Friday, March 6, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2979631/Tourists-film-terrifying-moment-lioness-OPENS-car-door-safari-park.html

Tourists film terrifying moment lioness opens car door with her TEETH at South African safari park
By SARAH GORDON FOR MAILONLINE
4 March 2015

Video – You need to see this one to appreciate it. Go to the web site.

When driving around a safari park, tourists are always warned to stay in their cars - but few think to lock the doors.

Holidaymakers found out the hard way why it is imperative to lock all doors while visiting a safari park in South Africa, and even managed to capture their experience on camera.

Tourists Kaylene and Cindy were on holiday in South Africa visiting their parents when they came face to face with a terrifying big cat after it mastered the art of opening the car door with its teeth.




You might think to yourself, it can't talk, how intelligent could it really be? Most mammals, especially the predators and primates, are pretty darned bright. All you have to do is watch Animal Planet to see that. When they weigh two or three hundred pounds, err on the side of caution!





http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/03/05/390950973/michael-brown-s-family-will-file-civil-case-over-his-death

Michael Brown's Family Will File Civil Suit Over His Death
NPR Staff
MARCH 05, 2015

The family of Michael Brown, the unarmed black man who was slain by Ferguson, Mo., police last August, say they will file a civil lawsuit over his death. Brown, 18, was shot and killed by Officer Darren Wilson, who is no longer with the city's police force.

The family's legal team "said the City of Ferguson and former Officer Darren Wilson will be named in the suit,"The Associated Press reports.

The news comes one day after the Justice Department cleared Wilson in a civil rights probe — and delivered a scathing appraisal of the Ferguson Police Department.

Responding to the federal report, Ferguson Mayor James Knowles promised that the city will take steps to deal with the charges of racial bias and a focus on generating revenue at the police department.

"Today's report allows the city of Ferguson to identify problems not only in our police department, but in the entire St. Louis region," Knowles told St. Louis Public Radio. "We must do better not only as a city, but as a state, and as a country. We must all work to address issues of racial disparity in all aspects of society."





"Today's report allows the city of Ferguson to identify problems not only in our police department, but in the entire St. Louis region," Knowles told St. Louis Public Radio. "We must do better not only as a city, but as a state, and as a country. We must all work to address issues of racial disparity in all aspects of society." Policemen in the past, long into the past, have been operating without much supervision and discipline. That breeds corruption of all kinds. Not only are they most often never brought up on charges of excessive force and other abuses – like pulling primarily black people over for having a taillight broken and issuing them expensive tickets or summarily confiscating their personal property – but the grand juries that most often try officer cases tend to turn them loose with little if any punishment. The city governments, likewise, oversee the discipline in the police department. The voting public in those places also tend to be conservative, and believe that the courts are working just fine. The whole system needs to be revised. I believe that a large number of civil lawsuits may really help these changes along. Police departments will get tired of paying money to plaintiffs and feel more inclined to do the right thing. This particular Police Chief says he will work to change things in Ferguson. I do hope that is true.






http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/03/05/390951432/india-threatens-bbc-over-decision-to-air-rape-documentary-in-u-k

India Threatens BBC Over Decision To Air Rape Documentary In U.K.
Krishnadev Calamur
MARCH 05, 2015

India says it will take action against the BBC for broadcasting a documentary in the U.K. about the fatal 2012 gang rape of a young woman in New Delhi. The government, which has banned the Indian media from broadcasting India's Daughter or even showing clips from it pending an investigation, also ordered YouTube to take down the film.

As we reported Wednesday, the government is concerned by remarks made in the film by one of the rapists, Mukesh Singh.

"A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy" is for rape, Singh says. And, he adds: "A decent girl won't roam around at 9 o'clock at night. ... Housework and housekeeping is for girls, not roaming in discos and bars at night doing wrong things, wearing wrong clothes."

Indian officials say the rapist's comments created "fear and tension" and risked public anger.

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh ordered the film banned and called for an inquiry into how filmmakers gained access to the Mukesh Singh and the other rapists on death row. He also said the filmmakers violated part of the agreement by not showing officials all of the unedited interviews.

The film, made for the BBC and India's privately owned NDTV, was due to be broadcast March 8, international Women's Day. But amid the controversy, the BBC broadcast the film in the U.K. on Wednesday night – a move that angered the Indian home minister.

"We had asked to not release the documentary, but BBC still released it," he said today.

