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Thomas Paine

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

24 Dec - Blogs I'm Following

10:50am MST

India Rocked By Sectarian Killings In Assam State

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 34 minutes ago
*Assam Killings Take On Ethnic Hue: Over 70 Killed In Bodo Attacks, 250 Missing * The violence in Assam took on an ethnic hue on Wednesday, a day after armed Bodo rebels gunned down more than 70 Adivasis and injured 15 in orchestrated attacks in different parts of the state. Police officials said the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit) — the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland — carried out the attacks in Kokrajhar and Sonitpur districts lasting about three hours on Tuesday evening. The militants killed 37 people in Sonitpur, and 27 in Kok... more »

Merry Christmas from American Kabuki!

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 52 minutes ago

Sony to Release "The Interview" as Bizarre Tale Continues to Evolve

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 1 hour ago
The ubiquitous and dyspeptic Senator John McCain is the proverbial gift that keeps on giving. Despite being censured by the Republican party leadership in his home state of Arizona for being too liberal the old war horse continues to be trotted out as the GOP’s go-to guy in the mainstream media. McCain, the shameless political con artist who succeeded "Mr. Conservative" himself in the Senate took to the air to wail that the Sony hacking was an “act of war”. McCain - a man who has never met a foreign policy situation that he would not send Americans off to die for – talks tough but... more »

World News Briefs -- December 24, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 hour ago
*IS Captures Jordanian Pilot After Warplane Crashes In Syria -- BBC* Islamic State (IS) militants have captured the pilot of a Jordanian warplane that crashed in northern Syria, Jordan's military has confirmed. The jihadist group claimed it had shot down the jet with a heat-seeking missile near the city of Raqqa. It published photographs showing the pilot, who has been named as Flight Lieutenant Moaz Youssef al-Kasasbeh. This is the first US-led coalition aircraft to be lost on IS territory since air strikes began in September. Jordan is one of four Arab states which have bombed ... more »

Thanatopolitics and Ongoing Atmospheric Contamination by Fukushima Daiichi

Majia's Blog - 1 hour ago
Thanatopolitics occur when sovereign powers allow their subjects to die from causes other than ordinary aging processes, while holding the power of prevention and/or mitigation. The Fukushima Daiichi disaster illustrates that the liberal powers have conspired to let their subjects die from the accelerated aging and toxic action caused by exposure to radionuclides. In November Tepco took the roof panel off of unit 1 (see here) and visible emissions could be seen steaming from that unit http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2014_11_01_archive.html and also from unit 3 http://majiasblog.blo... more »

A Festive Picture Which Says It All

Rufus News From Atlantis at News From Atlantis. - 1 hour ago

A memory of Eddie Greenspan

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 hour ago
I remember watching Edward Greenspan QC conducting a cross examination. He was scattered confused and the examination made no sense. And it was so obvious to everyone except the lawyer that the police officer was lying. And then it hit me. Greenspan wasn't scattered or confused. He was brilliant.

Abu Fadhl Al-Abbas Brigade From Fighting In Syria To Iraq

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 1 hour ago
--> In April 2013 there were reports of young Iraqis being recruited to fight in Syria. Many were joining a new militia called Abu Fadhl Al-Abbas Brigade. They would sign up in Iraq and then travel to Iran for training before being shipped off to Syria. The reason given for the group’s involvement in Syria was to protect the Shiite shrine of Sayid Zainab in the Damascus suburbs, but it was really one of a number of armed groups organized by Iran to defend the government of Bashar al-Assad. It is now doing the same in Iraq defending the Baghdad government. (*Syrian Revolution*) T... more »

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 24, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 hours ago
*NORAD Santa tracker 2014: How To Watch Santa's Trip Around The World -- Aol.com* Santa begins his Christmas voyage in just a few hours, and with NORAD's help, you and your family can follow along as he brings toys to girls and boys around the world! On *NoradSanta.org* you can see where on the Earth Santa has visited and where he's headed next. The site also features Christmas games, songs and videos as well as facts about Santa, NORAD and holiday traditions from around the world. NORAD's Santa Tracking technology is also available as an app for your Apple, Android and Windows ... more »

Passing of Edward Greenspan QC

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 2 hours ago
The criminal defence bar lost a true leader last night. Edward Greenspan has passed away. He was a giant.

Only temperatures, not temperature changes, may be dangerous

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 2 hours ago
Gavin Schmidt wrote a RealClimate.ORG blog post about the difference between the temperatures and temperature anomalies – or temperature changes – and which of them is known, predicted, and important. Absolute temperatures and relative anomalies Just to be sure, the temperature anomaly is the difference between the temperature and the "average" temperature recorded for the same place (or region) and the same date or month or season (if applicable). The average is computed (from the data at the same place and the same date[s]) over a period, like 1951-1980 or 1980-1999 or something l... more »

Plants Cure Cancer, Not Chemicals

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 2 hours ago
*Sayer Ji* - Today, the weight of evidence indicates that plants and not chemicals are the solution for reversing the global cancer epidemic... The post Plants Cure Cancer, Not Chemicals appeared first on Waking Times.

Transpicuous News: D with Mel Ve Dec 24 2014

D ... Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 2 hours ago
This morning I interviewed Mel Ve from Freedom Central & the Conscious Consumer Network about the upheaval that took place for Mel and her husband yesterday. Monday night The media crew for the Conscious Consumer Network got together for an online meeting to go over the technical aspects of broadcasting on CCN. The next morning Mel Ve was detained by the Dutch police and taken to the station for "questioning". In our conversation this morning Mel Ve and I discussed the incident, and the positive aspects of how to deal with the perceived "authorities". http://transpicuousnews.blog... more »

The Economic Argument For Peace On Earth

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 2 hours ago
http://www.victorystore.com/ "Peace On Earth." We repeat the phrase often at this time of year. It's standard boilerplate -- a postive suggestion, but not very likely. However, Paul Krugman wrote this week that there are realistic reasons to support the suggestion. Those reasons have been around for awhile: More than a century has passed since Norman Angell, a British journalist and politician, published “The Great Illusion,” a treatise arguing that the age of conquest was or at least should be over. He didn’t predict an end to wa... more »

Reading Piketty and Raulston Saul

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 2 hours ago
*The Comeback * So, I've been reading John Raulston Saul's *The Comeback*, about the rising political importance of the First Nations of Canada. They are making a comeback in demographics, in culture, in political power. I'd heard good things about this book and I trusted Raulston Saul to summarize things for me, having enjoyed his books *Voltaire's Bastards* and *Reflections of a Siamese Twin*. I've done some research on the First Nations before and I know that it is a deep and vast topic. Many non-Aboriginal authors come to the topic with unintended, but very real prejudices, that... more »

"Twas The Night Before Christmas"... In Occupied Palestine

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 3 hours ago
It is of course Christmas Eve, and I really want to wish everyone a most Merry Christmas... I personally will probably be spending the next few days with relatives and my own family celebrating this time of the year... With everyone being in holiday cheer, I must remind everyone that we must not forget those less fortunate and do our part to help and aid our fellow man... With that in mind, I must also remind everyone of those innocent people who are right now being brutalized and even outright murdered in the occupied West Bank and of course the mess that is the Gaza Strip by the m... more »

The future is bland

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 3 hours ago
hey hey hey Vietnam protest cheer there is nothing close to us so near today We are missig in a big way a protest song everthing is all right just listen to Taylor she is pop right Protest has gone grass roots if may be back in the Guthrie days when a single guitar and voice illuminate the world in a way that changed the day

Jordanian Pilot Captured After Islamic State Militants Shoot Down A U.S. Led Coalition Warplane In Syria

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 3 hours ago
*ISIS Captures Jordanian Fighter Pilot In Syria -- New York Times* BEIRUT, Lebanon — Militants from the Islamic State extremist group have captured a Jordanian fighter pilot, Jordan’s state news service reported on Wednesday after reports that the pilot’s plane was shot down over northern Syria. Shooting down a fighter jet from the United States-led coalition against the Islamic State would be a first for the group. The pilot’s capture is also a coup that could shake the resolve of the Arab countries in the coalition, which began bombing Islamic State sites in Iraq and Syria this ... more »

The Battle For Chak Valley Is How The War Against The Taliban Is Going To Shape Up For The Afghan Military

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 3 hours ago
An Afghan air force MD 530F Cayuse Warrior helicopter flies over Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 6, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Perry Aston *In A Strategic Valley, A Glimpse Of Afghan Troops’ Future After Most U.S. Forces Leave -- Washington Post* BABA, Afghanistan — Clutching M-16 rifles, the Afghan soldiers nervously stood watch on a sand-colored ridge next to a mud house blown apart by gunfire. A week earlier, their unit had pushed the Taliban from this village. Now, the insurgents were only a mile away, determined to recapture the territory. Every day, the 15 soldiers ha... more »

A Badge Of Courage: "We Have Earned The Hatred Of Entrenched Greed"... But Not For Today's DC Dems

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
Early Monday morning we took a look at an inspiring address FDR made to Congress in January, 1936, after his historic landslide win against the Republican Party, a landslide that decimated the GOP in both Houses of Congress as well, leaving them with just 16 Senate seats and 88 House seats. There was no question in the minds of the voters who was on their side and who was standing with Wall Street. Those were the glory days of the Democratic Partry. It's been all downhill since then due, primarily, to confusion over the degree of support the DC Democrats still offer working famili... more »

Black Gay James Bond

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 3 hours ago
No fucking way I say first of all James Bond must be in some way Scottish are there black Scotts even today? If the world will accept a white actor playing Nelson Mandela I will be okay with a black Bond. A Gay James Bond is not so hurtful However I do not want to watch it. Whats next a black Churchill, a black Patton please people do not mess with history to make a product politically correct or even a finacnial win. Your fucking with peoples minds if you take historical characters and make them black.

The CIA didn't just torture- THEY EXPERIMENTED on HUMANS-

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 3 hours ago
FINALLY! A full week after I refreshed my own and readers memories about the human experimentation being conducted by the CIA, as the main stream media focused 24/7 on *torture*, *THE Nation *has decided to mention the human experimentation- What annoys me is the timing! This article was published on line little more than a week before Christmas, when almost no one is paying attention. The same piece will be in print January 2015, when next to no one will bother to read the article. *The time to get this out was when the news was fresh in the audiences mind.* *Perhaps this is an a... more »

New Year's Eve destruction in France

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 4 hours ago
Over New Year 2012/13 there were 1,193 vehicles torched across France. Over New Year 2013/14 there were 1,067 vehicles torched across France. What do we think for this New Year? Higher or lower? Or have a proportion of the little tinkers moved on from vehicle burning to driving vehicles into innocent shoppers?

