Tuesday, September 22, 2015

22 Sept - Blogs I'm Following

11:26pm MDST

Eli Broad and the Clintons: Update

phila.ken at Schools Matter - 15 minutes ago
By Ken Derstine September 23, 2015 On Sunday, September 20thhundreds of supporters of public schools rallied in Los Angeles to protest corporate education reformer Eli Broad as he opened his new museum. The Broad is a museum designed to show to the world Eli Broad’s “trophy acquisitions from the contemporary art market, tigers’ heads bagged from a notoriously wild and lawless economic jungle.” The protestors were not at The Broad to protest the crass commercialization of art, however. They took the opportunity to protest their outrage at what Broad would like to do to the public s... more »

It’s Not Fiorina Who’s Wrong in the Planned Parenthood Fight

Jonah Goldberg at The Stream - 24 minutes ago
[image: CMP Planned Parenthood Holly O'Donnell 2 - 900] “Anyone who has watched this videotape, I dare Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch these tapes. Watch a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking while someone says, ‘We have to keep it alive to harvest its brain.’... more »

Why Did Pope Francis Appease The Castro Brothers?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 44 minutes ago
*Washington Post editorial*: *Pope Francis appeases the Castros in repressive Cuba* IN HIS visit to the United States beginning Tuesday, Pope Francis will meet not just President Obama and Congress but also those marginalized by our society: homeless people, immigrants, refugees and even the inmates of a jail. He’s expected to raise topics that many Americans will find challenging, such as his harsh critique of capitalism. His supporters say it’s all part of the role the pope has embraced as an advocate for the powerless, one that has earned him admiration from both Catholics and ... more »

A Dark Side Of "Gay Culture"-- In Traditional Afghanistan

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 hour ago
How do you go into a relatively primitive traditional culture and demand it change because it doesn't meet our 21st-century standards? I can remember arguing with progressive congresswomen who wanted to keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan to help liberate Afghan women. We're talking about hundreds if not thousands of years of ingrained behavior tied to religion, culture and the most intimate of social relations. Soldiers aren't going to make it happen; they're just going to kill people and be killed. My times in Afghanistan, in 1969 and again in 1972, were awesome, and a total cultu... more »

Was The Pope Kept Waiting Because President Obama Was Late To Meet Him?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 hours ago
*The Atlantic*: *Why the Pope's Plane Was Put Into a Holding Pattern* As the pope stalkers of the world watched his flight path on the Alitalia website, suddenly… the plane started making donuts. Several loops over North Carolina later, the pope is back on his way to D.C. A source on the ground at Joint Base Andrews said several government officials told him the reason the plane started circling was that Obama and Biden were running late to the greeting ceremony. A White House spokesman disputed this account. He pointed out that the president did not actually arrive late. The Pope... more »

The Current Global Migration Routes In Five Maps

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 hours ago
(*Click on Image to Enlarge*) Families and individuals on the move swell into long-used migration routes across the globe. *National Geographic:* *The World’s Congested Human Migration Routes in 5 Maps* Europe is not the only part of the world facing a refugee crisis. The desperate men, women, and children flooding into Europe from the Middle East and Africa are not the only people moving along ever-shifting and dangerous migration routes. Last year saw the highest levels of global forced displacement on record—59.5 million individuals left their homes in 2014 due to “persecution... more »

Iodine-131 Levels in Fukushima Sludge Spiked in July 2015

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 2 hours ago
Fukushima Diary is reporting that Fukushima sewage plants detected high levels of Iodine--131, over 1,000 Bq/Kg, in dry sewage sludge in Fukushima Prefecture in July. Iodine-131 is a fission product with a roughly 8 day half-life. The reading could possibly have come from cancer patients' treatment but I don't thinks so based on my webcam observations from July. Here is an excerpt from the the Fukushima Dairy post: The highest I-131 density of this year detected in 2 Fukushima sewage plants http://fukushima-diary.com/2015/09/the-highest-i-131-density-of-this-year-detected-in-2-f... more »

Growing our wings

Sophia Love at AMERICAN KABUKI - 2 hours ago
So today we'll start with a song... it's one I heard, acapella, at two different schools today. Sung by children, boys and girls, age 5 to 55+. The writing of this post took place before the songs did... Both were unplanned. I think they provide the perfect theme... Here is the link. The most profound gift we have to offer is ourselves. It is something we have always with us. It is all that we came here with, and will be the only thing we take with us upon exiting. By definition then, it is rare and without equal; this is your moment to share it. It is useful in any situation, ... more »

Provision in Affordable Care Act Could Unravel Obamacare

Juliegrace Brufke at The Stream - 2 hours ago
[image: Barack Obama applauding Affordable Care Act_900] A provision of the Affordable Care Act established to advance Obamacare could do just the opposite if a Republican is voted into the White House in the next election cycle. Section 1332 of the law, set to take effect in 2017,... more »

Clinton Breaks Keystone Silence, Says She Opposes Pipeline

AP/KEN THOMAS & CATHERINE LUCEY at The Stream - 3 hours ago
[image: Hillary Clinton__900] DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday she opposes construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, breaking her longstanding silence over a project criticized by environmentalists as a threat to the planet’s climate. The Democratic presidential candidate said... more »

Venezuela Deploys Troops To Guyana's Border As Border Tensions Between The Two Countries Continues

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 4 hours ago
*Reuters:* *Guyana accuses Venezuela of 'aggressive behavior' near border area* GEORGETOWN (Reuters) - Guyana's President David Granger said on Tuesday neighboring Venezuela had launched an "extraordinary military deployment" in the east of the OPEC country, near a disputed border area. "We have noticed during the month of September an extraordinary escalation of Venezuelan military activity in eastern Venezuela," Granger said at his Georgetown office. "It is a persistence of aggressive behavior, hostile behavior towards Guyana," he said, adding the deployment was "mostly marine ... more »

TV Watch: "The Big Bang Theory" comes roaring out of the gate at the start of Season 9

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 4 hours ago
*For a limited time you can watch last night's Big Bang Theory season premiere, "The Matrimonial Momentum," free online. Even more exciting, you can watch this entire "half-hour" show in a mere 20:26. (This must be that "miniaturization" fad we hear so much about.)* *by Ken* As the new TV season officially launches, it's never been clear where the medium is headed, though there seems widespread agreement that it's going to very different from what we have no. I'm less optimistic than a lot of people -- mostly, I guess, because these days most of the programming that's celebrated a... more »

The government promises 200k new houses a year? We’ve only ever come close to hitting that figure once since the 1970s

Hari at Ripped-off Britons - 4 hours ago
KJ, Fee and Chris desperately seek diversion from the nation's never-ending property nightmare... SOURCE BBC NEWS: 'Million' new homes by 2020 target declared by minister Brandon Lewis Housing minister Brandon Lewis said the government aimed to see one million new homes in England over this Parliament. But the National Housing Federation (NHF) said about 245,000 new homes were needed

Objectivism: The two-minute lesson

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 4 hours ago
Take two minutes for an introduction to the philosophy for living on earth? You’d be a fool not to. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

Colombia And Venezuela Restore Diplomatic Ties, But The Border Remains Closed

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 4 hours ago
*Colombia Reports*: *Colombia and Venezuela restore diplomatic ties, but border remains closed* Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro agreed on Monday to re-open their embassies in an attempt to ease tensions over an ongoing border crisis. The two heads of state met in the Ecuadorean capital Quito for the first time after a month of tensions. Following the shooting of three Venezuelan soldiers near the border with Colombia, Maduro decided to close the main border crossing and deported more than a 1,000 Colombians within days. *More ... more »

Goldman Sachs Lloyd Blankfein has Lymphoma

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 4 hours ago
As reported by Zero Hedge: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-22/goldman-ceo-lloyd-blankfein-reveals-he-has-lymphoma Lymphoma and NonHodgkins Lymphoma are rising in frequency and are primarily attributed to environmental causes: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Facts 2014-2015 https://www.lls.org/sites/default/files/file_assets/facts.pdf An estimated combined total of 156,420 people in the US are expected to be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2014. New cases of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma are expected to account for 9.4 percent of the estimated 1,665,540 new can... more »

Biden: “Abortion Is Always Wrong,” But Should Remain Perfectly Legal

America Magazine at The Stream - 4 hours ago
[image: Biden] In this exclusive interview with Father Matt Malone, S.J., editor in chief of America, Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. discusses his thoughts on Pope Francis, as well as his Catholic faith, his upbringing, his public life and private sorrow,... more »

Musical Interlude: Vangelis, "La Petite Fille de la Mer"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
Vangelis, "La Petite Fille de la Mer" - https://www.youtube.com/

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
"Why do many galaxies appear as spirals? A striking example is M101, shown below, whose relatively close distance of about 27 million light years allows it to be studied in some detail. Recent evidence indicates that a close gravitational interaction with a neighboring galaxy created waves of high mass and condensed gas which continue to orbit the galaxy center. *Click image for larger size.* These waves compress existing gas and cause star formation. One result is that M101, also called the Pinwheel Galaxy, has several extremely bright star-forming regions (called HII regions) sprea... more »

Chet Raymo, “Reaching For The Stars”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
*“Reaching For The Stars”* by Chet Raymo “Here is a spectacular detail of the Eagle Nebula, a gassy star-forming region of the Milky Way Galaxy, about 7,000 light-years away (click to enlarge). This particular spire of gas and dust was recently featured on APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day). The Eagle lies in the equatorial constellation Serpens. If you went out tonight and looked at this part of the sky - more or less midway between Arcturus and Antares - you might see nothing at all. The brightest star in Serpens is of the third magnitude, perhaps invisible in an urban environme... more »

The Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke, "Sunset"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
*"Sunset"* "Slowly the west reaches for clothes of new colors which it passes to a row of ancient trees. You look, and soon these two worlds both leave you, one part climbs toward heaven, one sinks to earth, leaving you, not really belonging to either, not so helplessly dark as that house that is silent, not so unswervingly given to the eternal as that thing that turns to a star each night and climbs – leaving you (it is impossible to untangle the threads) your own life, timid and standing high and growing, so that, sometimes blocked in, sometimes reaching out, one moment your life is a s... more »

"Against Evil..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
“Being against evil doesn't make you good.” - Ernest Hemingway

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Thanks for stopping by!

