Rabbit With ‘No Sense of Personal Space’ Follows Cat Everywhere, Goes Viral Newsweek
Rabbit Haemorrhagic Virus is spreading like Ebola IOL
Recovery: Saving American Burying Beetles, Nature’s Undertakers The Nature Conservancy
State Driver’s License Laws Could Lead to Underdiagnosis of Dementia, According to New Research TIME
FDA warns consumers not to purchase or use certain eye drops from several major brands due to risk of eye infection US Food & Drug Administration
The great UFO debate: Did the US just spot a simple ballon? Interesting Engineering
Asteroid dust caused 15-year winter that killed dinosaurs: Study Phys.org
Climate/Environment
‘Nightmare Scenario’: Extreme Storms Now Breach The Worst-Case Scenario Science Alert
This Billion-Dollar Plan to Save Salmon Depends on a Giant Fish Vacuum ProPublica
U.S. Crude Production Breaks Records OilPrice
Water
Desert plant collects water from air by excreting salt on its leaves NewScientist
#COVID-19
Boris Johnson believed old people should be let contract Covid-19 to protect economy, inquiry hears Irish Times
Face masks ward off covid-19, so why are we still arguing about it? NewScientist
Strep cases in hospitals jump as antibiotic supply runs low Becker’s Hospital Review
India
Apple warns Indian opposition leaders of state-sponsored iPhone attacks TechCrunch
Modi Government in Damage Control Mode As Apple Spyware Alert Revives Ghost of Pegasus The Wire
European Disunion
Euro zone inflation drops to two-year low in October; economy shrinks in third quarter CNBC
The New German Ideology: The Rise of the Master Values Tarik Cyril Amar’s Substack
The Koreas
Facing a labor crisis, South Korea turns to migrants. Why are they more likely to die on the job? Los Angeles Times
Syraqistan
Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of children UNICEF
Israeli air strike kills at least 100 in Jabalia camp, says health ministry Middle East Eye
Palestinians recount settler, army torture amid surge in West Bank expulsions +972 Magazine
THE LABYRINTH WAR Seymour Hersh
Chris Hedges: Exterminate All the Brutes Scheerpost
Tandem Warhead, Double Barrel Launcher: Hezbollah’s Weapons Challenging the IDF Haaretz
Lebanon: Evidence of Israel’s unlawful use of white phosphorus in southern Lebanon as cross-border hostilities escalate Amnesty International
US Special Operations Forces are in Israel Helping Locate Hostages Antiwar
***
Airstrikes pummel US bases in Iraq and Syria The Cradle
OSINT Shows Third U.S. Naval Group Arrives in Mideast, Countries Prep to Evacuate Thousands Haaretz
Iraq Campaign Medal Returns Amid Surge in Drone, Rocket Attacks on US Forces There Military.com
Yemen’s Huthi rebels vow more attacks on Israel: statement AFP
American Weapons Leftover in Afghanistan After U.S. Forces Withdrew Fell Into Hands of Terrorist Organizations and Are Now Surfacing in Israel, Kashmir and Pakistan CovertAction Magazine
***
Senate hearing on aid to Israel and Ukraine dominated by pro-Palestinian protests Washington Examiner
Biden budgeted for ethnic cleansing in his $106 billion request Speaking Security
Jewish leaders to Biden officials: ‘We’ve never seen anything like this ever’ Politico. “The groups also recommended the department examine actions from student groups on campuses supporting the Hamas attacks because they could be ‘engaging in material support for terrorism, which would be a criminal matter,’according to an attendee who spoke on background. They also want the department to consider training for K-12 educators on antisemitism.”
The ADL Is Defaming Palestinian Students as Terrorist Supporters The Nation
***
US compares anti-Jewish riots to 20th century pogroms RT
‘Financial Times’: the stench of propaganda in today’s coverage of the Makhachkala riots is overwhelming Gilbert Doctorow
Israel Goes Unnamed on China Online Maps Wall Street Journal
China?
China warns a ‘certain country’ is making ethnic bioweapons Interesting Engineering
New Not-So-Cold War
The War Is Lost – Zelenski Will Leave – The White House Has Failed Moon of Alabama. Commentary on above TIME piece.
Ukrainian soldiers are burned out and worried they’ll run out of troops as the war with Russia drags on Business Insider
***
Ukraine’s allies plan US charm offensive Politico EU
Blinken’s children visit the Bidens for Halloween dressed in Ukraine-themed costumes Ukrainska Pravda
Ukraine and Israel aid must be bound together, two Cabinet secretaries tell U.S. Senate States Newsroom
***
Germany has to be prepared for possible war in Europe, defense minister says Anadolu Agency
German chancellor Scholz turns to Nigeria for new gas and hydrogen partnerships Clean Energy Wire
The Self-Isolation of the West Gordon Hahn, Russian & Eurasian Politics
What a third world war would mean for investors The Economist. Let’s not forget about what really matters.
South of the Border
How China is wooing a close US partner and why it’s working RT
US warns Venezuela: Stick to elections conditions or face consequences Al Mayadeen
O Canada
‘Victims Of Communism’ Monument Unveiling Postponed The Maple
Documents reveal stress behind the scenes as Ford government ignored experts to change municipal boundaries Toronto Star
Imperial Collapse Watch
With Gen. Smith hospitalized, a 3-star is in command of Marine Corps Breaking Defense
B-a-a-a-a-d Banks
Removing cap on bankers’ bonuses will fuel ‘greed is good’ culture, says TUC BBC
Biden Administration
Bidenomics and the Left Nonsite
2024
Arab American support for Biden, Democrats plummets over Israel, poll shows Reuters
DeSantis insists he doesn’t wear high heels as campaign struggles to fight off attacks on his height Washington Examiner
Trump
Trump’s DC judge won’t accept ACLU amicus brief against gag order Washington Examiner
Healthcare
Health as a Human Right: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians Annals of Internal Medicine
Drugmakers Are Set to Pay 23andMe Millions to Access Consumer DNA Bloomberg
Police State Watch
San Francisco Partners with the State to Announce New Joint Task Force that will Focus Investigations on Opioid Drug Overdose Deaths sf.gov. And potentially start charging dealers with murder.
The new War on Drugs isn’t working any better than the old one did …. 48 Hills. Commentary on above.
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
With privacy concerns rising, can we teach AI chatbots to forget? NewScientist
AI
Doctors Wrestle With A.I. in Patient Care, Citing Lax Oversight New York Times
An AI smoothie shop opened in San Francisco with much hype. Why is it closed already? Guardian
The Bezzle
Tesla Autopilot not responsible for 2019 fatal crash, jury says Ars Technica
“I’m Not Sure”: Highlights of Sam Bankman-Fried’s Cross-Examination The Deep Dive
Class Warfare
UAW Pledges All Necessary Resources to Help Unionize Key Tesla Factory Common Dreams
Workers Keep Getting Big Raises. That’s an Issue for the Fed The Wall Street Journal
“What Could We Win Together?” Labor in Minnesota Gears up for a Major Escalation Workday Magazine
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
165 comments
Comments are closed.
