29 Dec - Blogs I'm Following

The 'JLENS' blimp, built by Raytheon, which can spot objects 340 miles away using highly sensitive radio systems. The US Army has begun testing the craft over Maryland, sparking privacy fears. *US Army's Controversial 'All Seeing' Surveillance Blimps Lift Off Above Maryland - And Can Spot* *Objects As Small As A Person 340 MILES Away -- Daily Mail* * Blimps can offer '360 degree 24/7 surveillance for 30 days at a time' * owerful radar allows them to spot objects 340 miles away * Privacy advocates worry they will be fitted with cameras to track individual people's movements The US ... more »

*(1) Question the writer hopes you'll ask: Is this Usher's dick? (2) Question the writer hopes you won't ask: Ya think I can get away with this? (For independent study: Compare this photo with the version below.)* *"My inner monologue was just lamenting the lack of anything particularly newsworthy today, even a damn celebrity sex tape, when lo and behold, Usher’s maybe-dick popped up on my laptop screen."* *-- The Frisky's Amelia McDonell-Parry,in the post* "Discuss: Is This Usher's Dick?" *by Ken* It's never happened to me, of course, but I've heard tell that it does happen to w... more »

TORN BY WAR The view from a mosque in Homs, Syria, that has served as a rallying point for insurgents. Credit Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times *As Syria’s Revolution Sputters, A Chaotic Stalemate -- Anne Barnard, New York Times* ANTAKYA, Turkey — It was a victory that President Bashar al-Assad’s opponents had dreamed of: Insurgents seized a key army base in northern Syria after more than a year of trying. But the mood in this Turkish border town, flooded with Syrians who have fled both government bombings and extremist insurgents, was more bitter than celebratory. The ass... more »

The U.S. Air Force's "boneyard" of surplus warplanes at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. US Air Force *Keeping The Pentagon’s Challenges in Perspective -- Mark Thompson, Time* Military stakeholders, including the press, are responsible for a pervasive sense of fear See the U.S. Military’s Last Days of Combat in AfghanistanU.S. Ends Its War in Afghanistan'Bottom of the Sea': Hope Fades for Missing AirAsia Plane NBC NewsSan Francisco Schools Transformed by the Power of Meditation NBC NewsArctic Blast Bears Down on Plains, Central U.S. NBC News Too often, that’s because parti... more »

Another compilation of news reports and charts here, about the costly and unreliable electricity from renewables despite all the subsidies. (1) From Spiegel International, September 4, 2013. *Altmaier and others are on a mission to help people save money on their electricity bills, because they're about to receive some bad news. The government predicts that the renewable energy surcharge added to every consumer's electricity bill will increase from 5.3 cents today to between 6.2 and 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour -- a 20-percent price hike.* *German consumers already pay the highest el... more »

The caricature on the lower left is Grimm, who the *Daily News* just reported is announcing his resignation from Congress tomorrow or Wednesday The *NY Post*'s right-wing film critic is an entertaining, witty writer-- but a crackpot lamed and blinkered by his own sick, twisted ideology. He flies into rages when normal people point out that right-wing politics-- ultimately fascism-- can only be explained as pathology. Using the word "crazy" to explain "rightists" drives him insane. Last summer, he vomited it all up for his *Post* readers in a deranged screed attacking historian Rick P... more »

*The Tragedy Of The American Military -- James Fallows, The Atlantic* The American public and its political leadership will do anything for the military except take it seriously. The result is a chickenhawk nation in which careless spending and strategic folly combine to lure America into endless wars it can’t win. In mid-September, while President Obama was fending off complaints that he should have done more, done less, or done something different about the overlapping crises in Iraq and Syria, he traveled to Central Command headquarters, at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. Th... more »

*Video - *This video, taken from Discovery Channel's Weed Wars, shows the effect that CBDs have shown to have on epilepsy. The post Weed Oil with CBD Cures Epilepsy Seizures appeared first on Waking Times.

