| Puppet Masters |
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Sputnik
2016-02-01 21:44:00
Russian warplanes have carried out 468 sorties, destroying over 1,300 terrorist targets in eight Syrian provinces in one week, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday. "Over the past week, Russian warplanes carried out 468 sorties in the Syrian Arab Republic, including 24 combat missions conducted by long-range Tu-22M3 bombers," Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said. According to the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, 1,354 terrorist targets have been destroyed in Syria's provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Raqqa, Daraa and Deir ez-Zor. Russian long-range aviation thwarted a terrorist offensive in Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor, Konashenkov said. "Long-range bomber aircraft units supported the Syrian government troops defending the city Deir ez-Zor. Twenty three major terrorist targets were destroyed in the region as a result of airstrikes conducted by Tu-22M3 bombers flying in from Russia and task air force from the Hmeymim airbase. An attempt of a terrorist offensive in the Deir ez-Zor has been thwarted." | |
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Sputnik
2016-02-03 21:38:00
Top ranking NATO officials are becoming concerned with technologically advanced Russian submarines operating in the North Atlantic. According to Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone, Commander of NATO's Maritime Command, his subordinates report "more activity from Russian submarines than we've seen since the days of the Cold War", HIS Jane's points out. NATO is currently facing "a level of Russian capability that we haven't seen before," he added. According to the vice admiral, Russia has managed to achieve "technology leaps that [are] remarkable, and credit to them" through "an extraordinary investment path not mirrored by the West." The new Russian submarines have better systems and longer operational ranges, he added. Furthermore, it has become apparent that Russia has also worked hard on improving the expertise of its naval submarine crews, Dave Majumdar, the Defense Editor of The National Interest, remarksciting a report by the US Office of Naval Intelligence. As a result, NATO personnel have "seen a rise in professionalism and ability to operate their boats that we haven't seen before", Johnstone adds. The current level of Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic is "very different from the period of quiet submarine activity that perhaps we've seen in the past," Vice Admiral Johnstone concludes, claiming that "that is a concern." | |
Comment: While the US military has been for years focusing on developing objects of force such as bullets and bombs to attack large groups of innocent civilians, Russia has quietly been developing their technology to be able to attack and defend against any military in the world. The US should be concerned about how far their military has fallen behind Russia's, especially since they continue to poke the bear.
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F. William Engdahl
New Eastern Outlook 2016-02-03 21:24:00
Sometimes profound tectonic shifts in the global politics arise from least noticed events. Such is the situation with Iran and the recent visit to Teheran of China's President Xi Jinping. What emerged from the talks confirms that the vital third leg of what will become a genuine Eurasian Golden Triangle, of nations committed to peaceful economic development, is now in place. Now Iran, Russia and China have all indicated a will to cooperate that has the potential to change the current Western course of wars and destruction in favor of peace and cooperation. Consider some aspects of recent events since lifting of economic sanctions on Teheran only days ago. What emerges in the public announcements following talks between China's President and all top Iranian leaders from Prime Minister Rouhani to Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, merely hints at what is clearly a profound shift in the relations between China and Iran. On January 23, an official Chinese Xinhua news agency statement on Xi's Iran trip, the first by any Chinese leader in fourteen years, declared the visit will, "lift their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership." In Teheran the Chinese President noted, "China stands ready to work with Iran to seize the momentum and further elevate our relationship and practical cooperation, so as to usher in a new chapter for our ties featuring comprehensive, long-term and stabledevelopment." | |
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Sputnik
2016-02-03 12:30:00
Vladimir Putin is meeting with Henry Kissinger in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin confirmed. Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet on Wednesday with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. | |
Comment: Oh, to be a fly on the wall during one of their conversations! Imagine: One of the last century's most genocidal political and elitist operatives Kissinger, meeting someone who is quite possibly the most astute, constructive and powerful world leaders of the last sixty years or so, Putin. What do they say to one another? Do they just pick each other's brains; each trying to understand the enemy better? Or do they share information that makes some attempt to stave off WWIII?
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RT
2016-02-03 19:06:00
The United States federal debt has surpassed $19 trillion for the first time in history according to the Treasury Department. However, the real figure could exceed $65 trillion, according to a former US Comptroller General. The official debt of $19 trillion represents almost $60,000 for every man, woman and child living in America today. President Barack Obama took office with $10.8 trillion debt that has grown more than $8 trillion in seven years. And such a record tempo is likely to continue, according to the Congressional Budget Office, quoted by the Washington Times. This equals an additional $70,000 in net federal borrowing for each of the 117,480,000 American households, according to Census Bureau estimates. | |
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RT
2016-02-03 18:31:00
After placing second in the Iowa Caucus, Donald Trump took to Twitter to blast the winner, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), accusing him of committing fraud during the selection process. Trump called for the results to be "nullified." The tirade began Wednesday morning, after the real estate magnate was hit with publicmocking him for coming in second. A previous ‒ and since-deleted ‒ tweet said Cruz "illegally stole" the caucus win.
Trump then laid out why he believes Cruz committed fraud during the caucuses, including releasing a statement that neurosurgeon Ben Carson was quitting the race and asking for the doctor's supporters to caucus for Cruz instead; sending out voter violation certificates; and claiming that Trump was strongly in favor of Obamacare and abortion. | |
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RT
2016-02-03 17:26:00
A lawmaker representing the parliamentary majority party United Russia is preparing a bill that, if passed, would ban members of political parties from receiving money from foreign sponsors, under the threat of lengthy prison sentences. Yevgeniy Fyodorov has told Izvestia daily that he plans to draft the bill in the current spring session of the State Duma. The document will contain amendments to the Criminal Code that introduce criminal responsibility for members of registered political parties who receive money from foreign citizens or organizations. The punishment suggested by Fyodorov for violating the rule is between three and six years in prison. The MP said he was aware that Russian law already contains measures aimed at countering foreign influence on national politics - namely barring the guilty parties from elections and imposing fines on their members - but that personally he considers the law insufficient. | |
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RT
2016-02-03 17:16:00
Ending smuggling across the Turkish-Syrian border is a key condition to make the ceasefire work in the Syrian conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, stressing that he sees no reason to stop the Russian counter-terrorist operation in Syria. "The key component for the ceasefire to be operational is the burning issue of arms smuggling across the Turkish-Syrian border, supplying the militants [in Syria]," Lavrov said. Without the smuggling being disrupted, "it is hard to expect the ceasefire to take place - ever," he said, adding that the issue has been discussed with the American co-chairs of the Syrian Support Group. Lavrov expressed hope that more detailed dialogue will continue after the Syrian Support Group meets in Munich on February 11, where Moscow will present its own suggestions regarding the ceasefire in Syria. | |
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RT
2016-02-03 17:03:00
Moscow is gaining momentum as the biggest seller of crude oil to China, with Russian crude supplies overtaking those from Saudi Arabia. According to data from RBC Capital Markets, the Saudi share of Chinese crude imports at the beginning of the decade was about 20 percent, while Russia's was below 7 percent. The situation has changed. "Russia is the biggest rival to the Saudis in the single-largest oil demand growth country in the world," Michael Tran, RBC Capital Markets' commodity strategist told Business Insider. "The rising tide of Chinese growth has meant that notional volumes for both countries have increased in the years since, but Russia's gains have been outsized," he added. | |
Comment: China and Russia working together will only strengthen the position of each country in their struggle to provide an alternative to the US empire. For the Saudis, the loss of their crown to Russia couldn't happen to a nicer bunch!
