Society's ChildS


Treasure Chest

Russian oil crude output highest since Soviet times


RT
Mon, 05 Oct 2015 12:10 UTC
Russia oil rigs
© Reuters
Russia's oil production in September hit a new record for the post Soviet era, at 10.74 million barrels a day (mbd), according to Rusmininfo. Output was up by 0.4 percent compared to August. The previous best performance was recorded in March at 10.71 (mbd).

"The low oil price had no impact on the production plan," an oil and gas analyst at Deutsche Bank said.

Russian oil firms have increased profits and output since a weaker domestic currency has protected their business. The depreciating Russian currency cuts costs and taxes for the companies that generate earnings in US dollars but pay most of their expenses in rubles.

Comment: So those sanctions on Russia is working real well. Great to see Russia is nowhere near to collapsing like the West, EU and Saudi Arabia.

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Attention

Economic Collapse: How bad can it get and how fast?

Raúl Ilargi Meijer
The Automatic Earth
Fri, 02 Oct 2015 00:00 UTC
Image

There's so much negative real bad economic and financial news out there that it's hard to choose a 'favorite', but I guess I'm going to have to go with what underlies and 'structures' it all, the IIF stating that for the first time since 1988 and the Reagan presidency, there's more money flowing out of emerging markets than there's flowing in. That is for sure a watershed moment.

And no, that trend is not going to be reversed either anytime soon. Emerging economies, even if they wouldn't include China - but they do - have relied exclusively on selling 'stuff' to the rich world which combined cheap commodities with cheap labor, and now they see their customer base shrink rapidly just as they were preparing to harvest the big loot.

Now, I hope I can be forgiven for thinking from the get-go that this was always a really dumb model. That emerging nations would provide the cheap labor, and the west would kill of its manufacturing base and turn into a service economy.

Comment: See also: Yes, we're in a financial crisis: 11 TRILLION dollars in stock market wealth was wiped out in recent months

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Eye 2

'Cultural cleansing' - ISIS terrorists blow up iconic 2,000yo Arch of Triumph in Palmyra


RT
Mon, 05 Oct 2015 01:34 UTC
Isis Palmyra arch
© Sandra Auger / Reuters The iconic arch Arch of Triumph at Palmyra has been destroyed by ISIS
The iconic arch at the UNESCO heritage site in Syria's Palmyra has been blown up by ISIS jihadists engaged in a "cultural cleansing" of the Middle East. The latest grievous loss of an ancient artifact was confirmed to Reuters by Syria's antiquities chief.

Sources in Palmyra confirmed that the iconic Arch of Triumph, a centerpiece of the ancient ruins in the oasis city, had been blown up, Maamoun Abdulkarim told Reuters.
"It's as though there is a curse that has befallen this city and I expect only news that will shock us," said Abdulkarim. "If the city remains in their hands the city is doomed."
Last month jihadists obliterated several ancient funeral towers at the UNESCO-protected site, while back in August the terrorists blew up two temples - the Temple of Baal Shamin and the Temple of Bel.

After seizing the ancient city of Palmyra in May 2015, Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) militants demolished several ancient temples and gravesites. The city's custodian, 82-year-old archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad, was tortured and beheaded by the group.

Comment: The is the mentality the US has armed and encouraged. (Remember, IS was largely formed from the death squads created by the U.S. in Iraq to counter the insurgency there.) Barbarians who have no respect for culture or history. But hey, it's not our history, so who cares?

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War Whore

Hard hitting facts that show America cares more about war than education

Andrew Emett
The Free Thought Project
Sun, 04 Oct 2015 20:08 UTC
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Since the tragic events of 9/11, the budget of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has doubled while the budgets of other departments remain stagnant. Instead of paying Lockheed Martin over $1.5 billion to provide Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates with Patriot missiles, that money could have gone towards improving the failing education system in this country.

In 2001, the base budget for the DoD stood at $287 billion. In less than a decade, the defense budget increased to over $530 billion, which does not even include the primary costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In 2010, the Office of Management and Budget reported the DoD's federal budget at $530.8 billion. In contrast, the Department of Education only received $64.1 billion, while the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy received $27 billion and $26.4 billion respectively.
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Calendar

ISIL too scared to pray for fear of Russian airstrikes


Sputnik
Sun, 04 Oct 2015 20:06 UTC
Image
© Russian Defense Ministry
The Islamic State terror group cancelled Friday prayers in the Syrian city of Raqqa and emptied mosques there out of fear of further Russian airstrikes, according to activists and city residents.

According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 12 Islamic State militants were killed Thursday in Russia's first airstrikes carried out in the group's de facto capital in Syria.

"Last night, Russian strikes on the western edges of Raqqa city, and near the Tabqa military airport, killed 12 IS jihadists," Abdel Rahman, head of the observatory, told AFP.

He said residents were staying indoors, and IS "has started to implement a plan to turn off electricity in a number of areas of the city when planes are overhead."

A Russian airstrike on Thursday on also destroyed a mosque in the town of Jisr al-Shughour, which was captured from government forces by an alliance of Islamist insurgents earlier this year, activists said.

