News for today's 2018

SYRIA, ISRAEL, IRAN AND THE USA

7:40 AM Tukiyooo 0

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXQwM06r0uu9atswWbvsWQec_DsHCW9YsqsJr8IiChoIT5v5iXtHo2noq5oyKz3T8MRV-ybnVJQKd0DTTEEEI0dZWsEkkcdKuJhyphenhyphengB5pcr572F996_6Id0ylUpZWFXe5RpRt-EGJfLFqf/s1600/120048436sceninc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXQwM06r0uu9atswWbvsWQec_DsHCW9YsqsJr8IiChoIT5v5iXtHo2noq5oyKz3T8MRV-ybnVJQKd0DTTEEEI0dZWsEkkcdKuJhyphenhyphengB5pcr572F996_6Id0ylUpZWFXe5RpRt-EGJfLFqf/s320/120048436sceninc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">THE SYRIAN EQUATION </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Unlike in LIBYA, this time around RUSSIA and CHINA (See:<a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/china-and-syria.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/china-and-syria.html</a>) will not tolerate to be left out of the equation as was the case with the toppling of the LIBYAN regime and subsequent oil bonanza shared by FRANCE, the UK and the USA, thus the USA is cautious and uncertain on how to proceed with SYRIA, for fear of CHINESE and RUSSIAN retribution. As for the EUROPEAN UNION, as always, the union is rather aimless on how to proceed with the SYRIAN cause. It seems EUROPE is even more unaware of the consequences, a full out civil war will have for the region and that by no means the suffering will end with a new regime in place. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The UK supports the so-called one man show opposition “group”, “<b>Syrian Observatory for Human Rights</b>” in London, simply because of the large SYRIAN community living in London. See: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Observatory_for_Human_Rights">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Observatory_for_Human_Rights</a>and because of <b>Rifaat Ali al-Assad</b><span>. See: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/05/syria-switching-perception.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/05/syria-switching-perception.html</a>, </span>Chapter title: <b>Internal power struggle</b>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">FRANCE, though once the “protégé” of SYRIA, simply lacks the financial needs to become fully involved in a military intervention and thus prefers to uses strong rhetoric’s instead, (as of recent, telling RUSSIA bluntly that Assad has to go), but without substance. GERMANY on the other hand has to avoid of being drawn into the conflict because of its economic ties with SAUDI ARABIA, IRAN, ISRAEL, CHINA and RUSSIA.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">NOT HAVING LEARNED THE LESSON FROM IRAQ, OR CALCULATED STRATEGY?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Regime change in SYRIA will certainly end in full out civil war as was the case in IRAQ. The question still remains as to why the orchestrated revolt in SYRIA was initiated in the first place? If it was indeed one of the USA intelligence agencies who encouraged the revolt, one has to question if the USA has not learned from its ventures in IRAQ. Or does the USA have a hidden agenda that has been kept under wraps from the rest of the world? In most likelihood not, because in IRAQ the USA also was under the false perception that toppling Saddam Hussein would be viewed by the local population as an act of liberation and turn them into an US alley. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>USA SUDDENLY VOICES CONCERNS OF RADICAL ISLAMIC GROUPS TAKING OVER THE RAINS IN SYRIA AND WITH THAT THE BIO – CHEMICAL WEAPONS ARSENAL, ONCE ASSAD IS GONE? A BIT LATE FOR SUCH CONCERNS, ONE COULD ARGUE! </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">With a regime change in SYRIA imminent, the USA suddenly voices concerns that Al Qaida and other Islamic extremist groups will take over the rains in SYRIA and that the vast amount of Biological and chemical weapons SYRIA possesses will fall in the hands of such terrorist groups. This assumption seems to come a bit late one would say. It was crystal clear from the beginning that once the revolt started; different Islamic Fundamentalist fractions would infiltrate the revolt in order to gain their own leverage, something the USA and other entities promoting the removal of the Assad regime should have been aware of from the beginning. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDP-Fm76QRktP8e9XLUuhW2pp06Gin9TKXSyStIEfSTcK3Mdzii2kM09HlRigpa5p_cibplZfwqRgFdxFk9Bq7Yq7Sexll_fax71fMFKxdwpM_KN623mkIv0e24VOJQD8PVZ7Ex-5N2Izt/s1600/pg39.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDP-Fm76QRktP8e9XLUuhW2pp06Gin9TKXSyStIEfSTcK3Mdzii2kM09HlRigpa5p_cibplZfwqRgFdxFk9Bq7Yq7Sexll_fax71fMFKxdwpM_KN623mkIv0e24VOJQD8PVZ7Ex-5N2Izt/s640/pg39.gif" width="579" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">UNPREDICTABLE REACTION FROM THE ASSAD CLAN IF CORNERED<span>  </span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring indicated numerous times that SYRIA’S arsenal of Bio-Chemical weapons pose a threat to the entire region, if falling into the wrong hands. On the other hand no one knows how Assad will react if he is pushed into the corner and realizes that his and his clan’s downfall is sealed. <span> </span>See also:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/03/syrian-missiles-will-pre-empt-any.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/03/syrian-missiles-will-pre-empt-any.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/03/given-fact-syria-does-possess-chemical.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/03/given-fact-syria-does-possess-chemical.html</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">INCREASED IRANIAN INFLUENCE IN SYRIA PROVOKED ISRAEL TO CHANGE ITS LONGSTANDING TACTICS REGARDING SYRIA </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Adding to the riddle of the SYRIAN revolt and the media PSY-OPS warfare surrounding the tumult, is ISRAEL’S stance on encouraging the toppling of the SYRIAN government. As mentioned numerous times on this Blog, the two countries are technically speaking still at war, the frontier between ISRAEL and SYRIA has been the quietest one for decades simply because the Assad Regime was a predictable entity for the ISRAELIS and Assad maintained a status quo, using harsh anti ISRAEL rhetoric’s in order to portray ISRAEL as the evil of all evil, thus giving his people the distraction needed to diverge them from internal issues and at the same time justify the emergency law and totalitarian ruling, but refrained from a direct confrontation with ISRAEL. So why did ISRAEL, after years of maintain a status quo with SYRIA change its strategy?