Monday, November 13, 2017

It is currently Monday, November 13, 2017 at 6:42 pm.


High initial casualty reports from Iran's Kurdish provinces

In Iran's heavily Kurdish western provinces, 129 people have been killed and up to 1,000 injured because of Sunday night's earthquake, Iran's ILNA news has reported from its correspondents on the ground.

Most of the destruction occurred in the provinces of Kermanshah and Illam.

Iranian officials in Tehran put the initial death toll at least 61, and more than 300 injured.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli emphasized mobilizing "all resources" in a phone call with the governor of Kermanshah, according to ILNA.

Fazli urged all relief organizations to urgently admit and treat patients, while promising to assist the injured.

Iranian Red Crescent workers have been deployed to the affected areas, Iran's state-run news IRNA has reported.

Officials warned of further casualties due to the potentially damaged structures, and the loss of electricity, water, and communications.

Iranian media is describing the event as "the earthquake that shook half of Iran."...


War is stupid. Earth can change the course of war in seconds. Earth can crush civilization and make generals cry.


I take it there were no seismometers deployed with the troops. Oh, well. Surprise!



August 31, 2017


In Afghanistan, (click here) about 8,400 US troops, most of which are US Army soldiers, are authorized to take part in Resolute Support, which aims to train, advise, and assist the Afghan security forces and institutions in their fight against the Taliban and other terrorist networks.
A new report, however, recently revealed that there are actually about 12,000 US troops in the country. The Pentagon then said on Aug. 30 that about 11,000 US troops are in Afghanistan.
In Iraq, about 4,000 to 6,000 soldiers are taking part in Operation Inherent Resolve, which aims to eliminate the Islamic State. Only 5,262 US troops are authorized to be in Iraq, but the actual numbers have been larger for a while as commanders leverage what they call temporary — or "nonenduring" — assignments like the one involving the 82nd Airborne in Mosul.
In Syria, 500 US special forces and 250 Rangers are working in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The Pentagon is also mulling sending an additional 1,000 US service members to the war-torn country.
A new BuzzFeed News report, however, also said that there are really about 2,000 US forces in Syria — about 850 (including US Marines) then previously thought.
In Kuwait, about 15,000 soldiers are spread among Camp Arifjan, Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base, and Ali Al Salem Air Base. About 3,800 soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team also deployed there late last year.
In Poland, about 3,500 soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team are stationed as part of Atlantic Resolve, which seeks to halt Russian aggression. These soldiers will help train local forces and provide security, eventually fanning out to other countries like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary to do the same.
In Ukraine, approximately 250 Oklahoma National Guardsmen are training Ukrainian forces in support of Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine.

In Somalia, about 40 US soldiers from the 101st Airborne division are assisting the central government in training its forces and fighting the terrorist group al-Shabab....

Iran may have known this would occur. Iran probably doesn't have the warning infrastructure it needed to alert others. Perhaps being on good terms with Iran has it's benefits; saving lives, food and water distribution by Americans to help Iranians and stuff like that.


September 2012
By Sayed Naser Hashemi, Leila Etemadjahromi, Neda Nowroozi

In this research, (click here) seismogenic zones of Iran were identified using a GIS-based spatial analysis of the seismicity and active faulting data. Density maps showing the spatial variation of seismicity and active faulting of the Iranian region were prepared. After that, by overlying and combining seismicity and active faulting data layers, the seismogenic zoning map of Iran, showing 5 seismic zones, was presented. A comparison between the seismicity and active faulting density maps indiactes that a good spatial correlation can be observed between these two parameters. It probably means that active faults are the main seismogenic sources responsible for generating earthqukes in this region. The good consistency observed between the seismogenic zoning map presented in this research and the results of the previous works indicates that the spatial analysis techniques can reliably be used for seismic hazard regionalization and identifying seismogenic hazardous zones in seismically active regions....

Putin will have dissolved the USA, as the USSR...

...when Trump finishes defunding the federal government, the USA sovereignty will end.

"Morning Papers"

The Rooster

"Okeydoke"

Trump is always talking about loyalty and momentum. Americans need to pay attention. The ax may fall on citizenship and sovereignty as well.

March 17, 2017
By Gregory Korte

Washington — President Trump's proposed budget (click here) takes a cleaver to domestic programs, with many agencies taking percentage spending cuts in the double digits.

But for dozens of smaller agencies and programs, the cut is 100%.

