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Saturday, June 12, 2010

Russia presses for French warship technology | Antiwar Newswire

Russia presses for French warship technology | Antiwar Newswire

Russian decision-makers pressed France on Friday for access to warship technology, while France's biggest company sought a bigger chunk of Russia's oil and gas business.

No breakthrough announcements were made on either front, but Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin looked confident of France's economic loyalty during a trip to Paris dominated by talk of trade.

Putin and French President Nicolas Sarkozy agreed that a pending deal to build four French Mistral-class warships for Russia's navy would be a "50-50" project, according to Sarkozy's office. The project, what would be the largest military deal between a NATO country and Moscow, has worried Russia's neighbors such as Georgia and some of France's NATO partners.

Sarkozy insisted in his talks with Putin that the sale is a "political signal" more than a purely commercial deal, an effort to keep Russia engaged with the West, according to Sarkozy's office.

Both sides are still working out how much of the ships will be built in France and how much in Russia — a key question, given the many jobs that would create — and the sensitive issue of how much military technology France will share with Russia...

At a Paris exhibit showcasing Russia's industrial might, Putin told guests that it was time to "deepen our cooperation," and encouraged oil giant Total SA to "expand your activity in Russia."

"You can count on us," Total Chairman Christophe de Margerie answered.

De Margerie said his company had submitted a bid for between 20 and 25 percent of the Yamal gas field in cooperation with Russian company Novatek, and that he was discussing the bid with Putin. "I am always optimistic. If we don't think we have a good chance to win, we don't make a bid," he told reporters....

Putin also visited a French government building — the former headquarters of the national weather forecasting service — being sold to Russia in a prime location near the Eiffel Tower. Russia wants to build what Putin called a "spiritual cultural center," what many expect to mean a Russian Orthodox church.

Meeting with former French President Jacques Chirac on Friday morning, Putin, a former KGB agent, denied media reports that the center would be used by Russian secret services, saying they have "no grounds at all

[bth: French warship technology to Russia in exchange for oil concessions and a spy nest in Paris. So very French.]

Saudi Arabia gives Israel clear skies to attack Iranian nuclear sites - Times Online

Saudi Arabia gives Israel clear skies to attack Iranian nuclear sites - Times Online

Saudi Arabia has conducted tests to stand down its air defences to enable Israeli jets to make a bombing raid on Iran’s nuclear facilities, The Times can reveal.

In the week that the UN Security Council imposed a new round of sanctions on Tehran, defence sources in the Gulf say that Riyadh has agreed to allow Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace in the north of the country to shorten the distance for a bombing run on Iran.

To ensure the Israeli bombers pass unmolested, Riyadh has carried out tests to make certain its own jets are not scrambled and missile defence systems not activated. Once the Israelis are through, the kingdom’s air defences will return to full alert.

The Saudis have given their permission for the Israelis to pass over and they will look the other way,” said a US defence source in the area. “They have already done tests to make sure their own jets aren’t scrambled and no one gets shot down. This has all been done with the agreement of the [US] State Department.”

Sources in Saudi Arabia say it is common knowledge within defence circles in the kingdom that an arrangement is in place if Israel decides to launch the raid. Despite the tension between the two governments, they share a mutual loathing of the regime in Tehran and a common fear of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “We all know this. We will let them [the Israelis] through and see nothing,” said one.

The four main targets for any raid on Iran would be the uranium enrichment facilities at Natanz and Qom, the gas storage development at Isfahan and the heavy-water reactor at Arak. Secondary targets include the lightwater reactor at Bushehr, which could produce weapons-grade plutonium when complete.

The targets lie as far as 1,400 miles (2,250km) from Israel; the outer limits of their bombers’ range, even with aerial refuelling. An open corridor across northern Saudi Arabia would significantly shorten the distance. An airstrike would involve multiple waves of bombers, possibly crossing Jordan, northern Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Aircraft attacking Bushehr, on the Gulf coast, could swing beneath Kuwait to strike from the southwest.

Passing over Iraq would require at least tacit agreement to the raid from Washington. So far, the Obama Administration has refused to give its approval as it pursues a diplomatic solution to curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Military analysts say Israel has held back only because of this failure to secure consensus from America and Arab states. Military analysts doubt that an airstrike alone would be sufficient to knock out the key nuclear facilities, which are heavily fortified and deep underground or within mountains. However, if the latest sanctions prove ineffective the pressure from the Israelis on Washington to approve military action will intensify. Iran vowed to continue enriching uranium after the UN Security Council imposed its toughest sanctions yet in an effort to halt the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme, which Tehran claims is intended for civil energy purposes only. President Ahmadinejad has described the UN resolution as “a used handkerchief, which should be thrown in the dustbin”.

Israeli officials refused to comment yesterday on details for a raid on Iran, which the Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has refused to rule out. Questioned on the option of a Saudi flight path for Israeli bombers, Aharaon Zeevi Farkash, who headed military intelligence until 2006 and has been involved in war games simulating a strike on Iran, said: “I know that Saudi Arabia is even more afraid than Israel of an Iranian nuclear capacity.” ...

[bth: this is sourced through the Time of London so one can be pretty sure that it was revealed with the knowledge of the Israeli government. Why they would want to put Saudi Arabia in an embarrassing position is hard to say. Perhaps it is to signal to the Turks that they aren't as needed by Israel is they thought. I don't know. One also has to wonder why now? What is the significance of the timing of this leak. It might also be to misdirect the air defenses of Iran to the southwest.]

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Navy still searching for missing underwater vehicles | |

Navy still searching for missing underwater vehicles | | PilotOnline.comFour underwater unmanned vehicles went missing Sunday during training to conduct search, classify and map missions.

The Navy, Coast Guard and local authorities were searching for the missing vehicles in the Thimble Shoals Channel between the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, a Navy news release said.

Communication was lost with four of the 13 unmanned vehicles Sunday about 1 p.m. while the vehicles were using bottom-mapping sonar to look for mine-like contacts in the water as part of the training. Search and recovery operations began immediately....

[bth: notice how little attention is given in the media to why the navy hasn't deployed its unmanned underwater vehicles to assist in the monitoring the Gulf oil situation?]

British troops to stay in Helmand - Telegraph

British troops to stay in Helmand - Telegraph

Dr Liam Fox said he had discussed the issue with General Stanley McChrystal, the US commander of the Nato mission in Afghanistan, during a visit to the country two weeks ago.

The move has been proposed by senior Nato commanders as part of a scheme to replace the Canadian troops in the key southern city.

Sources had suggested that the fight in Kandahar, the spiritual homeland of the Taliban, would be as tough as Helmand, where 292 British troops have lost their lives, but Dr Fox made it clear it would not be acceptable.

Speaking during a press conference in London with his US opposite number, Robert Gates, Dr Fox said the 9,500 British troops, most of them in Helmand, had “carried a high cost to life and limb” as well as developing expertise in the terrain, politics and governance.

Dr Fox said the move would also be expensive and added: “I think it would be quite a leap for us to leave Helmand to be redeployed in Kandahar.”

Dr Fox said it was important to give flexibility to commanders on the ground but added: “I think it is highly unlikely that that will happen. And it is certainly not something that we will be proposing.”

In the end, it appears Gen McChrystal did not ask for the move but even if he had, Dr Fox said: "It is highly unlikely that we would want to accede to that particular change."

Mr Gates said British troops in Sangin, in the north of Helmand, were “in the middle of the thick of the fight” adding: “This is one of the toughest areas in all of Afghanistan.”

He said he had not discussed a move to Kandahar with Dr Fox but the pair had talked about whether British troops needed more support on top of the 20,000 US Marines recently deployed there.

Major General Richard Mills, of the US Marine Corps, assumed control of Nato forces in Helmand on June 1, while British commander, Maj Gen Nick Carter, took command in Kandahar.

