text:
The Manipulation of the American Mind - "Earlier in the case of Mike Huckabee or Rick Santorum the party establishment managed to "crush them" using advertising and other such means. "This is the first election they can't do it. They are amazed, they are upset, and the Republican establishment is going berserk."
Chomsky Interview: 'The US is One of the Most Fundamentalist Countries in the World'
BY MEERA SRINIVASAN ON 31/01/2016
Noam Chomsky, professor emeritus of linguistics and philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Credit: Donna Coveney/MIT
Cambridge, MA (US): The United States is a very fundamentalist, religious country – one of the most extreme in the world, says Noam Chomsky, arguably that country's best-known political dissident of our times.
"And that's been true since its origins," he says, explaining this apparently ultra-religious facet of the US and its impact on electoral politics in an interview to The Wire.
There are not too many countries in the world where two-thirds of the population awaits The Second Coming, Chomsky said, adding that half of them think it is going to be in their lifetimes. "And maybe a third of the population believes the world was created 10,000 years ago, exactly the way it is now. Things like that are pretty weird, but that is true in the United States and has been for a long time."
However, the religious fundamentalists have become a political force more recently, notes Chomsky, tying the country's "religious-fundamentalist" side to what we see in the run up to the US presidential elections, particularly the mobilisation of the religious right and the soaring popularity of Republican candidate Donald Trump.
At 87, Noam Chomsky shows few signs of fatigue or cynicism. Sitting amid overflowing bookshelves at his office at MIT's Department of Linguistics and Philosophy – where he has taught for over half a century – he speaks slowly, with professorial pauses. A few plants stand in the corners of his room lit by the muted winter sun. And there is Roxy, his personal assistant's particularly gentle cocker spaniel – Chomsky calls her a cat – quietly roaming about, occasionally fixing her curious gaze on visitors.
Chomsky's dissenting voice may have shaped the politics of generations, but nothing about him fits the stereotype of a "brooding intellectual". He makes fun of his colleagues and seems quite happy to be made fun of. "You have started resembling Bertrand Russell," jokes his personal assistant Beverly Stohl, suddenly struck by their similarity as her boss walks across the philosopher's imposing black and white portrait on the wall. "Oh, I do?" he asks with a laugh, barely audible. I too find myself distracted, comparing him with Russel. They did look a bit alike if you looked at the pearl-white hair — Chomsky's curling around his ears— and the pointed noses.
Over the last six months, Chomsky has been commenting extensively on the 2016 US presidential elections. On the one hand, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders – who has brought income inequality on to the table – is drawing considerable support. He has managed to raise about $33 million for his campaign, shattering individual donor records. On the other, someone like Trump on the Republican side is leading in the polls.
In Chomsky's view the apparently contradictory trends are reflections of the same phenomenon. "It is also something you see in Europe. The impact of the neoliberal programmes of the past generation almost everywhere has been to undermine democratic participation, to impose stagnation or sometimes decline on the majority of the population and to concentrate wealth very narrowly, which of course then in turn affects the political system and how it works."
And this is seen in different ways, in different places, but some phenomena are common. In Europe, the mainstream more or less traditional parties – Social Democratic, Christian democratic – are declining. "At the edges you are getting increased activism and participation, both Left and Right. Something similar is happening here [in the US]."
An ever-growing anger among wide sections of the population and a hatred of institutions is visible. "There is plenty of anger and good reasons for it, if you look at what is happening to people." Citing a recent study in the United States that points to increasing mortality rates of less educated, white men in the age range of 45-55 years, he says: "that just does not happen in developed societies."
"It is a reflection of depression, hopelessness, concern that everything is lost – nothing is in our lives, nothing is in our futures, then at least show your anger." The propaganda system in the US, in England, in continental Europe is designed to focus that anger on people who are even more deprived and miserable – such as "immigrants, 'welfare cheats', trade unions and all kinds of people who somehow you think are getting what you are not getting".
The Trump phenomenon
Donald Trump at a political rally. Credit : Michael Vadon
The anger then is not focused on those who are really responsible – the power-hungry private sector or the huge financial institutions which are basically supported by tax payers. "But don't look at them, look at the people who are even below you – like a mother with dependent children who lives on food stamps, she is the one who is a problem. Some of the immigrants fleeing from the destruction that the US caused in Central America and are trying to survive, so look at them – and that's the Trump phenomenon," says the political theorist, presenting his analysis of Trump's ever-growing hate speeches that seem to resonate with some sections of the US's population.
The data is not precise enough to be sure. It is commonly said that these are angry blue collar males, but they are probably lower middle class when you look more closely. They are white collar professionals, those running small businesses and people who have been pushed out of the system. "You can understand the appeal – at both edges of the political system. It is coming from similar roots, but pointed at a different direction."
The other group that leaders like Trump seek to please are the nativists, according to. Chomsky. Therefore, they employ the rhetoric of "They are taking our country away from us." 'They' being, minorities, immigrants and others. "It used to be a nice white Anglo-Saxon country but it's gone." That sentiment, he says, makes the US an increasingly terrified population, probably the most frightened country in the world. "It has been the safest country in the world for a long time, but if you look at fear it is overwhelming. The fear of ISIS is higher in the United States probably than it is in Turkey." This sense of deep insecurity also explains the "crazy gun culture".
Even the Republican establishment – essentially bankers and corporate executives that run the party – are unable to get rid of candidates like Trump.
Earlier in the case of Mike Huckabee or Rick Santorum the party establishment managed to "crush them" using advertising and other such means. "This is the first election they can't do it. They are amazed, they are upset, and the Republican establishment is going berserk."
And that, Chomsky says, is because the anger around the anti-Washington sentiment, which he thinks should actually be anti-corporate sentiment, is so overwhelming. "You can see it – like the Supreme Court right now is probably going to undermine what remains of public service unions."
That sentiment is popular in much of the country, he says, where people ask 'why this fireman should get a pension when I can't get a good job.' "Well the reason why he has a pension is because he accepted lower wages, that's why he has a pension. That requires thought and organisation. In a society of isolated people where each person is alone with his Fox News and iPhone people don't understand what is happening. It is happening here in this fashion and it is happening in Europe in other ways, but I think these phenomena are very real."
'Sanders, a New Dealer'
He sees Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, as appealing to a huge part of the population which is basically traditionally progressive. "Though he happens to use the word socialist, it just means New Dealer."
Chomsky considers Sanders a New Deal democrat, which in today's political spectrum is way off on the left. President Eisenhower would look like a radical leftist in today's spectrum, literally. Eisenhower said that anyone who questions New Deal measures – a series of domestic measures introduced in the US in the 1930s as a response to the Great Depression – is just out of the political system. "By now practically everyone questions them, Sanders is unusual in that he upholds them."
Bernie Sanders. Credit: Mark Nozell/Flickr CC 2.o
On earlier occasions Chomsky has said that the Sanders campaign is valuable for flagging some important economic issues, but the senator wouldn't be able to do much even if he is elected president – "which was unlikely in the system of bought elections" — for Sanders would be alone with virtually no Congressional support .
Situating the Sanders movement within broader political shifts in the US and globally, Chomsky says one of the things that has happened in the neo-liberal period, in Europe too, is that all the parties have moved to the right.
"Today's Democrats, Clinton-style Democrats, are pretty much what used to be called moderate Republicans. And the Republicans just went way off the spectrum. They are so dedicated to service to wealth and the corporate sector that they simply cannot get votes on their own programmes." In order to just try and stay in the political system, they try to mobilise sections of the population that have always been there but were never really politically organised — like evangelical Christians.
On state spending on public services, which repeatedly figures in the US election campaign, Prof. Chomsky says people's opinion is varied and nuanced, often coloured by racist ideas.
Obama, a target for racists
Even people who call themselves conservatives say they want more spending on education, on health, but not on welfare which, he says, has been demonised by "Reagan racism". Foreign aid presents another interesting case. "When you ask people what they think about foreign aid they say it is way too high, we are giving everything away to undeserving people. When you ask them what they think foreign aid is they estimate it way beyond what it is. When you ask them what it should be, they want it to be much higher than what it actually is. Things like that are consistent over a long period."
Chomsky calls the US healthcare system "an international scandal", and an outcome of what he terms the neoliberal assault. This is happening in England too. The National Health Service in England is probably the best health system in the world. They are now trying to dismantle it and turn it into something like the American system which is one of the worst in the world."
The American healthcare system is about twice the per capita cost of comparable countries and has some of the worst outcomes. The reason, he says, is straightforward. It is privatised, it is very inefficient. There is a huge bureaucracy. And companies are interested in profit, not health. "Ask the population what they think. For years, people have been in favour of national health care. When Obama came along with his proposal, almost two thirds of the population was in favour of what was called a public option. But despite public opinion, national health care was not even considered."
Obama's proposal, which was a mild improvement on the scandalous system, is opposed by most of the population because they see it through the propaganda system as the government harming their healthcare. "In fact, it is kind of interesting that it is called Obamacare even by the Democrats, even by his supporters. Why is it called Obamacare? Medicare was introduced during the Johnson administration. Is it called Johnsoncare? This is just a reflection of straight racism." It became rather evident during Obama's presidency. "A lot of hatred of Obama, which is unbelievable, is really visceral racism. There is still a large part of the Republican that thinks he was born somewhere else – Kenya, he is a Muslim."
"In fact, recent polls show that about a quarter of Republicans think that he maybe Antichrist. That is tied up with the fundamentalist, religious tales about Armageddon, Antichrist and Jesus having a battle, and the saved souls rise to heaven maybe in our lifetimes. These are big things in the United States. That's where the Republican base is now."
(Meera Srinivasan is the IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow 2015-16)
Categories: External Affairs, Featured, World
Tagged as: 2016 US Presidential elections, Bernie Sanders, dissent, Donald Trump, Noam Chomsky, Obamacare, religious fundamentalism, Republicans, US foreign policy
Deuce ☂ Sun Jan 31, 06:44:00 PM EST
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is infusing his closing argument to Iowans with Biblical references as his campaign visits some of the state's conservative strongholds.
Cruz has made courting Iowa's evangelical Christians a cornerstone of his campaign and he has long tapped the Bible in his stump speech.
At a stop Saturday at Darrell's Place in Hamlin, Iowa, Cruz urged his supporters to "awaken the body of Christ that we may pull back from the abyss."
The line drew loud cheers from the western Iowa crowd.
BURLINGTON, Iowa — Marco Rubio's first questioner was blunt: "On your decision-making, will you follow God's word?"
For the next few minutes, Rubio sounded more like a Sunday school teacher than a presidential candidate holding an early January town hall. He talked about John the Baptist, he referred to Jesus as "God made man," and he explained his yearning to share "eternity with my creator."
Then, he answered the question: "Yes, I try every day in everything I do."
DES MOINES — IN the final, furious days of campaigning here, it was sometimes hard to tell whether this state's Republicans were poised to vote for a president or a preacher, a commander or a crusader.
The references to religion were expansive. The talk of it was excessive. A few candidates didn't just profess the supposed purity of their own faith. They questioned rivals' piety, with Ted Cruz inevitably leading the way.
A rally of his devolved into an inquisition of Donald Trump. Speakers mocked Trump's occasional claims of devout Christianity. Rick Perry, the former Texas governor, pointedly recalled Trump's admission last summer that he never really does penance.
Cruz, in contrast, "probably gets up every morning and asks God for forgiveness at least a couple of times, even before breakfast," Perry told the audience.
The evangelist or the apostate: That's how the choice was framed. And it underscored the extent to which the Iowa caucuses have turned into an unsettling holy war.
Religion routinely plays a prominent part in political campaigns, especially on the Republican side, and always has an outsize role in Iowa, where evangelical Christians make up an especially large fraction of the Republican electorate.
But there was a particular edge to the discussion this time around. It reflected Trump's surprising strength among evangelicals and his adversaries' obvious befuddlement and consternation about that.
Cruz's whole strategy for capturing the presidency hinges on evangelicals' support, as Robert Draper details in The Times Magazine.
He rails against abortion rights and same-sex marriage in speeches that sound like sermons, with references to Scripture and invocations of God.
He ended a question-and-answer session with Iowans that I attended in a typical fashion, asking them to use the waning hours until the caucuses to pray.
"Spend just a minute a day saying, 'Father, God, please,'" he implored them. "Continue this awakening. Continue this spirit of revival. Awaken the body of Christ to pull this country back from the abyss."
But righteousness is a tricky business. It has a way of coming back to bite you.
A super PAC supporting Mike Huckabee produced an ad for both radio and TV in which two women express doubts about Cruz's commitment to Christian causes, saying that he speaks in one way to Iowans and in another to New Yorkers whose campaign donations he needs.
"I also heard that Cruz gives less than 1 percent to charity and church," says one of the two women.
"He doesn't tithe?" asks the other. "A millionaire that brags about his faith all the time?" They conclude that he's a phony.
You can't make this stuff up.
Idaho Bob Sun Jan 31, 07:34:00 PM EST
It is sadly obvious that both you and Chomsky are of the devil.
What can be done about this ?
I don't know, I don't know, I DON'T KNOW
Reading the end of the last thread, and trying to skip past rat's inanities and hatred, I did come upon this:
" Looking at the issues, I agree with about 90% of the positions Trump currently takes. It's the other 10% that drive me crazy. That and his mouth."
W H A T ?????
Is this the same Quirk that of recent date called The Donald, and The Sarah, and, as an afterthought, threw me in too, a 'fascist' ?
Or is someone imitating Quirk here ?
The Donald has been giving Iowa kids rids in his Big Donald Jet !
I like that......cool !!
That's the Donald for ya, the guy that brought the Republican Party back from the Tombs.
If only the Democrat Party had such a Savior.
Alas, all they've got is a Criminal, a Commie who never had a job, and a duck named Mallard.
If only The Donald would give The Quirk a ride on The Big Donald Jet, The Quirk would support him 100%
Jack Hawkins Sun Jan 31, 08:19:00 PM EST
So says Robert Peterson, a draft dodger, identity thief and bank fraudster.
Really Boobie, can't you say anything positive, or has depression taken over your soul?
The Quirk doing his due diligence studying up on the 'position papers' of all these candidates makes me roll on the floor in laughter and tears.
After the voting is over, all these 'position papers' end up in restrooms in use for another purpose.
Quirk isn't this dumb. He must be really really bored.
Yup, a fly in The Big Donald Jet is what he needs....
Some youthful jihadis Down Under came up with the bright idea of packing explosives on/in a kangaroo - the pouch would be a good site - and sending Joey out on a suicide bombing mission.
They were found out - and the plot was foiled.
You would have known this had you been reading that great site JihadWatch daily, as I do.
There was a good and long article in American Thinker the other day arguing that the protections of the 1st Amendment should be denied to Mooselims.
This would require a Constitutional Amendment.
I will post this when I get another large burst of posting energy.
Question of the Day:
How many counties has Iowa ?
Why can't you sign in to your Google account?
‹^› ‹(•¿•)› ‹^› Sun Jan 31, 08:45:00 PM EST
galopn2 Sun Jan 31, 08:20:00 PM EST
None of this has much to do with "religion." Trump is going to win Iowa; in fact he's probably going to get more "evangelical" vote than either Cruz, or Rubio.
Actually, this is all about the Black Man in the White House. The election of Barack Obama threw a large chunk of the White, Republican folks into shock.
It's all about Racism, and the fear of a coming loss of White Privilege.
Even if I were drunk I would know how to google 'counties iowa.'
Too bad the blog administrator had to disappear the suggestion from our resident genii that Constitutional Rights should be apportioned by Religion.
What is "Occupation" Sun Jan 31, 09:35:00 PM EST
Jack HawkinsSun Jan 31, 05:40:00 PM EST
No, not wrong at all, the Israeli not only sucked Obama's dick to get Pollard out of prison but are tonguing Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud asshole for pocket change.
Prostitution being legal in Israel, Bibi has no fear of prosecution.
Jack do you actually ever read the crap you spew before pushing the "publish" button????
Yep, Bibi is whoring out Israel, to the Muslims ...
Prostitution is legal in Israel, Spengler was right.
Spengler's Universal Law #9:
A country isn't beaten until it sells its women, but it's damned when its women sell themselves.
Hat tip: allen
Bibi is the pimp for an entire society, Israel has damned itself.
The 'suggestion' wasn't mine. I just found it an interesting article.
Here it is, Rufoid, you can read it yourself, and make up your own mind.
Do it quickly before our great believer in the 1st takes it down....
Islam and the First Amendment
By David Deming
Donald Trump created a media firestorm when he called for a moratorium on Muslim immigration to the US. Trump was denounced as a xenophobic racist -- as if Islam was not a religion, but a race (go figure). Trump's announcement was apparently prompted by a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, where two Islamic terrorists killed fourteen people. The San Bernardino incident followed in the wake of a coordinated strike by ISIS in November that slaughtered 130 people in Paris, France.
It's an absurd but deadly circus. Time after time, Islamic terrorists murder innocent people, and leftists immediately fall all over themselves to embrace Muslims and declare Islam to be a "religion of peace." In my home state, the director of the Oklahoma chapter of CAIR denounced anti-Muslim rhetoric and warned, "hateful words too often lead to violence." Listening to this sort of propaganda one might obtain the impression that Christian Crusaders were massacring innocent Muslims. The reality is that Islamic terrorists worldwide are intent not just on the genocide of Christians but the replacement of Western Civilization by a universal caliphate. If any people doubt this, I would invite them to watch the Frontline documentary, The Rise of Isis.
A group called the Islamic Circle of North America has been putting up billboards in major cities in the US. The billboards read "Muhammad believed in peace, social justice, and women's rights." Of course he did. Muhammad's idea of peace and social justice was killing anyone who refused to accept his religion. And it is true that women have certain rights in Islam. So did African slaves in the antebellum South. Southern States enacted Slave Codes that detailed and protected these rights. It's easy to completely deceive people with half-truths.