Re Hersh and the labyrinth war
“Dozens of those captured by Hamas—among them the very young and the very old—never made it to its tunnel system because they fell or, more likely, were flung off the bicycles or motorcycles that were carrying them and were immediately executed.”
This evidence-free propagandist claim, is directly contradicted by the 80+ year old woman released by Hamas to Egypt last week, who said she had been treated well, given medical treatment, the same food as her captors etc. And who had the audacity to shake the hand of her captors when she left, so much so that she was quickly memory holed by Israeli and western media.
Both could be true.
Best…H
They could be, but such a claim needs to be backed up by some kind of evidence that can be investigated, or at least qualified by ‘according to IDF allegations’. As it is, the claim is rather like the beheaded babies allegation that now looks like shameful propaganda. The old woman released told the exact opposite, namely that she was treated with care and consideration by Hamas.
Fair point…but that’s what you get with Hersh. He cultivates relationships with experts he trusts in intel world, and he generally lets them talk, often unfiltered.
Like any journalist, he’s only as good as his sources.
His sources got me to cancel my subscription. Since his expose on the pipeline he’s been passing on a lot of insider crap and doing so without much effort at context.
He will always be an establishment reporter. What distinguishes him is that he’s honest but honesty doesn’t stop him from believing what he’s told by his sources.
I call bullshit on this comment. Please elaborate on the “insider crap” you see in the Nordstream story. As for being an “establishment reporter” I don’t know what you mean by that. He’s always bucking the establishment, like the embarrassing “pipeline” story you reference.
I’m no expert. But I’ve been reading Hersh since his Vietnam days when he worked for the NY Times, then the New Yorker and the London Review of Books. Now he’s free-lancing. He is probably most useful to the intelligence agencies themselves, at least the mid-level analysts. They need guys like Hersh when their higher-ups are ignoring them. It’s a symbiotic relationship, but unlike the MSM he won’t be used to channel official propaganda. Hersh is too ethical for that.
You say he puts in little “effort at context.” He moved to the New Yorker so he could write 20-page stories with tons of context. He can dial a source and will get a return phone call. After fifty years he’s gotten good antennae for the scoop and for separating truth from bullshit. And your comment is pure bullshit.
Just my two cents.
My comment is specifically directed at his post-Nordstream coverage. Hersh’s subsequent subscription content on Ukraine and Israel has relied on his sources which is what he does but the context has been lacking. If I were really cynical, I’d say he’s been passing on soft news to curry favor with his sources.
I subscribed to him as a thank you for his Nordstream coverage. I really didn’t expect to be quite this disappointed. Again, my comment is directed solely at Hersh’s post-Nordstream output which has been framed as insider content of a “told to me” nature. My problem is that each story was framed by the absence of key salient facts. His most recent, The Labyrinth of War, seems like a great piece of reporting until you realize that it is now esablished that Netanyahu helped establish Hamas, and that many of the Israeli casualties on October 7 were deliberate friendly fire. Both stories are underreported by Western media.
Not detracting from Hersh’s record anymore than I would trash Bernie Sanders’ record simply because I’m mad at him now. Hersh is Hersh. Imo, lately Hersh’s sources seem to be getting the better of that deal.
Thanks for your thoughtful elaboration. I apologize for the rancor of my previous post!
No, not at all. I can’t put my finger on why Hersh has bothered me since subscribing but it does sync with the old issues about single establishment sources for stories. Now I get that much better.
I like to think Yves cured me of my bullshit habit years ago but due to decades of political meandering it is deeply ingrained within me. I’m a hot take guy because I believe memes are more powerful than headlines in this so far truly regrettable young century.
Apparently the Hannibal Directive now applies to civilians as well as soldiers in Netanyahu’s Israel. This is the one that says if a soldier looks like they are going to be captured, then the idea is to launch massive amounts of firepower to not only kill the captors but those soldiers as well. The Israelis were shooting tank rounds into houses that had both Hamas soldiers as well Israeli civilians and this was confirmed by a survivor’s testimony. Makes you wonder how many Israelis were actually killed by their own side that first day or two. Certainly dozens-
https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/hannibal-directive-did-israel-kill-its-own-15574953
Also the Israeli helicopters were summarily shooting anything that moved as per their own testimony. They took of, spent all their ammunition and missiles on any target (pedestrian, motorcycle, car) that was either going to or coming from Gaza, returned for reload and repeated.
Heck, even the Israeli police, kibbutz security personnel and IDF were reportedly shooting at each other in the confusion of the 7th.
Based on what I’ve seen and heard, a number of those potential hostages could have been incinerated in some of those long lines of burned-out cars blasted by the Israelis, not to mention the blown up houses about which we are now pretty certain.
Yes, as others have pointed out, Hersh is only as good as his sources, and his sources have their own biases or agendas, as does Hersh himself. Over the years they have often lined up on the right side of history, but even Hersh’s best contributions can be limited hangouts reflecting those sources.
Re: AI smoothie shop in San Francisco
So, the shop owners used “AI” to generate fake review pix of creepy-lookin’ “happy” customers with ET fingers, and then they shuttered the place and disappeared… quelle surprise.
And people are seriously thinking “AI” startups are going to pull S.F. out of its self-inflicted doom loop? Lol
Thanks for pointing out those ET fingers. I missed that as I was looking at those bland faces instead but when I look at those hands, they are more fit for Halloween. Ewwww.
I remember a fun web site called Photoshop Fails that regularly featured hasty and shoddy graphic work in each post and witty public commentary. (Can’t find it now.) I think we could use something like that now.
The term you are looking for is Cursed AI:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cursedaiwtf/
Zukkerballs won’t let me in his garden.
A lot of those visuals are still online:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=photoshop+fails&iax=images&ia=images
With fingers as long as that young male has, he would have an enormous schwanstucker.
>Israel-Palestine war: At least 100 killed in air strike on Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp
There is a distinction that is eluding some people. It is that there are terrorist groups who kill civilians to achieve an objective and there are terrorist states like Nazi Germany and today’s Israel that also kill civilians to achieve an objective. The first has limited means, the second has almost unlimited ones. There can be no denying that what Israel is doing in Gaza is terrorism, whether it is genocide too doesn’t much matter in the long run because it leads to the same grave yard of dead innocent children.
Is there a hierarchy of evil? Debating, arguing, with a fried the other day. He tells me that they, Hamas and Israel, are both equally guilty of willingly killing innocents. Yet, he refuses to put them on a scale? He is a Catholic. I ask whether my catechism that taught me there are different degrees of sin from the “white lie” or venial sin to the most egregious, murder. He replied that that notion is “outdated.” I don’t think so. I think that Dante in creating 9 levels of hell would also disagree. Ends no matter the reason, noble or ignoble, will not alter the moral weight of the dead children on terrorist, group or state, actors that history and God will judge.
To be thorough, Bomber Harris, and his American Allie’s bombed civilian for some “effect” in WW II.
See Curtis LeMay and the firebombing of Tokyo. Conventional explosives in sufficient numbers can do as ‘good’ of a job as nukes.