“Human Condition And Human Nature”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
*“Human Condition And Human Nature”* by MeaningsOf Life "For in fact what is man in nature? A Nothing in comparison with the Infinite, an All in comparison with the Nothing, a mean between nothing and everything. Since he is infinitely removed from comprehending the extremes, the end of things and their beginning are hopelessly hidden from him in an impenetrable secret; he is equally incapable of seeing the Nothing from which he was made, and the Infinite in which he is swallowed up. We burn with desire to find solid ground and an ultimate sure foundation whereon to build a tower r... more »

"You..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
*“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, * *nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”* - Dr Seuss

Lester DeKoster’s 3 Dimensions of Work

Acton Institute/Joseph Sunde at The Stream - 6 hours ago
[image: Lester DeKoster’s 3 Dimensions of Work] Lester DeKoster's short book, Work: The Meaning of Your Life, sets forth a profound thesis and solid theological framework for how we think about work. Although the faith and work movement has delivered a host of books and resources on the topic,... Continue reading *“Lester DeKoster’s 3 Dimensions of Work”* at *blog.acton.org*.

We Can’t Solve Poverty Without Addressing Families

The Federalist/Maura Corrigan at The Stream - 6 hours ago
[image: We Can’t Solve Poverty Without Addressing Families] Last week, the Census Bureau released the annual poverty statistics for 2014. They show that 14.8 percent of the people in the United States live in poverty (below $24,008 in income for a family of four, meaning with two children), including 15.5... Continue reading *“We Can’t Solve Poverty Without Addressing Families”* at *thefederalist.com*.

ANALYSIS: Looking on the Bright Side of Sharia

Acton Institute/Rev. Jerry J. Pokorsky at The Stream - 6 hours ago
[image: Looking on the Bright Side of Sharia] The warnings of recent papal teachings on questions of social justice rarely - if ever - identify the dangers of a highly bureaucratized central government. Apparently most of the sinful and corrosive "love for money" comes from private sector capitalists,... Continue reading *“ANALYSIS: Looking on the Bright Side of Sharia”* at *acton.org*.

Percentage of Immigrants in U.S. Hits Record High & Keeps Climbing

Center for Immigration Studies at The Stream - 6 hours ago
[image: Percentage of Immigrants in U.S. Hits Record High & Keeps Climbing] Last week, the Census Bureau released some data from the 2014 American Community Survey (ACS). Itshows that the nation's immigrant population (legal and illegal) grew by 2.4 million people since 2010and is up one million from 2013 to 2014. Last... Continue reading *“Percentage of Immigrants in U.S. Hits Record High & Keeps Climbing”* at *cis.org*.

CCCU: Christian Colleges That Permit Professors in Same-Sex Marriages Resign Membership

Christianity Today at The Stream - 6 hours ago
[image: CCCU: Christian Colleges That Permit Professors in Same-Sex Marriages Resign Membership] The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) has again lost two member schools. This time, it’s the ones which now permit faculty and staff in same-sex marriages. Earlier this year, Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) and Goshen College added sexual... Continue reading *“CCCU: Christian Colleges That Permit Professors in Same-Sex Marriages Resign Membership”* at *christianitytoday.com*.

Is Your Fridge Giving Away Your Personal Data?

Ethan Barton at The Stream - 6 hours ago
[image: Is Your Fridge Giving Away Your Personal Data?] You could lose your personal information through your refrigerator, and there's nothing the government can do to protect you. That's if you aren't killed by a hacker remotely cutting your engine while driving. "If it's connected, it can be hacked,"... more »

Producer of Planned Parenthood Videos Invited to Pope Francis’ Congressional Address

LifeNews at The Stream - 6 hours ago
[image: Producer of Planned Parenthood Videos Invited to Pope Francis’ Congressional Address] The pro-life advocate whose organization has sent shockwaves throughout the nation with videos exposing how Planned Parenthood sells aborted babies and their body parts has been invited to witness Pope Francis' address to Congress on Thursday. Congressman Tim Huelskamp, a... Continue reading *“Producer of Planned Parenthood Videos Invited to Pope Francis’ Congressional Address”* at *lifenews.com*.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 22, 2015

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 6 hours ago
*Krishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic:* *A Controversial Plan to Redistribute Migrants in Europe* Ministers approved the plan to distribute 120,000 migrants in the face of strong opposition from four Central European countries. European Union ministers approved a plan to distribute 120,000 migrants among the bloc’s member states in the face of strong opposition from four Central European countries. Under the deal agreed to in Brussels on Tuesday, migrants now in Greece, Hungary and Italy will be moved to other countries over the next two years. Of the three EU members that have an op... more »

World News Briefs -- September 22, 2015 (Evening Edition)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 6 hours ago
*Reuters:* *EU backs refugee-sharing plan, exposing east-west rift* The European Union approved a plan on Tuesday to share out 120,000 refugees across its 28 states, overriding vehement opposition from four ex-communist eastern nations. The European Commission, the EU executive, had proposed the scheme with the backing of Germany and other big powers in order to tackle the continent's worst refugee crisis since World War Two. But the rift it has caused between older and newer members was glaringly evident as the interior ministers of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Hung...more »

U.S. Trained Syrian Rebels Have Betrayed The U.S. And Join Al Qaeda

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 6 hours ago
Reports since yesterday claim US-backed leader Anas Obaid has betrayed US & handed weapons to Jabhat al-Nusra #Syria pic.twitter.com/yTZqVT3CI0 — Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) September 22, 2015 *The Telegraph:* *US-trained Division 30 rebels 'betrayed US and hand weapons over to al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria'* *Pentagon-trained rebels are reported to have betrayed US and handed weapons over to Jabhat al-Nusra immediately after entering Syria* Pentagon-trained rebels in Syria are reported to have betrayed their American backers and handed their weapons over to al-Qaeda in Syria... more »

Satellite Images Reveal Two More Russian Bases Being Built In Syria

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 6 hours ago
Satellite images from IHS Jane’s, a defense-intelligence provider, that it says show Russian military expansion in Syria. ILLUSTRATION: AIRBUS/IHS JANE’S INTELLIGENCE REVIEW *Wall Street Journal: **Russia Expands Military Presence in Syria, Satellite Photos Show* *Apparent development near Latakia is latest sign Moscow is preparing to intervene in Syrian war* WASHINGTON—Russian forces appear to be expanding their military presence in Syria through the development of two additional bases, according to new satellite imagery viewed by The Wall Street Journal. The expansion near the ... more »

Psychology: "20 Cognitive Biases That Screw Up Your Decisions"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago
*"20 Cognitive Biases That Screw Up Your Decisions"* by Samantha Lee and Drake Baer "You make thousands of rational decisions every day — or so you think. From what you’ll eat throughout the day to whether you should make a big career move, research suggests that there are a number of cognitive stumbling blocks that affect your behaviour, and they can prevent you from acting in your own best interests. Here, we’ve rounded up the most common biases that screw up our decision-making." *Click image for larger size.* *Much larger size at this link:* - http://www.businessinsider.com.au/

The Stream’s Jay Richards on the Pope and Economics

Al Perrotta at The Stream - 6 hours ago
[image: Jay Richards on Fox Business News - 900] Pope Francis arrived on American soil this afternoon, greeted at Joint Base Andrews by the First Family and much fanfare. He was also greeted with much consternation over his economic world view. The Stream‘s Executive Editor Jay Richards, who doubles as... more »

US-Trained Rebels Defect and Join Al-Qaeda Ally

The Telegraph at The Stream - 6 hours ago
[image: Nusra-Front-carry-_3449043b] Pentagon-trained rebels in Syria are reported to have betrayed their American backers and handed their weapons over to al-Qaeda in Syria immediately after re-entering the country. Fighters with Division 30, the "moderate" rebel division favoured by the United States, surrendered... Continue reading *“US-Trained Rebels Defect and Join Al-Qaeda Ally”* at *telegraph.co.uk*.

Clinton Breaks Silence, Announces Opposition to Keystone XL Pipeline

FOX News at The Stream - 6 hours ago
[image: Keystone pipeline - 400] Hillary Clinton on Tuesday broke her years-long silence over her stance on the Keystone XL pipeline, announcing in Iowa that she opposes the controversial project. The former secretary of state previously had dodged questions about her position on the pipeline,... Continue reading *“Clinton Breaks Silence, Announces Opposition to Keystone XL Pipeline”* at *foxnews.com*.

Future Generations Will Never Get Why We Allowed These 5 Crimes to Happen

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 7 hours ago
*Bernie Suarez* - Will we do nothing while these massive crimes go unpunished? The post Future Generations Will Never Get Why We Allowed These 5 Crimes to Happen appeared first on Waking Times.

Sept. 22: A new world shaping up? You won't hear about it in the Irving press.

Graeme Decarie at The Decarie Report - 7 hours ago
The headline story for today is “Jury shown photos of Oland death scene. This is pure, scandal-magazine sensationalism. It's followed a big photo of rocks and heavy equipment on Main Street looking just like every pile of big rocks and heavy equipment I have ever seen. It's a photo that tells us nothing. Then there's the front page story on “New Brunswickers love their moose hunting” Then, there's a story that the province's social development minister loves her job. There's nothing in any of these stories. The one about death photos of Oland might appeal to readers of a certain typ... more »

Who’s Ready for Fall?

Shannon Henderson at The Stream - 7 hours ago
[image: Baby in Hat - 900] About two weeks ago I walked into my local Hobby Lobby on an abnormally cool and rainy summer day. My senses were immediately assaulted by the sights, scents and atmosphere of autumn. The cool weather and the smell of pumpkin-y,...more »

Don't Wait until It's Too Late to Let People Flee Dangerous Countries

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 7 hours ago
*The sudden flood of refugees is a result of years of blocking migration* *Guest post by Ilya Somin* Today, many people across the political spectrum agree that the US and other Western democracies were wrong to severely restrict German Jewish immigration in the 1930s. This is so even though these governments were not responsible for the oppression of Jews in Nazi Germany. Moreover, we condemn 1930s US immigration policy despite the fact that, at that time, it was far from clear that Nazi anti-Semitism would culminate in mass murder on the scale of the Holocaust. Before World War... more »

Electing Ben Carson President Would Not Be Consistent With The Constitution Of This Country

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
*"No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."* *-- the Constitution, Article VI (paragraph 3)* The Founding Fathers wanted to keep the Constitution flexible. They rarely used the word "ever" or "never." They must have thought this section was pretty important to the essence of what they were trying to accomplish. I get the idea that not many Republican politicians grasp that, certainly not Ben Carson. Sunday on * Meet the Press* Carson stumbled into a political hornets' nest, likely without having thought thro... more »

Coms During a Social Media black out, or "glitch"

D ... Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 7 hours ago
The Global skype outage got me thinking..... it's an easy thing for the big communications platforms to be taken down, or have a "glitch" all of sudden- especially when/if things are hot. If skype is down, there is facebook or twitter etc..., but what if they are all down? How do you communicate with groups and friends to get information out? In the case of a black out or "glitch" on social media sites, alternatives for getting in touch with Lisa Harrison or I (if there is internet) is to go to Lisa's chat on her website: http://www.lisamharrison.com/watch-live/ and if the major ... more »

On "Bulletproof Neoliberalism"

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 7 hours ago
Was reading something interesting in Jacobin Magazine recently, called "Bulletproof Neoliberalism." It tries to answer just why is it that despite failing utterly to bring a new era of full employment, productive investment and human freedom and happiness, and, instead, bringing an era of financial market collapse, gargantuan corruption and inhuman austerity, that neoliberalism still rules the roost ideologiically speaking. What is going to come after neoliberalism?” It was the question on many radicals’ lips, present writer included, after the financial crisis hit in 2008. Though ... more »

Pope Francis: I Am Not a Liberal

TIME/Elizabeth Dias at The Stream - 7 hours ago
[image: Pope plane - 400] As Pope Francis flew to the United States for the first time, the pontiff assured journalists on the flight that he is not a liberal. Asked to comment on the many media outlets who are asking if the Pope is... Continue reading *“Pope Francis: I Am Not a Liberal”* at *time.com*.