Tweets..... *Paul Mason* @paulmasonnews · Dec 21 Greece for bond geeks - running the numbers on a #SYRIZA government: http:// bit.ly/1HjGfGB Paul Mason retweeted *Channel 4 News* @Channel4News · Dec 21 Greece's next government, whatever its political hue, will face a devastating debt baggage - @paulmasonnews http://bit.ly/1HjGfGB Paul Mason retweeted *Piers Scholfield* @inglesi · 16h16 hours ago Pro-Syriza Kontra newspaper: Alexis (Tsipras) is coming - end of Samaras. (And blames the Troika for the shipwreck..) [image: Embedded image permalink] *Paul Mason*... more »

*One Sentence That Shows How Badly America Failed In Afghanistan -- Max Fisher, VOX* The US-led war in Afghanistan officially ended this week, after 13 long, hard, and costly years. The war's end is largely a technicality — US and other troops will remain, and the Afghan army is continuing to fight a losing war against the Taliban — but this is a still a symbolically rich moment in the winding down of Western involvement. Few things sum up the bitterness of America's 13-year-effort in Afghanistan like the single sentence beneath this Al Jazeera headline, about NATO's ceremony off... more »

A U.S. soldier from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment waits for a CH-47 Chinook helicopter after an advising mission at the Afghan National Army headquarters for the 203rd Corps in the Paktia province of Afghanistan on Dec. 21, 2014. Lucas Jackson—Reuters *War In Afghanistan Officially Over. Does That Mean End Of Fighting For US? -- Anna Mulrine, CSM* Although combat operations ended Sunday, America will continue advisory and counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan. The ongoing international military campaign will have some 13,000 service members, most of them US troops. Washington — The... more »

the perfect idiot

*Al Jazeera is giving up on terror, Erdogan is doubling down on an error, and Assad is hanging on by a hair.* *1. An excerpt from, "Is Al Jazeera changing its tune on Syria?" by Wissam Kanaan, Al Akhbar, December 27, 2014:* It is no secret that Al Jazeera is the media arm of Qatari foreign policy, which has suffered a successive series of setbacks, particularly in Syria. But some time ago, signs that changes had taken place in the editorial line of Al Jazeera began to emerge, as evident in the terminology the Qatari satellite channel started using. *For example, Al Jazeera no long... more »

*• And so it begins: The running of the buffoons• Crazyspeak of the Year nominee No. 7:George Will has no idea what rape is• Crazyspeak of the Year nominee No. 8: Rick Wiles calls for a coup* *2016 GOP Buffoon No. 1 steps forward: He-e-ere's Booby!* *Crackpot Utopia:* *A dream world as envisioned by republicans; a manifestation or expression of the deranged, warped alternate universe inhabited by republicans, at least in their minds. See also: Bachmannism, Boehneresque.* *by Noah* *1. And so it begins: The running of the buffoons* The media will call it the Extended Republic... more »

http://aprilsairings.blogspot.com/2014/12/hs-message-dweller-within-masters-temple.html *Higher Self Message - The Dweller within the Master's Temple * Sunday, December 28, 2014 By April Bender (via Higher Self vision) Curiously you step into the very heart of the colossal Crystalline Fire of Ascension now ablaze within your portal / field / vessel. In an instant, you are fully engulfed by its magnificent light. You allow yourself time to simply stand and bathe in its brilliance. After a few moments of stillness, you begin to acclimate - your consciousness begins to slowly shift... more »

Health workers carry the body of an Ebola victim for burial at a cemetery in Freetown December 17, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Baz Ratner *Ebola Case Numbers Top 20,000, Deaths Approach 8,000: WHO -- Reuters* (Reuters) - The number of people infected by Ebola in the three countries worst affected by the outbreak has passed 20,000, with more than 7,842 deaths in the epidemic so far, the World Health Organization said on Monday. Cumulative case numbers in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea stood at 20,081, the WHO said in a statement. More than a third are laboratory-confirmed cases in Sierr... more »

Chilling: Al-Qaeda's house magazine (above) calls for high-profile airlines British Airways, easyJet, AA, Delta, United and Air France to be targeted by bombers to 'crush the enemy's economy'. Police are investigating. Daily Mail *Al-Qaeda Official Tells West To Prepare For 'Worst Nightmare' And Directs 'Lone Wolf' Attacks Towards easyJet And British Airways -- Independent* An al-Qaeda official has warned that the West should prepare itself for more ‘lone wolf’ attacks as the latest edition of the terrorist organisation’s magazine singles out UK airliners British Airways and easyJ... more »

http://the-one-network.org/ai1ec_event/one-people-round-table-2/?instance_id=116 One People Round Table 29 December 2014 9pm GMT One People ONE TV [image: The-One-Network_One_People_03] Lisa Harrison, Brian Kelly and Dani Arnold McKenny invite you to join them each week as they discuss, and at times, debate, world events, mainstream headlines and this ongoing global shift. This week we cover off the events of 2014 and have a good look at New Age memes. Please go to the LISTEN LIVE page at the scheduled show time in your time zone.

