‘The robber barons are back and are buying American politicians at the highest level in more than a century, as several hundred of the wealthiest Americans led by the Koch brothers say they will spend […]
There is much discussion in Western political discourse of the “threat” of Iran, spoken of as though it is a self-evident truth, an assumption that underlies the entire spectrum of debate. To question such an obvious truism is something that disciplined intellectuals understand is not proper of them to do. Most likely the thought doesn’t even cross their minds, thanks to dignified university education and the values instilled from it; there are some things not suitable for a respectable intellectual to discuss, after all. Senator John McCain recently stated that Iran will pose “a direct threat to the existence of … Continue reading →
Ross Caputi, a former marine who participated in the US’s second siege of Fallujah, writes that the reason the American Sniper book and film have been so successful is that they “tell us exactly what we want to hear”: that US America is “benevolent” and “righteous”. That, he says, is why the book and film are so popular; their popularity speaks volumes about US society, and signals more danger ahead for the rest of the world. The killings for which Chris Kyle is idolized, Caputi notes, were perpetrated during his participation in the second US siege of Fallujah, which Caputi, from firsthand knowledge, calls an “atrocity”. … Continue reading →
Gerhard Wisnewski is a German writer of non-fiction books and articles. He writes in the German language and his books are widely read in the German-speaking countries. He has written a number of successful books, many of them dealing with what are popularly termed conspiracy theories. One of his recent books, entitled Das Titanic Attentat (“The Titanic Murder”), is about the sinking of the Titanic in April, 1912. Unlike some of his books, it is not available in English translation but is definitely worth reading if you know German. According to the conventional version, the mighty but overconfident Titanic accidentally … Continue reading →
Winter can be a chilling experience. Colder temperatures, gusty winds and snow – and bundling up to take it on – are all what can be expected in a typical North American winter. Even Florida can get frosty! No wonder so many of us like to head south for a beach vacation. No matter where you live though, another common aspect of winter is catching a cold. It would seem as temperatures continue to drop, the odds of you getting sick increase. Worse yet, even though you try your best to not catch a cold, all those around you have … Continue reading →
Over the last 100 years the Fed has had many mandates and policy changes in its pursuit of becoming the chief central economic planner for the United States. Not only has it pursued this utopian dream of planning the US economy and financing every boondoggle conceivable in the welfare/warfare state, it has become the manipulator of the premier world reserve currency. As Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke explained to me, the once profoundly successful world currency – gold – was no longer money. This meant that he believed, and the world has accepted, the fiat dollar as the most important currency … Continue reading →
Too many people succumb to the mistaken belief that being likeable comes from natural, unteachable traits that belong only to a lucky few—the good looking, the fiercely social, and the incredibly talented. It’s easy to fall prey to this misconception. In reality, being likeable is under your control, and it’s a matter of emotional intelligence (EQ). In a study conducted at UCLA, subjects rated over 500 adjectives based on their perceived significance to likeability. The top-rated adjectives had nothing to do with being gregarious, intelligent, or attractive (innate characteristics). Instead, the top adjectives were sincerity, transparency, and capacity for understanding … Continue reading →
The Blowout Victory of Syriza has taken on some new meaning outside of Grexit possibilities. Please consider Greeks Rebuff EU Call for More Russia Sanctions. A spokesman for the ruling coalition of Alexis Tsipras, prime minister, said Greece had not approved a statement from EU heads of government that asked their foreign ministers to review further sanctions in response to the latest flare-up of violence in eastern Ukraine, blamed by the US and most European nations on Russian-backed separatists. The Greek statement raised questions over whether the new government, led by the radical leftist Syriza party, would support a continuation … Continue reading →
Just fill the ball with warm humid indoor air, then when it temperature-equalizes with the 25°F cooler outdoor air on your AFC Championship playing field some of the water vapor in the ball will condense into water, leaving less air in the ball, solving the great mystery: how did the footballs used by the Championship winning New England Patriots show 12.5 psi of inflation pressure in the official pre-game check but only 10.5 psi when checked at halftime? There is also a decrease in pressure due to the cooling of the molecules that remain gaseous. Those air molecules are not zipping … Continue reading →
Yersinia pestis. Who would think that such a microscopic organism in the gut of an infected flea could create an upheaval in human society? The most terrible pestilence humanity has witnessed, the Black Death of the 1340s killed an estimated 75–200 million people. To many, it seemed that the end of the world had come. In a sense, they were right. The “Great Mortality” ended one world and ushered in a new, better one. Despite the horrors of bubonic plague, Europe showed remarkable resilience in its survival. The Black Death, tragic though it was, may have made the world a … Continue reading →
Los Angeles, CA—Yesterday I got a gentle safety reminder as I began to pick up my Phantom 2. The props suddenly began spinning on their own. I thought I turned of the battery and then the radio controller. I’m somewhat hearing impaired and did not hear those telltale sounds that the battery power was not actually shut off. As I reached for the drone the plastic propellers really spanked my fingers. I felt pain but suffered no visible injury beyond a little redness that quickly disappeared. Had I been using carbon fiber props I would have definitely needed stiches and … Continue reading →
For a century and a half, the idea of secession has been systematically demonized among the American public. The government schools spin fairy tales about the “indivisible Union” and the wise statesmen who fought to preserve it. Decentralization is portrayed as unsophisticated and backward, while nationalism and centralization are made to seem progressive and inevitable. When a smaller political unit wishes to withdraw from a larger one, its motives must be disreputable and base, while the motivations of the central power seeking to keep that unit in an arrangement it does not want are portrayed as selfless and patriotic, if … Continue reading →
Ali Saleh al-Marri is a convicted conspirator who entered the United States before 9/11 in order to create a dreaded sleeper cell here that might someday launch an attack on Americans similar to what we witnessed earlier this month in Paris. When the feds woke from their slumber on 9/11, they wisely began to search immigration records for persons who came here with no discernible purpose from places known to spawn terrorist groups and who had overstayed their visas. Al-Marri was one such person. The feds arrested him, originally on the visa violation, and then, after connecting the dots, on … Continue reading →