The Story of Ted Cruz

Via Iver

Last Ditch Effort To Avert World War III As Saudis, Turks Prepare For Syria Invasion

Via Billy

Tomorrow, John Kerry will meet Sergei Lavrov and several of his other counterparts from Europe and the Mid-East in Munich in a last ditch effort to revive Syrian peace talks, which fell apart amid an intense Russian air assault on rebel positions in Aleppo.

For all intents and purposes, the rebels are surrounded. Initially, it appeared that the “moderate” opposition might be able to persist and bog down the Russians and the Iranians with the help of supplies from the US, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. Those hopes faded over the past two weeks when Hezbollah advanced on Aleppo and ultimately encircled the city, cutting the rebels off from key supply lines and triggering a mass civilian exodus.

The talks in the Bavarian capital come at what is perhaps the most crucial point in the conflict to date. With the opposition on the ropes, it’s do or die time for Riyadh, Ankara, Doha, and the UAE. Either the Gulf monarchies send in ground troops to shore up the rebels or Hezbollah and the IRGC will overrun them in a matter of weeks - or perhaps even days.

Of course the opposition’s Sunni benefactors can’t exactly say they’re going into Syria to fight Iran and the Russians. Any ground incursion will be justified by the need to “fight ISIS” even though the Islamic State presence in Aleppo is markedly less pronounced than in other besieged urban centers like Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. Indeed, the effort is so transparent that even the mainstream media has been forced to acknowledge it. 

Here’s FT, for instance:

More @ Zero Hedge

Donald Trump Built a Juggernaut and Had the Media Pay for It

 

Bush, the multimillion-dollar man, reportedly spent $36 million in New Hampshire to Cruz’s half-million and Trump’s next-to-nothing, but his super PAC donors have deep, deep pockets. So Jeb’s likely to be in the race as long as his donors are willing.

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Why does the mainstream media heap such scorn and disbelief on Donald Trump over his promise to build a great wall along the border with Mexico — and make Mexico pay for it? After all, Donald Trump has built a winning presidential campaign — and made the media pay for it.

More @ Rasmussen's

Islamic Rape Goes Wherever Islam Goes

Via Cousin John

In one day the entire world became acutely aware of an aspect of Islam.  That day was December 31, 2016.  The event was New Year’s Eve.  The location was Cologne, Germany.  Within three weeks, over 800 crimes were reported for that one night.  359 sex crimes were reported.  659 women were listed as victims.  All 30 of the initial suspects initially identified were North African, 18 of which were recent immigrants.  All reports said that the suspects spoke Arabic.  The German justice minister told a German newspaper that he surmises the crimes that took place in Cologne during New Year celebrations were "coordinated or prepared.”

The women testified to the horror they lived through that night.  Michelle, an 18-year-old German woman, says, “The men then moved in and, despite their screaming out, began to molest the group of girls. Getting through their thick winter clothes, the girls told the television station about being touched on the legs, back, buttocks, and upper body. She said they protested, but the men didn’t appear to understand German. “They were all foreigners,” said Michelle.

More with videos @ Paul's World

New ‘Trust and Safety Council’ Is Twitter Version of 1984’s Ministry of Truth

Via Richard

 FeministFrequency - YouTube

In order for users to feel confident expressing themselves “freely and safely,” Twitter is debuting a new advisory group dubbed the “Trust & Safety Council.” But a quick glance at its membership roster suggests the council is almost as Orwellian as it sounds—and overwhelmingly biased in favor of speech suppression.

More @ Reason

THE NEW EUROPE: “Refugees” Given Priority at Hospitals, Free Train Tickets, Free Museum Visits

Via Billy

In Austria “refugees” are given priority for hospital visits.
 
Via The Local:

The reason is that many asylum seekers need expensive translators to help communicate with doctors, and officials do not want to pay for the translators to sit around waiting.

The problem was highlighted last week when large numbers of people turned up at hospitals because of a flu epidemic, and h

ad to wait to see doctors whilst asylum seekers were given priority treatment.
As part of the asylum process, refugees get a health check. With 90,000 asylum seekers registered last year, this has put a huge strain on health resources.

Austrian officials have confirmed that they have been ordered not to make asylum seekers wait and to give them fast track treatment.

“Refugees” are given free museum admission in Germany. Native Germans are now second class citizens.

                                                  More @ The Gateway Pundit

Sweden Arrests 14 For Plotting To Attack Migrant House With Axes, Iron Pipes & European Officials Mull 2 Year Schengen "Suspension"

Via comment by Central Alabamaian on Mother of 10 year-old boy raped in Austrian swimmi...

 

 In Bavaria, a carnival float made to resemble a Nazi tank read: "Asylum defense."

The Swedes are aggravated with Mid-East migrants.

With the highest per capita rate of sheltered asylum seekers in Europe, Sweden has become something of a poster child for migrant mischief.

In the wake of the sexual assaults that swept the bloc on New Year’s Eve, the world is suddenly focused on Sweden, where some say police conspired to cover up a series of attacks that allegedly occurred in central Stockholm’s Kungsträdgården last August and where a 22-year-old aid worker was recently stabbed to death by a Somali migrant. 

The backlash in the country is palpable and recently manifested itself in a move by the “football hooligan” crowd to stage an assault on Stockholm’s main train station where dozens of Moroccan migrant children are apparently camped out.