Notice the solar tornados. Fascinating to observe...

*Photo*: A file photo of the man believed to be Mullah Omar. *Around An Invisible Leader, Taliban Power Shifts -- New York Times* WASHINGTON — If the Taliban’s reclusive leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar, were ever to assert himself more publicly, this would have been the year to do it. In a season of immense upheaval in the jihadist world, the Taliban gained ground in new Afghan offensives, endured a bloody internal power struggle and had to contend with the rise of the Islamic State militant group as an ideological rival. Through it all, Mullah Omar has remained silent. Further, thou... more »

*Gary 'Z' McGee* - Why do you stay in prison when the door is wide open? The post 7 Signs You May be a Victim of Statism appeared first on Waking Times.

* Nose Cleaner* 10. Nose Cleaner on "Must Have" list for North Americans..."*Best Invention Since Sliced Bread*". Can you imagine how all this useless plastic will pile up forever in our land fills? 9. Man kicked off a Plane for dissing Christmas. People respond to man who bursts their imaginary festive bubble. 8. Dad's get to feel sensation of labour pains...at Chinese Maternity Hospital And women will get to feel the sensation of not having any pain? 7. Movie "The Interview" shows how depraved America is--but nobody mentions it in the M$M Members of audience get the sensa... more »

When it comes to brazen public corruption there aren't many governors that hold a candle to Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) and Chris Christie (R-NJ), who, conveniently, scheme together on behalf of the same wealthy donor class who fund their miserable, shameful careers. Over the weekend, Jess McKinley's piece in the *NY Times*, Cuomo and Christie, Defying Legislatures, Reject Bill to Overhaul Port Authority, generated a lot of buzz... at least for a Christmas weekend news story. The two corrupt governors acted in tandem on Saturday to veto unanimous votes of both their state legislatures "aim... more »

*A Flap Overlooked: Argentina’s 2002-2003 UFO Wave* *By Scott Corrales* Few things can seize a reader (or viewer)’s attention like a carcass of an animal mutilated in ways that challenge our understanding. In the summer of 2002, the Argentinean cattle mutilation epidemic – a question open to debate to this day – cornered all publications on UFO/paranormal subjects and set the conventional media ablaze as well with raging arguments of the source of the slayings: was a non-human agency at work in the dark fields of the Pampas and Patagonia, or was the red-muzzled mouse more powerful ... more »

I could have put this in the previous post-* Moscow Syria Peace Talks- Cairo Colludes with NATO opposition etc., etc.,* but, I felt this news deserves it's own special mention. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu *Is this a first for Turkey? * Does this have anything to do with that recent deal made between Russia and Turkey*- A very sweet deal for Turkey*. *Oil at $40 a barrel- Russia and Turkey make an energy deal ???* *Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated that Russia and Iran should not be excluded from talks aiming to reach a political settlement in the Syri... more »

*Julian Wash* - Today I wish to address to you a certain brand of loneliness, sometimes referred to as “isolation” or the sense of being disconnected... The post Loneliness – The Dilemma of the Awakening Mind appeared first on Waking Times.

Bolivia Revolutionizes Urban Mass Transit: From the Streets to the Sky How a spectacular urban cable car system and a new municipal bus program are revolutionizing mass transit in La Paz and El Alto, with the help of some political competition. Emily Achtenberg Rebel Currents 12/26/2014 [image: (Emily Achtenberg)](Emily Achtenberg) Those searching for revolution in Bolivia may find it in unexpected places. On the streets and in the sky above La Paz, the nation’s capital, and the neighboring indigenous city of El Alto, a genuine transformation of the urban public transportation ... more »

Lots of attention on the Ukraine, but, the situation in Syria is still ongoing. Russia is working on convening yet another peace conference. The Syrian government has agreed to attend along with some of the Syrian opposition groups- HOWEVER- Egypt is busily colluding with the Western backed opposition who have already rejected the Moscow Peace Talks. Earlier this year the National Coalition and other opposition groups met Syrian government representatives in Geneva. But the talks collapsed as the opposition demanded Assad’s resignation, while the elected government insisted the main... more »

