No Agenda Episode 378

There has been tension between the Scots and English for a long time clearly and this has not fully dissipated North of the border despite multiple centuries of union. The big difference being that Scots are Celtic people (with a Viking streak mixed in) as such we stick by our Celtic brothers (Irish and Welsh) and play our cards closer to our chest when dealing with the sassinachs (Saxons) sorry, I mean the English.

The SNP (Scottish Nationalist Party) has grandiose vison of leaving the Union with England, Wales and Northern Ireland and becoming a fully independent nation with a seat at the United Nations and ability to keep all the profits from the North Sea oil platforms operated from Scotland - so they say. The reality is that the SNP is actually promoting phoney nationalism. Rather then become an independent autonomous nation like Norway the SNP would like to see Scotland play a greater roll in the EU. The party is in fact EU centric, not nation centric. They would likely see Scotland join the Euro, have our national defense policy set by the EU and work to become just another bureacratically controlled state of the EU. This is an idea which is supported by many in the EU who are impatiently pushing for Britain to capitulate more soverignty at long last. In typical EU fashion they would love to see the salami slicing of Britain in pursuit over greater controls of British people.

Polls and my own observations suggest that the overwhelming majority of Scottish people do not wish to split from England and Wales and then join the EU, as a small group of Islands we work well together. This idea is being pushed primarily by the government, by pro-EU journalists and NGOs funded from the EU. The referendum would be set for 2014 on the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn in which the Scots resisted the English (not for the first or last time)� this should work in favour of the SNPs aims. Many of us in Scotland have deep concerns that such a referendum will require just a simple majority vote however. When the implications are so vast two-thirds majority seems a better route. However, just as with the referendums for EU the treaties such a proposition will likely go ignored.

puppetworx

Scotland is a top nation

Scotland would be the 6th richest country in the world if it had INDEPENDENCE The revenue from Scotland's oil, over the last several years, amounts to �3.48 trillion. Over the past 30 years, Scotland has produced more oil than Dubai and Abu Dhabi combined. Over the past 30 years, Scotland has produced almost as much oil per capita as Saudi Arabia.

Forget Greece; it's Portugal that'll destroy euro - Matthew Lynn's London Eye - MarketWatch

We have known for some time of course that Portugal was in trouble. Back in May last year it became the third euro-zone country that had to be rescued. After bond yields soared up past the crucial 7% level it was forced to ask for a bailout package worth 79 billion euros. The International Monetary Fund and the European Union moved in with the formula they had honed to such perfection in Greece -- big tax raises, spending cuts, wage cuts, and a little bit of structural reform. The country -- one of the poorest members of the European Union, with a gross domestic product per capita of only $21,000, significantly less than Greece's $26,000 -- was set a target of reducing its deficit to 4.5% in 2012 and 3% in 2013.

Meer dan 5 miljoen Spanjaarden zitten werkloos thuis - Economie - VK

Het percentage werklozen in Spanje is in het vierde kwartaal van vorig jaar opgelopen tot 22,85 procent van de beroepsbevolking, het hoogste niveau in 17 jaar. Daarmee zitten 5,27 miljoen mensen zonder werk, maakte de Spaanse overheid vandaag bekend. De werkloosheid in het land is het hoogste van alle geïndustrialiseerde landen. In het voorgaande derde kwartaal was de werkloosheid al 21,52 procent. Vooral bij jongeren onder de 25 jaar is de situatie schrijnend. Ruim 51 procent van hen zit zonder werk. Aan het einde van het derde kwartaal was dit 45,8 procent.

Exclusive: Germany wants Greece to give up budget control

The Financial Times said it had obtained a copy of the proposal showing Germany wants a new euro zone "budget commissioner" to have the power to veto budget decisions taken by the Greek government if they are not in line with targets set by international lenders. "Given the disappointing compliance so far, Greece has to accept shifting budgetary sovereignty to the European level for a certain period of time," the document said. Under the German plan, Athens would only be allowed to carry out normal state spending after servicing its debt, the FT said. "If a future (bail-out) tranche is not disbursed, Greece cannot threaten its lenders with a default, but will instead have to accept further cuts in primary expenditures as the only possible consequence of any non-disbursement," the FT quoted the document as saying. The German demands for greater control over Greek budget policy come amid intense talks to finalize a second 130 billion-euro rescue package for Greece, which has repeatedly failed to meet the fiscal targets set out for it by its international lenders.

