kgambit

Shady, that was priceless. LOL

You are aware that this is the same Scott Lively who co-wrote The Pink Swastika: Homosexuality in the Nazi Party which claimed that the Nazi party was founded by gays and that they were responsible for the Holocaust? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pink_Swastika Oby you really need to research your sources a bit more.

Just finished watching season 1 of Starz DaVinci's Demons. The first season is 8 episodes full of action, sex, fantasy and violence and it's a blast. The show is a mix of historical fact and fantasy set circa 1478 Florence (a period of daVinci's life that is not well chronicled). The storyline is loosely tied to historical events with a massive dose of fantasy thrown in. The plot revolves around a struggle between the Vatican and an organization called the Sons of Mithras who are waging a war over secret knowledge hidden throughout the centuries. Pope Sixtus IV, Lorenzo and Guiliano Medici, the Pazzi and Orsini familes of Florence and Lucrezia Donati (Lorenzo Medici's mistress) all play key roles. Leonardo is at the center of the plot and finds himself being manipulated at every turn. If you are looking for a totally factual portrayal of the life and times of Leonardo da Vinci, it’s best to look elsewhere.

Saints top Falcons 23-17 4th and goal interception by Roman Harper with 0:58 to play stops Falcons final drive.

A new blog is up at the Institute for the Study of War that details the daily happenings in Syria. Currently covers activities from August 30th to September 6th http://iswsyria.blogspot.com/

Only the southern lowlands. The northern lowlands in the Yucatan continued to flourish for hundreds of years. The area subsequently devolved in 16 provinces ruled by warring city states until they were conquered by the Spanish. The last recognized Maya stronghold fell, that of the Itza capital of Tayasal on Lake Petén Itzá, in 1697 over 180 years after their arrival. See The Spanish Conquest of Yucatán (1526-46) (1999), http://www.athenapub.com/yuconq1.htm Coe, Michael D. (1987) The Maya Robert Stoner Chamberlain (1948). The Conquest and Colonization of Yucatan, 1517-1550 Edit: Some historians theorized that fall of the south may have been due to severe droughts.

I hadn't considered that aspect. So I did a quick check: Now let's see what the middle east looks like: In many countries in the region [MENA], the public sector remains the primary employer, employing anywhere between 14 percent and 40 percent of all workers. http://menablog.worldbank.org/governance-and-public-sector-employment-middle-east-and-north-Africa I haven't torn thru this next one but here's a link: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/@publ/documents/publication/wcms_150440.pdf The Middle East is tricky. It has historically had high youth unemployment and high numbers of foreign workers.