NDTV quoted sources as saying his ministry sent a copy of a court order prohibiting the telecast of the documentary to the BBC.

"The notice, said sources, alleges that the interview has been used for commercial purposes and depicts women poorly, and so violates conditions imposed when the interview was allowed," NDTV reported.

"Our next course of action will depend on the BBC response," a senior Home Ministry official told NDTV.

The film was also posted on YouTube – and the Indian government asked the Google-owned video-sharing site to take it down. YouTube complied, but Indian media note that several users have posted more versions of the film on the site – and it is also available on peer-to-peer networks.

The filmmakers have noted that they possessed all the required permissions before conducting the interviews. The parents of the late rape victim, who has never been officially named (though she is referred to in the Indian media as "Nirbhaya" or one without fear), have publicly backed the documentary. Her father called the movie "the bitter truth."

British filmmaker Leslee Udwin, who made India's Daughter, appealed Wednesday to India's prime minister "to deal with this unceremonious silencing of the film." She told the BBC today: "I went out there not to point a finger at India - the opposite, to put it on a pedestal, to say not in my life have I seen another country go out with that fortitude and courage the way the Indian nation did. Unfortunately what this ill-advised decision to ban the film is now going to do is have the whole world point fingers at India."

The rape and killing of the 23-year-old student aboard a bus in New Delhi, the Indian capital, in 2012 horrified the world and put a global spotlight on attitudes toward and violence against women in India.




"As we reported Wednesday, the government is concerned by remarks made in the film by one of the rapists, Mukesh Singh. "A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy" is for rape, Singh says. And, he adds: "A decent girl won't roam around at 9 o'clock at night. ... Housework and housekeeping is for girls, not roaming in discos and bars at night doing wrong things, wearing wrong clothes." Indian officials say the rapist's comments created "fear and tension" and risked public anger.... and called for an inquiry into how filmmakers gained access to the Mukesh Singh and the other rapists on death row. He also said the filmmakers violated part of the agreement by not showing officials all of the unedited interviews.... "We had asked to not release the documentary, but BBC still released it," he said today. NDTV quoted sources as saying his ministry sent a copy of a court order prohibiting the telecast of the documentary to the BBC. "The notice, said sources, alleges that the interview has been used for commercial purposes and depicts women poorly, and so violates conditions imposed when the interview was allowed," NDTV reported.... YouTube complied, but Indian media note that several users have posted more versions of the film on the site – and it is also available on peer-to-peer networks.... Her father called the movie "the bitter truth." British filmmaker Leslee Udwin, who made India's Daughter, appealed Wednesday to India's prime minister "to deal with this unceremonious silencing of the film."

There are things that in many societies occur too often, but are simply swept under the rug rather than confronted. The worldwide Internet is making that more and more difficult. That's why I am very much in favor of Net Neutrality on the Net – wealthy and powerful groups will have more difficulty sanitizing the information or blocking the sites from the average user.

The police in Ferguson, some months ago, did arrest a few news cameramen and seize their cameras, which shocked me. That's what Russia and China do. I didn't hear what happened to them – whether they were charged with a crime such as interfering with a police officer while doing his duty, or just turned loose without charges after a while. The USA Patriot Act and RICO have been blamed for some of the loosening of strictures on police departments. I do hope we aren't becoming like a developing nation with too few democratic rights for the average honest citizen. Our current conservative climate frightens me quite a bit. I'm afraid we are drifting toward a lesser nation than what we have been.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/misao-okawa-worlds-oldest-person-117-years/

World's oldest person says 117 years seems short
AP March 4, 2015

Photograph – Misao Okawa, the world's oldest woman receives a bouquet of flowers on her 117th birthday celebration at Kurenai Nursing Home on March 4, 2015, in Osaka, Japan. J  BUDDHIKA WEERASINGHE/GETTY IMAGES

TOKYO - The world's oldest person says 117 years doesn't seem like such a long time.
Misao Okawa, the daughter of a kimono maker, made the comment Wednesday, at a celebration a day before her 117th birthday. Appropriately, she was wearing a pink kimono decorated with cherry blossom prints.

Okawa, born in Osaka on March 5, 1898, was recognized as the world's oldest person by Guinness World Records in 2013.

"It seemed rather short," she said after Osaka government official Takehiro Ogura, who brought her a big bouquet, asked how she felt about living for 117 years.