GREEKS STUNNED AS TROIKA TAKES POWER | The Slog

Last night, Athens News had a piece saying that 'the threat of disorderly default is now concentrating minds across the EU', but again there was no specific mention of a sovereign handover. But when she spoke with Bloomberg, we can be almost certain that Lagarde knew what was coming: EU finance ministers had already seen Berlin's proposal. The text specifically says, 'Budget consolidation has to be put under a strict steering and control system. Given the disappointing compliance so far, Greece has to accept shifting budgetary sovereignty to the European level for a certain period of time.' Note the dictatorial 'has to' in there. The proposal even more controversially demands that Greece pass a law 'committing all State income first and foremost to debt servicing and reduction'.

The Report That Will Blow Up The Eurozone

A few months ago, the PVV announced they had commissioned a report from British financial consultancy firm Lombard Street Research on the economic consequences of staying in the Eurozone versus returning to the guilder. That report is about to be published "within days". It will prove to be highly explosive material. And the PVV will do all it possibly can to make sure it receives a lot of media attention. It may tear down the incumbent government, which is a heavy advocate of all things Europe, and which will have to quit once the PVV support dies, but for that party that's not the no. 1 concern. And if and when Holland has a large scale discussion on the report and the issues it raises, Germany won't be able to ignore it and stay behind. And then, neither will France.

Citzalia - The Virtual European Parliament

Citzalia is democracy in action. It is an animated and interactive social networking platform that captures the essence of the European Parliament. You can become part of Citzalia by creating your own personalised avatar which you use to walk around, interact, network and debate the issues of the day in the corridors of the European Parliament. Citzalia is a means of understanding how the EU's democratically elected Parliament works. You can participate in debates, write articles, and draft virtual legislation on EU policy, using the official EU information provided. Citzalia, which is available in all 23 official EU languages, is an interactive way for citizens to get closer to the decision-making process.

Haiti

Haiti should brace for more devastating quakes: study | The Raw Story

"The 2010 Haiti earthquake may mark the beginning of a new cycle of large earthquakes on the Enriquillo fault system after 240 years of seismic quiescence," said the study, led by William Bakun of the US Geological Survey. "The entire Enriquillo fault system appears to be seismically active; Haiti and the Dominican Republic should prepare for future devastating earthquakes."

Coke

BBC News - Cocaine seized at UN headquarters in New York

A bag containing 16kg (35.5lb) of cocaine was found at the United Nations headquarters in New York last week, police have said. The drugs were in a bag printed with a version of the UN symbol which arrived at the organisation's mailroom, setting off a security alert. Spokesman Paul Browne said they seemed to have been delivered by accident.

Cocaine sent to U.N. headquarters - CNN.com

The narcotics were uncovered on January 16 inside hollowed-out books that had been shipped from Mexico City in a bag made to look like a diplomatic pouch, according to New York police spokesman Paul Browne.

SOPA PIPA OPEN ACTA

Franse EU-rapporteur noemt ACTA 'poppenkast' en treedt af #acta #zaplog

De Franse politicus Kader Arif heeft zijn taak als ACTA-rapporteur in de commissie voor internationale handel neergelegd. De Europarlementariër heeft principiële bezwaren tegen het anti-piraterij verdrag, dat de komende maanden door het Europees Parlement beoordeeld moet worden. De Europese Commissie heeft vandaag in Tokio een handtekening op het document gezet. 22 van de 27 landen ondertekenden. Nederland zou ook tekenen, maar door een probleem met de volmacht voor de ambassadeur kon dat niet doorgaan. Verwacht wordt dat de handtekening alsnog volgt.

ICANN responds to smut portal antitrust lawsuit * The Register

In ICANN's separately filed motion to dismiss, the domain name industry overseer said that it is illogical to claim that increasing the number of available domains is "anti-competitive." "Since Plaintiffs already operate (by their own admission) some of the most successful pornographic websites on the Internet, websites that will continue to operate irrespective of anything ICM might do, what the plaintiffs are really complaining of is the potential competition that their websites may face from the operation of .XXX," ICANN's motion states. ICANN also claims that because it is a not-for-profit, public-benefit corporation, it cannot be held liable under US antitrust laws in this case.