Global Treaty Regulating The Arms Trade Enters Into Force

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 4 hours ago
*Global Treaty Regulating Arms Industry Comes Into Force -- Irish Times* New treaty ‘dawn of a new era’ for arms regulation, says lobby group A global arms trade treaty that aims to regulate the $85 billion (€70 billion) industry and keep weapons out of the hands of human rights abusers and criminals enters into force today. However, the US Senate has not yet ratified the arms trade treaty. Supporters of the treaty welcomed the development, saying it was long overdue. They say the treaty, which the United States signed in 2013, would require arms exporters around the world to meet ... more »

Stealthiness and the F-35, Harper style

Boris at The Galloping Beaver - 4 hours ago
Back here, Dave asked: Why is the coward bearing the title "prime minister" so hell-bent on sole-sourcing the F-35? BECAUSE HE'S MADE A DEAL HE HASN'T TOLD YOU ABOUT. He's hiding something - he always is! Now Bill Sweetman at Aviation Week asks the same after some delicate words regarding the results of the new fighter secretariat's review in the context of the Harper government's handling of

Steve's year in review

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 4 hours ago
Lots of ditto here. So I am only going to go with whats new. But there is no reason not to thank for another great year: Moeman, Allen, Simon and James for taking the Bullshit out of Blogging every day or so. Person of the Year is John Tory Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary thats Canada with one finger left for the collective. These cities are where the boots meet the ground in forging our future. Toronto is the most important and it has been rudderless for four years. John Tory has the CV to do great things. I both wish him well and pray he can do the improbable if not the im... more »

Untitled

JR at GREENIE WATCH - 4 hours ago
*Ocean acidity is a snark -- but a snark supported by threats* *The Feely-Sabine ocean acidification claim ignores 80 years of real-world data that show NO acidification trend* *The Feely fraud himself* “Ocean acidification” (OA) is receiving growing attention. While someone who doesn’t follow climate change science might think OA is a stomach condition resulting from eating bad seafood, OA is claimed to be a phenomenon that will destroy ocean life—all due to mankind’s use of fossil fuels. It is a foundational theory upon which the global warming/climate change narrative is buil... more »

Untitled

jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 5 hours ago
*How to Reform No Child Left Behind* Lawmakers already are talking about reauthorizing No Child Left Behind — the George W. Bush-era education initiative. “I’d like to have the president’s signature on it before summer,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Tennessee Republican who will assume chairmanship of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee when Congress convenes in January. But lawmakers should be pursuing bold education reforms, not searching out weak legislative compromises that fail to limit federal overreach. Congressional conservatives should take this o... more »

Chen Wei-ting lets the side down

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 5 hours ago
*A local road in Miaoli.* Chen Wei-ting, the Sunflower movement leader, made a stunning revelation this week (Taipei Times): In an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) published yesterday, Chen, who is running for legislator in the by-election in Miaoli County in February, was asked to discuss his potential risk of falling victim to “attacks on his personal integrity,” to which he responded by making the revelation, saying: “There are things that I have kept to myself for a long time.” “One day, during the summer vacation before my... more »

James Corbett interviews Ellen Brown: Bank Bail in Rules Explained

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 5 hours ago
Interview 986 – Ellen Brown Explains the New G20 Bank Bail-in Rules *Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed* Today attorney, author and researcher Ellen Brown of EllenBrown.com joins us to discuss her article on “The Global Bankers’ Coup: Bail-In and the Shadowy Financial Stability Board.” We talk about the G20 and their rubber-stamping of the FSB’s proposed bail-in rules, what this shadowy body is and how it interlocks with the Bank for International Settlements, and what this means for depositors in the wake of the next banking crisis. *SHOW NOTES:* - *New G20 Rules: ... more »

Be prepared

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 5 hours ago
For the last few days I’ve been (mostly) thinking about Danny Cohen. The BBC’s director of television senses an ominous whiff of antisemitism in the air. The press has shown quite a bit of interest in Cohen’s interview with Yonit Levi of Israel’s Channel 2, and a complaint by a prominent Jewish media figure about rising antisemitism in the UK begs a fair few questions. I can’t decide how to approach this topic for “Is the BBC Biased?” Heavily sarcastic seems somehow wrong; yet tempting. *“As any fule kno, the Jews control the media, therefore a complaint by a prominent Jewish ... more »

G3 or Global Gambling Game - I am not a game player - Free Planet's new mantra

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 6 hours ago
I am not a game player. Say it, say, "I am not a game player," and know what it means to make a stand for your Free Planet. Being a 'game player' means putting your head in the sand and hoping that the evil monster will never trespass into your soft and comfortable dreams. But it's already there. Every day. Haunting and Terrorising you. You're there, right now. You can feel the sand in your ears. You're unable to truly breath. You hate where you are but you think it's your only option. It's what your mommy and your daddy told you was the right and proper thing to do. It's what y... more »

NOSInt on a break

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 6 hours ago
[image: Happy Holidays] Wishing you all the joys of the season and happiness throughout the coming year. I'll be back monday, january 5th 2015, Kobus

Crusades vs Jihad in European, Middle East and North African history

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 7 hours ago
How many times Muslims invaded Europe vs Christians invading the Middle East Not quite the way that the BBC and other politically correct fools portray this part of history, is it.

‘Stealth’ frigate handed over to Taiwan's Navy

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 7 hours ago
[image: Tuo Jiang corvette]Taiwan's Navy yesterday took possession of the island’s first self-developed missile-carrying “stealth” corvette. The ship has been described by the Taiwanese media as an aircraft carrier killer and the 500-tonne twin-hull vessel, Tuo Jiang, was built by the Taiwanese shipbuilding company Lung Teh. The handover to the navy took place at Suao, a fishing port in the eastern part of Taiwan, and comes after the mainland has objected to the US sale of four Perry-class frigates to the island. Read more

Raytheon awarded $491 million contract for AMRAAM®

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 7 hours ago
[image: AIM-120 AMRAAM]Raytheon Company is being awarded a fixed-price contract $491,478,068 for the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile. The contract is for the production of the AMRAAM® missile and other AMRAAM system items, including the captive air training missile, common munitions bit/reprogramming equipment and non-developmental item airborne instrumentation unit. The contract includes foreign military sales to Korea, Oman, Singapore and Thailand. Read more

USMC receives first F-35C

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 7 hours ago
[image: F-35C Lightning II]The US Marine Corps has received its first carrier-based Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II, marking the 36th and final delivery of a Joint Strike Fighter in 2014. Lockheed Martin says the 22 December delivery of aircraft CF-19 meets the 36 aircraft delivery target for 2014, and marks the 109th overall delivery of operational F-35s to the USA and partner operators. The first USMC F-35C out of a planned 80 will be assigned to the US Navy’s VFA-101 “Grim Reapers” squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing, based at Eglin AFB. After delivery CF-19 will be used for F-35C pil... more »

A Very Merry Christmas To All Whom Visit My Blog This Holiday Season 2014

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 7 hours ago
*A Very Merry Christmas To All Whom Visit My Blog *

Iraq / Syria Regional War ( December 24 , 2014 ) -ISIS claims to down jet piloted by Jordanian near Raqqa....... Battlefield and political reports for Iraq and Syria .....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 7 hours ago
Links.... *Pentagon Uses ISIS as Excuse to Hide Abuse Pics* *Anonymous Tip to FBI Fuels Panic Over 'ISIS Threat' to Memphis Bridge* Mass Grave Found Near Baghdad; 228 Killed Across Iraq No Way Out for Iraqis Who Helped US in War Search Is on for Diplomatic Solution to Syria War Syrian Observatory: More Than 1,000 Jihadists Killed in US-Led Syria Strikes Tweets.... The man is allegedly a Jordanian Air Force pilot, Muadh Yusuf. IS claims to have shot his plane down with an anti-aircraft missile. [image: View image on Twitter] السلطان سنجر ✒ @Alsultansinjer2 Follow طيار أردني لم ي... more »

The Hits And Misses On Predictions From The National Intelligence Council

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 7 hours ago
*What The Intelligence Community Thought Would Happen In 2015 - In 2000 -- Kedar Pavgi, Defense One* After a year filled with non-stop national security crises, the question is: Can anyone predict chaos in the future? The answer is, sort of. Every four years, the National Intelligence Council - the arm of the Intelligence Community tasked with developing long-term outlooks - releases its Global Trends report. It’s an unclassified publication that uses open source information gathering techniques to plot out the world 15 to 20 years out. In 2000, the NIC released the Global Trends... more »

Air force preps B3.5bn purchase of new fighter jets

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 8 hours ago
[image: M-346 Master advanced jet trainer aircraft]Italian aerospace company Alenia Aermacchi again has offered its M-346 Master advanced jet trainer aircraft to Thailand as the air force looks at aircraft from as many as six countries to replace its ageing fleet of Czech-made L-39 Albatros jets. According to a report in HIS Jane's Defence Weekly, the offer was made following last week's announcement by the air force it would purchase four new fighter planes as part of its Advanced Jet Trainer/Light Attack Aircraft programme. The air force currently operates 36 L-39ZA/ART aircraft... more »

Russia Plans to Deliver New Aircraft to Belarus Air Base: Defense Minister

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 8 hours ago
Russia will increase the number of airplanes and helicopters at its base to be opened in Belarus, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday during a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Andrei Ravkov. “I’m ready to continue our discussion of cooperation on a practical basis today. This is in regard to the S-300 [anti-aircraft missile system], as well as the creation and basing of [our] aviation in Belarus by increasing the number of airplanes and helicopters. This should provide for the security of our common airspace,” Shoigu said. The Russian airbase is to be opened ... more »

Parliamentary panel criticises delays, cost overruns in navy projects

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 8 hours ago
[image: INS Vikrant]The price of indigenous aircraft carrier has shot up a whopping six times and will now cost Rs 19,341 crore, a parliamentary panel has said, criticising the "regular delays" and cost overruns in almost all acquisition activities of the navy. The Standing Committee on Defence also said it is "high time" that adequate budgetary provisions are made to the force so that deficiencies are mitigated and the country is capable of taking on two-front challenges. The panel that it is "perturbed" to find a spurt in accidents involving navy vessels in the recent past. In 201... more »

Fire Scout Drone’s First At-Sea Takeoff

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 8 hours ago
In video released today (above), the MQ-8C helicopter takes off from the destroyer Jason Dunham with its eyes closed — or rather with its cockpit windows painted over, because there’s nobody inside. Though derived from the widespread Bell 407, the Northrop Grumman MQ-8C is a drone. This month’s tests are the first time the unmanned helicopter has taken off from a Navy ship at sea, and the first time any unmanned helicopter of any kind has taken off from a destroyer. Read more

New destroyer Ji'nan commissioned to East China Sea Fleet

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 8 hours ago
[image: Ji'nan (Type-052C class) DDG]A simple and grand ceremony marking the commissioning of the guided missile destroyer Ji'nan to the East China Sea Fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) was held at a naval port in Zhoushan of east China's Zhejiang province on the morning of December 22, 2014. The newly-commissioned guided missile destroyer Ji'nan, together with the guided missile destroyer Changchun and Zhengzhou, are all new-generation guided missile destroyers independently developed by China. The guided missile destroyer Ji'nan (hull number 152), is equipp... more »

Vietnamese ambassador says Russia to remain top arms seller

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 8 hours ago
[image: HQ-011 Dinh Tien Hoang]Vietnam's continued acquisition of Russian weapons will depend on regional developments and Hanoi's financial capacity, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Nguyen Thanh Son said in a recent interview with Russian news agency Interfax. The ambassador made the statement when asked about Hanoi's plans to continue buying weapons from Russia following several orders for submarines, frigates and warships. He said Vietnam buys Russian weapons for defensive purposes. Read more

How Do You Define Victory In Today's Wars?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 8 hours ago
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Ty-Michael Maes, left, directs his fire team during a live-fire assault exercise with the Saudi marines as part of exercise Red Reef 15 in Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 16, 2014. Maes is a team leader assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance detachment, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Rome M. Lazarus *How Do You Successfully End Wars? Academics Seek An Answer -- Katie Nguyen, Reuters* LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - What constitutes a military victory? In... more »

Maritime spats 'stirring undersea arms race'

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 8 hours ago
[image: Soryu-class SSK]Territorial disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea are fuelling a build-up in submarine fleets that can spark more frequent armed clashes in the already volatile waters, according to a US-based think-tank. "The currency of naval power in the ESCS (East and South China seas) has become the submarine," Wikistrat, a consultancy that relies on "crowdsourced" analysts, said in its latest "simulation report". With disputes in the region unlikely to be resolved soon via diplomacy, China, Japan and Vietnam will keep sending submarines to the East and Sout... more »

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 9 hours ago
*Have a very merry Christmas everyone!* Trans-Siberian Orchestra, “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHioIlbnS_A

7 Top Medical Procedures Whose Risks Far Exceed Their Benefit

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 9 hours ago
This is actually very useful and should be revisited every decade. We are already seriously skeptical of all these procedures just from the lousy PR that they earn. After all, just how do you get good PR for something that fails to cure or totally resolve? Knowing this they should all be put on a last resort list at least. It is still a surprise that a couple here really do not justify their support. The worst however is chemotherapy which cannot be justified at all and is pure exploitation of patient desperation. Anything else and a radically improved diet is really th... more »