It's true that Libya requires around 300-400 $Bn of infrastructure construction but that actually includes improvements that were required before NATO intervention. The actual civilian infrastructure damage caused by NATO is around 15 Bn$ (according to an estimate by Libya's Central Bank.) including 1.5 bn$ to telecom and 1 bn$ to electrical infrastructure. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44249828/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/t/rebuilding-poor-oil-rich-country-libya/ Gaddafi exerted massive control over the Libyan budget. Infrastructure investment was severely constrained at the expense of oil sector investment and overseas projects of which Gaddafi (and his family) retained 100% ownership. His control was so complete that he had diverted large portions of LIbyan gold reserves and oil industry revenues to his and his families personal accounts. The theftwas so massive that Gaddafi amassed a personal fortune valued from 80 to 200 bn$. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/23/as-libya-takes-stock-muam_n_1027160.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/10119100/South-Africa-to-hand-back-Col-Gaddafis-money.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8749631/Col-Muammar-Gaddafi-sold-20-per-cent-of-Libyas-gold-in-regimes-final-days.html Those diverted funds were part of the reason that the Libyan medical infrastructure had degraded so badly that most Libyans under Gaddafi went out of country for serious medical care. Libya was also already facing a critical housing shortage. Contracts for construction include both repairs to existing housing and badly needed new housing; at least 1.1 bn$ of which were already underway before NATO intervened. The oil infrastructure damage was so minimal that by September 2012, Libya’s oil production had nearly reached its pre-revolution levels of 1.6 million barrels per day (BPD). The 344% increase in the hydrocarbon component of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2012 was the main driver behind the high GDP growth (95.5%) in 2012. Then there are projects to improve ports, air transport, and tourism just to mention a few. The post-Libyan reconstruction is not a NATO created corporate gold rush. The infrastructure projects already existed and most of the countries currently involved in current infrastructure projects were already invested in Libya. e.g. Italy, Spain, UK, France etc. even China who actually abstained at the UN vote and has since expanded their investments as well. The removal of Gaddafi returned a huge stockpile of desperately needed cash to its rightful owners. http://www.reportbuyer.com/industry_manufacturing/construction/libya_infrastructure_report_2013.html http://www.africaneconomicoutlook.org/en/countries/north-africa/libya/ http://www.libyaherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Libya-Herald-supplement-Nov2012.pdf "Post war democratic changes" is not simply a convenient truth or a old tired song. Substantive changes do not occur overnight and often require significant internal changes. Here's what Libyans have to say: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44249828/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/t/rebuilding-poor-oil-rich-country-libya/ Here are a few links detailing the post-Qaddafi political situation. http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR100/RR129/RAND_RR129.pdf http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/un-adviser-shares-thoughts-libya-s-post-war-stability http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/10/20111021412582958.html

Mozzarella topped Chicken in a red wine garlic basil Tomato sauce over angel hair pasta with a spinach salad and a glass of red wine . *looks at the clock* .

That's six blown saves for Mo now. That puts him tied for 4th in the AL. Wish the Rangers had kept Uehara (and Napoli too). Napoli has been fairly mediocre, he has had his moments, though. Uehara has been spectacular, he's a godsend. We want Uehara back. We're claiming a do-over on the trade. LOL

That's six blown saves for Mo now. That puts him tied for 4th in the AL. Wish the Rangers had kept Uehara (and Napoli too).

As Wals said, good points. I don't believe the US will attempt a strike on the depots holding the chemicals themselves for all the reasons you mentioned. I read that the US estimated that 75,000 troops would be needed to secure the chemical depots and Obama has said "no boots on the ground". I think any strikes would be focused (at the start) on the Syrian Air force, artillery and rocket delivery systems and the static S-200 (SA-5) air defense systems. Possibly some C&C and radar. All that talk is premature anyway, since the last estimates I saw predicted that Obama would not gain Congressional approval. He has a slight lead in the Senate, but the House vote is decidedly opposed to action. If he loses that vote, then it falls into the hands of the UN and I expect Russia to block any action. I think China stays neutral to avoid damage to any trade agreements on either side. They might condemn action verbally but they will probably abstain in a vote. Then it becomes a matter of whether Obama decides to act anyway. He has stated before that he believes he can do so without Congressional approval. Unlike some of the other leaders, he doesn't have another term to worry about.

syrianhr.com? Clarification link and you can check the NYT link as well if that's too biased one way. It certainly isn't, uh, certain, that it is the UK funding him- hence, allegedly- but he lives there and it is exactly the sort of project foreign intelligence branches like the CIA/ MI6/ SVR fund all the time against their enemies. Thanks for the link. That is the SOHR site I was thinking of but wasn't sure since there is a splinter organization that claims the same name. According to the NYT article, Rami Abdul Rahman actually has a staff of 200+ so it's not strictly a one man operation. (Depending on whether you believe him of course) I was mainly interested in the MI6 funding allegation. I would question whether the claim of his one-sided bias is totally accurate. This is from the NYT article: Again, thanks for the link. Much appreciated. FWIW I definitely preferred the NYT link.

Rays get a chance to recover against the Halos who have all but given up on the rest of this season. Rangers on the other hand have seen their bi-polar offense throw a fit. They lose 2 of 3 on road to CHW, sweep the Mariners On the road, then lose 2 of 3 to Twins and 2 of 3 to A's (both at home). Still tied for first, but this offense is painful to watch. Beltre is carrying the offense. If I was facing the Rangers, I would not let Beltre see a hittable ever.