Okawa, her hair decorated with a pink daisy pin, looked up from her wheelchair and said she was "very happy" to be that age.

Asked for the secret of her longevity, she responded nonchalantly, "I wonder about that too."

Japan has the most centenarians in the world, with more than 58,000, according to the government. About 87 percent of them are women.

Okawa has slowed in recent months and has trouble hearing but she eats well and is in good health, according to her Osaka nursing home, where Wednesday's televised celebration was held.

Okawa married her husband, Yukio, in 1919, and they had three children - two daughters and a son. She now has four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Her husband died in 1931.




“Japan has the most centenarians in the world, with more than 58,000, according to the government. About 87 percent of them are women.” 1898 seems like very long time ago to me, but it is true that as we age, time seems to pass much faster. When I was a kid I always wanted to be older. I didn't learn the art of “living one day at a time” until I joined a famous 12 Step program. That one thing has done me a world of good. At this point I do enjoy the moment much more, and get more done as well – living in the NOW, I call it.

I don't actually want to be 117 years old if it means I can't do things for myself and get outside the apartment for some fresh air and entertainment. I mainly desire good health, ways to keep my mind lively and human contact. This woman in Japan looks like she is very alert and hopeful. She is smiling and looking up at the camera, and gave very rational answers to the reporter's questions. She makes me feel cheerful and hopeful for such a future for myself.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-is-more-narcissistic-men-or-women/

Who's more narcissistic, men or women?
By JESSICA FIRGER CBS NEWS
March 6, 2015

He has that charismatic charm everyone seems to be drawn to... until he crushes your heart and soul. At cocktail parties, board meetings or on dates, he regales everyone with his stories of personal triumph (quite possibly exaggerated). He makes friends easily, but those relationships always seem to turn out rocky. His habitual preening could rival Kanye West, and that 1970s hit song was definitely written about this guy.

But enough about him... what do you think about him?

Chances are you probably think this guy is a narcissist. Most psychologists say that a healthy sense of self is key to reaching life's goals. But some people manage to achieve a level of self-confidence that crosses over into the realm of pathological personality flaw. And while narcissism is certainly not limited to one gender, new research finds it is much more prevalent in men than in women.

A new large-scale analysis of 355 previously published studies examined three decades worth of research involving more than 475,000 study participants. The researchers found that statistically men scored higher on personality tests for narcissism than women in every age group.

"Generally you see men as a little more external in how they interact with the world. Women tend to be a little more interpersonal. That's consistent with narcissism," Keith Campbell, a professor of psychology at the University of Georgia and author of "The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement," told CBS News.

"In this study what they're talking about is grandiose narcissism, an inflated view of yourself as being special and important," added Campbell, who was not involved in the research.

For the study, published Wednesday in the journal Psychological Bulletin, researchers assessed gender differences in the scoring of Narcissistic Personality Inventory, which looks at three aspects of behavior: leadership/authority, grandiose/exhibitionism and entitlement. They found the widest gender gap in entitlement, which indicates that men are more likely than women to exploit others and feel entitled to certain privileges.

Men also tended to score higher on the leadership/authority scale, meaning they were more likely to exhibit qualities or assertiveness and the desire for power. However, the researchers found both genders are equally likely to display vanity or self-absorption, which fits into the quality of exhibitionism.

The study authors say their research aims to reach a better understanding of the paradoxes that come along with the narcissistic personality trait because it can have both positive and negative effects on life.

"Narcissism is associated with various interpersonal dysfunctions, including the general inability to maintain healthy long-term interpersonal relationships, low levels of commitment to romantic relationships, aggression in response to perceived threats to self-esteem and unethical and/or exploitative behaviors, such as academic dishonesty, white-collar crime and destructive workplace behavior," the researchers write in their study. "At the same time, narcissism has a seemingly positive relationship with some indicators of psychological health such as self-esteem and emotional stability and evidence suggests that narcissists tend to emerge as leaders."

Some researchers, such as Campbell, believe this personality trait occurs for both genetic and cultural reasons. Some societies encourage this quality more in men, as narcissism is often equated with masculinity. Some of it may also be due to how a person is raised. "Telling your child he's special has risks," said Campbell.

Campbell says there are a number of red flags to look out for to determine if you're dealing with a narcissist. They include a tendency toward vanity and materialism, as well as cheating and dishonesty. Another recently published study also points to a tangible sign: selfies.

