News Headlines (344) 24 August 2013

ONLINE TODAY

► You need to get started on something totally new -- so make sure that you've got the time (and permission, if need be) to take off on your own. Almost anything you decide on is likely to succeed. The obstacles that are planted in the middle of your path today are not as daunting as they might first appear to be. You have to assess the situation, then step back and form a game plan. Early in the morning, read all your emails and line up your tasks for the day. Then, go get a cup of coffee. Taking a break before you dive in, today, will help you stay fresh and get an accurate idea of the troubles that lie ahead. They won't look so big once after all.

"Dahling, can I leave you for a few days?"

"Where are you going?"

"France."

"For what purposes?"

"Mmm ...."

"What purposes?

"Mmmm..."

"To see him, right?"

"Who?"

"Do not ask me back!"

"Who?" (This time I asked myself, silly!)

"What will you do there?"

"To see my mother"

"Go to Switzerland via France? Oh come on. Say it! Where are you going?"

"Mmmm ..."

"You will see him, right?"

"Mmm ..."

"What will you do with him there? Sleeping with him, huh?"

"I ..., I mean,..."

"Just say yes."

"No, I mean, I ..."

"No, for all following your desires, my answer is: No. But if you still want to go, it's up to you."

It's up to me you. For me, "It's-up-to-you" is just the same as "If-you-are-going-to-go-back-and-find-me-gone-then ..." And so much "then" after "if".

► GUARDIAN 24 August 2013 : Syria: Chuck Hagel suggests US is marshalling military forces

► DAILY KOS 23 August 2013  : Glenn Greenwald killed the internet

► ENGADGET 23 August 2013 : Report: NSA used taxpayer dollars to cover PRISM compliance costs for tech companies

► NPR 23 August 2013: Russia Bans Protests At Site Of Sochi Winter Games

► PCWORLD  23 August 2013 : Toshiba takes step toward 3D flash memory chips

► CBC CANADA 23 August 2013 :Syria chemical attack evidence mounting, John Baird says. 'The only end of the suffering of the Syrian people will be a political solution,' foreign affairs minister says

► TECHDIRT 23 August 2013 : Larry Lessig Threatened With Copyright Infringement Over Clear Fair Use; Decides To Fight Back

► CHANNEL 3000  23 August 2013 : Cold Case Wisconsin: Solving a 6-year mystery. Madison police continue to investigate south side death

► SLATE 23 August 2013 : Warp Speed? Not So Fast. A NASA engineer claims he has a way to move faster than the speed of light. Shh! It's a secret.

► ST LOUIS BEACON 23 August 2013 St. Louis schools fare poorly in first version of new education standards

► SPACE 22 August 2013: Astronaut Sees 'UFO' Near Space Station (Video) ||  ► HERALD SUN 21 August 2013 : Astronaut reports UFO to NASA Mission Control Houston

► While watching, listening, I also read an article from Wikipedia

► EDUCATION : Africa's Slave Trade to Colonialism to Liberation. Africa's Slave Trade to Colonialism to Liberation / The history behind Africa's slave trade, how it started, and where in Africa it began first. African chiefs used to sell their own people in exchange for valued goods, or treasured assets. Then, when the Europeans arrived they began trading with them. The Europeans offered what they had in exchange for slaves and the slave trade became a widely known, and relevant phenomenon in most parts of the world. America and Europe needed people who could do hard labor, who could do their work for them which were rigorous tasks. Slave traders came along the African coast, which was the Sub-region (South of the Sahara) to acquire slaves. They would get them in large numbers and pack them inside the ships they came with. Then, in the 1800s the slave trade was abolished by Abraham Lincoln and then European colonialism/imperialism became the new system in which mainly the Europeans created to strengthen their nations. The necessity of raw materials, namely natural resources, led to European colonization. Also, to establish colonies which were brought up in the ways of the colonial powers, particularly Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, among others in order to extend their influence both culturally, politically, socially, and religiously. The geographic borders one sees on the map today of Africa, were designed by the European colonial powers who wanted to divide the continent into sections whereby it would be clear who's colony was where, and that each colony would stay within boundaries. This was carried out in 1884 in Berlin, Germany. Africa's resources were being exported immensely to the nations which ruled over certain colonies there, thus being distributed out to the rest of the world. After World War 2 and the establishment of the United Nations, nationalists movements began which internal self government came into focus and practice, thus leading to independence, sovereignty, and the emancipation /liberation of the African continent. Pan Africanists/nationalists/freedom fighters like Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, Sekou Toure, among others came into being and agitated for independence.  Published on Sep 29, 2012 by Iraq124


► EDUCATION : Scientific Racism: The Eugenics of Social Darwinism (Newstories: Astrid Adrienne (3)). Uploaded on Jun 16, 2011 by BlackYahshua

► EDUCATION  -  Racism: A History [2007]. Published on Jan 26, 2011 by bifutake

■ Episode 1/3: The Colour of Money - A documentary which is exploring the impact of racism on a global scale, as part of the season of programmes marking the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slave trade (but not slavery itself) in the British Empire. Beginning by assessing the implications of the relationship between Europe, Africa and the Americas in the 15th century, it considers how racist ideas and practices developed in key religious and secular institutions, and how they showed up in writings by European philosophers Aristotle and Immanuel Kant.