The Christmas Truce of 1914 - Pinhole of Light Among a Nightmare of Madness

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 9 hours ago
*December 24, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - LD) In the end, we have more in common with the furthest flung foreign common man than the closest corporate-fascist that presumes dominion over our lives. During the early 1900's, Europe was locked in the first World War. Millions would perish - tens of thousands in a single day. On one brief occasion, a pinhole of light shined through this utter madness, revealing the truth of this man-made nightmare. The men in the trenches were being driven toward each other, not by some irreconcilable difference they had with one another, but by the greed ... more »

Pentagon: Santa Claus Mission Will Be Successful

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 9 hours ago
*Pentagon Details Military Efforts to Ensure Santa Claus Mission is Success -- Washington Free Beacon* Amid concerns of increased threats to the United States during the holidays, Adm. John Kirby recently assured the public that all domains (land, air, cyber, space, sea) have been secured by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and that Santa Claus should make all of his deliveries on time. “Is the Pentagon at all concerned that NORAD’s Santa radar may be in danger of being cyber-attacked or hacked? And are you taking any I.A. (ph) measures to prevent that?” a re... more »

Triangulation and the Pineal Gland

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 9 hours ago
I wish to propose a conjecture. The pineal gland is a full member of our visual sensory equipment that is placed deep inside the brain allowing much of the spectrum to be blocked to enhance sensitivity to the blue end of the spectrum. One immediate result is that it provides the brain with a way to establish a standard for the blue lines for both the pineal gland and the eyes themselves. This then allows correction to be applied to the rest of the spectrum as a form of natural triangulation. Another natural result is the capability to then detect blues properly which ap... more »

The 50 Latest Coconut Oil Benefits Backed by Science

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 9 hours ago
The last sixty years has seen a huge amount of public manipulation of the health profiles of all oils. this has been entered into by various proponents and has inevitably sowed confusion and unending misinformation if not downright lies. Coconut oil was attacked and has now recovered and this is part of that story line. What is needed is a truly independent body able to provide meaningful guidance to overcome what is now an awful history of food fraud. We really need an ABC schedule to work against and a renewal of trust. In the meantime here is the dope on coconut oil. *The ... more »

Putin Announces Massive Foreign Currency Bailout For Russia's Collapsing Banks

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 9 hours ago
Russia is once again going to the wall with its currency. A lot of this is been caused by the sharp drop in oil pricing along with Putin's bout of ill timed adventurism in the Ukraine. The internal economy it far to fragile to allow easy recovery from such shocks and ghere we have two back to back. Take oil out of the economic equation and the top down system is completely unfunded. That risk may seem remote today but that is going to be the big story over the next decade as the public finds itself able to shed monopoly pricing. Putin himself is still okay, but the internal s... more »

Nazi Mice of the Third Reich

Spike EP at News Spike - 10 hours ago
"Urwand said: *"Collaboration: it's not my word or invention. I got it from materials from both sides. It's the word that's regularly used to describe their relationship."* He said the German head of MGM spoke to the German press of the* "satisfying collaboration on both sides".* *"It's collaboration in the sense that Hollywood movie executives and Nazi officials are actually collaborating and the Nazis are having the final say," *said Urwand.* "They didn't want to lose their business. They didn't want to have to go home and come back under different conditions. They also felt Hi... more »

Every theory of quantum gravity is a part of string theory: a partial proof

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 10 hours ago
*A successful test in \(AdS_3\)* The first hep-th paper today is String Universality for Permutation Orbifolds by Alexandre Belin, Christoph A. Keller, and Alexander Maloney who are at Rutgers University, my graduate Alma Mater (I know A.M. from Harvard). Note that Christopher was terrified by the disagreement between the other two authors when it comes to "-re" or "-er" in their first name, so he erased it from his name altogether. ;-) *Serin Hall, Rutgers University, NJ* We sometimes say that string theory is the only consistent theory of quantum gravity. It's the only game in... more »

Torture Wrong. Drone Strikes OK?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago
*Are Drone Strikes More Defensible Than Torture? -- Victor Davis Hanson, NRO* Democrats are hypocritically silent about Obama’s policy of targeted assassinations. There are lots of hypocrisies surrounding the recently released executive summary of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIA’s detention and interrogation program. But they pale in comparison to the current Democratic silence about President Barack Obama’s policy of targeted drone assassinations. Since 2004, drones have killed an estimated 2,400 to 3,888 individuals in Pakistan alone, according to the Burea... more »

Christy Clark To Pay OFF BC`s Debt With Liquor Taxes And Funeral Fees

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 10 hours ago
*Written By Grant G* All through the house the only creature stirring was a drunken old louse, abusing the children and beating his spouse. On dancer and prancer who strip on the stage, where liquor is quicker to incite his rage, come after work and spend your hard earned pay, drink is aplenty, slurp a few more, gulp down some shooters then one for the road, happy hour never turns sour so let off a load. On Yap, On Coleman on Anton too, Christy Clark wants tax revenue from all of you, booze in the barn, golf courses ski hills and flea markets too, bring your children and babies... more »

Facebook: Colonialism 2.0

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 10 hours ago
Putting the entire planet online... then controlling everything they see or read. *December 24, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - The Western media has attempted to portray Mark Zuckerberg's ambitious plan to get every human being online as altruistic at first, but later revealed as simply what could be called "profitable empathy." In reality however, the truth is much more sinister, with Facebook already revealed to be much more than a mere corporation run by Zuckerberg and his "ideas" Facebook is the pinnacle of social engineering, an online operant conditioning chamber - also kn... more »

mr. death

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 11 hours ago

Is Facebook Cooperating With The Kremlin To Shut Down Dissent?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny (left) and his brother, Oleg, on a Facebook page calling for a January 15 demonstration near the Kremlin in support of the embattled activist. *Facebook Helps Putin Shut Down Dissidents -- Washington Free Beacon* Social media company kowtows to Russian dictator, kisses up to Chinese president Facebook is facing heightened scrutiny of its conduct in countries with authoritarian regimes amid reports that an events page for Russia’s most prominent dissident was blocked by the company at the insistence of the Russian government. A page or... more »

Why Writing Off Russia Would Be Unwise

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
Putin's jingoism suggests détente is impossible but let's wait a few months for things to cool. Photo: Kremlin Picture Office *Russia’s Crisis Is Also A Huge Opportunity -- Steen Jakobsen, Trading Floor * * Russia's failure to reform made crisis inevitable * Ukraine détente imperative for Russian revival * Writing off Russia would be unwise Russia’s years of neglecting to invest and reform pointed to an inevitable crisis. In 2014, that crisis came on two fronts, first in the confrontation over Ukraine from early this year and the resulting sanctions, and then followed by the incred... more »

How This Murder Case Almost Directly Impacted Me .... But In A Way It Did

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
*Luka Magnotta Guilty Of 1st-Degree Murder In Jun Lin's Slaying -- CBC* Jurors in 10-week trial in Montreal found 32-year-old guilty of killing university student, other charges Luka Magnotta has received an automatic life sentence for first-degree murder, with no possibility of parole for 25 years. He was sentenced to another 19 years for the four other charges he was convicted on. Quebec Superior Court Justice Guy Cournoyer gave Magnotta the maximum sentence on the four lesser charges, to be served concurrently with the first-degree murder sentence. Magnotta closed his eyes a... more »

Who Was Protected In Michael Grimm's Sweet Plea Bargain Deal?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
The Michael Grimm saga has always been special for me-- not because my sister lives on Staten Island or because his congressional district includes a part of the Brooklyn neighborhood I grew up in-- but because, in 2005-06-- when I was looking into the "disappearance" of a $400,000 that GOP serial criminal Tom Kontogiannis paid Duke Cunningham to get Bush to pardon him-- a reader informed me that an otherwise unknown crooked FBI agent who had gone over to the Gambino Crime Family, Michael "Mikey Suits" Grimm, was involved in the "missing" Bush bribe. The media, of course, covered ... more »

Is President Bush To Blame For The Rise of The Islamic State?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*First Known Western Journalist To Embed With ISIS Blames Bush For Group’s Existence -- CBS* WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) — The first known Western journalist to have embedded with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria terror group blames former President George W. Bush for its existence. German journalist Jürgen Todenhöfer, 74, spent ten days with the terror group in Mosul. Speaking with the German website TZ, Todenhöfer said that the U.S. air campaign against ISIS will have little effect on the group. “With every bomb that is dropped and hits a civilian, the number of terrorists increas... more »

Former President George H.W. Bush Taken To Hospital By Ambulance

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
Former United States President George H. W. Bush is brought into the auditorium where his son Former United States President George W. Bush speaks about his new book titled ''41: A Portrait of My Father'' at the George Bush Presidential Library Center in College Station, Texas November 11, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Bob Daemmrich/Pool *Former President George HW Bush Hospitalized -- ABC News* Former President George H.W. Bush was taken by ambulance to the Houston Methodist Hospital as a precaution after experiencing a shortness of breath earlier this evening, his spokesman said tonight.... more »

James Cameron

Spike EP at News Spike - 14 hours ago
*Cameron - On the Square* *Cameron - On the Level* *Cameron - Upright and True* *Strange Days (1995)* *The Titanic Deception : "There were rumors that the ships had been switched and all sorts of things...." from Spike EP on Vimeo.* *Cameron, James* *THE JAMES CAMERON CONSPIRACY THEORY* *(The Conspiracy Theorists Cut)* Note: this copy of the James Cameron Conspiracy Theory contains never before seen information that wasn't in the previous online version. This HTML version is divided into three 6.5 page sections for easier reading. WARNING: The information contained within the ... more »

U.S. Now Offering A $5 Million Bounty For An Al-Qaeda Terrorist It Had Released From Guantanamo

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
U.S. State Department *Oops! U.S. Offers $5 Mil Reward for Al Qaeda Terrorist it Released From Gitmo -- Judicial Watch* Years after liberating an Al Qaeda operative from the military prison at Guantanamo, the United States government has put him on a global terrorist list and offered a $5 million reward for information on his whereabouts. The unbelievable story comes as President Obama frees more and more terrorists—including four to Afghanistan over the weekend— long held in the military compound at the U.S. Naval base in southeastern Cuba. The president’s goal is to close the pr... more »

american fascism

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 15 hours ago

Has Oil Become The Weapon Of Choice For The U.S. And Saudi Arabia?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
*How Oil's Become The World's Most Potent Weapon: Forget Nuclear Arms. The U.S. And Saudis Are Behind An Oil Price Crash That Could Topple Regimes In Russia And Iran -- Daily Mail* * Price of oil has fallen dramatically - down by nearly half in six months * The collapse in price means it is cheaper to fill up your car at the pumps * But has sparked fiscal crisis that threatens to shift global power balance * U.S. and Saudi Arabia are using market slump to wreak havoc on enemies * While Russia - which depends on a bouyant price - is on the edge of crisis * Most pressing issue for Brit... more »

Hypertime

Spike EP at News Spike - 15 hours ago
"Hypertime is our name for the vast collective of parallel universes out there, in which you can somewhere find every DC story ever published - but it's also more than that. The standard model of parallel timelines is the branches of a river, right? The main timeline is the main stream while tributaries symbolize the alternate timelines? Well, imagine that sometimes those tributaries feed back IN to the main stream, sometimes for a while, sometimes forever. Other times, they cross OVER for only a MOMENT before going in an altogether NEW direction - and for the most part, no one n... more »

"A Look to the Heavens, With Chet Raymo"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
*Click image for larger size.* "These two mighty galaxies are pulling each other apart. Known as " The Mice" because they have such long tails, each spiral galaxy has likely already passed through the other. They will probably collide again and again until they coalesce. The long tails are created by the relative difference between gravitational pulls on the near and far parts of each galaxy." - http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080224.html *** "The Heaven's Embroidered Cloths" by Chet Raymo "In his "Defense of Poetry," Percy Bysshe Shelley said that one of the sacred tasks of the artist ... more »

"Ideals..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
"Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them, you reach your destiny." - Carl Schurz

Lockerbie - The Flight From Justice by Paul Foot

Spike EP at News Spike - 15 hours ago
Lockerbie - The Flight From Justice - Paul Foot - Private Eye Special Report by stax68

Santa's had his crack at facilitating the kiddies -- why not give Satan a shot?