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">IRAN AT THE DOORSTEPS OF ISRAEL</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One explanation for ISRAEL’S shift in tactics could be the fact that SYRIA, over the last couple of years has been increasing its ties with IRAN to a point where ISRAEL has become under direct threat from IRAN, who, thanks to its close relationship with SYRIA is now at the doorsteps of ISRAEL, something the Jewish state, for obvious reasons, cannot tolerate and thus had to drop its previous strategy on SYRIA in order to counteract IRAN’S advances, even if it meant to provoke a civil war in SYRIA after the regime change. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">FOR BETTER FOR WORST </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Most probably ISRAEL has weighed its options and came to the conclusion that a Sunni dominated regime in SYRIA is preferable to that of a SHIITE one, which is increasingly dominated by IRANIAN entities, just 40km from its current eastern frontier as well as <span>Hezbollah</span> on its northern frontier, thus being almost entirely encircled by Iranian proxies. Sunni dominance in SYRIA, with the help of SAUDI ARABIA would also be a preferred scenario for ISRAEL because of its close, yet unofficial ties to <b>Wahhabi SAUDI ARABIA</b>. <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">(Note:Unconfirmed sources claim the Royal house of SAUD has Jewish roots</span>.)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;"><br /></span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2t-ZdJCjwIte9cYhyey1g4dkoqOdl9DzVbja_9QjwhECTJLpRuRNogwQvyTOQQtkrgAlmgQ_l19QmI4aAfbXdAFyhmgmPD3j9dcr0smX0_y9m3q6-h7B5Tr_uqAaL0gNOWMWtZx7GlWwy/s1600/280px-OsirakLocation.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2t-ZdJCjwIte9cYhyey1g4dkoqOdl9DzVbja_9QjwhECTJLpRuRNogwQvyTOQQtkrgAlmgQ_l19QmI4aAfbXdAFyhmgmPD3j9dcr0smX0_y9m3q6-h7B5Tr_uqAaL0gNOWMWtZx7GlWwy/s1600/280px-OsirakLocation.gif" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Israel used Saudi airspace to strike IRAQI nuclear reactor in 1981 </span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">ISRAEL COPING WITH A FULL SCALE CIVIL WAR IN SYRIA</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">With not many options at hand, ISRAEL is most probably willing to take the calculated risk in supporting the SYRIAN Sunni opposition, fully aware that with a regime change, its neighboring country will end up in a full scale civil war, something ISRAEL already encountered and coped with successfully, during the LEBANESE civil war, which lasted from 1975 to 1990.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The fact that the entire SYRIAN conflict is a rather dubious one, which is dominated by “media warfare”, is also reflected in a recent Debkafile article (read article below) in which allegedly a FRANCO - SAUDI plan promoted <span style="line-height: 115%;">massive air strike against Assads presidential palace situated atop Mount Qassioun northwest of Damascus, that would at one “fell swoop” wipe him, his family and top leadership circle out. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaM3MEhNnxDgjGVRMdMD-ld-HUbKlyNizg_ii6_e6g7f5PWGKRcLYX9gExWw4UNoOlQaywoUgK59o0smEqjcssch1a3wPCpV7S8lgBxrya0OrLMh4TdTaHdBELjMaGm2A3bktTDMKO5c4J/s1600/damdire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaM3MEhNnxDgjGVRMdMD-ld-HUbKlyNizg_ii6_e6g7f5PWGKRcLYX9gExWw4UNoOlQaywoUgK59o0smEqjcssch1a3wPCpV7S8lgBxrya0OrLMh4TdTaHdBELjMaGm2A3bktTDMKO5c4J/s400/damdire.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">(Debkafile wrongly states the palace is located northeast when in fact it is northwest of the city )</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">INTELLIGENCE OR PSY –OPS?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">If indeed these allegations are true (and not again a psy –ops war style “misinformation insert”), one has to seriously question the ability of the intelligence sources that provided such information. It is wishful thinking that</span> Bashar Hafez al-Assad, and his family reside at the presidential palace.<span style="line-height: 115%;"> Just like his father </span>Hafez al-Assad in the past, Bashar Assad and his family reside at different locations downtown Damascus and surrounding areas. Even if they would stay at the presidential palace, SAUDI FRENCH airstrikes would hardy cause serious damage to the vast bunker system stretching within Mount Qassiun, unless the USA would provide more sophisticated bombing devices that can knock out underground facilities. Furthermore the palace itself is constructed of bomb resisting concrete. Interesting to note is that the palace was paid for primarily by the SAUDIS, designed by a JAPANESE architect, built by a series of foreign contractors, among them a GERMAN construction company specialized in building bomb resisting bunker systems and buildings.<span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Or is it in the end also about alleged large scale oil shale findings in Syria?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">See also: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/08/saudia-arabia-usa-turkey-versus-iran.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/08/saudia-arabia-usa-turkey-versus-iran.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/syria-cause-and-effect.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/syria-cause-and-effect.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/as-i-see-it.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/as-i-see-it.