Iran is heavily involved in the fighting in Iraq. Tehran is largely behind Baghdad’s defense strategy providing weapons, equipment, planning, air power, and hundreds of advisers. This has cost it not only money, but also lives. At the end of December a brigadier general in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF) was killed in Salahaddin, marking at least the fifth loss for Tehran in Iraq. Gen Taqavi (*left*) advising Iraqi forces from Iranian video (via *The Arkenstone*) On December 28, 2014 the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF) acknowled... more »

U.S. General John Campbell (C), commander of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), folds the flag of the ISAF during the change of mission ceremony in Kabul, December 28, 2014. The American-led coalition in Afghanistan officially ended its combat mission on Sunday after a more than 13 year war that ousted the Taliban government in 2001. Credit: Reuters/Omar Sobhani *U.S.-Led Mission In Afghanistan Ends Combat Role; Thousands Of Foreign Troops Remain -- Reuters* (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan formally ended its combat mission on Sunday, more th... more »

*Daniel Gustafsson* - The rainforests of the earth are known to be an enormous resource and a necessity for upholding the ecosystem of the planet... The post Ayahuasca – Natural Medicine for Brain Disease, Cancer and Wellness appeared first on Waking Times.

An American World War II firing squad, in this case executing a spy. YouTube/British Pathé *Tens Of Thousands Of Troops Deserting, Army Barely Prosecutes -- Daily Caller* Tens of thousands of soldiers have deserted the Army after long, drawn out deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan in dangerous conditions, but the military has proseuted just under 2,000 cases, Military.com reports. Over 20,000 soldiers have dropped out from the ranks since 2006, but only 1,900 cases have been prosectued. In most cases, desertion is usually easy to prove. Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has been the main poster ... more »

*Dave Mihalovic* - The overuse of Monsanto's Roundup herbicide on our food is causing glyphosate toxicity and it is now being considered as the single most important factor in development of autism and other chronic disease. The post By 2025 Half of all US Children Will Have Autism and Monsanto is to Blame appeared first on Waking Times.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/ Robin Sears is a past master of political strategy. In this morning's *Toronto Star*, he offers strategic advice about how each of our three main leaders should approach the next election. Stephen Harper, he writes, will not be able to get by on his economic credentials: They are, as analysts would say, already “priced into his stock.” He is facing real opponents for the first time in his life, apart from the late Jack Layton explosion in 2011 that almost overwhelmed him. Trudeau may not look like a stat... more »

Gravity in which we all believe thank goodness there is one thing we can agree upon as for the rest its the planet open to be exploited by the best spokesman not spokesperson because when you want real facts science has proven men never listen to a women Keep up on your Morse code people In Executive action it saved us from a worse than 911 Event In Interstellar it saves humanity Just watch and learn about science and why we live today in relative modernity How can a scientist explain ISIS or so many jumbled similar forces there is no math that applies to mans irrational mind a mind ... more »

*Hippo lying in the street in Miaoli.* No time for posting tonight... Straits Times on the hippo: A hippo in Taiwan died on Monday after suffering two accidents last week, once when it fell from a moving truck and again when its container was dropped as it was being returned to its pond. The animal, named "A Ho" after the Chinese word for hippo Ho Ma, was found dead in its pond at a farm in central Taichung city. Agriculture Minister Chen Bao-ji has slammed A Ho's owner, the head of a private ranch, for what he said was carelessness in transporting the animal and, while a post-mor... more »

What would happen if you took two legendarily unhealthy foods and combined them? No, I'm not talking about the freak of nature turduken, or bacon donuts, it's something even better: pizza egg rolls. That's right, the deliciousness of pizza tucked inside a flavor-packed egg roll wrapper. It was something I'd daydreamed about for weeks before gathering up the courage to try it. After all, if it was horrible, would it ruin pizza and/or egg rolls for me? Thankfully, the pizza egg rolls turned out incredible! In fact, they are in contention for one of the top three places among the ma... more »

Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). Reuters *Iranian Regime Expands Military Presence In Iraq: Report -- NCRI* The Iranian regime’s military involvement has dramatically increased in Iraq over the past year, the Washington Post reported citing U.S., Iraqi and Iranian sources. A senior Iranian cleric with close ties to Tehran’s leadership, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss security matters, said that since the Islamic State’s capture of much of northern Iraq in June, Iran has sent more than 1,000 military advisers to Iraq, as well as elite units, and has ... more »