Assumes agency on the part of “history,” which is pretty generally agreed to be the story written by the winners. And as the forked tongue US and Likud show, that “story” is unsurprisingly at odds with what a few “historians” occasionally dredge up from the sediment of the past, like the reality of the US imperium as killers of tens of millions of native Americans, Mope Americans, Iraqis, Libyans, Central and South Americans, Filipinos, Africans and the whole long carefully suppressed (as much as possible) list.
Don’t be comforted by the silly notion that “history will judge.” Evil needs suppressing in the here and now. A little late when the corpses have moldered and everyone has “moved on,” or in the case of US Westward Manifest Destiny Expansion and Likudnik Zionist “settler expulsion” of Palestinians, the Narrative is tweaked to obfuscate the salient moral facts of “the past.”
This from yesterday evaluates the relative evils.
Last week Aurelian contextualized genocide, it appears to have been with us always.
As an individual, its hard to figure out how to contest history in real time, where exactly and how to suppress Evil in the here and now.
That long twitter (X) text by Jonathan Cook is an excellent short summary one can pass on to those who are ignorant of Israel’s settler colonial history – that would include the vast majority here in the US.
“…my catechism that taught me there are different degrees of sin from the “white lie” or venial sin to the most egregious…”
Yes, we haven’t yet begun to execute people for jaywalking, but “law is law.”
To note the CNN article on “anti-semitism,” seeing how zionists conflate protest of aparthied as material support for terrorism, it would however seem that your friend is correct– that notion is “outdated,” as to zionists (jews and goys alike) it is simple: you are either with us or with “the terrorists.”
“Yes, we haven’t yet begun to execute people for jaywalking, but “law is law.””
Walking while black on the other hand…
When the commissioner of Human Rights steps down and spells it all out in his resignation letter, there is no second guessing if Israel is committing genocide or not.
This is a text-book case of genocide. The European, ethno-nationalist, settler colonial project in Palestine has entered its final phase, toward the expedited destruction of the last remnants of indigenous Palestinian life in Palestine. What’s more, the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and much of Europe, are wholly complicit in the horrific assault. Not only are these governments refusing to meet their treaty obligations “to ensure respect” for the Geneva Conventions, but they are in fact actively arming the assault, providing economic and intelligence support, and giving political and diplomatic cover for Israel’s atrocitie
https://aurdip.org/en/resignation-letter-from-the-director-of-new-york-office-of-un-high-commissioner-of-human-rights/
“FDA warns consumers not to purchase or use certain eye drops from several major brands due to risk of eye infection’
(bangs head on keyboard) They had one job. Just one. Make eye drops that did not cause eye infections and maybe even blindness. But no, they kept on pumping out this stuff under “insanitary conditions” and with bacteria all over the place. This is like a coupla years ago when Chinese manufacturers were found making baby formula that got babies sick-
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Wellness/eye-drops-sold-stores-including-cvs-rite-aid/story?id=104475026
The only way to stop this is to put execs into hard-time prison but I suspect that there will only be a fine leveled after a deal is worked out with the FDA.
This response can work, as illustrated by a recent case from peanut country. The sentences ranged from 5 years to 28 years in federal prison for peddling peanut butter tainted with Salmonella.
«The court also found that steps taken by the CDC to link reported illnesses to the specific strain of salmonella found in PCA products established that Stewart and Michael Parnell’s conduct was the proximate cause of the victims’ illnesses.»
Call me cynical, but I suspect a larger company could have persuaded the CDC not to take those steps, even back in 2013. And as it was, even though little people died, the Feds couldn’t be bothered to press murder charges.
No doubt. The small company also ran up against a federal judge with deep roots in the area who brooks no nonsense.
This is an exciting possibility for Hunter Biden, negotiating settlements with the FDA and any other regulatory agency with his relative experience and expertise. After all, he’s got a certain relative who has pull.
As a consumer of eye drops during the past 12 months ( but less so since early 2023 ) this is pretty alarming. Fortunately I did not see any branded product that I bought over the counter, which were simply artificial tear eye drops branded by Systane. Paging Larry Summers…”I wish we could manufacture these products in America…”
*Runs to check label…Systane is a product from manufacturer Alcon Laboratories.
Several years ago I checked the origin of eye drops (for contact lenses) at Target and found that they were made in China. It looks like the American manufacturers have finally caught up with the Chinese ones in terms of quality!
One of the articles about these contaminated drops stated that 123 million Americans use eye-drops.
Altho I have dry eyes, I resist my opthalmalogist’s recommendation to use “artifical tears.”
I have an extraordinarily rare ocular disorder, and because of this I might know 20 (!) ophthalmologists and optometrists, including the fellows and residents. One of these doctors was crooked, diagnosing me with dry eye disease even though the other 19 doctors did not see any evidence of dry eye. Nevertheless, eye drops are not necessarily safe even if the drops are OTC, especially in regards to frequent usage. It’s kind of like that post on acetaminophen (Tylenol) we previously had here at NC. Taking acetaminophen three times a year for the occasional headache is fine. Buying the Costco sized jar of Tylenol is assuredly unsafe.
One can improve tear generation to avoid using artificial tears. I simply practiced squeezing my eyelids tight together to increase my own tears. No eyedrop is superior to your own tears. The advantage is I only use Systane or Refresh Plus several times in the entire year.
China has executed executives of businesses selling tainted consumer products. Perhaps the US can learn from China instead of constantly accusing China of stealing American “IP”.
Something to file under the Bezzle. Once upon a time in the markets, this company was the next unicorn slated to file an IPO and list common shares on the US market. Sad times, as it turns in the hurry to find the exits the “something” to the business model turns into “ok maybe the something was a lot of hyperbole…” We Work falls in the forest is anyone there to see it ? And to parrot the forever clip from South Park circa 2008 / 2009…”And it’s gone!”.
https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/31/wework-reportedly-on-the-verge-of-filing-bankruptcy-stock-plummets/
Pretty sure that Arizona Slim would be raising a beer to this development.
It will be interesting to see if this is the straw that breaks the commercial real estate camels back.
WeWork has long leases in lots of commercial buildings a bankruptcy would require to be voided.
Loss recognition by landlords seems likely to impair their cash flows and deflate balance sheets.
I heard they’re changing their name to Wee Work.
https://twitter.com/Sprinter99800/status/1719638108206207005
Indian Punchline
“Russia conducted a simulated nuclear strike in a drill on Wednesday overseen by Putin, hours after Russian parliament voted to rescind the country’s ratification of the global nuclear test ban treaty (CTBT). The drill needs to be seen in the broader context of global strategic stability.”
Does poor Ron of Florida have a Napoleon complex? He could just channel his inner George Costanza and wear seriously heeled shoes to make himself closer to 5’10 than the 5’7 or whatever he might be. One episode I think it was Timberland shoes George was sporting.
Trump can just use the below quote from Caddyshack.
Judge Smails. “If you don’t keep score, how do you judge yourself against others?”
Ty Webb. “Oh, mostly by height”
I have never really figured out what the problem is with not being able to just drop a basketball into the hoop. I am 5’7″ myself, and it never felt like a liability. I once bought a pair of campus boots to keep out the snakes, and with those heels you just reached vertiginous heights that couldn’t feel comfortable for anyone. The air is a lot thinner up there.
