Sunday, September 03, 2017

3 September - Blogs I'm Following 2 of 2

11:44 pm MDT

You will be happy to learn that there is no evidence that President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower. You will be less happy to learn that the DOJ actually investigated this.

Gryphen at The Immoral Minority - 13 hours ago
Courtesy of the Washington Examiner: *The Department of Justice has acknowledged in a court filing no evidence of any wiretaps on Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign, directly contradicting a claim President Trump made in March. * *The Justice Department filed a motion Friday evening acknowledging that it didn't have any evidence to back up the president's assertion. * *The motion was filed in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit from the transparency group American Oversight. It found that neither the National Security Division or the FBI had any records of wiretappi... more »

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping pledge to deal with North Korea

Adam Garrie at The Duran - 13 hours ago
China and Russia remain committed to peace. More The post Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping pledge to deal with North Korea appeared first on The Duran.

Poll (Before Today's North Korean Nuclear Test): Majority Do Not Trust President Trump To Make Wise Decisions About Nuclear Weapons

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*Newsweek:* *U.S. and Russia Agree: Nuclear Weapons Use Feared In the Hands Of Donald Trump* The majority of U.S. citizens do not trust President Donald Trump to make wise decisions about nuclear weapons, according to the latest poll by a leading research center. The Pew Research Center released Tuesday the results of a nationwide survey of people’s views toward Trump’s conduct and handling of his role as president, finding that 58 percent of respondents “don't like” the way the Republican leader has carried himself in office. The same percentage lack confidence in his ability to ... more »

Assessing The Destruction Of Mosul

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
Destruction in the Old City of Mosul. Most of its narrow streets are impassable, strewn with debris and destroyed vehicles. (Alice Martins for The Washington Post) *VOA:* *Returnees to Old Mosul Find Little Besides Rubble, Lingering Danger* MOSUL, IRAQ — “All you can hear at night is the sound of broken doors flapping in the wind,” says Abd Elaam, a 50-year-old furniture maker. “Even soldiers stay indoors after dark.” Elaam is currently one of the very few civilians living in Old Mosul, an ancient neighborhood shattered by the battle to recapture the city from Islamic State milita... more »

Leadership 2017 Candidate Rankings - September 3

Greg Fingas at Accidental Deliberations - 13 hours ago
The major development since last week has of course been the release of the NDP's national membership numbers. And as would have been expected, they lead to a change at the top - though it's worth putting their impact into perspective rather than taking every sign-up as an automatic vote. *1. Jagmeet Singh (2)* While Singh's claim to have signed up 47,000 members has given rise to some controversy, much of the issue seems to come from some confusion as to who's included in that number. In particular, it's highly likely that a substantial number of Singh's counted memberships consis... more »

How China Can Really Help on North Korea

Michael Auslin at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Michael Auslin* *Security, Asia* [image: China's President Xi Jinping attends a welcoming ceremony for Brazil's President Michel Temer at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing] If Xi Jinping is serious about helping curb North Korea he will join the Trump Administration in a new policy of deterrence and containment. China has condemned North Korea’s latest nuclear test, one Pyongyang claims was a hydrogen bomb and which may have exceeded by five or six times the size of its last detonation, in September 2016. Yet Beijing predictably followed its condemnation with a call to ret... more »

Manhattan Town Hall: Texas Disaster Must Serve as a Wake-up Call To America

Alicia at LaRouchePAC Feed - 13 hours ago
Video of xZrp34EXDrY LPAC organizer Brian Lantz from Houston, Texas is the special guest during this week's Manhattan Town Hall event.

Observations

LL at Virtual Mirage - 13 hours ago
*Stop Sex Slave Trafficking in the Middle East!* The brothers have their prayer rugs out and will face toward Mecca before paying to take turns. It's just another day in the Islamic World. *The Banana Peel Crisis* I will refer you to the Silicon Graybeard (LINK) for this one, but to break it down, students are in an uproar because somebody threw a banana peel into a tree. It is said to have something to do with Harambe, the gorilla that was threatening a small black child - but I'm not sure of the linkage. The mere sight of the discarded banana peel sent students scurrying to thei... more »

Texas Governor: Damage From Hurricane Harvey Will Be Between $150 billion to $180 Billion

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*Reuters:* *Texas governor estimates storm damage at $150 bln to $180 bln* *"There is furniture on the sidewalk that I'm still paying for"* HOUSTON, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Sunday said damage from Hurricane Harvey would exceed that of epic hurricanes Katrina or Sandy, likely reaching $150 billion to $180 billion. Harvey, which came ashore on Aug. 25 as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in 50 years, has killed an estimated 47 people and displaced more than 1 million after causing wreckage in an area stretching for more than 300 miles (480 kms). Abbo... more »

Is Russia Launching A Twitter Campaign Against NATO?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*Washington Free Beacon*: *Russian Twitter Bots Troll NATO* Report says automated tweets targeting alliance military activities in E. Europe traced to Moscow trolls. Seventy percent of Russian-language tweets targeting NATO military activities in Eastern Europe are generated by automated Russian trolls, according to a survey done by the military alliance. "Two in three Twitter users who write in Russian about the NATO presence in Eastern Europe are robotic or ‘bot' accounts," the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence stated in a report made public this week. The Rus... more »

US-Led Coalition Says Islamic State Convoy Splits Up In Eastern Syria

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*DW: **'Islamic State' convoy stranded in Syrian desert splits in two* Lebanon's Hezbollah said US-warplanes were preventing both the advance of a convoy of 'IS' fighters and their families, and humanitarian aid. The US-coalition refused to accept the terms of the deal made with Syria. An Islamic State (IS) evacuation convoy that was attempting to relocate IS fighters and their families to militant-controlled territory in eastern Syria has split in two, after being blocked in the desert by US-backed forces. Half the convoy is still idling in the desert but the other half appears t... more »

President Trump Must Stop the North Korea Nuclear Nightmare

Harry J. Kazianis at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Harry J. Kazianis* *Security, Asia* What will the President do? Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com North Korea’s hydrogen bomb test is a game changer. The trendlines are clear: Unless some sort of major action is taken, in relatively short order, Kim Jong Un will have a weaponized hydrogen bomb—the most powerful of all nuclear weapons—and the missiles to deliver them to all points in the continental United States. And once again, the world gets this terrible news from Kim’s now favorite delivery method—what amounts to a selfie with his new atomic menace and accompan... more »

Musings On Iraq In The News

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 14 hours ago
I contributed to this opinion piece "Is a Genuine Saudi-Iraqi Reconciliation in the Works?" for the Carnegie Middle East Center. I was mentioned in “Tal Afar’s problems won’t end after Islamic State” by Paul Iddon for Rudaw. I was cited in "Fracturing of the State: Recent Historical Events Contributing to the Proliferation of Local, Hybrid, and Sub-State Forces" by Andras Derzsi-Horvath with Erica Gaston for Global Public Policy Institute.