Michael Moore scaled the heights of stupidity by standing outside the Trump Tower in New York City holding up a sign that read, "we are all Muslim." Moore knows we're not literally all Muslims, so presumably his message was that we're all capable of being victims of religious discrimination. President Obama has steadfastly refused to even acknowledge the existence of Islamic terrorism. The message we're supposed to take from this is that Islam is just another religion, like Buddhism, Hinduism, or Presbyterianism.
In 1997, a left-wing think tank in the UK, the Runnymede Trust, coined the neologism "Islamophobia." "Islamophobia" is now defined in a lengthy Wikipedia article as "prejudice against, hatred towards, or fear of the religion of Islam or Muslims." A phobia is an irrational fear. Thus the term by its very existence presumes what necessarily must be demonstrated: that dislike of Islam is irrational.
We're repeatedly assured that Islamic terrorists are not Islamic, that Islam is a religion of peace, and we should wholeheartedly embrace our peaceful Muslim brothers and open our borders to them. We're supposed to accept all of this while we're being slaughtered like sheep. What makes the promulgation of this nonsense possible and acceptable to a large segment of our society is simple ignorance. According to a recent Pew Poll, most Americans "know little or nothing about Islam."
I know something about Islam, and I'm writing to tell you that it's worse than you think. When Donald Trump suggested a cessation to Muslim immigration he didn't go far enough. We need a Constitutional Amendment to exclude Islam from the protections of the First Amendment. I hesitate to suggest such a radical idea, but will explain myself at length.
There was a time when I would have wholeheartedly embraced the extension of religious toleration to Islam. The idea that Islamic terrorism is promulgated by a tiny, radical minority that does not represent the heart of the faith is certainly a plausible proposition for anyone who has not studied the history of Islam. It is precisely because I know something about Islam and its history that I am led to the conclusion that our Constitution must be amended........
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/01/islam_and_the_first_amendment.html
Robert "Draft Dodger" Peterson, your 1st Amendment right is secure. Google is available for you to post post to your hearts content. Chances are you would not get many views, but ...
Last time I looked my Google+ page had over 477,000 view
Content is king.
What is "Occupation" Mon Feb 01, 08:41:00 AM EST
14 followers|478,201 views
Wow that's some computer program you have, getting 14 followers to visit your own site, repeatedly
Deuce, give me 350 words that you promise to never take down and I will take the trouble of telling you what I really think of you, and why.
You'd be surprised. A lot of it would be positive.
Casino Time.
Some guy in Germany had that idea about apportioning "Rights" based on Religion. What was his name, again?
How did that work out?
Maybe there's a reason that most Jews vote Democrat.
69% of the Jewish vote went for Obama in 2012
78% went for Obama in 2008
76% for Kerry
79% for Gore
78% & 80% for Clinton.
Always voting for the Democrat, our Jewish citizens all the way back to 1920 when only 19% voted for the Democrat, but 38% voted for the Socialist candidate.
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/jewvote.html
Joint operations: 79 terrorists killed, 48 IEDs and 4 booby-trapped vehicles detonated
(IraqiNews.com) Kirkuk – On Sunday, Joint Operations Command announced the killing of 79 terrorist and the detonation of 48 improvised explosive devices, as well as four booby-trapped vehicles and 13 hideouts belonging to ISIS around the country in the last 24 hours.
Media officials to the Ministry of Defense said in a press statement, "The security units managed to deal with a number of targets during their advance in al-Sijariya area," pointing out that, "The security units were able to kill 30 terrorists, while destructed 4 machine guns and 10 hideouts, in addition to dismantling 7 improvised explosive devices."
The statement added, "The Army Aviation carried out 8 operations, killing 14 terrorists, including two snipers and destructing 3 hideouts, as well as two gatherings of the terrorists."
The statement continued, "The 14th brigade's units carried out a liberation operation in Albu Shagl area backed by the Army Aviation, Iraqi Air Force and the international coalition aviation, killing 15 terrorists and detonating a booby-trapped vehicle, as well as dismantling 41 improvised explosive devices," indicating that, "The 1st Rapid Intervention Brigade killed 5 terrorists during the liberation of al-Naeimiya area and al-Tofaha Bridge."
Iraqinews
sam Sun Jan 31, 10:08:00 PM EST
As the Muslim population is growing in Dutchess County, a gathering was held at Masjid Al-Noor in Wappingers Falls Sunday to educate community leaders on Islam and talk about the negative impacts of Islamophobia.
"Every religion has extremists…" Clare Chapman, executive director of the Dutchess County Interfaith Council, said. "We don't just stand with you, we are all standing together."
Not Violence
Abdurrahman Mustafa, the president of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly, said ...
There are reportedly many dead and wounded [from this latest bombardment]. We have also learned that the regime has started to capture the Turkmen village of Kelez in the Kürtdağı region. In the Bayırbucak region, Turkmens hold only two villages out of 40 Turkmen villages," Mustafa said.
He added that the Russians are using "the same tactics as Israel uses in Gaza," firing cluster bombs at the Turkmen villages of Sallur, Kelez and Alçabayır. "Turkmen troops are continuing their resistance in this region but there is no way that civilians can live here anymore," he stated.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkmens-escape-to-turkey-from-russian-al-assad-fire-in-syria.aspx?pageID=238&nID=94550&NewsCatID=352
One of my favorite economic reports comes out at 8:30 ET, tomorrow - Personal Income and Spending for Dec.
Spending is expected to come in a bit weak (0.1,) but I'm expecting a smallish surprise to the upside.
We'll see - later. :)
Both Turkish and NATO radars detected a Russian jet violating Turkish airspace, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Sunday, rebuffing Russian claims that the violation was "pure propaganda."
"Turkey has absolutely no intention of escalating tension with Russia, but we remain sensitive about protecting our airspace," Davutoglu added.
Quirk Sun Jan 31, 11:35:00 PM EST
Same guy.
sam Mon Feb 01, 12:12:00 AM EST
Speaking to the Republican Jewish Coalition in December, Trump made a speech riddled with Jewish stereotypes, such as: "Look, I'm a negotiator like you folks; we're negotiators." And: "I know why you're not going to support me. You're not going to support me because I don't want your money."
Another Trump observation: "A well-educated black has a tremendous advantage over a well-educated white in terms of the job market. . . . If I were starting off today, I would love to be a well-educated black, because I believe they do have an actual advantage."
And when he launched his his campaign, he made a broad-brush accusation against Mexico and Mexicans: "They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing . . . drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."
Quirk Mon Feb 01, 12:33:00 AM EST
Oh, was that Trump? Trump, Palin, the faux farmer from Idaho, it's hard to remember which one said what. Easy to get them confused.
Idaho Bob Mon Feb 01, 01:31:00 AM EST
"faux farmer" ?
Well I never......that does just go too far.
Jack Hawkins Mon Feb 01, 03:58:00 AM EST
We know you never were a real farmer, Robert "Draft Dodger" Peterson, and now you admit it.
Funding of the Palestinian Authority -- and Fueling Terror
Where western aid really ends up.
Joseph Puder
0
1
Western humanitarian aid to the Palestinians is complicit in fueling terror attacks against Israel. Little has been done on the part of European governments to curb the PA incitement and terror attacks against Israelis, despite Israeli presentations in western capitals showing how European Union (EU) humanitarian aid to the Palestinians is being used to fund terror. The U.S. Congress pressured the Obama administration to cut economic aid to the Palestinians by $80 million (reducing it from $370 million to $290 million) in the fall of 2015, due to Palestinian incitement in a rash of stabbing attacks against Israelis.
Still, the U.S. government alone provided the Palestinians with an amount of $408,751,396 in 2014. The European Union contribution in 2014 was $139,402,221; the United Kingdom's $95,328,127; Sweden's $79,975,260; Germany's $54,838,742 and Norway's $35,911,782. Together, with other western governments including Japan, Switzerland, Australia, Netherlands, Denmark, France, Italy, Belgium, Finland, and Ireland, the total came to over $1 billion. That amount reflects only government contributions and not non-governmental agencies (NGO's). Global Humanitarian Assistance reported that the international humanitarian response from 2002 to 2011 provided the West Bank and Gaza Palestinians with $6.7 billion.
Few other people in the world or in a given territory have received the generous aid and as much attention from the international community as the Palestinians have, certainly not the Kurds or the Tibetans who have suffered persecution and been denied self-determination. In terms of per capita dollar amount, Palestinians are on top of the list. According to a report by the Global Humanitarian Assistance, in 2013 the Palestinians received $849 million in International aid. This amounted to $176 for each Palestinian, by far the highest per capita in the world. Syria, where more than 250,000 people were killed and 6.5 million refugees have been displaced since 2011, received only $106 per capita.
The New York Times reported on December 18, 2007 that, "Eighty-seven countries and international organizations pledged $7.4 billion in aid to the Palestinians on Monday, in the most ambitious fund-raising effort in more than a decade to help Palestinians create a viable, peaceful and secure state of their own."
In itself, humanitarian aid to the Palestinians is a positive and welcomed gesture, provided that the aid goes to build an economic, social, and political infrastructure, as well as the rule of law in the Palestinian territories. If the funds provided by American, European governments and NGO's were to be used for the creation of a civil society that is promoting democracy, religious tolerance, and peaceful coexistence with Israel, every cent would be worthwhile. Regrettably, that is not the case.
Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) translating the Palestinian Authority (PA) official daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (January 6, 2015) headlined "47% of the PA budget goes to civil servants, prisoners (in Israeli prisons for committing deadly terrorist acts), and families." The story in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida goes on to say that "The PA Ministry of Finance published a statement of clarification to the press yesterday evening, in which it responded to the declarations attributed to Hamas Deputy Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh.
On the issue of the declaration made by Hamas Deputy Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh who said that "there is no truth to the claim that the PA spends on Gaza 55% of the PA budget. We, in the Ministry of Finance believe that it is necessary to clarify that in practice, we transfer no less than 47% of our budget for the benefit of our brothers in the southern districts (i.e., Gaza Strip). These expenses include salaries of over 63,000 civilian and military employees, as well as the salaries of the prisoners (terrorists in Israeli prisons), the released prisoners (released by Israel as a good will gesture to restart negotiations with the PA, and as requested by the Obama administration), and the families of Martyrs (Shahids in Arabic) and wounded (in terrorist clashes with Israel)."
It is unambiguously clear that donor funds are supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization identified as such by the U.S. and its western allies. Yet, the international community entrusts the welfare of Palestinians in Gaza to Hamas. Moreover, donor funds are used to pay salaries to Palestinian terrorists convicted of killing and wounding Israelis. Terrorists killed while committing acts of terror are considered martyrs by the PA, and their families are receiving stipends. That surely was not the intent of the donor countries. And yet, despite the use of western tax-payers money to such nefarious recipients, western money continues to flow to PA and Hamas coffers.
Palestinian Media Watch recorded on September 17, 2015 PA President, Mahmoud Abbas' statement in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, "Every drop of blood that has been spilled in Jerusalem is holy blood as long as it was for Allah. Every martyr will reach paradise, and everyone wounded will be rewarded, Allah willing." The incitement to murder Israeli-Jews comes directly from top Palestinian officialdom, and these blood curdling calls for murder are broadcasted on Palestinian state television.
According to Tzipi Hotovely, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister, "reports compiled in June, 2014 by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the PA's annual budget supporting Palestinian terrorists was then roughly $75 million. That amounted to some 16% of the foreign donations the PA received annually. Overall in 2012, foreign aid made up about a quarter of the PA's $3.1 billion budget. More recent figures are inaccessible since the PA is no longer transparent about the stipend transfers." Exposed for misusing foreign aid to terrorists and their families, the PA has simply shifted the distribution of stipends to Mahmoud Abbas' led Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Still, PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah announced in September, 2015 that the PA will continue to provide "necessary assistance" to terrorists.
Hotovely also pointed out that according to the World Bank, between 1993 and 2013 the Palestinians received $21.7 billion in development assistance. Instead of using these funds for economic and social development, the Palestinian leadership used the money to fund Hamas' terrorist activities, to beef-up the terrorist infrastructure, and for the acquisition of weaponry. Hamas on its part used the funds to facilitate cross border attacks against Israel, dig tunnels into Israeli territory, and fire thousands of missiles at Israel.
The Ramallah based PA has done nothing to rehabilitate the refugee camps with the billions of dollars it has received, choosing instead to deliberately keep Palestinian refugees in a state of dependence and underdevelopment as "cannon fodder" against Israel. In addition, the PA expends huge resources to promote anti-Israel hate propaganda.
Western aid to the Palestinians was premised on bringing about peaceful coexistence between Palestinians and Israel. Billions in Western aid money to the Palestinians has gone unmonitored and without strict guidelines. As a result, instead of fulfilling the aim of peaceful coexistence, a large portion of the humanitarian assistance has gone to do the opposite - to vilify Israel, Jews, Christians, America, and the West. Moreover, millions of western dollars have funded the Palestinian media, mosques, and school system that incites Palestinians to violence and terror against Israeli Jews.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/261665/funding-palestinian-authority-and-fueling-terror-joseph-puder
What do the Clintons have on Obama ?
That is an interesting question.
Enough ?
The balance of power here favors Obama.
It's Hillary trying to buy him off with a Supreme Court appointment.
Did Hillary just offer Obama a bribe in front of the entire world?
By Russ Vaughn
Clinton campaign events are known for being highly scripted and at least some questions from Hillary's audiences most certainly are plants, providing the candidate a setup to respond in such a way as to make her look like a really nice, downhome person or really on top of a particular subject. Such was the situation recently when a questioner at a Hillary Q&A seemingly admitted that he had been given his softball question for the frontrunner about which former president she most admired. Such situations are not new for Hillary with charges of planted questions arising in all of her past and current campaigns.
With that in mind, one has to be very suspicious of the recent question asked of Hillary about whether she would consider appointing Obama to the Supreme Court if she becomes president. We all know Hillary is a less than skilled public speaker so the feigned surprise she shows at the question and her prepared response are far from genuine:
"Wow, what a great idea. No one has ever suggested that to me, I love that, wow. He may have a few other things to do but I tell you that's a great idea."
Sorry, Hill, while your acting skills just aren't up to carrying that off as being a spontaneous occurrence, that's only part of the problem because I'm sure I wasn't the only American watching that arranged exchange whose initial response was, "Whoa, did I just hear the Democrat frontrunner for president float a bribe to the sitting Democrat President of the United States right in front of the entire world?" Anyone watching could see the unspoken implication was, "Hey, Barack, make sure no indictment prevents my election and one of the most coveted, lifetime positions in the world can be yours when your presidential term is over, wink, wink."
While that, folks, was even less subtle than dragging a hundred dollar bill through a trailer park, you do have to admire the way it was set up so as to shield Clinton from any political charge of attempted bribery or obstruction of justice by her opponents. Unsurprisingly it comes on the heels of Hillary's recent proclivity to gushingly praise the Obama presidency whereas earlier she'd done everything possible to distance herself from that failed administration. Pundits mull that changing position as being an attempt to stay ahead of her uber-liberal opponent, Bernie Sanders. Cynics like me see it as a naked attempt to stay ahead of an obviously justified indictment from the Obama Justice Department. Whether or not that indictment ultimately happens while Obama is in office is clearly freighted with such enormous political weight that crudely dangled bribes for a cushy sinecure aren't likely to affect it.
Besides, Hillary, Supreme Court Justices probably don't get enough time on the links to appeal to Barack Obama; plus they are based in Washington, D.C. not Oahu. Nice try though; at least we know you Clinton's are still dragging those hundred dollar bills, so to speak.
While that, folks, was even less subtle than dragging a hundred dollar bill through a trailer park, you do have to admire the way it was set up so as to shield Clinton from any political charge of attempted bribery or obstruction of justice by her opponents.........
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/01/did_hillary_just_offer_obama_a_bribe_in_front_of_the_entire_world.html#ixzz3yuI8IoHk
In a perfect world the entire leadership of the Democrat Party would be in prison.
Charlton Mon Feb 01, 06:36:00 AM EST
Who Received Hillary's Secret Emails?
By James Lewis
Congressman Darrell Issa has predicted that Hillary and Huma will never be indicted for leaking top-secret information through their illegal email scam.
"I think the FBI director would like to indict both Huma and Hillary as we speak," the Republican heavyweight told the Washington Examiner Thursday[.] ... "I think he's in a position where he's being forced to triple-time make a case of what would otherwise be, what they call, a slam dunk[.] … You can't have 1,300 highly sensitive emails that contain highly sensitive material that's taken all, or in part from classified documents, and have it be an accident[.] … There's no question, she knew she had a responsibility and she circumvented it. And she circumvented it a second time when she knowingly let highly-classified material get onto emails in an unclassified format."
Issa's comments come just two days after former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, claimed he has friends in the FBI who "tell [him] they're ready to indict and they're ready to recommend an indictment. ... They also say that if the attorney general does not indict, they're going public," DeLay said Tuesday during an interview on Newsmax TV.
If H&H are not indicted soon, FBI and DOJ career lawyers may retaliate by leaking additional evidence about Hillary's criminal, irresponsible, and dangerous malfeasance in high office. Hillary is therefore deeply implicated in the worst hostile penetration of the U.S. government since Stalin.
Huma's lifelong collaboration with the Nazi-era Muslim Brotherhood has been thoroughly documented. Four Americans died in Benghazi while Hillary and Obama dodged their constitutional responsibility to order U.S. rescue forces to knock down attackers belonging to al-Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM) – apparently because Obama was convinced he could do a deal with al-Qaeda. We know how well that worked out.
Our Cairo embassy was assaulted by an organized jihad mob on the same day – 9/11/12 – and the Ikhwan was almost certainly involved in both assaults. Mohammed Morsi, the Ikhwan chieftain, was president at that time and was therefore responsible under international law for protecting the American embassy in Cairo.