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
*You might think that the Prince of Darkness has more important things than answer foolish letters from childen, but apparently not.* *"[I]f you really want a job that allows you to make a great deal of money in a fast and unethical way (a rather admirable goal in my opinion), you can go ahead and send me your résumé. I have a number of very close friends at Goldman Sachs."* *-- from Satan's reply to a letter from David, who says he wants a computer "so I can do better in school and get a good job and make lots and lots of money"* *by Ken* Now this is an idea. Goodness knows Santa ... more »

How to Steal the Nuclear Football

Spike EP at News Spike - 15 hours ago
You can see the Green Beret Special Forces guy with the nuclear football hit the deck and bolt for freedom between frames 3 and 4. *He Gone.* Later in 1981, that would be Lt. Col. Oliver North's job. Presumably after this guy was *FIRED*.

US Navy Investigating The Man Who Shot And Killed Osama Bin Laden For Leaking Secrets

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 16 hours ago
Former US Navt SEAL Team Six member Robert O’Neill *Exclusive: Bin Laden ‘Shooter’ Under Investigation for Leaking Secrets -- Shane Harris, Daily Beast* The man who claims he killed the world’s most wanted terrorist is now being probed for saying too much about the mission. The former Navy SEAL who ignited a controversy when he publicly claimed credit for killing Osama bin Laden is under investigation for possibly leaking official secrets, The Daily Beast has learned. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service has received an allegation that Robert O’Neill, who recounted his role in... more »

Mohawk Nation News 'DETROIT SIGN OF THE TIMES'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 17 hours ago
Detroit's abandoned Silverdome is now just an empty shell left to rot Detroit's abandoned Silverdome is now just an empty shel... Photographer Johnny Joo visited the abandoned Pontiac Silverdome last month after the roof finally collapsed and his photos offer an eerie, empty look at... View on www.dailymail.co.uk Preview by Yahoo

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- December 23, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 17 hours ago
*Who Pulled The Plug On North Korea's Internet? -- Jo Biddle, AFP* Washington (AFP) - North Korea's Internet was on the fritz for a second day Tuesday. But the US is staying silent on whether it launched a cyber attack as payback for the hacking of Sony Pictures. And in the murky world of cyber security, experts say there are several plausible scenarios for why North Korea suddenly went dark, stressing it's impossible to know exactly what happened. Did the US launch a cyber attack on North Korea? *Read more* .... *Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- December 23, 2014* How ... more »

World News Briefs -- December 23, 2014 (Evening Edition)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 17 hours ago
*Sony Will Release 'The Interview' At Limited Number Of Theaters On Christmas -- CNN* "The Interview" is not over, after all. Despite threats from hackers, Sony (SNE) Pictures is making the controversial Seth Rogen comedy available at a limited number of theaters starting on Christmas. The movie studio's CEO, Michael Lynton, said Tuesday that "we're excited our movie will be in a number of theaters on Christmas Day." He did not specify an exact number because the plans were still being worked out. As of 6 p.m. ET, 190 independently-owned theaters have agreed to show the film, a... more »

Happy Holidays!

Lori Anne Haskell at Our Paradise--Life in Costa Rica - 17 hours ago
So, I loved sending out holiday cards in the States. However, it is not very cost effective here in Costa Rica, and mail takes weeks to the States, so I have decided to do a holiday blog post instead! So, Kurt and I had a pretty crazy year! One filled with the most changes I have ever had in a year in our lives, I would say. Our nephew Kory passed the bar exam and I did his swearing in with the help of Judge Connie Kelley before I left. Kory then opened Haskell Law Offices, which allowed me to start making the move to get the heck out of Michigan! Congrats Kory! Biggest news, o... more »

Christmas Greetings 2014

greencrow at Greencrow As The Crow Flies - 18 hours ago
*Greencrow wishes all my reader(s) a Very Merry Christmas and a Safe, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!* * Father Christmas - Wood Carving Souvenir from Russia* As a special *stocking stuffer* for my reader(s) I am posting a *new page* that I call The Spirit of Russia. It is a compilation of 61 iconic photos I took while vacationing in Russia last summer, 2014. Out of more than 700 photos...it narrowed down to these ones...I hope they capture the spirit of Russia and the Russian people. So, click on the new Page called* The Spirit of Russia*...and Enjoy! *See you in the NEW YEAR ... more »

"Regret: The Weight of the Past"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
*"Regret: The Weight of the Past"* by The DailyOM "Holding onto regret is like dragging the weight of the past with us everywhere we go. It drains our energy, leaving less available for life in the present because we are constantly feeding an old issue. This attachment can cause illness the same way watering a dead plant creates decay. We know that something new and beautiful can grow in its place if we only prepare the soil and plant the right seeds. We also know that we create our lives from our thoughts, so dwelling on the past may actually recreate a situation in our lives wher... more »

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom. Thanks for stopping by.

The Poet: J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Road"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
*"The Road"* "The Road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with eager feet, Until it joins some larger way Where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say. The Road goes ever on and on Out from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, Let others follow it who can! Let them a journey new begin, But I at last with weary feet Will turn towards the lighted inn, My evening-rest and sleep to meet." - J.R.R. Tolkien

"Remarkable..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." - Douglas Adams

Is There a Santa Claus?

Jon Western at Duck of Minerva - 19 hours ago
[NOTE: To spice up the discussion started by Tenacity’s guest post, we bring you this throw-back post. One of Patrick Thadeus Jackson’s greatest hits (of which there were many) originally posted on December 25, 2007.] Ever since the invention of the InterNet, not a December goes by without some version of this making the rounds Continue reading

"The View From the Center of the Universe"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 19 hours ago
"The View From the Center of the Universe" by Joel Primack and Nancy Adams "I stand here on the Cosmic Uroboros, midway between the largest and smallest things in the universe. I can trace my lineage back fourteen billion years through generations of stars. My atoms were created in stars, blown out in stellar winds or massive explosions, and soared for millions of years through space to become part of a newly forming solar system — my solar system. And back before those creator stars, there was a time when the particles that at this very moment make up my body and brain were mixing ... more »

"How It Really Is"

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

“The Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 19 hours ago
*“The Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing”* by Dr. Jeff Lewis "Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. " - Oscar Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" "There is a current set of delusions that is powerful and dangerous: that monetary debasement can be infinitely pursued without consequences; that the financial system is now solid and sound; that the low volatility and high prices of stocks, high-end real estate and bonds are real; that bonds are a safe haven; and that large financial institutions which get into trouble in the future can be unw... more »

NOT PJ: By Golly, It's Christmas!

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 19 hours ago
*This Christmas week, Bernard Darnton ventures into a fancy department store, wondering what to buy for the Duke who has everything.* Yesterday I got my first ever Santa photo. The children were also there, reeling off a list of requests for iPads, Lego, Ninja Turtles, and everything else except bikes, which is what we’ve bought them. They probably thought they could go overboard because we went to see the rich Santa at the fancy-pants central-city department store and not one of his less kempt counterparts at a suburban mall. Rubbing shoulders with a better class of tyke comes at... more »

Crackpot Utopia: The Year in Republican Crazy, Part 5

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 19 hours ago
*• The GOP and the kiss heard 'round the world• Crazyspeak of the Year nominee No. 5: Joe the Plumber* *Michael and Vito* *Crackpot Utopia:* *A dream world as envisioned by republicans; a manifestation or expression of the deranged, warped alternate universe inhabited by republicans, at least in their minds. See also: Bachmannism, Boehneresque.* *by Noah* *1. The GOP and the kiss heard 'round the world* *Michael (96) sacks Cleveland Browns QB Johnny Manziel in preseason.* Well, you had to expect it. In April, Michael Sam, a football player who happens to be a gay man, gets dr... more »

East-West Aerial Confrontations Are Heating Up To A Level Not Seen In 25 Years

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 19 hours ago
In September 2006, a U.S. F-15 Eagle from Elmendorf Air Force Base intercepted a Russian Tu-95 Bear bomber on a training exercise near the west coast of Alaska.(Photo: U.S. Air Force) *From Baltic To Asia, East-West Aerial Confrontations Heat Up -- Reuters* (Reuters) - From the skies of the Baltic to the South China Sea, a new era of confrontation with Russia and China is pitting U.S. and allied pilots against their counterparts on a scale not seen since the Cold War era. It is, current and former officials say, a major shift for air crews who by and large have spent more than a de... more »

Books, books, books, BOOKS!

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 19 hours ago
Since you asked… [image: image] Yes, I’m just getting my book sack ready for the break. [image: image] And once again, I need to either cull or carve out a longer holiday. [image: image] So what could I cut? [image: image] And what’s in *your *holiday book stack this year? Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

in which my annual noncelebration of christmas causes my jewish cultural roots to reappear, a tiny bit

laura k at wmtc - 19 hours ago
Two years ago, wmtc's annual "i hate christmas" post declared: "i hate christmas is slightly less hateful this year". Working in the library, as opposed to an office environment, I found getting through the holiday season much less trying. No more co-workers - at their computers, able to talk while they work - going on (and on and on and on...) about what they are buying for whom, reciting their shopping lists, a mind-numbing litany of consumption. My co-workers now are too busy, and several magnitudes less self-absorbed, to inflict that on anyone. And it wasn't just the absence of... more »

North Korea Will Have Enough Nuclear Material For 79 Atomic Bombs By 2020

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 20 hours ago
*North Korea's Nukes Are Scarier Than Its Hacks -- Eli Lake & Josh Rogin, Bloomberg* While the world’s attention focuses on North Korea’s cyberwar with Sony, the Hermit Kingdom is rapidly increasing its stockpile of nuclear weapons material, with little real pushback from the United States. A new analysis of North Korea’s nuclear program by a group of top U.S. experts, led by David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, estimates that North Korea could have enough material for 79 nuclear weapons by 2020. The analysis, part of a larger project... more »

Israel Sees The Islamic State At Its Borders

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 20 hours ago
A black flag belonging to the Islamic State is seen near the Syrian town of Kobani, as pictured from the Turkish-Syrian border near the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province, October 6, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas *ISIS Closing In On Israel From The North And The South -- Riyadh Mohammed, The Fiscal Times* The war against ISIS is taking a dangerous, perhaps inevitable turn. The terror organization has been keen to expand to southern Syria and the Syrian capital of Damascus. Now it says it has recruited three Syrian rebel groups operating in the south of the country in an a... more »

FIGHT OR PERISH: A Guest Blog by Harris Lirtzman

David Greene at Schools Matter - 20 hours ago
The other day, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Director of State Operations, Jim Malatras, sent this letter to Chancellor Merryl Tisch, demanding that the Board of Regents answer twelve fundamental education-related questions by the end of the month. In the letter, the Governor threatened to use his control over the state budget to impose unilaterally his own education policies to break “the monopoly of public education” at a special session of the Legislature next month. New York State United Teachers, the body that represents public school teachers for legislative and political purposes i... more »

THE EMPATHY FILES: How far does our understanding extend?

bob somerby at the daily howler - 20 hours ago
*WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2014Part 4—Liberal lectures police:* Here at the Howler, we’ve never worked as a police officer. We think of it as a difficult job. We don’t know what we would do in every situation a person confronts on that job. In part for these reasons, we’re disinclined to judge the conduct of police officers, especially in cases where the facts are unclear. We’re often amazed at how easily others make judgments in such cases. In the past few years, we’ve been struck by how easily many liberals make such judgments, then start rearranging and inventing facts to drive... more »