1,958 Killed and 1,261 Wounded In Iraq In August 2017

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 14 hours ago
While the number of security incidents was down from July to August 2017 the number of casualties went up due to several mass graves being discovered and the Battle of Tal Afar. There was a total of 357 incidents reported in Iraq in August 207. That was down from 477 in July, and marked another low in the country since the 2003 invasion. With fighting in Ninewa winding down Baghdad returned to the most violent province in the country with 98 incidents. That was followed by 90 in Ninewa, 47 in Diyala, 41 in Anbar, 28 in Kirkuk and Salahaddin each, 13 in Babil, 3 in Dhi Qar, 2 in B... more »

This Day In Iraqi History – Sep 3

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 14 hours ago
1958 Qasim govt gave amnesty to Kurdish rebels 1986 Iran started Op Karbala 2 attacking Fao Peninsula Built bridge across Shatt al-Arab Didn’t gain much 1996 2nd day of US cruise missile strikes on Iraq for Saddam helping KDP vs PUK and invading Irbil 1997 UK intel report said Iraq was still hiding parts of its biological weapons program 2002 Blair press conference said Saddam threat because of WMD that had to be dealt with 2003 1st post-Saddam Iraq cabinet sworn in with 17 new ministers 2003 US forces gave southern and central Iraq security to Multi-National Force u... more »

Sunday Morning Links

Greg Fingas at Accidental Deliberations - 14 hours ago
This and that for your Sunday reading. - George Lakey describes how Denmark has built the world's happiest society by building a political movement and an economic model centred around providing for everybody: Using the crisis as an opportunity, the Social Democrats secured the foundation of the Nordic model, the most successful economic national model yet invented for the common good. The Danish majority loved it, and the unions and family farmers retained political control of the country for the rest of the century. The model became so hegemonic that all the parties were forced t... more »

21 year old Palestinian dies after spending 3 weeks in a coma

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (5:28 P.M.) – A twenty-one year old Palestinian man has just died in hospital after being in a coma for 3 weeks. Raed al-Salhi was shot at point blank multiple times in the stomach last month at the entrance to Dahasha refugee camp (in Bethlehem). After he was shot he was transported to Hadassah […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Citations Needed, Episode 07: BDS & The Moral Narratives of Colonization

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 14 hours ago
In Episode 7 of Citations Needed, we explore how the media discusses the issue of BDS and the broader topic of Palestinian liberation. What are the stakes? Who are the smear artists? What are the similarities with past apartheid boycotts? We discusses these topics and more using a pro-apartheid 1989 Christian Science Monitor op-ed as our guide. The Guest Steven Salaita previously held

Citations Needed, News Brief: Charlottesville, The ACLU, and the Moral Limits of 'Free Speech'

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 14 hours ago
In a new Citations Needed News Brief, Adam and I discuss Charlottesville, the ACLU, and the moral limits of 'free speech' with George Ciccariello-Maher, Associate Professor of Politics and Global Studies at Drexel University. *****

Contest to replace Theresa May heats up

Jane Burgermeister at Eugenics and pandemics - 14 hours ago
He looks moth eaten like George Orwell, but Jacob Rees Mogg could be the next leader of the Conservative party as it becomes increasingly clear that Theresa May is either incompetent or deliberately sabotaging Brexit. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4848070/Claims-25-Tory-MPs-want-out.html His rival is eugenicist Globalist Boris Johnson, definitely not a good idea for PM for the UK. After coming frequently […]

The real culprits in the Kremlin coup are Mueller, Mattis and Comey, refuse to hold an inquiry to address systematic failures and threats to save their careers

Jane Burgermeister at Eugenics and pandemics - 14 hours ago
The Russian editor Christina Fadeeva told me that the Russians understand my “dangerous and useful” work in an email in June 2016, promising me reimbursment for my work. Unfortunately, my work turned out to be useful for them in the sense that they were able to find out just how useless the Pentagon and FBI […]

Unknown Biological Activity: Olavarría, Land of the Humanoids

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 14 hours ago
*Unknown Biological Activity: Olavarría - Land of the Humanoids* *By Luis Burgos (FAO-ICOU) 20 July 2017* Translated by Scott Corrales, IHU *INTRODUCTION* Olavarría is a prosperous cement producing town located in the central region of the Province of Buenos Aires, having a population of over 115,000. This community has been linked with UFOS since the brith of the phenomenon. It just so happened that only a few days after the first ever UFO sighting in Argentina - an event that took palce on 10 July 1947 in La Plata, there was already a new saucer report udnerway at Estación ROcha.... more »

David Ignatius Sells the Occupation of Syria As The Right Thing to Do

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 15 hours ago
This is David Ignatius after all, so we have to expect perception management to be conducted at extraordinary levels. That’s what Ignatius does best. *“Keep GI’s in Syria post ISIS”* *Get serious man!** He’s talking occupation and this desired occupation has already been made loud and clear.* *But wait just a minute!! * *It occurred to me that while Mr Ignatius is pushing the unlawful occupation of Syrian territory, the vast majority of Americans (and Canadians) are completely unaware of the mass invasion, and annexation of Syrian territory, that the Americans engaged in with the... more »

What’s Wrong With The Robot Tax?

ActivistPost at Activist Post - 15 hours ago
By Vin Armani In this video, Vin Armani talks about the approaching agenda of taxing robots as if they’re the same as labor because they... more »

Chinese President Xi promotes ‘BRICS Plus’ in keynote address (FULL VIDEO)

Adam Garrie at The Duran - 15 hours ago
Xi Jinping promotes an idea of a far-reaching BRICS that looks beyond existing member states. More The post Chinese President Xi promotes ‘BRICS Plus’ in keynote address (FULL VIDEO) appeared first on The Duran.

Al-Shabab Attacks Major Somalia Army Base

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
Al-Shabab claimed responsibility and said 26 soldiers had been killed [File: Hamza Mohamed/Al Jazeera] *Reuters*: *Al Shabaab attacks military base near Somalia's Kismayu - military* NAIROBI (Reuters) - Al Shabaab militants attacked a military base near Somalia’s southern port city of Kismayu early on Sunday, a Somali army officer said, adding that he did not immediately have details of any casualties. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack and said 26 Somali soldiers had been killed in the incident, but that could not be confirmed by other sources. “We understand al S... more »

Nobel Prize winners name Donald Trump as one of the top threats in the world.