We now know a great deal about Hillary's email scam, but we do not know the most crucial pieces – namely, who received Hillary's and Huma's secret emails? Emails have recipients. In the case of the Clintons, they also have quid pro quos. When Hillary's confidants deliberately removed USG classification markers from the State Department's secure email system, they engaged in criminal violations of the U.S. Code, including forgery by deletion of legally required classification labels. Others, like General Petraeus, have been convicted for far less egregious violations of law.
The Constitution states that impeachment and trial by the Senate apply to the secretary of state (Article II). If we had a U.S. Congress worth its salt, Hillary would already be in the dock.
We have not been told – yet – who received Hillary's emails. But we can make reasonable guesses, because we know the Clintons. They will happily sell out national security for big money, just as in Bill's eight years. The Clintons welcomed White House visitors with known links to the Chinese mafia, because they were shielded by the most treacherous and corrupt media in American history. Without media collusion, the Clintons would have been gone long ago, along with the Obamas. But Clinton/Obama sleaze reflects the entire Democrat/RINO/media complex. The fish rots from the head and from the tail.
So where did Hillary and Huma send those emails?
Here are some guesses.
1. To Bill Clinton, who was almost certainly in collusion with H&H, and to Sid "Vicious" Blumenthal.
2. To the Saudis, including Walid Bin Talal and Mohammed Salman, the new "defense minister" of Saudi Arabia, who is the very aggressive power behind the Saudi king. (King Salman is said to be suffering from senile dementia).
The former head of the Wahhabi priesthood just told the world that ISIS's bloodthirsty campaign is following religiously sanctioned jihad. Just to give you some idea about our friends the Saudis, they are unbelievably primitive.
Other likely email recipients:
3. Jihad supporters in Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE.
4. The mullahs and their enablers in Iran and Dubai.
5. European politicians and businesses who made big money from Obama's surrender to Iranian nukes. Germany has tripled its nuclear machinery sales to Iran since Obama's surrender "agreement."
6. George Soros, the biggest string-pulling money man in the Democratic Party.
7. Above all, the Muslim Brotherhood, including Huma's family, a major jihadist network with tentacles in Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, Turkey, and other Sunni countries.
The mass murderers of ISIS are also a product of the Ikhwan, the Muslim Broederbund, along with Gulf oil kleptocracies.
Early in this administration, Obama supported the Egyptian Ikhwan in its successful effort to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak. The coup against Mubarak was then reversed by Egypt's political-military establishment, which is all too familiar with the murderous fanaticism of the Moobs.
Today a mainstream political general, El-Sisi, has taken over in Egypt, and the regime is at open war with the Ikhwan, which also spawned Hamas and forty years ago assassinated Anwar Sadat for making peace with Israel.
The Ikhwan is now allied with ISIS in the Sinai Desert, whence it launches attacks on Egypt.
Just as there is no doubt whom Obama and Hillary were helping in the Benghazi betrayal, there is no doubt who their friends are in the email scam. Some reports claim that Obama's own email practices are just as shady as Hillary's, which puts the White House in yet another flaming conflict of interest. The email scam displays a mix of gross incompetence and criminal intent that is typical of the Obama/Clinton years. They simply don't care, because they know they have establishment protection.
The U.S. has had similar periods of corruption – after the Civil War, for example. But we were not a nuclear power then, and post-Civil War corruption did not endanger the entire world. Today's Obama/Clinton sleaze is closely linked to Obama's destruction of sixty years of Pax Americana, which has already killed hundreds of thousands in Syria.
Bare-faced violations of law at the top also corrupt and demoralize other levels of government, as well as those who depend on the United States to say alive in an increasingly dangerous world.
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/02/who_received_hillarys_secret_emails.html#ixzz3yuowuQbH
Hillary being nearly incompetent now - Huma says she is 'forgetfull' - electing Hillary will practically make Huma President.
Plato may have been on to something. His Republic didn't have a lot of voting going on but the leaders were separated out and trained up from youth....
.....God help us if the finger clicking co-eds succeed in electing Hillary.
If the FBI Director and a large number of his staff do not resign, if Mrs Clinton is not indicted, the leaks will be meaningless.
That's the reality of the situation.
If they are not willing to put Country over self, well, their protestations and leaks will have no standing with the public at large.
Prostitution is legal in small parts of America.
It is illegal in Israel.
Once again, you are wrong.
Can you live with that Jack?
Wrong again. You lie, distort and twist facts and slander Israel and the Jews.
thanks for being so bad at it that even a retard can see you for what you are.
A perfect example of a legend in his own mind...
What is "Occupation"Mon Feb 01, 08:41:00 AM EST
Sounds like how Clinton's twitter was astroturfed....
Jack has narcism as several folks here have stated...
Narcissism is the pursuit of gratification from vanity or egotistic admiration of one's own attributes. The term originated from Greek mythology, where the young Narcissus fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool of water.
Narcissism is a concept in psychoanalytic theory, which was popularly introduced in Sigmund Freud's essay On Narcissism (1914). The American Psychiatric Association has had the classification narcissistic personality disorder in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) since 1968, drawing on the historical concept of megalomania.
Narcissism is also considered a social or cultural problem. It is a factor in trait theory used in various self-report inventories of personality[1] such as the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory. It is one of the three dark triadic personality traits (the others being psychopathy and Machiavellianism).
Except in the sense of primary narcissism or healthy self-love, narcissism is usually considered a problem in a person's or group's relationships with self and others. Narcissism is not the same as egocentrism.
Yep this is Jack or Rat....
Reminds me of Gollum from the Lord of the Ring...
Jack that is...
Stories of grandeur...
Exaggerated self worth...
Thing about clinical narcissism is it's self defeating.
If I remember correctly, poor Narcissus fell in the pool, and dun drowned, at least in one rendition of the old myth.
As was said above, a due regard to oneself is a necessity, even for survival, the trick is not to let it get out of control. One doesn't want to get infatuated with one's image or one ends up with water in the lungs.
Megalomania is a bitch. One can start bragging about being involved in super secret operations off the coasts of Panama with the CIA, NSA, Defense, and all sorts of shit, and make a total idiot of oneself.
As for hookers, used to be legal in the Kellogg/Wallace and Orofino areas in Idaho, among other spots. Even in Moscow if you go back a long ways.
Illegal in Vegas now, though the place is filled with 'escort services'. All you got to do is look in the Yellow Pages.
Someone said hooking was the world's oldest profession.
I think it came in with farming, and the earliest cities, so you can blame it on me. The Paleolithic hunter/gather/fisher folk didn't seem to have a culture of it.
Jack Hawkins Mon Feb 01, 01:26:00 PM EST
Prostitution, Israel's "Growth Industry"
Oh, interesting to see that there have been another thousand views to the Google + page.
Content is still King
What is "Occupation" Mon Feb 01, 06:37:00 PM EST
Slander becomes you.
Sounds like Jack, or whatever his name this year, is projecting.
After all WE ALL KNOW the crimes of Jack (insert his real name here) they are well documented.
Jack, have you ever heard of the story of the guy living in the glass house and throwing rocks?
LOL.....
Jack still stalking the wrong Jew?
So well documented you cannot document a single one.
Typical Zionist, or should we say NASI propaganda
That is the fantastic thing about the National Socialists,...
that they simultaneously share in a community of ideas with Soviet Russia and with Zion."
― Victor Klemperer, I Will Bear Witness: A Diary of the Nazi Years, 1933-1941
Ah it's been "documented" time and time again...
So well that you ran away for a few months a couple of times...
Well Jack, a FEW of us KNOW who you are now...
And we are not intimidated by your threats...
Sure I was once, then after that whole me calling the AZ FBI on you, reporting you for cyber threats , you remember?
At 1st you bragged that you had a mole inside the AZ field office and you "read" the ONGOING investigation on me...
You remember?
Or do you now CHOOSE to forget you tried to libel me by saying the FBI was investigating me as a foreign agent??
Do you remember Jack?
Or has all that pot and booze fogged your brain?
You remember your stalking of the Chocolate Emporium people?
Vague memory eh Jack?
There is war coming again from Gaza (hamas) and Lebanon & Southern Syria (hezbollah)
Tunneling, shootings, IED's and rockets are all on the uptick.....
It will be painful.....
Plato on to something in the Republic?
Philosophic pap devoid of common sense or any understanding of human nature which institutionalizes a caste system and the primacy of the state ruled by philosopher kings, read dictators.
Once again, the faux farmer expresses his preference for a fascist system.
galopn2Sun Jan 31, 08:20:00 PM EST
its all about ideology.
The "whites" of this nation have voted for Obama to be president 2 times. They have elected him
Now the democrat party has put up 3 whites, (a hippy commie jew, an old woman and an irishman)... Not a person of color to be found.
The GOP? has a top ranked surgeon that is placing in the middle (a black) and a couple of latinos....
hardly an issue of "white privledge"
Quirk Mon Feb 01, 01:34:00 PM EST
Actually, this is all about the Black Man in the White House.
The statement itself sounds racist. Sounds like something Krugman would say.
Yep, it is racist, and it is illustrative of the racism that permeates US culture.
Because it is an accurate assessment of the opposition to the Affordable Care Act, developed by the Heritage Foundation and championed by the GOP candidate for President.
Well, championed before Mr Obama embraced it, then the GOP and their candidate had to be against it.
So, the Affordable Care Act stands as proof positive it is not about ideology.
Jack's a stalker, and that's fer shur.
I figure if I put something up, anything at all, any topic at all, Jack will show up right soon, right beneath me, with his blah blah blah.
I find it a little disconcerting, even spooky.
It's the MO...
attention seeking disorder...
I've driven by the famous Cotton Tail Ranch outside of Vegas a couple times.
Not to stop.
I decided Quirk could cab it back to Vegas.
Most seductive hookers I've ever seen in my life were in a working class district in Paris, France off from the Champs whatever it is called, up from the river a bit.
Good God !
These young ladies of the night were seductive sin incarnated, standing there in doorways, or under the street light....
Never did stop there, either.
Hemingway in an early article described a one legged old hooker in Paris after World War I, down on her luck.
One of the saddest sights he had seen up to that point, he said.
galopn2 Mon Feb 01, 12:39:00 PM EST
Lest anyone misremember the facts, Barack Obama got 39% of the White Vote in 2012.
How They Voted 2012
Barack Obama was put into office by a Large Majority of the Non-White Vote, and a minority of the white vote.
Idaho Bob Mon Feb 01, 12:46:00 PM EST
The racist blacks voted color.
'A Large Majority' of the black vote being like over 95%.
Talk about voting race !
And the blacks haven't gained 10 cents out of the deal, either.
Everything I read indicates their position is worse now than before the Savior was elected.
The Savior has helped the illegal immigrants, who compete for jobs with real Americans, and the mooselims, though.
Obammie is off visiting a mosque right now...one associated with the MB and Cair and Hamas.
A solid bloc of voters for the Democrats, our Jewish citizens.
Going all the way back to 1924.
In 1920 only 19% voted for the Democrat, but 38% voted for the Socialist candidate.
Obama Job Approval:
Approve 49%
Not Approve 47%
Per Gallup Feb. 1
Charlton Mon Feb 01, 01:33:00 PM EST
Hillary's a danger to American life even when sitting at home, alone, key boarding -
Oh my: Hillary e-mail contained "operational" intel; Update: State proposed workaround for nonsecure system
posted at 10:41 am on February 1, 2016 by Ed Morrissey
"Convenience" has a high price, no? According to a new exclusive report from Fox's Catherine Herridge and Pamela Browne, the State Department had to take the unusual step of hiding 22 e-mails from Hillary Clinton's secret server completely from public view because they expose operational intelligence, which could damage "sources, methods, and lives." The top-secret intelligence data didn't come from a single exchange over a purportedly interagency dispute, but from across the entire time Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State:
Highly classified Hillary Clinton emails that the intelligence community and State Department recently deemed too damaging to national security to release contain "operational intelligence" – and their presence on the unsecure, personal email system jeopardized "sources, methods and lives," a U.S. government official who has reviewed the documents told Fox News.
The official, who was not authorized to speak on the record and was limited in discussing the contents because of their highly classified nature, was referring to the 22 "TOP SECRET" emails that the State Department announced Friday it could not release in any form, even with entire sections redacted. …
The official emphasized that the "TOP SECRET" documents were sent over an extended period of time — from shortly after the server's 2009 installation until early 2013 when Clinton stepped down as secretary of state.
We have analyzed this in terms of 18 USC 793 in the past, which makes gross negligence in handling this kind of data a felony. It's worth pointing out again, especially given that this statute does not require that such data carry a classification, although it certainly helps for prosecutions:
(f) Whoever, being entrusted with or having lawful possession or control of any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, note, or information, relating to the national defense, (1) through gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of his trust, or to be lost, stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, or (2) having knowledge that the same has been illegally removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of its trust, or lost, or stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, and fails to make prompt report of such loss, theft, abstraction, or destruction to his superior officer—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
Mike Pompeo makes the point that no one could possibly mistake the serious nature of intelligence at this level:
"There is no way that someone, a senior government official who has been handling classified information for a good chunk of their adult life, could not have known that this information ought to be classified, whether it was marked or not," he said. "Anyone with the capacity to read and an understanding of American national security, an 8th grade reading level or above, would understand that the release of this information or the potential breach of a non-secure system presented risk to American national security."
Pompeo also suggested the military and intelligence communities have had to change operations, because the Clinton server could have been compromised by a third party.
"Anytime our national security team determines that there's a potential breach, that is information that might potentially have fallen into the hands of the Iranians, or the Russians, or the Chinese, or just hackers, that they begin to operate in a manner that assumes that information has in fact gotten out," Pompeo said.....
http://hotair.com/archives/2016/02/01/oh-my-hillary-e-mail-contained-operational-intel/
Klink Time:
Good Lord; you gotta be the dumbest motherfucker alive.
That Democratic Attorney General is going to send down an indictment any moment, now. 3, 2, 1, . . . . . .
Will the FBI Director resign, if there is no indictment?
Will a bunch of his subordinates follow him?
He threaten to do so when he was Assistant AG, GW Bush believed him
Mr Obama used that episode as a character reference when Mr James B. Comey was nominated to be the FBI Director.
If there is no indictment, and Mr Comey does not resign, there is nothing there.
James B. Comey's Draft Resignation, March 2004
Resignation letter drafted by former Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey after a dispute with the White House over reauthorization of warrantless domestic surveillance.
http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/investigative/documents/comey-resignation-2004.pdf
Less than a full page, a quick and easy read.
Well, there's nothing to resign over, here. They told him to do an investigation, and he's doing an investigation. No emails were received that had a secret classification. In one case, there was a reference to a New York Times story about a drone attack.
Prior to the email being released, the CIA jumped in and wanted it "classified" due to it being about a "classified" topic ie drones.
A couple of right-wingers at CIA saw an opportunity to jump in and raise a little fuss right before the Iowa Caucus (and, it might have been successful, her polls got a little wobbly right after the upchuck.)
You're the only one here, you dumb fucking Mississhitti swamp rat, that has actually said you might vote for Hillary, who is responsible for the deaths in Benghazi, deaths all over Libya, and O so much more, more than we may even know about.....
We need to bring back the literacy test for voting.
To get rid of YOU, The Rufoid, the dumbest motherfucker in the Galaxy.
That the Democrat Attorney General might not bring an indictment just shows how fucking corrupt the Democrat Party truly is.....which you seem to think a swell thing....
YOU are a DISGUSTING MORON.
Rufus, dumbest man in the Universe.
I said that I am Definitely voting for Hillary.
Then you are Definitely the Dumbest Fuck In The Universe.
What you have just said is that you would vote for Hillary even if this afternoon she killed Chelsea in broad daylight.
Most people I have read think Comey will recommend an indictment.
If O'bozo tells Justice not to proceed, a Republican President probably would tell his Justice Dept. to proceed.
A question arises as to whether a President could issue a blanket pardon to a person for crimes not under indictment at the time he leaves office.
Don't know the answer to this wonderful question, but it shows the shit state of things in the USA today due to the Democrat Party.
This election cycle is at least interesting.
Rufus Rufus Rufus Rufus Rufus is a moron.
Ash Mon Feb 01, 03:44:00 PM EST
Afraid to post that under your own login are you Bob?
Ash Ash Ash Ash Ash Ash is another moron.
I'm on my new computer, Ash, where I can watch Fox.
Ash Rufus might say:
Go blow Rufus. You are made for one another.
Word is, Hillary is shipping in caucus goers from out of state.
Fancy that.
Kid Rock: Let Trump run U.S. like a 'f---ing business'
By Nick Gass
| 02/01/16 04:47 PM EST
Kid Rock thinks the U.S. needs a "f---ing change", and he thinks Donald Trump is the presidential candidate who will deliver it.
"I'm digging Trump. I feel like a lot of people, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, feel like if you get Hillary or Bernie, or you get Rubio or Cruz or whoever, there's going to be the same s---," he told Rolling Stone in an interview published Monday.
Story Continued Below
The rock star supported Mitt Romney in 2012, but in 2016 he's looking outside the mainstream: "Has that much f---ing changed when anyone's in office, whether it's been a Republican or a Democrat in office, in our lifetime, anyway?" he asked.
"I haven't really seen this big, like, f---ing change. Obviously some people f---ed up. That's a long debate," he went on. "My feeling: let the motherf---ing business guy run it like a f----ing business. And his campaign has been entertaining as s---," he said.
Kid Rock also said he thinks Trump will win the nomination and has mostly agreed with what the Manhattan billionaire mogul has been hawking.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/donald-trump-kid-rock-2016-election-218554#ixzz3yxz4pkca
Kid Rock added:
"F--k Hillary and f--k all Hillary supporters"
And then Kid Rock added to his added:
"And make sure to f--k Ash, too"
So Kid Rock thinks Trump should take the U.S. into bankruptcy?
From what the Kid Rock has said so far, we can't be sure.
Trump may have to though, after O'bozo running up the National Debt to 25 trillion dollars.
(that's a lot of money)
It would be good, Kid Rock would probably agree, to have a President who knows the f--king bankruptcy laws, and the f--king banks ("The banks are KILLERS") when staring insolvency in the eye.
Jack Hawkins Tue Feb 02, 12:01:00 AM EST
The Congress, Robert "Draft Dodger" Peterson allocates the spending, the Republican controlled Congress is running up the debt, not the President.
You ought to take a Civics class at your local community college.
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How can I update my EFT information?
EFT information cannot be added by the vendor via ColoradoVSS. EFT information has to be added in our internal system by the department that is paying monies to a vendor. If you are granted a State award either through ColoradoVSS or outside of it, please work with the agency or other State entity making the award to have your EFT information processed.