Dr Fox said the build up of troops in Kandahar was “one of a number of operations that are important, happening at different paces in different parts of the country” but it was important not to see “any one thing as key” to progress.

The US Defence Secretary paid tribute to British troops who had “more than done their bit” and called Britain “one of our oldest and closest allies.”

Dr Fox said the “special relationship” was not a “doey-eyed, Disney love-in” but one in which they were able to tackle a range of international challenges, including Iran.

“Having got to the end of the Cold War, we want to do more than leave the next generation a new nuclear arms race in the world’s most unstable region,” he added.

[bth: who is Fox kidding? The 9500 Brits are "supported" by 20,000 US marines? Forgetting numbers, the US forces have helicopters. The Brits have virtually none. Save for modern and suitable ground vehicles. Fox went to Karzai to let him know that the Brits are going to follow the Canadians and leave Afghanistan. Afghanistan is about to be America's war just like Iraq.]

NATO allies poised to slash military budgets; Gates urges other cost savings

NATO allies poised to slash military budgets; Gates urges other cost savings

LONDON -- European allies are bracing for their deepest cuts in military spending since the end of the Cold War, fueling concerns in Washington that an already wide gap in military power between the United States and the rest of NATO will grow.

On Monday, the German government said it is looking to reduce its 250,000-member military by at least 40,000 troops; the defense minister has suggested that a whopping cutback of 100,000 might be necessary.

Meanwhile, analysts project that Britain may have to cut its defense budget by 10 to 15 percent over the next six years as it grapples with what Prime Minister David Cameron has called "a staggering amount of debt."

France and Italy are also contemplating manpower reductions.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, on a trip to London and Brussels this week, is pressing allies to hold the line as Pentagon officials fret they could be stuck with an even bigger share of the burden of the war in Afghanistan or future NATO missions. ....

In contrast, some NATO allies confront actual cuts that could substantially diminish their military power.

"We know that we've got financial constraints," Fox said Tuesday in a joint news conference with Gates. "We've inherited a train wreck in the economy."

Gen. David Richards, the chief of the British army, acknowledged Tuesday that some major military programs are in trouble.

"The most important long-term strategic factor in our security is economic prosperity," he said at a security conference. "If that is so, must we in defense accept that not all our cherished programs will survive?"

Malcolm Chalmers, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, a think tank aligned with the Defense Ministry, said "optimistic" projections suggested that Britain could be forced to cut its active-duty forces by 20 percent over the next decade. The British military could see its total number of aircraft reduced by a quarter, and the navy could have its fleet cut by a similar amount.

"The size of the total reduction is likely to be quite considerable," he said. "The fiscal pressures in Europe, not least in the U.K., are pretty inexorable."

[bth: UK's army is already smaller than the US marine corp. The cuts across NATO mean that Turkey is the only non-US country in NATO with a substantial army. NATO as a military force is about to be eviscerated. We might as well plan accordingly. With cuts like these there won't be Nato allies in Afghanistan within a couple of years. Nato for all practical purposes is dead as a viable military institution. It may still have political potential.]

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

YouTube - Simple Gifts from Appalachian Spring

YouTube - Simple Gifts from Appalachian Spring

Voters' support for members of Congress is at an all-time low, poll finds

Voters' support for members of Congress is at an all-time low, poll finds

As voters head to the polls Tuesday for a crucial set of primary elections, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds antipathy toward their elected officials rising and anti-incumbent sentiment at an all-time high. ...

[bth: worth a full read. This is going to be one of those times where None Of The Above would be the winner if it could get on the ballot.]

Turkey's Zero-Problems Foreign Policy | Foreign Policy

Turkey's Zero-Problems Foreign Policy | Foreign Policy

The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks made it clear that this situation is not sustainable. Immediately after the attacks, the United States began attempting to establish an international order based on a security discourse, thus replacing the liberty discourse that emerged after the collapse of the Berlin Wall. It is in this context that the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq can best be understood. The intent was to transform an unstable international environment by targeting crisis-prone zones that were considered to be the sources of insecurity. But in the process, predictions about the end of history and the expansion of civil rights and liberties have largely lost their appeal. ...

[bth: this is an extraordinarily insightful article for understanding Turkey's foreign policy plans and how it intends to wedge itself back into the international scene and how it's foreign policy ties back into its domestic agenda. Well worth a studied read - just don't mention Kurdistan or Armenian genocide.]

Military Chatrooms from California to Afghanistan -

Military Chatrooms from California to Afghanistan -

...Hunched over monitors streaming live video from a drone, Lieutenant Christopher and a team of analysts recently popped in and out of several military chatrooms, reaching out more than 7,000 miles to warn Marines about roadside bombs and to track Taliban gunfire.

“2 poss children in fov,” the team flashed as Marines on the ground lined up an air strike, chat lingo for possible innocents within the drone’s field of view. The strike was aborted.

Another message, referring to a Taliban compound, warned: “fire coming from cmpnd.” The Marines responded by strafing the fighters, killing nine of them.

Lieutenant Christopher and her crew might be fighting on distant keypads instead of ducking bullets, but they head into battle just the same every day. They and thousands of other young Air Force analysts are showing how the Facebook generation’s skills are being exploited — and paying dividends — in America’s wars.

The Marines say the analysts, who are mostly in their early to mid-20s, paved the way for them to roll into Marja in southern Afghanistan earlier this year with minimal casualties. And as the analysts quickly pass on the latest data from drones and other spy planes, they are creating the fluid connections needed to hunt small groups of fighters and other fleeting targets, military officials say.

But there can be difficulties in operating from so far away.

Late last month, military authorities in Afghanistan released a report chastising a Predator drone crew in an incident involving a helicopter attack that killed 23 civilians in February. Military officials say analysts in Florida who were monitoring the drone’s video feed cautioned two or three times in a chatroom that children were in the group, but the drone’s pilot failed to relay those warnings to the ground commander.

For the most part, though, the networking has been so productive that senior commanders are sidestepping some of the traditional military hierarchy and giving the analysts leeway in deciding how to use some spy planes.

“If you want to act quickly, you’ve got to flatten things out and engage at the lowest possible levels,” said Lt. Col. Jason M. Brown, who runs the Air Force intelligence squadron at this base near Sacramento. ...

[bth: the technology and social networking is advancing far faster than the prime defense contracting companies can keep up. There is a big debate going on between open source code and proprietary software. My bet is on the open source approach.]

Monday, June 07, 2010

Boston Globe Tailors Print Edition For Three Remaining Subscribers | The Onion - America's Finest News Source | Onion News Network

Boston Globe Tailors Print Edition For Three Remaining Subscribers | The Onion - America's Finest News Source | Onion News Network

Boston Globe Tailors Print Edition For Three Remaining Subscribers
BBC News - Nato loses 10 troops in deadly Afghanistan day

A Nato vehicle burns after a militant attack in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, 6 June 2010

Note with this M-ATV photographed today the engine is on fire and destroyed but the cabin appears to have remained intact which probably means the crew survived

Informed Comment | Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion

Informed Comment | Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion

bth: note the ending statement; the Taliban feel it is better to wait than to talk because US troops levels will be going down and the Taliban, at least in the eastern portion of Afghanistan are gaining ground. From their perspective it is hard to argue with that. So where does that leave us?

YouTube - Last Of The Mohicans - Cora.

YouTube - Last Of The Mohicans - Cora.

In Afghanistan, U.S platoon's tranquil morning shattered by blast

In Afghanistan, U.S platoon's tranquil morning shattered by blast

...Ritenour had spent the morning patrol talking to villagers, probing for information on insurgents. A farmer had given him a promising lead on a possible Taliban hide-out nearby.

The lieutenant asked the man for his cellphone, then punched in his own cell number. He wrote down the farmer's number and slipped him a few Afghanis, the local currency.

The man said he might phone in more information as long as no one found out. Ritenour promised that no one else would know.