Gryphen at The Immoral Minority - 15 hours ago
Courtesy of Common Dreams: *Along with nuclear war and climate change, President Donald Trump has made the list of what Nobel Laureates consider to be major risks to the world population. * *In a survey of 50 Nobel Prize winners in the sciences, medicine, and economics, more than a third of the respondents said damage to the environment brought about by issues like over-population and climate change, was the biggest threat to mankind. Twenty-three percent said nuclear war was their top concern, while six percent said theirs was "the ignorance of political leaders"—with two of th... more »

“Thoughts That Win”; "Afformations: Change Your Life!"

noreply@blogger.com (Coyote Prime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
*“Thoughts That Win”* by Medical Express “Back in high school, on the soccer field, poised to take a crucial penalty kick, "I always had a lot of thoughts going on in my head; I think most people do" says sports psychologist Antonis Hatzigeorgiadis. "I was setting the ball and planning my shot; I was the captain and never missed those types of shots; then I had that thought striking me that it was not going to be good. I knew I was going to miss," he recalls, "and I did miss." Even then, he could see that his mind had a big effect on his body. From these unhappy experiences evolved... more »

The Universe

noreply@blogger.com (Coyote Prime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
“You don't have to take everything so seriously. Life isn't black and white, answers aren't always yes or no, and absolutely nothing has to happen today. Act when you're ready. Be led by your feelings. And the next time someone wants to fit you into a mold, just tell 'em that your jeans are in the wash, your angels are at the mall, and Oprah's on the other line. You're a spiritual being on an eternal quest in a love-adventure you get to design. Do it your way.” “Fuzzy as dice”, The Universe “Thoughts become things... choose the good ones!” - www.tut.com

The Utah Nurse is Not Alone — Police Have a History of Abusing Professionals Rendering Aid

Rachel Blevins at The Free Thought Project - 15 hours ago
The Body Cam footage of a nurse being violent arrested for doing her job and refusing to break the law may be shocking, but it's not uncommon.

Look At The Connections

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 15 hours ago
For the moment, Hurricane Harvey has taken the focus off Donald's Trump's connections with Russia. Ruth Marcus writes that it's important to keep your eyes on Trump's Russian business partners: While he ran for president, Trump was simultaneously — and secretly — pursuing financial opportunities with a foreign adversary. Not just any adversary, but Russia, a country described by his party’s previous presidential nominee as the United States’ “No. 1 geopolitical foe.” And not just pursuing financial opportunities in Russia, but actively seeking the help of at least one senior Russi... more »

Editor's Note On North Korea's Nuclear Test

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
A complete news roundup and updates on North Korea's nuclear test will be posted at 13:00 EST.

Iran Issues Warning That They Will Shoot Down U.S. Reconnaisance Aircraft/Drones Over Their Airspace

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
*Tasnim News Agency:* *Iran Shoos Away US RQ-4 Global Hawk Drone* TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Air Defense detected a US Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk drone last week and gave it a warning to stay away from the country’s airspace, a top commander said. Speaking at a televised program on Saturday night, Iran’s Air Defense Commander Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili said the American RQ-4 drone was given a warning on August 26. Iran will never allow such hostile planes to approach its airspace and would not hesitate to bring them down if necessary, he added. Highlighting the country’s pr... more »

President Obama's Letter To President Trump On Inauguration Day

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
*CNN:* *Exclusive: Read the Inauguration Day letter Obama left for Trump* (CNN)During his final moments in the Oval Office, President Barack Obama folded into thirds a handwritten letter to Donald Trump, slid it into an envelope, and in neat capital letters addressed it to "Mr. President." Now, the contents of that letter -- the last direct communication between the 44th and 45th presidents -- have emerged for the first time after CNN obtained a copy. *Read more* .... *WNU Editor*: A polite letter. Nothing special.

Untitled

Jenna Orkin at From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog - 16 hours ago
From Jenna Orkin EPA hasn’t inspected flooded Houston-area Superfund sites: report Heckuvajob Brownie finally vindicated as no longer the most infamous agency head since, well, Christie Todd Whitman. Texans face a 'triple threat' from insects, mold, and bacteria in Harvey's wake Hurricane Harvey put as much as $55 billion worth of Houston's commercial real estate underwater One Houston gun shop owner says bullets are selling like crazy after Hurricane Harvey Largest wildfire in Los Angeles history forces hundreds to evacuate Pension Ponzi Exposed: Minnesota Underfunding Triples A... more »

Destroying Confederate Monuments Hurts Us All—and Accomplishes Nothing

Cheryl Benard at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Cheryl Benard* *Politics, North America* [image: Workers remove a statue of Robert E. Lee from the south mall of the University of Texas in Austin] Eternally vilifying the losers of some past conflict leads to eternal division. As president of a cultural heritage organization, I feel obligated to weigh in on the current controversy over Confederate monuments. The semi-hysterical push to remove them is, I strongly believe, a mistake, a dangerous precedent, and an exercise in ignorance. Mobs pull statues down. ISIS destroys monuments. Fanatics rewrite history to edit out the bits ... more »

How a Rocket Explosion Nearly Consumed a Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier

Sebastien Roblin at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *History, Asia* It was a disaster. A series of collisions involving U.S. Navy destroyers in 2016 and 2017—including two incidents this summer that left sixteen sailors dead—have raised questions as to why the maritime fighting branch appears to be suffering the same accident again and again. However, it can take time for organizations to learn from mistakes and implement solutions to deal with them. This fact was illustrated when it took no less than three catastrophic fires on U.S. aircraft carriers between 1966 and 1969 that killed more than 200 sailors befo... more »

87-Year-Old Grandma Sentenced to Prison For Saying Auschwitz was Just a Labor Camp

Jay Syrmopoulos at The Free Thought Project - 16 hours ago
Political dissidents in Germany are feeling the wrath of "free speech" laws that apply only when the government approves of their speech.

EXCLUSIVE: Cops Caught on Video Blocking Road, Creating Traffic Jam—To Get Starbucks

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 16 hours ago
[image: blue]NYPD cops were caught on video flexing blue privilege, parking in the middle of the road, creating a massive traffic jam—to get coffee.

Cops Kill Deaf Electrical Engineer, Detain the Only Witness and Delete His Video

Jack Burns at The Free Thought Project - 16 hours ago
Police claim a deaf man was shot and killed after he opened fire on an officer—but they destroyed the video taken by a witness who says they are lying.