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Rudy Panko
Russia Insider 2016-02-03 16:57:00
Russia is now the top crude exporter to China, the largest (or second largest, depending on whom you ask) oil demand growth country in the world. At the start of the decade, Saudi Arabia enjoyed a 20% share of Chinese crude imports, while Russia was lagging far behind with 7%. Now the Saudis find themselves neck and neck with Moscow for the lead in Chinese market share, with both performing in the 13-16% range. But Russia's share continues to rise, as The Kingdom struggles to maintain a foothold. Why? Analysts attribute Russia's huge market share growth to its willingness to accept yuan, while Saudi Arabia is still clinging to blood-soaked dollars. As Business Insider notes: Interestingly, part of Russia's success in China has been attributed to its willingness to accept Chinese yuan denominated currency for its oil. | |
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Julian Robinson
Daily Mail 2016-02-02 21:53:00
Japan has vowed to shoot down a North Korean rocket if it is deemed a threat after Kim Jong-un announced plans to launch a 'satellite'. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned what he called a 'serious provocation' and Japan issued an order to 'destroy' the missile with surface-to-air weapons if it threatened to fall on its territory. The order was given amid fears over the 'possibility that North Korea will launch a missile it calls a "satellite" within coming days,' the statement said. 'Today the defence minister issued an order' to destroy such a missile if it 'is confirmed that it will fall on Japanese territory,' the defence ministry said in a statement. The order will be carried out byJapan's ballistic missile defence system, which includes PAC-3 surface-to-air anti-ballistic missiles, and similar SM-3 systems aboard warships, the ministry said. The order will be effective until February 25, it added, the end of the launch window announced by Pyongyang that begins on February 8. Pyongyang announced plans last week for a launch aimed at putting an Earth observation satellite into orbit - just weeks after conducting its fourth nuclear test. Japan's response came as China expressed 'serious concerns' over North Korea's actions. 'We express serious concerns about that,' foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular briefing. 'We believe that the DPRK has the right to the peaceful use of space but at the moment its relevant right should be subject to the restrictions of the UN Security Council resolutions,' he added, using the North's official name. | |
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Sputnik
2016-02-03 10:42:00
Since the 'war on terror' began 15 years ago, the number of mercenaries hired by private military and security companies and operating on the front lines in the Middle East and Africa has exploded tremendously, a new report by War on Want reveals. The report, 'Mercenaries Unleashed: The brave new world of private military and security companies', examines the extensive and far-reaching billion dollar private industry, which the UK-based movement War on Want says is dominated by British companies. "Private military contractors ran amok in Iraq and Afghanistan, leaving a trail of human rights abuses in their wake. Now we are seeing the alarming rise of mercenaries fighting on the front line in conflict zones across the world: it is the return of the 'Dogs of War,' " John Hilary, Executive Director at War on Want told Sputnik. | |
Comment: For more on this subterranean world of hired guns, check out:
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Mike Whitney
Counterpunch 2016-02-03 14:01:00
Here's what you need to know about the Syria peace talks: Four of the most powerful militias currently operating in Syria have been excluded from the negotiations. The Islamic State (ISIS), Jabhat al Nusra, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) have all been banned from the talks. What this means is that even if all the delegates agree to a ceasefire, it's not going to matter. The fighting is going to continue. Everyone in the Obama administration already knows this, which is why we think the peace talks are a fraud designed to conceal Washington's real objectives. (More on this later.) The meetings that were supposed to begin on Friday, did not actually start until Monday following a series of diplomatic miscues over the weekend. As it happens, the main Syrian opposition groups, most of who operate under the aegis of the High Negotiations Committee, refused to come to Geneva until Russia met their demands concerning humanitarian relief, prisoner release and stopping the bombing of enemy positions. Not surprisingly, the matter wasn't settled by Moscow caving in to the HNC's demands, but by Kerry bending-over-backwards to placate the group by making a number of commitments that he'll never be able to keep. What commitments? According to Reuters: "In separate comments before heading to Geneva, Assad al-Zoubi, (chief negotiator for the HNC) said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry gave assurances by phone to the HNC's leadership, saying Washington supported a U.N.-backed political transition period without Assad, a bone of contention among warring parties." (Reuters) | |
Comment: Given Russia's track record so far, it's unlikely that she will fall for this ploy or, even better, turn it to her advantage. Russia's people have had decades of hardship which has enured them to economic discomfort. Their newly-found pride in their country and drive for economic independence from the West will keep Russia on track in the long run.
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RT
2016-02-03 13:25:00
Senator John McCain says the US will decide when EU sanctions on Russia can be lifted.The issue of sanctions is expected to be discussed next week in Munich, with many EU countries unhappy that the restrictions are adversely affecting their economies. "I think there is clearly a lot of conversation amongst the Europeans about lifting the sanctions...There are many countries that are looking for the exit sign," McCain said, speaking to Sputnik. "I have been hearing it for months, that there is enormous pressure in a lot of countries, particularly Germany, to lift the sanctions." | |
Comment: Oh my. McCain makes it VERY clear that the EU has no autonomy or authority - it is subject to the rule of the US. Wonder how that makes EU members feel? Russia has been trying to get the EU member states to see this reality and for them to make up their own minds on the sanctions.