That study, published in January, found that men who are narcissistic tend to take more selfies. It involved 800 men filling out questionnaires about their selfie habits and also personality traits. Not surprisingly, the men who took a lot of selfies and scored high on narcissism, also tended to have more pronounced anti-social personality traits, psychopathy, and were more prone to self-objectification.

But this era of selfies does not seem to be responsible for any increase in narcissism. Between 1990 and 2013, the study out this week found no sign of either gender becoming more narcissistic over time.



http://carlabirnberg.com/2010/07/21/self-objectification/

Self-objectification.
July 21, 2010 by Carla

Whether you are familiar with this term or not—Im pretty confident in saying we’re all familiar with the concept.

Technically defined self-objectification is defined as when we choose to evaluate ourselves based on appearance because that’s how we believe others adjudicate us.

(many believe that the media plays a large role in teaching us to do this—but that’s a post for a different day).

MizFit defined it’s when we see ourselves as an OBJECT first and a person (a being who is enough simply by BEING) second.

MizFit defined it’s seeing yourself through someone elses eyes & allowing that to color (or cause you to lose completely) your perspective on yourself.

There’s no debate, however, that self-objectification results in body shame, self-loathing, depression and low self-esteem.

This wasn’t an idea I thought much about (in such a specific ‘theres a name for this!” way) until a few years ago upon reading a quote by Francis McDormand.

(Im paraphrasing here as Ive never been able to relocate the actual quote)

Getting older is a challenge because the young boys no longer look at me.  Getting older is great because I no longer see myself through young boys’ eyes.

Although the Great & Mighty Oprah has somewhat mitigated the power of the phrase that quote was, indeed, and Ah Ha! moment for me.

I’d never before stopped to consider the fact I was self-objectifying (for me it more took the form of seeing myself through my female peers’ eyes with regards to career. different but the same.).

And, after that day, I vowed never to view myself through *anyone* elses eyes but my own.

Period.

Was I immediately successful? NO.

Did it take lots of ‘catching myself in the act, STOPPING and forcing myself to rephrase a negative thought?’ Fo’ shizzle.

Has it now (after almost 12+ years) finally become a habit? Hell to the YES!

I was reminded of this pivotal life-moment last weekend each time friends asked what gift I was giving myself for my birthday.

Quite frankly I couldnt think of a thing I wanted to gift myself greater than that which I already had.

Nothing has been more freeing, empowering and allowed me to blossom more than allowing my opinion to be the only which  matters.



http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fo%27+shizzle+my+nizzle

fo' shizzle my nizzle
"fo shizzle ma nizzle" is a bastardization of "fo' sheezy mah neezy" which is a bastardization of "for sure mah nigga" which is a bastdardization of "I concur with you whole heartedly my African american brother"
by Anonymous November 10, 2002





“Chances are you probably think this guy is a narcissist. Most psychologists say that a healthy sense of self is key to reaching life's goals. But some people manage to achieve a level of self-confidence that crosses over into the realm of pathological personality flaw. And while narcissism is certainly not limited to one gender, new research finds it is much more prevalent in men than in women. A new large-scale analysis of 355 previously published studies examined three decades worth of research involving more than 475,000 study participants. The researchers found that statistically men scored higher on personality tests for narcissism than women in every age group.... For the study, published Wednesday in the journal Psychological Bulletin, researchers assessed gender differences in the scoring of Narcissistic Personality Inventory, which looks at three aspects of behavior: leadership/authority, grandiose/exhibitionism and entitlement. They found the widest gender gap in entitlement, which indicates that men are more likely than women to exploit others and feel entitled to certain privileges.... Some researchers, such as Campbell, believe this personality trait occurs for both genetic and cultural reasons. Some societies encourage this quality more in men, as narcissism is often equated with masculinity. Some of it may also be due to how a person is raised. "Telling your child he's special has risks," said Campbell.”