Pope Francis Arrives in US, Faces a Polarized Country

AP/Nicole Winfield & Rachel Zoll at The Stream - 7 hours ago
[image: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greet Pope Francis upon his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Pope Francis arrived Tuesday on the first visit of his life to the United States, bringing his “church of the poor” to the world’s wealthiest superpower and a country polarized over issues closest to his heart: immigration,... more »

Six Easy Ways to Tell if That Viral Story is a Hoax

Pete Brown at The Stream - 7 hours ago
[image: Confused Skeptical Woman on Computer - 900] "And so it begins ... ISIS flag among refugees in Germany fighting the police," blared the headline on the Conservative Post; "with this new leaked picture, everything seems confirmed." The image in question purported to show a group of Syrian... more »

The Liberal Democrats Are Totally Stuffed

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 7 hours ago
A Tory and a LibDem standing on the edge of a cliff. Who do you push off first? The Tory, obvs: business always comes before pleasure. So goes the favourite gag of a former shadcab member. A number of longer-serving Labour activists might appreciate that, but the joke's in danger of being a touch dated. For most of the 00s the Liberal Democrats were almost fashionable. They did very well out of their opposition to the Iraq War, and for the early part of that decade Charles Kennedy (RIP) helped them look good and a little bit leftish. Then came Menzies Campbell's interlude and Nick C... more »

Untitled

Dave at The Galloping Beaver - 8 hours ago
This load of crap was a mail-out received by some residents of Surrey, BC. Dianne Watts, former mayor of Surrey claims it was sent out from Ottawa without her knowledge. I'm calling "Bovine Scatology" on two counts: She's running for the Harper Conservatives and clearly knows what a feces-covered operation she's in, and, her friggin' name is on it and she hasn't disavowed it in any way. Let's

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 8 hours ago

Satire: “Kochs Demand Walker Return Nine Hundred Million Dollars”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 8 hours ago
*“Kochs Demand Walker Return Nine Hundred Million Dollars”* by Andy Borowitz MADISON, WISCONSIN (The Borowitz Report)— “Just minutes after Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker dropped out of the Republican Presidential race, the billionaire Koch brothers demanded that he return the nine hundred million dollars they had allocated to his campaign. For the Koch brothers, who purchased Walker earlier this year, the demand for a full cash refund reflected how badly their relationship with the formerly promising candidate had deteriorated. According to an aide familiar with the phone conversa...more »

The Economy: “Fed’s “Doom Loop” Locks Us On Course for Another Crisis”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 8 hours ago
*“Fed’s “Doom Loop” Locks Us On Course for Another Crisis”* by Bill Bonner PARIS – "We’ve seen at least three articles explaining why the Fed failed to increase interest rates last Thursday. One says Goldman Sachs is calling the shots now… Another says China has the Fed under its thumb… Still another claims the Fed is a victim of its own policies and is now stuck in a “doom loop”… All of them are right. All of the powers that be – including the Fed – want the party to continue. All know that if the Fed starts going around and turning off the lights and unplugging the music, the part... more »

Afterburn

What Is Sustainable at What Is Sustainable - 8 hours ago
Once upon a time, Richard Heinberg was a mild-mannered college professor in northern California. In 1998, he happened to read an article in *Scientific American* that revealed the peak oil theory. A small clan in the lunatic fringe had been discussing the notion, but it was now being yanked out of the closet by a number of retired petroleum geologists — respectable experts having front line experience with an increasingly ominous reality. Peak oil was terrifying. The geologists were telling us that our way of life was racing toward the cliff. Dignified ladies and gentlemen natur... more »

The Man Who Poisoned America

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 8 hours ago
The man who supposedly apologized to the relatives of some of the nine victims of his tainted peanuts seemed at stark odds with the executive who'd fired off an email to a manager alerting him to salmonella contamination, "Just ship it." Unmoved, Federal Judge W. Louis Sands, a Clinton appointee, sentenced Stewart Parnell to 28 years in prison for knowingly sending out tainted food products, obstructing the investigation and falsifying evidence (conspiracy). In other words, this sentencing, which was 775 fewer years than the judge who'd found him guilty wanted, was nonethe... more »

Volkswagen owners want payback as emissions-cheating scandal explodes

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 9 hours ago
How liable is VW? Well returning a car you have driven for several years just is not the law in Canada. There has been a value to the vehicle even if it is not what it was represented to be. So assuming there was a representation that was intentionally false - a fraud - and that's a big IF the real question is damages. And here too there is an issue. What did VW owners actually lose? Perhaps they thought they were getting a Green Car and in fact it was a stinky old diesel but even if that is true what financial harm did they suffer? Likely none. So damages would be notional at ... more »

Credit for Guilty Plea

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 9 hours ago
R. v. Carreira, 2015 ONCA 639: [15] In R. v. Faulds, (1994) 20 O.R. (3d) 13, this court made it clear that the amount of credit a guilty plea attracts will vary with each case, saying, at para. 14: The effect of a guilty plea in setting the appropriate sentence will vary with the circumstances of each case. In some cases, a guilty plea is a demonstration of remorse and a positive first step towards rehabilitation. In other cases, a guilty plea is simply a recognition of the inevitable. That is this case. Even where the plea is not a manifestation of genuine remorse, it may st... more »

English Government Wants to Register Faith Leaders

The Christian Institute at The Stream - 9 hours ago
[image: A priest praying] Pastors, rabbis and other religious leaders will be subject to Government training and security checks and will have to enrol in a "national register of faith leaders", under leaked Government legislation. The proposal, which appears in a draft version of... Continue reading *“English Government Wants to Register Faith Leaders”* at *christian.org.uk*.

Could Pope Francis’s U.S. Visit Change His Mind about Capitalism?

FOX News/Jay Richards at The Stream - 9 hours ago
[image: Pope Francis6 - 400] Pope Francis's pontificate has inspired a global conversation about the persistence of poverty in an era of great abundance. But some of his economic claims are bewildering to Catholics like me who believe economic freedom is the best-known way to... Continue reading *“Could Pope Francis’s U.S. Visit Change His Mind about Capitalism?”* at *foxnews.com*.

Why the Pro-Life Fiorina’s Ascent Should Terrify Democrats

The Washington Post/Marc Thiessen at The Stream - 9 hours ago
[image: Carly Fiorina3 - 400] In the wake of her stellar performance at the CNN debate, Carly Fiorina has shot to second place in the polls, and her ascent raises a possibility that should terrify Democrats: The GOP might just nominate a passionate, articulate pro-life... Continue reading *“Why the Pro-Life Fiorina’s Ascent Should Terrify Democrats”* at *washingtonpost.com*.

Vigil for Persecuted Christians Held in D.C. on Eve of Pope’s Visit

CBN News at The Stream - 9 hours ago
[image: Assyrians] The Iraqi Christian Relief Council hosted a vigil for victims of ISIS, hoping to get the pope’s attention as he comes to visit the United States. They’re calling on people of all faiths to pray Pope Francis will lend his... Continue reading *“Vigil for Persecuted Christians Held in D.C. on Eve of Pope’s Visit”* at *cbn.com*.

U.S. General to Troops: Report Sexual Abuse of Children by Afghan Forces

AP at The Stream - 9 hours ago
[image: silhouette_in_Afghanistan_War] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan said Tuesday he expects U.S. personnel to report to military superiors any allegations of sexual abuse of boys by Afghan forces. He added that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has assured... more »

Supplemental: Chris Wallace tries to challenge Carly!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 9 hours ago
*TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2015Carly cuffs him aside:* Is bald-faced lying by White House candidates discouraged at this point in time? Is it against the rules any more? Watching Candidates Trump and Fiorina, it’s becoming quite hard to tell. Essentially, Trump is being held to no standard at all as he emits an ongoing series of apparent howlers. For today, though, consider what happened when Chris Wallace tried to challenge Fiorina. Fiorina appeared as a guest on this weekend’s Fox News Sunday. Full of pep as he started, Wallace asked about her statement at last Wednesday’s debate... more »

Should IAEA Inspectors Have Been Present When Iran Took Samples From A Suspected Nuclear Military Site?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago
Iran denies allegations it conducted research into how to develop an atomic bomb at its secretive Parchin military site (AFP Photo/HO) *Reuters:** Iranian nuclear experts take Parchin samples without IAEA - IRNA* Iranian nuclear experts have taken environmental samples from the military base at Parchin without United Nations inspectors being present, the spokesman for Iran's atomic energy agency was quoted as saying on Monday. The procedure for taking the samples, which could shed light on whether Iran's nuclear programme ever had a military dimension, has been under intense discu... more »

Russia Alarmed By U.S. Plans To Upgrade Its Nuclear Weapons In Germany

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago
The Büchel military base in southern Germany where many think that US tactical nuclear weapons are stored. DPA *IBTimes*: *US Nuclear Weapons In Germany: Russia Concerned By American Plans To Add To Stockpile* Russia is concerned about U.S. plans to modernize and station additional nuclear weapons in Germany, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who spoke with a German TV channel Tuesday. The channel had reported earlier in the day that the U.S. planned to station 20 nuclear weapons in the European country, as per a line in the 2015 U.S. defense budge... more »

President Obama's Islamic State War Czar Is Resigning

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago
*Eli Lake and Josh Rogin, Bloomberg:* *Obama's Islamic State War Czar Stepping Down* President Barack Obama is about to lose the man he hand-picked to build the war effort against the Islamic State. Retired General John Allen will be stepping down as envoy to the global coalition this fall, and the White House is searching for a replacement to be the face of America’s flailing effort to destroy the jihadist group in Syria and Iraq. Allen will leave government service in the coming weeks, four administration officials told us. State Department officials said they were not ready to... more »

New UFO Documentary including Commentary on the Roswell Slides

KRandle at A Different Perspective - 10 hours ago
This last summer I participated in a UFO documentary via Skype that dealt with some of the latest issues in the field, including what had happened with the Roswell Slides. We discussed the fallout from that and how it will affect UFO research in the future. The film will premiere at London’s West End on September 24 and I mention this in case some of our colleagues in England wish to see it. For those who wish additional information, here are some of the links: https://vimeo.com/139291590 http://calendar.raindancefestival.org/films/cosmic-whistleblowers http://www.myvue.com/latest... more »

A story on Nima Arkani-Hamed

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 10 hours ago
*LHC, vaguely related:* ALICE confirms the CPT symmetry Natalie Wolchover wrote a rather long article Visions of Future Physics about Nima Arkani-Hamed for the Quanta Magazine. You may read lots of stuff about Nima's life and career, his personality, what he considers to be his weaknesses etc. There is also a big section about his plans to lead the Chinese nation – that has hired him – to build a new collider that is about as big as the Milky Way. ;-) Some thoughts about the future of physics may be seen everywhere in the article. TRF blog posts rarely follow the template... more »

Author appeals retraction after co-authors dispute Nature Comm paper

Emily Willingham at Retraction Watch - 10 hours ago
Two weeks after Nature Communications published a paper on asymmetric cell division in July, it posted a retraction notice saying the paper was submitted “without the knowledge or consent” of all but the corresponding author. The following day the journal “amended” the retraction note to include the initials of the corresponding author, Aicha Metchat, then based […] The post Author appeals retraction after co-authors dispute Nature Comm paper appeared first on Retraction Watch.