Study Finds Disturbing Spike in Birth Defects in US Women Living Near Industrial Agriculture

Justin Gardner at The Free Thought Project - 16 hours ago
Chemical agriculture companies have long been able to keep the toxicity of their products "secret" thanks to the EPA, but their devastating effects on human health are being exposed.

dreams - tourists - very tall chinese

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 16 hours ago
*kinda like this guy but bigger brow ridges...* I hate dreams. I really do. Well, when I say 'hate', of course, I mean LOVE. Dreams are great; the rearrangement of the events of the day, a way for the human brain to compress immense amounts of data into accessible long-term memories, actual visitations to places around the universe. Now, many of you may disagree with the latter of the three options I've just cited but check out this shit from last night's snoozy-time. Tourists: sure, but they were too tall. Nine feet tall. Not blonde. Not Nordics. They all had Chinese-looking and/o... more »

I Doubt Bernie Primary Voters Who Backed Trump (12%) Will Vote For Status Quo Democrats

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
After the Wasserman Schultz primaries and the post-Wasserman Schultz convention most Bernie supporters I know did exactly what Bernie urged them to do-- they voted for Hillary Clinton. And the ones I know who didn't, voted for Jill Stein. Polling bears my observation out on the first fact-- close to 80% of Bernie supporters cast their ballots for Hillary in the general. But 12% of Bernie voters got the idea that they would rather vote for Trump-- who was spouting "change"-- than vote for the status quo (or incrementalist) candidate. And, according to University of Massachusetts p... more »

Untitled

jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 16 hours ago
*Is your child ready for kindergarten?* *The rules should allow flexibility about this. A smart kid should definitely NOT be held back but it may beneficial for a slower kid. Smart kids in higher grades are normally found to cope well, both academically and socially -- and it gives them an extra year in the workforce* Both of my children have summer birthdays. Months before my oldest, Max, approached kindergarten, the questions from friends and family started. Everyone wondered if my husband and I were going to send him to kindergarten on schedule or hold him out until the fo... more »

More Coffee, Less Government

Anoop Verma at The Verma Report - 17 hours ago

Untitled

JR at GREENIE WATCH - 17 hours ago
*Ship of Fools IV: Another Green Arctic Expedition Scuppered by Ice* A sailing expedition to the North Pole to raise awareness of global warming has been forced to turn back, 590 nautical miles short of its destination, after the yachts found their passage blocked by large quantities of an unexpected frozen white substance. According to Arctic Mission’s website: "A meeting of the four skippers was held led by Erik de Jong, with Pen Hadow present, and it was agreed further northward progress would increase considerably the risks to the expedition, with very limited scientific rewar... more »

Déjà vu

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 17 hours ago
The table where Mark Mardell will be dining today? Good grief, Mark Mardell's back at the Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como again! He's become quite the regular there over the past year or so. (Not that I'm envious, but I've always wanted to holiday at Lake Como and would love it if my work would send me there a couple of times a year like MM. No chance of that though.) Mark was there to hobnob with the European elite, listen to M. Barnier and report their views. Unusually, we also heard from a Eurosceptic too - one Geert Wilders. There was a fascinating interview with Niall... more »

"And Sometimes..."

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

Iran and Saudi Arabia could teach the US about respecting diplomatic property

Adam Garrie at The Duran - 17 hours ago
Iran and Saudi Arabia have non-exist ant relations but they still respect the Vienna Conventions. More The post Iran and Saudi Arabia could teach the US about respecting diplomatic property appeared first on The Duran.

A dangerous precedent being set by US actions against Russia

Adam Garrie at The Duran - 17 hours ago
Russia concurs with Julian Assange's statement on the matter. More The post A dangerous precedent being set by US actions against Russia appeared first on The Duran.

The Korea issue is now in the hands of the BRICS

Adam Garrie at The Duran - 17 hours ago
Whether by design or coincidence, the proximate timing of North Korea's nuclear test and the BRICS summit is extremely relevant. More The post The Korea issue is now in the hands of the BRICS appeared first on The Duran.

September 3, 2017 National Day of Prayer...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 17 hours ago
*do not discount the power of prayer.* President Donald J. Trump Proclaims September 3, 2017, as a National Day of Prayer for the Victims of Hurricane Harvey and for our National Response and Recovery Efforts NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE VICTIMS OF HURRICANE HARVEY AND FOR OUR NATIONAL RESPONSE AND RECOVERY EFFORTS - - - - - - - BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION Hurricane Harvey first made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Rockport, Texas, on the evening of August 25, 2017. The storm has since devastated communities in both Texas and Louisiana, clai... more »

Online advertising makes the spreading of fake news as easy as tying your shoes.

Gryphen at The Immoral Minority - 17 hours ago
Courtesy of Bloomberg: *The intentional spreading of false stories has been credited with swaying such monumental events as last year's Brexit vote and U.S. presidential election. Tech firms such as Alphabet Inc. unit Google and Facebook Inc. have been trying to find ways to weed it out, or at least help users spot it. Some say we need to start earlier, educating children on how to think critically. * *But understanding the unique epidemiology of fake news may be no less important. Unlike a typical virus, purveyors of falsehood don't have to infect people at random. Thanks to the... more »

Fallacy

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 18 hours ago
Lord Adonis is writing to Lord Hall, following a series of 'pro-Brexit' tweets by Andrew Neil: And who's in his sights after that? The would-be *Today* complaint is classic 'complaints from both sides' territory. Of course, *Today *is far from being pro-Brexit, and that's why this is such a classic instance of the fallacy of the 'complaints from both sides' argument. Lord Adonis is talking nonsense about *Today*. The evidence runs in completely the opposite direction. His complaint, therefore, has no credibility because it has no substance behind it. The complaints from the l... more »

Conservatives at Sea…

Tim Montgomerie at Blog Posts – Page Array – UnHerd - 18 hours ago
The post Conservatives at Sea… appeared first on UnHerd.

What I did last night

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 18 hours ago
Lady Gaga performed at Fenway Park yesterday (and the day before). Apparently, she is the first woman ever to headline an event at Fenway. It was a great concert. Good people watching before the concert started. Ran into a few former ec 10 students.

BREAKING: Elite Syrian forces just 18 km away from Deir Ezzor city

BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:50 P.M.) – The elite Tiger Forces of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), driving towards Deir Ezzor, have come to within less than twenty kilometers of the besieged city after another major advance in the past 12 hours. Today, the Tiger Forces, striking southeast of their positions on Bishri mountain chain, secured a […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

ISIS retakes key camp near Marawi: 50 Philippine soldiers killed

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (0:10 P.M.) – Another jihadist group based on the predominately Muslim Mindanao island has joined the insurgency against the Philippine Army after capturing a long-contested military installation at the town of Datu Salibo. According to an official police report, the ISIS-linked ‘Jamaatu Al-Muhajireen Wal Ansar’ retook their training camp in the aforementioned town […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

PKK militants take out 28 Turkish Army troops – full report

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (10:45 A.M.) – Over the past week, 28 members of the Turkish Armed Forces were killed-in-action amid counter-insurgency efforts across the country. According to an official statement by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), most of the casualties were inflicted by Kurdish fighters in Hakkari province. 15 soldiers were reportedly killed overnight on August […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Of Snakes and Lambs

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 19 hours ago
Not the same Larry Lamb You learn something new every day. *Yesterday *I learned that we *don't* have a new type of snake in the UK, bringing the total number of species to four, despite the BBC reporting that we* do *early last month. So, after the BBC website corrected itself yesterday, it turns out that we're back to just having three species of snake here in Britain. The full background is here, and very interesting it is too if you're into grass snake taxonomy. (And who isn't?). It's also interesting if you're into corrections of "rather muddled reports in the British media".... more »

Labor of Love

Age of Autism at AGE OF AUTISM - 19 hours ago
By Cathy Jameson Ronan’s brother and sisters started school last week. With all of the siblings back at school, it’s gotten a lot quieter in the house. They’re up and out earlier and don’t return for hours and hours. Ronan’s...