“Not surprisingly, the men who took a lot of selfies and scored high on narcissism, also tended to have more pronounced anti-social personality traits, psychopathy, and were more prone to self-objectification.” I think the selfie is largely harmless and done out of a happy sense of fun, but I can see how too many selfies probably indicates too much self-absorption. All of us who have a tendency to be depressed are probably externalizing the way we view ourselves. Parents who shower their children with praise are raising a kind of opposite to the “depressed” person – instead one who sees others as inferior or unimportant. Let's face it, we are a largely narcissistic society. This Tea Party slogan that America is “exceptional” and “a city upon a hill” is poisonous for human – and international – relations. I think most of us have some narcissism in our personality, but luckily we don't all abuse others just for the fun of it. This article above from Carla Birnberg is helpful, I think. Self-awareness and improvement is a lifelong work and can be practiced by anyone who comes to the conclusion that they do, after all, need to be improved.

About sociopaths, I think most of them start as schoolyard bullies, and they come in more than one type, but they are all lacking in empathy with other humans and are often self-aggrandizing. The guy on the football team who thinks he's a hot shot, for instance. There are others who actually lack self-esteem and as a result of that are filled with anger, so it makes them feel better about themselves to hurt others. Those guys aren't just narcissistic, but are sociopaths.

I think being narcissistic may be a kind of self-defense against our actually low self-esteem. If we can stop evaluating ourselves based on what we THINK others think of us, we can start being in touch with our inner self and begin to work on mental/emotional/behavioral/ethical self-improvement. Bullies can come to a point at which they no longer excuse all of their behaviors, and instead work to improve. That kind of work is what a good talk therapist does. Mental health drugs such as antidepressants help. I must say, getting older helps, too. A good 12 Step program can be transformative along with talk therapy. The Christian religion, if you will take it as a guide to better relations with others, rather than an excuse to wage war against other races and religions, is also a good thing. There is nothing wrong with the way Jesus told us to live. Modern fundamentalism is just not following what he said and embodied in his life work. They have become a political movement, instead. I don't dislike religion, but how religion tends to be conceptualized and practiced.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rep-don-youngs-solution-to-the-homeless-problem-wolves/

Rep Don Young's Solution For The “Homeless Problem”
By JAKE MILLER CBS NEWS
March 5, 2015

Photograph – In this Oct. 20, 2011 file photo, Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska speaks in Anchorage, Alaska.  FILE,AP PHOTO/DAN JOLING

Alaska Rep. Don Young has settled on a novel solution to the problem of homelessness: wolves.

Young, a long-serving Republican with a history of odd commentary, discussed the idea during an exchange on Thursday with Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, who was testifying before the House Natural Resources Committee about her department's budget.

Young has been pushing for the Interior Department to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list, and during the hearing, he ridiculed a letter sent by 79 lawmakers to Jewell urging her to protect the gray wolf population.

"How many of you have got wolves in your district?" Young asked the other lawmakers on the panel. "None. Not one."

"They haven't got a damn wolf in their whole district," he added. "I'd like to introduce them in your district. If I introduced them in your district, you wouldn't have a homeless problem anymore."

It's not clear whether Young was suggesting the wolves could eat the homeless population -- perhaps he expects the homeless to make tents out of wolf hides.

Young has a reputation for off-color remarks. Last October, he told students at an Alaska high school that some suicides are due to a lack of support from friends and family. The remark, which came just days after a student at the school took his own life, was met with outrage from students and faculty, and Young was quickly forced to apologize.

And in 2013, Young reminisced in a radio interview about the "50 to 60 wetbacks" who picked tomatoes at his father's ranch when he was younger. He apologized for that remark as well, saying the term was "commonly used" during his childhood and that he "meant no disrespect."




"They haven't got a damn wolf in their whole district," he added. "I'd like to introduce them in your district. If I introduced them in your district, you wouldn't have a homeless problem anymore." This guy has a seriously inactive self-editorial function in his brain. So do I, so I sympathize. I don't sympathize with the viewpoint that a few dead homeless people wouldn't be any loss, however. That's where his being a conservative comes into the picture. When I was a teenager in NC, my next door neighbor's mother introduced me to her maid, who was calmly ironing clothes, by saying “This is Nigger Nancy.” The poor woman was so used to that kind of treatment that she didn't even flinch, nor show hatred. She simply ignored the remark. “Wetbacks?” PLEASE. This man needs to get with the times and wise up if he is going to have a successful political career. Personally I'm glad I don't feel any need to be a politician, but I have learned to speak less freely during my years. There are some things I just don't say.






http://www.cbsnews.com/news/iraq-iran-forces-push-on-toward-isis-held-tikrit/

Iraqi and Iranian forces push on toward Tikrit
CBS/AP
March 6, 2015

Video – ISIS destroys ancient artifacts in Mosul

BAGHDAD -- Iraqi forces pressed their offensive against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Friday, expecting to reach the outskirts of the militant-held city of Tikrit within hours, a day after the extremists reportedly "bulldozed" a famed archaeological site in the area.