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Sputnik
2016-02-03 10:30:00
The countries of the European Union have agreed to provide two-thirds of the money which has been offered to tackle the migration crisis in Turkey, media reports said. The member states of the EU will inject two-thirds of the aid package the union has promised to help resolve the migration gridlock in Turkey. The countries' contributions will be proportionate to their national GDPs, RIA Novosti quoted Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders as saying. Koenders, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, made the remarks during a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday. | |
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| Society's Child |
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Patricia Callahan
Chicago Tribune 2016-01-28 18:37:00
A federal appellate court decision this week handed a victory to Dow Chemical Co.'s efforts to revive a World War II-era weedkiller and brought the next generation of genetically modified crops closer to America's dinner tables. In a case that has seen one surprising twist after another, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's request to vacate its own scientists' 2014 approval of the Dow weedkiller known as Enlist Duo. The three-sentence order did not elaborate on the judges' reasoning. Dow genetically engineered corn and soybeans so they are immune to Enlist Duo — a mix of glyphosate, the nation's most popular weedkiller, and 2,4-D, a 1940s herbicide linked to cancer and other health problems. The new chemical will give farmers a one-two punch to wipe out field-choking weeds that have become impervious to glyphosate, which also has been linked to cancer. | |
Comment: Senior scientist at the National Resources Defense Council, Sylvia Fallon, has a lot of faith in the EPA. How many times does the EPA have to 'fully evaluate' the effects of Enlist Duo? They already gave it a green light, failing humans and the planet! It's basically a component of the toxic Agent Orange herbicide used during the Vietnam War, which has been linked to numerous health issues including increased risks of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Parkinson's and immune system problems. Not to mention the EPA intentionally "fudged the numbers" to make poisonous DOW chemical appear safe.
So Fallon believes that the agency is going to get it right?! It would be wise to wake up to the reality that there is and has been surging hubris at the Environmental Protection Agency for decades! And when it comes to 'protecting' anything...it's the chemical industries profits first. | |
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RT
2016-02-03 19:21:00
The German government says nearly 5,000 child and teenage asylum seekers have gone missing from refugee homes since the start of 2016. Police believe that figures could be distorted but have not ruled out that some might have been the victims of crime. A spokesman for the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) told the German newspaperFrankfurter Rundsch that a total of 4,749 unaccompanied children and teenagers had been reported missing since entering the country, The Local reported. Around 10 percent of those who have disappeared are under the age of 13 and 4,387 were between the ages of 14 and 17. Speaking to The Local, the BKA said that some of the children will turn up again, and that the figures could be misleading if a child has been reported missing at a number of different locations. However, the organization did not rule out that some of the minors could have been the victims of crime. Heinz Hilgers, the president of the German Child Protection Agency said that lone children could be"easy targets" for criminal gangs. | |
Comment: Under cover of war, mass migrations, etc. the most atrocious crimes known to us are made even easier to perpetrate by the intra-species and human-looking predator, the psychopath. And now, with the world becoming ever more chaotic - thanks to psychopaths in positions of power - things have just become that much easier for those who predate on the most innocent and vulnerable; our children.
The following are only two very recent stories that speak to this evil: | |
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John Carney and Louise Cheer
Daily Mail 2016-02-03 01:34:00
A prosecutor has described a video used by vile child sex abuser Matthew David Graham, showing an assault on an 18-month-old girl, as 'one of worst things you could see'. The case, presented by prosecutor Krista Brekweg, was named as one of the most distressing ever to come before the court. The video description was contained in a statement made after Graham pleaded guilty to 13 child pornography and sex offences on Wednesday in the Victorian County Court, The Herald Sun reports. Judge Michael Tinney only reluctantly agreed to view edited images and video. One video as evidence was titled 'Daisy's Destruction'. Graham was allegedly so cruel even other paedophiles could not stand him, the court reportedly heard. Comment: What an absurd thing to include in this article. Who gives a hoot what other pedophiles think?! As though what they do in person, or virtually, doesn't in some way contribute to the same abhorrent and psychopathic behavior! Graham pleaded guilty in September to setting up child pornography websites on the 'dark web'. When Graham was 18, he was on the cusp of graduating from Epping Secondary College, in Melbourne's north, and lived a quiet life with his parents in the neighbouring suburb of South Morang. But behind closed doors he was leading a very different life. Under the name 'Lux', he controlled a network of concealed 'dark web' websites and forums used by paedophiles, The Age reported. | |
Comment: For those creatures out there who are not yet behind prison walls - bring on the comets!!!
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Corey Charlton
Daily Mail 2016-02-03 02:05:00
A poet sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for abandoning his Muslim faith has had his sentence of beheading commuted - but must still face 800 lashes and eight years in jail.Ashraf Fayadh was detained by the country's religious police in 2013 in Abha, southwest Saudi Arabia, and rearrested and tried in early 2014. His conviction was based on evidence from a witness who claimed to have heard him cursing God, Islam's Prophet Mohammad and Saudi Arabia. Other evidence which led to the barbaric sentence was found in the contents of a poetry book the 35-year-old Palestinian refugee had written years earlier. The new ruling, posted by Fayadh's lawyer on his Twitter account, said the court has decided to 'go back on the previous death sentence' but confirmed the charges that prompted the death penalty. 'The accused is sentenced to a punishment of eight years in jail and 800 lashes divided into installments, 50 lashes for each installment,' the ruling stated, according to the Twitter posting. A spokesman for Saudi Arabia's justice ministry could not immediately be reached for comment. A lower court had previously sentenced Fayadh to four years in prison and 800 lashes. The case went to the Saudi appeals court and was then returned to the lower court, where a different judge last November 17 increased the sentence to death. The second judge ruled defence witnesses who had challenged the prosecution witness' testimony ineligible. | |
Comment: Finally, poetic justice? See also:
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James Walker
Digital Journal 2016-02-03 18:55:00
Windows 10 is now a "recommended" update in Windows Update for computers running Windows 7 and 8.1. This means the new operating system may try to install itself automatically in a move that will further annoy users who don't want to upgrade. Microsoft first announced its plans to promote Windows 10 to a recommended update last October. Because Windows Update's default - and most secure - settings automatically install updates listed as recommended, the first steps of the Windows 10 installation process may now complete without user intervention on Windows 7 and 8.1 computers. The user will still be shown a final warning that the update is about to be installed and can opt-out at this stage. The new method of delivering Windows 10 is different to that used in the past as Microsoft has abandoned its old reservations model in a bid to get as many people as possible running the new OS. Microsoft said the move will "help" its customers to migrate to the new operating system. A spokesperson told ZDNet: "As we shared in late October on the Windows Blog, we are committed to making it easy for our Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers to upgrade to Windows 10. We updated the upgrade experience today to help our customers, who previously reserved their upgrade, schedule a time for their upgrade to take place." | |
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Abdi Sheikh and Duncan Miriri
Sydney Morning Herald 2016-02-03 18:41:00
A commercial airliner has made an emergency landing at Mogadishu's international airport afterpassengers heard a loud bang and a fire broke out on board, leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage. One man was sucked out of the plane and two people were slightly injured. The remaining 74 passengers and crew of the Airbus A321 were evacuated after the plane made a safe landing on Tuesday afternoon, Somali aviation official Ali Mohamoud said on Wednesday. Mohamed Hassan, a police officer in nearby Balad town, said residents had found a dead body of an old man who they believed had fallen from the Airbus A321. Local authorities in the Balcad area, about 30 kilometres north of Mogadishu, confirmed the body of the man, believed to have been sucked out of the plane, was found in the area.