“The Subtle Slavery of Obamacare: The Cattle Chute of Coerced Cooperation in the Collective Corruption”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 20 hours ago
*“The Subtle Slavery of Obamacare: * *The Cattle Chute of Coerced Cooperation in the Collective Corruption”* By Cognitive Dissonance “The truth is that the State is a conspiracy designed not only to exploit, but above all to corrupt its citizens.” - Leo Tolstoy What could possibly go wrong? "Like millions of other individuals and families in the USA, Mrs. Cog and I have reached a point this year where we must make decisions regarding Health Sick Care Insurance for 2015. Before I begin I would like to point out we are attempting to take back control of our health by eating better, ex... more »

The Economy: "A Crash Course in Money (Part V)"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 20 hours ago
*"A Crash Course in Money (Part V)"* by Bill Bonner "Last Thursday, the Dow shot up 421 points, or 2.4%, following the Fed's announcement that it would be "patient" about normalizing interest rates. It was the biggest single-day gain for the Dow in three years. And the 13th biggest single-day gain ever. No one knows what was in this package – probably not even the Fed – but speculators thought it had a ribbon and bow on it. On Friday, they drove the Dow up another 27 points for good measure. We have our doubts about Santa. Does he really exist? Or is it just a myth we tell childre... more »

Christianity - A Pagan Religion

Rufus News From Atlantis at News From Atlantis. - 20 hours ago
I was raised Catholic. I went to Church regularly. I was what you could call a 'Papist'. When the Church changed a series of 'set-in-stone' rituals (such as penance for confession), that made me sit up and notice that what I had been told was an institution created by God, was very much one ruled by Men and subject to change as politics, fashion and other factors dictated. The rapid shift of direction which made the policy-makers in the Church of Rome almost indistinguishable from their counterparts in the Windsor-mafia-loving Protestant sects - who I was taught were heretics foll... more »

Trouble Loading the Blog?

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 20 hours ago
I've been hearing from a few people that my blog has lately been difficult to pull up. When we did some testing from various locations we found that in fact Internet Explorer was extremely slow to load this blog - to the point that a few folks gave up entirely, thinking it was not working at all. People who used Firefox had no loading problems nor did those using Google Chrome. I appreciate your visits to this blog and hope you can get the full view of it without troubles. I did reduce the numbers of posts on the homepage so that it might not take so long to load.

First Strike Ammended Accidents

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 21 hours ago
They happen evertday and know one cares execpt those struck and for those people no one gives a fuck

Dec. 23: Liar, liar, pants on fire....

Graeme Decarie at The Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad - 21 hours ago
Again, foreign news will be at the end of this blog -separated by ################# Now, go to google - "The Atlantic, The alarming research behind New York's fracking ban." This was sent to me by a reader - and it's stunning. It's the report on WHY New York banned fracking. The Irving press has yet to tell us even that there is a fracking ban. Remember all those columns by Norbert and Alec Bruce on how fracking is proven safe? You'll get the same message in the Dec. 22 issue of the Times and Transcript in a column written by the impartial CEO of Corridor Resources who wrote it al... more »

Ken Marchionno Photos '300 Miles Oomaka Tokatakiya'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 21 hours ago
Ken Marchionno Photos '300 Miles Oomaka Tokatakiya' The Oomaka Tokatakiya is a nearly 300-mile memorial horseback ride across South Dakota in the United States.  The ride starts on December 15th, at the site where the Lakota Indian Chief Sitting Bull was killed, and traces the trail taken by some of his tribe to join Chief Big Foot. It goes on to follow Big Foot's effort to reach

Putting Health Canada on Notice

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 21 hours ago
At long fucking last, a decision is coming on mifepristone, originally called RU486. Health Canada has set an internal deadline of mid-January to finally make a decision on the abortion pill, a drug that is already available in 60 countries but has been stuck in Canada’s drug-approval pipeline for more than three years. The pro-choice advocates and researchers who have been helping a small European drug company with its Canadian application say they have encountered an unusual amount of antipathy from the regulators who will decide if Canadian women get access mifepristone, a pill ... more »

Merry Christmas!

The Realist Report at The Realist Report - 21 hours ago
I'd like to wish all readers a Merry Christmas! Enjoy the holidays! I will have an end of year blog entry ready to post here next week. Until then, Merry Christmas!

Wassailing the Wealthy

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 22 hours ago
The Christmas season is traditionally the one time of year that we're permitted, even encouraged, to burst forth from our hovels to guilt-trip the rich while spreading joy and fellowship throughout the land. Key word: traditionally. Because according to government studies, the charity coffers are dwindling and fewer of us are reaching out to our fellow human beings in these hard times. In sixteen out of the twenty categories measured, the levels of social engagement by Americans have plummeted this year. People are either too busy working multiple minimum wage jobs, or too depresse... more »

Jordan is Palestinian - Mudar Zahran knows this to be tryetrue

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 22 hours ago
Jordan is Palestinian per Palestinian Mudar Zahran interview Maybe such as Jeremy Al Bowen, Lyse Doucet, Jon Donnison should watch that video, they might learn something.

Russian Prime Minister Medvedev Warns That Russia Could Slide Into Deep Recession

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 22 hours ago
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev speaks during a televised interview with Russian media in Moscow, December 10, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/Pool *Medvedev: Russian Economy Needs Aggressive Approach to Avoid Deep Recession -- Sputnik* *Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday that Russia may need to take on more aggressive approaches to the economic situation in Russia in order to avoid falling into an even deeper recession.* MOSCOW, December 23 (Sputnik) – The Russian economy risks falling into a deep recession, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry ... more »

Christmas in Post-War Germany

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 23 hours ago
*US occupation forces inside Germany on Christmas, 1945* We got a nice holiday card today from our local PeaceWorks activist Christine DeTroy. I was struck by the enclosed letter that I'd like to share below: Christmas Memories Return with me to the past - to December, 1945, the first post-war Christmas in Germany. Picture yourself in a large room, part of the downstairs of a former spacious art gallery that had been converted into several apartments, one of which was my family's for a number of years. American officers had occupied the downstairs and upstairs of the large house ... more »

Long term detention under Mental Health Act struck down

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 23 hours ago
P.S. v. Ontario, 2014 ONCA 900: [3] For the following reasons, I conclude that the provisions of the MHA dealing with involuntary committal violate s. 7 of the *Charter* by allowing for indeterminate detention without adequate procedural protection of the liberty interests of long-term patients*. *I also conclude that the appellant has not been provided with adequate interpretation services and that his right to equality, guaranteed under s. 15(1) of the *Charter*, has been violated.

The Ridiculous Sony "Hacking" Saga: 10 Reasons Why The FBI Are Wrong!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 23 hours ago
For the last week the Jew spew MSM has been going absolutely wild with all the reports about this "Sony Hacking" that even has the US Government involved... From the very start, I smelled a rat (as I always do when it comes to these issues) and I knew that what we were being told was nothing but pure lies... It should have raised red flags with everyone when the US Government went as far as to blame North Korea, China, Russia, and even Iran, as being behind the hacking! I have been trying to make sense of this "hacking" and I have been checking around the internet for some real inf... more »

A Light in the Middle of Darkness

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 23 hours ago
About 200 people on Monday night marched along Preble Street to Monument Square, where they lit candles in memory of the 35 homeless persons who died this year in Portland, Maine.

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Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 23 hours ago
The Christmas season traditionally is the one special time of the year when we are permitted, even encouraged, to venture forth from our hovels to harass the rich and spread cheer and good will to one and all. Key word: traditionally. Because according to a recent government study, charity coffers are dwindling, and the level of American social engagement in these hard times has plummeted in 16 of the 20 categories measured. People are either too busy working multiple low-wage jobs, or too depressed about worklessness to physically engage much with their fellow human beings. Volunte... more »

UKIP and the Perils of Professionalism

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 23 hours ago
UKIP have the opposite problem to the Conservatives. The Tories are a tuned machine being tested to destruction by the clods in the control room. UKIP on the other hand have a leadership who, in the main, know what they're doing but are cursed with a jerry-rig thrown together from whatever rusty parts they find lying around. And so we've had a kipper in a winnable seat resign after "chinky/poofter" gate. Another expelled for "jaw-dropping racism", and the purge of Neil Hamilton and the suspension of Winston McKenzie's branch. So, belatedly, UKIP are trying to professionalise the op... more »

Technical Difficulties

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 23 hours ago
Something buggy going on with the blog... unexplained superimposed text, etc. Sorry for the inconvenience. Will be back when I can.

Wassailing the Wealthy

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 23 hours ago
(credit: "Stressed Jenny") The Christmas season traditionally is the one special time of the year when we are permitted, even encouraged, to venture forth from our hovels to harass the rich and spread cheer and good will to one and all. Key word: *traditionally*. Because according to a recent government study, charity coffers are dwindling, and the level of American social engagement in these hard times has plummeted in 16 of the 20 categories measured. People are either too busy working multiple low-wage jobs, or too depressed about worklessness to physically engage much with the... more »

The Divided Caucus Meeting — Why Some Senators Voted Both Ways on CR-Omnibus

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 23 hours ago
*by Gaius Publius* I wrote here about the CR–Omnibus Spending bill that was recently approved in both the House and Senate, and about how three groups of Democratic senators voted: 1. Six senators — like Warren, Sanders, Franken and Brown — opposed the bill during the cloture vote (the vote whether or not to bring it to the floor) and also opposed it after it came to the floor. 2. Sixteen senators, many with "liberal" reputations — like Merkley, Cantwell, Wyden, Whitehouse — *supported* the bill during the cloture vote and opposed it only during the floor vo... more »

Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev: Russia-US Relations 'Poisoned' For Decades To Come

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 23 hours ago
*Russia-US Relations 'Poisoned' For Decades To Come – Medvedev -- RT* Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev thinks the recent unfriendly moves by Presidents Poroshenko and Obama effectively turn Ukraine into Russia’s potential enemy. It will also “poison” relations with the US for decades to come. On Facebook, Medvedev commented on the Ukraine Freedom Act 2014 signed by Barack Obama last week, and on the Ukrainian parliament’s intention to cancel a national law forbidding them to join military blocs. “As in the case with the Jackson-Vanik amendment, our relations with America will be poisone... more »

There is no old Jorney

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 23 hours ago
Its warpigs vs living things

Tommy Chong does Prison Time

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 23 hours ago
Hiw === dc c=s safe thats preety welkl what I am thinking it probably took a several millon dollars to incrate Tommy Chong keeping america safe by putting in prison old men WTF a

Ukraine Moves Away From Nonaligned Status. Wants To Join NATO

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Ukraine Takes Step Toward Joining NATO -- New York Times* MOSCOW — With a Russian-backed separatist insurgency still gripping eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian Parliament voted on Tuesday to take steps toward joining NATO. It was a pointed rebuke to Russia that immediately drew an angry response. The Parliament, firmly controlled by a pro-Western majority, voted overwhelmingly 303 to 8, to repeal a 2010 law that codified a policy of “nonalignment,” and to instead pursue closer military and strategic ties with the West. Former President Viktor F. Yanukovych, who was toppled in Febru... more »

Russian Reaction To Ukraine's Vote To Cancel its Non-Aligned Status

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Ukraine Angers Russia With Landmark Step Towards Nato -- The Guardian/Reuters* Russia’s foreign minister says vote to drop neutral status is counterproductive and will only boost tensions The Ukrainian parliament has renounced the country’s “non-aligned” status with the aim of eventually joining Nato, angering Moscow, which views the western alliance’s eastward expansion as a security threat. Kiev first announced its intention of seeking the protection of Nato membership in August, following what it deemed the open participation of Russia’s military in a separatist war in Ukrain... more »

