MikeLigalig.com

Four-day Lumiere light festival opens in London


14 January 2016

Some of London's most famous locations will be transformed by light installations for the Lumiere festival.

The free event, which is the biggest festival of its kind ever held in the capital, runs from 18:30 GMT to 22:30 GMT until 17 January.

Thirty locations will be illuminated around Piccadilly, Mayfair, King's Cross, Trafalgar Square and Westminster.

On Regent Street, a life-size animated elephant will appear from a dust cloud.


Dominic Lipinski/PA
Elephantastic! by Topla, design copyright Catherine Garrett, in Regent Street

monkey sees, monkey does.  i doubt those researchers who made this research on the monkeys.

in jail, he can have a boyfriend thus.

gago.

smaller monkey: guwapo lagi ka.  ayaw lang ko awaya ha?

bigger monkey: hilom diha.  kahibawo tawon ko nga mora kog aliwas.

barbarians at the gates!

thanks, snopes.  and thanks hubag for the laughter.  btw, kinsa god tawoy mosulod ug balay aron lang manggitik ug lubot.  abat ba ani uy.  aw, kun si hubag ug bugsay pa ni, morag katuhoan.  no snopes dot com needed...

and both are smart enough to eat you
just when you wouldn't have a clue.

To do something about human trafficking, consider one (or all) of the following avenues to advocate meaningfully.

Donate to organizations and social funds invested in the cause.

Organizations like the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, the Polaris Project and Free the Slaves all value public contributions.

Single-handedly tackling an issue like human trafficking is unrealistic for the average social media user, but making contributions to campaigns working on the ground is a way to support those in need.

Support legislation fighting trafficking.

FitzPatrick recommends educating yourself on legislation currently pending in Congress, like the Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act of 2015. This legislation would require large corporations to publicly disclose what anti-human trafficking and anti-child labor steps they are taking in their businesses.

Writing your congressional representatives about legislation you support is a way to bring the issues that matter to you to someone in political power.

Be a conscious shopper.

Support slave-free trade by buying locally and knowing how most of the products you buy are manufactured and sourced. FitzPatrick recommends using sites like KnowTheChain to track a corporation's policies.

http://mashable.com/
images from various online sources

What you can do to help

In an attempt to spread awareness on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the United Nations has kicked off a social media campaign in solidarity with human trafficking survivors under the hashtag #igivehope. The UN is encouraging social media users to post photos of themselves making a heart with their hands in order to spread awareness of trafficking.



While awareness is definitely valuable when it comes to an under discussed issues, enacting tangible change is what survivors and those living in modern slavery need. And posting a simple selfie with the message of hope may a doable gesture for the masses, but it doesn't educate or enact that change.

"Awareness is a critical step, but it's not the only step," FitzPatrick says. "Awareness doesn't free anybody."

6. India has the largest number of individuals in human trafficking globally.



An estimated 14 million individuals in India are living through this form of modern day slavery. This means individuals from India represent more than half of those in modern slavery worldwide.

5. Sex trafficking is by far the most prevalent form of human trafficking in the U.S.

Of the 1,345 instances of human trafficking reported to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center this year so far, 973 of those instances were related to sex trafficking.

4. Last year, instances of human trafficking were reported in all 50 U.S. states and Washington D.C.

In 2014, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline received multiple reports of human trafficking cases from every state within the U.S. California had the most complaints, with 223 cases reported in 2014.

3. Trafficking in all forms mostly impacts women and girls.

Women and girls make up 55% of those forced or coerced into some form of modern slavery, as compared to 45% men and boys. It's especially troubling that women make up 98% of individuals forced into sexual slavery.

PHYSICALITY

We had to include one for the sports fans. John Kollig of Jamestown, N.Y., says this is overused by every sports broadcaster and writer.

“I am not sure who is responsible, but over the last 12-18 months you cannot watch a sporting event, listen to a sports talk show on radio, or anything on ESPN without someone using this term to attempt to describe an athlete or a contest.” â€" Dan Beitzel, Perrysburg, Ohio

“Every time I hear them say it, I change the channel.” â€" Brenda Ruffing, Jackson, Mich.