I like making the ceilings look taller, and from what I have read you live longer as well. What a sad little man for this to be such an issue for him; he needs to just own it proudly and with a little humor, like everyone else that is a perfectly average height for the thirteenth century.
I met him wearing risers and my heart stood still
Da doo Ron-Ron-Ron, Da doo Ron-Ron
Somebody told me that his height was stilted
Da doo Ron-Ron-Ron, Da doo Ron-Ron
Yeah, my heart stood still
Yes, he was fighting for second billing
And when he wore elevator shoes
Da doo Ron-Ron-Ron, Da doo Ron-Ron
I knew what he was doing-now he could see eye to eye
Da doo Ron-Ron-Ron, Da doo Ron-Ron
He looked so taller but my oh my
Da doo Ron-Ron-Ron, Da doo Ron-Ron
Yeah, he was eye to eye
Yes, oh my, oh my
And when he walked tall aided by foam
Da doo Ron-Ron-Ron, Da doo Ron-Ron
He seemed to be five seven and he looked so fine
Da doo Ron-Ron-Ron, Da doo Ron-Ron
Someday soon Trump will put him first in the VP line
Da doo Ron-Ron-Ron, Da doo Ron-Ron
Yeah, he looked so fine,
Yes, he’s biding time
And when he can call the Naval Observatory home
Da doo Ron-Ron-Ron, Da doo Ron-Ron
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah…
Da-doo-run-Ron
Da-doo-run-Ron…
Da Doo Run Run, by the Crystals
I think it is different for girls, but I’m just 5’1″ and make no effort to be taller other than having good posture. I don’t even wear heels. However, I do have an assertive personality (especially in my work environment) so when I meet people for the first time after interacting with them via zoom, telecons, email, they almost always say “I thought you were taller” :-)
I’m 5’8″. I once thought that was tall(ish) for a girl, maybe I wasn’t too concerned ’cause I could wear 4″ heels. But that was when I was young, I know for sure that guys were often very self conscious at being shorter. For more than a few, the heels had to go, tout suite.
Now I regularly find girls who are 6′ in their stocking feet.
Today, I don’t wear heels as I walk in the foothills of old age.
My wife is 5’7” and usually doesn’t wear heels, but there was a VP of finance who was quite short and had a complex about it. So when she had meetings with him she would wear her tallest heels. He deserved that and more.
Re Israel Goes Unnamed on China Online Maps
– Neither Israel nor Palestine have been labelled on Baidu since at least November 2022. The change is not new.
– Both Israel & Palestine appear on the official Chinese Gov. Map 天地图
https://twitter.com/CurtExplores/status/1719334699599122690
Re: a 3-star is in command of Marine Corp
From the article:
“Traditionally, if a service chief is unable to perform their job, their four-star deputy — in this case, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps — would step in as the acting service chief. But due to hundreds of senior military promotions being held up in the Senate by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., the Marines currently lack a confirmed four-star vice chief.”
Lack a confirmed four-star vice chief?? Well, boo-f**king-hoo. If there is one thing that Tommy Tuberville and I can agree upon, it is that the DoD has way too many generals.
Yeah, Colonel MacGregor mentioned in a Napalitano interview that the entire armed forces in WW2 had only four four stars, now, it’s something close to forty.
Btw, he doesnt look well. The fellow who was hospitalized.
“Rabbit Haemorrhagic Virus is spreading like Ebola”
Umm, I’m not sure how to say this but in Oz, this would be considered a good news story. Back in 1859 some idiot released 13 rabbits on his property for sport shooting and before you knew it, there were millions of them and they almost ate the continent out. It’s a story in itself-
https://digital-classroom.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/rabbits-introduced
A great movie: Rabbit Proof Fence.
The Apocrypha of Florida has an entry on armadillos. Seems there were none here until some Roadside Entrepreneur brought two from Texas, in the late 1920s land rush days. He penned them in a nice chicken-wire enclosure out front of his gas stop along highway 301. Hoping to separate ignorant Northerners, heading south for sunshine, seashells and the opportunity of a lifetime! to own a quarter acre of submerged land from some of their cash. Exotic Animals On Display!!! and all that, with of course the rough come-on signs along the highway saying “Exotic Animals!!! 3 miles on the Right!!!”
Of course it was a breeding pair, and they dug out of the pen one night, to the eternal dismay of golfers and yard-proud homeowners ever since.
Same story about dozens of other “weed species” like cane toads, constrictor snakes, and a whole menagerie of insects…
Florida — love it or leave it. Study up before moving here. Can you spell “rapidly intensifying hurricanes?” How about tornado and lightning capital of America? But please, come buy my fivefold appreciated house at the nosebleed price, so I can become a Half-Backer, a Northerner whose wife misses four or five seasons and moves to North Carolina or one of the Virginias or Detroit or Duluth, mentioned in the Realtor ™ pages as “ideal price opportunities…”
One of the ways organized labor can really make a difference when workers choose to flex their muscle — and are not deterred or deflected by namby-pamby sellout leadership.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/belgian-unions-refuse-handling-arms-shipments-israel-hamas-conflict-2023-10-31/
Looks like a ‘hot cargo’ action, which seem to be, sadly, illegal in the US – which obviously should not deter workers anywhere from reminding policymakers who actually does stuff around the world.
https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/rights-we-protect/the-law/hot-cargo-agreements-section-8e
Some actions in this vein were taken to pressure apartheid South Africa back in the day.
Palestinian unions have explicitly called for workers to refuse to produce or transport weapons for Israel.
https://class-struggle-action.net/call-to-action-in-solidarity-with-palestinian-trade-unions/
A good idea, I’d say.
And CEOs, as Musk seem insistent on pissing off Swedish unions…
VA Firings Reversed: So Trump Makes Union Grievance Settlement a 2024 Campaign Issue, BY STEVE EARLY – SUZANNE GORDON, at Counterpunch
“the American Federation of Government Employee’s successful defense of workers unfairly dismissed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),
…
“In his later work with front-line VA care-givers, Hoffmann saw firsthand “how the actions of top managers appointed by Trump, who were hostile to the mission of the agency, used the Accountability Act to make personnel policies, working conditions, and staffing levels immeasurably worse.” This had far greater adverse impact on nine million patients than any individual failings of union-represented workers or lower level managers in the nation’s largest public healthcare system.
How Blak Families are Being Squeezed Out of Homeownerschip by Corporate Investors
BY BRIAN Y. AN , by Counterpunch
“Between 2015 and 2019, more than 70% of white families owned a home, compared with just 41% of Black families, according to an analysis by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.
To be sure, policies like
racial covenants,
discriminatory mortgage lending practices and
redlining
fueled low homeownership rates for Black Americans long before the Great Recession. But global investors’ growing control of single-family homes only widens existing racial gaps in homeownership and wealth.” …
“Israel-Palestine war: At least 100 killed in air strike on Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp”
The Israelis have really jumped the shark here. They dropped six high explosive bombs on top of a packed refugee camp because they thought that they could possibly get this one Hamas guy. Sounds legit. At least they did not claim that it was a result of a Hamas rocket falling on this camp or playing a game of ‘how many people could there have been there anyway?’ Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is set to deliver a speech on Friday so it will certainly be a hoot and a half on what he will say and do. Maybe that is why this bombing. To get Hezbollah to act so that the US will be brought into this war. But today, I heard a brilliant plan.