Turns out the white guy who discharged his weapon at black people in Charlottesville is an Imperial Wizard of the KKK. Go figure.

Gryphen at The Immoral Minority - 19 hours ago
Here's the video—racist pulls gun and fires on black protester, cops did nothing pic.twitter.com/lE2PcGKJRw — Matt Bors (@MattBors) August 26, 2017 Remember this guy? Well as it turns out he is not just some run of the mill racist with a gun. Courtesy of the Southern Poverty Law Center: *A man arrested for firing a pistol at counterprotesters during the “United the Right” rally in Virginia earlier this month has been identified as the Imperial Wizard of the Confederate White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. * *Richard Preston, 52, was arrested after a video, filmed by the ACLU of Vir... more »

BREAKING: North Korea successfully tests hydrogen-bomb

Adam Garrie at The Duran - 19 hours ago
The move has been widely condemned, including by China. More The post BREAKING: North Korea successfully tests hydrogen-bomb appeared first on The Duran.

Unintended Consequences (mini-Sermonette)

LL at Virtual Mirage - 20 hours ago
There are all sorts of unintended consequences both in life and in the affairs of nations. It's always what you don't see coming that smacks you in the back of the head isn't it? Will *Virgin Atlantic* (airlines) survive? Its long haul routes and its "upper class" service were touted. However, the airplanes are getting old and dated. When I flew back from Heathrow to SFO, the crew was fun, but the ride was C+ in *upper class*. The aircraft was half-full. The food was not up to McDonald's (famous Scottish food) standards. Intentions being what they are, is Virgin Atlantic the victim... more »

Is The U.S. Air Force's New KC-45 Tanker Planes Damaging Stealth Aircraft

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 21 hours ago
Boeing *Bloomberg:* *Scrapes of Planes by Boeing Fuel Tankers* * Air Force concerned paint scraping may damage stealth coatings * Delivery of the $44.5 billion program was already delayed The U.S. Air Force is investigating multiple instances of scrapes on aircraft caused during mid-air refueling performed by Boeing Co.’s new KC-46 tanker. So far, the damage caused by the fuel probe that connects the tanker with other aircraft has been minor, according to a service statement and program documents. But it’s worrying enough that the Air Force issued a top-level “Category One” defici... more »

Andrew Norfolk's next investigation?

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 21 hours ago
This morning's *Sunday *on Radio 4 shows that some parts of the BBC have abandoned any pretence of impartiality over the Tower Hamlets fostering controversy. This was the most one-sided piece of reporting I've heard for quite some time. It started from the premise that the* Times*'s reporting left a lot to be desired and included a range of voices all saying the same thing. The messages from Kevin Bocquet's report were: that the *Times*'s reporting was disappointing; that placing Christian children in the care of Muslim families raises no problems; that there are wonderful Musl... more »

Exit strategies Part II: Surprising aspects of the 25th Amendment

Ethical Technology - 21 hours ago
Is there an exit strategy, in case the crazy gets even worse? Given the rapidity of events, I decided to offer a second weekend posting with some urgent perspectives. https://ieet.org/images/Screen_Shot_2017-08-26_at_10.58_.34_AM_.png

Buying and selling maids online per BBC News

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 22 hours ago
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-41125459 Guess what sort of people in what countries are doing this? Not too tricky was it?

The U.S. Navy Will Have New Uniforms In October

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 22 hours ago
Sailors have the option of wearing either the blue- or green-camouflage uniforms, but will be required to own the new clothing by Oct. 1, 2019, when the blue uniform will no longer be authorized. (U.S. Navy/Blake Midnight) *Task & Purpose*: *The Navy’s Replacement For ‘Blueberry’ Working Uniforms Is Coming This Fall * After years of forcing aquaflage on sailors, the Navy announced on Aug. 17 that it will begin fielding its new working uniform — Navy Working Uniform Type III — in October 2017. The roll-out of the tough-looking uniform will take roughly two years, but sailors will ... more »

Midnight Meme Of The Day

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 22 hours ago
*-by Noah* Happy Labor Day Weekend to all *DWT* readers. The American Labor Movement has given us, among other things, a 40 hour work week, a minimum wage, lunch breaks, pay for working overtime, paid vacations, the weekend, safety regulations... all things that Americans died for on picket lines and battlefields, and all things that Republicans hate and continue to fight against. The labor movement has built America, built the middle class, and helped win wars. There is still much to be done. Medievalist enemies of the American labor movement such as Trump, McConnell, Ryan, their... more »

Of Shoes and Shirts

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 22 hours ago
Two Kates Stephen Daisley's *Spectator* piece on the hypocrisy of some feminist journalists over Melania Trump is well worth a read. It begins: Stephen cites a number of spiteful American examples, but if you want to see some first-class British journalistic sneering and tut-tutting at Melania then just take a look at last Tuesday's *The Papers *on the BBC News Channel (from five minutes in) where a couple of media Kates can be seen sniping away at the First Lady over her choice of shoes with not-so-merry abandon. And the BBC presenter, Clive Myrie, joined in the sneering too. (... more »

"Category 6"

noreply@blogger.com (Coyote Prime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 22 hours ago
*Click image for larger size.* *"Category 6"* "Breaking news and deep dives on weather, climate, and air quality." by Weather Underground There's a very interesting, and informed, Comments section below the main article. Refresh the page often for latest comments regarding Hurricane Irma. - https://www.wunderground.com/ ○ *Related:* "Just got off the phone with a Climate Specialist (Doctor) who told me, and I quote: “For what it’s worth, one of our models shows possibility of sustained wind speed surpassing 215 mph, which would actually make Irma a Cat-7 using current guidelines. We ar... more »

Video footage of the Syrian Army liberating a strategic mountain chain en route to Deir Ezzor

BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:40 A.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) scored an imperative advance in the Deir Ezzor countryside, Saturday, liberating a strategic mountain chain that close to the provincial capital. Led by the Tiger Forces and 5th Legion, the Syrian Arab Army liberated the imperative Al-Bishiri Mountain Chain on Saturday morning, paving the way […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Final showdown against ISIL set in Deir Ezzor: map

BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:05 A.M.) – The mother of all battles against Islamic State (ISIL) is approaching, as several units from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Hashd Al-Sha’abi (Iraqi paramilitary) advance on the terrorist group’s Levantine capital in the Deir Ezzor Governorate. With help from the Russian Air Force, the Syrian Arab Army and their […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Syria: Russian Aerospace Forces continue airstrikes on IS targets in Deir ez-Zor

BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:20 A.M.) – Russian Aerospace Forces continue to aid Syrian government troops by launching airstrikes on self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS, ISIL) targets in Deir ez-Zor on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Defence of Russia, with the aim of liberating the city from IS control. As a result of the Russian aviation […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

At least 39 people have died during this year’s Hajj

At least 39 people have died since the beginning of this year’s Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, local media reported Saturday. Most of the victims, a total of 16, came to Mecca from Egypt and Algeria, the Okaz newspaper reported, citing the Saudi General Authority for Statistics. All of the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Hezbollah: US-Led Coalition still blocking ISIL convoy heading to Deir Ezzor

Hezbollah says that US-led coalition is still blocking and threatening to bomb a convoy of ISIL militants and their families being evacuated into Syria’s Deir Ezzor. In a statement released by the party’s Media Relations Office, Hezbollah said: “Up to this moment, US-led warplanes are still blocking buses carrying ISIL militants and their families, who […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Picture Of The Day

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 22 hours ago
People entering the Culture Palace, Pyongyang. © Sputnik/ Iliya Pitalev *WNU Editor:* The above picture is from this photo-gallery .... *Far Eastern Enigma: Sights and People of the North Korean Capita*l (Sputnik).

U.S. Air Force's Secretive X-37B Space Plane To Be Launched For The 5th Time On September 7

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 23 hours ago
In a testing procedure, the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle taxis on the flightline at Vandenberg AFB. Photo: U.s Air Force. *Inverse:* *SpaceX Prepares for Another Military Mission on September 7* SpaceX successfully ran a test-fire for a Falcon 9 rocket Thursday from Launchpad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in preparation for a September 7 mission to launch an American military X-37B mini-shuttle into low-Earth orbit. After delivering its payload, SpaceX will attempt to land the same Falcon 9 first stage booster back on solid ground at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Air For... more »

Caring about math of equations and math of solutions

LuboÅ¡ Motl at The Reference Frame - 23 hours ago
A reader of the Tetragraviton blog named nueww highlighted an interesting footnote on page 126 of Polchinski's memories (arXiv): Morrison came to UCSB from Duke about ten years ago, with a joint position in math and physics. He plays a unique role in tying these subjects together. He and I have an ongoing friendly dispute about whether I know much math (I claim not). I think that the difference goes back to Susskind’s distinction between the mathematics of the equations and the mathematics of the solutions, where I care only about the former. David Morrison is a very smart string th... more »

Tweet For Today

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 23 hours ago
A picture worth a thousand words... #HurricaneHarvey pic.twitter.com/ZM3Yi441FC — Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) September 1, 2017

Climate Alarmists Go Hysterical as Their Theory Melts Down

Geoff Brown at The Australian Climate Sceptics Blog - 23 hours ago
Cartoons by JoshWilliam J Jasper, writing for The New American: Climate Alarmists Go Hysterical as Their Theory Melts Down *From the print edition of* The New American*:* The year 2016 turned out to be disastrous for the global-warming Doomsday Lobby. This year is shaping up as one that will deliver an even bigger setback — politically, scientifically, economically, and socially — to the forces of climate alarmism. The big political blow last year came, of course, with the election of Donald Trump. His announcement earlier this year of his decision to pull the United States out of t... more »

ExxonMobil Beaumont Flooding; Flaring; Offsite Oil Spill

miningawareness at Mining Awareness + - 1 day ago
Regular Google Streetview ExxonMobil Beaumont flaring on Sept. 1, 2017 https://storms.ngs.noaa.gov/storms/harvey/index.html ExxonMobil Beaumont clearly flaring and what looks like flooding … Continue reading →

John McCain flies to Italy to bad mouth President Trump

Alex Christoforou at The Duran - 1 day ago
US Senator John McCain trashed Trump in Italy during an International Forum. More The post John McCain flies to Italy to bad mouth President Trump appeared first on The Duran.

Was Barack Obama the man behind James Comey’s fix to let Hillary Clinton off the hook?

Alex Christoforou at The Duran - 1 day ago
Obama influenced Comey's decision to exonerate Hillary Clinton. More The post Was Barack Obama the man behind James Comey’s fix to let Hillary Clinton off the hook? appeared first on The Duran.

Russia Protests The Searches Of Its Diplomatic Properties By FBI Agents

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*RT*:* Searches begin at shut Russian diplomatic properties in US (VIDEO) * The FBI has started searches at the Russian diplomatic compounds in the US, Russia's Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova said on Facebook, promising that diplomats would be posting photo and video evidence of what she called a “travesty of justice.” The first such posts, from the shut San Francisco consulate, have appeared on the Russian foreign ministry's official Facebook page. *Read more* .... *WNU Editor*: From what I am reading and hearing .... this U.S. action has taken a lot of people b... more »

BREAKING NEWS: North Korea Has Conducted A Nuclear Test

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
#BREAKING USGS records 6.3-magnitude "explosion" 24 kilometres (15 miles) east northeast of Sungjibaegam in North Korea — AFP news agency (@AFP) September 3, 2017 Tremor detected in North Korea https://t.co/b9LB30zxPv — BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 3, 2017 North Korea may have conducted sixth nuclear test: Yonhap https://t.co/kQecX4Oxkh pic.twitter.com/DHB2hSCDJK — Reuters Top News (@Reuters) September 3, 2017 North Korea Tremor Suggests Nation Has Conducted 6th Nuclear Test https://t.co/WDIoHUjPh2 — The New York Times (@nytimes) September 3, 2017 *WNU Editor:* AFP i... more »

China Gets Ready For The Communist Party Congress That Is To Start On Oct. 18

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
AFP Photo/GOH CHAI HIN *Reuters:* *Xi's power on parade as China party congress looms* BEIJING (Reuters) - The recent scene at a dusty Inner Mongolia military base provided evidence of Chinese President Xi Jinping's consolidation of political power, even as he faces pushback from some quarters in his ruling Communist Party ahead of a critical gathering next month. Dressed in army fatigues, Xi reviewed a military parade on July 30 marking the 90th founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Breaking with precedent at such events, Xi – who is head of the party and th... more »

Antifa Madness

Yastreblyansky at No More Mister Nice Blog - 1 day ago
There's something wrong with this Politico story by Josh Meyer that is getting huge play in the rightwing outlets with the claim that the so-called antifa is now officially regarded as practitioners of "domestic terrorist violence": Federal authorities have been warning state and local officials since early 2016 that leftist extremists known as “antifa” had become increasingly confrontational and dangerous, so much so that the Department of Homeland Security formally classified their activities as “domestic terrorist violence,” according to interviews and confidential law enforce... more »

Time For Paper Ballots-- So The Kremlin Can’t Steal The Next Election The Way They Stole 2016 For Trump. (Oh, You Didn’t Hear?)