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Comment: Mainstream media reports are going right to the narrative of a bomber on board the plane causing the explosion, but if so the bomber built a rather inefficient bomb. It would seem that if one wanted to bomb a plane, they would build a bomb strong enough to crash the plane, not just blow a hole in the fuselage. So, the next question is whether the hole was truly caused by an explosion inside the plane or by an external source. Don't expect the media to look for answers though, suicide bomber fits right in with scaring the populace and providing more reason for stricter security.
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John vibes
Activist Post 2016-02-03 00:00:00
A man representing himself in a Maryland court was shocked with 50,000 volts of electricity by the judge because he continued to speak when the judge ordered him to stop. Judge Robert Nalley pleaded guilty on Monday to depriving the defendant of his civil rights. The charge stems from an encounter between the judge and victim Delvon King in July of 2014, when King was appearing before Judge Nalley to face gun charges. King had a shocker anklet attached to him, which was supposed to be used in case of an emergency situation, or if King were to attempt to escape or hurt anyone. In the court, King attempted to make his case but was constantly interrupted by the judge who repeatedly told him to be quiet. When King continued to make his case to the court, Judge Nalley told the court deputy "Mr Sheriff, do it... use it," at which point 50,000 volts of electricity were sent through King's body, causing him to scream in pain. The court transcript read, "DEFENDANT SCREAMS." King later described the situation to reporters, saying that he experienced "Excruciating pain then, and a burning sensation." | |
Comment: Another perfect example of the systemic corruption within America's 'justice' system. The wealthy and influential receive merely a slap on the wrist for their crimes, no matter how heinous, while the poor are incarcerated and often abused for the most minor offenses.
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Helen Clark
Hanoi's famous turtle dies at a most inauspicious time.The Diplomat 2016-01-25 16:36:00
Hanoi's famous turtle Cu Rua in central Hoan Kiem Lake has died, two days before the 12th General Party Congress officially began. Some see this as a portent, given that the creature was known for appearing at auspicious times such as Hanoi's 2010 millennial celebrations. Its carcass was found by authorities Tuesday and taken to Ngoc Son temple on the lake before being removed. Cu Rua will be embalmed and put on display at the National Museum of Natural History according to Vietnamese media. | |
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Tom Boggioni
Raw Story 2016-02-01 16:32:00
Two Tennessee cops are being criticized for excessive force for Tasering a 36-year-old middle school cleaning woman after they confronted her at night in the otherwise empty school. Juana Raymundo, originally from Guatemala, has been charged with evading arrest after she ran from the police who thought she was a burglar — despite seeing her cleaning supplies in the hallway — reports the Times Free Press. According to the police report, Sgt. Jamie Heath and Officer Brian Desmond entered Ooltewah Middle School at 8:30 in the evening earlier this month after noticing a door to the school was left open. Inspecting the school with their guns drawn, they spotted the cleaning supplies in the hall way before encountering an empty-handed Raymundo who appeared, "nervous and somewhat reserved." Comment: Who could blame this poor woman for being nervous when she encountered police with their guns drawn in an empty school. There isn't even a good reason to draw their weapons. Just because a door was open doesn't mean they have to draw their weapons. Did they even identify themselves as police to the woman? Police have lost all sense of control. | |
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Sputnik
2016-02-03 04:31:00
On Tuesday, US top military leaders said that women should be required to register for the draft following the opening of all combat operations to women by the Department of Defense. The US military opened combat jobs to women after a review of longstanding Pentagon policy, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced early in December 2015. The change was made across the "entire force" despite recommendations by the Marine Corps against the move. "Every American who's physically qualified should register for the draft," General Robert Neller, the Marine Corps commandant, said during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing examining women's integration into combat. US Army chief General Mark Milley echoed Neller, saying that "all eligible and qualified men and women" must discharge their duty to their country. | |
Comment: There can never be enough cannon fodder for the endless war machine.
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Adam Horowitz
Mondoweiss 2016-02-03 03:06:00
This morning New York commuters are being treated to a surprise as they head to work. People have spread out across New York City handing out an expertly-produced "supplement" to today's New York Times announcing a "new editorial policy" towards Israel/Palestine. We got the following announcement this morning from the email address newyorktimes-ip@newyorktimes. Dear Valued Reader, | |
Comment: The hammer of censorship falls swiftly. For now, the @nyt_ip twitter account is suspended and the website is unavailable. Wonder why . . .
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Leo Hohmann
WND 2016-02-02 19:43:00 Comment: The article below shows the stunning ignorance and blatant Islamophobia (thanks to U.S. leaders and media) that is taking hold in America. It is truly jaw dropping! This woman's mindset gives the readers a glimpse into what type of person supported and turned a blind eye to what happened to the Jews in Germany. History is repeating itself - this time it's the Muslims.