"I know it's dangerous" to talk to Americans, the lieutenant told him. "That's why we pay good money for good information."

A half an hour later, as the patrol prepared to leave the dangerous dirt paths and stomp through wheat fields less likely to contain homemade bombs, the bomb exploded.

Urmel had already passed the site. The bomb was too far off the path for the dog to detect, his handler said. And the adjacent manure pile would have masked the scent.

On the hike back to the platoon's outpost, another roadside bomb exploded in the distance. The Kiowas banked and dipped to investigate. The bomb was intended for another infantry platoon of the 2nd Brigade, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, but no one was hurt.

Safely back at base, Mason grabbed Peterson by his shoulders and told him he was a lucky man. The lieutenant attributed his good fortune to proper spacing; the soldiers had followed orders not to walk too closely together....

[bth: a article well worth a full read. Two points: 1. Note that 2 IEDs were found via a few dollar bribe probably paid by cell phone transfer I'm guessing. 2. Note how the dog was defeated, placing the explosives a bit off the trail and putting manure down to throw off the dog.]

Intel chief nominee Clapper held disputed Iraq WMD view - Washington Times

Intel chief nominee Clapper held disputed Iraq WMD view - Washington Times

President Obama's choice to be the next director of national intelligence supported the view that Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq sent weapons and documents to Syria in the weeks before the 2003 U.S. invasion.

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper, a former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and current undersecretary of defense for intelligence, will be the next DNI. President Obama announced Gen. Clapper as his nominee Saturday, saying he must not fall victim to Washington politics.

He will replace retired Adm. Dennis Blair, who resigned after 16 months in the position following several disputes with other intelligence leaders and, in particular, the CIA.

Gen. Clapper’s selection is a rebuke to senior members of the congressional oversight committees who had said they hoped Mr. Obama would nominate a civilian as his top intelligence adviser and someone with whom the president shares a personal relationship....

[bth: the military should not run US intelligence. Why is Obama doing this and especially with a nominee that tried to sell the public on the Iraq WMD fraud?]

Rule of the Gun - Convoy Guards in Afghanistan Face an Investigation -

Rule of the Gun - Convoy Guards in Afghanistan Face an Investigation -

MAIDAN SHAHR, Afghanistan — For months, reports have abounded here that the Afghan mercenaries who escort American and other NATO convoys through the badlands have been bribing Taliban insurgents to let them pass.

Then came a series of events last month that suggested all-out collusion with the insurgents.

After a pair of bloody confrontations with Afghan civilians, two of the biggest private security companies — Watan Risk Management and Compass Security — were banned from escorting NATO convoys on the highway between Kabul and Kandahar.

The ban took effect on May 14. At 10:30 a.m. that day, a NATO supply convoy rolling through the area came under attack. An Afghan driver and a soldier were killed, and a truck was overturned and burned. Within two weeks, with more than 1,000 trucks sitting stalled on the highway, the Afghan government granted Watan and Compass permission to resume.

Watan’s president, Rashid Popal, strongly denied any suggestion that his men either colluded with insurgents or orchestrated attacks to emphasize the need for their services. Executives with Compass Security did not respond to questions.

But the episode, and others like it, has raised the suspicions of investigators here and in Washington, who are trying to track the tens of millions in taxpayer dollars paid to private security companies to move supplies to American and other NATO bases.

Although the investigation is not complete, the officials suspect that at least some of these security companies — many of which have ties to top Afghan officials — are using American money to bribe the Taliban. The officials suspect that the security companies may also engage in fake fighting to increase the sense of risk on the roads, and that they may sometimes stage attacks against competitors.

The suspicions raise fundamental questions about the conduct of operations here, since the convoys, and the supplies they deliver, are the lifeblood of the war effort.

“We’re funding both sides of the war,” a NATO official in Kabul said. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was incomplete, said he believed millions of dollars were making their way to the Taliban. The investigation is complicated by, among other things, the fact that some of the private security companies are owned by relatives of President Hamid Karzai and other senior Afghan officials. Mr. Popal, for instance, is a cousin of Mr. Karzai, and Western officials say that Watan Risk Management’s largest shareholder is Mr. Karzai’s brother Qayum.

The principal goal of the American-led campaign here is to prepare an Afghan state and army to fight the Taliban themselves. The possibility of collusion between the Taliban and Afghan officials suggests that, rather than fighting each another, the two Afghan sides may often cooperate under the noses of their wealthy benefactors.

“People think the insurgency and the government are separate, and that is just not always the case,” another NATO official in Kabul said. “What we are finding is that they are often bound up together.” ...

[bth: worth reading in full then vomiting. Karzai and allies are involved in bilking the US. They are involved in narcotics trade and making money off of us. They are not above paying off the Taliban and becoming the Taliban when it suites their purposes. The people are shamelessly corrupt. This is why it costs us $1 million per soldier per year in Afghanistan and $400 per gallon to get fuel to the front lines.... Its also why we will not when a war in Afghanistan in the military sense - the enemy controls our supply lines and can choke them off at will. So as long as it pays to let our trucks through they will do so, but if we get too strong, the supply lines will get choked off. This is why, among others a military victory will elude us in Afghanistan.]

Sunday, June 06, 2010

Operation Free | Secure America with Clean Energy

Operation Free | Secure America with Clean Energy

Friends or Enemies? The U.S. and Turkey - By Steven A. Cook | Foreign Policy

Friends or Enemies? The U.S. and Turkey - By Steven A. Cook | Foreign Policy

....The Obama administration has yet to grapple with the ways the structural changes in the international system have affected U.S.-Turkey relations. All the talk about strategic cooperation, model partnership, and strategic importance cannot mask the fundamental shift at hand. The stark reality is that while Turkey and the United States are not enemies in the Middle East, they are fast becoming competitors. Whereas the United States seeks to remain the predominant power in the region and, as such, wants to maintain a political order that makes it easier for Washington to achieve its goals, Turkey clearly sees things differently. The Turks are willing to bend the regional rules of the game to serve Ankara's own interests. If the resulting policies serve U.S. goals at the same time, good. If not, so be it.

Moreover, Ankara's approach has proved enormously popular in Turkey and among average Arabs. This is why Erdogan seems all too willing to discuss Turkey's newly influential role in the Middle East at even the most mundane ribbon-cutting events, from Istanbul to the Armenian border. Indeed, it is abundantly clear that Erdogan and his party believe they benefit domestically from the position Turkey has staked out in the Middle East. Yet, it is lost on Washington that the demands of domestic Turkish politics now trump the need to maintain good relations with the United States.

Given the mythology that surrounds the relationship, the divergence between Washington and Ankara has proved difficult to accept. Once policymakers recognize what is really happening, Washington and Ankara can get on with the job of managing the decline in ties with the least possible damage. Obama's goal should be to develop relations with Turkey along the same lines the United States has with Brazil or Thailand or Malaysia. Those relations are strong in some areas, but fall short of strategic alliances. "Frenemy" might be too harsh a term for such an arrangment, but surely "model partnership" is a vast overstatement. It's time to recognize reality.

[bth: worth reading in full.]

The Bonddad Blog: Storm Clouds on the Economic Horizon?

The Bonddad Blog: Storm Clouds on the Economic Horizon?

...As a result of the increase in initial unemployment claims, the decrease in the euro and the decrease in the index of leading economic indicators, caution is warranted going forward. To eliminate this caution, we need to see the following:

1.) A decrease in initial unemployment claims below the 450,000 level. In addition, the economy needs to keep up its current pace of job creation. Last month we had a great employment report. That needs to be repeated in the next report.

2.) The euro needs to stabilize. The European Union has proposed a massive $1 trillion dollar package, which was announced several weeks ago. However, the euro has continued to drop since that announcement. Markets are now concerned that austerity programs will hurt overall economic growth.

