ethics, especially the ethics of genetic and reproductive technology. In my postdoc period, I published a study on the moral roots of prenatal diagnosis, followed by a number of further explorations of the ethics of reproductive technology, genetic testing and medical screening programmes in general. The last two years, this process has come full circle, due to new revolutionary technical developments regarding prenatal testing and related genetic analysis, and the last year or two, I have been busy presenting and ... more »

All Paths Will Lead You To YourSelf

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 2 days ago

America F*CK YEAH! Team America Movie Pulled as Panic Grips Nation

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 2 days ago

The increasingly bizarre story of the terrorist threats against movie theaters showing the now effectively banned film The Interview continues. Shortly after the movie – which depicts the assassination of loony North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - was pulled from distribution the 2004 flick Team America: World Police was also yanked. The stomping on the latter, that a few theaters chose to show in place of The Interview is notable because the movie has been out for ten years now and is widely available on DVD and streaming video. It is typical in the land of fear that is post Septemb... more »

Letter from Managua: A canal dividing a country

paul at Paying attention - 2 days ago

The proposal to build a trans-oceanic canal across Nicaragua seems mostly like the scenario for a slightly implausible summer blockbuster movie. The movie would have it all. Powerful business forces, environmental risks, social upheaval and conflict and even global intrigue - Chinese interests are behind the project. And lots and lots of mystery. I can see Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie racing from Caribbean villages in Nicaragua to skyscrapers in Hong Kong in a race to uncover the truth. The canal would be about 280 kms long, more than twice as long as the Panama canal. A short 24-k... more »

German researchers discover a flaw that could let anyone listen to your cell calls.

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 2 days ago

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/12/18/german-researchers-discover-a-flaw-that-could-let-anyone-listen-to-your-cell-calls-and-read-your-texts/ *German researchers discover a flaw that could let anyone listen to your cell calls. * By Craig Timberg December 18 at 2:10 PM REUTERS/Kacper Pempel German researchers have discovered security flaws that could let hackers, spies and criminals listen to private phone calls and intercept text messages on a potentially massive scale – even when cellular networks are using the most advanced encryption now available. The... more »

Life Inside The Beehive

Waking Times at Waking Times - 2 days ago

*Video -* A compilation of three summer months from inside the beehive. The post Life Inside The Beehive appeared first on Waking Times.

Foraminifera Sculpture Park, China

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 2 days ago

*Foraminifera provide scientists with an invaluable fossil record. Their exquisite outer shells, normally too small for the naked eye, inspired sculptures in Zhongshan, China. (Bilal Haq)* *Evolution World Tour: Foraminifera Sculpture Park, China **Some of the world's oldest organisms left behind fossilized shells that, when translated to a large sculpture, bring an artistic edge to evolution * By Karen Larkins Smithsonian Magazine January 2012 Bilal Haq, a marine geologist at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Virginia, was visiting a lab in Qingdao, China, wher... more »

OK, cupboard

Boris at The Galloping Beaver - 2 days ago

Well, we had to know that at some point the man would have to account for his cupboardliness in the face of danger. The excuses, sorry, reasons are apparently as follows. 1. His MPs hustled him away and stashed him with the mops and things. 2. The RCMP trained him to hide.3. He's gets to see all the intelligence that no one else does so he alone understands the nature of the threats he faces and

GAIA PORTAL: Selectivities of Energetics at Gaia hu-man level has refined to enable those who have… resisted alternative pathways

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 2 days ago

*Selectivities of Energetics at Gaia hu-man level has refined to enable those who have… resisted alternative pathways* by ÉirePort Selectivities of Energetics at Gaia hu-man level has refined to enable those who have until this moment resisted alternative pathways. All remaining un-cooperatives are being removed by the Light. Eruptive planetary energetics come to fruition shortly, and catalyze "massive" changes. Hue-Beings are called at this moment to recognize and received Higher capabilities and skill sets. Alternatives to the concepts within this message are not supported. É... more »