A man walks past the site of a car bomb attack in Baghdad's Sadr City, in this August 7, 2014 file photo. Credit: REUTERS/Wissm al-Okili/Files *Special Report: Their Nation In Pieces, Iraqis Ponder What Comes Next -- Isabel Coles, Ahmed Rasheed and Ned Parker, Reuters* (Reuters) - The machine gun poking out from between a framed portrait of a Shi'ite imam and a stuffed toy Minnie Mouse was trained on anyone who approached the checkpoint. Like dozens of other communities in Iraq, this small Sunni settlement in northern Salahuddin province’s Tuz Khurmatu district has been reduced to ... more »

Very clear choice for 2016- Ayotte vs Shea-Porter New Hampshire has two congressional districts-- a red-leaning one (NH-01 with a PVI of R+1) and a blue-leaning one (NH-02, with a PVI of D+3). Obama won both districts in 2008 and 2012: *•* 2008 • NH-01- Obama- 186,561 (53%)- McCain- 163,941 (46%) • NH-02- Obama- 198,261 (56%)- McCain- 152,591 (43%) *•* 2012 • NH-01- Obama- 179,148 (50%)- Romney- 173,419 (48%) • NH-02- Obama- 190,413 (54%)- Romney- 156,499 (44%) It's been somewhat ironic that the stalwart progressive and advocate for New Hampshire's working families and middle class... more »

Links .... *Iranian General Killed by Sniper Fire in Iraq* Iranian General Among 292 Killed in Iraq Iraqi PM Calls for Regional Cooperation to Defeat Terrorism Syria to Discuss Russia Peace Plan Talks ISIS Executed Nearly 2,000 People in Syria in Six Months: Monitor Desperate for Soldiers, Assad's Government Imposes Harsh Recruitment Measures Tweets.... *Rudaw English* @RudawEnglish · 16m16 minutes ago #Iraq — Five people killed and 21 injured in a suicide-bomb attack, which targeted a funeral tent in #Baghdad. *Rudaw English* @RudawEnglish · 43m43 minutes ago Dozens of... more »

Tweets... *Kathimerini English *‏@ekathimerini 8m 8 minutes ago EU says Greece must commit to Europe, back reforms http://dlvr.it/7yMYYY *Kathimerini English *‏@ekathimerini 8m 8 minutes ago 'Moment of truth has arrived," says deputy PM http://dlvr.it/7yMJMJ *Yannis Koutsomitis* @YanniKouts · 12m12 minutes ago #Greece FinMin Hardouvelis: Troika was supposed to return to Athens next weekend. Now we'll see... *Yannis Koutsomitis* @YanniKouts · 45m45 minutes ago #Greece Athens market now at -7.47%, financials -12.33%. #euro *Yannis Koutsomitis* @YanniKouts · 2h2 ... more »

*“This isn’t our Homeland say envoys angered by TV thriller”* says a headline in the Times. (£) So Pakistani diplomats don’t like the portrayal of Islamabad in channel 4’s drama Homeland. *“A grimy hell-hole and war zone where shoot-outs and bombs go off with dead bodies scattered around.”* Okay. That is pretty much how I think of Islamabad, (though I’ve never been there) I thought. Always willing to test an argument by turning it on its head, I asked myself whether there was a parallel between this and the way Israel and/or Jews are relentlessly maligned in TV dramas. ‘We don’t lik... more »

Good evening and Welcome to Transpicuous News- our final show of 2014! This week, while the public guzzled nog and loved and laughed with friends and family, many things things rumbled down the tube to change the world. We're going to discuss the missing Air Asia plane, the Sinking Ships, and who's driving the gettaway car for the banking mafia. Hang tight my friends, the road is really twisting and turning now! Below is a list of links to stories that I have been following this past week, I haven't put them in any particular order this time, but I will highlight a few that I t... more »

*Written by Grant G* This time of year, festivities, food, blissful blessings, giving thanks for what he have while $dollaring our way to soothing our troubled souls, yes it is that simple, fooling one`s own mind with platitudes and plankton.. Nothing to read this time of year, care nothing of the fate of the millionaires Vancouver Canuck hockey team, won`t bow to the perceived greatness of hockey, a child`s game stolen by corporations, media`s at the ready distraction, look over there the Canucks won again, lost again, dominated the front pages again and again to the point of n... more »