Washington and it’s allies are talking about sending in an international peacekeeping force into Gaza should Israel successfully remove Hamas from power. It will have troops from the US, UK, Germany, France and maybe Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Of course all these countries would pay for this occupation force as they rule on behalf of Israel and it would be up to these troops to remove all weapons from Gaza as well as find and demolish all tunnels. Eventually I guess that they will bring in the Palestinian National Authority from the West bank to run it for them. And yes, this is a serious scheme in Washington-
https://www.rt.com/news/586319-us-israel-gaza-peacekeepers/
Panic. Macron’s proposal resulted in him scurrying back to France and saying the future is female. The Internet tubes make it seem like he’s dropped the call from his rhetoric.
My guess is White House proposed an idea for the South of Gaza while the North was exterminated and other have Macron propose it in Amman then Cairo. He looked like a dog with his tail between his legs when he was next to SiSi last week.
Now the Israeli “ambassador” to the UN has endorsed the idea. Given his level of tact, the idea had to come out of Tel Aviv or the White House.
Or maybe NATO can just subcontract with Kenya.
https://blackagendareport.org/news/866/33/The-Unspoken-Colonial-Contradiction-of-Haiti
I’m still waiting to see this reported somewhere else, but Lord Bebo’s got a tweet up saying that they just bombed the neighborhood again, while all the rescue workers were there.
That is a standard US tactic too. In places like Afghanistan, they would bomb some suspect’s house. And when the friends, family, neighbours, rescuers and first responders would go in to dig out any survivors, they would hit them again. They call it Double Tap warfare. Got so bad that when somebody’s place was hit, everybody was too afraid to go in and help-
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/outrage-at-cia-s-deadly-double-tap-drone-attacks-8174771.html
US didn’t like it when Russian did that with some mercenary occupied hotel in Ukraine…
DeSantis insists he doesn’t wear high heels as campaign struggles to fight off attacks on his height
This just goes to how vacuous and superficial American society actually is, that DeSantis isn’t tall enough in the first place to be considered presidential. But this applies to men in general. Being tall is an unlock code.
According to some, “fat is a feminist issue”. But they don’t dare mention which gender is sneered at for being too short. And you can definitely tell some marketing research went into the covers of romance novels, where the male of any heterosexual couple shown is always at least half a head taller than the female.
And built like Arnie on steroids.
well i’m sure nobody here is surprised at Hellary hewing to the Maddy Albright childcare attitude
“We have heard that half a million [Iraqi] children have died. I mean, that is more children than died in Hiroshima,” Stahl said. “And, you know, is the price worth it?”
“I think that is a very hard choice,” Albright answered, “but the price, we think, the price is worth it.”
and now Hellary (she is spawn from He-double hockey sticks) with over 3,000 children slaughtered in Gaza
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6340228030112
She really is Hillary the Hutt as someone here pointed out recently… she sits like she has some kind of back problem. And of course we plebs who want peace don’t understand and need to leave it to the adults in the room. Yeah right.
I seriously think she is disabled. Have not seen a picture of her walking or even standing recently. Just plopped in a comfy chair.
“‘Nobody Believes in Our Victory Like I Do.’ Inside Volodymyr Zelensky’s Struggle to Keep Ukraine in the Fight”
I’ve got an idea. Zelensky is an actor, right? And eventually he will be looking for a new job. How about after the war they commission a musical by the same people that brought you “Hamilton.” That line ‘Nobody Believes in Our Victory Like I Do’ I can hear in my head as a song already. It would be great and can you imagine the theatrics built around his story with the NATO Powers choir singing in the background? The more I think about it, the more sense it makes. It could open up in Washington DC and then go on to New York, London, Paris and all the other capitals of countries that supported him. Some songs he could be joined in with his wife wearing her latest fashions while others he would sing alone mournful songs of his burden. I’d almost pay money to go see that. “Zelensky – the Musical.” You read it here first.
Little Orphan Vladdy. I here the band rehearsing in NC’s tin pan alley…
Right now this sounds like a winner. It would get rave reviews in the Times and the New Yorker. I can almost hear those Tony Award speeches now. But they had better get it up and running fast. I have a feeling this subject will be vanishing from the elite media, and from the awareness of their fashion-conscious consumers, very soon.
‘Hamasilton’
Faced with being second fiddle in finances, Zelensky challenges Bibi to a duel in front of Congress via rap not rapier or revolver, with a cut in the action on the take-but of course, and to the winner go future war spoils.
$995.95 HD PPV
Biden is proposing several times more funding for Ukraine than Israel.
If the new Speaker of the House does indeed separate the two funding ‘bills,’ then we will have a way to “out” the chickenhawks. Someone, please, make these military funding bills roll call votes.
I suspect that they will have no problem outing themselves, loud and proud.
FYI, Biden stated today that he would veto any funding bill for Israel that did not include Ukraine.
Lest anyone still doubt what the Administration’s real priorities are.
Thus, the GOP can put Biden to the test. Send him a ‘clean’ Israel funding bill. Let him veto it. Refuse to bring up another. “That senile old man in the White House refuses to support our Middle East satrapy. He is a disgrace to the Empire.”
Alas, we are fully into the end phase of Empire.
Team R will cave. The donors are all on board with Moar War, and Lord knows that the MIC is slathering for more sweet sweet cash.
The only question is whether Johnson will pretend that his arm was twisted.
Needs the stunning production number from Springtime for H1tler in Germany
It cries out for the big production number in Springtime for H1tler in Germany
Choose your version, i prefer the original 1968 Broiks’ finest effort
Nothing beats the ‘original’ 1935 version done by the woman director.
Herr mustache sings “The Jeffersons” theme. Video by the 1935 woman director. ~2 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCJTR3XeiAc
That was absolutely both hilarious and transgressive.
The 1968 version makes a poifect Zelensky Follies musical number. / ;)
Perhaps a reprise of “I’m So Ronery” from Team America?
From Doctors Wrestle With A.I. in Patient Care, Citing Lax Oversight
How often do 47-year-olds have brain aneurysms? COVID? We’ll never know.
A known vax side effect for sure…..
>Graham says ‘no limit’ of Palestinian deaths would make him question Israel
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Tuesday that no amount of civilian deaths in Gaza would cause him to question Israel’s goal of eradicating Hamas.
Asked whether there should be a threshold where he starts questioning Israel’s tactics in its war against Hamas, the senator said “no.”
“If somebody asked us after World War II, is there a limit to what you would do to make sure that Japan and Germany don’t conquer the world? Is there any limit to what Israel should do to the people who are trying to slaughter the Jews? The answer is no,” Graham said.
As I mentioned above, the false equivalence of terrorist GROUPS and terrorist STATES is purposely confounded. The evil of this war monger has no limits, by his own admission.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4286928-graham-no-limit-palestinian-deaths-question-israel/#:~:text=Sen.%20Lindsey%20Graham%20(R%2DS.,not%20waver%20under%20any%20circumstance.