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/strait-of-hormuz-and-syria.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/strait-of-hormuz-and-syria.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Debkafile article reads as follows: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">OBAMA NIXES FRENCH-SAUDI PLAN TO FINISH ASSAD BY BOMBING HIS PALACE</span></i></b><i><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="color: blue;">Via DEBKA<span>file</span></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue;"><span> </span></span></i><i><span style="color: blue;"></span></i><b><i><span style="color: blue;"></span></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue;">US President Obama recently vetoed a detailed Franco-Saudi plan for ending President Bashar Assad’s rule by means of a massive air strike against his palace that would at one fell swoop wipe him, his family and top leadership circle out, debkafile’s military and intelligence sources report.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Their plan was for the presidential palace situated atop Mount Qassioun northeast of Damascus to be devastated by French warplanes taking off from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier off Syria’s Mediterranean coast and Saudi and United Arab Emirates bombers flying in through Jordan.<br />They would bomb the palace for 12 hours in several sorties while at the same time American fighter jets launched from a US aircraft carrier cruising in the Mediterranean or Red Sea would shut down Syria’s air defenses, which are considered among the most sophisticated and densely-arrayed in the region.<br />US warplanes would also keep the Syrian Air Force grounded and prevented from repulsing the incoming bombers.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue;">This plan was presented to President Obama separately by Nicolas Sarkozy before he was voted out of office and Saudi Defense Minister Prince Salman, who arrived at the White House on April 12 for a personal presentation. The prince maintained that there is no end in sight for the Syrian conflict; it would only spread and ignite the rest of the Middle East. The peril could only be rooted out at source by a single, sharp military strike that would remove Assad and his close clan for good. This would be the only acceptable kind of Western-Arab armed intervention in Syria and it had the added advantage of being effective without bringing foreign boots to Syrian soil.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue;">In early May, Sarkozy was still trying to talk Obama around to the plan. He spent his last days in the Elysée Palace in long telephone conversations with the White House in which he drove home three points:</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue;">1.  Because Assad has concentrated his family, top military command and intelligence chiefs at a single nerve center behind the fortified walls of the Qassioun Palace, the snake’s head can feasibly be cut off at one stroke.<br />The case of Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi was different because, unlike Assad, he never stayed long in one place and was constantly on the move.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue;"> 2. Once that nerve center is destroyed, Syrian army and intelligence would be bereft of their sources of command. Their troops may remain in their bases and wait for news, while their officers may use the sudden political vacuum in Damascus to try and seize power. In either case, the Syrian military would be free of its orders to crush the anti-Assad revolt.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue;"><br />3.  The French, Saudi and UAE air forces lack a central command center capable of coordinating a major combined air operation and therefore depend on the United States to provide this essential component. American military input is also vital for paralyzing Syria’s air defenses by applying its cyber warfare capabilities to disrupt the radar systems of Syria’s anti-air missile batteries.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue;"><br />Our Washington sources report that Obama consistently resisted repeated French and Saudi efforts to jump aboard their initiative.<br />The Saudi defense minister at one point in their conversation told the US president harshly that it was time for the Americans to stop talking and start acting. But Obama remained unmoved.<br />These events, revealed here by debkafile, provide the background for Presidents Barak Obama and Francois Hollande’s divergent responses Tuesday, May 29, to the al-Houla atrocity and its 108 brutally murdered victims.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue;"><br />The White House repeated its objection to military intervention in Syria “at this time,” because it would only “increase the carnage.” A military option was left on the table.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue;">That was standard Obama-speak for the crisis in Syria, behind which he remains determined to stay out of armed action for unseating President Assad and instead seek a deal with the Russians on the Syrian ruler’s fate as part and parcel of a comprehensive accord on Syria and Iran’s nuclear program.<br />President Hollande was at first quoted as saying he does not rule out armed intervention in Syria. Elysée sources later watered down this statement with the qualifier: …”only with UN Security Council approval.”<br />On top of the American hurdle, Moscow and Beijing rushed Wednesday, May 30, to reiterate that they would oppose (veto) any Security Council resolution authorizing military intervention in Syria, so effectively nipping the French intention in the bud.<br />Bashar Assad accordingly had no qualms about sending UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan off empty-handed from a final bid to salvage his peace mission: The world powers have left him sitting pretty in his palace, unconcerned about his future and free to pursue one of the most vicious anti-opposition campaigns of modern times.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