■ Episode 2/3: Fatal Impacts - Looking at Scientific Racism, invented during the 19th century, an ideology that drew on now discredited practices such as phrenology and provided an ideological justification for racism and slavery. These theories ultimately led to eugenics and Nazi racial policies of the master race. Some upsetting scenes.

■ Episode 3/3: A Savage Legacy - The third and final episode examines the impact of racism in the 20th Century. By 1900, European colonial expansion had reached deep into the heart of Africa. Under the rule of King Leopold II, The Belgian Congo was turned into a vast rubber plantation. Men, women and children who failed to gather their latex quotas would have their limbs dismembered. The country became the scene of one of the century's greatest racial genocides, as an estimated 10 million Africans perished under colonial rule. Contains scenes which some viewers may find disturbing.

► EDUCATION : The True & Complete History of White Racism, . Uploaded on Sep 24, 2011 by FacelessTrollKiller4

■ Part 1 of 3
■ Part 2 of 3
■ Part 3 of 3

► NEWS & POLITIC : Investigating White Slavery.  29/06/2007 - Don Jordan and Mike Walsh talk about investigating the forgotten story of thousands of white Britons who lived and died in bondage in Britain's American Colonies. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries hundreds of thousands of people became slaves, in all but name, in the American colonies. Urchins were collected from London's streets to work in the tobacco fields, and brothels were raided to provide 'breeders' for Virginia. Migrants, hopeful of finding a new, better life, would be duped into signing as servants. Not until they arrived did they become aware of the awful truth, that they could be bought, gambled away, and sold -- paraded for sale like livestock.

Don Jordan and Michael Walsh, authors of White Cargo: The Forgotten History of Britain's White Slaves in America, investigate this forgotten episode in the annals of slavery, intricately piecing together history drawn from letters, diaries and court and government archives. Don Jordan is a television producer and director who has worked on dozens of documentaries and dramas. He also co-produced and co-wrote Love is the Devil, a film about the life of Francis Bacon. Michael Walsh spent 12 years as a reporter and presenter on World in Action, and has won six awards for his work. He is now a producer, specialising in political and historical documentaries.  The event is organised in association with the Centre for Investigative Journalism. Published on Jan 31, 2013 by FrontlineClubLondon

► COMEDY : The Ultimate Handshake! Published on Aug 22, 2013 by nigahiga

► NEWS & POLITIC : Why Obama and Bush Should be Arrested With Snowden. Published on Jul 2, 2013Published on Jul 2, 2013 by The Young Turks

► NEWS &POLITIC : Dr. Mercola Interviews Dr. Pollack. Published on Aug 16, 2013 by mercola 

► NONPROFITS & ACTIVISM : Judgment is Coming. Published on Aug 5, 2013 by TheAlexJonesChannel

► L o o m

► China's Bo admits knowing of embezzled funds

► U.S. repositions naval forces, no decision on Syria strike

WASHINGTON - The United States on Friday was repositioning naval forces in the Mediterranean to give President Barack Obama the option for an armed strike on Syria, although officials cautioned that Obama had made no decision on military action.

* Initial intelligence finds Syrian forces used chemical weapons
* Scenarios: Obama's options on Syria carry significant risks
* Rebels smuggling chemical weapons evidence to U.N. experts 
* Senior U.S. Democrat urges air strikes against Syria

► Al Qaeda blames Hezbollah for Lebanon bombings

► Guardian teams up with New York Times over Snowden documents

► Discrimination still divides race: Obama
By Jeff Mason and Ian Simpson - VESTAL, New York/WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said on Friday that America's history of racial discrimination had contributed to a persistent economic gap between blacks and whites in the 50 years since Martin Luther King's landmark "I have a dream" speech.