Dept. of Veterans Affairs Accused of Retaliating against Whistleblowers

AP/MATTHEW DALY at The Stream - 11 hours ago
[image: Veterans - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to retaliate against whistleblowers despite repeated pledges to stop punishing those who speak up, a national group said Tuesday. One called the department’s office of inspector general a “joke.” VA whistleblowers... more »

Twitter Hashtag Celebrates Adoption

Amelia Hamilton at The Stream - 11 hours ago
[image: Sarah Stevenson ShoutYourAdoption Cropped - 900] Yesterday, the macabre hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion hit Twitter, celebrating abortion. Largely, women were arguing that their abortions have allowed them to pursue other things life, while ignoring that this would have been equally possible had they chosen adoption. That didn't escape... more »

Navy Budget Out of Control Funding Dinosaur Warships

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 11 hours ago
My interview today on *PressTV* about U.S. Navy budget and their increasingly at risk aircraft carriers now bumping up against China.

Ad Featuring Kids, Mushroom Cloud Slams Bennet for Iran Vote

AP/Erica Werner at The Stream - 11 hours ago
[image: U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., speaks during a campaign stop to promote Democrats in re-election bids in the east Denver suburb of Aurora, Colo., on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- A conservative group is airing an ad showing kids counting down to a mushroom cloud to slam Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado over the Iran nuclear deal. The ad by the group Advancing Colorado shows children... more »

Retired General to Step Down as Obama’s ISIS War Czar

Bloomberg at The Stream - 12 hours ago
[image: Retired 4-star Gen. John Allen.] President Barack Obama is about to lose the man he hand-picked to build the war effort against the Islamic State. Retired General John Allen will be stepping down as envoy to the global coalition this fall, and the White House... Continue reading *“Retired General to Step Down as Obama’s ISIS War Czar”* at *bloombergview.com*.

Be in Atlanta October 24, 2015 To Stand Up at the Truth, Transparency & Freedom Rally

Barbara Loe Fisher at Vaccine Awakening - 12 hours ago
Posted 9/22/2015 Event Information *Truth, Transparency & Freedom Rally* Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015 * Grant Park 840 Cherokee Ave. SE; Atlanta, GA 1:00 – 6:00 PM Send 2015 Atlanta Rally eCard to a Friend! Download Flyer for the Rally *by Barbara Loe Fisher* *1986 march in Atlanta (CDC)* In the spring of 1986, NVIC co-founder Kathi Williams and I gathered with a small group of parents in Atlanta, Georgia to hold the first public demonstration demanding that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) be truthful with the American public about vaccine injuries and deaths. We held up signs with... more »

Nicaragua: Developed but unequal

Jody Paterson at A Closer Look: Jody Paterson - 12 hours ago
It’s a typical Saturday afternoon at the flashy Metro Centro mall in Managua, Nicaragua, and the joint is jumping. As I watch a young barista crank out $4 iced cappuccinos at the Casa de Café kiosk, I find myself reflecting yet again on the mysterious phrase “developing country.” To those who don’t know this part of the world, the phrase suggests poverty and deprivation - chicken buses spilling over with skinny peasants making slow progress along dirt roads; neighbourhoods of rickety houses built from bamboo and banana leaves; poor people with seven or eight children scratching... more »

"Most asylum seekers are predictably from Syria"

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 12 hours ago
On last night's *The World Tonight *(beginning at 22:51) presenter Ritula Shah said the following: Well, as the number of people making their way across Europe to claim asylum has risen there's been more scrutiny of who's risking that journey. Eurostat, the European statistics agency, has figures from the second quarter of this year which show that while most asylum seekers are predictably from Syria, more surprisingly Afghans are in second place. But why? Given that, as has been widely reported, Eurostat showed that *only* 20.6% of those asylum seekers came from Syria, how on ea... more »

In Light of the Exxon Revelation — "They Knew" — A Call for RICO Investigations

Gaius Publius at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
*"... or a lawsuit you never recover from?" (source)* *by Gaius Publius* I don't want to lose this piece of the story — as you read, keep the name *Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse* and the federal *RICO* statute in mind. I'll return to Whitehouse and RICO with full focus in a separate piece. Recently we wrote about this *Inside Climate News* report that, based on a trove of Exxon's own internal documents, the company knew as early as 1977 that earth's climate was being disrupted by CO2 emissions and that this disruption would get worse. Yet in the late 1980s they chose to join the — we h... more »

It’s What Donald Trump Did Say about Muslims that Concerns Me

Michael Brown at The Stream - 12 hours ago
[image: Donald Trump Faith and Freedom Coalition_900] Donald Trump has been under constant fire since the town hall meeting last Thursday when he failed to address some problematic statements raised in the first audience question. As he tweeted out over the weekend: This is the first time... more »

McConnell Fast-Tracks Bill to Freeze Planned Parenthood Funding

The Hill at The Stream - 12 hours ago
[image: Mitch McConnell Commits to Abortion Ban Vote] Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday fast-tracked a bill that would block federal funding for Planned Parenthood. The Republican leader finished the fast-track process, which was started on Monday night, that will allow the House-passed bill to skip... Continue reading *“McConnell Fast-Tracks Bill to Freeze Planned Parenthood Funding”* at *thehill.com*.

Senate Dems Block GOP Bill That Would Curb Late Abortions

AP/Alan Fram at The Stream - 12 hours ago
[image: US Capitol Building_900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Democrats blocked Republican legislation Tuesday prohibiting most late-term abortions, the second time since this summer’s release of videos involving Planned Parenthood that they’ve derailed an abortion-related drive by the GOP. Senators voted 54-42 to move ahead... more »

BLACK KIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS: The lives of black kids in our Southern schools!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 12 hours ago
*TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2015Part 2—The Times gets conned by the profs:* It’s a well-known, undesirable fact—black kids get suspended and expelled from school much more often than white kids. What explains this undesirable state of affairs? We can think of several possible causes. In comment threads, individuals tend to focus on just one. Typically, people select a cause which supports their tribal dogmas. Why do black kids get suspended more often? In theory, it’s an important question. In practice, nobody cares. But the basic fact at the heart of this matter has been well-known ... more »

The Great Lie… and Four Ways to Stop Telling It

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 12 hours ago
*Gary ‘Z’ McGee* - To overcome tyranny, we must first overcome ourselves. The post The Great Lie… and Four Ways to Stop Telling It appeared first on Waking Times.

NATO: No Arms For Ukraine

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
*VOA/Reuters*: *NATO Chief Offers Ukraine Support But No Arms* KYIV — The head of NATO pledged to help Ukraine defend itself against pro-Russian separatists on Tuesday but disappointed some in Kyiv who seek supplies of defensive weaponry that the West fears would threaten a fragile cease-fire with the rebels. In an opulent gilded state room in the presidential palace, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told Ukraine's National Security Council it had no closer partner than the U.S.-led military alliance and he signed agreements to modernize the armed forces. "NATO does not provide...more »

What Is Russia's Strategy In Syria?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*Micahe Kofman, War On The Rocks*: *How Russia's Gambit In Syria Changes The Game* By upping the ante, Putin hopes to deter the West from encroaching too far on Russian interests in Syria. But Russia is not eager to fight alongside Assad on the ground. Expect its direct role in the conflict to remain limited. A large uptick in the influx of Russian weapons and equipment into Syria in recent weeks, along with 200 additional naval infantry, has fueled speculation that Moscow is preparing for an expanded role in the conflict. President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, c... more »

Jeb Bush: How Catholic Faith Changed My Life

CNN/Jeb Bush at The Stream - 13 hours ago
[image: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush waves as he takes the stage to formally join the race for president, Monday, June 15, 2015, at Miami Dade College in Miami.] Millions of American Catholics, like me, are excited that Pope Francis is making his first journey to the United States. In our Holy Father, we have a model of personal holiness and deep concern for the most vulnerable among us.... Continue reading *“Jeb Bush: How Catholic Faith Changed My Life”* at *cnn.com*.

Feds Push $5.3 Billion in Regulatory Costs in Just ONE WEEK

Michael Bastasch at The Stream - 13 hours ago
[image: Pile of Money - 900] The Obama administration were busy last week pushing regulations that will cost the American businesses and consumers more than $5.3 billion and 7.7 million hours in paperwork burdens, according to a report. A report by the right-leaning American Action Forum... more »

Gulf Arab States Are Opposing Russia's Growing Role In Syria

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*Reuters:* Gulf Arabs oppose Russia role in Syria, still bent on Assad's ouster Russia's military intervention in support of President Bashar al-Assad has dismayed Gulf Arab enemies of the Syrian leader who say it will prolong the war and keep Syria firmly in the orbit of their arch regional rival Iran. Russia says it is providing arms to the Syrian leader, a longtime ally, and has sent servicemen to advise on their use in the fight against Islamic State (IS) and other jihadist groups. Moscow has also staged naval exercises off Syria. Washington, which opposes both IS and Assad, ... more »

Is Assad's Strategy To Empty Syria Of His Opponents Succeeding?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
Turkish soldiers stand guard as Syrians wait behind the border fences near the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province, September 18, 2014. I (REUTERS/KADIR CELIKCAN) *Mike Giglio and Munzer al-Awad, BuzzFeed*: *Assad’s Strategy Is To Create Refugees* “They want to empty the country.” ISTANBUL — The 53-year-old father of two was convinced that Bashar al-Assad wanted him to flee Syria. More than two years after he buried the bodies from a massacre in his village near Damascus by forces loyal to the Syrian president, he sat in an Istanbul park alongside dozens of other ref... more »

is this the end for the BUS DRIVERS of the world?

