Policy Mic – by Tom McKay

Which countries are at the highest risk of a coup d’état this upcoming year? While in any individual country a coup seems highly unlikely at any given time, this map from dartthrowingchimp shows the relative risks each country faces from a revolution instigated by its own armed forces.

The above heat map sorts the world by fifths into various levels of risk. The map’s creator, Jay Ulfelder, says that at around 80% of the countries which undergo coup attempts this year are likely to fall into the uppermost category (red). Meanwhile, this chart plots the unweighted average of two different forecast models to determine the “single-best” forecast of the risk of a coup.   Continue reading “This Map Shows Where The Next Military Coup Will Likely Happen”

Isaac Bertos is sworn in as a Troy police officer July, 14, 2009, at City hall in Troy, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union archive) Photo: SKIP DICKSTEIN / 2008Times Union – by Bob Gardinier

Troy – Another notice of a pending lawsuit was filed against the city, this time by a former college student who claims police officers slammed him against a truck, punched him and used a Taser on him for jaywalking.

One of the officers was named in two other cases in which defendants claim use of excessive force.   Continue reading “Ex-student accuses Troy cops of excessive force”

QueenBee

Here are some of my favorite political skits and jokes from late night comics.  Of course, we all know it’s their writers who really deserve all the applause…

I don’t watch Saturday Night Live anymore simply because it’s just not funny.  Their Liberal bias has been so way over the top for so long, and frankly, we get enough of that Liberal bias crap in real life.  Every once in a while, we need a vacation away from it all.  Today is all about humor with my “Friday Funnies”…    Continue reading “Some of my favorite political skits from late night comics”

A Voice from the Margins – by Ajamu Baraka

With the predictable failure of the Syrian peace conference, the call for the Obama administration to wage a humanitarian war to save civilians in Syria is once again being championed by some elements of the mainstream media in the U.S. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, since certain powerful voices in the U.S. corporate media have long been in lock-step with some of the most hawkish elements in the Obama administration regarding the use of force in Syria.    Continue reading “The Syrian Subterfuge part two: The Case for Humanitarian War- Again”

Aangirfan

Ukrainian lawmaker Oleg Tsarev has claimed that there may be up to 1,000 NATO troops in Western Ukraine.

This is according to Moskovsky Komsomolets.
 

Information Clearing House – by F. William Engdahl

February 28, 2014  The events in Ukraine since November 2013 are so astonishing as almost to defy belief.

An legitimately-elected (said by all international monitors) Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovich, has been driven from office, forced to flee as a war criminal after more than three months of violent protest and terrorist killings by so-called opposition.   Continue reading “The Rape of Ukraine: Phase Two Begins”

A man received the following text from his neighbor:

I am so sorry Bob.  I’ve been riddled with guilt and I have to confess. I have been tapping your wife, day and night when you’re not around. In fact, more than you.  I’m not getting any at home, but that’s no excuse. I can no longer live with the guilt and I hope you will accept my sincerest apology with my promise that it won’t happen again.   Continue reading “The Confession”

Information Liberation- by Chris

An Austin, Texas man’s lawful failure to identify lead a DPS trooper to physically assault him, falsely arrest him, then charge him with “resisting arrest,” despite video showing he did nothing of the sort.
In May of 2012, after letting someone go during a routine traffic stop, DPS Trooper Chancy Davis saw a truck with two men in it parked in front of a window tinting business, which he evidently felt was suspicious. David approached the vehicle and demanded the men provide him with ID. They refused, which evidently led the officer to throw a fit.   Continue reading “Man’s Lawful Refusal To ID Leads Cop To Assault Him, Charge Him With Resisting Arrest”

U.S. Navy safety swimmers stand on the deck of the Virginia class submarine USS New Hampshire after it surfaced in the Arctic Ocean north of Prudhoe...Yahoo News – by Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Navy is mapping out how to expand its presence in the Arctic beginning about 2020, given signs that the region’s once permanent ice cover is melting faster than expected, which is likely to trigger more traffic, fishing and resource mining.

“The Arctic is all about operating forward and being ready. We don’t think we’re going to have to do war-fighting up there, but we have to be ready,” said Rear Admiral Jonathan White, the Navy’s top oceanographer and navigator, and director of the Navy’s climate change task force.   Continue reading “U.S. Navy eyes greater presence in Arctic”

Ukraine Accuses Russia of 'Invasion' Over Airport BlockadeStrat Risks

KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s interior minister accused Moscow’s military of blockading an airport near a Russian naval base on Friday and armed men took control of another airport in Ukraine’s Crimean capital of Simferopol.

In a Facebook post, Arsen Avakov called the seizure of the Belbek international airport in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol a “military invasion and occupation.” He added: “It is a breach of all international agreements and norms.”   Continue reading “Ukraine Accuses Russia of ‘Invasion’ Over Airport Blockade”

Campus Reform – by Katherine Timpf

A new policy at Tennessee State University (TSU) will force students and faculty to “wear and display” official identification badges — complete with tracking technology — at all times on campus or risk punishment.

As of March 1, being caught on campus not wearing the new ID “may result in employee disciplinary action, student judicial action or removal from University property,” according to a release published by the school.   Continue reading “University policy will force students to wear trackable identification at all times”

Activist Post – by Josh del Sol

On the heels of Northeast Utilities admitting that smart meters are “irrational”, we’re seeing the wheels of reason and logic further come off the centralized energy cart(el).

In what is an illegal and thinly-veiled “psy-op” (psychological operation) attempting to stem the rising tide of awareness of the massive rights violations associated with their ‘smart’ meter deployments, Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative (PSREC) actually disconnected the electricity from the home of Joshua Hart, a leader in the movement and director of StopSmartMeters.org.   Continue reading “Utilities Desperate to Quash Dissent, Shut Off Activist Leader’s Electricity”

Connecticut Gun Confrontation Brewing Over RegistrationThe New American – by Bob Adelmann

Speculation about how the state of Connecticut would respond to the thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of gun owners who failed to register their firearms by December 31 ended when the state police sent out this January 2, 2014 letter to all those who registered late, but who in the process gave the state sufficient information to brand them as criminals: name, address, description of weapon or magazine, and date of ownership:   Continue reading “Connecticut Gun Confrontation Brewing Over Registration”