Just To Make Your XMAS Bright! (What's Happened Since The Response by Congress to the 2008 Crash Was to Allow Wall Street Banks to Grow Dramatically in Asset Size, Derivative Holdings and Systemic Risk)

Your votes have allowed your choice of "legislators" to let the banks run wild (undoubtedly enriching all parties, except the public). Again. Welcome to Pottersville 3. What was the Federal regulator of these very same banks doing? It was bragging in a press release issued at the end of the same week about the gargantuan risks these insured banks were taking in derivatives. The press

North Korea's Internet Restored After Yesterday's Collapse

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*North Korea's Internet Links Restored Amid U.S. Hacking Dispute -- Reuters* (Reuters) - North Korea, at the center of a confrontation with the United States over the hacking of Sony Pictures, experienced a complete Internet outage for hours before links were restored on Tuesday, but U.S. officials said Washington was not involved. U.S.-based Dyn, a company that monitors Internet infrastructure, said the reason for the outage was not known but could range from technological glitches to a hacking attack. Several U.S. officials close to the investigations of the attack on Sony Pictu... more »

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 1 day ago
*Nearly $1 billion in Katrina, Rita aid under scrutiny ~Will Sentell, The Advocate* *Saints Offense Kept Up Its End of the Bargain ~JR Ella* *What to expect for 'fair market rent' in New Orleans in 2015* *Kayla's Restaurant now open on St. Claude Avenue ~Gambit *

There is danger in that commucincation

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
Yes if you do not come accross as an asswipe your a trarget to make your thnking shit You think elections have a thing to do with democracy then your a fool Its a ruby game of offworld sites and scrums and just like the game when it comes down to gaining control of the ball hookers. Anyone like me who screaming there is a four alarm fire on the house we bent and burroued to make safe will be the first targets of the great hypocracy The only thing I want those who hear the sieren call of tea party is that there was a regime just like they wanted and it lasted thousands of years... more »

The economics of the madhouse from Watts Up With That?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 day ago
Watts Up With That have a wonderful piece by Christopher Monckton that you should read in full, here's an extract... 'Typical gasoline-powered auto engines are approximately 27% efficient. Typical fossil-fueled generating stations are 50% efficient, transmission to end user is 67% efficient, battery charging is 90% efficient and the auto's electric motor is 90% efficient, so that the fuel efficiency of an electric car is also 27%. However, the electric car requires 30% more power per mile traveled to move the mass of its batteries.CO2 emissions from domestic transport account for 2... more »

Wassailing the Wealthy

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 1 day ago
(credit: "Stressed Jenny") The Christmas season traditionally is the one special time of the year when we are permitted, even encouraged, to venture forth from our hovels to harass the rich and spread cheer and good will to one and all. Key word: *traditionally*. Because according to a recent government study, charity coffers are dwindling, and the level of American social engagement in these hard times has plummeted in 16 of the 20 categories measured. People are either too busy working multiple low-wage jobs, or too depressed about worklessness to physically engage much with the... more »

If I could do something lightning

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
Yes you know Supertramp is part of this show and tell you what Socialism baby its not a communist front its a place to live where the rich are rich but the poor do not pool anymore

A new Master of Alternative History

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
What is science fiction what is fantasy and what is alternative history? Sure they are all in the same bag. John Birmingham writes novels like Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum, with the exception he is a liberal, and his literally battlefield is clear of the blah blah blah by using a tool of extant change to express his opinions. I have to mention the Harry Turtledove who pushes out fiction like Oprah does good wishes. I day ago I finished his second trilogy. This is false advertising because it was really only one book split into three parts. There are many problems in this world and... more »

Abnormal Prosecution

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
The St. Louis county prosecutor will not file charges against any witnesses who lied to the the grand jury that was deciding whether to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. With several individuals who took the stand now being scrutinized for having potentially perjured themselves, outrage is once again beginning to grow over the fairness of the proceedings. Andrew Goldberg, managing editor of The Smoking Gun, details the situation to RT’s Ben Swann.

The Roll Of Shame: Some Florida Clerks Of Court Refuse To Issue Gay Marriage Licenses Despite Ruling

Donna Ballman at Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home - 1 day ago
Why, why, why is it always Florida? In an issue similar to the hanging chads of yesteryear, Florida is in a state of confusion yet again, this time over gay marriage licenses. In every Florida county where a court has ruled on the issue, the courts have ruled that failure to marry gay couples violates the Constitution. Our Republican Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has thrown a tizzy of legal filings everywhere from counties that ruled to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court. Bottom line so far is that, while the 11th issued a temporary stay of the ruling compelling g... more »

6 Powerful Ways to Balance the Ego with the Soul

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 1 day ago
*Gary 'Z' McGee* - In a world full of giant egos wanting more more more, it is refreshing to find people with individuated egos who want more powerful experiences and less stuff... The post 6 Powerful Ways to Balance the Ego with the Soul appeared first on Waking Times.

Did Vladislav Voloshin (UA) shoot down MH17?

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 1 day ago
A month ago, I mentioned a photograph purportedly showing a Ukrainian SU-27 or Mig-29 that is just shooting down the Malaysian aircraft in Donbas. The picture could have been shown to be fake – too many details were wrong – and some readers helpfully provided us with links to the relevant evidence. I am hoping that a similar response may emerge now. The new accusations don't come with any high-resolution photograph – it's just an eyewitness – but they are more concrete because they name the boy who is claimed to have shot the airplane by accident. Komsomolskaya Pravda (in Russian, T... more »

World News Briefs -- December 23, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
An explosion following an air strike is seen in western Kobani neighbourhood, November 23, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Osman Orsal *Over 1,000 Islamist Militants Killed In U.S. Strikes In Syria: Monitor -- Reuters* (Reuters) - Three months of U.S.-led strikes in Syria have so far killed at least 1,171 people, mostly Islamic State militants, a British-based Syrian monitoring group said on Tuesday. Rami Abdulrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told Reuters only 52 were‮‮‮‮‮ ‬‬‬‬‬civilians. But his network of activists, who are based around Syria, said the death to... more »

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 23, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un uses binoculars to inspect a live-fire drill using self-propelled drones at an undisclosed location in North Korea, March 20, 2013. Press TV *North Korea: 1.2 Million Troops, Nukes -- And A 3,000-Strong Cyber-Elite -- Bloomberg* North Korea’s alleged ability to hack into Sony Pictures Entertainment is extending Kim Jong Un’sreach far beyond the range of his missiles. While North Korea has kept Western defense officials guessing for years about a nuclear program that it may or may not ever use, the regime’s ability to wage cyber war adds a new dimens... more »

Homeless Man Receives $100 and Blows it on Something Wonderful

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 1 day ago
*Video* - When a homeless man receives a gift of $100 a waiting camera crew follows him to a liquor store to find out what he'll spend the money on. The post Homeless Man Receives $100 and Blows it on Something Wonderful appeared first on Waking Times.

Courting the Shadow with the Light

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 1 day ago
*Julie Henderson* - We are all comprised of shadows and radiance, of dense vibrations and rarified frequencies of beauty which are moving so fast that they are imperceptible... The post Courting the Shadow with the Light appeared first on Waking Times.

Dictators Love To Pose As Democrats

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 day ago
The Harperites like to present themselves as advocates for law and order. But, Errol Mendes writes in the *Globe and Mail*, they do their best to undermine the rule of law. Consider their taxpayer funded propaganda machine: Governments are allowed to advertise about services and programs that they are implementing, but when some of them are either untruthful, promote partisan positions or are not even authorised by Parliament, it becomes a vehicle to undermine the foundations of any democracy that values the spirit and letter of the rule of law. Dalton McGuinty was no Boy Scout... more »

Japan’s Answer to Radiation: Massive Natural Indoor Farms

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 1 day ago
*Christina Sarich* - Can earthquakes and tsunamis put the Japanese food producer down? Apparently not... The post Japan’s Answer to Radiation: Massive Natural Indoor Farms appeared first on Waking Times.

Blue America's End Of The Year Message

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
This week, we sent our final letter out to the Blue America members. People sometimes ask me how to become a member. That's easy: contribute-- anything, even just one dollar, to any Blue America candidate on any Blue America page, and *voilà*!, you're a member. This week's letter was more than just a thank you and Merry Christmas note-- although, yes, thank you and Merry Christmas. It was also a note about how progressives can do well even when the corrupt Beltway Democratic Establishment fails miserably, as they did, completely predictably, in November. You already know it's be... more »

Hemp: The World’s Most Versatile and Useful Plant

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 1 day ago
*Wes Annac* - What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone says the word ‘hemp’? The post Hemp: The World’s Most Versatile and Useful Plant appeared first on Waking Times.

Another Deadly Year For Journalists

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria in 2011, CPJ has documented the cases of 79 journalists killed in the country in relation to their work. Reuters *CPJ: Number of International Journalists Killed Rises in 2014 -- Voice of America* A press freedom group says at least 60 journalists have been killed this year while doing their job, with members of the international press making up a particularly high percentage of the dead. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists issued its annual report Tuesday documenting journalist deaths in 21 countries in 2014. It says... more »

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jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 1 day ago
*Photophobia again* *British school orders parents to delete Facebook video of their four-year-old daughter performing as an innkeeper in nativity play * A couple were ordered to delete a video of their child performing in a nativity play by her school because of concerns about the online safety of pupils. Douglas Holmes said his four-year-old daughter Emmi-Rai had played the role of innkeeper in her nativity play at Ynysboeth Primary School in Abercynon. His partner Lisa Evans filmed their daughter's performance and posted the video on Facebook. But the next day she was asked ... more »

Greece Updates - December 23 , 2014 - The Third Round Presidential vote set for December 29 , 2014 , as December 23 , 2014 vote tallies only 168 of 200 votes needed to elect Presidential Candidate Stavros Dimas !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Hat tips to Yannis , Holger , Kathirmereni Can Samaras " pull it off " ? stay tuned for the finale of Cliff Hanger - Grecian Style ! Tweets... *Kathimerini English *@ekathimerini · 13h13 hours ago PM to make final plea to MPs ahead of critical third vote on president http://dlvr.it/7vqcTG *Yannis Koutsomitis* @YanniKouts · 1h1 hour ago RT @WSJeurope Greek parliament fails to back PM’s presidential candidate in second vote http://on.wsj.com/1zeFvOF #PtD [image: Embedded image permalink] fred walton retweeted *zerohedge* @zerohedge · 2h2 hours ago GR... more »

Five Bombs Explode In Yemen's Capital

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
People gather at the site of a bomb explosion in Sanaa December 23, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah *Five Explosions Rock Yemeni Capital -- Al Jazeera* Sanaa's old quarter, largely inhabited by Houthi supporters, hit by bomb blasts as sectarian unrest persists. Five bombs have exploded in Sanaa's old quarter, where many supporters of the Shia Muslim Houthi group live, killing at least one person and wounding another, according to a Yemeni security official. No one claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks, but the Houthis have been fighting the Sunni Al-Qaeda in the Arabi... more »

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JR at GREENIE WATCH - 1 day ago
*Climate change will leave a sour taste in our mouths - literally: Study shows ocean acidification affects the flavour of shellfish* *This is a study of deliberately altered water in a tank, not of actual shellfish in the ocean. Anything it tells us about the future is therefore entirely speculative. Furthermore the entire prediction that acidity will increase in the oceans is deliberately dishonest. If, as Warmists predict, the world will warm, that will make the oceans warmer too. And as water warms it OUTGASES CO2, as every drinker of coca cola can observe. Those bubbles i... more »

The Real You (Video)

Mars Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
*Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.* Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

Manhattan Institute extremists credit anti-racist activists with Marshall Tuck's defeat

Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
*"Robert D. Skeels, writing in L.A. Progressive, rips Marshall Tuck for closing down ethnic studies programs and heritage language studies programs while running the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. He reviews Tuck’s record at Green Dot charter schools and the Mayor’s Partnership and renders a scathing judgment." — Professor Diane Ravitch* [image: Manhattan Institute loved Marshall Tuck's support of right-wing ideas including charter schools and public school choice]Right-wing reactionary Ben Boychuk's profound disdain for public education is somewhat legendary, and his tenure... more »

Raytheon awarded $2.4 billion contract to provide the State of Qatar with Patriot Air and Missile Defense System

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago
[image: Patriot PAC-3]Raytheon Company has received a $2.4 billion Foreign Military Sales contract for new-production fire units of the combat-proven Patriot Air and Missile Defense System for the State of Qatar. Qatar, a new Patriot customer, now brings the total number of global Patriot customers to 13. The acquisition is part of an Armed Services modernization and recapitalization effort announced by Qatar in March of this year. The contract includes the latest Patriot fire units featuring increased computing power and radar processing efficiency, improved man-machine interface... more »

Airbus Helicopters delivers aircraft to Spanish military

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago
[image: Tiger HAD-E attack helicopter]The Spanish military has received the first three of 46 Spanish-assembled utility and combat helicopters under separate contracts given to Airbus Helicopters. The aircraft officially delivered by the company were two Tiger attack helicopters in the HAD-E version and one NH90 GSPA, a Spanish-version tactical transport. "The delivery of these three helicopters is a very important milestone for our company, and we wish to thank the Spanish Ministry of Defense for trusting in us," said Francisco Verge, chief executive officer of Airbus Helicopters ... more »

China’s Military Plane Crashes In Weinan City, Kills 2 Pilots

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago
[image: J-11 Flanker B]A Chinese military plane crashed Monday in northwestern Shaanxi province claiming the lives of at least two people, local media reports said. The plane reportedly crashed near the city of Weinan, about 600 miles west of capital Beijing. Local media reports suggest that the two people killed in the accident were pilots. Initial investigation suggested that the pilots tried to steer the jet to avoid crashing into a village, according to a local media report. The debris of the plane’s main body had been reportedly recovered at an uninhabited area. Local media rep... more »

Navy considers upgrading AV-8B jump jet with small-form-factor Link 16 MIDS terminals

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago
[image: AV-8B Harrier II]The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II jump jet has provided a substantial avionics engineering challenge since the aircraft entered service in 1985. The small aircraft's tight spaces can make avionics upgrades difficult. One recent challenge has been equipping the AV-8B with U.S. military Link 16 tactical data exchange networking capability. The aircraft simply doesn't have the room onboard to install Link 16 Multifunction Information Distribution System (MIDS) terminals ... that is, until now. Navy avionics experts have acknowledged that electroni... more »

PLA setting up new base on Zhejiang's Nanji islands

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago
[image: Nanji islands]The People's Liberation Army plans to construct a new naval base on the Nanji islands off the coast of east China's Zhejiang province in readiness for potential conflict with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea, according to the Tokyo-based Kyodo News on Dec. 22. Various sources from China told Kyodo that the PLA is constructing a new radar station and airfield on Nanji, which is 300 kilometers from the Diaoyu islands (Senkaku to Japan, Diaoyutai to Taiwan) currently under Japanese administration. China can use Nanji as a base for warships and m... more »

Navy Pays Texas Ship Breaker a Penny to Dismantle Carrier Ranger

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago
[image: USS Ranger (CV-61)]The Navy has paid a Texas ship breaker $0.01 to transport and dismantle the third American super carrier — Ranger (CV-61), according to a Monday statement from Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). The letting of the contract follows an October decision from the Navy to not donate the ship to the USS Ranger Foundation. The foundation had planned to moor the ship in Oregon on the Columbia River near Portland and create a museum. “After eight years on donation hold, the USS Ranger Foundation was unable to raise the necessary funds to convert the ship into a mu... more »

USS Zumwalt nearing completion

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago
[image: USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000)]In life, Tulare native Elmo “Bud” Zumwalt led a distinctive, storied career that included being the youngest-ever chief of U.S. Naval Operations and the architect of Navy personnel policies that eased racial tensions in the service. Though he died in January 2000, Zumwalt’s name took a step closer this year to becoming immortalized in a new way by the Navy. The first of a new class of navy destroyers bearing his name was christened in April at the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. Five months earlier, the future “USS Zumwalt,” was put in... more »

1990s-era Ingalls destroyers getting modernized before heading to Japan

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago
[image: USS Benfold (DDG 65)]The Navy's DDG 51 modernization program has met a key milestone on two Ingalls-built destroyers, the Naval Sea Systems Command announced today. The milestone involves the installation and testing of the new Aegis baseline 9 combat system on USS Barry (DDG 52) and USS Benfold (DDG 65), launched at Ingalls in 1991 and 1994 respectively. The modernization program ensures Arleigh Burke-class ships keep pace with evolving threats while meeting service life requirements and future operational commitments. Read more

Russia Upgrades Supersonic Bombers, ‘Blackjack’ Bomber Could Beat Out U.S. B1 ‘Lancer’ in Skies

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago
[image: Tu-160 Blackjack]Russia has finished a $103 million upgrade to its fleet of supersonic “Blackjack” bombers, bringing what was already considered the world’s fastest nuclear bomber into the 21st century with new electronic systems that could give the 33-year-old Soviet-era planes an edge in the skies over the United States B1 “Lancer” bomber. When the Tu-160, known to American military experts as “Blackjack,” was introduced in 1981, the bomber was the crown jewel of the Soviet Union’s Air Force. Following the collapse of the communist empire a decade later, many of the Blac... more »

A Distrubing Discussion On What Appears To Be The Fate Of Former Taliban Prisoner US. Soldier Bowe Berghdahl

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*My Comment*: It appears that he gets to keep his money and a "general discharge" .... wow .... if true .... expect a firestorm of protest.

The Morality and Legality of Debt Jubilee, Part III

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-22/%E2%80%93-jeff-nielson-%E2%80%93-sprott-money-news-share-button-email-print-inshare-december-15-2014 The Morality and Legality of Debt Jubilee, Part III [image: Sprott Money's picture] Submitted by Sprott Money on 12/22/2014 09:19 -0500 *Jeff Nielson for Sprott Money* *In Parts I and II (click Sprott News)*, readers saw how all of the public debts of our nations (past and present) were the direct result of fraud, and thus legally unenforceable – on two bases. Firstly; the bankers of these Big Banks proclaimed themselves the world’s foremost f... more »

General Dynamics Corp. (GD) Wins Contracts worth $605M

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago
[image: USNS Montford Point]General Dynamics Corp. won several contracts worth a total of about $605 million from the U.S. Department of Defense ("DoD") on Dec 19, 2014. The largest of the contracts is worth $498.1 million. It is a fixed-price-incentive, firm-target modification contract. Per the contract, General Dynamics will construct the fourth Mobile Landing Platform Afloat Forward Staging Base for the U.S. DoD. The contract work will be done by General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. ("NASSCO"), a unit of General Dynamics, and is expected to be over by Mar 2018... more »

Navy ups surveillance in the Gulf of Finland

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago
[image: Commodore Juha Vauhkonen]The Finnish Navy has increased its patrols and surveillance tasks by nearly 70 percent in the Gulf of Finland due to an upsurge in Russian naval activity. Russia’s heightened military presence in the Baltic Sea can be seen in a rise in the Finnish Navy’s tasks in the Gulf of Finland. Commodore Juha Vauhkonen says the number of vessel identification assignments has risen drastically. ”Compared with last year, we’ve had to increase our presence in the Gulf by about 68 percent,” Vauhkonen says. “We primarily go out to identify so-called government ship... more »

Ukraine Central Bank Conned Into Swapping Its Gold For Lead Bricks

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-22/ukraine-central-bank-conned-swapping-its-gold-lead-bricks *We've been saying for two years there is no gold in the repositories. Its been moved off world. -AK * Ukraine Central Bank Conned Into Swapping Its Gold For Lead Bricks [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 12/22/2014 17:26 -0500 inShare20 Just when one thought the story of Ukraine and its (now non-existant) gold could not get any more surreal, it did. As a reminder, it was about a month ago when we learned courtesy of an interview on Ukraine TV with t... more »

The Islamic State Is Preparing The 'Largest Religious Cleansing In History'

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
This journalist met with ISIS for 10 days. Listened. Talked. And survived. http://t.co/GjnKnBRvPQ pic.twitter.com/MiWwEREn4t — Martin Gommel (@martingommel) December 21, 2014 *First Western Journalist Granted Access To 'Islamic State' Returns To Germany -- Deutsche Welle* Jürgen Todenhöfer has returned to Germany from "Islamic State" territories. In an interview with German website TZ, he says IS is "much stronger and much more dangerous" than the West realizes. Following seven months of negotiations with leaders of IS, Todenhöfer was the first western journalist allowed to trav... more »

How Government Killed the Medical Profession

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago
What i find truly troubling is that the economic models described here all ultimately fail. In fact the present assemblages is failing as we watch. Yet we really do need a solution that provides universal service, yet retains sufficient competition to promote real efficiency. Usually this means regulating the physical and capital structure of the whole enterprise to prevent unwanted alterations that run counter to that intent. What this really means is that it cannot occur naturally any more than we can operate any service wisely on either the basis of a sole monopoly or on th... more »

Afghanistan's Growing Heroin Addiction Epidemic

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
People observed from the Pul-i-Sokhta bridge in Kabul as men used heroin below. Afghanistan has one of the world’s highest rates of opiate use. Credit Bryan Denton for The New York Times *Kabul Residents Watch As Heroin Addiction Grows -- New York Times* KABUL, Afghanistan — Each afternoon, spectators line a bridge in west Kabul and gaze down. They have not come to stare at the Kabul River — a dismal trickle of muddy runoff this time of year — but at the figures huddled on its garbage-strewn banks. Some of the men below rock back and forth, or crawl on all fours. Others sit perfe... more »

GAIA PORTAL: Productivities in New Gaia Paradigm have lost all meaning

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago
*Productivities in New Gaia Paradigm have lost all meaning* by ÉirePort Productivities in New Gaia Paradigm have lost all meaning. Relevance to schematics is high. All recollections from past intentions are null. Statisticians come to the fore as Nova Energetics come forth. Primaries are enabled. Alternatives have dissolved. Processes are finished. ÉirePort | December 23, 2014 at 07:28 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-tE

How Government Killed the Medical Profession

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago
What i find truly troubling is that the economic models described here all ultimately fail. In fact the present assemblages is failing as we watch. Yet we really do need a solution that provides universal service, yet retains sufficient competition to promote real efficiency. Usually this means regulating the physical and capital structure of the whole enterprise to prevent unwanted alterations that run counter to that intent. What this really means is that it cannot occur naturally any more than we can operate any service wisely on either the basis of a sole monopoly or on th... more »

2015: arXiv identifiers get a new digit

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 1 day ago
Paul Ginsparg began to maintain xxx.lanl.gov – the server later renamed as arXiv.org – in Summer 1991. Since that time, the number of papers submitted each month would be growing. You can see that despite the mild acceleration in recent 5 years, the increase was much closer to a simple linear increse from 0 in Fall 1991 to almost 9,000 in recent months (the latter number may be translated to 400+ papers on an average "live" day). Because 9,000 is rather close to 10,000 which is 10 to the fourth power, you may be worried about the identifiers of the papers. Since April 2007, the u... more »

Independent Test Results on EEStor Technology

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago
This is an important benchmark mainly because we are seeing a production unit perform as advertised. As i posted a couple of years back, optimism was misplaced in terms of time frames to deliverables. Yet that day has now arrived and a sense of getting over the hump has to be read into this pronouncement. It is also clearly meeting expectations as a game changer. I am no longer nearly as excited myself simply because i am past this technology in terms of core commercial energy systems. Yet it will be important as we need storage capacity to manage supply oscill... more »

Putin in a Dangerous Cash/Debt Spiral

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago
The point is well made that sixty dollar oil and dropping demand is a catastrophe for the Russian government which has not fostered a healthy enough replacement economy. It is also fair to say that the Crimean adventure has now been called off and that extracation is the order of the day. There is scant to gain and runaway defense costs to incur. The only good that may come out of this is that the looming crisis may well focus the mind and we will see economic reform that we can respect and support. Otherwise Putin will go down as another dabbler whose imagination was seri... more »

World's Oldest Engravings Discovered on 500,000-Year-Old Shells

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago
This is great news. This had to be true, but proving it was always be a challenge. It is even from the place it should be. I made the conjecture a decade ago that tribal humanity first arose as part of a seaside culture in the Indonesian Islands. I had a lot of good reasons not least that the seaside can support large populations here in particular and still does by the way. I suspect this culture evolved there over at least five millions of years and tool development evolved at the same time. And yes, there would be a lot of shells, most of them deep underwater. This is... more »

The BBC come close to an epiphany over the French attacks on pedestrians

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 day ago
The BBC report report this morning on the third recent vehicular attack on pedestrians in France includes this line: 'Also, even if it is established the car attacks were the work of unbalanced individuals, might not Islamist propaganda have played some role in pushing them to the act?' The BBC get close to the truth but will not investigate what the source of this Islamist propaganda might be...