“What the heck does it mean?” â€" Linda Pardy, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

http://www.lssu.edu/

GIVING ME LIFE

The phrase refers to anything that may excite a person, or something that causes one to laugh.

“I suggest banishing this hyperbole for over-use,” says Ana Robbins, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

“This list of banished words is ‘giving me life’!”

VAPE

Vape and vaping are used to describe the act of ‘smoking’ e-cigarettes (another strange word) since the products emit vapor instead of smoke.

David Ervin of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., says he hopes the word “goes up in smoke.”

MANSPREADING

A word that is familiar to those in bigger cities, where seats on the bus or subway are sometimes difficult to find.

“Men don't need another disgusting-sounding word thrown into the vocabulary to describe something they do…You're just taking too much room on this train seat, be a little more polite...” â€" Carrie Hansen, Caledonia, Mich.

“The term itself is stupid, and the campaign and petition written by men's rights activists claiming that men need to take up more space due to their anatomy, and that anti-manspreading campaigns are ‘male-bashing,’ are ridiculous. The problem is with people taking up too much space on the subway or any public mode of transportation. â€" Beth, Anchorage, Alaska

PRESSER

This shortened form of “press release” and “press conference” is not so impressive.

“Not only is there no intelligent connection between the word "presser" and its supposed meaning, this word already has a definition: a person or device that removes wrinkles. Let's either say ‘press conference’ or ‘press release’ or come up with something more original, intelligent and interesting!” â€" Constance Kelly, West Bloomfield, Mich.

“This industry buzzword has slipped into usage in news reporting and now that they have started, they can't seem to stop using it.” â€" Richard W. Varney, Akron, Ohio.

WALK IT BACK

A slower back-pedal?

“It seems as if every politician who makes a statement has to ‘walk it back,’ meaning retract the statement, or explain it in laborious detail to the extent that the statement no longer has any validity or meaning once it has been ‘walked back.’” â€" Max Hill, Killeen, Tex.

BREAK THE INTERNET

A phrase that is annoying online word-watchers around the world.

“An annoying bit of hyperbole about the latest saucy picture or controversy that is already becoming trite.” â€" Tim Bednall, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

“Meaning a post or video or whatever will have so much Internet traffic that it will ‘break the internet.’ It’s being used for every headline and video. Ridiculous.” â€" Matthew Squires, Auburn, Mich.

“I hope the list doesn’t ‘break the internet.’ (How else would I read it next year)?” â€" Dean Hinrichs, Kansas City, Mo.

SECRET SAUCE

“Usually used in a sentence explaining the ‘secret’ in excruciating public detail. Is this a metaphor for business success based on the fast food industry?” â€" John Beckett, Ann Arbor, Mich.

“It has become too frequent in business discussions. I am tired of it.” â€" Bill Evans, Clinton, Miss.

di diay katahaan ang mga dagkog tiyan?  di ba mas hadlok hinoon kay mahimong "hidden wealth" o "alien baby" ang naa sa sulod sa tiyan?

PRICE POINT

Another example of using two words when one will do.

“This alliterative mutation seems to be replacing the word ‘price’ or ‘cost.’ It may be standard business-speak, but must it contaminate everyday speech?” says Kevin Carney of Chicago, who provided an example in the March 19, 2015 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, pg. 1171, which says, “Although the ‘price point’ of effective new drugs...may initially be out of reach for many patients...”

“It has no ‘point.’  It is just a ‘price.’” â€" Guy Michael, Cherry Hill, N.J.

STAKEHOLDER

A word that has expanded from describing someone who may actually have a stake in a situation or problem, now being over-used in business to describe customers and others.

“Often used with ‘engagement.’ If someone is disengaged, they're not really a stakeholder in the first place. LSSU, please engage your stakeholders by adding this pretentious jargon to your list. â€" Gwendolyn Barlow, Portland, Ore.