SYRIA, ISRAEL, IRAN AND THE USA

THE SYRIAN EQUATION Unlike in LIBYA, this time around RUSSIA and CHINA (See: http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/china-and-syri...

The First Daguerrotype Of A Human Being

11:13 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">March 7, 1839,</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>a tall man wearing a hat</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>got a shoe shine </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>on a Paris street.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">We know this because</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>Daguerre standing at a distance</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>captured this, his first human form,</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>on a silvered copper plate.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The tall man getting a shoe shine</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>appears not to have noticed </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>– taken unawares.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Perhaps the street </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>hummed, sang, rattled</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>with people scurrying,</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>ambling, proceeding apace.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">But that is at best</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>a reasonable surmise,</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>a likely conjecture,</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>a mere supposition.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">We do not know because</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>if they were there,</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>they were moving and so </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>invisible to Daguerre’s camera.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Only the tall man </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>wearing a hat</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>getting his shoes shined</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>on a Paris street</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">stood still long enough</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>to become immortal. </div>

The First Daguerrotype Of A Human Being

March 7, 1839, a tall man wearing a hat got a shoe shine on a Paris street. We know this because ...

CHINA AND SYRIA

3:36 PM Tukiyooo 0

CHINA AND SYRIA

CAN CHINA HELP SAVE SYRIA? By Joel Wuthnow As the international community considers how to respond to the recent massacre o...