This is no secret, and Graham did not tell me anything that I did not already know.
Lindsey knows who funds his campaigns: the MIC lobby and other lobbies. / ;)
“China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are strengthening partnerships to undermine America’s interests and create chaos. While Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, and Ukraine, a critical supporter of America’s values, continue to be attacked,” Sinema said.
Does being a Senator result in a drastic drop in IQ?
Jeebus! We are governed by loons.
And we can’t afford to house the homeless, or feed the hungry, or provide healthcare, or college education, but another $100 billion to feed the MIC, no problemo
These are your values America–cherish them
Drop in IQ? From the BBee:
https://babylonbee.com/news/zombie-wandering-capitol-hill-in-search-of-brains-starves-to-death
They picked Cori Bush to represent the brainless Capitol Hillers. That tells you a little about the Bee.
It’s still funny, though. / ;)
Instead of a zombie looking for brains the zombie was looking for money pots he’d have a feast. / ;)
> These are your values America–cherish them
Granting the (IMO) inarguable premise that “war is the health of the State” (granting also, in contemplation of Ukraine, that this is true only until it isn’t), it’s a bit puzzling that there is not more skepticism of international adventuring on the part of (self-described) Small Government types.
No, Sinema’s comment doesn’t indicate being a senator results in a drop in IQ. It indicates becoming a senator changes who you work for. It is we who do not have the IQ to realize this and take back our government for ourselves.
“What a third world war would mean for investors” The Economist
And the article proceeds to be unable to tell what it would mean other than uncertainty.
Click bait.
“Jewish leaders to Biden officials: ‘We’ve never seen anything like this ever’ ”
I don’t suppose that they could write an addition to the Pledge of Allegiance. It wouldn’t be the first time and I am sure that AIPAC could come up with something appropriate that would include the phrase ‘the Zionist State of Israel’-
https://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm
And then Vivek Ramaswamy could suggest planting at least one head of a non-complier on a spike outside each school gate as a warning. And then FBI Director Wray could warn people about the harmful extremists out there.
Hyperbole is where they live. Meanwhile my MSNBC watching brother thinks if Trump is elected again it will be the last election ever just as the Israelis say if the Palestinians could vote it would be the last election ever. It’s always about fear and threat as opposed to compromise and understanding. Because to the fearmongers the latter is the real threat.
There are real threats of course but when Abba Eban said “there’s no business like Shoah business” he was making a tasteless but revealing self-joke about how threats are misused (not that he would think they are being misused). At least we have places like this one where we can hide from the TV. My favorite remote control button is “off.”
“The Self-Isolation of the West” Gordon Hahn, Russian & Eurasian Politics
Hard to buy that the West is self-isolating. Still plenty of people from around the world headed to the West.
Decamping for their Miami condos? The Juan Guaidos of the world need to check up on their investments.
And what is the definition of “West”? Western Hemisphere or the coalition of the bullied trying to prop up Ukraine? Or just the US of A and boy wonder to the north? The term is becoming as abusable as “left”.
I think that that cat in today’s Antidote du jour is saying ‘It’s a guilty pleasure.’
My big guy is a rescue who spent the first part of his life outdoors. He loves us, but that poor bunny would be toast. So no prey pets in our humble home.
Cat is talking to bartender out of frame to the right.
“Let me introduce you to my friend. He’s named Harvey. We both like catnip, a lot.”
Son: ‘Daddy, I want to be a superhero for Halloween!’
Antony: ‘How about that one who wears a green shirt~’
Son: ‘I wish I was old enough to know I was being used as a prop against my will.’
Antony: ‘There’s a bright future for you, son!’
Probably the little girl wanted to dress up as something fun – like a witch. Instead her brother was dressed as a green dwarf and she was dressed as a flag. That’s real Father of the Year material that.
The epic costume planning, and dressing up along with all the screaming and crying because it wasn’t right, that’s what I remember with my lovely daughter who is gladly past those years. I was imagining something similar in the Blinkers household only much darker.
I thought this was a joke when I first read the headline, but there’s video.
The mental illness in d.c. is beyond comprehension. It’s impossible to believe that the rest of the world is failing to notice.
Emperors New Clothes was more real than we could ever imagine.
The stunt worked, in that it gets people talking about Ukraine.
Funny how nobody wails about “cultural appropriation!” or how dressing up as a Ukrainian is somehow offensive when Blinken’s offspring do it.
Those poor kids have no friends in school, and this certainly didnt help.
I am sure that they have plenty of friends. The children of the Grand Duke always do.
Friends should be in quotation marks, like this, “friends.”
Re: Isolation of the West.
Wow! That line about “out-failing Hitler” was something else! Our neocons need to take a well deserved bow; they have finally managed to achieve their objectives.
“American Weapons Leftover in Afghanistan After U.S. Forces Withdrew Fell Into Hands of Terrorist Organizations and Are Now Surfacing in Israel, Kashmir and Pakistan”
When the US flew out of Afghanistan, Biden made sure to swipe their money first and to let them starve. I think that it was in the order of about $10 billion that he took. Maybe it would have been wise to swap that money for most of that weaponry that was left behind. The Afghans get their money and the US gets their weapons back – which they could have used for Project Ukraine. But if I were the Afghans, I would make sure to get that money back into their banks before releasing a single rifle lest they be stiffed like was just done with Iran.
Re Techdirt on retail theft–I’d say this article is bending over backwards to discredit complaints about theft. While it is undoubtedly true that stores have many other challenges–including or mostly online shopping–that very weakness means any extra hit to their business model is fatal to stores that might otherwise have survived in dubious locations. So saying “nothing to see here” is cold comfort to those big city downtowns that then have nowhere to shop. It’s easy for Techdirt bros, who probably do conduct much of their shopping online, to be complacent about this.
When I lived in Atlanta I found it surprising how many retail names existed and how quickly many of them would come and go. Walmart may be a giant piggy bank for the heirs but the rest often seem to be on the edge. Some say we are oversupplied with this consumption convenience compared to other countries, and undoubtedly that is true. But when they all go then you have a community in trouble–a “retail desert.” This has implications beyond Target’s bottom line.
“Boris Johnson believed old people should be let contract Covid-19 to protect economy, inquiry hears”
By torpedoing the Russian-Ukraine treaty early last year Johnson is personally responsible for the hundreds of thousands of death since. But with this inquiry, it shows that through his Darwinian actions that he is also responsible for a fair share of the 230,000 deaths of Covid-19 in the UK as well. And while all these people are dead, he has just taken a job as a TV presenter with a six-figure salary along with another lucrative gig. What can you say?
What can I say? Sociopaths prosper, as always.
It’s worth noting that the “special request” being sent to Congress contains several times more funding for Ukraine than Israel, although Israel is used as the cookie to get Ukraine more $$.
The takeaway is – stop kidding yourselves, the Biden Administration is nowhere near walking away from Ukraine. Once they run out if Ukrainians, they’ll just Send In The Poles!