Insightful as always and very helpful. The solution is simply to try to do nothing. That really suits both parties. However, it does not make the path of the Ukraine any easier. Their best option would be to declare neutrality but then promote a vigorous trade relationship with both the EU and Russia while postponing EU membership until Russia itself is also ready to join. This even gives it leadership options. The important thing is to announce these policies to allow everyone to stand down. Doing sometyhing may be to establish a boundary commission along with the trad... more »

What this emphasizes is that any relatively small object that tracks an orbit conforming to that of Earth itself and close enough at hand is a prime candidate for an impact however distant that may be. Worse though that same object is been constantly disturbed in ways that make orbital prediction almost impossible. It is not well understood that we need to monitor our own satelites constantly to ensure they do not get lost and that is almost an easy problem. Thus these objects all need to be located and placed inside a probability equation that needs to be updated every centu... more »

What is astonishing is that an ancient flint knife from Virginia came from France. This seriously supports active trading then and there rather than sporadic colonization. This happened 20,000 years ago when the Ice Age left the continental shelf bare and also exposed two massive island in between. Thus the trip distance to the islands would have been a few hundred miles at best and easy enough in the summer time. Better, the explorers would have been sailing into the wind. This allows a protracted advance in many directions followed by a quick scoot home. That trick pop... more »

I will take this idea simply because it is a simple way to instill consciousness regarding one's posture. Just trying to remember to rotate one's palm upward kick starts your posture and practise will work. Sometimes the best fixes are something as trivial as this. Most of us have posture issues so i am sure this is welcome. Try it out. *How To Improve Your Posture in One Simple Step* *Sara Calabro* *Acutake Health* *http://www.wakingtimes.com/2012/04/02/how-to-improve-your-posture-in-one-simple-step/* *Want to improve your posture quickly, for free, with almost zero eff... more »

A masked man speaking in what is believed to be a North American accent in a video that Islamic State militants released in September 2014 is pictured in this still frame from video obtained by Reuters October 7, 2014. *In Battle to Defang ISIS, U.S. Targets Its Psychology -- New York Times* WASHINGTON — Maj. Gen. Michael K. Nagata, commander of American Special Operations forces in the Middle East, sought help this summer in solving an urgent problem for the American military: What makes the Islamic State so dangerous? Trying to decipher this complex enemy — a hybrid terrorist org... more »

*Photo:* Russian-built Sukhoi Su-24 jets made available to Argentina. *EXCLUSIVE: Falklands Defence Review After Military Deal Between Russia And Argentina -- Express* DEFENCES on the Falklands are being reviewed after it emerged Russia plans to offer Argentina long-range bombers. The aircraft, which Moscow will swap for beef and wheat, would be able to mount air patrols over Port Stanley. Ministry of Defence officials fear Buenos Aires would take delivery of the planes well before the deployment in 2020 of the Navy’s 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and its F-3... more »

USS Donald Cook.(Reuters / Bogdan Cristel) *Russia To Counteract NATO's Boosted Presence In Black Sea – Envoy -- RT* Moscow is being forced to come up with countermeasures in response to NATO's increased presence in the Black Sea, Russia’s envoy to the alliance said following an announcement on the arrival of another US warship in the area. “Unfortunately, the Black Sea is becoming a place where non-regional powers have a permanent presence. What they are doing there is unclear,” Aleksandr Grushko said. “Of course, we will take the necessary countermeasures,” he continued. Grushk... more »

*America and Iran are two stupid lovers who have bad girlfriends. America has Israel, who is abusing the kindness of America, and Iran has the Arabs, who are ungrateful about what Iran has sacrificed for the Palestinian cause. So they both deserve what they get for being stupid. * *Wikipedia: * Gary G. Sick (born 1935) is an American academic and analyst of Middle East affairs, with special expertise on Iran, who served on the staff of the U.S. National Security Council under Presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan. He has written two books on U.S.-Iran relations, in addition to a numb... more »