* Marches, events to mark anniversary of King's 'dream' speech

► Syrian refugees stream into Iraqi Kurdistan || ► More than 30,000 Syrians enter Iraq amid fighting: UN || ► Syria conflict 'biggest threat to world peace' || ► Syria opposition vows to ensure UN inspectors' safety

► Blasts shake Israel as rockets fired from Lebanon ||► Security Council condemns deadly car bombs in Lebanon

► Mixed reactions in Egypt as Mubarak freed from jail ||  ► Egypt's Mubarak transferred from jail to house arrest || ► Egyptians hold anti-Brotherhood rally before W.House

► Paris marks 69 years since Liberation

► Florida fights rising sea level

► Gay couples compete in the Tango World Championship

Ahahahhaa .... It takes two to Tango, you know? Meanwhile, no matter how much you're there, you're all just one type. Woman - Woman. Man - Man.

Watch! As in the following impressions. Beautiful, is not it? Men and women!




Shh ... Do not be too loud, Cisca! Indeed, it takes two to tango. And does not take three to Tango, right? Meanwhile, your Tango is One Two Three! 3 2 1. Trio oho Trio!



What? Trio? No. Solo. Solo? Oh. So, Solo? ...

► Giant Panda Gives Birth

► NEWS

■ Syria ally Russia urges cooperation with UN
■ Obama says Republican budget tactics a 'last gasp'
■ Egypt's bruised Brotherhood fails to show street power
■ Putin bans rallies in Sochi near the 2014 Olympics
■ Putin bans any rallies in Sochi before and during 2014 Olympic Games
■ Low turnout for pro-Morsi rallies in Egypt
■ Sanctions biting but Iran not budging
■ Russia: Syrian rebels preventing probe into alleged chemical attack
■ FBI director worried Americans fighting in Syria could bring tactics home
■ Rallies for Egypt's deposed president smaller after arrests of Muslim Brotherhood leaders
■ Obama plays down US intervening in Syria
■ Obama defends government surveillance programs
■ Possessing atomic bomb would threaten Iran: minister
■ Twin explosions outside mosques in northern Lebanon kill 29, mark tipping point for country
■ 2 explosions kill 13 in north Lebanese city
■ Insight: U.N.'s Mali task is state-building as much as peacekeeping
■ As One Million Child Refugees Flee Syria, a Glimpse into Their Lives
■ Al Qaeda plan to 'change face of history' led to U.S. scare: Yemen
■ Obama: Alleged Syrian chemical massacre demands U.S. 'attention'
■ 'One Way Astronaut' Film Follows Aspiring Mars Colonists
■ Lawyer: George Zimmerman should not be visiting gun factories
■ Rare — and adorable — baby elephant born in Indonesia
■ Mr. President, watch this!
■ Mystery gnome homes appear along trail in Kansas

► OMG! : Why Love Hewitt won't marry yet

► TV : First Look at Amber Tamblyn on 'Two and a Half Men' [Exclusive]

► MUSIC : MTV's Madonna/Britney/Christina Kiss, 10 Years On: A 'Wedding' to Remember

► SHINE : Twins Separated at Birth Meet for the First Time. Get Out Your Hankies.

► FINANCE : 7 Body Language Tips to Give You the Upper Hand

► SHOPPING : Supermarket standoff: Chocolate chip cookie dough

► MAGAZINE : 10 things - Nasa hires "chief sniffer" and other nuggets from the week's news. 10 things we didn't know last week

► SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT : Particle detector-inspired art installed in London ice well

► FUTURE : Our first line of defence against violent solar storms

► FEATURES

■ Trayvon Martin's parents on self-defence law campaign
■ Contrasting fates of Syria's refugees

► ANALYSIS

■ Court drama - China's 'show trial' reads like a Hollywood script
■ Mark Mardell - Obama does not sound like a man gung ho for action on Syria

► VIDEOS

■ Bo Xilai calls wife 'mad' after court hears her testimony
■ Wildfire near Yosemite National Park triples in size
■ Alma telescope crew go on strike
■ The rebirth of Johannesburg
■ Syrian child refugees try to make a living on the streets
■ Cairo: Inside pro-Morsi rally to remember dead

► Meet the true journalists: James Kirchick and Lawrence O'Donnell
► UK operates secret Middle East web surveillance base - Independent citing Snowden
► 'Turkey will never rule Arab World'– Egypt's FM
► 'Privacy rights don't exist in US anymore'
► US readies possible missile strike against Syria - report
► Syrian opposition promises to ensure UN inspectors' safety in rebel-controlled areas 
► NSA paid millions to Internet companies to cover surveillance program costs 
► NSA analysts 'wilfully' skirted policy to spy on Americans, agency admits
► Snowden 'not the source' of Middle East surveillance leak – Guardian
► Hacker accuses US government of tricking Anonymous into attacking foreign targets
► Materials implicating Syrian govt in chemical attack prepared before incident – Russia 
► TEPCO's Fukushima inspections inadequate – Japan nuclear regulator
► UK intimidation forces Guardian, New York Times into press freedom partnership
► Sochi, Sport and Security: Russia bans protests during Winter Olympics, limits access
► Navalny's Montenegro firm no obstacle in mayoral race – election official