Harley Carter of Calgary, Alberta, says he has heard it with another word popular in business-speak, “socialize,” which means to spread an idea around to see what others think of it.  “We need to socialize this concept with our ‘stakeholders.’”

“Dr. Van Helsing should be the only stake holder,” says Jeff Baenen of Minneapolis, Minn.

PROBLEMATIC

“A corporate-academic weasel word,” according to the Urban Dictionary.

“Somewhere along the line, this word became a trendy replacement for 'that is a problem.’ I just hate it.” â€" Sharon Martin, Hagerstown, Md.

“Anything that the speaker finds vaguely inconvenient or undesirable, such as an opposing political belief or bad traffic. Contrast things that are self-evidently taken to be problematic with, say, actual problems like a hole in the ozone layer or a job loss.” â€" Adam Rosen, Asheville, N.C.

CONVERSATION

Online publications invite us to “join the conversation,” which is usually more of a scream-fest.  Gayle from Cedarville, Mich. wonders if “debate has become too harsh for our delicate sensibilities.  Now we are all encouraged to have a ‘conversation,’ and everything will somewhat be magically resolved.”

“Over the past five years or so, this word has been increasingly used by talking heads on radio, television and in political circles to describe every form of verbal communication known to mankind. It has replaced ‘discussion,’ ‘debate,’ ‘chat,’ ‘discourse,’ ‘argument,’ ‘lecture,’ ‘talk’….all of which can provide some context to the nature of the communication. Perhaps the users feel that it is a word that is least likely to offend people, but I consider it to be imprecise language that, over time, dumbs down the art of effective discourse.” â€" Richard Fry, Marathon, Ont.

“Used by every media type without exception. No one listens.” â€" Richard Seitz, Charleston, Ill.

“Have one, start one, engage in one.  Enough.” â€" Fred Rogers, Houston, Tex.

We are invited to “join the conversation if we want to give an opinion. This expression is overused and it is annoying. Thanks for listening, eh.” â€" Debbie Irwin, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

And now, the 2016 list:

SO

So the word that received the most nominations this year was already banished, but today it is being used differently than it was in 1999, when nominators were saying, “I am SO down with this list!”  Nominations came from across the country.

“Currently, it is being overused as the first word in the answer to ANY question. For instance, "How did you learn to play the piano?" Answer: "So my dad was in a classical music club..." â€" Bob Forrest, Tempe Ariz.

“Tune in to any news channel and you’ll hear it. The word serves no purpose in the sentence and to me is like fingernails on a chalkboard. So, I submit the extra, meaningless, and overused word ‘so.’” â€" Scott Shackleton, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

“Politicians, especially, are using this word when asked a question and not answering said question. It is used by all parties in Canada's Federal election. â€" Karen Newton, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

“Frequently used to begin a sentence, particularly in response to a question, this tiresome and grammatically incorrect replacement for "Like," or "Um," is even more irksome…It hurts my ears, every single time I hear it! â€" Thomas H. Weiss, Mt. Pleasant, Mich.

“So it's getting really annoying. So can we please put a stop to this?” â€" David G. Simpson, Laurel, Md.

“It has become widespread to the point of an epidemic,” said a sickened John from Philadelphia, Penn.

“Overused words and phrases are ‘problematic’ for thousands of Queen's English ‘stakeholders,’” said an LSSU spokesperson while ‘vaping’ an e-cigarette during a ‘presser.’  “Once something is banished, there's no ‘walking it back;’ that's our ‘secret sauce,' and there’s no ‘price point’ for that.”

Rabe and fellow LSSU faculty and staff came up with the first list of words and phrases that people love to hate at a New Year’s Eve party in 1975, publishing it on Jan. 1, 1976. Though he and his friends created the first list from their own pet peeves about language, Rabe said he knew from the volume of mail he received in the following weeks that the group would have no shortage of words and phrases from which to choose for 1977. Since then, the list has consisted entirely of nominations received from around the world throughout the year.