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Irish Lottery News
Ireland Only Raffle To Make A Millionaire On Friday 5th July
Last Updated: Monday 1st July 2019, 16:01 pm
One EuroMillions player is guaranteed to become a millionaire in the Ireland Only Raffle on Friday 5th July. A special draw has been scheduled to give one of the ten lucky raffle winners an additional €1 million, boosting their payout to €1,005,000.
How the Raffle Works
You are automatically entered into the Ireland Only Raffle at no extra cost if you buy a EuroMillions ticket in Ireland. You receive a unique code for every line of numbers you play on the main game, consisting of four letters and five numbers. It is easy to identify the code on your ticket as it will always begin with an 'I', but the rest of it is random.
Ten winning codes are randomly selected alongside every EuroMillions draw, and the prize per winner in a standard draw is €5,000. However, Friday's big event will be slightly different to normal, with one of the winning codes selected in a separate draw to receive an extra €1 million. The other nine ticket holders will still receive their €5,000 as normal.
To enter Friday's Ireland Only Raffle, you just have to purchase an entry the same way as any other draw. Just remember to check your raffle code as well as your EuroMillions numbers after the draw. It is entirely possible that you could win a raffle prize and a EuroMillions prize on the same night.
The odds of winning the raffle vary from draw to draw depending on how many tickets are sold, but your chances are better than in some other raffles run by other National Lotteries as there are always ten winners rather than just one or two. Your chances also improve if you buy more tickets.
Special Raffle Draws
The draw on Friday 5th July will be the first Ireland Only Raffle of its kind for almost a year, making it a special occasion for fans of the game all over the country. A ticket holder from Waterford scooped the last €1 million prize in August 2018, while there were a few other draws in 2017 and 2018 which guaranteed that one player would become a millionaire.
The Irish National Lottery has also held promotions in the Lotto Plus Raffle, splitting an extra €1 million prize pot between all the winners rather than selecting one at random. The Lotto Plus Raffle is a supplementary game to Irish Lotto, but you have to pay a small additional fee to take part in all the Lotto Plus games, whereas there is no extra cost to play the Ireland Only Raffle.
Irish players have enjoyed a huge amount of success in 2019, most notably the EuroMillions players from Co Dublin who won €175 million back in February, and now another millionaire is sure to be created in time for the weekend. You have to be in it to win it, though, and you can either visit an authorised retailer to buy your ticket or take part online. Good luck!
Latest Lottery News More Irish Lottery News