BBC News - Thousands march in Poland over Acta internet treaty

Thousands of protesters have taken to Poland's streets over the signing of an international treaty activists say amounts to internet censorship. Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement in Tokyo on Thursday. The treaty, known as Acta, aims to establish international standards to enforce intellectual property rights. But critics say it could curb freedom of expression, and government websites have been hacked in protest. Later on Thursday, hundreds of people took to the streets of the eastern city of Lublin to express their anger over the treaty. Several marches had taken place in cities across the nation on Wednesday, says the BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw. Crowds of mostly young people held banners with slogans such as "no to censorship" and "a free internet".

At a behind-closed-doors meeting facilitated by the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport, copyright holders have handed out a list of demands to Google, Bing and Yahoo. To curb the growing piracy problem, Hollywood and the major music labels want the search engines to de-list popular filesharing sites such as The Pirate Bay, and give higher ranking to authorized sites.

ACTA: Worse Than SOPA and PIPA | Veterans Today

Internet freedom's on the line. SOPA and PIPA threatened Net Neutrality and free expression. So does ACTA. More on it below. For now, the largest online protest in Internet history got Congress to abandon SOPA and PIPA for now but not permanently. Expect resurrection in modified form. Language may change but not intent. ACTA's worse. Launched on October 23, 2007, America, the EU, Switzerland and Japan began secretly negotiating a new intellectual property enforcement treaty -- the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

Inside Kim Dotcom's life of bizarre luxury | Stuff.co.nz

Dubbed the Mega Conspiracy, the FBI began its investigation into Megaupload in March 2010, yet the scope of the inquiry reaches back five years. Court documents released this week show United States authorities accessed emails the seven Megaupload defendants sent in 2009 and Skype conversations dating back to 2007, before Kim Dotcom came to New Zealand two years later. In New Zealand, police must obtain a High Court warrant to conduct electronic interception and any monitoring is open to scrutiny by the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

FnF

Justice Dept. releases documents in Fast and Furious probe -- USATODAY.com

Electric-Car Firm That Received Biden Visit and $118M in Stimulus Funds Files for Bankruptcy | CNSnews.com

Brian Levine, deputy domestic policy adviser to Biden, wrote an article about Biden's visit to Ener1 on the White House webpage for the White House Middle Class Task Force, which Biden leads. The article was headlined "Our Plan to Put One Million Advanced Technology Vehicles on America's Roads."

Syria

Syria: Watch the weather forecast | End the Lie - Independent News

RT: Why would Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya disseminate all these falsified reports on Syria? AK: These TV networks have been employed as propaganda tools serving to destroy Syria as a state. Some of those propaganda tactics are stunningly elaborate, and you can only tell a lie if you live in Syria and focus on details. For instance, there has been a fantastic weather forecast for Syria broadcast on TV, where temperature indices actually stand for the time when protesters will assemble in a specific location to provoke unrest. If you are with the opposition, this broadcast tells you that there will be a rally in Homs tomorrow at 12pm, and specially instructed camera crews will be waiting for you and your associates to turn up to act as the angry masses. You spend five minutes yelling "Down with Assad" in a square and leave with hard cash in your pocket, and the world gets TV images of "a street revolution rocking Syria." I witnessed this technique in action once. Al Jazeera reported on a street protest erupting near the Russian Cultural Center in Damascus in December 2011. I happen to live nearby, and I can see the Center from my window. There was nothing happening at this location at the time of the report. But exactly two hours later, a bunch of people turned up and launched an aggressive protest action. So it was not really a news report -- it was coded instructions communicating the time and place of a staged disturbance. Similar tactics was used to announce the assault against the Syrian embassy in Amman early in December 2011. What these TV networks do is not reporting: they dispatch instructions for people to rally, stage riots and assault specific individuals. It is almost a competition for deliberately misreporting on Syria, where the perpetrators do not even bother to coordinate their propaganda activities. For example, when reporting the casualties for a specific day of unrest, Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya claimed diverging numbers. If they had been citing a particular source, such as the notorious Mr. Rami, who is based in London, then their figures would have matched. But they vary, which means the news people simply make them up. They do not even care if it looks plausible or not.