Through the years, LSSU has received tens of thousands of nominations for the list, which now includes more than 800 entries. This year's list is culled from nominations received mostly through the university's website, lssu.edu/banished. Word-watchers target pet peeves from everyday speech, as well as from the news, fields of education, technology, advertising, politics and more. A committee makes a final cut in late December.

Lake Superior State University's 41st Annual List of Banished Words

So, if the wordsmiths at Lake Superior State University get their way, this is the last time a story lead like this will ever make it into print or broadcast.

Answering a question by beginning with the word "so" is just one of a dozen forms of wordplay that made it onto LSSU's 41st annual List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness. The tradition created by the late W. T. Rabe, former public relations director at Lake Superior State University, is now in its fifth decade. Compilers hope this year's list will be so popular that it will break the Internet.

2. Forced labor generates $150.2 billion per year in illegal profits globally.

According to the U.S. Department of State, two-thirds of those profits are generated by commercial sexual exploitation. The other third is generated by forced labor exploitation.

This underground industry is booming, which makes it especially disturbing and dangerous.

1. There are an estimated 21 million people in forced or coerced human trafficking worldwide.



Of those 21 million individuals, about 68% are subjected to forced labor, while 22% are subjected to forced sexual exploitation.The remaining 10% are in forms of state-imposed forced labor â€" working in prisons under conditions that violate labor standards, or forced to participate in rebel armed forces.

To put this in context, 12.5 million Africans were enslaved and taken to America during the transatlantic slave trade, which lasted from 1525 to 1866. Though the 21 million individuals actually represent a lower percentage of the global population than the time of the slave trade, it's still a staggering reality.

However, today's numbers could be even higher, because the number of people in modern slavery is so hard to track.

"Slavery never ended," Terry FitzPatrick, senior communications director of advocacy organization Free the Slaves, tells Mashable about human trafficking. "It was outlawed, but it was never eradicated."

This global issue shouldn't be swept under the rug any longer. Educate yourself on human trafficking with these six facts, and learn how you can enact actual, tangible change for those impacted.

6 crucial facts about human trafficking â€" and how you can help


A child trafficker bought this girl from her parents, forcing her to sell flowers on Bangkok's streets. She was electrocuted if she didn't work. (Jerry Redfern/ Lightrocket /Getty)

BY KATIE DUPERE
JUL 30, 2015

Thursday is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, a day to spread awareness of labor trafficking and sexual exploitation around the world.

Trafficking in persons â€" also known as human trafficking or modern slavery â€" is described by the U.S. Department of State as the "act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud or coercion."

Human trafficking is a prevalent practice globally, with instances of exploitation and human rights violations being reported in the majority of nations each year. Still, it's very rarely talked about publicly.

i may have posted this under "shock and awe", but this is only shocking and not awesome.  awful, yes.  why?  look at where the philippines stands...

hahaha, had they been scientists, they might have titled it "blackhole".

english, please!

“Fear is the path to the dark side.” (Yoda, The Phantom Menace)

"Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?" (Princess Leia aka Islander, A New Hope)

Stop and smell the tulips by Joe

he, too, was once a little boy.

Legendary Artist David Bowie Dies at 69

hollywoodreporter.com
January 11, 2016



David Bowie has died after a battle with cancer, his representative confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

“David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief,” read a statement posted on the artist’s official social media accounts.

The influential singer-songwriter and producer dabbled in glam rock, art rock, soul, hard rock, dance pop, punk and electronica during his eclectic 40-plus-year career.

more at https://www.yahoo.com/celebrity/legendary-artist-david-bowie-dies-69-064252101.html

the miss universe faux pas blowback...

According to several retailers in Bocaue, the bestselling firecrackers and fireworks today are sawa, kwitis, aerial fireworks, and fountains. “Ang mga customer, binibili pa rin yung mga paborito nila. Alam kasi nila na pinapalitan lang namin yung mga pangalan,” said Vincent of Diamond Fireworks.