A close look at the FXE indicates the euro may be in the middle of a selling climax. But the only way to make this determination is in hindsight.

3.) Commodity prices need to rebound. An across the board drop in commodity prices indicates the markets think decreased demand is an issue going forward. An increase in commodity prices will indicate demand is picking up.

4.) The decrease in the LEIs is not fatal and probably indicates the US will be seeing a decreased rate of growth in the second half of the year.

There are two extremely positive developments from this chain of events for the US economy.

1.) Cheaper oil. Oil prices are one of the biggest threats to US recovery. At current levels, they are hardly a threat.

2.) Lower interest rates. As money has made a "flight" to quality, we've seen a rally in Treasury Bonds which has lowered yields.

Overall, these developments indicate the rate of expansion in the US will probably slow over the next 3-6 months.

[bth: this article is worth reading in full with special attention paid to the charts.]

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: A Horrible Jobs Report

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: A Horrible Jobs Report

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From the BLS:

Total nonfarm payroll employment grew by 431,000 in May, reflecting the hiring of 411,000 temporary employees to work on Census 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Private-sector employment changed little (+41,000). Manufacturing, temporary help services, and mining added jobs, while construction employment declined. The unemployment rate edged down to 9.7 percent.

This report stinks. The majority of job creation came from Census hiring -- the private sector was non-existent.

Let's look at the data:

The civilian labor force decreased by 322,000 and the number of unemployed decreased by 287,000. This lowered the unemployment rate to 9.7%.

The labor force participation rate decreased .2% because of a drop in the number in the civilian labor force. The employment to population ratio decreased .1%. This means that fewer people participated in the labor force last month and the percentage of people employed as a percentage of the civilian labor force decreased.

Total private jobs created were 41,000. Goods producing industries increased 4,000, with an increase in manufacturing and mining offset by a drop in construction. Service employment increased by 37,000. With the exception of financial services (which decreased 12,000), all sectors saw growth. Just not much growth.

Simply put, the private sector dropped out of the equation last month. Period. Unfortunately, this report comes at the worst time possible -- when the markets are already shaky. In addition, the initial unemployment claims numbers -- which have dropped the last two weeks -- are still high. This is not a good combination....

[bth: I think part of the problem is capital formation. To grow from the current depressed levels businesses need capital and that comes from banks, profits or stock sales in normal times. But these aren't normal times. The banks have capital to lend but increasing capital constraints of their own and such fear in leading to sectors that need it like manufacturing and construction that there small business lines continue to contract rather than expand. There really isn't a working equity market for private businesses now. That leaves profits. Well profits were crushed for about 2 years so there are no real reserves left of cash to tap and profits from here requires sales growth to get over fixed costs. Those fixed costs are highly compressed and likely to grow with needed hiring if the sales growth trend can be established, but it hasn't. Sales need to rise and fast but we are seeing no forward trajectory because credit card companies are gouging the public with near 20-30% interest rates and money is tight for spending. That leaves the export and industrial sector but the EU is in the crapper and the industrial sector has been shredded.]

Long-Term Unemployed Now 46 Percent Of Unemployed, Highest Percentage On Record

Long-Term Unemployed Now 46 Percent Of Unemployed, Highest Percentage On RecordWASHINGTON � If you lose your job these days, it's worth scrambling to find a new one � fast. After six months of unemployment, your chances of landing work dwindle.

The proportion of people jobless for six months or more has accelerated in the past year and now makes up 46 percent of the unemployed. That's the highest percentage on records dating to 1948. By late summer or early fall, they are expected to make up half of all jobless Americans.

Economists say those out of work for six months or more risk becoming less and less employable. Their skills can erode, their confidence falter, their contacts dry up. Their growing ranks also will keep pressure on Congress to keep extending jobless benefits, which now run for up to 99 weeks.

Overall, the economy has created a net 982,000 jobs this year. But for Jeff Martinez and the record 6.76 million others who have struck out for six months or more, their struggles are getting worse, not better....

[bth: Washington gave upon the manufacturing base to unfettered and foreign government manipulated competition and the construction trades are in deep trouble.]


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Mischief Brew Updates

New European acoustic 7" from Gunner Records singles club!

Surprise! We have a new 7" single available now through Gunner Records, which is appropriate as we were the first release on the label! It is acoustic, and part of the singles club. You can purchase it from them here. An online release (mp3) will be available in the U.S./Americas on Jan. 29th. Here's some more info:

           The newest single from Philadelphia anarcho-folk-punks Mischief Brew reaffirms the truth that you don’t need a lot of volume to create angry music, as it is their first mostly acoustic recording since 2006’s “Songs From Under The Sink.” But meanwhile, it dares to defy the half-truth that only corrupt world leaders inspire fierce protest music. It is true both George Bushes gave us a lot to write songs about. So naturally, when Barack Obama is elected, all is right? Nay! Erik Petersen and company does its damnedest to write a rebel song against a liberal approach that’s not from the Fox News camp, but from the point of view of we human beings that think voting “Democrat” is not nearly enough. We don’t want to spoil the surprise, but place your needle on the A-side and feast on “Free Radical Radio Fever.”

            The B-side is a song that had been bouncing around our brains for a while, “Carried Away.” It is a broader rallying cry to the freaks and misfits both here and abroad, hopefully inspiring them to put down their bibles and pick up an atlas and go somewhere, anywhere, rather than where they are told to go.

            The single will be released exclusively as a 7” on Gunner Records, out of Bremen, Germany, along with a downloadable version. Meanwhile, an MP3 version will be available worldwide, courtesy of Fistolo Records in the Americas and Gunner Records everywhere else. All downloadable versions will include a THIRD track, “The Ballad Of The Cloth,” which is a lilting anti-hymn that was written for the very first Mischief Brew demo, “Mirth.” A raw recording was surprisingly unearthed when remixing that demo… it was re-learned and re-recorded, and now will be the third track to round out the EP.

            100 are available on red vinyl, exclusively to subscribers of the singles club. The rest are on black.

Posted by:   •  01/17/2013

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Sunday, July 5, 2009

Ebb and Flow of Civilization

There have been over 200 theories as to why Rome declined. Some scholars today argue that Rome did not decline but was transformed from Roman to barbarian rule. But archaeological evidence suggests a significant decline in economic welfare during and after the fifth century, from which western Europe did not recover until the 13th century, and maybe later. The extent of trade was diminished, the quality of pottery was significantly reduced, construction materials became more local and were softer. Thatched roofs instead of tiled roofs were used. Barbarian violence against Romans was common in the fifth century. The Barbarians treated Romans as second class citizens. For example, under Frankish rule, a Roman life was decreed to be worth one half of what an Frankish life was worth (see discussion in Bryan Ward-Perkins' Fall of Rome).

There is debate as to whether there was economic decline in the third and fourth centuries that led to Rome's inability to defend itself in the fifth century. The claim that there were no economic and social changes in the third and fourth century seems incredible. The most powerful empire in western history that in the first through third centuries repeatedly conquered and defended itself against barbarian tribes fell to barbarian tribes in the fifth century. How could this be possible without some kind of failure of social organization, whether economic or social?

The construct of Rome's decline and fall may mask a more fundamental pattern, that Rome itself represented an eight century decline from Hellenic civilization, a decline that may have accelerated in the fourth and fifth centuries. In particular, Rome did not develop much beyond what the Hellenes had achieved. It did advance organizationally and in terms of civil engineering and law, but its technology was limited largely to what had been accomplished in Greece and the Hellenic colonies by the third century BC. Its economic methods reflected little or no progress over five centuries.

All large scale civilizations go through periods of innovation and imperialism. The periods of innovation are characteristic of times when the civilization is of smaller scale. The imperialism creates larger scale and so introduces homogeneity and consistency. Consistency limits experimentation, by definition, and so limits innovation. In Rome there was a degree of laissez faire, but a large portion of the economy was oriented toward state purposes. Taxes to support military and civil projects were significant. The Roman image of progress was largely one of conquest. Conquest involved imposing the Roman model, so that conquered countries became replicas of Rome. The larger scale was associated with homogeneity.