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Transfer Updates: Paul Pogba & Manchester United
Posted by by Muntasir Rashid Posted by by Muntasir Rashid 17:04, 24 June, 2022 3 Min Read
Last Updated:17:04, 24 June, 2022
© Twitter
EPL: Saturday Night Results
June is about to end. But Manchester United haven't signed a single player yet. Moreover, Paul Pogba and several senior players have left the club. Pogba has re-united Juventus after a long six years.
Paul Pogba Joins Juventus
Paul Pogba, the French world cup winner, joined the Italian side, Juventus. However, it's not the first time for Paul Pogba to join Juventus FC. Pogba was an academy graduate of Manchester United who made his senior debut in 2010. After playing two years on Man United senior team, Paul Pogba joined Juventus in 2012 for the first time. It was a free transfer as the contract between Pogba and Manchester United expired.
However, Manchester United resigned Paul Pogba in 2016 with a record transfer fee (€105 million). Since then, Pogba played at Man United for six years. Moreover, Paul Pogba was one of the highest-paid players at Man United. But, France international denied renewing his contract with the Red Devils after playing six years. As a result, his contract expired on the first week of June 2022, and Paul Pogba became agent-free.
Don't miss: EPL: Sunday night results
It's a great opportunity to sign Pogba on a free transfer. So, many top clubs approached him to sign this summer, including Manchester City & Real Madrid. But, Pogba only wanted to play for Juventus. The reason he did not wish to stay in England is that English fans have been blaming him on the pitch. Despite being an academy graduate, the fans of Manchester United criticized him a lot. That is why Pogba became desperate leaving England.
Anyway, Pogba won the UEFA Europa League for Manchester United in 2017, which was also the last trophy of Man United. Since then, Man United haven't won a single silverware. On the other hand, Pogba won Serie A with Juventus four times. He also won two Italian Cups and three Italian Super Cups for Juventus. All this previous history made Pogba confident that he can do better at Juventus. That is why Pogba rejected other offers and joined Juventus.
Tags: Juventus F.C. Manchester United Paul Pogba
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Remember Veterans Day With a Visit To The National World War I Museum
By Diana Lambdin Meyer Published on Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Photo provided by Bruce N. Meyer
November 11 is Veterans Day and to celebrate banks will close, furniture stores will offer sales and a handful of Americans might even fly the red, white and blue.
However, will you be among those who pause at 11 minutes after 11 a.m., facing the east to remember the reason this national holiday was created in the first place?
Visitors to the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City will do just that, honoring that moment in time when the armistice was signed in Paris ending the most bloody conflict the world had ever seen, the one called "the war to end all wars."
2014 is the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I and more than ever, this national museum located in Missouri is a destination for those who seek a better understanding of why it started and better yet, why it didn't stop there - why there was another world war just a generation later, and why many conflicts today can be traced to that fateful treaty signed in Paris.
The first national monument and museum outside of Washington, D.C. opened in December 2006 in Kansas City at the base of the Liberty Memorial, a 217-foot tall obelisk and National Historic Site that honors those two million Americans who fought in WWI. The museum is on General John Pershing Boulevard, named for the Missouri native who was the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe.
Crossing into the museum over a field of 9,000 red poppies, each one representing 1,000 people who died in WWI, is the last glimpse of color or brightness visitors experience as they become surrounded by the story of black, gray, brown and mud that became this wars palette.
The stage is set in the orientation film, which explains the period of transition in which European nations were growing and evolving. Modern prosperity of the early 20th century was considered as great a factor in the explosion of World War I as was the assassin's bullet that killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austro-Hungary on June 28, 1914. Within days, 36 countries were embroiled in a battle that continued for more than four years.
Among the nearly 52,000 items brought to life through the harsh realities of early 20th century warfare are a Bavarian 15-centimeter howitzer, a French troop-transport boxcar, a 1917 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a rare German Pour le Merite medal.
Check out the French-made Renault FT-17, the kind that George Patton used in the battle of St. Mihiel. Be sure to walk around behind the tank and get a good look at the big hole created by a German shell.
Pause for a moment while looking at the gas masks, considering how hot and uncomfortable, but necessary they were. Ypres, Belgium in 1916, you'll learn, is the first time chemical weapons of mass destruction were unleashed on human beings.
But the museum is not just about looking at things - it's about experiencing and understanding this war. The misery was at its worst in the trenches, nearly 25,000 miles of them created a maze along the 450 miles of the Western Front. When you blow up all of the buildings, the trees and any natural cover, leaving a no-man's land filled with barbed wire and mud, the only protection possible is to dig a trench. That's why a shovel was more important to a soldier in WWI than a rifle.
A recreated trench weaves its way around the museums exhibit area. Poke your head in one end and you recognize right away that the Germans were encamped for the long haul. Their trenches are engineering marvels, reinforced with concrete and wooden planks.
The other end of the trench demonstrates conditions for Allied soldiers, muddy, narrow little troughs held together with sticks and debris recovered from the battlefield. Troops ate, slept, fought and died in these disease-ridden channels that were shared with rats, lice and human waste.
"When I visited the Holocaust Museum, I had a physical reaction. I was physically ill, and I want people to have the same experience after visiting here to know how difficult war is and what our people died for," said Carl DiCapo, one of the museum's primary fundraisers and supporters.
Unfortunately, the peace treaty that was signed on November 11 was not the end of all wars. That's why, as nations continue to kill each other for complex, simple or non-existent reasons, Veterans Day should be recognized with a visit to the National World War I Museum in Kansas City.
Have you been to the World War I Museum in Kansas City? What did you think?
The REAL ID Deadline is Approaching: Are You Ready?
What is the REAL ID Act and how could your travel plans be affected?
Travel Insurance for Backpacking: Why Is It Important?
Your bag when backpacking is heavy enough. Here's how travel insurance can help take some weight off your shoulders.
A Midwest farm girl at heart, Diana Lambdin Meyer caught the roaming bug early in life. Diana married well - to a photographer who also has the travel bug and whose work in still and video complements her words. Now based in the Kansas City area, Diana is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers who makes a full-time living on the road and at the keyboard. Read about Diana's adventures on her blog, Mojotraveler or follow her on Twitter or Google Plus.