Even so, the pyrotechnics industry should be lauded for their branding skills. (They are kind of hompohobic though â€" there are firecrackers named Crying Bading and LesBomb.) But trends change, of course: Don’t expect any of these names to last for long.

“Siguro sa susunod na taon, wala nang Goodbye Napoles. Kung sino kasing matunog, siya yung magiging pangalan,” said Jomel of Enchanting Sky Enterprises.

“Kung magpapangalan ako ng paputok, siguro Goodbye Bilibid, o Super Gwapo dahil sa pork barrel,” said Kat, the shopper from Quezon City.

-from "Goodbye Napoles to Crying Bading: How firecrackers get their names"
by Pacifiqa Staff, http://www.pacifiqa.com/culture/from-goodbye-napoles-to-crying-bading-how-philippines-firecrackers-get-their-names/]http://www.pacifiqa.com/culture/from-goodbye-napoles-to-crying-bading-how-philippines-firecrackers-get-their-names/

In truth, the pop culture references aren’t even new firecrackers at all; retailers simply rename and repackage them. In 2010, Goodbye Gloria and Goodbye Ampatuan replaced Goodbye Philippines.

And last year, Janet Lim Napoles was the latest figure to skyrocket, literally, to firecracker fame, with the incredibly popular Goodbye Napoles. Her alleged accomplices, Senators Enrile, Revilla, and Estrada did not escape the fireworks either: Super Lolo Enrile, Boga Revilla, and Jinggoy Bells were all for sale.

Also in 2013, in true Filipino humor, and less than two months after it struck, retailers were quick to latch on to the tragedy of Typhoon Yolanda: the Super Yolanda was born.

Paputok and pop culture

Think back to 2009 and 2010, would you remember some of the most significant events of that year? If you can’t, here’s a list of two of firecrackers sold during the holiday season of 2009: Goodbye Gloria and Goodbye Ampatuan.

Can you remember now?

Firecracker manufacturers and retailers are incredibly clever. Amidst the economic hardships and dwindling sales, they began to tap into Filipino pop culture as a way of drumming up more interest in their wares. After all, who wouldn’t love to blow up an Ampatuan or three.

“Nakaka-curious din kasi yung pangalan, pero alam ko rin na bawal,” said Kat, 30, a buyer from Quezon City who was shopping for fountains and kwitis in Bocaue.

Other firecrackers sold in 2009: Trillanes, who should probably make a comeback this year, and Bin Laden.

Fast forward to the holidays of 2012, when even the timeless piccolo, the candy-looking firecracker, was renamed as Pacquiao.

philippine firecrackers that can get you a year in jail:

Watusi or "dancing firecrackers"
Piccolo
Super Lolo
Atomic Big Trianggulo
Mother Rockets
Lolo Thunder
Pillbox
Boga
Big Judah's belt
Big Bawang
Kwiton
Goodbye Philippines (variations: Bin Laden, Coke-in-can)
Kabasi
Atomic Bomb
Five Star
Pla-pla
Og
Giant Whistle Bomb

Crying Bading and Ampatuan firecrackers

A policeman shows banned firecrackers ‘Goodbye Napoles’ and ‘Super Yolanda.’ (BERNARDO BATUIGAS, philstar.com)

Goodbye Philippines


some of these are Bin Laden firecrackers

some names of philippine firecrackers since 2010:

Goodbye Philippines
Goodbye Gloria
Goodbye Ampatuan
Trillanes
Bin Laden
Pacquiao
Goodbye Napoles
Super Lolo Enrile
Boga Revilla
Jinggoy Bells
Super Yolanda
Crying Bading
LesBomb

9. Courage â€" Is he/she decisive and able to make tough calls when it’s needed? A courageous person is not fearless. He/she just has the ability to face fear, danger, pain, uncertainty, intimidation and other difficulties without warping or caving in. Calm self-assurance raises the level of confidence in one’s decisions.

10. Servanthood/Selflessness â€" Does he/she put people first as his/her priority? Does he/she eschew personal power and wealth building on the back of the masses? The president is still a public servant who is tasked to look after the well-being of the populace. He/she works for the citizenry and not the other way around.