Now it's time to work on me

9:09 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As in the case of most weight loss blogger disappearances, no news is usually not good news. I've been gone from here almost a whole month. It's not been a good month. Let's start with my weight. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">208</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I feel really awful about my weight gain. I hate being this fat. I feel and look terrible. The emotional and physical pain of being obese is overwhelming. I'm angry at myself that I let this happen. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've been wallowing in self-pity for weeks, actually, more like months.  Once I lost control, I couldn't get it back. No food was off limits, and portion control wasn't even something I thought about. The gym, I think I went three times in the last month. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After being in control for most of the last four years and maintaining my weight under 180 after starting out at 240 in 2008, I thought I had beat my food demons. I was wrong. I wasn't safe from my crazy obsession with food. I struggled but I was slowing losing the battle. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There is a bit of good news to this sad post. I feel ready to get back in the game. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've been reading Bob Harper's book,</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Skinny-Rules-Nonnegotiable-Principles/dp/0345533127/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338646767&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Skinny Rules: The Simple, Nonnegotiable Principles for Getting to Thin</a>. A</span>lthough I haven't been following any of the rules, I've been thinking about them. I'm ready to start. Today. This very minute. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Almost everything else in my life has been difficult as well, but things are finally starting to turn a corner. Life goes on, things are getting better.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My husband and I are getting along really well the last few weeks. Probably because he went back to work at a great job that he loves. He was out of work for ten months. That was a lot of stress on both of us, a lot of arguments, and he was depressed. He's definitely a lot happier now which is good for both of us.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Things have finally settled down with all things involving my sister. I don't speak to my crazy niece (her oldest daughter). Our last conversation, which was hideous, was in mid-February. There's a Vulnerable Adult Order of Protection filed with the court for my sister against my crazy niece. It's good for five years. My niece has been hospitalized twice for psychiatric issues in the past month and has been diagnosed as bipolar and schizophrenic. I told you she was crazy. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All of my sister's property in Fairbanks has been sold. Her house closed last week, and it was a cash sale. It was the easiest real estate transaction I've ever been involved in. It closed exactly two weeks from the time of the offer. Best real estate agent ever, Fairbanks, Alaska, Somers and Associates, Judy Somers. The person that bought my sister's house is a surgeon in Fairbanks and he's going to clear some of the 123 acres of land and have a hobby farm. Just like my sister and her husband did 15 years ago. That made me smile.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've had an auction of all my sister's personal belongings and her farm equipment. Faribanks Auction, Joe Campbell, best auctioneer I've ever met. Okay, the only one I've ever met but he was wonderful. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My sister's 2010 and 2011 income tax has been filed (that was a major task). My permanent guardianship has been granted and the Inventory and Guardianship Implementation Plan has been filed with State of Alaska. They told me it looked great and there shouldn't be any problems on getting it approved. It took me weeks days to pull it together. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My sister and I have settled into a comfortable relationship. I pick her up on Sunday and we do something fun together. The outings vary, and she always seems to enjoy herself. Last week we went to a movie and out to dinner. The weekend before we went to the <a href="http://www.museumofglass.org/" target="_blank">Museum of Glass</a> in Tacoma (ever heard of Dale Chihuly?). We watched a glass blowing demonstration, toured the museum and had lunch at the museum (delicious Argentinian food), then a movie. This weekend I'm thinking about taking her to the <a href="http://www.pdza.org/page.php?id=2" target="_blank">Pt. Defiance Zoo</a> if the weather is half-way decent (not looking like it now), or maybe lunch and the Most Exotic Marigold Hotel movie. She loves movies. Next weekend it's the movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1446714/" target="_blank">Prometheus </a>for sure. My sister loves science fiction (I do too!).</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My sister's condition hasn't changed for several months. She's stabilized. She talks all the time, but I can't understand a word she says, other than an occasional okay or bye-bye. She can't write and I'm unsure if she can read. She acts she can read but then when she orders food at restaurants she always points to the pictures. If there aren't any pictures, she asks me to pick something. She's still completely paralyzed on the right side. There's very little hope that she'll ever get better. She nods yes and no, but often gets them mixed up.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As a last ditch attempt to see if there's anything else that can help my sister, I'm taking her to see a neurologist in Seattle next month. I'm not hopeful, but it's worth a try.  </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I adore my sister and I'm happy I can be there for her. One thing I've learned from all of this is that having a severe stroke like my sister is probably one of the most horrific things that can happen to a person. Not being able to communicate is the worst part. I could handle being paralyzed on one side and being in a wheelchair, but not being able to speak or write is unbelievably frustrating for her and everyone around her. We manage and make the best of it, but it's not easy. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One last thing to mention, my job. It has been a really rough few months with a lot of 55+ hour weeks and working on weekends. We made our deadline on our project, and it's in the testing phase by our QA team. Now there's a hard push to fix all the bugs. I currently have 35 bugs assigned to me. A lot of them are because I took on the bugs of another developer that's still working on writing code for the reporting piece of the project. It's going to be tough to get through the next three weeks, but it still won't be as bad as the past three months. The past three months have been a tiny piece of hell at work.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So that's my life in a nutshell. Work was rough, but better now. My sister's situation has finally settled down. My marriage is in a good place. So now it's time to work on me. My weight loss and my health. Diet and exercise - here I come!</span></div>

Now it's time to work on me

As in the case of most weight loss blogger disappearances, no news is usually not good news. I've been gone from here almost a whole mon...