You've taken an important step by choosing to pre-plan. Congratulations. By taking steps to arrange these important plans now, you've taken a large burden off of your beloved family, providing them with greater peace of mind. You're relieving your family of the cost that can be associated with planning a funeral, allowing them to celebrate and honor your life. And finally, you're ensuring that every last detail is planned according to your own wishes and needs.
Pre-planning is much like it sounds, it is making the decisions of how you would like to be remembered. It allows you to make your wishes known to your loved ones and gives you the opportunity to create a unique celebration...just how you would have wanted it. Pre-funding is the next logical step in the planning process. Your loved ones will greatly appreciate you pre-planning as it alleviates questions like "I'm not sure what he would have wanted". However, knowing your choices still leaves a financial burden for those left behind. Pre-funding allows you to pay for your funeral plans, saving loved ones from incurring those costs. There are several different options of pre-funding your funeral which our funeral director will guide you through.
Yes, your arrangements are yours and can be transferred. The process of pre-arranging is a benefit to you and your family... It's not a way to lock you into being served by a specific or previous funeral home.
Atkins-Northland Funeral Home and Cremation Servicedoes not require this. In MN each cemetery has their own regulations regarding a burial vault or outer burial container.
Yes, we offer three options, designed for in-ground burial of cremated remains. We have a wide selection available, so we are sure we can help you find a beautiful option that is a good fit for your taste and preferences.