The world is finally watching the Philippines closely and with great interest. Exercising the right to vote is a privilege as well as a great responsibility, especially in 2016. The future of the Philippines is in the 2016 voters’ court. If they do not drop the ball, the long-awaited tiger economy might be just around the corner.

Please choose wisely and vote responsibly.

-excerpt from WHY MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE IN THE 2016 ELECTION IS CRUCIAL
Juana Pilipinas, http://joeam.com/2014/04/11/why-making-the-right-choice-in-the-2016-election-is-crucial/

7. Ability to Inspire â€" Does he/she has achievements that motivate others to emulate? Is he/she sincere and forthright? The ability to inspire is an important quality, as people look up at the president as a role model. “Do what I say but don’t do what I do” will breed societal resistance and sanctimony.

8. Competence â€" Does he/she has the necessary skills, knowledge and abilities to govern a morally and fiscally insolvent country? A competent president does not need to be an expert in all theories and practices of public administration but he/she needs to be self-motivated and a fast learner.

5. Sense of Humor / Positive Attitude â€" Does he/she smile a lot and not take himself/herself seriously? Is he/she able to diffuse a difficult situation by looking at its lighter side? A good-natured leader will often make better decisions, as he/she is not afraid to show his/her humanity in public.

6. Commitment/ Passion â€" Has he/she shown commitment and passion in her past jobs? Committed and passionate people make highly effective leaders, as they are tenacious and persistent. They will see to it that a goal is met and a vision is realized. Their focus and perseverance often pays off so betting on a committed and passionate candidate will likely yield positive results.

3. Confidence/Security â€" Does he/she exudes confidence and appears secure? A confident and secure leader has no problem believing and engaging others. He/she does not have the need for arrogance or feeling of superiority in order to convey his presence. As they say in the Southern US, “ If you have to tell someone you are a lady, chances are you’re not.” It is je ne sais quoi and someone with confidence and security radiates with it.

4. Communication Skills â€" Does he/she communicate his/her intentions effectively with people from all walks of life? Communication is done not only by speaking but also by listening. A good leader speaks in clear and concise manner and listens attentively. A good president will need communication skills to keep the citizens up-to date with the government’s performance, successes and failures as well as to find out what his constituents want or need from the government.

10 Qualities to Look for in a Presidential Candidate

1. Integrity/ Honesty â€" Does your chosen candidate have a track record of being an honest person? Dishonest leaders had been voted into office before with great costs to the citizenry. Money stolen by a mendacious official is money earmarked for public infrastructures and services the citizens will never receive. A corrupt pilferer of government coffers should not receive any vote.

2. Ability to delegate â€" Has your pick demonstrated an executive ability to hire, supervise and monitor people? The president has the duty to pick and appoint upstanding people to the Executive Office of the President and the Cabinet. The government is a complex system with a lot of duties and responsibilities to its citizens that is dispensed through its various offices and departments. The President needs the ability to delegate, as he cannot do all the tasks needed to run a country by himself.

my only complaint is the word "loosing" in #3 and #9.  who wants to loose weight instead of lose it?

oh, well, maybe one can catapult some weight off...

nag-yogatikingking man god na siya.

Composite image showing King Salman Bin Abdulaziz (C), Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Naif (R) and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman

hopefully also in perfect tune.

Andrea Francolini

The Spirit of Travel category was won by Andrea Francolini for a picture of students at Foundation School in Chalt Pain, Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan.

The Overall Winner, selected from the adult entries, will be announced live at the Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show at London Excel on 13 February 2016.

bbc.com/news/

Anastasia Ziavra

The Young Outdoor Photographer of the Year award went to 15-year-old Anastasia Ziavra for this photo of a beach in Chalkidiki, Greece.

George Karbus

A free diver swims with moon jellyfish in George Karbus's photo. The picture was first in the Under Exposed category.

William Eades

This picture of a thunderstorm at Tacking Point, near Port Macquarie, by William Eades from New South Wales, Australia, won the At the Water's Edge category.