Drone Nation

The Future of Warfare - Global Guerrillas

It's an autonomous aircraft/drone that has a full weapons bay (4,500 lbs). Say that word again: autonomous. That's the breakthrough feature. This also means: It can make its own "kill decision." Again and again and again. That decision is going to get better and better and cheaper and cheaper (Moore's law has made insect level intelligence available for pennies, rat intelligence is next). It isn't vulnerabe to a pilot in Nevada directing it to land in Iran. Oops. It will eventually (sooner than you think) be the "Queen," making decisions for thousands of smaller swarmed (semi-autonomous) drones it lays on a battle zone (aka "city"). In sum: It allows an unprecedented automation of conventional violence.

Ministry of Truth

OBAMA ELIGIBILITY COURT CASE.BLOW BY BLOW - Grendel Report

June 27th, 1962, is the date on those documents. Obama's father's status shown as a non citizen of the United States. Documents were gotten through the Freedom of Information Act. Testimony regarding the definition of Natural Born Citizen is given citing Minor vs Happersett opinion from a Supreme Court written opinion from 1875. The attorney points out the difference between "citizen" and "Natural Born Citizen" using charts and copies of the Minor vs Happersett opinion. It is also pointed out that the 14th Amendment does not alter the definition or supersede the meaning of Natural Born. It is pointed out that lower court rulings do not conflict with the Supreme Court opinion nor do they over rule the Supreme Court Minor vs Happersett opinion. The point is, to be a natural born citizen, one must have 2 parents who, at the time of the birth in question, be citizens of the United States. As Obama's father was not a citizen, the argument is that Obama, constitutionally, is ineligible to serve as President.

Natural-born-citizen clause of the U.S. Constitution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

He reiterated his statement in 1866: Every human being born within the jurisdiction of the United States of parents not owing allegiance to any foreign sovereignty is, in the language of your Constitution itself, a natural-born citizen; but, sir, I may be allowed to say further that I deny that the Congress of the United States ever had the power, or color of power to say that any man born within the jurisdiction of the United States, not owing a foreign allegiance, is not and shall not be a citizen of the United States. Citizenship is his birthright and neither the Congress nor the States can justly or lawfully take it from him.[12]

Proof of 2 Obamas

Not only was he sworn in twice - (or once for each Obama) the second time they "forgot" the bible - so really neither one was actually sworn in. �Another point - Obama #1 wore a Red tie and Obama #2 wore Blue. �Symbolic of the fact he's working for both sides and also I think relates to Masonry.�

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/politics/20web-inaug2.html?pagewanted=all� (Red Tie)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103685.html�(Blue Tie)

Richard Sumer

Real News

No Longer Is Vajazzling Enough. Now We Can Re-Fur!

Yes, that's right. After you've shaved/waxed/lasered off your pubic hair, New York salon Completely Bare will apply real feathers and real fur to your Down There. Salon owner and former Real Housewives of New York cast member, Cindy Barshop has recently added "foxy bikini" and "carnivale bikini" to her list of available services. Among the way-too-many, why-in-the-world questions I have about this service include "Why add animal fur when you can grow your own?" and "How do I keep the feathers from looking like a hot mess once I take a shower, wear pants, or have the sex during the 3 days it stays applied?"

Gitmo Nation

Police use teargas on Occupy Oakland protesters -- in pictures | World news | guardian.co.uk

Bank$ters

Aardige kluif aan eindrapport - Economie - Algemeen - bndestem

De Lazard-deskundigen kwamen tot de conclusie dat de Nederlandse delen van de Fortis-boedel 12,8 tot maximaal 20 miljard euro waard waren. Maar een dreigend en niet gedekt verlies bij een onderdeel van die boedel ter waarde van 2,3 miljard namen ze niet mee in die waardering. Zowel Wouter Bos als de toenmalige DNB-president Nout Wellink suggereerden gisteren dat Lazard dat probleem wel had moeten verwerken in de waardering. Die had daardoor op een bandbreedte van pakweg 10 tot maximaal 18 miljard uit moeten komen. "Daar huur je dit soort deskundigen voor in", zei Bos.

Lazard/ABNAMRO