Category: Aggregated

The latest ISIS atrocity – releasing a video of a captured Jordanian fighter pilot being burned alive – prompted substantial discussion yesterday about this particular form of savagery. It is thus worth noting that deliberately burning people to death is achievable – and deliberately achieved – in all sorts of other ways: “Living Under Drones: Death, Injury and Trauma to Civilians From US Drone Practices in Pakistan”, NYU School of Law and Stanford University Law School, 2012: The most immediate consequence of drone strikes is, of course, death and injury to those targeted or near a strike. The missiles fired … Continue reading →

In ancient times, whenever there was a rise in war or political uncertainty, the human reaction was to hoard money. The hoard of ancient Roman coins 3rd century we purchased for study from Britain years ago reflected coins of both the Roman Empire and the Gallic Empire. Even the debased coinage was being hoarded. This is part of the deflationary cycle that must take place FIRST. It is the shrinkage of the money supply created by the hoarding that defeats what people assume should be inflationary. The age old problem remains the net effect – not the top down superficial … Continue reading →

Seeing clips of that 22-minute video of the immolation of the Jordanian pilot, one wonders: Who would be drawn to the cause of these barbarians who perpetrated such an atrocity? While the video might firm up the faith of fanatics, would it not evoke rage and revulsion across the Islamic world? After all, this was a Sunni Muslim, in a cage, being burned alive. As of now, this cruel killing seems to have backfired. Jordan is uniting behind King Abdullah’s determination to exact “earth-shattering” retribution. Which raises again the questions: Why did ISIS do it? What did they hope to … Continue reading →

Somewhere, a figure clothed in a pseudonym has been tracking the box office returns of “American Sniper” with great interest and no small measure of envy. He may be among the tens of millions who contributed to its unprecedented commercial success, assuming that a visit to the local Cineplex is permitted under the terms of the federal witness protection program. Many who have seen the cinematic tribute to the late Chris Kyle describe the experience in religious terms, recalling how a chastened, reverent silence descended on the theater as the end credits rolled. If the individual once known as Lon … Continue reading →

Faber: “Only one way to short central banks and that is to buy gold”. Marc Faber warned at the weekend that 2015 may be the year that investors will lose confidence in central banks and that investors will “suddenly realise what a scam that central banking is”. He is long gold and recently bought more gold and investors should buy gold and short sectors such as biotech and social media. In an interview with Jack Otter, editor Of Barrons.com, Dr. Faber again reiterated his desire to short central banks. While that is technically impossible, the editor of the excellent Gloom, … Continue reading →

It is often said that our eyes are the gateway to our soul. Although this may be true, your eyes can reveal much more than that. Eyes not only provide us with the ability to see, but they can also tell us what’s going on inside our bodies. Whether it is matters of the heart, the mind or the nerves, our eyes have the ability to show us serious health concerns even before we start to experience any symptoms at all. Since early detection is key, make an appointment with your eye doctor and get checked. Here are a few … Continue reading →

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz smoked marijuana in his youth, his campaign told Daily Mail Online on Tuesday – putting him in the same camp as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who acknowledged his high school pot-smoking days on Friday. ‘Teenagers are often known for their lack of judgment, and Sen. Cruz was no exception,’ a Cruz spokesperson said. ‘When he was a teenager, he foolishly experimented with marijuana. It was a mistake, and he’s never tried it since.’ The spokesperson wouldn’t elaborate about how many times Cruz had tried the illegal drug, over how long a period the experimentation … Continue reading →

I had a short chat with BBC Radio concerning the actor Jack Nicholson, whom I knew slightly during the 70s and 80s. Alas, it had to do with age, his and mine, 77 and 78 respectively. No, the man on the other side of the telephone did not ask me anything embarrassing. All he wanted to know was: Do women still come on to an oldie, or are they, as Jack Nicholson claims, a thing of the past? Well, for starters, I do not believe that Nicholson is telling the truth, that he’s now alone and fears he will die … Continue reading →

This year marks the 170th anniversary of the annexation of Texas by the United States government. Although Texas militias had gained de facto independence from Mexico in 1836, negotiations between Mexico and the United States continued for another nine years as the Texas government attempted to work out a long-term strategy for Texas. Most Texans (especially the Anglo ones) wanted union with the United States, and American settlers looking to move to Texas also wanted union to ease emigration and legal issues. Moreover, American slave owners saw the opportunity to admit another slave state to the United States to counterbalance … Continue reading →

While today surprised some with its lack of images of Greeks standing in line furiously pulling cash from bank ATMs, as Bloomberg reports, Greeks are anxiously stashing cash in the most unusual places… As Bloomberg reports, in the days after Tsipras’s election, the nation’s banks found themselves busy again… The teller at National Bank of Greece SA leaned forward to tell one customer something he’s noticed over the past few days. “Had you come in last week, without warning, I wouldn’t have been able to give you so much cash,” he said in a low voice to the client withdrawing … Continue reading →

Obama is on a hot war footing. Western civilization is threatened by the Islamic State.    The “Global War on Terrorism” is  heralded as a humanitarian endeavor. We have a “Responsibility to Protect”. Humanitarian warfare is the solution.  Evil folks are lurking. ‘Take ‘em out”, said George W. Bush. The Western media is beating the drums of war. Obama’s military agenda is supported by a vast propaganda apparatus.  One of the main objectives of war propaganda is to “fabricate an enemy” . As the political legitimacy the Obama Administration falters, doubts regarding the existence of this “outside enemy”, namely Al Qaeda and its network of (CIA … Continue reading →

On November 17, 2004, big news hit the retail world. Attention Kmart shareholders, your company announced that it was going to purchase Sears, Roebuck for $11 billion. In a November 18, 2004 New York Times article, it was stated: “The takeover is a triumph for Kmart’s largest shareholder, Edward S. Lampert, a billionaire investor who pushed the company to emerge from bankruptcy barely 18 months ago, shut many stores and sold dozens of others to Sears as he presided over a run-up in Kmart’s value on Wall Street.” It was further reported, in this article, that:  “’This is going to … Continue reading →

With suicidal mania, the British Empire is going for broke, both with its military confrontation policy against Russia and China, and with its insistence on the genocidal austerity policy epitomized by the Troika rape of Greece. Should these policies p…