Greg Whitton

Tryfan's north ridge in Snowdonia, north Wales, was the focal point for Greg Whitton's Live the Adventure category winning shot.

Henrik Spranz

A macro-photograph of a gossamer-winged butterfly at sunrise, by Henrik Spranz, from Vienna, Austria, triumphed in the Small World category.

Naomi Stolow

The Wildlife Insight category was won by Naomi Stolow for this image, taken in South Africa, of an elephant's trunk with vegetation.

In pictures: 2015 Outdoor Photographer of the Year

5 January 2016
BBC

The category winners have been announced in the 2015 Outdoor Photographer of the Year (OPOTY) competition. More than 12,000 images were entered in eight categories.



Ben Wayman

Ben Wayman won the Light on the Land category for this shot of trees lining the river at Allen Banks, near Haydon Bridge in Northumberland.

The dark beauty of the Three Warfares in today’s modern age is that they offer China a new form of non-kinetic weaponry to achieve goals that in earlier times could only be realized through kinetic force. Moreover, the Three Warfares combine in a highly synergistic way.

For example, in many of its territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas, China first asserts false territorial claims based on vague historyâ€"that’s the legal warfare. It next projects non-kinetic force in the form of flotillas of white-hulled civilian fleetsâ€"that’s the psychological warfare. Finally, CCTV repeatedly portrays a “peaceful China” as a victim of foreign power domination only trying to right an historic wrong â€" that’s the media warfare.

To date, both the White House and Pentagon have largely ignored China’s Three Warfares and therefore failed to develop a countervailing strategy. However, aggression by non-kinetic means is still aggressionâ€"which raises this ultimate question: Why does America continue to trade with a country that is waging war against it and American allies?

nationalinterest.org/

China’s media warfare is, in many ways, the most pernicious. Its goal is to shape public opinion in a way that leads unwary viewers to accept China’s version of events. Heritage Foundation scholar Dean Cheng describes such warfare as a “constant, on-going activity aimed at long-term influence of perceptions and attitudes;” and its use follows Halper’s maxim that “it is not the best weapons that win today’s wars but rather the best narrative.”

The tip of China’s media warfare spear is the Chinese Central Television Network (CCTV)â€"with a major facility in Washington, D.C. This is a faux twenty-four-hour news channel shrink-wraps China’s propaganda around healthy doses of CNN-style pure news while reaching over 40 million Americans along with hundreds of millions more viewers in the rest of the world.

As a case in point of the power of CCTV, when an incident breaks out between China and the Philippines over disputed reefs in the South China Sea, CCTV is there first to quickly advance China’s narrativeâ€"often before the Western media are even on to the story. In a similar vein, when tensions mount over the Senkaku Islands, CCTV will quickly launch a strong offensive blaming “right wing nationalists” in Japan for any incident or escalation.

As for China’s legal warfare, its goal is to effectively bendâ€"or perhaps rewriteâ€"the rules of the international order in China’s favor. A case in point is China’s campaign to restrict freedom of navigation within its 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone as defined by the United Nations Law of the Sea Treaty.

In fact, this claim has no legal basis within the context of the actual Law of the Sea Treaty language. Yet China repeatedly and falsely asserts the oppositeâ€"in the spirit of the oft-repeated Orwellian axiom “if you say it enough, they will believe it.”

The Three Warfares were first officially recognized as an important warfighting capability by China’s Central Military Commission and Communist Party in 2003. They include everything from psychological and legal to media warfare.

The goal of China’s psychological warfare is to deter, demoralize, or otherwise shock an opponent nation and its civilian population and thereby discourage the opponent from fighting back. As former White House advisor Stefan Halper starkly revealed in a watershed report to the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment in 2014: “It employs diplomatic pressure, rumor, false narratives, and harassment to express displeasure, assert hegemony and convey threats.”

Thus, for example, when China imposes an economic boycott or bans Chinese tourism, it hopes to coerce a Japanese populace struggling with economic stagnation and hungry for prosperity into acquiescing to China’s territorial demands regarding the Senkaku Islands.

