Friday, April 30, 2010

US exempts Russia, China from Iran bill

US exempts Russia, China from Iran bill

Gulf spill: Worse than Exxon Valdez? - Environment- msnbc.com

Gulf spill: Worse than Exxon Valdez? - Environment- msnbc.com

So far the leak from a blown-out well 5,000 feet under the sea is not nearly as big as the Exxon Valdez disaster, which spilled about 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound 21 years ago. BP's well is spewing about 210,000 gallons of oil a day into the ocean, the Coast Guard estimates.
But if the leak is not capped, millions of gallons of oil could spill into the Gulf of Mexico. The environmental impact could be disastrous if the oil reaches the ecologically fragile U.S. coastline.
11 M / 210 K = 53.38 days

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Deepwater Horizon Drilling Rig Disaster Photos

The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig which caught fire, burned for two days, then sank in 5,000 ft of water in the Gulf of Mexico. Click HERE to view a document with photos showing the progression of events over the 36 hours from catching fire to sinking.

Monday, April 26, 2010

UPDATE: Video explains/questions army troops deployed on U.S. soil

UPDATE: Video explains/questions army troops deployed on U.S. soil

DEPweb: Beyond Economic Growth, Classification of Countries

DEPweb: Beyond Economic Growth, Classification of Countries

World Bank makes Communist China third-largest voting power

World Bank makes Communist China third-largest voting power
China's voting power at the World Bank has increased to 4.42% from 2.77% as member countries voted Sunday to award more power to developing nations, state media reported. China is now has the third-largest share of the votes after the US (16.4%) and Japan (7.9%). Overall, there has been a 3.13 percentage-point increase in the voting power of the developing and transition countries (DTCs) to 47.19%. The DTC share has grown by 4.59 percentage points since 2008. Chinese Finance Minister Xie Xuren hailed the move as an "important step towards equitable voting power between developing and developed members." However, Xie noted that World Bank voting reform is just part of an "ongoing process." Beijing is also keen to see an adjustment in the shareholding of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which normally represents the World Bank Group.

"And I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale." - Thomas Jefferson

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Banking and Liberty

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs. 
Thomas Jefferson, (Attributed)
 



"And I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale." - Thomas Jefferson

Chinese Military Plans to Extend Its Naval Power | Seven Sided Cube

Chinese Military Plans to Extend Its Naval Power | Seven Sided Cube

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Martin Luther

I find Martin Luther a very interesting and inspiring individual. I was reading about him yesterday and watched a television documentary on him a few years ago. 

The topic on the television show which I found most interesting was how he struggled to accept the teachings of Christ. From what I remember from the show, Martin Luther was a historian and scholar himself. It wasn't until later in life that he accepted the fact that Christ did in fact walk the Earth, and did perform miracles, and thus may be the Son of God... He arrived at these conclusions by reading the history of the scriptures, pouring over the sources- like many of us today. While traversing the research path, it became clear to him over time that Christ must me the Son of God. It was a transformation for him, later in life. I believe that many people, as I, can relate to this.

The other topic of interest is from what I was reading yesterday- The Significance of the Reformation.

Nineteenth-century liberal descendants of Protestantism argued that Martin Luther's appeal to conscience represented the "birth of individual liberty,"... Marxist historians argued that the popular appeal of Luther made him part of an "early bourgeois revolution," while the rebellious peasants were proletarians before their time.

In politics the fact that the church had been a political as well as spiritual power led to realignments at every level from villages to international diplomacy. Religious adherence became an important factor in political alliances until the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1648. The emerging Protestant states of northern Europe were strengthened by the windfalls of property they seized from their churches, and gained new authority over daily life through their tight control over the Protestant clergy.

In other words, the actions of Martin Luther laid groundwork for the founding fathers of the United States.

Source- "reformation." Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World. The Gale Group, Inc, 2004. Answers.com 24 Apr. 2010.http://www.answers.com/topic/reformation



PBS Documentary on Martin Luther

martin-lutherOver the years, PBS has produced a series of programs on the history of empires.  In 2003, they made 2 special episodes on Martin Luther.  (Liam Neeson provides the narration.)  Thanks to Hulu, these are available for your viewing pleasure at any time.   