White House Is Open To A Castro Visit

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 days ago

*US-Cuba Ties Thaw, White House Open To Castro Visit -- AFP* Washington (AFP) - A US visit by Cuban President Raul Castro is a possibility, the White House said, a day after he and US President Barack Obama announced a historic bilateral rapprochement. With developments proceeding apace, a high-level US diplomat, Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson, revealed she will travel to Havana in late January for the first direct talks to "begin the process of restoration of diplomatic relations." But amid celebrations on Havana's streets and plaudits ringing out from China to Ch... more »

Germany takes delivery of its first Airbus A400M

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 2 days ago

Airbus Defence and Space has formally delivered the first Airbus A400M military transport ordered by Germany. A total of nine aircraft have now been delivered and the aircraft is in service with four nations. The Bundeswehr accepted the aircraft at the A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville, Spain on 18 December. Read more

Top 100 Tweeting Politics Commentators 2014

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 2 days ago

This year I have bitten the bullet. Since 2009 (with a gap in 2011) I have been tracking the one hundred most popular political bloggers on Twitter (see here, here, here and here). All told, it's been jolly click bait. But for the academic geek in me, these lists have recorded the progressive professionalisation of what was once an amateur's market. Each year it has become increasingly tenuous to hold on to a strict definition of blogging as most mainstream news sites now integrate what were once considered the accoutrements of blogs (comments, hyperlinks, etc.) as a matter of cours... more »

PLA's JH-7 fighter bomber modified for S China Sea conflict

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 2 days ago

[image: JH-7A Flying Leopard]Facing a potential conflict with Vietnam in the South China Sea, China is continuing the modification of Xian Aircraft Industry Corporation's two-seat JH-7 fighter bomber for the PLA Navy, according to the Sina Military Network based in Beijing. Photos released on the website indicate that a new version of the JH-7 attacker is under development, constructed with composite materials. Internet users believe that the avionics and engine of the aircraft, referred to as the JH-7B, have been upgraded as well, while the Communist Party paper Global Times said t... more »

No C-17 delivered to Algeria, Boeing confirms

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 2 days ago

[image: C-17 Globemaster III]Algeria has not received into service a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter, the manufacturer confirmed to IHS Jane's on 17 December. A C-17 in Algerian Air Force (al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Jaza'eriya) markings was reported to have landed at Algiers Houari Boumediene Airport on 10 December, the Secret Difa3 blog reported eyewitnesses as saying. However, it has since emerged that this may have in fact been an aircraft belonging to the Qatar Emiri Air Force, though it is unclear how the roundels could have been confused. Read more

AFM receives second twin-engine helicopter

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 2 days ago

[image: AFM AW139]The Armed Forces of Malta’s second AW139 twin-engine helicopter landed at Luqa a few minutes ago. The helicopter, which is to be registered AS1429, will be used to perform border control tasks and SAR missions. Together with the AFM’s first twin-engine helicopter, it will help strengthen the AFM’s capabilities through the External Borders Fund 2007-2013. Read more

RoboContractors

Alison at Creekside - 2 days ago

If the Public Prosecution Service of Canada is so concerned that Michael Sona's nine month sentence for election fraud is "demonstrably unfit and fails to reflect the gravity of the offence” - so concerned in fact that they are appealing to have his sentence increased - why don't they direct that same concern towards investigating the Pierre Poutine perps behind him? Especially given both the judge and prosecutor in the case stated that Sona didn't act alone. So reasons the Council of Canadians in their new formal complaint to the PPSC. “PPSC is not an investigative agency,” respo... more »

Europe to begin testing of UAV-based maritime surveillance system

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 2 days ago

[image: Tekever AR5 Evolution]Tekever’s AR5 Life Ray Evolution unmanned air vehicle has been selected to participate in the testing of Europe’s first UAV maritime surveillance system, following a contract award from the European Space Agency and European Maritime Safety Agency. Through the Rapsody programme, the UAV will be involved in two years of testing in two different scenarios – search and rescue and pollution and oil spill monitoring – over the Atlantic and the North and Mediterranean seas. This is the first time UAVs will be introduced into maritime surveillance missions in... more »

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