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
Naive people-- *really* naive people-- have believed an American establishment desperate to pretend that the Kremlin didn’t steal the election for Trump. I’ve always thought they were fools and that Putin certainly stole the election for Trump, while Obama sat by with his dick in his hand. And then participated in a massive coverup to make Americans think their voting system was just fine and that all Putin did was hack the criminally-minded Debbie Wassermann Schultz-- she desreved it and worse, right?-- and release some silly e-mails and get some Albanian and Macedonian kids to ... more »

China Will Keep The Peace On The Korean Peninsula Whether Anyone Likes It Or Not

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
North Korean soldiers stand guard behind the national flags of China, front, and North Korea on a boat anchored along the banks of the Yalu River, near the North Korean town of Sinuiju, opposite the Chinese border city of Dandong, on June 10, 2013. Photo: Reuters/Jacky Chen *Adam Mount, The Atlantic:* *How China Sees North Korea* *“China is prepared to keep the peace on the Korean peninsula—whether the White House likes it or not.”* As President Donald Trump trades threats with North Korea, China is staying idle. Through assertive military exercises and statements, Beijing has wa... more »

Syrian Army unleashes vicious assault in east Damascus

BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:10 A.M.) – For the third night in a row, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) launched a powerful missile assault in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, targeting the positions of Faylaq Al-Rahman and Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham. Using surface-to-surface missiles, the Syrian Arab Army’s 42nd Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Division launched a vicious […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Number of civilians killed in anti-Daesh strikes increases to 685

According to Operation Inherent Resolve, US-led coalition fighting the Daesh terror group identified 61 new unintentional civilian casualties in strikes conducted against the terrorists. The US-led coalition fighting the Daesh terror group (banned in Russia) identified 61 new unintentional civilian casualties in strikes conducted against the terrorists that has brought the total number of civilians […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Syrian Army seizes new areas along the Jordanian border

BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:45 A.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), alongside the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), seized new points along the Jordanian border, Saturday, inching their way closer to the strategic Tanf Base in southeast Homs. Led by elements of the 5th Legion, the Syrian Arab Army and their allies attacked garrisons 169 and […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Houthi missile strike kills scores of Sudanese, Saudi soldiers

BEIRUT, LEBANON (8:00 P.M.) – The Houthi forces launched a ballistic missile towards Saudi Arabia’s Jizan Region, Saturday, inflicting heavy losses on the Sudanese and Saudi armed forces. According to Houthi media, their forces launched a Qahir-2 ballistic missile at a Sudanese Army garrison in the Jizan region, scoring a direct hit on their positions. […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Chronicling the Syrian-Lebanese Border’s Liberation From Daesh: video

On August 30, Lebanese President Mishel Aoun announced the successful conclusion of Operation Jroud Dawn, during which the Lebanese army “proved its might and professionalism.” During the course of this operation, Lebanese armed forces managed to evict Daesh from Raas Baalbak and al-Qaa, mountainous regions located on the border with Syria. Perhaps no country aside from Syria and Iraq has been greater affected […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

Kadyrov says to ask Russian Defense Ministry to save children in Syria, Iraq

Russia’s Chechen Republic leader Ramzan Kadyrov said he would lodge a request to the country’s Defense Ministry to provide safe corridors in Syria and Iraq to let women and children leave battle zones. “I intend to address the Russian Ministry of Defense and the authorities of Syria and Iraq with a request to provide safe corridors for women and children, who […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

These Are The Planes That The U.S. Would Use To Launch A MIlitary Strike Against North Korea

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
US Air Force B-1s, US Marine F-35Bs, and Japanese F-15Js in formation together. Japan Air Self-Defense Force *Dave Mujumdar, National Interest*:* The U.S. Military Just Showed North Korea the Planes That Would Strike It in a War* In response to North Korea’s recent intermediate range ballistic missile test that overflew Japan on August 28, Washington, Tokyo and Seoul have embarked on a show of force to deter Pyongyang. As part of that show of force, the U.S. Marine Corps flew four of its stealthy new Lockheed Martin F-35B Joint Strike Fighters alongside a pair of U.S. Air Force Ro... more »

Watch out, China: The F-35 Is Coming to an Air Base near You

Task and Purpose, Sarah Sicard at The National Interest - 1 day ago
*Task and Purpose, Sarah Sicard* *Security, Asia* Next stop, the Pacific. Two Air Force squadrons are about to get the armed forces’ first fully combat operational F-35A multirole fighter outfitted with the latest iteration of a long-awaited software suite after a year of testing and training missions, Aviation Week reports, finally allowing pilots to utilize the joint strike fighter complete arsenal of capabilities and weaponry. In September, the F-35As will travel to both the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base in Utah and the Air Force’s training center at Luke Air ... more »

Here Is How to Punish China for North Korea's Latest Missile Test

Zachary Keck at The National Interest - 1 day ago
*Zachary Keck* *Security, Asia* This could work. North Korea’s reckless missile test over Japan this week once again highlighted the growing danger Pyongyang poses to the United States and its allies in the region. Yet, as the* National Interest*’s Harry Kazianis and I argued back in July, “Pyongyang’s missiles should not distract us from the fact that the greatest long-term challenge to America in Asia comes from China’s determination to dominate that vital part of the globe.” Furthermore, we pointed out, the United States can use the North Korean threat to deploy military cap... more »

America's Strategic Partnership with India Is about More than Afghanistan

Walter Lohman at The National Interest - 1 day ago
*Walter Lohman* *Security, Middle East* [image: U.S soldier patrols near town of Walli Was in Paktika province near border with Pakistan] The United States and India should work together to reinstate the quadrilateral security dialogue. In the process of making his case for America’s commitment to Afghanistan, President Donald Trump called for a strategic partnership with India. He is absolutely right about that, but as he allowed in the speech, the need is bigger than a common vision for Afghanistan. It is just as important to integrate India into a strategy capable of addressin... more »

Will Donald Trump Push Pakistan over the Edge?