*Earlier this week, Béji Caïd Essebsi became the first Tunisian freely elected president of the country.* *"While Tunisia's commitment to elections and other democratic processes has been inspiring, building deep roots for the democratic institutions and values that can stand the test of time will take years. Still, the country offers more hope than any other Muslim country shaken by the 2011 political upheavals and deserves as much political and economic support as the United States and Europe can muster."* *-- the conclusion of a NYT editorial,* "Tunisia Wins Again" *by Ken* The... more »

I've always been a spiritually-inclined person, even-- or especially-- when I was taking acid and wandering around the world from Sufi sites in Turkey, Hindu sites in India, Buddhist sites in Thailand to Jesus' birthplace in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve and a Jewish synagogue in Yangon. I worked in a non-sectarian meditation center in Amsterdam for four years and experienced all I could in the way of spirituality. Organized religion, on the other hand, has never been for me. My father, a devout atheist, told me they were all run by hucksters looking to enrich themselves with a minimu... more »

*Critical Decisions After 9/11 Led To Slow, Steady Decline In Quality For Secret Service -- Washington Post* The Secret Service began struggling to carry out its most basic duties after Congress and the George W. Bush administration expanded the elite law enforcement agency’s mission in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. According to government documents and interviews with dozens of current and former officials, the recent string of security lapses at the White House resulted from a combination of tight budgets, bureaucratic battles and rapidly growing demands on ... more »

The UK is a basket case. It is governed by people who despise the indigenous population and who only see us in terms of how much money we can make for them. Our safety, our opinions, our lives - these don't matter to them one iota. We 'plebs'; we factory-fodder; we ordinary people - we are hated by our rulers. They insult us by daring to call our country a democracy, when it is plain for all to see that if one doesn't play the 'soggy biscuit game' at Harrow, Eton or similar degenerate's paradise, then one simply has no chance of getting into parliament. Yes, their are women ther... more »

Hola! Esta es la segunda parte de nuestra mega colección de *imágenes, fondos y wallpapers de Año Nuevo 2015 con mensajes en Español y en Inglés*. Se trata de una bonita serie que le ofrecemos a usted en exclusiva para que los comparta en sitios web, foros, blogs y redes sociales. Son hermosas *imágenes* coloridas con mensajes como *"Feliz Año Nuevo" y "Happy New Year"*. Son diseños especiales en fondos y wallpapers coloridos y con un gran número *2015* en ilustraciones listas para ser parte de nuestras felicitaciones para este año venidero que seguramente será de mucho éxito y ben... more »

Various fleeting thoughts have been floating across my mind today, falling like snowflakes... **** Firstly, Maureen Lipman on *Broadcasting House *describing the British media's coverage of the Syrian conflict: I've seen no pictures. I've seen nothing on 24 hour news. I am well accustomed to seeing every rooftop that descends in Gaza because that's where all the reporters are, in the same hotel, all chatting away and all swapping photos. But as far as Syria's concerned, they're all absolutely petrified to do anything or report on anything. That seems to me to be a pretty good d... more »

*China’s Internet Is Freer Than You Think -- Brendon Hong, Daily Beast* *China takes great pains to regulate Internet users within its border, but civil unrest remains largely uncensored—and helps the government gauge public sentiment.* HONG KONG—Last year, I met a Chinese graduate student on a tour of the northeastern United States before his first day at Harvard. At the time, news about the purge of Bo Xilai, a princeling and member of China’s Central Politburo, was still making waves in China. Over chilled beers, he shared a few observations: “Everybody is talking about Bo Xila... more »

I leave early Monday for St. Mary's, Georgia where I will join the annual King's Bay nuclear submarine base protest vigil on New Year's Eve. This alternative New Year event has been going on for something like 35 years. While I lived in Florida I must have attended more than 20 of these. Folks hold a retreat, share food, and review their activism at the Crooked River State Park which is located next door to the nuclear sub base. I've missed these events since we moved to Maine in 2003 and was excited to be invited to come and speak during the retreat this year. (President Jimm... more »

*Photo:* China's DF-41 missile *Chinese Military Confirms DF-41 Flight Test -- Bill gertz, Washington Free Beacon* *Beijing says new multi-warhead missile does not change nuclear policy* China’s People’s Liberation Army on Thursday confirmed that its military conducted a flight test of a new long-range missile that U.S. intelligence agencies say involved the use of simulated multiple warheads. “China has the legitimate right to conduct scientific tests within its border and these scientific tests are not targeting any country or target,” PLA Sr. Col. Yang Yujun told reporters at a... more »