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Q: Ractive isn't capturing a change from jquery-ui datepicker I'm using jquery-ui's datepicker with a Ractive template, and the two-way binding doesn't seem to be working properly.
My input looks like this:
<input type="text" value="{{value}}" decorator="picker">

Then I'm instantiating the date picker through the "picker" decorator:
decorators: {
            picker: function(node) {
                $(node).datepicker();
                return {
                    teardown: function() {
                        $(node).datepicker("destroy");
                    }
                };
            },
        }

The datepicker shows up perfectly, but value doesn't get updated properly.  If I through and observer on {{value}} I see that Ractive doesn't think the value has changed once it's been set by the datepicker.  If I click into the field, and back off again (losing focus), the observer triggers, and the value is set.
In my decorator I can setup a callback to trigger using the datepickers "onSelect" event, but how do I force a ractive change event from the decorator function?
decorators: {
    picker: function(node) {
        $(node).datepicker({
                onSelect: function(dateValue) {
                    console.log("datevalue set");
                    //I've tried this already
                    $(node).change();
                    //and
                    $(node).trigger("change");
                    //neither work
                }
        });
        return {
            teardown: function() {
                $(node).datepicker("destroy");
            }
        };
    },
}

A: In the decorator function, this refers to the current ractive instance, so you can call ractive.updateModel() to let it know the model needs to be updated based on the view:
decorators: {
    picker: function(node) {
        var ractive = this
        $(node).datepicker({
                onSelect: function(dateValue) {
                    ractive.updateModel()
                }
        });
        return {
            teardown: function() {
                $(node).datepicker("destroy");
            }
        };
    },
}

(See http://jsfiddle.net/arcca09t/)

Edited
The current version of ractive use the as-* convention for decorators, you should edit the html like this:
<input type="text" value="{{value}}" as-picker>

A: ractive no longer uses decorator attributes like that.  But martypdx's suggestion sent me in the right direction.