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 13 hours ago
*The first self-driving electric shuttle for use on public roads has been delivered to the Netherlands. The “WEpod” will take passengers between the two towns of Wageningen and Ede in the province of Gelderland from November.* [source INFOWARS] according to the above infowars recent report, *DRIVERLESS BUSES* are now operational in the Netherlands and it can't be too long before UK-trials of such driverless buses or WEpods commence. Is this the end for the bus drivers of the world?

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 13 hours ago
*Sean Payton calls report that Drew Brees could miss several games “inaccurate”* *Preview: Faux Real New Orleans ~Will Coviello, Gambit * *Orleans Sheriff’s Office to quit monitoring pretrial defendants, plans to hand program over to city ~Jim Mustian, N.O. Advocate* *Burning Han? SciFi Krewe Ready to Chewburnitall ~NOLA DEFENDER*

Marine mammal injury study retracted for using restricted gov’t data

Ross Keith at Retraction Watch - 13 hours ago
A 2012 paper that analyzed injuries to aquatic mammals in China has been retracted “due to the usage of restricted data from the Ministry of Agriculture of China.” The authors — from Shandong University in China, The University of Hong Kong and the Peruvian Centre for Cetacean Research — “organized the collection of official documents related to strandings, bycatches […] The post Marine mammal injury study retracted for using restricted gov’t data appeared first on Retraction Watch.

Scott Walker’s Flawed Candidacy

Washington Examiner/Byron York at The Stream - 13 hours ago
[image: Scott Walker] It’s easy to say Scott Walker dropped out of the Republican presidential race because he ran out of money. But he ran out of money because of his own limitations as a candidate -- limitations that have been in plain... Continue reading *“Scott Walker’s Flawed Candidacy”* at *washingtonexaminer.com*.

Majority Of Palestinians No Longer Support The Two - State Solution

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
Masked Palestinian protesters throw stones at Israeli troops during clashes in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, September 21, 2015. REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD *Reuters*:* Most Palestinians no longer support two-state solution* More than half of Palestinians no longer support a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel, a survey released on Monday showed, rejecting the goal that has underpinned four decades of international diplomacy. The poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, a leading research group in the Palestinian territories, found that 51 perce... more »

Success Academy Lies to Parents about September 30 Political Rally

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 14 hours ago
*from Politico:* Employees of Success Academy, New York City's largest charter school network, have been instructed to tell parents an upcoming rally organized by a well-funded charter advocacy group is "not political," according to a document obtained by POLITICO New York. The five-page document was sent by Success' "advocacy team" and is billed as "messaging assistance" intended to help staff convince families of Success students to attend the Sept. 30 pro-charter rally and march across the Brooklyn Bridge organized by Families for Excellent Schools. Success administrators are al...more »

Busted: 6 Modern Nutritional Myths

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 14 hours ago
*Makia Freeman* - Discover the truth behind 6 modern and pervasive nutritional myths. The post Busted: 6 Modern Nutritional Myths appeared first on Waking Times.

World News Briefs -- September 22, 2015

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
*Bloomberg:* *Russia Flies Military Aid to Syria as UN-led Talks Continue* Russia has flown military jets and artillery to Syria, according to a U.S. official, raising concerns among Syrian opposition groups that the move would derail United Nations efforts to end the conflict. The U.S. is not sure whether the Russian equipment sent to the Syrian air base in Latakia in the past three or four days is meant to support the government of President Bashar al-Assad or fight Islamic State militants, said the official, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive information. *MIDD... more »

An Inconvenient Pope

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 14 hours ago
Corporate media coverage of the Pope's visit to the USA is being framed around two main issues: how it will impact the artificial, wedge issue-based political gridlock in Washington, and how it will cause traffic gridlock in New York City. News that the world's second largest car maker has engaged in an epic criminal conspiracy to bypass anti-pollution emissions laws is vying with news about how much cars themselves will be inconvenienced during this historic visit. For days on end, traffic and shopping will come to a screeching halt. The very atmosphere will be forced to take a bre... more »

Despite Walker’s Exit, Huckabee in ‘for the Long Haul’

CNBC at The Stream - 14 hours ago
[image: Huckabee is Latest Iowa Straw Poll No-show; Is Event in Jeopardy?] Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said Tuesday he’s in the race “for the long haul,” despite Scott Walker’s call for other candidates to follow his lead and drop out. Walker--unable to arrest his sliding poll numbers after the second GOP... Continue reading *“Despite Walker’s Exit, Huckabee in ‘for the Long Haul’”* at *cnbc.com*.

Kentucky Clerk Could Head Back to Court over Licenses

AP/Adam Beam & Claire Galofaro at The Stream - 14 hours ago
[image: MOREHEAD, KY - SEPTEMBER 14: Rowan County clerk Kim Davis walks through the halls of the courthouse on her first day back to work, after being released from jail last week, at the Rowan County Courthouse September 14, 2015 in Morehead, Kentucky.] FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- She’s already spent five days in jail, and now a Kentucky clerk could be back in court soon for altering marriage license forms issued to same-sex couples. On Monday, lawyers for two gay couples and two... more »

Living In A Bunker

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 15 hours ago
https://jerazol.wordpress.com/ The Harperites have always lived inside a bunker. During this election, they've fortified the barricades. Lawrence Martin writes: In the election campaign, the Conservatives have barred their candidates in a great many ridings from participating in all-candidates debates. That’s right. The candidates are censored by the leadership from taking part in the most basic, the most elementary of democratic functions. The Conservatives dispute that this is going on but evidence contradicts their half denials. You...more »

"Huge Problem with Perception about Russia in the U.S."

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 15 hours ago
The world as we know is in trouble. The crisis in the Middle East has led to crisis in the Western world, and the threat of emerging radical Islamist groups - such as Islamic State - is now a problem that threatens the entire globe. Russia is offering help, but Washington prefers to play deaf. However, with the planet rapidly changing, maybe it’s time for the West, and especially the United States, to sit at the table with others and seek solutions. Will Washington ever agree to that? Can Russia and the West put their differences aside in the face of imminent danger? Sophie talks w... more »

Is Jeb Bush Ready to Embrace His Last Name?

The Washington Post/Ed O'Keefe at The Stream - 15 hours ago
[image: Bushes-400] He didn't plan to say it. But two hours into the second Republican presidential debate, Jeb Bush took a firm stand. "He kept us safe," he said. The quick and simple defense of his brother George W. Bush earned one... Continue reading *“Is Jeb Bush Ready to Embrace His Last Name?”* at *washingtonpost.com*.

Pope Calls on Cubans to Live ‘Revolution of Tenderness’

AP/Nicole Winfield & Michael Weissenstein at The Stream - 15 hours ago
[image: Pope Francis waves from the popemobile upon his arrival at El Cobre, Santiago de Cuba on September 21, 2015, to give a prayer at a basilica to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, the patron saint of Cuba. Pope Francis on Monday praised the sacrifices of the Catholic Church in communist Cuba, with the island in the midst of a delicate process of resuming relations with the United States.] SANTIAGO, Cuba (AP) -- Pope Francis on Tuesday called on Cubans to rediscover their Catholic heritage and live a “revolution of tenderness,” highly evocative words in a country whose 1959 revolu... more »

The Islamic State’s Car Bomb Campaign In Iraq’s Anbar

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 15 hours ago
Anbar is the main focus of the Islamic State (IS). While its attacks have dramatically declined in almost every other province they have remained steady in Anbar over the last year. It is also the only province where IS has continued to gain territory highlighted by its victory in Ramadi in May. As part of its tactics the group has deployed a huge number of vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) mostly to break down the government’s defenses. The car bombs highlight the extensive networks IS has throughout Anbar. The Islamic State began a new car bomb campaign in Ira... more »

Hacking Allegations Threaten to Overshadow Xi-Obama Summit

Bloomberg at The Stream - 15 hours ago
[image: Chinese Xi Jinping] Disputes over what's acceptable behavior in cyberspace threaten to overshadow the agenda when Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama meet in Washington this week. A simmering conflict over hacking comes at a time when the U.S. is... Continue reading *“Hacking Allegations Threaten to Overshadow Xi-Obama Summit”* at *bloomberg.com*.

Planned Parenthood and Government Shutdown: Things to Know

AP/ANDREW TAYLOR at The Stream - 15 hours ago
[image: Planned Parenthood sit-in protest_900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congressional Republicans are racing to avert a government shutdown next week when the budget year ends and a temporary funding bill is required to keep agencies operating. But the once-routine job of passing a stopgap measure known... more »

Jeb Bush Says Reducing Regulation Can Lift Wages

Bloomberg at The Stream - 15 hours ago
[image: Jeb Bush] Saying the U.S. economy is "buried under the weight of rulebooks," Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush on Tuesday proposed cutting federal regulations that he said would increase growth 3 percent in 10 years and help increase wages by 6 percent.... Continue reading *“Jeb Bush Says Reducing Regulation Can Lift Wages”* at *bloomberg.com*.

Petraeus Apologizes for Giving Classified Info. to Mistress

AP/DEB RIECHMANN at The Stream - 15 hours ago
[image: Gen. Petraeus Testifies At Senate Hearing On Situation In Afghanistan] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Retired Army Gen. David Petraeus is apologizing again for sharing classified information with his biographer and mistress, Paula Broadwell, in his first time testifying publicly before Congress since resigning as CIA director. Petraeus told the Senate Armed... more »

Eli Broad's California Strategy, Part 1: Million$ for "Grassroots" Organizing

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 15 hours ago
Mike Simpson posted a link to the Broad battle plan to convert LAUSD into a charter school system. A central part of that plan calls for millions of dollars to buy support for charter expansion, and the two main organizations to help in that are owned by Broad's toadies: Parent Revolution and the California Charter Schools Association. Broad wants half of all LA Schools by 2022. Broad's plan is designed to exploit poor parents and their children to advance the billionaires' paternalistic end game to dehumanize education for the poor and to make money, lots of money, while doing ... more »

Foreign Policy Talk-talk Rises With Xi in US

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 15 hours ago
*Driving out to work in the fields.* This year is the 29th anniversary of the founding of the DPP, and Presidential Candidate and Chairman Tsai Ing-wen made a speech in front of numerous foreign dignitaries. It's in Anglais here. All those dignitaries were a positive sign for Tsai: clearly they expect her to win. A few excerpts: As we closely monitor international events, including the Syrian refugee crisis, we believe there is a clear *need to establish a domestic legal mechanism that will enable Taiwan to join international efforts to assist refugees.* Furthermore, we plan to e... more »

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- September 22, 2015

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
*Photo*: A U.S. RC-135 / Wikimedia Commons *Washington Free Beacon:* *Chinese Jet in Second Near-Collision with U.S. Spy Plane* *PLA jet flies close to nose of RC-135 over East China Sea* A Chinese interceptor jet conducted a second dangerous pass near a U.S. surveillance aircraft over Asian waters—weeks before a state visit to the United States by Chinese leader Xi Jinping that begins Tuesday. The latest incident took place over the East China Sea near Japan’s Senkaku Islands when a Chinese interceptor flew in front of an RC-135 electronic intelligence-gathering jet, nearly colli... more »

Analysis: For Walker, A Cascade of Troubles Ends Campaign

AP/JULIE PACE at The Stream - 15 hours ago
[image: Scott Walker Wisconsin Governor_900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- For Scott Walker, it wasn’t one thing that led to the demise of his presidential campaign. It was just about everything. Financial troubles. A bloated staff. Repeated stumbles and flip flops. A candidate that professed to be... more »

Pope Francis Is at Odds With Liberals, Too. Just Don’t Expect the Media to Report It.