► Thousands turn up for subdued Egypt protests
► Mind reading: Scientists reconstruct letters from brain scan data
► US soldier gets life in prison without release for killing 16 Afghans
► Yemen wants US drones to fight Al-Qaeda
► 42 killed, more than 350 injured in twin explosions in Tripoli, Lebanon
► OP-ED : US going against democratic values in Syria to protect its oil industry'
► BUSINESS : "Time bomb": aging population may explode global economy by 2050

► VIDEOS

■ Comfort for Chaos: 'Al-Qaeda metastasize in Mid-East due to US War on Terror'.  Al-Qaeda affiliated groups have been taking advantage of the ongoing civil war by gaining control over chunks of Northern Syria. RT's Gayane Chichakyan investigates how the uprising's breathing new life into the militant organization.



■ Windows Watching? Germany fears OS provides NSA with remote access
■ Brushing Brussels Off: Iceland may drop bid for EU membership
■ Egypt Full Circle: Mubarak release rubbishes 2 yrs of revolution
■ Scam Scan Spreads: UK operates secret Mideast digi-spy base

■ We Pay, They Spy: NSA backs Silicon Valley with taxpayers' money. Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Facebook - all of them received millions of taxpayer's dollars from the NSA, in return for helping to illegally spy on unsuspecting web users. That's according to the latest top secret files leaked to the media by Edward Snowden. It's the first direct evidence of a financial relationship between web giants and the U.S. surveillance agency. RT's Marina Portnaya reports.



■ 200 Days of Torture: Gitmo detainees still force fed, Obama folds his hands. Two hundred days of force-feeding, coupled with alleged abuse by prison guards, have failed to break the resolve of dozens of hunger-striking detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The protest that began in February, went on to involve most of the captives at the notorious facility. It's put fresh legal and public pressure on President Obama to finally deliver on his promise to shut down the prison which currently holds 166 people.



■ Bitcoin wins over Germany amid US digital currency probe. Germany's turning itself into a magnet for Bitcoin lovers. This week, the maverick virtual currency was recognized for legal and tax purposes in the country. RT's Peter Oliver reports.

► Inside Story - Syria: Chemical warfare? In Syria, women and children were among the dozens found dead under suspicious circumstances this week. Rebel forces said more than 1,000 people were killed by the government in a chemical weapons attack, while the authorities dismissed the report as "baseless". So, where does this incident leave the international community, if the so-called red line has been crossed? And is a political solution still possible for Syria?To discuss this, Inside Story, with presenter Jane Dutton, is joined by guests: Dina Esfandiary, a research associate on the non-proliferation and disarmament programme for the International Institute for Strategic Studies, who specialises in chemical weapons and security; Firas Abi Ali, the head of the Middle East and North Africa country risk team for IHS Global; and Nikolaos Van Dam, the former Dutch ambassador to Egypt and Iraq.



► Russia backs UN probe of Syria attack

► South2North : Why capitalism needs poverty

► Counting the Cost : India's sliding economy

► Listening Post : The US: Surveillance, secrets and security

► Talk to Al Jazeera : Izzeldin Abuelaish: 'Armed with love'

► Inside Story : Egypt: A return to the old regime? After more than two years in jail, Egypt's former President Hosni Mubarak has been released. Some say it is the strongest sign yet of a return to the old regime and the so-called deep state, while others argue it is a separate issue for the courts and his legal problems may not end there. Having spending his first night out of prison being treated in a military hospital in Cairo, Mubarak is now under house arrest, . His release comes after a tumultuous few weeks in Egypt, and it has raised doubts over whether the country's interim leadership has the will to pursue the case against him. When Egyptians revolted against Mubarak in 2011, it reflected their unhappiness with government corruption and police brutality. So now his release is being seen by some as a sign the military is rolling back the changes that were achieved.

► PROTESTS : Partisan Politics Creep Into "I Have A Dream" Anniversary

► EGYPT : Egyptians Wonder Where Obama's Allegiance Lies - Does the U.S. support the Muslim Brotherhood?

► IDEAS :  Embryo Adoption Is the Wave of the Future - It's a potential solution to leftover IVF embryos

► CITIES : Giant Panda at DC's National Zoo Gives Birth

► HEALTH : Helping Others Helps You to Live Longer

► JACKET COPY - BOOKS : Paul Yoon's 'Snow Hunters': a meditation on solitude and memory

► SCIENCE : Massive mirror to be cast for telescope 10 times sharper than Hubble

A FLOWER TODAY



[Warning: Do not attach images without any description at all. Why do not you write, just for example, "What is said by this flower to your morning? How are you doing there? Already bathe yourself?"]