Wukchumni may wish to reprise “Send In The Poles!” to the tune of “Send In The Clowns!“
Go a step further and call it; “Send In The Proles!”
From the Broadway Revue; “A Little Nightmare Music.”
aka Eine kleine Schlachtmusik
Up above, ‘flora’ the commentrix linked to a reworking of Der Fuhrer singing the theme song to the American television program “The Jeffersons.” Done using footage from “The Triumph of the Will” (1935.) Now, like the numerous “Downfall” reworkings, Der Fuhrer doing “My Way” by Jacques Brel, or “Send In the Clowns” by Sondheim.
I can hear the conversation in the Russian General Staff meeting.
“All right. What shall we call the end game for the Ukraine Special Military Operation?”
“Hey, they are a bunch of Neo-Nazis, right?”
“Yes, go on.”
“So, let us use something Germanic.”
“Such as….”
“Oh, ‘Kiev and Kessel.'”
“Oh, oh, yes. Bottle that and we could sell it.”
“Now, how many troops to leave on the borders with Poland?”
“Not too many sir. Warsaw is being overwhelmed by the civil protests.”
“Ah, kudos to our fellow brothers in the FSB.”
“FSB says it is completely internal. No outside agitation needed.”
“Will wonders never cease! The People really do have a voice.”
“Yes sir. May I suggest that we take extra care to keep that border quiet?”
“Absolutely. One crisis at a time.”
Seriously, perhaps someone on, or off, Broadway could do a revival or contemporary re-imagining of, or spiritual successor to, the musical Oh, What a Lovely War.
https://www.ohwhatalovelywar.com
No way the Poles will stand for it. Everyday Poles, I mean. Unless the were promised land.
Poles will not be asked their opinion, lest they answer wrongly.
That said, I know the Polish mentality well (I have some Polish education and I largely speak Polish at home). Poles would gladly slit their own children’s throats if doing so would get an American to pat them on the head and call them a good dog. That goes double if their children’s deaths would somehow spite Russia.
Those who still doubt me should note how Poles embraced the literal direct biological and ideological descendants of the very people who so gleefully murdered their grandparents.
Well, actually, the Olde Teutons murdered the ancestors of many now extinct bloodlines. The majority of the Poles of today are the descendants of those who “went along to get along.” Not to single the Poles out here. See “The Sorrow and the Pity” for the similar experience in France.
Re: Rabbit with no sense of personal space
That bunny was just using the cat as a feline shield. Rabbits have a strong instinct to go underneath something to protect themselves from flying predators.
Jonathan Cook has an article (link below) that asserts that Israel intends to drive the Palestinians out of Gaza, and that that goal is within reach. I have had that concern myself.
IMO Israel and the US are very mistaken if they think that this would benefit them long term. Nations and peoples will not forget what was done. We would be forced to maintain a public pretense that the commission of such an enormous crime was all for the best. Lying so much in public will make us untrusted. It will further warp our own sense of reality about ourselves and our place in the world, which is already in poor shape.
Yves made an eloquent appeal yesterday to write your elected officials. That is one thing we can do.
https://original.antiwar.com/cook/2023/10/31/israels-long-held-plan-to-drive-gazas-people-into-sinai-is-now-within-reach/
The United States and Israel could care less what the rest of the world thinks. The neocons who run things are firmly convinced that the United States is unassailable and so can do whatever it likes whenever it likes wherever it likes. So far, that has proven to be true. The so-called Global South will not lift a finger to aid the Palestinians. Neither will the Middle East oil states as well as Russia and China. None of them have ever taken any concrete steps to aid those beleaguered peoples. While Jews may be the Chosen People, Palestinians are the Forgotten People.
There is a reason why DC goes near catatonic at the mere idea of Chinese or Russian presence in Mexico.
Even if your every point is true imo this is already accelerating the row shift away from the west towards BRICS. Hard to imagine saudi ever making nice with either israel or us. Plus, there’s an election coming soon in Argentina on either BRICS or the west. Whatever Argentina selects, the genocide will imo affect other fence sitters.
The 1985 John Boorman film The Emerald Forest featured the Invisible People fending off the Fierce People.
https://worldscinema.org/2019/08/john-boorman-the-emerald-forest-1985/
Of course Israel intends ethnic cleansing, or, failing that, outright genocide. Of course the United States and its vassals, puppets and lackeys are fully aware of this and are all aboard besides.
All this was obvious from the outset.
The question is – what does anyone propose to do about it?
Nations and peoples will not forget what was done.
As an infamous moustachoed head of state once said:
Wer redet heute noch von der Vernichtung der Armenier?
i.e. “Who, nowadays, still talks about the annihilation of the Armenians?”
And nowadays nobody seems to care about Nagorno-Karabakh being clear of Armenians.
I am afraid that the Israelis are indeed intent on exterminating Palestinians and expelling the survivors; not just in Gaza — also in the West Bank; and ultimately inside Israel proper.
That makes my point. Lots of people remember the annihilation of the Armenians. It involuntarily colors my view of Turkey today.
How are the Ottoman Empire and the Third Reich doing these days?
Oh, the Ottoman Empire is still chugging along in Anatolia and the Third Reich is stealthily manipulating the American Empire from within.
David Emory referred to it as the Underground Fourth Reich in America.
This mess in Palestine has been a PR disaster for the US and the West, it’s time to bring in the “A” Team, the people who successfully Re Branded slavery as the Prison Industrial Complex.
First, stop any further discussion of the Oil and Gas fields, that confuses people who need to understand that this is a battle between Pure Good and PURE EVIL!!!
Second, they need to come up with a catchy nickname for the Inhabitants ( Not people) of Palestine.
There are quite a few successful examples of this…Dinks, Slopes, Gooks, Yids, Orcs, Greasers, Hunkies have all worked, but staying away from “Darkies” or “Sand Ni….ers is essential because you DO NOT want to get on Oprah’s bad side.
People who get on Oprah’s bad side in PR battles end up looking like a piece of 3 day old Avocado Toast that’s been run over by an 18 wheeler.
“Pallies” won’t cut it, but I’m sure there are plenty of really smart people working on this problem and they will come up with a term that will satisfy the most critical members of our elites.
It’s God Swill, count on it.
Re: Dementia, Driving, and Reporting Laws
I’ve seen this effect first hand. My Mom’s “official” diagnosis was delayed by at least one year because her PCP told my Dad about the reporting laws. My Dad had already stopped driving due to vision issues so my Mom’s driving was their primary transportation. They live in a rural area with no public transport. My Mom started getting lost a lot and she did stop driving alone. For a while her actual driving was ok (muscle memory?)as long as she had someone in the car to tell her where to go, but it wasn’t until after she couldn’t pass the written drivers license renewal test and lost her license that he took her to a neurologist for the official Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Mom was 77 at diagnosis but had been showing definite signs for at least 2-3 years. It would have been different if there was an effective treatment, but even the doctor’s we dealt with admitted that the current Alzheimers drugs do very little if anything which was our experience as well.
>Protesters interrupt US congress hearing
Kudos to CodePink, this is getting good coverage.