Each is one hour in length, so you may want to come back when you have the time.  If you don’t know about Hulu, you can choose between 360 and 480p resolutions, as well as view in full screen mode.  You can also check out the other series produced on the Roman Empire, Kingdom of David, etc.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Polish Presidential Jet Crash - Coordinates

Wikipedia lists the location as-
200 m (656.2 ft) short of runway at Smolensk North Airport[2]
54°49′26.02″N 32°3′4.54″E
54.823894, 32.051261
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Polish_Air_Force_Tu-154_crash

I followed the link looking for a nearby railway (the shooting-conspiracy video has the sound of a nearby train)...  I can not find a railway anywhere near the listed crash site.  Either the coordinates are wrong, or the video (audio portion) is a hoax, or I am missing something.  Here's a snapshot of the Wikipedia-listed crash site from Google Earth.  There is a nearby road but no railway.

Perhaps the video is a plant to discredit conspiracy theories related to the event.

According to Google Earth, the nearest railway is 1.89 miles from the crash site.

KATYN 2. Poles deciphered video with international terrorists from FSB Russia killing crash survivors - Kavkazcenter.com

KATYN 2. Poles deciphered video with international terrorists from FSB Russia killing crash survivors - Kavkazcenter.com
According to Polish research workers, a video posted on the YouTube is a direct evidence of the Moscow premediated murder of President Kaczynski and the Polish elite in the Second Katyn Massacre. The video may be a record of the murder of the survived Polish pilot by international terrorists from the FSB Russia.

DC Knows that Obama is Ineligible for Office

DC Knows that Obama is Ineligible for Office

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Vladimir Bogdanovich Rezun

Viktor Suvorov - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Former Soviet and now British writer of Russian and Ukrainian descent who writes primarily in Russian, as well as a former Soviet spy who defected to the UK.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Islamization Watch: Egypt: Christian convert, girl of 15, who wrote letter to Obama telling of her plight, has had acid thrown on her

Islamization Watch: Egypt: Christian convert, girl of 15, who wrote letter to Obama telling of her plight, has had acid thrown on her
(AINA) -- Dina el-Gowhary, the 15-year-old Egyptian Muslim-born girl who converted to Christianity, was subjected to an acid attack, the latest in a string of failed attempts by Muslim fanatics against her and her father, 57-year-old Peter Athanasius (Maher el-Gowhary), who converted to Christianity 35 years ago. Several Fatwa's were issued calling for the "spilling of his blood," which makes their lives in constant danger in the face of the reactionaries and advocates for the enforcement of Islamic apostasy laws, which call for the death of a convert.

Times Online Pictures of the Day- Martinez

Source - TIMES ONLINE
A member of the National Revolutionary Militia stands holding her rifle on Militia Day in Caracas. Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez marked the eight-year anniversary of his return to power after a failed 2002 coup with a speech to thousands of members of Venezuela’s civilian militia
Ariana Cubillos/AP

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Texas city revives paddling as it takes a swat at misbehavior

Texas city revives paddling as it takes a swat at misbehavior

String of Pearls - Thailand Related Excerpts

String of Pearls: Meeting the challenge of china’s rising power across the asian littoral - by Lt Col Christopher J. Pehrson - July 2006  http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/pub721.pdf

Each “pearl” in the “String of Pearls” is a nexus of Chinese geopolitical influence or military presence... China is building strategic relationships and developing a capability to establish a forward presence along the sea lines of communication (SLOCs) that connect China to the Middle East (see Figure 1).


In November 2003, China signed an agreement with Cambodia to provide military equipment and training in exchange for the right of way to build a rail line from southern China to the Gulf of Thailand. China also has an ambitious $20 billion proposal to build a canal across Thailand’s Kra Isthmus which would enable ships to bypass the chokepoint at the Strait of Malacca. Although this plan is stalled due to Thailand’s noncommittal position and political opposition in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, it reveals the scope and scale of Chinese ambition for the “String of Pearls.”