Waiting on Winston

5:18 AM Tukiyooo 0

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sir_Winston_S_Churchill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="English: Sir Winston Churchill." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="374" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Sir_Winston_S_Churchill.jpg/300px-Sir_Winston_S_Churchill.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">English: Sir Winston Churchill. (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sir_Winston_S_Churchill.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>I've been reading <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Lion-Boxed-Set/dp/0316058165%3FSubscriptionId%3D0G81C5DAZ03ZR9WH9X82%26tag%3Dhttpwwwbrighc-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0316058165" rel="amazon" target="_blank" title="The Last Lion : 2 Volume Boxed Set">The Last Lion</a> by William Manchester. It is a biography of <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Winston Churchill">Winston Churchill</a> and a must-read for those who love history or understanding the lives of great men.<br /><br />As I read about how "Sir Winston" was catered to by his maids, secretaries, butlers, valets, etc. it might be easy to look down on that as an excess. Manchester says that he never even drew a bath for himself. However, he used the time he gained - really, just about every bit of time in reading, polishing speeches, and writing as well as building relationships. He focused his time for where he could do the most good.<br /><br /><h3>Is it OK to hire help?</h3>While I don't want anyone to "draw my bath" or wait on me to the nth degree, I think that there are times when the "help" in doing things makes sense. For example, I have a wonderful young lady who has become my right arm over the past few years since I started writing extensively. Without her help with the loads of laundry, getting food on the table, and cleaning - I wouldn't be able to write at all. That six hours of help is literally the 6 hours a week I have to blog. I still do at least 10 loads of laundry a week and a 6 hour set of chores and errands on Saturdays that help my family run well the rest of the week. But that little bit of time, I believe, makes me more productive and (hopefully) helps me improve the lives of others.<br /><br />I've just hired a very faithful, trustworthy student (she just graduated) to help me with my filing and email. She organized my files in four hours and I've spent days trying to do that. I don't think like that but she helped me so greatly.<br /><br />There are those who look down upon me for getting any help. Others assume this means I have no housework at all or that somehow I'm shirking my responsibilities. However, for me, I ask myself how I'm using that time. Am I improving the lives of others? Am I improving the lives of my family? Am I fulfilling the mission for which I have been placed on this planet. <br /><br />But I also wonder if there is yet another double standard eeking through the crevices of the comments I get. If my husband were a single Dad and responsible for all the cooking, cleaning, and home management, would anyone look down upon him for getting help 3 days a week? <br /><br /><h3>Wowing your family!</h3>When Sir Winston arrived home every day, he exclaimed "Wow!" to which his family would reply "Wow!" and run into his arms, to which he is reported to have often teared up. His own mother didn't really pay him attention until he was "old enough to become interesting" and spent her time in many dallyings with great men on both sides of the pond but Sir Winston wanted to pay attention to his family.<br /><br />I want to as well. So, when I consider getting help for anything, I ask myself:<br /><br /><ul><li>Can I afford it?</li><li>Will I directly use the time for a task that will make more money so I can afford it?</li><li>Is the person I want to help me trustworthy? Does this person "have my back?"</li><li>Is this something that my children should be doing instead?</li><li>Is this something that only I can or should do?</li></ul><br /><br />Winston Churchill is certainly one of the great men of history. I think history is the better for him having people around him help with running his household so he could focus on affairs of state.<br /><br />I think that there are also times that it is ok to guiltlessly get help with tasks around the home.Some of you would look down upon Winston Churchill and the amount of catering he had done for him in his life, but when viewed in the grand context of his accomplishments, it is one of those things that is excusable. Yet, oftentimes we turn a leering eye in judgement of others who we think don't have problems, don't have to work as hard, or don't have to struggle like we do. The fact is, unless we can see into the heart, soul, mind, and pocketbook of the object of our judging eye, we cannot know what that person is really going through. I think women, in particular, are pretty hard on other women who "get help."<br /><br /><h3><span style="font-weight: normal;">Don't live your life for the approval of others</span></h3>If you spend your life trying to somehow achieve some sort of friendly stasis with the world's attitude towards you, you're not a very smart person. <br /><br />If you're doing anything and work very hard, you'll have those who look down upon you who want what you have by doing nothing.<br /><br />Do your something and do it with everything you've got. Don't go on petty guilt trips for the decisions you make about how you spend your money that the petty people would like to send you on. As my Mom always says "If you go on a guilt trip, you have to pack your own bags."<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by for a bit of a random rambling today as I sit and ponder the life of a great man.<br /><br /><div class="zemanta-related" style="margin-top: 20px; overflow: hidden;"><h4 class="zemanta-related-title">Related articles</h4><ul class="zemanta-article-ul zemanta-article-ul-image" style="margin-left: 0; padding: 0;"><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li-image zemanta-article-ul-li" style="display: block; float: left; font-size: 12px; height: 240px; list-style: none; margin: 10px 40px 20px 0px; text-align: left; width: 80px;"><a href="http://greatfinds.icrossing.com/winston-churchill-the-ultimate-ceo/" style="border: 0; display: block; margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0;" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.zemanta.com/87757173_80_80.jpg" style="border: 0; box-shadow: 1px 1px 3px #999; margin: 0; padding: 0;" width="80" /></a><a href="http://greatfinds.icrossing.com/winston-churchill-the-ultimate-ceo/" style="display: block; height: 90px; line-height: 14pt; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: none; width: 80px;" target="_blank">Winston Churchill: The Ultimate CEO</a><div style="clear: both; margin: 10px 0 10px 0;"><hr style="margin: 0;" /></div></li><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li-image zemanta-article-ul-li" style="display: block; float: left; font-size: 12px; height: 240px; list-style: none; margin: 10px 40px 20px 0px; text-align: left; width: 80px;"><a href="http://jamesdez.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/a-moment-with-sir-winston-churchill/" style="border: 0; display: block; margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0;" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.zemanta.com/89734081_80_80.jpg" style="border: 0; box-shadow: 1px 1px 3px #999; margin: 0; padding: 0;" width="80" /></a><a href="http://jamesdez.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/a-moment-with-sir-winston-churchill/" style="display: block; height: 90px; line-height: 14pt; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: none; width: 80px;" target="_blank">A Moment With Sir Winston Churchill.</a><div style="clear: both; margin: 10px 0 10px 0;"><hr style="margin: 0;" /></div></li><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li-image zemanta-article-ul-li" style="display: block; float: left; font-size: 12px; height: 240px; list-style: none; margin: 10px 40px 20px 0px; text-align: left; width: 80px;"><a href="http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/8a3e2671-6203-49fb-8063-fa227076bc30.aspx" style="border: 0; display: block; margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0;" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.zemanta.com/88847228_80_80.jpg" style="border: 0; box-shadow: 1px 1px 3px #999; margin: 0; padding: 0;" width="80" /></a><a href="http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/8a3e2671-6203-49fb-8063-fa227076bc30.aspx" style="display: block; height: 90px; line-height: 14pt; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: none; width: 80px;" target="_blank">5 writing tips from Winston Churchill</a><div style="clear: both; margin: 10px 0 10px 0;"><hr style="margin: 0;" /></div></li></ul></div><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=f930cc07-4485-49ea-9447-43b6e7e35158" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>