More than 120 people braved the snow and ice Monday to rally in front of the Missoula County Courthouse, protesting an effort by the Obama administration and its army of community organizers to plant foreign "refugees" into small cities in western Montana. One of the speakers was a woman who moved recently to Montana from Amarillo, Texas, which has been inundated with thousands of refugees over the past 15 years. "Amarillo is overrun with refugees," said Karen Sherman, who stood and spoke to the crowd amid blowing wind and falling snowflakes. Sherman just moved to Missoula, a college town that serves as home to the University of Montana. It's a far cry from Amarillo, which she described as a city of rampant crime and cracking social fabric, thanks to the heavy influx of refugees sent there by the U.S. State Department in cooperation with the United Nations. "Our city is failing because of the refugees. We have 22 different languages spoken in our schools. We've got 42 languages being fielded by our 9-1-1 call centers, and crime is just through the roof. We need to exercise caution, especially for the sake of our children," she said. The protesters carried signs that read, "Christian Refugees 2 Christian Nations, Muslim Refugees 2 Muslim Nations, That's Only Fair," and "Refugee Resettlement Means Big $$$$$ - No Accountability." Sherman said Amarillo, a city of just more than 200,000 people, has gang violence that has surpassed that of much larger Texas cities such as Fort Worth. She fears U.S. cities like Amarillo and Minneapolis, Minnesota, could be in line to become the next Rotherham, England, or Cologne, Germany, or Stockholm, Sweden, where mass rapes by Muslim men have gained much attention in Europe. Touching off a rape epidemic Amarillo was recently named the fifth most dangerous city in Texas, according to FBI crime statistics, up from sixth last year. And it has been nationally recognized as having one of the highest rates of rape in the nation. That's a dubious distinction that Sherman believes is tied to the high number of Muslim refugees shipped there by the U.S. government. | |
Comment: See also:
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RT
2016-02-02 20:07:00
A Daallo Airlines flight made a reported emergency landing in Mogadishu, Somalia today after an onboard explosion just minutes after take-off. The Airbus flight D3159 was traveling from Somalia to Djibouti when passengers heard a loud bang before seeing flames, according to Airlive.net. At least two people were reported injured by the explosion which blew a large hole through the side of the aircraft. Details surrounding the incident vary, with VOA reporting the number of people injured as three and Vice News suggesting the "fire or explosion was contained on the airport's tarmac". No explanation has been given for the cause of the explosion, but police are reportedly treating it as "suspicious". | |
Comment: Al-Shabaab was infiltrated by MI6 long ago, and its forces are recruited and trained by MI5 agents:
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Kate Randall
WSWS 2016-02-02 23:37:00
More than 1 million low-income people across the United States could soon lose their government food stamp benefits if they fail to meet work requirements. The threatened mass cutoff of the government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits constitutes a vindictive bipartisan attack on some of the nation's poorest and most vulnerable residents. A Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) report last month predicted 500,000 to 1 million people would be cut off of SNAP benefits in 2016 due to the return in many areas of a three-month limit on benefits for unemployed adults aged 18-49 who are not disabled or raising minor children. The SNAP cutoffs loom as hunger and food insecurity continue to rise sharply. According to the most recent statistics from Feeding America, a food bank network, a staggering 48.1 million Americans lived in food insecure households in 2014, including 32.8 million adults and 15.3 million children. | |
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Andrew Emett
The Free Thought Project 2016-02-02 19:09:00
Accused of beating a pregnant woman in the stomach and causing her to miscarry, four NYPD officers have recently been sued for violating her constitutional rights, false arrest, and excessive force. Although the woman initially informed the cops that she was pregnant, the officers allegedly struck her before throwing her to the ground and stomping on her stomach. According to the recently filed lawsuit, NYPD officers arrived at Emelda Fitzroy's house at 1:45 p.m. on November 2, 2014. Although the civil complaint does not mention why the police went to her home, Fitzroy asserts that she told the officers that she was pregnant before they "forcibly grabbed" her and arrested her "without any legal justification." After striking her in the stomach, officers reportedly threw Fitzroy to the ground before stomping on her. Arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges of assault, misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration, and lesser counts of harassment, Fitzroy was incarcerated for 26 hours and later miscarried her baby "as the result of the injuries she sustained" at the hands of the police. | |
Comment: No one is safe with these thugs on the streets.
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| Secret History |
No new articles.
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| Science & Technology |
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Phys Org
2016-02-03 17:41:00
Earth's magnetic field is generated by the motion of liquid iron in the planet's core. This "geodynamo" occasionally reverses its polarity—the magnetic north and south poles swap places. The switch occurs over a few thousand years, and the time between reversals can vary from some tens of thousands to tens of millions of years. When magnetic polarity remains stable in one orientation for more than 10 million years the interval is dubbed a "superchron." Within the last 540 million years—the time when animals have roamed the Earth's land and seas—there are three known superchron periods, occurring about once every 200 million years. The question of how frequently reversals and superchrons occurred over a longer segment of Earth's history is important for understanding the long-term evolution of the internal and surface conditions of our planet. But so far, such information has only been pieced together by fragmentary evidence. New work from Carnegie's Peter Driscoll and David Evans of Yale University now identifies as many as 10 additional superchrons over a 1.3 billion-year stretch of time during the Proterozoic Eon, or Earth's middle age, which occurred 2.5 to 0.54 billion years ago. Their work is published in the March 1st issue of Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Records of magnetic field reversals can be found in rocks that maintain the magnetic polarity of the era in which they formed. In order to establish evidence of a polarity shift, this kind of ancient magnetic, or "paleomagnetic," data must be gathered from around the globe, ideally sampling every tectonic plate. | |
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Science Daily
2016-02-03 16:33:00
Let's forget about the climate for a minute. Largely hidden from public view, another global change is causing increasing disruption. Residues of medicines in water can kill aquatic animals and play havoc with their food web and reproductive cycle. An international team of researchers led by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) makes an urgent case for better wastewater treatment and biodegradable pharmaceuticals. Algae that are becoming far less edible for water fleas and fish, leaving them to starve. Aquatic animals undergoing unwanted sex changes. And fish on their annual run struggling to locate their spawning ground. These are some of the disruptive effects of pharmaceutical residues on the aquatic environment. "Chemical substances from pharmaceuticals wreak havoc on underwater chemical communication," says the head of the NIOO's department of Aquatic Ecology, Ellen van Donk. She's been heading a team of Dutch, German and US researchers, who take stock of the problem in the next issue ofReviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. "The effects are becoming more and more visible in lakes and ponds worldwide, if you know what to look for." | |
Comment: An ideal solution, but one that is unlikely to gain traction would be to reconsider the wholesale drugging of the population and indiscriminate prescribing of 'medicines' that are often ineffective, if not outright dangerous.
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RT
2016-02-02 01:44:00
Likened to a scene in the sci-fi epic Star Wars, a new image released by NASA shows what happens when a blast of energy beams across the galaxy from a super-massive black hole. A composite photograph taken over the course of 15 years by the space agency's Chandra X-ray Observatory looks like the superlaser from the Death Star planet destroyer. But fear not: the phenomenon is nearly 500 million light years from earth and is apparently part of the normal workings of the universe. | |
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RT
2016-02-02 01:18:00
An experiment has proven that ravens can imagine being spied on and adapt their behaviour accordingly showing an ability to engage in abstract thinking, previously attributed exclusively to humans and apes. Ravens have an understanding of what could be going on in another raven's mind, a study carried out by a group of Austrian and American scientists and published in the Nature Communication journalsuggests. The birds are particularly capable of imagining being watched which comes in handy when hiding food. It materialized that ravens, believed to be one of the most intelligent birds as it is, pay particular attention to the hiding process if there's any suspicion that another bird might be present. The scientists watched over 10 ravens that had been raised in captivity over six months. The birds were kept in separate rooms and could monitor each other through windows that initially had not been covered. The next step was covering the windows with cloth and leaving a peephole that could be closed or opened. Ravens demonstrated extra carefulness while finding a place to hide their treats only when a peephole was open and they knew that other birds may be watching them. "Ravens.. take into account the visual access of others, even when they cannot see a conspecific,"the study states. | |
Comment: Ravens and their relatives the crows have shown the capacity for a wide variety of human-like behaviors.