Katrina Trinko at The Stream - 15 hours ago
[image: VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - APRIL 20: Pope Francis greets the faithful as he holds Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square on April 20, 2014 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Francis is attending the Holy Week for his second time as a Pontiff. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)] When it comes to Pope Francis, the media are quick to pick up on his more liberal views. In a story headlined, "Republicans' Comments Put Them on Other Side of Pope's Visiting Message," the New York Times reports, "Pope Francis has... more »

Church’s Conference on Families Spurring Pope Francis’ U.S. Trip

AP at The Stream - 15 hours ago
[image: World Meeting of Families__1442925022_70.119.142.63] PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Pope Francis’ six-day, three-city tour of the U.S. this week evolved from a pledge he made last fall to attend the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. Stops in Washington and New York were added after Francis... more »

Russian build-up in Syria puts Israel on the back foot

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 15 hours ago
*Asia Times: M.K. Bhadrakumar* *Definitely a thought provoking read*. I personally take issue with some points made, nonetheless, worth reading entirely, at least twice. Since *this is posted for the purpose of discussing the issues raised* feel free to share a thought or two on what Bhadrakumar has written. *This piece is the obvious follow up to yesterday's post : Israel & Russia "agreed on a mechanism to prevent misunderstandings"- Netanyahu* *"There is a saying, ‘misfortunes never come singly’. That must have been the thought on ... more »

From Now On......A Quotation From M.N. Hopkins

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 16 hours ago

Patrick Murphy-- Even Worse Than You Imagined

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
Recently Jim DeFede interviewed Patrick Murphy on WFOR-TV. He's a solid interviewer, and his questions helped bring out not just Murphy's despicable voting record but what he's all about. A couple of minutes into this segment DeFede asks Murphy, best known as Wall Street's most dedicated handmaiden on the Democratic side of the aisle, about greed. "Wall Street is going great," DeFede says. "Through the roof. Where does corporate greed come in in your mind?" Murphy acknowledges the problem: "No question it exists, and unfortunately America has topped the world in many ways, greed... more »

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 16 hours ago
*David "Vitty-cent" Vitter Super Pac lawyer also represented Bayou Corne company ~Tyler Bridges, The Advocate*

With Fight against The Islamic State in Iraq Stalled, U.S. Looks to Syria for Gains

The Washington Post at The Stream - 16 hours ago
[image: Syria U.S. backed Kurdish fighters_400] With the offensive to reclaim territory from the Islamic State largely stalled in Iraq, the Obama administration is laying plans for a more aggressive military campaign in Syria, where U.S.-backed Kurdish forces have made surprising gains in recent months. The... Continue reading *“With Fight against The Islamic State in Iraq Stalled, U.S. Looks to Syria for Gains”* at *washingtonpost.com*.

Selma Church Shooting: Fresh Details Emerge of Heroic Actions by Father, Pastor, Other Parishoners

AP/KIM CHANDLER at The Stream - 16 hours ago
[image: Pastor Bob Carswell, injured during a shooting at Oasis Tabernacle Church, speaks with members of the media outside a hearing at the Dallas County Courthouse in Selma, Ala., on Monday, Sept. 21, 2015. A witness said Carswell and church members helped subdue a gunman who opened fire during Sunday worship.] SELMA, Ala. (AP) -- The Sunday service at Oasis Tabernacle Church had started like any other: A prayer was recited over the small 25-member congregation and the co-pastor was about to begin the day’s Bible lesson. Before he could start,... more »

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jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 16 hours ago
*Time for a real free-speech fightback* *Cameron’s anti-extremism strategy could have been ghostwritten by the radical students* Next week will mark the next stage in David Cameron’s long-running strategy to protect freedom and democracy from Islamist radicals by effectively bumping them off himself. From Monday, higher-education institutions in the UK will be legally required to implement policies to vet extremist speakers, stop gender segregation in meetings and introduce policies to protect – that is, spy on – students ‘at risk from radicalisation’. In a speech to his extremis... more »

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JR at GREENIE WATCH - 16 hours ago
*Why do we hear nothing from the Greenies about Third World cooking fires?* Using wood and cow dung to make cooking fires is widepread throughout South Asia. It is so prevalent that much of South Asia has a resultant "brown cloud" hanging over it most of the time. It's pollution so bad that it can be seen from space. And that has been known since 2002. Breathing in the originating smoke down on the ground is an obvious health hazard -- far worse for you than CO2 will ever be. Just try breathing in the smoke from a cooking fire yourself if you doubt it. So if those wonderfully ... more »

Crime journal’s meteoric rise due to questionable self-citation: analysis

Brendan Borrell at Retraction Watch - 16 hours ago
Should it be a crime for editors to cite work in their own journal? Last year, the Journal of Criminal Justice became the top-ranked journal in the field of criminology, but critics say that its meteoric rise is due in part to the editor’s penchant for self-citation. As Thomas Baker of the University of Central […] The post Crime journal’s meteoric rise due to questionable self-citation: analysis appeared first on Retraction Watch.

Senate Dems Likely to Block GOP Bill Curbing Late Abortions

AP/ALAN FRAM at The Stream - 17 hours ago
[image: Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell_900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats seem certain to block Republican legislation banning most late-term abortions in a Senate showdown with plenty of political significance but little suspense. Though the GOP controls the Senate, Democrats appeared certain to prevent them from getting... more »

Remembering Castro’s Crimes

First Things at The Stream - 17 hours ago
[image: Castro poster] The basic facts of Fidel Castro's fifty year reign-of-terror, now passed on to his equally brutal brother, Raul, are these. As soon as Fidel emerged from the Sierra Maestra Mountains with his band of revolutionaries, having overthrown the corrupt and... Continue reading *“Remembering Castro’s Crimes”* at *firstthings.com*.

China Detains American Businesswoman over ‘National Security’

AP at The Stream - 17 hours ago
[image: Sandy_Phan-Gillis] BEIJING (AP) -- Chinese authorities say they are investigating an American businesswoman on suspicion of threatening China’s national security, confirming earlier media reports that Sandy Phan-Gillis of Houston has been detained. Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Tuesday that Beijing... more »

Morning Musical Interlude: The Alan Parsons Project, “Prime Time”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
The Alan Parsons Project, “Prime Time” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CM0KjM3Ens

"You Can Be Sure..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
"The world breaks everyone... those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too, but there will be no special hurry." "A man can be destroyed but not defeated." - Ernest Hemingway

USA TODAY GOP Power Rankings, Week 4: Fiorina Is Queen of The Hill

USA Today at The Stream - 17 hours ago
[image: Carly Fiorina] Debates matter. On the strength of two strong debate performances, Carly Fiorina has vaulted to first place in USA Today's GOP Power Rankings, unseating Donald Trump for the first time since we launched this project. This from a candidate who did... Continue reading *“USA TODAY GOP Power Rankings, Week 4: Fiorina Is Queen of The Hill”* at *onpolitics.usatoday.com*.

Carly Talks Tough on The Tonight Show … And Sings

WPXI at The Stream - 17 hours ago
[image: Carly Fiorina The Tonight Show] Republican candidate Carly Fiorina has proven she can be one tough cookie. Case in point: her performance in the second presidential debate. “I dare Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch these tapes.” But Fiorina has a lighter side, and she... Continue reading *“Carly Talks Tough on The Tonight Show … And Sings”* at *wpxi.com*.

Volkswagen Sets Aside $7.3 Billion over Emissions Scandal

AP/GEIR MOULSON at The Stream - 17 hours ago
[image: Volkswagen Emissions Scandal_900] BERLIN (AP) -- Volkswagen AG said Tuesday that some 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide were fitted with software at the center of a U.S. emissions scandal, and that it is setting aside around 6.5 billion euros ($7.3 billion) to cover... more »

The Economy: “Fed Cred Dead”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
*“Fed Cred Dead”* by James Howard Kunstler “The economy is a two-headed monster. One head is the trade in real goods and real services. The other head is the financialized traffic in swindles and frauds that surrounds banking. There is some deception and overlap about which is which. For instance so-called health care might be perceived as a real service. In fact, it’s a hostage racket, designed to victimize “patients” at their weakest, with a “protection” premium that easily runs to $12,000-a-year for a married couple, even when they aren’t sick, and vulnerable. Just see what happ... more »

Ottawa’s war on data

Rural at Democracy Under Fire - 17 hours ago
Macleans recently *published an article *outlining the failure of the Harper regime to not only collect information on the true state of Canada's citys, towns and villages and economy but failure to KEEP historical data. Whilst touting better access to information by digatalizing information and 'centralizing' and combining various websites the precise opposite has been happening. Much historical information both in print and online has been destroyed in the name of 'efficiency' and 'cost savings' to the point where authors of scientific, social and financial papers cannot even acces... more »

A Look At The Growing Russian Military Presence In Syria

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 17 hours ago
Russia has sent 12 SU-25 ground attack aircraft, similar to the one pictured here on March 26, 2015, to Syria (AFP Photo/Sergey Venyavsky) *AFP:* *Russia deploys 28 combat planes in Syria: US officials* Washington (AFP) - Russia has deployed 28 combat planes in Syria, US officials said Monday, confirming the latest move in Moscow's increasing military presence in the war-torn nation. Washington in recent weeks has expressed growing concern over Russia's moves to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and warned that militarily backing his regime risks further hampering efforts at... more »

The Russian - Israeli Military Alliance Over Syria

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 17 hours ago
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot (left) with Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Army General Valery Vasilevich Gerasimov, September 21, 2015. . (photo credit:IDF) *Jerusalem Post*: *'Israel, Russia to coordinate in air, sea, and electromagnetic arena'* *For first time, chiefs of staff from Russia and Israel hold direct meeting.* The IDF and Russian military will set up a joint working group to coordinate their Syria-related activities in the aerial, naval, and electromagnetic arenas, a senior defense source said Monday. The source spoke soon after Prime Minister B... more »

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 18 hours ago
My mom makes the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Go ahead and argue with me if you want, but in the end, when you try them you will agree. My mom used to make large batches of these cookies and then include extras in our lunches for school. She always gave us extras so we could trade with other kids. You have no idea the treats I could get for one of my mom's cookies. They are seriously that delicious. Once at a church potluck, somebody stole the plate her cookies were on so they could figure out who made the cookies and get the recipes. Now that I have talked them up do you think th... more »

Ukraine Leader Expresses Wish to Join NATO

AP/EFREM LUKATSKY at The Stream - 18 hours ago
[image: Petro Poroshenko Ukraine NATO security council_900] KIEV, Ukraine (AP) -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Tuesday told the country’s security council that staying out of the NATO alliance was a “criminal” policy that his government is ready to reverse. More than 8,000 people have died in... more »

Pope Francis to Canonize Spanish Priest Some Indians Compare to Hitler

Breitbart at The Stream - 18 hours ago
[image: Junipero-Serra-Portrait_400] When Pope Francis canonizes Father Junipero Serra on Wednesday at an outdoor mass at Catholic University of America, at least some American Indians will be plenty sore. Serra was a Spanish Franciscan priest who came to this land during the... Continue reading *“Pope Francis to Canonize Spanish Priest Some Indians Compare to Hitler”* at *breitbart.com*.