U.S. Quietly Spending Billions On Cyber Weapons

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
West Point students, from left, Lieut. Colonel Robert Fanelli and cadets Nathan Larsen, Mark Evinger (seated) and Marc Abbott participate in National Security Agency cyberwar games. Michael Falco / The New York Times / Redux *Cyber Command Investment Ensures Hackers Targeting U.S. Face Retribution -- Washington Times* Pentagon budget documents detail growing military commitment to cyberwarfare In the shadows of the Sony hacking incident and North Korea’s massive Internet outage, the Pentagon has quietly built a multibillion-dollar cyberwarfare capability and trained its commanders ... more »

Iranian Cyber Warfare - Modern Threats and Modern Defenses

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 1 day ago
*December 23, 2014 *(Vladimir Platov - NEO) - Today US intelligence services seem to finally have become aware of the potential damage a cyber-attack can inflict, therefore Washington is placing particular stress on enhancing its “combat capabilities” in virtual space. Therefore, not only the CIA, but the NSA and Pentagon have started getting substantial resources on an annual basis in order to be able to create the most advanced cyber-weapons conceivable. In 2013 alone Washington has allocated one billion dollars to the NSA and 685 million dollars for the CIA for them to carry out... more »

Here uber economist Paul Craig Roberts is interviewed for his views of Washington’s pressure on Russia and where it all may end. PCR responded that western financial institutions, e.g., the World Bank, IMF, and SWIFT currency transfer bank have been exploitive of the rest of the world, which therefore may soon abandon them. Asked what may happen to Russia, PCR explains that the “stupid” people running Washington have unknowingly invited all manners of “black swans,” i.e., unexpected events of large magnitude and grave consequences. For example Russia could retaliate for pressure on the ruble by delaying payment of its debts to European banks in 2015, which would promptly crash virtually all of them. Alternately, Russia may buy gold on the paper-gold COMEX and demand payment in bullion, as is anyone’s right. And if they are ever refused, COMEX (representing 80 times more paper gold than its supposed bullion bank) it would crash, whereupon the demand for (and dollar price of) gold bullion would sky rocket. Another thing Russia could do would be to use its dollar holdings to buy up all the western world’s (greatly devalued) rubles and subsequently demand that any one dealing with Russia must either buy revalued-in-dollars rubles or be members of the BRICS countries, which would pay with their own currency at mutually agreed exchange rates. Finally, although PCR doesn’t think he would do it, Putin could announce that Russia will no longer sell energy to NATO, which would result in its instant disintegration as a military threat.

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 1 day ago
------------------------------ Original Here *Today Dr. Paul Craig Roberts warned King World News that the Russians are going to unleash what he called the "ultimate black swan" against the West. Dr. Roberts also discussed how a terrifying series of events would then bring the Western financial system to it knees as the banking system completely collapses.* *Dr. Roberts: “I was listening to the news today and there were all these self-righteous people just happy as all get out that they had finally stomped Russia into the ground and ‘Russia is now finished,’ and Russia was bro... more »

2015 And 2028 Will Be The Best Years To Invade The U.S.

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
SUBMARINE RETURN The ballistic-missile submarine USS West Virginia returns after routine operations to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., Dec 18, 2014. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Rex Nelson *The Best Years To Invade America Are 2015 And 2028 -- War Is Boing* *That’s when the U.S. Navy will be weakest* If you’re a major world power, a megalomaniacal trillionaire with a private navy or some seagoing alien race, the best years to invade the United States will be 2015 and 2028. Because those are the years the U.S. Navy—the main protector of America’s sovereignty—wil... more »

Assigning Blame

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
Never forget: conservatives tortured Jesus and then murdered him Conservatives' infatuation with torture has a long sordid history. Sunday when Kevin Drum wrote a column for *Mother Jones*, Let's Blame Conservatives For All the Killings They're Responsible For, the first thing I thought of was Jesus Christ. Conservatives didn't just murder Jesus, they used "national security" as an excuse for first torturing him, in fact, torturing him to death. How Christians can condone torture-- and many do-- has always been beyond my ken. Anyway, Drum was reacting to the divisive and subversive p... more »

China's New Multi-Warhead Nuclear Missile Was Developed Using U.S. Technology

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Photo:* The Long March rocket, shown here carrying a spacecraft, has proved a reliable launch vehicle for the Chinese — thanks to U.S. technology. *China Tests DF-41 Missile Using U.S. Technology -- Investors.com* Defense: China has just tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile that can deliver up to 10 independently targeted nuclear warheads, using technology given to them on President Clinton's watch to launch communications satellites. The Dec. 13 test of the DF-41 was the third for the new weapon. But it marked the first test of a multiple independently targetable re-e... more »

Perfect Example of How to Approach Life

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 1 day ago
*Video - *A short parable about life and nature narrated by Alan Watts. The post Perfect Example of How to Approach Life appeared first on Waking Times.

Hawaiian Mantra of the Kahuna Mystic Healers

Waking Times at Waking Times - 1 day ago
*Meme - *The ancient Hawaiian mantra Ho'oponopono has been used by the Kahuna, the mystic healers, for centuries. The post Hawaiian Mantra of the Kahuna Mystic Healers appeared first on Waking Times.

China Building Military Base Near Disputed Islands Claimed By Japan

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
Land development is underway for building a heliport in the Nanji Islands in China's Zhejiang province in November. KYODO *China Building Base Near Isles Disputed With Japan, Kyodo Says -- Bloomberg* China’s military is building a large military base on islands about 300 kilometers (190 miles) from an islet chain at the center of a territorial row with Japan, Kyodo News reported today, citing unidentified Chinese sources. The base on the Nanji islands in Zhejiang Province is designed to enhance China’s readiness to respond to a potential military crisis and strengthen surveillanc... more »

We Will Not Be Silenced

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
DECEMBER 22, 2014 *ACTIVISTS BLAST NYPD ATTEMPTS TO SILENCE MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE* New York, NY — Activists issued a scathing statement this afternoon in response to recent attempts by the NYPD to silence the efforts of citizens seeking justice for victims of police violence. The letter, drafted by Ferguson Action, and cosigned by over a dozen grassroots organizations takes aim at PBA president Patrick Lynch and Commissioner Bratton for their reckless attempts to conflate constitutionally protected protest activities with the tragic murders of officers Ramos and Liu: “The events o... more »

China Pledges To Help The Russian Economy

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*China Pledges To Help Russia Overcome Economic Hardships -- RT* China’s foreign minister has pledged support to Russia as it faces an economic downturn due to sanctions and a drop in oil prices. Boosting trade in yuan is a solution proposed by Beijing’s commerce minister. “Russia has the capability and the wisdom to overcome the existing hardship in the economic situation," Foreign Minister Wang Yi told journalists, China Daily reported Monday. “If the Russian side needs it, we will provide necessary assistance within our capacity." The offer of help comes as Russians are still re... more »

Ravitch and Cody Announce the Imminent Demise of CorpEd With No Evidence to Back It Up

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
On December 16 Diane Ravitch reported, incorrectly as it turns out, that Teach for America has closed its New York offices. The next day Anthony Cody took that incorrect news to spin a tale about the impending collapse of CorpEd's empire. Apparently, Cody still believes the multi-billion CorpEd empire will collapse as soon as he points out on his blog that none of the reforms do what they said they would do. Really? Wonder if Bill Gates knows that. Blog, blog, blog. Is he serious, is he naive, is he stupid, or has he gotten a memo from Randi Weingarten letting him know that th... more »

Amnesty International: Islamic State Has Forced 'Thousands' Of Kidnapped Girls Into Sexual Slavery

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
Horrific: Details of the barbarity with which IS treats its captives are only now beginning to trickle out thanks to the bravery of a minority of girls who escaped their captors and fled to safety to tell their stories *ISIS Has Forced 'Thousands' Of Kidnapped Girls Into Sexual Slavery In The Last Five Months… With Many Traded Openly At markets -- Daily Mail* * Girls as young as 12 being dragged by hair onto cattle trucks to be slaves * They are mostly from minority Yazidi tribe, snatched from homes in Sinjar * They are divided up according to age, education and marital status * Then... more »

The CIA Analyst Who Spent Years Tracking Down Osama Bin Laden Has Been Outed

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
*Photo:* Jessica Chastain as CIA officer Maya in Zero Dark Thirty. SMH *CIA Analyst At The Center Of Torture Report Is Outed. She's Not 'Maya' -- CSM* *In the film 'Zero Dark Thirty' she was known as 'Maya,' the CIA analyst who spent years tracking down Osama bin Laden. Her story is more complicated with its ties to rendition and torture, and now several news outlets have revealed her identity.* In the film ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ she was known as ‘Maya,’ the CIA analyst who spent years doggedly tracking down Osama bin Laden, then identifying his body when US Navy Seal Team Six killed ... more »

Thanks, Eric Idle! "Jesus Christ: A Lust for Glory" -- now there's a movie I would have paid to see

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
*Did you know that, "according to one study," "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" -- the weirdly infectious ditty Eric Idle concocted for the climactic cluster crucifixion of Monty Python's Life of Brian, and which he a-sings and a-whistles here in an attempt to cheer up the downhearted Brian (Graham Chapman) -- is "the most requested song at British funerals, edging out 'My Way' "?* *by Ken* If we must have our celebrities permanently in motion, on a rotating basis, in an unstoppable international whirligig of media whoring, and apparently we must, then we can at least cheri... more »

Then and Now: the old Japanese Coast Road

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 1 day ago
[image: taitocoast] I was trawling around the East Asia Image Collection again today, the Taiwan Photographic Monthly, and found this image of the old Japanese coast road. I stopped for a moment, thinking... *I've seen this spot*. Sure enough, back in March of this year I came down for a weekend of riding on the rift valley and the coast and got a shot of my man Drew Kerslake riding the old Japanese coast road. The old Japanese coast road is now the Baonon bike path on the coast in Chenggong township (it is designated the Dong 19). It's a slightly different angle, and the rock has fa... more »

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- December 22, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago
Kim must be feeling pretty pleased with himself.(ReutersS/KCNA) *In North Korea, Kids Don’t Even Know The Internet Exists. So How Did The Country Pull Off The Sony Hack? -- John McDuling, Quartz* So the FBI has now formally accused North Korea of being behind the gigantic cyber-attack that has brought Sony Pictures to its knees over the past month—culminating in Sony’s decision yesterday to pull The Interview, which is about a fictional plot to assassinate Kim Jong-un, from theaters. In other words, arguably the most damaging cyber-attack against a company ever, was, astonishingly,... more » 
 
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