The battle to wrest Tikrit -- Saddam Hussein's hometown -- from ISIS is a major test for the Iraqi forces and allied, Iran-backed Shiite militias fighting on their side.

Iraqi officials say about 30,000 men are trying to take back control of Tikrit from ISIS. CBS News correspondent Holly Williams reports the Iraqi forces are fighting alongside troops from Iran -- and an Iranian general is reportedly commanding the battle.

That's sparked fears in the U.S. about rising Iranian influence in Iraq, but many Iraqis have told Williams they welcome any help they can get, as they try to retake territory from ISIS extremists.

The governor of Salahuddin, Raed al-Jabouri, said the Iraqi forces expected to reach Tikrit later Friday. He told The Associated Press they still had not made it to Tikrit's east airport as some reports suggested.

Tikrit, 80 miles north of Baghdad, has been under the control of ISIS since June, when the Sunni militants made a lightning advance across northern Iraq, prompting Iraqi troops to flee and abandon their weapons.

On Monday, Iraqi security forces launched the large-scale operation in an effort to retake the city from the militant group, but the offensive has been stalled somewhat, with military officials saying the militants strategically lined roads leading to the city with explosives and land mines. Suicide attacks have also taken a serious toll on the Iraqi and allied forces.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said late Thursday that ISIS militants "bulldozed" the renowned archaeological site of the ancient city of Nimrud in northern Iraq.

The destruction was part of the group's campaign to enforce its violent interpretation of Islamic law, destroying ancient archaeological sites it says promoted apostasy.

The ministry's report could not be immediately independently confirmed.

Nimrud was the second capital of Assyria, an ancient kingdom that began in about 900 B.C., partially in present-day Iraq, and became a great regional power. The city, which was destroyed in 612 B.C., is located on the Tigris River just south of Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, which was captured by ISIS in June.

Earlier this week, a video emerged on militant websites showing ISIS fighters with sledgehammers destroying ancient artifacts at the museum in Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city that also fell into ISIS hands last year.

The extremists' rampage against priceless cultural artifacts has sparked global outrage.

Also Thursday, ISIS militants set fire to some oil wells outside Tikrit, an Iraqi oil official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media. The smoky fires were apparently meant to obscure targets from government bombing runs, part of the wide-scale operation that began Monday.

The Ajeel oil field, about 22 miles northeast of Tikrit, was one of at least four fields seized by the militants as a source of crude oil to sell to smugglers to finance their operations.




“Iraqi officials say about 30,000 men are trying to take back control of Tikrit from ISIS. CBS News correspondent Holly Williams reports the Iraqi forces are fighting alongside troops from Iran -- and an Iranian general is reportedly commanding the battle. That's sparked fears in the U.S. about rising Iranian influence in Iraq, but many Iraqis have told Williams they welcome any help they can get, as they try to retake territory from ISIS extremists.... On Monday, Iraqi security forces launched the large-scale operation in an effort to retake the city from the militant group, but the offensive has been stalled somewhat, with military officials saying the militants strategically lined roads leading to the city with explosives and land mines. Suicide attacks have also taken a serious toll on the Iraqi and allied forces.... The extremists' rampage against priceless cultural artifacts has sparked global outrage. Also Thursday, ISIS militants set fire to some oil wells outside Tikrit, an Iraqi oil official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media. The smoky fires were apparently meant to obscure targets from government bombing runs, part of the wide-scale operation that began Monday.”

I have hope that this combined force from Iraq and Iran can dislodge ISIS from their strongholds. The killing of masses of people is the worst thing that they are doing, of course, but this destroying of beautiful ancient buildings is almost as bad. If we lose all of our historical consciousness we will be have no perspective, and be prey to any and all political juntas that come along. The very nationalism that is sometimes a cause of war between nations in the last hundred or so years is still, I think, preferable over a society that has no unifying principle, and falls prey to racial, religious and tribal conflicts such as ISIS. Without that it's difficult to form a stable government, strong military and productive economy, with civil rights and an educated populace. 30,000 soldiers can possibly push ISIS out or even defeat them completely. Now if we would just arm the Kurds.....!