SPHERE ALLIANCE MESSAGE #98The Creation of Cetaceans, Fairies and Sirens

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 18 hours ago
[9/21/15, 3:07:40 PM] DENICE: On 9/21/15, at 12:23 PM, AK/Bill/Terran wrote: > What essence created the fairies? What essence created the Cetaceans (dolphins, whales)? What essence created the Sirens? *THE ONE/SOPHIA/AAA/SKYe/SCOTLAND CREATED THE FAIRIES WITH THE HELP OF THE ONE/LISA HARRISON. * *THE ONE/HATJ/GAIA FIRST THOUGHT OF THE DOLPHINS AND WHALES. * *THE ONE/LISA HARRISON IN A FIT OF LAUGHTER AND JOY CREATED THE SIRENS, NOT TO BE USED FOR CONTRAST, BUT AS A DELIGHTFUL DISTRACTION. A SIREN IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH A MERMAID, ALTHOUGH SOME MERMAIDS HAVE BEEN SIRENS. ...more »

Canada's Purchase Of The F-35 Now In Doubt

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 19 hours ago
*AFP*: *Canada rivals spar over F-35 purchase ahead of election* Ottawa (AFP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper shot down Monday a political rival's campaign pledge to scrap a multibillion-dollar purchase of F-35 fighter jets, saying it would "crater" Canada's aerospace sector. Liberal leader Justin Trudeau had said he would take the Lockheed Martin's F-35 out of the running to replace the nation's aging fleet of fighter jets. Trudeau says that helping develop the aircraft, the apparent frontrunner in the bidding process, does not oblige Canada to buy the jets for its air force, cal... more »

When Can We Expect Awakening and Revival?

Alan Eason at The Stream - 19 hours ago
[image: Camp Revival Meeting] ALAN EASON -- Charles G. Finney was a great American preacher and revivalist who helped lead the Second Great Awakening and the fight to abolish slavery in the United States. He also wrote about how we know when to expect... more »

Soong Campaign Strikes A Blow for Feminism

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 19 hours ago
The Soong campaign released and then quickly pulled this ad that asked: can two single women really understand family? (note the "In God We Trust") in English at the bottom. After it was pilloried by netizens and the public at large, it was yanked from the internet. Soong scheduled a press conference to apologize, and blamed a staffer. Looks like Soong is going to fade even faster than I thought... _______________________ [Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other ... more »

Economic News , Data & Views ( September 22 , 2015 ) - Refugee Crisis Updates ( Understand that the current refugee crisis goes hand & hand with Libyan and Syrian security instabilities , items of note on Europe coping mechanisms ) ........ Market movers ( Glencore / Volkswagon , Miners , Coal ) ...... Greece Updates ( Post Snap Election items of note , Greece economic data ) ...... Europe "Officialdom " Items ( ECB in focus , EU 28 backs down on mandatory quotas to address refugee crisis - voluntary quotas the way forward ) ....... Additional Country Specific Items from Europe ( Ukraine , Spain , Germany , Hungary , UK , France ) ...... Asia Updates ( China in broad focus , Japan items of note , Vietnam a bright spot in Asia , Emerging Markets set for even more turmoil )

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 19 hours ago
Evening Wrap ( with much more at the tweet feed ) Asia ........ *Gregor Stuart Hunter* ‏@gregorhunter 3m 3 minutes ago Caixin flash China manufacturing PMI signals contraction for seventh consecutive month during September *Nick Kounis* ‏@nickkounis 2m 2 minutes ago Nick Kounis retweeted CNBC World Ongoing industrial slowdown in #China underlines need for further stimulus Nick Kounis added, *CNBC World* @CNBCWorld BREAKING: Flash China Caixin PMI falls to 47 in September, a 6-1/2-year low. http://cnb.cx/1iLhcqV *FRANCE 24* ‏@FRANCE24 1h 1 hour ago Impact ... more »

The U.S. has been backing Islamic militias and al Qaida-linked groups fighting the Syrian army with the so-far-unsuccessful intention of removing President Bashar al Assad from power. For some time now the U.S. has been both arming and attacking ISIS depending on whether or not Assad is weakend in the process. The U.S. goal has been to destroy Syrian cities and villages ourside of Assad's military reach, with the collateral result of jihadi forces murdering or displacing the inhabtents. Russia understands what is happening here and, together with Iran and and Hezbolla, is ready to intervene if the blood thirsty US-backed Islamic militias continue their murderous ways.

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 19 hours ago
------------------------------ Putin’s “Line in the Sand”: No “Regime Change” in Syria By Mike Whitney Region: Middle East & North Africa, Russia and FSU, USA Global Research, September 17, 2015 Theme: US NATO War Agenda CounterPunch In-depth Report: SYRIA: NATO'S NEXT WAR? *“Obama administration officials, who have been negotiating with Turkey for months, said Thursday that they had reached an agreement for manned and unmanned American warplanes ... more »

A New Tribe Of People Shall Come - A Hopi Prophecy

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 20 hours ago

The Gardasil Life In Maryland: My Daughter Is A Shadow Of Her Former Self by Alicia Davis Boone

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 20 hours ago
Autumn before the shotThe Gardasil Life: My daughter is a shadow of her former self by Alicia Davis Boone Bel Air, Maryland Sane Vax, Inc. 21 September 2015 Before Gardasil my daughter was an outgoing, super funny, confident, soccer athlete, practicing 3-4 hrs a day. She planned to play HS soccer and move on to college soccer. Autumn was a free spirit and so full of life. Her love for animals and passion to save the mistreated drove her to want to open her own animal shelter. She had dreams, goals and a plan. That is until she had the Gardasil vaccine. In January of 2010 sh... more »

The New Version Of The F-15 Now Has Twice As Many Missiles

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 20 hours ago
A conceptual rendering from Boeing of the F-15 C2040. Boeing *Popular Mechanics:* *Boeing Unveils a Version of the F-15 With Twice as Many Missiles* Double the trouble. The F-15 Eagle is America's most storied jet fighter. It has an unbeaten record in the air—104 kills and zero losses—unmatched by any other combat aircraft. It's also getting long in the tooth—the average age of the 254F-15s serving in the U.S. Air Force service is now 28 years old. That puts it a generation behind the latest planes, from the American F-22 Raptor to the Chinese J-20. The Air Force had planned to r... more »

The New Cold War Is Digital

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 20 hours ago
*Heather M. Roff, Slate:* *The New Cold War Is Going Digital* And that’s a problem, because deterrence doesn’t work when it comes to cyberattacks. Sometimes we forget about the 40-odd–year Cold War between the former Soviet Union and the West. We forget about the espionage, sabotage (on both sides), the covert and proxy wars, and even the overt arms race. Since 1991 a sort of public indifference to Russia’s antics has developed, despite its nuclear saber rattling, its annexation of Crimea, and its ongoing provocative posture. Sure, the United States and the European Union sanction... more »

Lockheed Martin Eager to See its LRASM On Board Royal Navy's Type 26 Frigates

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
[image: LRASM Anti-Ship Missile]DSEi 2015: During DSEI 2015 which took place in London from 15-18 September, Navy Recognition met with Frank St. John, vice president at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. We discussed Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) program update as well as the possibility to see Lockheed Martin's next generation anti-ship missile fitted one day on board the Royal Navy's future Type 26 Frigates. Navy Recognition learned that LRASM critical design review (CDR) is set to happen in seven months and that part of the CDR includes review of export policy. Fr... more »

US Air Force deploys F-15 Eagle fighters to Hungary

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
[image: F-15E Strike Eagle]The US Air Force (USAF) has deployed four F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft and support personnel to Kecskemet, Hungary, as part of the European theatre security package. Assigned to the 123rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, the four aircraft were forward deployed in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve to train and test their ability to operate out of Kecskemet Air Base. 123rd EFS F-15 pilot captain Aaron Lamont said: "Overall, establishing the relationship with us being here and being able to communicate with them and integrate our training together solidifie... more »

Russia Now Has 28 Fighter Aircraft in Syria, US Officials Say

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 20 hours ago
[image: al-Assad International Airport in Syria, Sept. 19, 2015]In a significant increase to its new military presence in Syria, Russia sent in 24 additional fighter aircraft this past weekend to the airfield in Latakia that U.S. officials say has become a Russian air operations hub in the war-torn country. Meanwhile, the troubled U.S. effort to to train moderate Syrian rebels to fight ISIS continues as a second group of 71 fighters has entered Syria. U.S. officials said that over the weekend Russia flew in 24 attack aircraft into Latakia, joining four fighter aircraft that arrived... more »

Sept. 21: Should I get off the Irving press and onto news analysis?