English: Sir Winston Churchill. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) I've been reading The Last Lion by William Manchester. It is a biography of ...

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 06/02/2012

2:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

<ul class="diigo-linkroll">      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storyCode=6242834">In the news - Children should have body image lessons - Resources - TES</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">A report out of the UK shows that children as young as five are concerned about their shape and size. Our media is sending a message of perfection that is unattainable even by the models they photoshop. (A girl recently petitioned for 17 magazine to have one non photoshopped image and 17 would not agree) This article includes a video discussion of the findings of this report.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/health">health</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6243095">Teaching in a climate of despair - News - TES</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">I find the story of what is happening to the education system in Greece heartbreaking.With some budgets cut in half and many parents unemployed, student and teacer morale is plummeting. Schools have closed because of no heat and some schools wait for months for textbooks. If you think you've got it tough, it could be worse. </p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/greece">greece</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/worldwonders/education/">Education – Google World Wonders Project</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">This page has guides that you can download by age level for how you can use the World Wonders project in your classroom. You'll want to get the PDF and email it to all of the history teachers so they can import it into their ebook reader for sure. (Of course you can print if you don't have a way to distribute epaper.) there are also some suggested topics like "How the Romans Lived," "the Industrial Revolution," and the "Italian Renaissance" along with tour points. </p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclass">flatclass</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/worldwonders/shark-bay/">Shark Bay – Google World Wonders Project</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">So, in this example of a World Wonder - Shark Bay in Australia - You can see a description on the right. There is an information tab, a link to videos about the area, a link to photos about the area and away to explore nearby sites. If you're going on vacation to an area with a local wonder, it might be a great thing to explore before you explore so you can get the most out of your trip. </p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/worldwonders/">Google World Wonders Project</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Google has released their world wonders website as part of the "Google Cultural Institute" website. This is a definite "must investigate" over the summer. Click on education in the top right to see how you can integrate it into learning. There are many points all over the globe. Fascinating. experience. The museum is online.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a></p>                                <ul class="diigo-comments">                  </ul>                      </li>  </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='http://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 06/02/2012

In the news - Children should have body image lessons - Resources - TES A report out of the UK shows...

Elearning and global competency #flatclass #globaled 06/02/2012

5:40 PM Tukiyooo 0

<ul class="diigo-linkroll">      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/worldwonders/education/">Education – Google World Wonders Project</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">This page has guides that you can download by age level for how you can use the World Wonders project in your classroom. You'll want to get the PDF and email it to all of the history teachers so they can import it into their ebook reader for sure. (Of course you can print if you don't have a way to distribute epaper.) there are also some suggested topics like "How the Romans Lived," "the Industrial Revolution," and the "Italian Renaissance" along with tour points. </p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclass">flatclass</a></p>                                        </li>  </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='http://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Elearning and global competency #flatclass #globaled 06/02/2012

Education – Google World Wonders Project This page has guides that you can download by age level for...