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| Earth Changes |
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Robert Felix
Ice Age Now 2016-02-03 19:46:00
The situation is particularly worrying in the north, where the thermometer reached the -17 ° C mark. In Mexico City it snowed in January, a phenomenon not seen in the capital since 1967. 31 Jan 2016 - While the storm Jonah was unleashed on the United States, in Mexico temperatures dropped to record lows. The snow and cold forced the government to declare a state of emergency is declared in 24 of the 32 states in the country. The National Meteorological System has warned that the worst of winter may be yet to come and that temperatures will fall in the north, northeast, east and center of Mexico.
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The whale, weighing approximately 25 tonnes, was seemingly stranded in the shallows during the night because of the high tide and was then trapped in the sand. Sightings of whales along the coastline of Maharashtra seem to have become a common occurrence. Three days after a 45-feet-long Bryde's Whale was found dead on the Juhu beach, another behemoth whale was spotted around 200 km away from Mumbai. A 40-feet-long blue whale was spotted stranded in the shallow waters of Dapoli beach in Ratnagiri district by members of the Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra on February 1, who successfully rescued it and sent it back into deeper seas. According to the environmental group, on a chilly morning at around 6 am, a volunteer of the group saw the whale struggling to keep itself in the waters, almost 100 metres from the shore. The whale, weighing approximately 25 tonnes, was seemingly stranded in the shallows during the night because of the high tide and was then trapped in the sand. "Immediately, the volunteer alerted other members of the group and we informed the forest officials," Project Director, Mohan Upadhye from Dapoli said. The distress call by the group was heeded by around 25 men of the village, alongside a strong force of forest officials as well. | |
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The sight of dead body of a 35 feet long and 10 feet round sperm whale washed ashore shocked locals on Tuesday near Kantiagada village that under Ganjam block. The whale is suspected to have died five days back. Informing about the body that washed ashore, Khalikote Forest Ranger, Dilip Kumar Martha, said, "We doubt that the whale died four or five days back. Initial investigations suggest that the whale died after being hit by a ship. The Odisha museum has also been informed about the whale if they ever want to preserve it. If they don't, the whale will be buried near the coast." | |
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Lindsey Bever
The Wasington Post 2016-02-02 18:00:00
Thai authorities said Tuesday that a Scottish tourist was gored by an enraged elephant and trampled to death during a trekking tour on the resort island of Koh Samui. Gareth Crowe, 36, and his stepdaughter, Eilidh Hughes, 16, were riding the adult elephant when they were thrown from the animal, police told Agence France-Presse. Crowe's stepdaughter and the elephant's handler were able to escape, but Crowe — who had a prosthetic leg, police said — could not outrun the elephant, Samui District Chief Paiboon Omark told AFP. Crowe was wounded by the elephant's tusk and trampled. He died after being transported to a local hospital. According to Thai news reports, the elephant — named Rambo but also known as Golf — became upset when his handler, called a mahout, climbed down to take a picture for the tourists.
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Seemorerocks
2016-01-29 16:57:00
A refuge has been set up at the Triabunna council chambers for those stranded in the area. The Tasman Highway between Buckland and Orford has been closed due to flooding and landslides, as has the highway a kilometre north of Triabunna. One holiday-maker, who asked not to be named, said he and his young family were stuck on the other side of the Orford Rivulet, which was now a torrent. He had been forced to walk into town for supplies, crossing the river via the beach. "I spoke to the police and they said just to sit tight — the road south is closed and they don't know how long that will be the case for, " he said. "They told me there was no point trying to get out at his stage."
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Christina Erne
WCSH-TV 2016-02-02 20:08:00
At 6:56 a.m., residents on the east coast of Maine got a wake up call from nature. A magnitude 3.3 earthquake hit 5 miles to the northeast of Eastport's shore, but residents thought it felt a lot closer than that. Luckily, there wasn't much damage, but it gave people a good rattle. The earthquake was detected coming from the waters between Maine and Canada's coasts. Residents from Charlotte and Perry and as far as Machias reported they heard and felt it. Some people experienced minor damage like falling household objects up to 10 miles from the center of the quake. Early risers even saw waves coming from the epicenter in the water. A magnitude 3.3 earthquake is still considered a minor one, but to some who lived close by, it was anything but. "The only thing I could think of was the house blowing up," said one Eastport resident. "There were some things falling off the shelves and it sounded like the house was going to crack in half," said another Eastport resident. A worker on the pier said, "a short time later was a big wave rolling in. Just one rogue wave." | |
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TJ Dimacall
GMA News Online 2016-02-01 16:29:00
The apparently sudden appearance of a sinkhole in a creek in Romblon has raised concern among parents and authorities in the area. The creek is a common play area for local kids, who love to take a dip in its cool waters. But just over the weekend, two kids were surprised to discover a 1.8-meter-deep sinkhole in their usual haunt. Parents have since warned their kids to stay away from the creek for fear that they may be sucked into the hole. This fear may be unfounded, however: sinkholes are usually just depressions formed by the collapse of the surface above a hidden space in the ground. | |
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Adapt 2030
Youtube 2016-02-03 09:26:00
Snows blanketed Vietnam and Laos the last week of January 2016 breaking hundreds of cold and snow records. SaPa farmers at total crop losses, 9000+ cattle froze to death and Nghe An recorded its first snowfall ever with records stretching back to 1650.