Graeme Decarie at The Decarie Report - 20 hours ago
Again, there is almost nothing to say about the Irving press. The front page headline “Gallant's lessons after year in office” has nothing in it. It's an interview with premier Gallant in which he drops pearls of wisdom like----like nothing. He says nothing at all except that being p.m. makes him humbled and he's doing his best and it's all for New Brunswick. This is a nothing headline on a nothing story. The reporter makes a few comments of his own, but does not seem to have pressed any questions. And the next, big front-;age story is that four objects in Centennial Park – a fight... more »

"The Long Con: Democracy And The Illusion Of Consent"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 21 hours ago
*"The Long Con: Democracy And The Illusion Of Consent"* by Eric Peters "Democracy is an incredibly successful long con. It works because of the illusion of consent. People actually believe they are “represented.” And so, they accept impositions that would otherwise be intolerable, if imposed on them by a king or a fuhrer or generalissimo. But when the “people” have decided… Except of course, they’ve done no such thing. It is all an illusion, a rhetorical sleight-of-hand that deftly hides the reality that it is not the “people” who decide anything but rather a small handful of indiv... more »

"The Lies That We Tell Ourselves..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 21 hours ago
“There are some things that we know are just not as pleasant as the lies that we tell ourselves, and in that sense in order to endure existence everyone endures a certain amount of dishonesty in their everyday lives.” - Todd Rundgren *“The 7 Lies We Tell Ourselves”* - http://www.oprah.com/

"Goal is end of Israel, but "you can't say that to the world" - Fatah official Abbas Zaki

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 21 hours ago
https://youtu.be/3ViFr3oIM4M They tell the truth in Arabic but not in English and the useful idiots & anti Semitic types in the West spread the lie still further for them.

Defense minister to discuss Sukhoi su-35 purchase immediately

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 21 hours ago
[image: Su-35 Flanker-E]Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said here on Monday he would meet with Russian representatives this month end to discuss the planned purchase of Sukhoi SU-35 aircraft. "We have not yet met (with the Russian representatives). It (the meeting) is planned at the end of this month," he said while speaking at the House Commission I meeting room. He said he had received direct instructions from President Joko Widodo about purchasing this fighter jet. Read more

U.S. Refuses to Transfer Key Tech for Fighter Jet Project

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 21 hours ago
[image: F-35A Lightning II]The U.S. has refused to transfer core technologies connected to the next-generation F-35 fighter jets to Korea, throwing plans to acquire 40 of them for the Air Force into disarray. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer, had agreed in negotiations in September last year to transfer the technologies to Korea. But U.S. government intervention means the entire project worth W20 trillion is up in the air (US$1=W1,177). According to data New Politics Alliance for Democracy lawmaker Ahn Gyu-baek obtained from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the milit... more »

ANALYSIS: BBC Pictures Show 53% Migrant Kids, Just 36% Men – Hugely Out Of Step With Official Stats

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 21 hours ago
Breitbart reports http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/09/21/analysis-bbc-pictures-show-53-migrant-kids-just-36-men-out-of-step-with-reality/ some interesting analysis of the BBC's reporting of the ongoing invasion of Western Europe: 'An analysis of photographs the BBC uses to illustrate Europe's migrant crisis has revealed the publicly funded organisation is using mostly pictures of children, despite the actual number of children making the trip being suspiciously low. The United Nations Refugee Agency reported last week there were 72 per cent men, 13 per cent women, and just 15... more »

India set to buy armed drones from Israel as Pakistan, China build fleets

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 21 hours ago
[image: Heron UAV]India has accelerated plans to buy drones from Israel that can be armed, defence sources said, allowing the military to carry out strikes overseas with less risk to personnel. The news comes weeks after long-time rival Pakistan first reported using a home-made drone in combat when it attacked militants on its soil, raising the prospect of a new front in the nuclear-armed neighbours’ standoff over Kashmir that has twice spilled into war. The plan to acquire Israeli Herons was first conceived three years ago, but in January the military wrote to the government asking... more »

Air Force to Boost KF-16s' Ability to Hit Long-range Targets

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 21 hours ago
[image: ROK KF-16 Fighting Falcon]Starting from next year, the South Korean Air Force will boost the ability of its KF-16 fighter jets to hit long-range targets. The Air Force revealed the plan on Tuesday in a report submitted to the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee for parliamentary inspection. To hit long-range targets, the Air Force will introduce Israeli-made bomb guidance kits known as "SPICE," an acronym for smart, precise impact and cost-effective. Read more

Russian Spy Plane Still Operational

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 21 hours ago
The Soviet-made M-55 Geophysica reconnaissance plane has often been compared to the infamous US Lockheed U-2 spy aircraft in terms of technical characteristics; it has undergone several makeovers and may soon be replaced with a drone, the Russian media reported. Although some experts have been quick to draw parallels between the Soviet-made M-55 Geophysica reconnaissance plane and the US Lockheed U-2 spy plane in terms of technical characteristics, others believe that it is irrelevant to compare the two aircraft. The M-55, codenamed "Mystic" by NATO, is a single-seat high altitude... more »

Israel Hermes 900 training nears completion

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 21 hours ago
[image: Hermes 900 ''Kochav'' UAV]The Israeli air force is close to completing the full integration of Elbit Systems' Hermes 900 ‘Kochav’ unmanned air vehicle (UAV), with the service having recently operated the type without support from the manufacturer's technical team. More of its personnel are set to be certified to operate the aircraft in the coming weeks. With a medium-altitude, long-endurance design, the Hermes 900 can perform persistent intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, and area-dominance missions while carrying multiple payloads weighing up... more »

Carrier USS Ronald Reagan Chops Into 7th Fleet

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 21 hours ago
[image: USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)]The Navy’s Japan-bound carrier — part of an elaborate three nuclear carrier swap — has entered the Western Pacific, the service announced over the weekend. Entering U.S. 7th Fleet, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is a step closer to assuming its new role as forward deployed U.S. carrier based out of Yokosuka, Japan — taking the place of USS George Washington (CVN-73). “Ronald Reagan’s forward deployment to 7th Fleet demonstrates the U.S. commitment to the region and our allies,” said Rear Adm. John Alexander, commander, Battle Force 7th Fleet, said in a... more »

Why Has China's President Been Going To Funerals Lately

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 21 hours ago
A woman takes pictures of wreaths sent by Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders to Zeng Yanxiu at Zeng's flat, in Beijing, March 10, 2015. *Linette Lopez, Business Insider:* *China's president has been going to funerals lately — it's a sign of trouble* Chinese President Xi Jinping has been attending a lot of funerals lately, and it's because he needs friends, badly. For months, Reuters reports, the president has been attending to the funerals of high-level, retired party officials from various factions of the Chinese government. All of them are members of the all-encompas... more »

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Circus XTREME Winner!

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 22 hours ago
We have a winner four the Circus Tickets! If you didn't win, never fear you can still get tickets below! We are so excited for the Circus this year! This time it features acts like: - Xtreme Sports display featuring BMX freestyle riders, energetic parkour performers, trampoline acrobats and slack line gymnastics tricks - Caravan of Camels – the only act of it’s kind in the world featuring 6 twin-humped Bactrian camels - Bungee Skydivers aerial acro-ballet - World’s youngest human cannonball Gemma “The Jet” Kirby has been shot from the cannon nearly 500 times -... more »

Navy Fighter Jet Crashes in California; Pilot Ejected Safely

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 22 hours ago
A Navy fighter jet crashed near a California military base Monday, but the pilot ejected and safely parachuted to the ground, authorities said. No one else was aboard the F/A-18 Super Hornet that crashed south of the Lemoore Naval Air Station shortly before 4 p.m. The pilot underwent medical evaluation, was found to be fine and was released, the base's commanding officer Capt. Monty Ashliman said at a news conference. Read more

Why Russia Is Expanding Its Syrian Naval Base

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 22 hours ago
The Russian military is expanding its tiny naval facility at Tartus on the Syrian coast to handle bigger warships and transport vessels amid a general buildup of Russian forces in territory controlled by Syrian President Bashar Assad, the Kommersant newspaper reported Monday, citing military sources. The news broke as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew with his military and intelligence chiefs to Moscow on Monday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss ways to prevent accidental clashes of Russian and Israeli forces operating in Syria. Russia in recent weeks ... more »

Norway highlights F-35 commitment as Russia boosts military activity

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 22 hours ago
[image: F-35C Lightning II]Top Norwegian officials on Monday underscored their commitment to buying up to 52 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets in coming years, saying the stealthy jet's capabilities provided an important counterweight to Russia's military buildup and increased military flights in the region. Norwegian Defense Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide told Reuters that Norway was concerned about what she called an "obvious projection of power" by Russia in the Baltic Sea region, where Russian military flights increased threefold from 2013 to 2014. Soereide, in Texas to see... more »

Russia's Northern Fleet Successfully Wraps Up Large-Scale Arctic Drills

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 22 hours ago
[image: Project 949A Antey (Oscar-II) class SSN]Russia’s Northern Fleet wrapped up large-scale exercises in the Arctic after successfully launching 12 sea- and ground-launched cruise missiles, the head of the fleet press service said Monday. "The Northern Fleet’s united strategic command forces were tasked with defending the Arctic shore and Russia’s island range, simulating various scenarios of existing and potential threats," Capt. 1st Rank Vadim Serga quoted the fleet’s commander, Adm. Vladimir Korolev, as saying. Serga listed the drills’ main objectives, including repelling airs... more »

Jakarta Looks to Moscow for Planned Submarine Purchase

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 22 hours ago
[image: Project 677 Lada-class SSK]Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu says the government will prioritize purchasing new submarines over fighters jets — and that it intends to buy them from Russia. “The president has ordered the new purchase. Rather than buying 10 secondhand units [of submarines], it is better to purchase five new ones instead,” Ryamizard said in Jakarta on Monday after a closed-door meeting with legislators. He added that Russian submarines would likely be chosen based on several considerations. Read more

Military Photo of the Day: September 22, 2015

Tom Sileo at The Stream - 22 hours ago
[image: Tanks in South Korea-900] U.S. Army soldiers conduct a training exercise with the South Korean military near Damteo Valley, South Korea, on Sept. 17, 2015. May God bless the courageous men and women of our military, especially those serving in faraway places. Everyone at The... more »

BBC on Central Europe's attitude to immigration

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 23 hours ago
Hours ago, Rob Cameron wrote an essay about our attitude to the migrants, Migrant crisis: Why Central Europe resists refugee quota on the BBC website. Every other sentence makes it clear that the text was written in a country suffocating in the political correctness. However, I do think that the text is fairer and fresher than most other Western texts written about the issue that I recently read. Those other texts just scream "those stinky underdeveloped Eastern Europeans are just evil Nazis" and things like that. *Visegrád meeting of top leaders, 1335* On the contrary Rob Camer... more »

The Dogs Of War Are Going High-Tech

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 23 hours ago
The Cerberus Digital Canine Transmitter (pictured) is named after the multi-headed hellhound that guards the underworld in Greek mythology. The camera system is fitted to the dog using a harness and can send images back to a handler hiding in safety, allowing them to scout for dangers that might lay ahead *Daily Mail:* *The CYBERDOGS of war: Canines could spy on the enemy using remote-controlled cameras mounted on their backs* * Cerberus Digital Canine Transmitter can be fitted onto a dog harness * The pop up camera allows the animal to squeeze through tight spaces * A handler see i... more »

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