Arif Rafiq at The National Interest - 1 day ago
*Arif Rafiq* *Security, Middle East* [image: Paramilitary troops take part in combat drills during a ceremony in connection with '53rd Frontier Corps Week' in Peshawar, Pakistan] Islamabad feels like a scapegoat. Pakistan and the United States appear to be heading toward a more contentious phase of diplomatic arm wrestling in the wake of President Donald Trump’s announcement of the new Afghanistan strategy. Two separate visits to Islamabad by mid-level U.S. officials were postponed at the request of the Pakistani government. Alice Wells, the acting assistant secretary of stat... more »

Musical Interlude: Leonard Cohen, “Hallelujah”

noreply@blogger.com (Coyote Prime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
Leonard Cohen, “Hallelujah” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIuCwnnDq8k

Post #42,000: "A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (Coyote Prime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
"Is this what will become of our Sun? Quite possibly. The bubble of expanding gas pictured below is the planetary nebula PK 164 +31.1, the remnants of the atmosphere of a Sun-like star expelled as its supply of fusion-able core hydrogen became depleted. Visible near the center of the nebula is what remains of the core itself- a blue-hot white dwarf star. This particularly photogenic planetary nebula shows intricate shells of gas likely expelled at different times toward the end the star's demise, and whose structure is not fully understood. *Click image for larger size.* This deep i... more »

"The Desert"

noreply@blogger.com (Coyote Prime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*"The Desert"* by Yasser Hareb "The sandstorm was so severe that his footprint was erased before he could lift his other foot. The sun had disappeared, and the place was engulfed in a maze of eternal dust. The only thing that gave him a little peace in his heart was the halter of his camel, which he held on to tightly, as if it was his lifeline. Despite the sound of the wind howling like a pack of wolves, the breathing of his camel gave him some comfort. He thought of making his camel sit down so he could take cover behind her body, as the Bedouins do during storms, but he remember... more »

Chet Raymo, “Going the Distance”

noreply@blogger.com (Coyote Prime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*“Going the Distance”* by Chet Raymo “Here is a stunning Hubble Space Telescope photo from APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day). Two galaxies, collectively known as Arp 273, encountering each other so closely that gravity is distorting their spirals. Two galaxies engaged in a cosmic dance. *Click image for larger size.* Let me say a bit more about what we are looking at than APOD provided. Two galaxies, one neatly wrapped, one with out-flung arms. The one at the top is about the size of our own Milky Way galaxy, although more lop-sided due to the gravitational pull of its partner. Per... more »

Will This Be How Japan Responds To A North Korean Missile Attack?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
Sailors stand on the deck of the Izumo warship as it departs from the harbor of the Japan United Marine shipyard in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. March 25, 2015. REUTERS/Thomas Peter *Kyle Mizokami, National Interest:* *This Is How Japan Might Respond to a North Korean Missile Attack* This week’s overflight of Japan by a North Korean missile was a major escalation of Pyongyang’s missile strategy. Although not unprecedented, the overflight of the northern island of Hokkaido was a clear sign that North Korea did not expect Tokyo to actually do anything in response. If Japan wanted to mo... more »

Señor Trumpanzee Goes To Houston Selling New Hats

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
*-by Noah* When Señor Trumpanzee dropped in on Texas earlier this week, it was nothing more than a contrived photo-op, cooked up by his handlers back in his Washington KKK headquarters. OK. I just lied. It wasn't "nothing more." I admit it. Unlike the president, I will freely admit when I lie! I should also have said that it was about Trump selling his new line of hats. There they were, the president and the first "lady," wearing, respectively a USA-45 hat (First a white one, and then, after a quick costume change, a red one. Gotta show both of them, eh?), and then, Queen Melanoma... more »

Book Review: Politics Without Stories

Greg Fingas at Accidental Deliberations - 1 day ago
David Ricci's *Politics Without Stories* was released in the midst of an election campaign which upended many assumptions about U.S. politics. But it nonetheless offers a plausible explanation for much of the U.S.' political environment as it's continued to evolve - while leaving open what strike me as interesting questions as to whether what he observes is merely a U.S. phenomenon, or whether it applies more broadly. As his basis for comparison, Ricci notes that U.S. conservatives have generally united around a few "alpha stories" of traditional values, free enterprise and small g... more »

Transgenders in the Military

John F. McManus at rss - 1 day ago
[image: transgenders-in-the-military] President Trump has told the Pentagon to reject “transgender” applicants, stop paying for sex-change surgery, and develop plans for handling — and likely discharging — the “transgenders” already in uniform. As expected, the ACLU and the Human Rights Campaign filed lawsuits to block what Trump has directed.

Black and Brown Students Refuse to Co-Exist

Dr. Duke Pesta at rss - 1 day ago
[image: black-and-brown-students-refuse-to-co-exist] African-American and Latino students at the University of Florida are refusing to share a proposed new state of the art facility because doing so would “erase and marginalize their black and brown bodies and their cultures.”

Back to School in the Age of Trump

Dr. Duke Pesta at rss - 1 day ago
[image: back-to-school-in-the-age-of-trump] It’s late August, 2017 A.T. (After Trump), and the first new school year since the 2016 presidential election has commenced. Get ready for the most divisive, unhinged, and politicized classrooms in the long, sad history of American government schools.

“Everything that Neo-Pagans said about Christianity was A lie”

ORIENTAL REVIEW at OrientalReview.org - 1 day ago
An interview by the former satanist and neo-pagan Ivan Liskov to the Russian Orthodox Father George (Maximov) on the Spas TV channel. The post “Everything that Neo-Pagans said about Christianity was A lie” appeared first on OrientalReview.org.

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey Donald Trump once gain visits Texas. Because apparently they have not suffered enough.

Gryphen at The Immoral Minority - 1 day ago
Trump says victims of Harvey are "really happy" & calls the storm "a wonderful thing for even the country to watch" pic.twitter.com/mG6Hs3hhF5 — HawaiiDelilah (@HawaiiDelilah) September 2, 2017 Courtesy of WaPo: *President Trump swooped into this flood-ravaged city Saturday to meet with survivors of Hurricane Harvey in his second visit to Southeast Texas since the storm came ashore eight days ago. * *After focusing exclusively on the government response to Harvey and staying out of the disaster zone during his first trip to the region Tuesday, Trump planned to highlight storm vi... more »

WATCH: “We’re Done Here” Power Tripping Cop Tells Harvey Flood Rescuers To Leave

Rachel Blevins at The Free Thought Project - 1 day ago
Volunteers looking to help victims of Hurricane Harvey were apprehended by a police officer in Vidor, Texas, who told them that their help wasn't needed.

North Korea Claims That It Has Developed A Hydrogen Bomb That Can Be Fitted Onto An ICBM

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un provides guidance on a nuclear weapons program in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang September 3, 2017. © KCNA / Reuters *Reuters*: *North Korea says it has developed more-advanced hydrogen bomb: KCNA* SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Sunday it has developed a more advanced nuclear weapon that has “great destructive power” and leader Kim Jong Un inspected a hydrogen bomb that will be loaded on a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The report by North Korea’s official KCNA news... more »

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