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David Wells
Western Morning News 2016-02-02 08:04:00
A second earthquake has hit Cornwall in a week - leaving residents a little shaken by the minor tremor. The British Geological Survey confirmed a signal at 12.04pm between Falmouth and Helston. The data is now due to be analysed to determine its strength. Kim Kimber, who lives near Falmouth, said: "Initially thought it might be thunder but there was not enough cloud. It felt wrong too. "The whole house shook and the windows were rattling. I felt the vibration through the floor. "If we lived near a quarry I might have thought they were blasting but nearest live quarry is a couple of miles away." Last week, an earlier earthquake struck parts of Cornwall - sending a low rumble through houses around the area. But far from any fears of a major seismic shift, perhaps splitting Cornwall from the rest of mainland Britain, the quake measured only 0.8 on the Richter Scale. | |
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CBC News
2016-01-13 23:09:00
Light scattering likely cause of deep red colouration, says CBC meteorologist Residents of Iqaluit, Nunavut woke up on Tuesday morning seeing red — literally. The city took on a strange rose hue throughout the day, wowing residents and leading to plenty of theories. CBC North's Nick Murray snapped a photo of the colouration outside CBC's Iqaluit bureau,which was shared widely across Facebook and Twitter. By Wednesday afternoon, the photo had reached nearly 200,000 people on CBC's Facebook pages alone. | |
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| Fire in the Sky |
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James Kust and Coreen Zell
WTMJ-TV 2016-02-02 22:23:00
Multiple sources have reported seeing some sort of fireball or meteor over the skies of southern Wisconsin Monday evening. The Muscoda Police Department caught video of the fireball on a squad dash cam facing east:
That wasn't the only sighting. UW-Madison's Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences school also caught the spectacular display from one of their rooftop cameras. | ||
Comment: The American Meteor Society (AMS) received 160 reports yesterday about a fireball seen over Wisconsin and neighbouring states. On January 30th 2016 there were 880 reports of meteor fireball sightings over Northeast US and Canada. See also: Fireball seen over Northeast US
NASA space data supports citizens' observations: Meteor fireballs are increasing dramatically | ||
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| Health & Wellness |
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Margie King
Green Med Info 2016-01-31 21:32:00
Whether you love garlic or can't stand the stink, there is no denying that this bulb provides a treasure trove of healthy benefits. Garlic (Allium sativum) has been called the "stinking rose." While some people think it reeks, others can't get enough of its bite. Whether you love garlic or can't stand it, there is no denying that this bulb provides a wealth of healthy benefits. Green Med Info's database documents the effectiveness of garlic in 183 disease conditions ranging from cancer to stroke, infection to atherosclerosis, diabetes to lead toxicity. The database also provides evidence of garlic's 57 pharmacological effects in the body. Here are just seven evidenced-based reasons to eat more garlic every day. | |
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Catherine Frompovich
Activist Post 2016-02-03 17:42:00
Something of pharmaceutical concern that the holistic/alternative medical community and the alternative press have been alleging for numerous years now, finally is being confirmed by a British Medical Journal paper published January 27, 2016. Professor Peter C Gotzsche, MD, and several students published "Suicidality and aggression during antidepressant treatment: systematic review and meta-analyses based on clinical study reports" after reviewing and including 76 trials with 64,381 pages of clinical study reports for 18,526 patients—certainly not a small sampling! | |
Comment: More than 1 in 10 Americans on Suicide-Linked Antidepressants
Americans are in the dark over antidepressants and their suicide link Of course these statistics are very troubling given the extreme side effects that go along with antidepressants. You may not be aware of these side effects, as pharmaceutical drug companies have tried their very best to keep them from hitting the media. Shockingly, the makers of Prozac - Eli Lilly & Co., were able to hide the link between Prozac and suicide for 15 years. Through denial and media deception, Eli Lilly & Co. were able to keep Prozac dangers a secret from the general public,choosing profits over deadly consequences. | |
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Dr. Mercola
Mercola.com 2016-02-02 00:00:00
In the featured video, Jeffrey Smith interviews Dr. Alex Vasquez, M.D., Ph.D., author of about 100 papers and 15 scientific books, and Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D., a Senior Research Scientist at MIT and author of about 200 papers, about the impact of glyphosate — the active ingredient in Roundup — on your mitochondria. As noted by Jeffrey, this is a very important topic, as mitochondrial dysfunction is an underlying foundational element of most diseases. Why the Health of Your Mitochondria Matters As explained by Vasquez, in addition to producing most of your body's energy in the form of ATP, your mitochondria also participate in many other processes, such as cellular signaling. According to Vasquez, the data is "impressively clear" that those with type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure have dysfunctional mitochondria. Your mitochondria also play an important role in inflammation, and control apoptosis (cell death). These two roles make your mitochondria a player in diseases such as cancer, for example, as damaged cells fail to receive the message to self-destruct, and therefore continue their malignant growth. | |
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CTV News
2016-02-02 18:07:00
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed a Zika virus case in Texas that was acquired through sexual transmission. "Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) has received confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the first Zika virus case acquired through sexual transmission in Dallas County in 2016," a statement from the county said. The county said that a patient was infected with the virus after having sexual contact with an ill individual who returned from a country where Zika virus is present. The patient had not travelled to area. A statement sent to CTV News from the CDC on Tuesday said the patient was the first case of the Zika virus in a "non-traveller in the continental United States." | |
Comment: For more information, see The Zika freakout: Is there more to this virus scare than meets the eye?
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Megan Minogue
Prevent Disease 2016-01-15 17:16:00
Headaches, cracked teeth and sleep disturbance: Bruxism can take a heavy toll on a person's quality of life. Treatment methods for bruxism are as varied as its causes, and now even Botox has been called into the battle against the painful disorder. Bruxism is a condition in which you grind or clench your teeth, usually without even being aware of it. It affects about 8 to 10 percent of all adults, and its symptoms include:
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David Rosner & Gerald Markowitz
TomDispatch.com 2013-04-29 01:18:00
Just over three years ago, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig leased by BP killed 11 people, injured 17, and -- according to government estimates -- polluted the Gulf of Mexico with 210 million gallons of Louisiana sweet crude. It turns out, however, that the casualty toll didn't end with those 28 workers. The real number may reach into the thousands. Last year, BP pled guilty to 14 felonies stemming from the disaster, including misleading Congress about the amount of oil that gushed into the gulf. But that wasn't the only way BP attempted to cover up the extent of the spill. The main method was using 1.84 million gallons of a substance known as Corexit that acts to "attach itself to leaked oil, break it into droplets, and disperse them into the vast reaches of the gulf, thereby keeping the oil from reaching Gulf Coast shorelines." Writing for Newsweek and with the support of the Nation Institute's Investigative Fund, Mark Hertsgaard recently laid bare how Corexit was utilized and the dire effects it apparently had on the men and women who worked to "clean" the gulf in the wake of BP's historically unprecedented spill. People like Jamie Griffin. A BP representative reportedly assured Griffin that the smelly sludge cleanup workers were tracking into the "floating hotel" where she was a cook would be "as safe as Dawn dishwashing liquid" -- so she scrubbed and scrubbed to clean it up. "Within days," Hertsgaard writes, "the 32-year-old single mother was coughing up blood and suffering constant headaches." She soon "fell ill with a cluster of excruciating, bizarre, grotesque ailments... unstoppable muscle spasms were twisting her hands into immovable claws... she began losing her short-term memory... The right side, but only the right side, of her body 'started acting crazy. It felt like the nerves were coming out of my skin. It was so painful. My right leg swelled -- my ankle would get as wide as my calf -- and my skin got incredibly itchy.'" | |