Protesters with hands covered in red paint repeatedly interrupted a congressional hearing on US military aid Tuesday, demanding Washington stop funding Israel’s fight against Hamas.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were appealing to the Senate Appropriations Committee for billions of dollars in military assistance to support Israel, Ukraine and other security costs.
Some two dozen spectators raised hands covered in paint in a symbol of the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip since Israel began its bombardment of the Palestinian territory after Hamas’s attack earlier this month.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/10/ceasefire-now-protesters-interrupt-us-congress-hearing
I initially thought this headline was from The Onion.
We’ve reached the point where the satire can’t keep ahead of the reality.
Offshore Wind Firm Cancels N.J. Projects, as Industry’s Prospects Dim (NY Times via archive.ph)
Oops?
This is gold (if like me you can appreciate terminal sarcasm) —
“Diversity and inclusion war crimes”
https://twitter.com/Ryan_Ken_Acts/status/1719732557166628912
I’m reminded of this guy.
“What’s in your Auschwitz?”
Infant Deaths Have Risen for the First Time in 20 Years (NY Times via archive.ph)
No mention of COVID, COVID tests, or whether mothers were COVID positive. So of course the cause for this is a complete mystery.
Were. Taken. Ill.
What does that even mean? That’s quite a dodge. It isn’t because official policy of the United States is to allow continual infection with a level three biohazard. Not at all. It’s because mothers were “taken ill”.
Yeah.
Re. German master values: The attitude, if not the exact values, seems to largely apply to the EU (cue “jungle” versus “garden”). One does hope the re-armed Germans won’t go to war for their “master values”.
Re. the antiwar article: There is another one, suggesting that the US and Israel are considering deploying a multinational force in Gaza with the US, UK, Germany and France participating. That would go over really well with the Palestinians, for sure. And then these jokers hope that Saudi or UAE will also participate. Are they really that dumb? Rhetorical question..
Link: https://news.antiwar.com/2023/10/31/us-israel-consider-deploying-multinational-force-to-gaza-after-war/
For the extended Sabbath Israelis rightly deserve, theneed some Shabbos Goy…
RE: “Bidenomics and the Left”
This long and winding essay reads as if it were written by some kind of personal AI. I believe the author should spend more time arguing in some incoherent Green Party political group and stay away from word processors, pens, and pencils. It is fortunate for the Canadian Auto Workers union that the author of this link has moved on to new opportunities. Reading this essay does explain the observation made in this essay: “Canada currently has two-and-a-half times the unionization rate of the U.S., something American activists look at with wide-eyed envy. Yet the Canadian labour movement is no more dynamic and in many cases less so than its U.S. counterpart.”
At least the Canadian Auto workers union no longer relies on the wisdom of the author’s research direction.
Bidenomics and the Left as a title says it all. “Bidenomics” is little more than a branding wrapped around various schemes to pass government funds into the hands of select Corporate coffers. The “Left” in the u.s. was murdered or imprisoned in the early decades of the 20th Century and what remains of the ‘left’ is more concerned about “gender identity” issues than anything to do with class or power structures in the u.s. political economy. The depth of political and economic analysis in the link barely wet the bottom of my shoes.
Documents reveal stress behind the scenes as Ford government ignored experts to change municipal boundaries Toronto Star –
surprised the Narwhal was not mentioned since i do follow them and they were on Ford and his goons about these sneaky land deals like fragrance on feces – and what should have been investigated but which would be easy to assume since they mention – “Developers whose lands stand to benefit from recent provincial government decisions attended the premier’s daughter’s wedding — with some sitting at Premier Doug Ford’s table.” – that the gifts to his daughter being married may have been as corpulent as the premier – this whole thing has a stench of payoffs – and Ford IIRC was caught on film smoking crack – he also seems to be an expert at crocodile tears as exemplified here –
“It was a mistake to open the Greenbelt. I’m very, very sorry. I made a promise to you that I wouldn’t touch the Greenbelt. I broke that promise,” a sombre Ford said.
“As a first step to earning back your trust, I’ll be reversing the changes. We moved too quickly and we made the wrong decision … it caused people to question our motives.”
Oh really, question your motives??
His brother Rob was caught smoking crack.
ahhhhhh….thank you for the correction –
Doug Ford sold drugs in high school — his brother used them.
Drugmakers Are Set to Pay 23andMe Millions to Access Consumer DNA Bloomberg
when folks told me they just found out about their ancestry by providing DNA info i just shook my head asked why would you provide that info willingly – they would say, ‘jb you’re just too paranoid’ – definitely a hold over from my pay phone and pager days, but common sense to me – kinda goes hand i glove with the BS that if ya got nothing to hide what are you worried about – just my ever shrinking privacy –
Each “category” of hurricane is like a rung on a “severity” ladder. There is an average distance between the rungs of a ladder and there is an average increase in wind-speed from each “category” of hurricane to the next one.
But the ladder stops at rung number five. That is not helpful for measuring. If a hurricane has steady winds of 200 mph it is called Category Five. And if a hurricane were to have sustained winds of 300 mph it would still be called Category Five.
We need an open-ended Hurricane Ladder. As hurricanes get stronger and stronger with higher and higher windspeeds, we need to be able to assign tomorrow’s hypercanes into Category 6 or Category 7 or whatever equidistant rung of the intensity ladder they reach. That would allow us to discuss high end hurricanes with more specificity and revealment of information, instead of just relying on poetic and evocative and emotional superlatives like ” devastating Cat 5″, or ” incredible Cat 5″ , or “unbelieveable Cat 5” or “unprecendented Cat 5” or “new and improved unprecedented Cat 5″ , or ” really truly unprecedented and we-really-mean-it-this-time Cat 5″ or whatever.
Being able to say Cat 6 or Cat 7 or Cat 8 or Cat Whatever as needed would be more helpful in discussing the hurricanes of the future to come.
TV weatherpeople, the Weather Channel, etc. can lead the way by assigning Cat 6,7,8, whatever, to hurricanes that deserve it, even without government permission.
One can wonder if a Elie Weisel like person will survive the Gaza Holocaust to write and report on it. Of course, the Israelis would not wish for such a person to survive their genocidal war.
Victims of the green energy boom? The Indonesians facing eviction over a China-backed plan to turn their island into a solar panel ‘ecocity’, by Nikita Sud
Published: October 23, 2023
“[…] how the international quest for green energy is reliant on “sacrificial zones” in developing countries. The transition to green energy, far from creating a green new deal for all, is actually reinforcing entrenched inequalities and hierarchies.[…]
The project – which has the enthusiastic blessings of the Batam economic zone authorities, the provincial government of Riau Islands, and importantly, the central government in Jakarta – is imminent.
It will displace 16 villages on Rempang island and will cover a mind boggling 17,000 hectares (one square hectare is roughly equivalent to one rugby field). As residents discussed these figures among themselves, they lobbed questions at me: “Why do they need so much land?” and “what will they even do with it?”
Nikita Sud
Professor of the Politics of Development, University of Oxford
Do you condemn Israel? (Consortium News · As‘ad AbuKhalil)
As‘ad AbuKhalil, a Lebanese-American professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus, blogged as The Angry Arab News Service before switching to Twitter at the end of 2018.