$(function(){
  var r = new Ractive({
      el: document.body,
      template: '#template',
      data: {
          value: null
      },
      decorators: {
          picker: function(node) {
              var ractive = this
              $(node).datepicker({
                  dateFormat: 'yy-mm-dd',
                  onSelect: function(dateValue) {
                          ractive.updateModel()
                      }
              });
              return {
                  teardown: function() {
                      $(node).datepicker("destroy");
                  }
              };
          },
      }
  })
})
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/ractive@0.9.5/ractive.min.js"></script>

<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js">
</script>
<script src="https://code.jquery.com/ui/1.11.1/jquery-ui.js"></script>
<script id='template' type='text/ractive'>
    value: {{value}}
    <br>
    <input type="date" value="{{value}}" as-picker>
</script>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 49(8):1688–1696, AUG 2017
DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001276
Endocannabinoid and Mood Responses to Exercise in Adults with Varying Activity Levels
ANGELIQUE BRELLENTHIN;KEVIN CROMBIE;CECILIA HILLARD;KELLI KOLTYN;
1Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI; and 2Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Acute aerobic exercise improves mood and activates the endocannabinoid (eCB) system in physically active individuals; however, both mood and eCB responses to exercise may vary based on habitual levels of physical activity.PurposeThis study aimed to examine eCB and mood responses to prescribed and preferred exercises among individuals with low, moderate, and high levels of physical activity.MethodsThirty-six healthy adults (21 ± 4 yr) were recruited from low (≤60 min moderate–vigorous physical activity [MVPA] per week), moderate (150–299 min MVPA per week), and high (≥300 MVPA per week) physical activity groups. Participants performed both prescribed (approximately 70%–75% max) and preferred (i.e., self-selected) aerobic exercise on separate days. Mood states and eCB concentrations were assessed before and after exercise conditions.ResultsBoth preferred and prescribed exercise resulted in significant increases (P < 0.01) in circulating eCB (N-arachidonoylethanolamine [AEA] and 2-arachidonoylglycerol); however, increases in AEA (P < 0.05) were larger in the prescribed condition. Likewise, both preferred and prescribed exercise elicited positive mood improvements compared with preexercise values, but changes in state anxiety, total mood disturbance, and confusion were greater in the preferred condition (P < 0.05). Changes in 2-arachidonoylglycerol concentrations were found to negatively correlate with changes in depression, tension, and total mood disturbance in the preferred condition (P < 0.05), and changes in AEA were positively associated with changes in vigor in the prescribed condition (P < 0.05). There were no significant group differences for mood or eCB outcomes.ConclusionThese results indicate that eCB and mood responses to exercise do not differ significantly between samples with varying physical activity levels. This study also demonstrates that in addition to prescribed exercise, preferred exercise activates the eCB system, and this activation may contribute to positive mood outcomes with exercise.


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Where to Go in Germany
Heidelberg is visited by a great number of tourists throughout the year, due to the different events held in this city all year round.
One of the most popular events in Heidelberg happens during February. It is called the Ball of the Vampires, or Ball der Vampire. This is a big vampire-themed party, where all attendees are required to look like vampires. The ball is held annually either at a local castle or at the city hall.
The Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival also takes place here in Heidelberg every year, in the month of November. At this annual event, newcomer directors come together to showcase their work to the international community.
And at the end of the year, people come together at a Christmas market. A favorite Christmas (or even all-year) gift in the city is the Studentenkuss – "student kiss" in English – a disk-shaped chocolate that is a favorite among visitors and locals alike.
Despite its name, the Romantic Road wasn't originally created to be a road where lovers and newlyweds hang out. In the Middle Ages, it was unromantically used as a trade route.
Still, this 261-mile road between the Alps foothills and Wurzburg has become one of the favorite places for tourist to go if they want a scenic road trip, for the road passes through monasteries, towns with timber houses, lush green parks, courtyard restaurants, and lengths of pristine nature.
You will also see a lot of old castles, such as the Schloss Neuschwanstein Castle and the Harburg Castle, along this route.
Or stop by the towns on the way and experience their charm. Some of the best towns to visit are Dinkelsbuhl, Nördlingen, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
The Cologne Cathedral is a perfect example of Gothic architecture. In fact, it has been listed as one of Germany's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The Cologne Cathedral is the seat of the current Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Joachim Meisner. It was the world's tallest establishment from 1880 to 1884.
Aside from the unique architecture, the Cologne Cathedral is also visited by tourists because it holds within itself the Shrine of the Three Kings. This work of art is a gilded sarcophagus which was believed to date as early as the 13th century and is said to hold the skull remains of the famed three kings, or the three wise men, who visited Jesus in the manger when he was newly born.
Other famous sculptures found inside the cathedral are the Gero-Kreuz, which is one of the earliest known free-standing sculptures of the medieval period; the Mailänder Madonna, a wooden sculpture of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus; the miraculous Jeweled Madonna; and relics of Saint Irmgardis, a countess who lived a simple solitary life after giving her wealth away to churches, hospitals, and the poor.
The Neuschwanstein Castle was built for King Ludwig, who wanted a refuge, a world of his own, far from the prying eyes of the public.
However, the castle was opened to the public seven days after King Ludwig II's death in 1886. Today, the castle is visited by almost 1.3 million tourists per year and is known worldwide as the Castle of the Fairy Tale King.
Peak season happens in summer. Tourists come to see all the rooms which were once inhabited by a single person.
Many think that King Ludwig II used public funds to build his castle, but the truth is, the king used his own money, with the help of extensive borrowing from friends and family.
Today, this castle in Bavaria, Germany, is a popular setting for Hollywood movies. It also inspired the Sleeping Beauty Castle popularized in the well-known Disney movie "Sleeping Beauty."
The Black Forest – locally known as Schwarzwald – was first dubbed by the Romans as Silva Nigra because the large trees in the forest blocked almost all light from coming into the forest.
The Black Forest in Baden-Wurttemburg is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Germany. Authentic German cuckoo clocks are made from timber gathered from this forest.
The city of Baden-Baden, which is considered the gateway to the Black Forest, is popular with tourists because of the numerous therapeutic bath houses found there.
The nearby town of Triberg is home to the world-famous Black Forest cakes. It is also arguably the best place in the world to buy German cuckoo clocks.
Each year, certain plots of land in the Black Forest are selected and cleared of trees. After the clearing, new trees are planted to replace the trees that were cut.
The lumber taken from the Black Forest will then be used to create world-class wood carvings, which can be purchased in all the nearby towns.
Ten Interesting Facts about Germany
German Cuisine
What to do in Germany
Country name Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland)
Capital Berlin
Nationality German(s)
Official Language German
Currency Euros (EUR)
Internet country code .de
Independence 18 January 1871 (establishment of the German Empire)
Main Religion(s) Roman Catholic & Protestant
Climate Temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
Terrain Lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Natural hazards Flooding
National symbol(s) Eagle; national colors: black, red, yellow
When to Visit Germany


It's been more than a year since Marty Meehan took over as president of the UMass system, and for the first time in nearly a decade, the talk about which job or political office he may be aiming for next seems to have ceased. At least, temporarily.
Much of the lingering speculation around Meehan's political aspirations stemmed from the nearly $5 million that was still sitting in his campaign war chest when he left the U.S. House of Representatives in 2007.
During his eight years as chancellor of UMass Lowell, Meehan donated more than $1 million from that account to a variety of Democratic political campaigns, committees and charitable organizations.
It now sits at a cool $4.4 million, still the most of any former House member, while collecting an annual interest rate that helps to replenish the account.
So what does a former Democratic congressman who seems to have found his niche as president of a nonpartisan state university system do with millions of dollars during a presidential election year?
"I'm doing the exact same thing that I've been doing for the last few years, nine years, actually," Meehan said.
He will continue to donate to Democrats and there is a "high likelihood" that some of that money will factor into the presidential race.
As president of UMass, Meehan is, ostensibly, an apolitical figure. He donates solely to Democrats, he has said, because he wants to honor the intentions of the supporters who gave him the money in the first place.
"He can maintain a low profile and still give contributions, provided they're modest in scale," said Jeffrey Berry, a political science professor at Tufts University. "In a Democratic state like this, that won't raise a lot of eyebrows."
Meehan kept up a steady stream of political donations to former colleagues after leaving office, and that didn't change once he took the top job at UMass.
Since his appointment on May 1, 2015, Meehan has donated nearly $62,000 from his campaign fund to Democratic causes.
The Massachusetts Democratic Party and members of the state's congressional delegation have benefited.
In June 2015, U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas received $2,000 from Meehan's campaign committee and U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy got $4,000 -- $2,000 for the primary cycle and $2,000 for the general election. A month later Meehan donated $1,000 to a joint fund for Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, the former California attorney general who is now running for a U.S. Senate seat. In October, he gave $1,000 to U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark.
Even more money has gone to PACs and candidates in other states who Meehan knew from his time on Capitol Hill.
He gave $4,000 each to Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, who is running to reclaim his lost Senate seat; Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York; Ted Strickland of Ohio, a former governor now running for Senate; U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland; and U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia.
Campaign finance laws allow Meehan to use his leftover campaign money for any purpose that can reasonably benefit his political career. He is restricted to the same limits as any other individual donor.
"Having the money there still makes him a player," said Michael Goldman, a Democratic strategist. "That's an advantage that very few bureaucrats have.
"If I were his political adviser, I would be telling him absolutely, positively, unequivocally to do exactly what he's doing: Save the money, but don't be afraid to spend it."
It is no secret among Democrats that Meehan is sitting on a large pile of money. And as the party attempts to take back the Senate and reclaim seats in the House, those funds may be in high demand.
Meehan said he is already getting more requests as the election nears, but he likes to limit his political donations to ensure he can continue giving to charitable causes as well.
And at 59 years old, with nowhere left to rise within the UMass system, Meehan may not be looking to give all his hard-earned cash away anyway. It is not unthinkable that Meehan might have one last job in him.
"Anyone who is absolutely sure that Marty Meehan is not going to be a candidate again must be smarter than me," Goldman said. "He's still a young guy."


Learn how to make this rich, creamy, yet deceptively simple dessert.
Rice pudding is a rich and creamy dessert with a homey, old-fashioned flavor. It is simply made with rice, milk, and sugar, with a beaten egg sometimes stirred in at the end of cooking to add extra richness. Rice pudding can be flavored in any number of ways, is a snap to make, and is a great way to use up leftover rice.
1. Start your pudding with cooked white rice.
2. Combine the cooked rice, sugar, and the milk or cream in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
3. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid has reduced and the pudding has thickened. This should take about 20 minutes.
4. Stir in dried or fresh fruit, toasted nuts, or a dash of spice. Try a combination of bananas and cinnamon or toasted walnuts and a bit of nutmeg.
5. If you like a rich pudding, try mixing in a bit of beaten egg and some additional milk. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes to cook the egg and thicken the pudding. If desired, stir in a bit of cold butter to add sheen.