Seriously? Brandon Smith, the nut job survivalist who founded the Montana Safe Haven and is trying to push his barter based economic system thru his Alt_Market,com website is your economic and military expert? REALLY? (Try reading the section immediately after the portion that Oby copied from the link .... it's a hoot.) Is that syrianhr.net or syrianhr.org? Do you have a link that supports the alleged funding by MI6? Not suggesting you are wrong, just want some clarification. Let me see if I have this right. You discount sources because they don't fit your model of what is happening and therefore must be biased, (e.g. the UK article on the Israel intelligence, or SOHR), yet you believe without question the videos posted from the three YouTube accounts of a guy called Eretz Zen who posts a thoroughly one sided set of videos (Last time I checked over 254 videos and everyone is pro-Assad / Anti-rebel) The same Eretz Zen who claims on his Twitter account to be "A secular Syrian opposed to having my country turned into a Taliban-like state." and we only have his word to take for that The same Eretz Zen who posts videos without attribution, without confirmation and which, in at least two cases are known to have been faked. That's what you call an objective, impartial and trustworthy source of information?

You mean "the footage, said to show Father Francois Murad, 49, as the victim in a brutal summary execution by foreign jihadists is likely to be an older video that bares no relation to the death of the Catholic priest." "Father Franҫois Mourad, a Syrian, was shot eight times and killed June 23 at a Catholic monastery in Gassanieh, said Friar Pierbattista Pizzaballa, head of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land." http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/02/cnn-exclusive-syrian-monk-not-beheaded-by-rebels-friar-says/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10153954/Priest-beheaded-in-Syria-video-actually-shot-dead.html That doesn't mean he was not killed by anti-Assad rebels. Just not in the way the video depicts. Don't even matter who this poor people were that got executed in the video, priests, clerks or farm workers. That Sunni extremist bunch funded and backed by SA and indirectly by the West are killing innocent people in Syria based on their religion and ethnic background like these people: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08/25/shock-video-allegedly-shows-al-qaeda-linked-terrorists-stopping-truck-drivers-on-side-of-road-then-executing-them-for-not-being-sunni-muslims/ To them this is Jihad in which they get a chance to kill the infidels. These are the same bunch the US fought and struggled in the Sunni triangle, the same ones that were destroyed and mostly kicked out of Iraq by the Sunni moderates when they saw they were just about killing pretty much everyone without any regard. And when I think of Chemical weapons, nerve gas, I don't have a hard time picturing people like in these videos using them on Shia infidels. My points were: a) It does matter when the video is distorted (or faked) and used as evidence of a crime (in this case against Christians). and b) Liveleak is generally a crap source. I'm not going to get into a discussion on the ideologies or fundings of the various opposition groups. I don't think it would productive. I'll concede as I already have that there are certainly terrorists merged in with opposition. Al-Nusra and it's links to Al-Qaeda are no secret. I just don't believe they represent the majority. YMMV

Well the Syrian Liberation Front and Syrian Islamic Front are both backed by Hezbollah according to the BBC & Reuters. The Al-Nursura brigade in the south has come out and publicly pledged loyalty to Al-Qaeda. Between the three they have some 60k fighters and are far more organized and better armed than the one group me MIGHT be able to work with, the Free Syrian Army. If Assad is deposed do you think these three groups who all want different things will site down and compromise on a government? Do you think there will be a vote? No, they will do what they do best in the Middle East, start killing each other. And everyone else in the way. Why in the world should we expend our blood and treasure to make that happen? And anything that hurts Assad helps them. GD, any chance you have a link from either Reuters or the BBC claiming that Hezbollah is supporting either the Syrian Liberation Front or the Syrian Islamic Front? It would surprise me since Hezbollah has been providing support and ground troops to Assad. It's not out of the realm of possibility that they (Hez) would play both sides, but I don't recall reading anything that supported that notion. Al-Nusra and the Al-Qaeda is a given but they represent a small fraction (at least according to my sources) of the total opposition. FWIW, here are some links that I found that break down the opposition into it's component parts with an overprint on their ideologies and funding as opposed to using a broad brush to characterize the entire oppositions as "terrorists" or "Jihadists". http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/The-Free-Syrian-Army-24MAR.pdf http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15798218 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_armed_groups_in_the_Syrian_civil_war http://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/opposition-advances-damascus