In the case of Athens, imperialism existed alongside experimentation. The Greek world was highly decentralized because it was organized along the lines of the polis or city state. There were radically different forms of organization of the polis. The two most important were Sparta, an oligarchy ruled by "ephors", and Athens, which evolved from oligarchy and aristocracy into democracy. There were also some tyrannies or monarchies. The experimentation of the Greek world led to Athenian democracy, which led to innovation. This was only possible because of decentralization.

Decentralization is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for innovation and progress. In the case of tribal societies, such as the Americas before 1492, other conditions for the evolution of progress are absent. However, if progress is to occur, a degree of experimentation would seem to be an important root. Without it the intelligence of a small group of central administrators would be the only potential source.

In China Chin Shi Huangdi, the first Chinese emperor who unified China under Chin rule, created a high degree of centralization early in its history, in 221 BC. He and his adviser Li Si passed perhaps the earliest version of totalitarian legal and social reform; built large projects such as the Great Wall of China and a national road system; and killed many people. Li oversaw a massive book burning, illegalizing all intellectual activity. Scholars who resisted were buried alive. In this case the centralization may have preceded economic advance. Economic decline followed immediately upon the centralizing, totalitarian measures. But China's history is characterized by repeated overthrows of the central administrations. Advances may have occurred during disruptions to centralized authority. Alternatively, the Civil Service system may have facilitated a degree of innovation centrally. It will be interesting to trace the extent to which innovation did or did not occur during the centralizing periods. This intellectual elite likely produced considerable advances. But to what extent were the advances made available to the widespread peasantry and to what extent did they translate into improved well being?

It seems that scholars have been excessively impressed with the glories of scale. Rome was impressive, but its substance represented a small improvement of organization over the gains that the Greeks had already made. In terms of the fundamental driver of progress, innovation and experimentation, Rome represented a decline from the Hellenic world, especially in the Periclean era before Athens itself began to increase its scale and become an imperialist power. The obsession with empire, with the trappings of power and external grandeur mask the essential process that drives wealth: experimentation and creativity. These died with the fall of the Hellenes to Rome.

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My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic Wiki

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My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic Wiki

Friendship Games (event)

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For the film, see My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Friendship Games.
For the song, see Friendship Games (song).
For the similarly titled episode and titular sporting event, see Equestria Games and Equestria Games (event).
Wide shot of the Tri-Cross Relay field EG3

The Tri-Cross Relay course.

The Friendship Games is a sporting competition that takes place at Canterlot High School in the film My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Friendship Games. In the competition, rivaling schools Canterlot High School and Crystal Prep Academy face off in various sporting events.

Depiction in film

The Friendship Games are a competition held every four years between the Canterlot High School Wondercolts and the Crystal Prep Academy Shadowbolts. For the past few Games, the Shadowbolts have won every time.

Dean Cadance starts the Academic Decathlon EG3

The two competing teams.

Each team consists of twelve students, with the highest six scorers from the first event moving on to the second and third events.

Crystal Prep Academy's Shadowbolts for the current year consist of Jet Set, Upper Crust, Neon Lights, Suri Polomare, Trenderhoof, Royal Pin, Sour Sweet, Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, Lemon Zest, Sunny Flare, and the human world's Twilight Sparkle. All twelve take part in the Academic Decathlon while only the latter six move on to the Tri-Cross Relay and Capture the Flag events after getting the best scores for their team.

In a previous year, Shining Armor was a member of the Shadowbolts.

Canterlot High School's Wondercolts for the current year consist of Lyra Heartstrings, Sweetie Drops, Flash Sentry, Derpy, Sandalwood, Micro Chips, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack. All twelve take part in the Academic Decathlon while only the latter six move on to the Tri-Cross Relay and Capture the Flag events.

Academic Decathlon

This event involves all participants showcasing their skills in different parts of the school curriculum. The event is a systematic elimination contest. Judges from the two competing institutions mark students from the two teams on their performance in the set tasks of the contest with the lowest-scoring students being eliminated in every stage.

The contest climaxes with a spelling bee. This penultimate round continues until only one contestant from each team remains in the competition. The two remaining contestants move on to the "elimination equation" round in which they must solve a complex calculus problem before the combined student body within a time limit.

In the Friendship Games shown in the eponymous movie, the Shadowbolts claim victory in chemistry, wood-shop, and mathematics while the Wondercolts win in home economics. The spelling bee results in the competition being reduced to Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle in the elimination equation round, which Twilight wins.

The Shadowbolts are overall winners of this round.

The Tri-Cross Relay

This event involves archery, speed skating, and motocross. Like all true relays, each set of contestants can only begin their section after the previous section is completed by their team members. This is a straight race with the first team to complete the three levels declared the winner.

  • Archery: Applejack and Fluttershy (Wondercolts), Sour Sweet and Twilight Sparkle (Shadowbolts)
  • Speed skating: Rarity and Pinkie Pie (Wondercolts), Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare (Shadowbolts)
  • Motocross: Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash (Wondercolts), Sugarcoat and Indigo Zap (Shadowbolts)

The first round of the relay is an athletic obstacle course ending with an archery competition. Contestants must score a bull's-eye on a moving target to complete this round. Unlike both subsequent rounds, the first two contestants from each team run the course simultaneously; the second contestants are only cleared to begin after the first completes the challenge.

The Wondercolts win this round after an early significant lead by Sour Sweet is squandered by Twilight Sparkle. The latter Shadowbolt is unable to complete the challenge until her competitor Applejack, frustrated by her utter inability to hit her target, tutors her on how to properly aim a longbow at a moving target.

The next round is a speed skating competition with two pairs of competitors aiming to be the first to complete eight circuits of an athletics track. The Wonderbolts win this section of the competition. Rarity and Pinkie Pie enjoy a massive early advantage, but Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare manage to catch up and overtake. It is only through a final, unorthodox move by Rarity that the Wondercolts triumph.

The final round is a motocross along a set of high-speed dirt tracks and high jumps. Once again, the two pairs of competitors start simultaneously upon their teammates completing the previous round.

The racing of this round is extremely disrupted when Twilight Sparkle's magic sensing and containment device is knocked open and generates several inter-universal portals into Equestria. This allows several large motile carnivorous plants to invade the track. In the resulting chaos, Sugarcoat and Twilight are both directly attacked by plants and Sunset and Indigo are both knocked off of their bikes.

The Wondercolts are declared overall winners after Sunset crosses the finish line narrowly ahead of Indigo Zap. However, Principal Cinch disputes the outcome of this round, claiming that Rainbow Dash's use of Pegasus flight magic and the plants' presence were both evidence of an organized strategy of cheating on the part of Canterlot High School.

Capture the flag

Vice Principal Luna explains that this final round involves a school pennant being hidden somewhere on the campus of Canterlot High School, one from CHS and one from CPA. The two teams have to locate their flag and return it to the judges to be declared the winner.

Before this round is started, Principal Cinch and the Shadowbolts pressure Twilight Sparkle into releasing all of the magic she collected in her amulet. This leads to a chaotic incident where a magically-transformed Twilight attempts to blast her way into Equestria before Sunset Shimmer, with the aid of her friends, is able to subdue her.

While Principal Cinch demands that CHS forfeit the competition, her demands are rejected by her fellow judges when two of the Shadowbolts denounce her behavior towards Twilight Sparkle and it becomes clear that no one is willing to back up her claim of magically-assisted cheating. As the Games are currently at one victory each and the final round now cannot be played, Principal Celestia declares a tie.

The next day, all of the students are seen with gold medals around their necks, declaring the victory for both teams official.