China’s largest strategic concerns—regime survival, territorial integrity, and domestic stability— are inexorably linked to the economy. China’s greatest strength and its greatest vulnerability is the economy, and therefore it is the centerpiece of Chinese policy and strategy. To sustain economic growth, China must rely increasingly upon external sources of energy and raw materials. SLOCs are vitally important because most of China’s foreign trade is conducted by sea, and China has had little success in developing reliable oil or gas pipelines from Russia or Central Asia. Since energy provides the foundation of the economy, China’s economic policy depends on the success of its energy policy. Securing SLOCs for energy and raw materials supports China’s energy policy and is the principal motivation behind the “String of Pearls.” This is how and why the “String of Pearls” relates to China’s grand national strategy.

Key (U.S.) partners for securing the SLOCs from the Middle East to Asia are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. These nations are identified explicitly as U.S. key friends and allies in the National Security Strategy (NSS), but our partnerships should be expanded to include India, Pakistan, and Vietnam...

The test of China’s intentions will be whether its growing power and influence will be used to exclude the United States from the “String of Pearls” region or whether it will partner with the United States and other nations in cooperative efforts, assuming a role as a “responsible stakeholder.”

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Five Indians injured by dirty bomb material in Delhi market

DEBKAfile, Political Analysis, Espionage, Terrorism, Security

A white fluid oozed out causing the burns, Jain's hair fell out and within minutes his skin turned black. His workers suffered and nausea.

Ahead of the Washington conference, US president Barack Obama called nuclear terror "the single biggest threat to US security, short term, medium and long-term."

Indian leaders as well as their military and intelligence advisers have repeatedly warned Washington that al Qaeda and Taliban were moving in on Pakistan's nuclear facilities through their deep penetration of Pakistan's intelligence service and may soon be in position to take over.

Chinese submarines, destroyers spotted in high seas near Okinawa+

Chinese submarines, destroyers spotted in high seas near Okinawa+

Monday, April 12, 2010

Once Upon a Time in the West - Belarusian transportation authorities deny Russian version of demise of Polish president's plane

Once Upon a Time in the West - Exposing the Twenty-First-Century Communist Conspiracy

"The Georgian media reports that President Lech Kaczynski's Polish Air Force jet was "flying at an appropriate height and according to established route."

Expert Club-
Belarus denied Russian version of Kaczynski's death
Belarus denied statements made in Russia regarding the death of the President of Poland. The representative of the Belarusian Ministry of Transport and Communications told reporters that " the plane crew never made any request towards the Belarusian side regarding a landing " and during transit passage of aircraft with Lech Kaczynski onboard through the airspace of Belarus "no comments were made, the plane was flying at a appropriate height and according to established route"

Prior to this, press secretary of the Administration of Smolensk region of Russia Andrei Evseenko said that the plane with Lech Kaczynski was "trying to land three or four times in conditions of a heavy fog," and that "an air traffic controller offered the crew to land in Minsk, but the crew decided to land at the Smolensk airport".

The Old Jarhead: An American Speaks

The Old Jarhead: An American Speaks

Friday, April 9, 2010

The New Great Game - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The New Great Game - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Taishan Gypsum liable for drywall failure

A court in New Orleans has ruled that Chinese firm Taishan Gypsum is liable for US$2.6 million in damages due to its defective drywall products, CBS News reported. However, since Taishan Gypsum is owned by the Chinese government and there are no international laws that would require the Chinese drywall company to honor America court decisions, "there is no guarantee the company will comply," said Anthony Tarricone, president of the American Association for Justice. As a result, the seven homeowners who were plaintiffs in the case are unlikely to receive any money, highlighting the difficulties of cross-border liability lawsuits.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

2010 Nuclear Posture Review Report

http://www.defense.gov/npr/docs/2010 Nuclear Posture Review Report.pdf

Copy of document on Scribd:  http://www.scribd.com/full/29567422?access_key=key-2lw2vdpy50fpfixzy9dz