You mean "the footage, said to show Father Francois Murad, 49, as the victim in a brutal summary execution by foreign jihadists is likely to be an older video that bares no relation to the death of the Catholic priest." "Father Franҫois Mourad, a Syrian, was shot eight times and killed June 23 at a Catholic monastery in Gassanieh, said Friar Pierbattista Pizzaballa, head of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land." http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/02/cnn-exclusive-syrian-monk-not-beheaded-by-rebels-friar-says/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10153954/Priest-beheaded-in-Syria-video-actually-shot-dead.html That doesn't mean he was not killed by anti-Assad rebels. Just not in the way the video depicts.

Liveleak source has more holes than a sieve: There is no newspaper called the Oklahoma Post A google search of John Blue Reed the alleged defense expert finds nothing There were no Tomahawk launches from the Med. The two observed "ballistics" were likely from the Israeli Sparrow Missile Test. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/04/world/middleeast/israel-us-missile-mediterranean.html?_r=0 The picture is of an F-22 Raptor that crashed outside of Nellis AFB on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2004. And here's two shots of the original http://www.flickr.com/photos/happyhappyjoyjoy/1302616031/ http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?113454-F-22-crash-video (scroll down to post #11 on 06-05-2007 by He219 ) According to multiple sources, the S-300 system has not been delivered (yet) . http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/09/01/report-russia-suspends-delivery-of-s-300-missile-defense-system-to-syria/ http://rt.com/news/syria-s-300-delay-russia-277/ http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/07/22/Syrian-deputy-PM-set-for-Russia-talks-as-violence-rages.html And the S-400 is not yet available for export http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070823/73849589.html Got to be one of the lamest troll attempts I've seen, Oby.

You can find the ribbons on Ebay. Here's a set similar to the one shown in the navy E-7 pic http://www.ebay.com/itm/USN-NAVY-SEAL-ADMIRAL-26-SERVICE-RIBBON-BAR-NEW-/370879963105?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item565a2b1fe1

Not a good week for Minnesota's Trevor Plouffe First Yu Darvish makes him look sick on this: (That's a 61 mph curveball and Plouffe is way ahead of it .... lol) That's just NASTY! and then there's this:

Public opinion. Nobody would fall today for the argument that "CIA said so". Whether through incompetence or intentional deception, nobody sensible believes anything that comes out of the CIA these days. A limited strike with long range cruise missiles is likely perhaps with some selected air strikes. I do not expect boots on the ground or a full-out massive air attack. I'm not sure that the US will even press for establishing a no fly zone. Asking for congressional support is a bold move. Obama does not have bipartisan support in the best of the times. He's also made it clear countless times before that he believes that he does not need UN or congressional support to act. I'm no huge fan of Obama, and I am certainly not trying to defend him, but this is what Obama originally said about the use of chemical weapons: Here's my interpretation of Obama's logic: The scale of the latest attack certainly qualifies as a "whole bunch of chemical weapons". The previous attacks, although numerous and providing proof of chemical weapon use were limited in extent that in Obama's view they did not qualify as game changers. That's total conjecture on my part and I'm not saying I agree with that logic but there you go. The public opinion angle can't be discounted either.

Government Assessment of the Syrian Government’s Use of Chemical Weapons on August 21, 2013 http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/08/30/government-assessment-syrian-government-s-use-chemical-weapons-august-21