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Elaine Schmidt
UCLA Newsroom 2016-02-01 00:00:00
Companies advertise BPA-free plastic as a safer version of products ranging from water bottles to sippy cups to toys. Many manufacturers stopped using bisphenol A, a chemical that is used to strengthen plastic, after studies linked it to early puberty and a rise in breast and prostate cancers However, bisphenol S, or BPS, a common replacement for BPA in plastics, has also been linked to health risks. New UCLA-led research demonstrates some of the mechanisms that make BPS just as harmful as BPA. The study found that BPS speeds up embryonic development and disrupts the reproductive system in animals. | |
Comment: Also see BPS has same health effects as BPA
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| Science of the Spirit |
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Jan Hoffman
The New York Times 2016-02-02 17:33:00
One evening in the late fall, Lucien Majors, 84, sat at his kitchen table, his wife Jan by his side, as he described a recent dream. Mr. Majors had end-stage bladder cancer and was in renal failure. As he spoke with a doctor from Hospice Buffalo , he was alert but faltering. In the dream, he said, he was in his car with his great pal, Carmen. His three sons, teenagers, were in the back seat, joking around. "We're driving down Clinton Street," said Mr. Majors, his watery, pale blue eyes widening with delight at the thought of the road trip. | |
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Bob Nease
FastCompany 2016-01-28 00:00:00
Your brain has a neocortex and a limbic system, and sometimes they fight. Here's how to get them to play nice. Think about all the stuff you've been putting off—really, go ahead. Chances are you've been putting off thinking about the stuff you've been putting off, right? It's not that you don't think those things are important, or even that you believe they'll go away if you ignore them. So why are you procrastinating, and how can you stop that? It Isn't As Bad As You Think For starters, you probably procrastinate far less than you think. If we stop to think about it, there are lots of things that need to get done that almost always do get done, some way or another: eating when we're hungry, drinking when we're thirsty, going to sleep when we're tired—you get the idea. No one has to nag us to eat, drink, or nap. These are all things that are good for us in the long run. But so are turning that report in on time and changing the oil in the car. In other words, not every beneficial behavior causes us to procrastinate. There's only one factor that seems to separate the good behaviors that we do easily from those we routinely put off doing: how good they feel. In other words, we seem to have no problem doing things that are in our our long-term interest as long as they feel good in the here and now. It's only once those behaviors impose upfront effort or unpleasantness that the jig is up. It's as if all our brains care about is whether something feels good right this moment than whether it will turn out to be good for us later. | |
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Adam Grant
Sunday Review 2016-01-30 00:00:00
They learn to read at age 2, play Bach at 4, breeze through calculus at 6, and speak foreign languages fluently by 8. Their classmates shudder with envy; their parents rejoice at winning the lottery. But to paraphrase T. S. Eliot, their careers tend to end not with a bang, but with a whimper. Consider the nation's most prestigious award for scientifically gifted high school students, the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, called the Super Bowl of science by one American president. From its inception in 1942 until 1994, the search recognized more than 2000 precocious teenagers as finalists. But just 1 percent ended up making the National Academy of Sciences, and just eight have won Nobel Prizes. For every Lisa Randall who revolutionizes theoretical physics, there are many dozens who fall far short of their potential. Child prodigies rarely become adult geniuses who change the world. We assume that they must lack the social and emotional skills to function in society. When you look at the evidence, though, this explanation doesn't suffice: Less than a quarter of gifted children suffer from social and emotional problems. A vast majority are well adjusted — as winning at a cocktail party as in the spelling bee. What holds them back is that they don't learn to be original. They strive to earn the approval of their parents and the admiration of their teachers. But as they perform in Carnegie Hall and become chess champions, something unexpected happens: Practice makes perfect, but it doesn't make new. | |
Comment: Rather than fostering creative genius, overbearing parents may actually do great harm by instilling a fear of failure and potentially creating psychological problems that manifest later in life.
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Washington Post
2016-02-02 02:12:00
We believe that the opposite of focus— daydreaming, goofing off, spacing out— is to be avoided. Worse yet, having problems focusing is seen as an obstacle to overcome and even as pathological. Self-help books and productivity bloggers strive to keep us on task with advice and hacks. When we fail to come up with the results we were hoping for, we wonder whether we just aren't working or concentrating hard enough. We've come to consider focus and being on as "good," and idleness— especially if it goes on for too long— as "bad" and unproductive. We feel guilty if we spend too much time doing nothing. But in thinking this way, we make a fundamental mistake. Truly successful people don't come up with great ideas through focus alone. They are successful because they make time to not concentrate and to engage in a broad array of activities like playing golf. As a consequence, they think inventively and are profoundly creative: they develop innovative solutions to problems and connect dots in brilliant ways. Dwight Eisenhower logged more hours on the golf course than any other U.S. president yet is also regarded as one of the best presidents this country has ever had. In a time and age when everyone is over-scheduled and over-focused, creativity is more and more prized— it's the key to your effectiveness and success, in life and in business. It can also be a never- ending source of joy and happiness. Here are three ways to "unfocus" for heightened creativity: | |
Comment: The Eiriu Eolas meditation program is an excellent way to use these principles. The exercises can be done any time anywhere, providing instant stress relief, and heightened creativity.
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| High Strangeness |
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Daily Mail
2016-02-03 02:01:00
An home that has long been reported to be a hotbed of demonic activity according to visitors has been demolished. The residence, in Gary, Indiana, was destroyed two weeks by Zak Bagans, a host and producer of the show Ghost Adventures. It was filmed for a documentary he plans to release later this year. Bagans bought the home back in 2014 for $35,000 after Latoya Ammons reported that she and her three children had been possessed by demons while living there, a claim which was later backed up by members of the local police department and workers from the Indiana Department of Child Services. 'Something was inside that house that had the ability to do things that I have never seen before — things that others carrying the highest forms of credibility couldn't explain either,' Bagans told theIndyStar. 'There was something there that was very dark yet highly intelligent and powerful.' The possession and exorcism of Ammons was actually filmed inside the house by police. | |
Comment: If all this is true, it sounds like harrowing experience was had for all involved. One has to wonder if the entity (if that's what it was) causing the havoc moved on to a new home, followed the family, or decided to stay put over the demolished home. Then again, everything that occurred may have in some way or another been specific to the Ammons family and not some evil entity from "outside". This case certainly raises a lot of questions.
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