Breaking Down START | The Scholar's Stage

Breaking Down START | The Scholar's Stage

W. Cleon Skousen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleon_Skousen

You Tube blocks viral spread of powerful Wikileaks video; see it here

You Tube blocks viral spread of powerful Wikileaks video; see it here

Alex- It is wrong to direct your anger at our troops. Most of our troops are honorable. True, the video is sickening. War, is sickening. But we as humans can never escape the fact that war is unavoidable.
Peace for the living is an unachievable ideal.
As long as there are creatures and resources there will always be struggle, somewhere.
As long as the sun shines there will always be war, somewhere.
Even an eternity after the Earth’s sun ceases to shine there will still be war, somewhere.
This is not a celebration of war. It is simply a statement of fact.
Peace exists only in nothingness.
In order to achive peace, two conditions must be met. No need and no threat.
For the living, these conditions can never be fully achieved. It is logically and physically impossible.
As long as there is matter in motion, inherently, there is struggle.
Only in the non-confines of a boundless universe may two objects of motion exist in peace, and in this condition does not exist life.
Chris Hedges writes of war in his book WAR IS A FORCE THAT GIVES US MEANING (page 114)-
"Human beings become pawns, manipulated and moved around a board like chess pieces.  Those struggling to survive in a morally bankrupt universe find that there are few restraints left.  The perversion seeps into the behavior of those who came with noble sentiments to help."
The majority of our troops are honorable. The majority have entered this war and will exit this war, with the "noble sentiments to help".  Your anger is misdirected.

Proverbs 20.18 states- Every purpose is established by counsel; And by wise guidance make thou war.

Your quarrel should not be with our troops.  Your anger should be focused onto those who direct us into and through these limited wars (such as Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq) without the guidance of wisdom.

Make no mistake, the unconsidered enemy is winning the larger war.  Demoralization and degradation of the United States military elevates and improves the enemy position. Chalk up another victory for the bad guys.

Sincerely-  J.N. Kish

4/11/2010- More context added here:  http://scholars-stage.blogspot.com/2010/04/collateral-murder-footage-wikileaks.html

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Enemy Belligerent Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010

Congress.org - Soapbox
http://assets.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/politics/ARM10090.pdf


This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Enemy Belligerent Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010’’.


CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION OF INDIVIDUALS AS HIGH-VALUE DETAINEES.
The regulations required by this subsection shall include criteria for designating an individual as a high-value detainee based on the following:
(A) The potential threat the individual poses for an attack on civilians or civilian facilities...
(B) The potential threat the individual poses to United States military personnel United States military facilities.
(C) The potential intelligence value of the individual.
(D) Membership in al Qaeda or in a terrorist group affiliated with al Qaeda.
(E) Such other matters as the President considers appropriate.


http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=121884

Singapore 'to get Israel's Iron Dome'

Space War- Singapore 'to get Israel's Iron Dome' 
Singapore is reported to be acquiring Israel's new Iron Dome anti-missile air-defense system under a once-secret military cooperation pact with the Jewish state that dates to the 1960s.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Chinese enabling Iran nuke program.

American Thinker Blog: Chinese enabling Iran nuke program?

It is safe to remove the question mark from the title of this post.  The fact that China (and Russia) have built (and continue to build) the Iranian nuclear program is a well known but sparsely reported fact. 

Related links- 

The Washington Times (3/17/2010) - Iran's link to China includes nukes, missiles 
[www.washingtontimes.com] 

The Wall Street Journal (2/11/2010) - Blame China for Iran's Nukes 
[online.wsj.com] 

Related report posted on Pars Times (1/24/2005) - Iran's nuclear ambitions - Western buffer, Eastern bulwark 
[www.parstimes.com]

Same report by Washington Post / Reuters- Iran used China connection for nuke gear.

Iran Nuclear Ring Probed - WSJ.com

Iran Nuclear Ring Probed - WSJ.com

The Marine Patriot: Crash the Tea Parties

The Marine Patriot: Crash the Tea Parties

Can You Spot The Partisan Legislation?

Image and data by politicalmath- full post with commentary linked HERE.