Rainbow Dash mentions that in previous years, Canterlot High School lost against Crystal Prep in soccer, tennis, and golf.

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News Home

NSW gay marriage laws can withstand high court challenge, MP Penny Sharpe says

New South Wales MPs who plan to table same-sex marriage laws in state parliament say their bill can withstand a High Court challenge.

The ACT's same-sex marriage bill passed in the Legislative Assembly yesterday, but the Federal Government is set to challenge the law.

Federal Attorney-General George Brandis has said he has received advice that the bill was "invalid by reason of inconsistency" with the Commonwealth Marriage Act.

Attention has turned to the New South Wales Parliament where a debate is set next week for a bill drafted by a cross-party group of MPs, including Labor's Penny Sharpe.

Ms Sharpe says the draft has been scrutinised by constitutional lawyers and the proposed law creates a separate legal category for same-sex marriage distinct from the federal Marriage Act.

"Because the Federal Government only deals with marriage for heterosexual couples, our advice says that that would be perfectly consistent with the federal constitution," she said.

"The ban on marriage for same-sex couples federally has left open the ability for states to legislate for same-sex couples and that's what we intend to do."

The bill will be debated in the Upper House late next week.

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Advice for Moms

Featured Posts
1 year old tantrums... what to do?
December 4, 2012 at 1:58 AM

My 13 month old daughter has just started biting, hitting, punching, screaming and testing me! What are some techniques you have used to help stop this behavior? She tends to do this more after i have said no and will run away and once i have picked her up she will put her arms up and grunt yell lol. She doesn't want help with feeding, she doesn't want to be held or even comforted long, must be terrible twos already?

  • la_bella_vita
    December 4, 2012 at 3:31 PM

     I've noticed my kid's only do tantrums when tired or hungry. I have scheduled snacks and meals to help with hunger part and I do everything in my power to not take them places when they need a nap, lol. Be consistent. I kiss their hands when they hit and say not nice, good touch only.

  • Whitmcg91
    December 4, 2012 at 9:58 PM

    Thank you everyone! She does have a entire safe place she runs around in all day and lots of room, She Is very independant and loves praise and she loves to show off and show me all she can do! I have alot of people telling me to spank or stop being so nice to her and i can't be mean to my baby... i think i will do the time outs when she can't calm down and see if it works, i do want to start sign language too!

  • LindaClement
    December 5, 2012 at 5:00 PM

    He's not 'testing' you. 'Testing' requires a number of brain components your baby is not going to have available until he's nearly a teenager.

    The best way to guide a toddler's behaviour is to set up the environment so everything she can reach she can safely play with. Distraction works better than taking things away, and telling her what she is allowed to do is more effective than saying 'no' 7 million times a week.

    It's not 'terrible twos' is unrealistic expectations.

  • emmy526
    by emmy526
    December 5, 2012 at 5:19 PM

    what are some of the things/changes that set her off?  Change of routine? Change of pace with activities?  Distraction is the best technique for a child that age, as they cannot comprehend 'time out' just yet, nor taking toys away.  If it's transition times she has trouble with, give her a heads up when things/activities are going to change.

  • Whitmcg91
    December 6, 2012 at 12:56 AM

    Linda I am very kind and fair with my child, i have never been mean to her, yelled at her and i show her alot of love. I am just afraid she will begin to hurt me by biting and becoming physical to show how she feels, she has been lately and i wanted help to figure out what i can do without being mean. I hope my post wasnt offensive to you i didn't mean to make myself out to be a bad parent that expects too much from my baby.

  • sreichelt26
    December 6, 2012 at 1:42 AM
    This. Check out lots of great info on there

    Quoting JasonsMom2007:

    Let her feed herself and let her run. She wants to use all of those new skills to the fullest!

    As for the tantrums put her in a safe place and walk away until she calms down. Make sure you are giving her words to use as she grows "I understand you are feeling _______ right now..."

Advice for Moms

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Mi Esposa By Abraham Velazquez

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Mi Esposa

Abraham Velazquez

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Nintendo hardstyle Ringtone for Mobile Phone

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If you're a fan of the song Nintendo hardstyle, have got the mobile phone Mobile Phone and looking for free ringtones on your phone, then this page can help you to download or listen ringtone for Mobile Phone from the category Dance. You can choose and download the most popular ringtones for mobile phone (music and songs) without registration. It could improve your personality and make your style vivid. We offer a ringtone in mp3 or m4r (for iPhone or Android) format. All you need is to listen to the ringtone via a simple-to-use player, download the ringtone Nintendo hardstyle, set it on your phone and make sure that it is simple, convenient and fast. Download the best ringtone for Mobile Phone for free and without registration! If you do not like Nintendo hardstyle ringtone, then you can use the selection of other popular mobile ringtones, using the navigation menu on the right. Listen and download the most popular ringtones for mobile phone (music and ring tones) on our website.

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Hb sound fx 4 Ringtone for Mobile Phone

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If you're a fan of the song Hb sound fx 4, have got the mobile phone Mobile Phone and looking for free ringtones on your phone, then this page can help you to download or listen ringtone for Mobile Phone from the category Others. You can choose and download the most popular ringtones for mobile phone (music and songs) without registration. It could improve your personality and make your style vivid. We offer a ringtone in mp3 or m4r (for iPhone or Android) format. All you need is to listen to the ringtone via a simple-to-use player, download the ringtone Hb sound fx 4, set it on your phone and make sure that it is simple, convenient and fast. Download the best ringtone for Mobile Phone for free and without registration! If you do not like Hb sound fx 4 ringtone, then you can use the selection of other popular mobile ringtones, using the navigation menu on the right. Listen and download the most popular ringtones for mobile phone (music and ring tones) on our website.

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Friday, June 6

Following is a power point presentation given as an example of a six minute speech for a public speaking class I co-taught for teens in 2013:

Have you ever thought you were familiar enough with something
that understanding it was within your reach,
only to later discover you really didn’t know anything?

 The key to knowing is how we respond to stumbling upon new information,
and whether or not we have “intellectual curiosity”.

There are three categories to the human thought process:

Those who think they know
Those who want to know
"Them what don’t know they don’t know"

Let’s explore intellectually reaching for knowledge ~
when curiosity becomes a hunger
I refer to effort, and focus, and personal risk.
Why risk?
Because we might not understand something even if we try!
Or, we might be intimidated by “experts”
who know a heck of a lot more than we ever could.

However, it’s the reaching for knowing that makes all the difference.

 Last year I went somewhere I had heard about my entire life.

I’d seen a million pictures of it,
read books, looked at maps, saw movies, heard other people talk about going there,
it was in the news all the time -
I felt comfortably familiar with that place.
I assumed I could go there and anticipate what it would be like.

Can you guess where I went?

absolutely nothing
could have prepared me

where vast and storied civilizations had come and gone
for over 7,000 years.

It was a RUSH - to be in the same place where once were conquering
Roman legions

or Byzantine elites

or the reclusive sect who left us the
Dead Sea Scrolls

 or at the iconic places traditionally associated to timeless
and beloved Biblical events . . .

The point is
I could talk - or gush - for days and days about viewing precious
Paleolithic and Iron Age artifacts
in freaking person,

 or how thrilling it was to be in
Old City Jerusalem
listening spell-bound to almost every language on the planet
in that one, crowded, colorful,
enormously textured place.

The fatal tipping-point for me
in realizing how an intellectual grasp
 of this place was profoundly beyond my reach,
had more to do with

people were anciently
was dedicated wholly to DEFENSE.
If you wanted to stay alive,
you planted yourself on top of a rocky, desolate hill with a 360 view
and built a massive

 ("The Western Stone" of the original Jerusalem Western Wall weighs around 570 tons)

they went to extraordinary lengths to excavate gigantic cisterns
and tunnels and channels
by which to storefind or direct life-giving

Jerusalem cistern

Keeping these golden systems a secret from the enemy was a must.
when you’re digging straight down to holy bedrock to get water,
 just fetching it on a daily basis
must have been

was another wake-up call to my now foreboding sense of
“intellectual curiosity”.