Community development block grants. The Weatherization Assistance Program. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The National Endowment for the Arts. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting. All would be axed if Congress adopts Trump's budget.

Also proposed for elimination are lesser-known bureaucracies like the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education Program, the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program and the Inter-American Foundation.

Many of those programs have constituencies in states and cities across the country — and their champions in Congress. "The president's beholden to nobody but the people who elected him, and yes, I understand that every lawmaker over there has pet projects," said Trump budget director Mick Mulvaney. "That's the nature of the beast."...

62 Departments - Lawsuits need to be filed

Department of Agriculture

Water and Wastewater loan and grant program ($498 million)
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education program ($202 million)

Department of Commerce

Economic Development Administration ($221 million)
Minority Business Development Agency ($32 million)

Department of Education

Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants program ($2.4 billion)
21st Century Community Learning Centers program ($1.2 billion)
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program ($732 million)
Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Program ($190 million)
Teacher Quality Partnership ($43 million)
Impact Aid Support Payments for Federal Property ($67 million)
International Education programs ($7 million)

Department of Energy

Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy ($382 million)
Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program: This loan fund finances projects that combat global warming.
Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program: Helps finance fuel-efficient vehicle research. "The private sector is better positioned to finance disruptive energy research and development and to commercialize innovative technologies," the White House says.
Weatherization Assistance Program ($121 million)
State Energy Program ($28.2 million)

Where is the end of the petroleum industry subsidies? Amazing, cuts to every technology that will provide better quality of life for Americans, but, no cuts to petroleum industry subsides. Did they increase them under Perry?

Department of Health and Human Services

Health professions and nursing training programs ($403 million)
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program ($3.4 billion)
Community Services Block Grants ($715 million)

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Community Development Block Grant program ($3 billion)
Section 4 Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing program ($35 million)

Department of the Interior

Abandoned Mine Land grants ($160 million)
National Heritage Areas ($20 million)
National Wildlife Refuge fund ($13.2 million)

Department of Justice

State Criminal Alien Assistance Program ($210 million)

Department of Labor

Senior Community Service Employment Program ($434 million)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration training grants ($11 million)

Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development

The Global Climate Change Initiative ($1.3 billion)
Green Climate Fund($250 million)
Strategic Climate Fund ($60 million)
Clean Technology Fund ($171 million).
Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund ($70 million)
Center for Cultural and Technical Interchange Between East and West, the Honolulu-based nonprofit has a mission of strengthening relations among Pacific Rim countries.

Department of Transportation

The Essential Air Service program ($175 million)
Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grants ($499 million)

Department of the Treasury

Community Development Financial Institutions grants ($210 million)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Geographic watershed programs ($427 million) like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative ($40 million) and the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Initiative ($14 million) Removal of guarantees for clean water under the Clean Water Act is a hostile act against Americans.
Fifty other EPA programs ($347 million) including Energy Star, Targeted Airshed Grants, the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program, and infrastructure assistance to Alaska Native Villages and the Mexico border.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Office of Education ($115 million)

Independent agencies and commissions

African Development Foundation ($26 million)
Appalachian Regional Commission ($119 million)
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board ($11 million)
Corporation for National and Community Service ($771 million)
Corporation for Public Broadcasting ($485 million)
Delta Regional Authority ($45 million)
Denali Commission ($14 million)
Institute of Museum and Library Services ($231 million)
Inter-American Foundation ($23 million)
U.S. Trade and Development Agency ($66 million)
Legal Services Corp. ($366 million)
National Endowment for the Arts ($152 million)
National Endowment for the Humanities ($155 million)
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp. ($175 million)
Northern Border Regional Commission ($7 million)
Overseas Private Investment Corp.($63 million)
U.S. Institute of Peace ($40 million)
U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness ($4 million)
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars ($11 million)

"Good Night, Moon"

 The waning crescent

24.3 days old

28.2 percent lit

October 30, 2017
By 

The Old Testament Book of Joshua (click here) may contain the oldest known reference to a solar eclipse recorded by humanity. And it occurred 810 years ago today (Oct. 30).

If so, this poetic reference firms up the dates of the reign of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses the Great (also called Ramesses II), according to a new paper published in the journal Astronomy & Geophysics.

The text in question is in the 12th and 13th verses of the 10th chapter of the Book of Joshua. According to the King James version of the Bible, these verses read, "Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. … So, the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day."...