Being a Plus Size Bride

2:31 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; ;">Before I get into the wedding stuff, I wanted to share a food find.  McDonald's recently came out with a new oatmeal - Blueberry Banana Nut Oatmeal.  Have you tried it?  It's 8 PointsPlus and I just tried it this week. It was tasty, filling and I will most likely get it again.  As much as I love these flavor combinations, I still love the Fruit and Maple oatmeal more.  I think the 7 PointsPlus value has something to do with it :).  <div><br></div><div>Today I finished the last of my shopping in preparation for the wedding.  I picked up a garment bag and... wait for it.... Spanx!  I've never worn Spanx before but after trying them on and seeing the results, I'm convinced they will give me the look I'm going for.  </div><div><br></div><div>I have to say.... I'm not thrilled with the idea of being a plus size bride.  I'm not thrilled that I will be getting married looking the way I do.  We originally picked our October wedding date to afford me the time to lose more weight.  I'm trying not to focus on this fact - that I will be an overweight bride.  I'm someone who loves pictures and I don't want to look back on our pictures one day, one day when I've met goal, and be filled with regret and disgust.  I'm only going to do this once and I feel as though I've failed myself and Joel.  <b>I'm going to be a fat bride.</b>  Ugh.   It's no ones fault but my own, I know.  </div><div><br></div><div>I'm just disappointed in myself.</div><p/><p/><a href="http://www.bewriteapp.com"><img alt="I blog with BE Write" src="http://bewriteapp.com/iblogwithbewrite.gif"/></a></div>

Being a Plus Size Bride

Before I get into the wedding stuff, I wanted to share a food find. McDonald's recently came out with a new oatmeal - Blueberry Banana ...

Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock #teaching 06/01/2012

12:30 PM Tukiyooo 0

<ul class="diigo-linkroll">      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/resourcecalendar.aspx?nbday=0&nbmth=6&nbyr=2012&evcode=3509">Teaching Resources, Classroom Resources & Lesson Plans - TES Resources</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Wimbledon is in June (my Uncle Eddie's favorite event of the year). If you are homeschooling this summer (like I do in the summer - good parents teach) - here are some cool things you can use to share with others. Lessons relating to Wimbledon and Tennis.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tennis">tennis</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/resourcecalendar.aspx?nbday=0&nbmth=6&nbyr=2012&evcode=26">Teaching Resources, Classroom Resources & Lesson Plans - TES Resources</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Lots of ideas for Father's Day. Parents will find ideas here as well as teachers.If your child is already out of school, help them make something for Dad that is special andlearn at the same time. I like the "my Dad" lesson where kids draw a picture of Dadand answer questions about him. My son did something similar for me and it meant a lot.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/fathersday">fathersday</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/gifts">gifts</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/ResourceCalendar.aspx?remthyr=06%3A2012">Teaching Resources, Classroom Resources & Lesson Plans - TES Resources</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">June events include D-day, Father's Day, Tour de France, World Environment Day, the outbreak of the first world war, and Wimbledon. This website has links to lesson plans for these events and more.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/june">june</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/worldwonders/education/">Education – Google World Wonders Project</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">This page has guides that you can download by age level for how you can use the World Wonders project in your classroom. You'll want to get the PDF and email it to all of the history teachers so they can import it into their ebook reader for sure. (Of course you can print if you don't have a way to distribute epaper.) there are also some suggested topics like "How the Romans Lived," "the Industrial Revolution," and the "Italian Renaissance" along with tour points. </p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclass">flatclass</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/worldwonders/shark-bay/">Shark Bay – Google World Wonders Project</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">So, in this example of a World Wonder - Shark Bay in Australia - You can see a description on the right. There is an information tab, a link to videos about the area, a link to photos about the area and away to explore nearby sites. If you're going on vacation to an area with a local wonder, it might be a great thing to explore before you explore so you can get the most out of your trip. </p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/worldwonders/">Google World Wonders Project</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Google has released their world wonders website as part of the "Google Cultural Institute" website. This is a definite "must investigate" over the summer. Click on education in the top right to see how you can integrate it into learning. There are many points all over the globe. Fascinating. experience. The museum is online.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a></p>                                <ul class="diigo-comments">                  </ul>                      </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://pinterest.com/mel_dillard/">Melissa Alonzo-Dillard (mel_dillard) on Pinterest</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">If you're a teacher and you love Pinterest, Melissa Alonzo-Dillard is a must-follow on Pinterest. She has so many ideas and fascinating boards. (I have a Pinterest 101 post you can search for to be able to get an invite. It is pretty simple, just go on facebook and like pinterest and see who your friends are who like Pinterest too an ask them - or just email vicki [at] coolcatteacher [dot] com and I'll invite you.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a></p>                                        </li>  </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='http://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock #teaching 06/01/2012

Teaching Resources, Classroom Resources & Lesson Plans - TES Resources Wimbledon is in June (my ...