On Tuesday, in the latest sign that Swedes are becoming increasingly fed up with their government’s policy on refugees, more than a dozen people were arrested for planning an attack on an asylum center. Apparently, the men were plotting to use “axes, knives, and iron pipes” against a refugee shelter in Nynashamn, which is located some 60 kilometres (37 miles) south of Stockholm.

More @ Zero Hedge

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Well, no one can say the writing wasn't on the wall.

With Europe at a complete and total loss as to how to deal with the bloc's worst refugee crisis since World War II, countries have increasingly adopted their own, ad hoc "solutions" which include razor wire anti-migrant fences in Hungary and the suspension of Schengen in Austria, where the backlash against asylum seekers is growing more palpable by the day.

An ill-fated quota system devised by Berlin and Brussels proved more divisive than it did helpful and the wave of alleged sexual assaults that swept through the region on New Year's Eve threatens to derail the settlement effort altogther.

"We have until March, the summer maybe, for a European solution," one unnamed German official told Retuers last month. "Then Schengen goes down the drain."

More @ Zero Hedge

Donald Trump is a Genius – But That’s Just His IQ!

Via Mike "This is an interesting analysis of Donald Trump by Dr. Sam Sewell. I think besides Trump perhaps Cruz, Carson, and Fiorina also fall into the 140+ IQ range. I think we need somebody pretty smart to manage a Republic of 320 million people with a complex economy $18 trillion, 17 percent of the world economy.  This is especially important, when our economic, social, and foreign policy problems have reached a point where many people, notably Senator Jeff Sessions, believe the 2016 election may be the last chance to save our country. The most interesting part of Dr. Sewell's analysis, however, is his evaluation of the motivational part of Trump's personality based on Maslow's need theory. As a military historian, the analysis reminds me of General Patton. General Patton was outspoken enough to give his military and political superiors some concern, but he got things done and battles won like nobody else.

On issues like Islam and immigration control especially but also on other issues, I keep asking myself two questions about all the candidates.

1. Do they understand the problem or threat?

2. Will they actually do anything about the problem or threat?

We have a tendency to elect leaders who are good public relations representatives and smooth talkers but are not leaders who can motivate people to anticipate and solve problems, and get things done within a Constitutional and democratic framework. Here is Dr. Sewell's article."

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Dated

The army called this test "GT" around 1969, if you scored 136 or higher before 1978, Mensa will accept the result as proof of being in the 98th percentile. (I've often wondered if this is true, since I scored a 136 in 1966, (22 YO) USARV Headquarters, Long Binh, RVN but only an actual IQ of 118 in 1956 (12 YO) Can an IQ increase at all and  if so, that much in 10 years?  I've never found a definitive answer.)

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The most well known high IQ society is Mensa.  To join Mensa one must score in the top 2% of a standardized IQ test.  That really isn’t all that outstanding.  One out of 50 people have IQs high enough to join Mensa. 

Numerical IQ scores are not an accurate indicator of intelligence.  For instance a score of 72 on the U.S. Navy GCT test is about equal to score of 150 on the WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale).  Percentile IQ scores are a more informative measurement.

Way back during the 2004 presidential election I wrote an article that shook up the major news networks and the New York Times.  I was able to document that George Bush had a higher IQ score and better grades than John Kerry.  I belong to one of those high IQ societies, and I am a psychotherapist, so I have a credible background to evaluate Mr. Trump, even though my opinions are speculative.

Please keep in mind that IQ is a measure of intellect not character.  I will comment on Donald Trump’s character later in this article.

Donald Trump graduated from the  Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1968, with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and anthropology.  Mensa  doesn't accept SAT scores from after 1994.  However Mr Trump was a student at Wharton when it was possible to derive an accurate IQ core from known SAT scores.   Given the usual requirements for admission to a top school like Wharton, I estimate that Mr. Trump has a 156 IQ at the minimum.                                                        
                                            More @ The Steady Drip

Has the Hidden Location of the Tomb of Cleopatra Finally Been Found?

Taposiris Magna was just another archaeological site in Northern Egypt, until a rumor arose that the famous queen Cleopatra and her lover Mark Antony may have been buried there.

Abu Sir (Abusir), also known by its Roman name as Taposiris Magna, is located 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Alexandria, Egypt. It's an ancient city that was called Per Usiri by Egyptians, meaning “Dwelling of Osiris.” The name of the city implies that it's a place of Osiris’ burial, and in the past it was considered to be one of numerous places where, according to Egyptian mythology, Isis looked for the parts of Osiris’ body that was dismembered by his brother Seth.

It was also a port on the Mediterranean Sea and one of the most important trade harbors in the late history of Egypt. To make it even more attractive, it had another harbor on Lake Maryut.

Furthermore, the town may have been known since Pre-Dynastic times.

More @ Ancient Origins

"They either let us go, drop all charges because we're good people, or they come in and kill us."

Via WRSA

 

The last four occupiers of an Oregon wildlife refuge have posted a series of defiant videos in which one of them calls FBI agents losers, shows a defensive perimeter they have built and takes a joyride in a government vehicle.

The videos were posted Sunday on a YouTube channel called Defend Your Base, which the armed group has been using to give live updates. The holdouts are among 16 people charged with conspiracy to interfere with federal workers in the armed standoff over federal land policy that has surpassed five weeks.

More @ The Christian Science Monitor