In the dry air we could hear sound carry great distances with shocking clarity

I was struck

by how horrifying it would have been to hear every clank of armor,

the rumbling wheels from heavy supply carts

the drone of thousands of footsteps coming closer, and closer...

The Destruction of Jerusalem lithograph by David Roberts 1849
 Can you imagine living in a day when armed conflict meant either
annihilation or slavery?

It was a dramatic REACH for me to imagine myself having children,
baking bread and getting water
in a world so terribly well-acquainted with DEATH.

Yet whole civilizations - over and over again for over 7,000 years
did this with absolutely no variation
We have nothing to compare it to in this hemisphere.

And now, here is where the real REACHING begins:

While this is Israel:

 So is this:

 This is an ancient land who’s glorious birthright literally
is Blood and Conflict.

wanted to understand.

There are no simple answers to resolve anything!

The issues are deeply complex

and confusing.

 Passion runs deep and inflexible.

In this case it doesn’t seem to matter how much want to know:
my intellectual curiosity almost hurts
because I want the answers so badly.

Our 2013 American culture of relative ease and security
is a little distracted ~

from giving time to anything of real significance

 or relevance.

 Maybe part of reaching for familiarity in things
which are difficult to understand
is an important aspect of

I appreciate my sense of natural curiosity.

Because I want to know,

I ask questions. I read. I observe.

I am willing to be open to other viewpoints,

and I hope other people try to understand mine.

I also appreciate accessible water like never before!

And you know what?

I wish I could go back.

Jerusalem From The Mount of Olives lithograph by David Roberts 1841

If I ever could,

I would tell that place I am sorry I underestimated her!

Damascus Gate lithograph by David Roberts 1839
 I would tell every pinkish limestone

 and every dusty goat path and twisted olive tree
that I will not make that same mistake again.

If I ever see Jerusalem again,
 I will find a spot to sit
and listen
to what her iconic walls are breathing to the world -

it really is true that
“all roads lead to Jerusalem”.

Turns out her sheer historicity is too large to grasp in one sitting - or ever!

But the reaching part

oh, that’s the


text:
Handmade Nativity Tree

It really does feel like the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas is a time for so many celebrations and traditions. Keeping the Christ in Christmas is our first priority and this year we decided to add something special to our home. We put together a Christmas Tree that we are calling our “Jesus Tree”. I got the idea from a good friend of mine and it nestled in my heart. This tree will serve as a reminder each time we walk by it that our Savior is the reason we rejoice this time of year. What makes our Jesus tree even more humble is that most of the ornaments are handmade. I’m going to share with you the simple and affordable ways I put together our Handmade Nativity Tree.

Stable Ornament

For this ornament, I purchased the medium size popsicle sticks from the craft store. I stained both sides with a light coating of Jacobean Stain.

After they dried, I glued them together the way I liked with a hot glue gun and then glued a Glitter star on top. To make the star,  I purchased a bag of wooden stars and wiped mod podge on before dipping in thick gold glitter!

Next, I made these Baby Jesus ornaments last year to give as neighbor/visiting teaching gifts. They were so easy that I ended up teaching the ladies at church how to make these as one of our Super Saturday crafts!

What You’ll Need:

3 inch grapevine wreaths (found here)

3/4 inch wooden beads (without the holes)

Quilt Batting

1.5 inch Wooden Star

Mod Podge

Gold or Silver Glitter

Hot Glue Gun

Twine or ribbon

It’s pretty self explanatory. You just want to make sure you glitter your star first and glue that on with a glue gun so that you don’t end up with a crooked part of the wreath to glue it on later.

Next, glue your wooden bead just to the left of the center and in the inner circle of the wreath.

Then, you’ll wrap a ball of batting in your hand and glue that really well in many places to the inner circle of the wreath.

Last, you’ll take some twine, make a loop and you’re done!

Clothes Pin Holy Family Ornament

This one is extremely simple! I just glued a couple of clothes pins together. I have one turned with the split showing so that it represents Joseph! Then I glued a small wooden peg person and tied some twine around. They needed something else so naturally I put some glitter on them.

Names of Jesus Christ

This is another one I made last year. I found these black chalk cardboard star ornaments at Michaels and decided to turn them into a cute tag. We had a church Christmas party to decorate for so I tied them around mason jars with twine. Instead of using chalk markers, I used a white gel pen so that these would be permanent! I just wrote down all of my favorite “names” for Jesus Christ. Super Easy!

Framed Savior Art

This next one just might be my favorite. We wanted pictures of Christ on the tree and we happen to have a couple hundred pass along cards at home. We love to take these when we go out shopping or on vacations or to big events and give them to people or hide them in places like restrooms or merchandise at the store. We have one that offers a free DVD about Jesus Christ and one that offers a Free Book of Mormon. We have a good time!

I found these tiny unfinished frames at Michaels and stained them. Then I cut the pass along card to size and hot glued it.

If you’re interested in ordering your own pass along cards to hand out, to look at or to make something out of, you can find several varieties at this link and they come in a very affordable pack of 100. We love to use them as bookmarks in our home! (Pass along cards link)

Jesus in the Manger

This last one was also pretty easy and turned out adorable! I just wrapped the same wooden beads (above) in a square of white felt and glued in place. Then I made a stack of raffia and tied the baby on top with twine. And DONE!

We do have a set of purchased ornaments on the tree now that I have added. They were really affordable ($11 for 12 ornaments). But my favorite thing about them is that they were made in the Holy Land with real Olive Tree Wood. The purchases support small business owners in the Holy Land that make these by hand. So it feels so genuine and sacred to have some ornaments from the Holy Land itself. Here’s the link for those. (Olive Tree Ornaments)

I feel like most of these ornaments can be made with the kids, so it’s a great craft to get them involved and I think these make great gifts and wrapping toppers! I hope you enjoyed our new Jesus Tree as much as we do. You can’t help but feel the spirit when you are around it. I hope your season is filled with the Light of the Savior as well.

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Furious (6)

Furious (6)

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Discography of Furious (6):

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# Cover Release title Total tracks Download mp3 album Release date Label fo release
1 Furious (6) - Furious Furious 6 mp3 2003 Fassion Records
2 Furious (6) - 2 Till Death 2 Till Death 15 mp3 2004 Not On Label
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Hardcore punk band from Brussels, Belgium.

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American hustlers: Finding ways to make extra cash

Like many Americans these days, these seven people are doing whatever they can to make extra money.

Sizes up stores as a mystery shopper
Sizes up stores as a mystery shopper
Sherrie Tennessee earns her gas money as a secret shopper.
Name: Sherrie Tennessee
Age: 37
Hometown: Miami
Day job: Customer service associate
Moneymaking gig: Mystery shopper

I've been doing this since 2007 and I love it. It's a great way to make a little bit of cash.

My friend was a mystery shopper and she told me about it, but you have to be careful because there are a lot of scams.

I try to do one at least once a week. My favorites are the Leslie Swimming Pool Shops. I observe the outside, make sure there's no trash or debris and the sign is straight, then go inside and listen for music and note how the store looks. It's the easiest $20 to $30 you can make. That's gas money.

I did another at a Dairy Queen where I got free ice cream and got paid, so you can't beat that.

By Jessica Dickler - Last updated September 01 2011: 6:17 PM ET

From selling porta-potties to washing windows, these ten go-getters are bringing home six figure salaries working jobs you may not expect.

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April’s top debt and money news stories

posted by in Bankruptcy, Debt, Debt advice in Scotland, Debt companies, Debt Law, Payday Loans 5 Comments

Know your rights

April 2015 debt news

As the new tax year begins, we’ve seen the introduction of large-scale pension changes that have a wide-ranging impact for many people, including our clients.