On Friday, Moscow said its latest strikes had hit 12 Islamic State targets, mostly in western and northern parts of the country.

The Russian Defense Ministry said warplanes had flown 18 sorties hitting targets that included a command post and a communications center in the province of Aleppo, a militant field camp in Idlib and a command post in Hama.

Comment: Looks like it may be a while...Putin ally says Russian air strikes in Syria to last three-four months

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Bullseye

Alabama closes DMV offices after mandating photo IDs for voting -- ACLU to sue for discrimination

Andrea Germanos
Common Dreams
Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:38 UTC
voting
Some observers say that Alabama's move to close dozens of drivers license offices is a discriminatory move that could trigger a civil rights probe.

Here's why: in 2011 lawmakers approved a voter ID law requiring a government-issued ID to vote, and the 31 offices the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency set for closing—which the agency said was due to the $11 million cut in the new General Fund appropriation—will take a disproportionate hit on counties that are majority African-American.

Columnist John Archibald writes that "Alabama just took a giant step backward."

"Every single county in which blacks make up more than 75 percent of registered voters will see their driver license office closed. Every one," he continues, writing that the state "might as well just send an invitation to the Justice Department."
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Quenelle

Woman flipped off vengeful mayor, so he had a SWAT team raid her house

John Vibes
Activist Post
Sun, 04 Oct 2015 15:25 UTC
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Tina Warren has been fighting her local government over rising water bills, leaving her at odds with the town's mayor, Bill Kirkpatrick. Warren has been running a number of campaigns against his policies, and she has even been flipping the mayor the middle finger every time she sees him.

Tina's local activism made her a target for the local police, who pulled her over several times, reportedly demanding that she stop a petition drive that she was organizing about water bills.

According to Warren, her house was also raided and searched for drugs on Kirkpatrick's orders. Now she is filing a harassment lawsuit against the city, stating that the mayor and the local police colluded to intimidate her and prevent her activism.
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Bad Guys

Anti-Muslim hysteria: Canadian conservatives encourage the public to report 'barbaric cultural practices', vow to set up a hotline

The Guardian
Mint Press News
Sat, 03 Oct 2015 15:46 UTC
Pledge comes on the heels of a surge in opinion polls based on a hardline stance against a woman donning her Muslim headwear during a citizenship ceremony.
Stephen Harper
© AP Photo/, Darren CalabresePrime Minister Stephen Harper speaks during a press conference in Toronto on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.
Canada's ruling Conservatives have pledged to set up a police hotline to report what it called "barbaric cultural practices", as it sought to capitalize on a hardline stance which has helped it gain in the polls.

The new pledge follows a string of opinion polls showing that the incumbent party's hard line against Muslim headwear - refusing to permit a new immigrant the right to wear a veil during a ceremony affirming their citizenship - has helped lift it from third to first place in the drawn-out election campaign.

"We need to stand up for our values," said immigration minister Chris Alexander, as he announced the new initiative on Friday. "We need to do that in citizenship ceremonies. We need to do that to protect women and girls from forced marriage and other barbaric practices."


Comment: Canada Bans Burqas and Niqab Veils at Citizenship Ceremonies

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Handcuffs

London: Single mother sentenced to 3.5 years for killing her pedophile neighbor


BBC News
Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:40 UTC
Sarah Sands
© Met PoliceSarah Sands was found guilty of the manslaughter by reason of loss of control.
A woman has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for killing a man charged with sexually assaulting young boys on the east London estate where they lived.

Sarah Sands, 32, was found guilty of the manslaughter of Michael Pleasted, 77, by reason of loss of control.

Pleasted, who had previous convictions, was on bail awaiting trial when he was killed at his flat in east London.

He was stabbed eight times and bled to death, the Old Bailey heard.

Comment: What can be said in a case like this? Pleasted will certainly not be missed, though Sand's children will surely miss her while she's away.

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Arrow Up

Over half of EU member states asking to opt-out of GMO crops


Common Dreams
Fri, 02 Oct 2015 00:00 UTC
opt out GMO
© European Parliament/flickr/ccThe majority of EU governments are "rejecting the Commission's drive for GM crop approvals," Greenpeace EU said.
On the eve of the European Union's deadline for member states and territories to declare their stance on allowing or banning genetically modified (GM or GMO) crops, more than half of EU countries are asking to opt out—a total of 15 out of 28 members, according to the latest count by the European Commission.

The governments, including those of Germany and Scotland, are utilizing new EU rules which allow member states to send territorial exclusion requests to agrochemical manufacturers like Dow, Monsanto, Syngenta, and Pioneer—even if their crops snag wider EU approval.

As of October 2, the list of members opting out also includes Austria, Croatia, France, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Italy, Slovenia, Belgium's Wallonia region, and Wales and Northern Ireland in the UK.

By invoking those rights, Greenpeace EU food policy director Franziska Achterberg said, the majority of EU governments are "rejecting the Commission's drive for GM crop approvals."

Comment:

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