China’s Non-Kinetic 'Three Warfares' Against America

Peter Navarro
January 5, 2016



Just as the pen can be mightier than the sword, China’s non-kinetic “Three Warfares” may prove to be far more effective at expanding China’s maritime and territorial boundaries than any arsenal of missiles or fleet of Chinese aircraft carriers.

huffingtonpost.com/

10 Sleeping Positions Cats Love

the least injurious...



This photo posted on the front page of reddit captioned ‘When a horse photobombs you’ is going viral. (as of 06 January 2016; http://fox4kc.com/)

Though NASA scientists haven't seen sand avalanches or ripple movement, yet, Edgar is hopeful:

"We’ll be in the same location for a little while, so hopefully we’ll have the chance to observe some sand movement!"

In the meantime, we can sit back and enjoy some amazing photos, like this breath-taking panoramic view of Curiosity's rover deck, Namib Dune in the middle, and Mount Sharp's peak in the background:


(NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

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Mount Sharp is a 3.4-mile-high mountain that NASA's Curiosity team has been dreaming of exploring for a long time. They first snapped a photo of Mt. Sharp with Curiosity's Hazard-Avoidance camera in 2012 â€" that's Mt. Sharp in the distance:


(NASA/JPL-Caltech)

And here's a better view of the environment, with Namib Dune on the right:


(NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Namib Dune is between 13 to 17 feet tall and is just one of many sand dunes located in the Bagnold Dunes field situated along the northwestern flank of the base of Mount Sharp, which forms Gale Crater's central peak.
Gale Crater is initially where Curiosity first touched down back in 2012. Here's a map of where Curiosity landed in the upper right, and where it has gone over the last 1196 sols, or Martian days:


(NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona)

These breaks happen after Martian winds deposit sand on the slope, where it gradually accumulates. Eventually, so much sand builds up that the sand underneath can't sustain the weight of the sand on top, and a mini avalanche occurs.

On Earth, this sort of thing usually happens on wind-protected slopes, leading NASA scientists to conclude the side of this dune, called Namib Dune, is also shielded from the wind.

For comparison, the wind-facing side of another nearby dune reveals a very different sand pattern:


(NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

And NASA scientists are incredibly excited because it's the first time anyone has had the chance to study active sand dunes beyond Earth.

One of the first things they want to explore is the "grain size and morphology of different parts of the slipface," Lauren Edgar, a member of the Curiosity team and a USGS Astrogeology Science Center research geologist, wrote in a mission update.

The ripples on these dunes change over time due to Martian winds and mini avalanches. Notice in the picture below the breaks in the ripple pattern near the top:


(NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Satellites orbiting Mars have snapped photos of these sand dunes before, but never up close like this:


(NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

Humans are getting a first glimpse of the tall sand dunes on Mars, and the photos are brilliant

Business Insider
By Jessica Orwig
06 Janauary 2016

After more than three years on the Martian surface, the car-sized Curiosity Mars rover is giving us a close-up glimpse of terrain unlike anything we've seen before: tall, ripple-ridden sand dunes like this one:


(NASA/JPL-Caltech)

a stilted campaign.  too early.  just come up with a law as a legislator, not a televised investigator, to give those teachers their due and keep quiet, mr opportunistic politician.

President Juan Manuel Santos has declared an ambitious March 23 deadline for reaching a final agreement, but he has pushed back the date for a bilateral cease-fire. Sensitive questions continue to dog the disarmament and reintegration of rebel forces, as well as monitoring mechanisms to ensure implementation. Other complex issues include how to confirm the peace agreement: The government has committed to a popular vote, while the FARC has long called for a constituent assembly. A smaller rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), must also join the peace process. And the huge challenge of healing the scars left by decades of war in a country still plagued by illegal armed groups remains. All that said, there are positive signs that the continent’s longest-running, and last-remaining, armed conflict will soon come to a conclusion.




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photos credits: various online sources