April has also seen the introduction of a new type of debt solution in Scotland to help people with lower incomes who are struggling with their debts. In other news, caps on hefty bills caused by unauthorised calls are set to be limited by mobile phone companies and the UK’s largest payday loan company Wonga has announced a significant profit loss and is considering a change of name.

And finally, find out how one restaurant owner’s act of kindness went viral on social media!

Continue reading »


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Declaration of the “Friends of Syria”

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We, the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States, met today in Paris with a delegation of the Syrian National Coalition led by its president Ahmad al-Jarba, and adopted the following Core Group declaration:

1. We support the rights of the Syrian people to determine its own destiny and to defend itself against oppression. The Geneva II Conference, based on the full implementation of the Geneva Communiqué, is aiming at allowing the Syrian people to control its future and put an end to the current despotic regime through a genuine political transition.

2. We condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed on a daily basis by the regime against its own people, with the support of Hezbollah and other foreign groups. We express outrage notably at the intensive use of “barrel bombs” against the population of the city of Aleppo, which have left over 700 dead and 3,000 injured since December 15, and in several other locations throughout Syria. We are revolted by the “starve or surrender” strategy used by the regime, which in particular deprives of food and medicine more than 200,000 people in the suburbs of Damascus and in the old city of Homs. We recall that any strategy to starve civilians constitutes a war crime. The international community should not be expected to tolerate the continuation of such crimes.

3. The increased fuelling, by the regime, of the suffering of the Syrian people gravely undermines the prospect of success of the Geneva II Conference. The regime must fulfill its obligations set out by UN Security Council Resolutions 2042 and 2043 which it formally accepted and, in particular, must immediately put an end to its indiscriminate attacks against civilians and release all arbitrarily detained persons. It must allow immediate and unfettered humanitarian access to the entirety of the Syrian territory, through cross line and cross border operations. We urge Russia and Iran to use all their influence on the regime to act accordingly. We deplore that the UN Security Council could not express itself since the 2 October Presidential Statement. Considering that the situation is still deteriorating, we call for a humanitarian resolution from the UN Security Council.

4. We reiterate our conviction that the only solution to the conflict is a genuine political transition, based on the full implementation of the Geneva Communiqué, and preserving the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian State.

5. We welcome the invitation sent by the UN Secretary General, which convenes the parties to a Geneva II Conference to fully implement the Geneva Communiqué, with the priority aim of forming, by mutual consent, a transitional governing body (TGB) with full executive powers. We recall that the invitation clearly states that participating in the Conference will be taken as a commitment to this aim.

6. We therefore strongly condemn the latest statements of the regime, by which it refused to come to Geneva to establish a political transition. These statements fully contradict the Geneva Communiqué, endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2118, to which the regime must commit. In addition, the perspective of a presidential election organized by the regime, in which Bashar al-Assad would run, also fully contradicts the Geneva II process and its goal of a negotiated democratic transition. Such a parody of a ballot, aimed at maintaining in power a man whom the UN considers committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, would only fuel the conflict and increase the threat of a partition of the country. If it were to happen, we would consider it totally null and void.

7. We reaffirm our full commitment to the text of the Core Group Ministerial Communiqué of 22October 2013. Negotiations to form the TGB, under the mediation of the Joint Special Representative, must start as early as January 24 and must not be open-ended. The Geneva II process must lead to tangible and immediate benefits to the Syrian people. During the course of negotiations, all parties must put an end to the use of heavy weapons and implement humanitarian pauses. As of the establishment of the TGB, all parties must cooperate with the TGB in ensuring the permanent cessation of violence throughout the country. Consistent with the Geneva Communiqué, once the TGB is established, with control over all governmental institutions, as specified in the UNSG invitation letter, including the armed forces, security services and intelligence structures, Assad and his close associates with blood on their hands will have no role in Syria.

8. All those who committed war crimes or crimes against humanity must be held accountable. We reaffirm our support to international criminal justice mechanisms to achieve reconciliation, truth and accountability for gross violations, as well as effective remedies and reparations for victims.

9. We urge the National Coalition to respond positively to the invitation to set up the Syrian opposition delegation sent by the UN Secretary General. We invite them to form, as soon as possible, a delegation of opposition forces to participate in the political process starting on January 22. As the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, the National Coalition should establish a delegation reflecting the diversity of the Syrian society and be gender balanced. We pledge our full backing to the opposition during the Geneva II Conference.

10. We strongly support the vision envisaged by the National Covenant adopted in Cairo paving the way for a democratic and pluralistic Syria.

11. We welcome the Kuwaiti initiative to host the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria on 15 January. We call on all countries to mobilize financial resources to respond to the needs inside Syria, including in the liberated, contested and besieged areas, and in the countries of the region generously hosting a growing number of refugees. We recognize the enormous social, economic and financial impact these refugees have on their societies, and call upon the international community to assume its responsibility through burden sharing. We also welcome the UNHCR and neighboring country meeting to be held in Urfa – Turkey – on 17 January to highlight increasing pressure on host governments and communities, as a result of hosting more than 2,5 million refugees from Syria. We stress the importance of meeting the needs of the internally displaced persons concentrated in certain areas who seek refuge and protection. It is crucial to increase the level of humanitarian aid, especially in the liberated, contested and besieged areas, including by supporting the Interim Government and the Aid Coordination Unit of the National Coalition and local solidarity networks. We express our full support for the work being carried out by UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, UNHCR, UN specialized agencies and all humanitarian actors to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, and underline the urgent need to achieve significant results.

12. All armed groups must respect democratic and pluralistic values, recognize the political authority of the National Coalition and accept the prospect of a democratic transition negotiated in Geneva on the basis of the objectives listed above. We urge them to facilitate humanitarian access and respect humanitarian principles, as well as the work of humanitarian actors and journalists. We also urge opposition armed groups aiming at a free and pluralistic Syria to unify and ensure the security of the civilians in the areas under their control, including against the violations committed by extremist groups.

13. We condemn the presence of foreign fighters in Syria, both those fighting with the regime such as Hezbollah and other Iranian backed forces, and those fighting within other extremist groups. We demand their immediate withdrawal. It is important that countries supporting and encouraging these groups stop doing it, and that all groups respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria. We also urge the international community to consider political and economic steps to impel Hezbollah military wing, a terrorist organization, and other Iranian-backed armed groups to withdraw from Syria.

14. We fully support the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army and other democratic opposition forces in their action against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Extremist groups play in favor of the regime, damage the image of the democratic and legitimate Syrian opposition forces, and deprive them of local and international sympathy and support. We urge the democratic opposition forces to keep opposing the groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda. We share growing concern at the spread of extremist groups, including ISIL and Jabhat al-Nusra. The regime, contrary to what it claims, does not take any significant measures to fight extremism. On the contrary, it is fueling this threat by facilitating its development to exhaust the democratic opposition. The determination of Bashar al-Assad to cling to power and the regime’s brutality are the roots of extremism in Syria. As long as Bashar al-Assad remains in power, there is no prospect of peace and stability in Syria and the region. Only when the Syrian people control its future will there be a prospect of peace and stability in Syria.

This article was re-posted from the Voltaire network.

  • Southernfink

    Wait, the UN does not dare condemn the pretentious war on terror…or even dare to suggest that war crimes are being committed by the commander in chief….

    • SickOfTheStupid

      The UN has stated that they believe the indiscriminate use of drones on primarily civilian targets is in fact a war crime and criminal act……….they just refuse to act on those findings.

      • Southernfink

        What can they do, and how can they hold the supreme commander accountable for war crimes, the best thing to happen to the UN is to simply take away all veto powers.

        • SickOfTheStupid

          well you have just illustrated another reason why the UN is useless and should just be gotten rid of it has become farcical.

          • Southernfink

            Without veto powers the UN could truly be democratic.