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Category Archives: Domestic Terrorists
Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due.
In thinking about the many problems that we face as a nation, it has become clear that the vast majority can be traced to policies enacted and supported by the Republican Party, a political party that has evolved from the party of growth and controlled spending (Eisenhower and Nixon) to the party of small government (Reagan and Bush I) to the party spreading global democracy (Bush II and Cheney) to a party intent on undermining our own democracy (Trump).
The GOP has coalesced around white supremacists and religious zealots to claim the title of "Faith and Flag" party. Yet few have any concept of ethics or patriotism. 147 Republican lawmakers assisted in the attempted coup of January 6, 2021, with the intent of helping a wannabe autocrat remain in the White House. Indeed, the party's love affair for autocrats and kleptocrats has been made clear by its many connections to Putin's Russia (see the Muller Report) and its invitation to Viktor Oban as the keynote speaker of CPAC.
Moreover, the party's thirst for power and its desire to court the favor of billionaires and multinational corporations seem to be the cause of many of our nation's most enduring problems.
Wealth inequity? By any measure the growing disparity between the ultra-rich and most working Americans has been caused by the GOP's longtime commitment to Trickle-Down economics. Rather than money trickling down to the working class, it has created a gusher of wealth flowing upward to the wealthy and large corporations.
Gun deaths and mass shootings? They're a direct result of the gun lobby's influence on the GOP and a fraudulent interpretation of the Second Amendment. Because of liberal gun laws, we now have more guns in this country than people. And the number grows by a million or two every year. Moreover, a growing number of crimes involve the use of unregistered ghost guns – many with inexpensive "Glock switches" that convert semiautomatics into fully automatics. But any attempt to restrict such lethal weapons is met with GOP obstruction.
Violence against people of color, ethnic groups, and LGBTQ people? Many GOP candidates have successfully campaigned with ads and rhetoric demonizing these communities and unfairly blaming them for our societal failings. And since words have consequences, hate crimes continue to rise.
Misogyny? The GOP and its evangelical supporters have long tried to relegate women to a secondary social status. And now the GOP majority Supreme Court has gotten into the act. By overturning Roe v Wade, it has put the economic, mental, and physical wellbeing of women at risk.
Climate crisis? The GOP and its oily supporters have long denied that humans have contributed to climate change through our addiction to fossil fuels. For decades, they sponsored fraudulent climate studies to support their denial. And though we are now suffering through the resulting consequences, the GOP is still fighting any attempts to address the problem. It is now almost inevitable that, in our lifetimes, we will see a massive rise in sea levels and the extinction of more than a million species – maybe our own.
Inflation? Though the GOP has blamed rising prices on an overheated economy, rising labor costs, and attempts to mitigate the climate crisis, in reality, inflation has been caused by corporate greed and supply chain issues following the GOP's failed response to the pandemic.
Corporate consolidation and the export of jobs? The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy reports that GOP policies have actually rewarded multinational corporations for sending jobs overseas. Other GOP policies such as "repatriating" offshore profits at bargain tax rates have led to corporate stock buybacks that reward shareholders, instead of creating jobs. They have also encouraged consolidation by creating incentives for corporations to buy out competitors rather than to compete with them.
Border invasion? There are many causes for the wave of asylum-seekers, refugees, and immigrants at our southern border. So-called Democratic "open border" policies are not among them. The "invasion" has overlapped both Democratic and Republican administrations. Not even the fence and the GOP cruelty of separating children from parents could stop it. And despite repeated calls for a comprehensive immigration policy, the GOP has blocked it.
Failing education? In public education funding, the GOP sees a large pool of taxpayer funds that could be used to create profits. That's why it is so determined to direct those funds to charter schools and private schools that are not subject to the same fiscal transparency as public schools. It also sees a well-educated public as a threat to its own survival – hence its current attempts to ban books along with those who would dare to teach an accurate account of slavery and genocide as part of American history.
Inequities in IRS audits? In its long-standing efforts to starve the federal government of revenue, the GOP has made draconian cuts to IRS funding and staff. As a result, the IRS does not have the resources to ensure that large corporations and the wealthy are paying their fair share of taxes. So, it has focused attention on ordinary citizens who don't have the benefit of high-priced tax accountants and tax lawyers.
Political division? For the cause of our conflicts look no further than the GOP and its propaganda outlets. Fox News pundits, rightwing radio hosts, social media, websites, and online podcasts all spew a steady stream of hate, misinformation and outright lies. All of this means that Americans no longer share the same set of "facts." As evidenced by the former president and George Santos, it's increasingly rare when the truth escapes a GOP mouth.
Posted in Climate Crisis, Corporations, Corruption, Crime, Culture, Current Events, Discrimination, Domestic Terrorists, Education, Elections, Environment, Greed, Guns, Immigration, Media, NRA, Politics, Privatization, Racism, Religion, Republicans, Supreme Court, Taxes, Women's Rights | Tagged Corporate Consolidation, GOP, Government, Gun Violence, IRS, Misogyny, Societal Problems, Trickle Down Economics
How Political Extremism Becomes Self-Sustaining.
When economic and societal problems go unaddressed, dissatisfaction with government grows. Far right extremists use that dissatisfaction to get elected. Then, when they're in the office, they ignore the problems to pursue their own ideological agendas. After all, it's not in their self-interest to solve issues they can use in their campaigns for re-election. Indeed, they may even pass legislation to make the problems worse. (Remember the Trump tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations that exploded the federal deficit? Or how about their cuts to the IRS which made it virtually impossible to audit the tax returns of the wealthy?).
To cover their deceit, the extremists blame others for the problems. They distract voters and create fear by vilifying minorities, such as people of color, immigrants, non-Christians, and the LGBTQ community. Meanwhile, real world problems such as the climate crisis, immigration reform, corporate consolidation, and wealth disparity worsen.
It's a cycle that has inspired some voters to embrace autocrats in the hope that a strong man unencumbered by democracy can make the desired changes. Indeed, that pattern has led reasonable people to embrace the world's worst dictators: Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Mao Zedong, and others.
Once the autocrats are in power, they attack and dismantle the institutions of democracy. They vilify the free press by calling it the enemy of the people and they replace it with propaganda outlets. To protect themselves, they undermine the judicial system by packing it with loyalists. They appoint loyalists in positions of authority throughout the government giving it the veneer of respectability while, in effect, turning it into a useful tool against any opposition. And they create doubt in the electoral process by claiming interference by the opposition and limiting those who are allowed to vote.
If all this seems a bit familiar, it is exactly how Donald J. Trump and his Republican allies operated. When enough voters recognized the attempt to destroy our democracy, Trump and his allies attempted a coup by challenging electors and encouraging violence resulting in the January 6 insurrection.
When the insurrection failed, they turned to propaganda to accuse Biden of inflationary policies and used the courts to drag out investigations long enough to gain a slim majority in the House. Given control of the federal purse strings and oversight committees, they are now in a position to investigate the investigators. Moreover, they can use their positions of power to create a flurry of propaganda and misinformation to further their cause – to replace democracy with the form of white Christian autocracy envisioned by their sponsors.
That much should be obvious to even the most casual political observers. The question is: Will ordinary Americans care enough to prevent it?
Posted in Climate Crisis, Constitution, Corporations, Corruption, Current Events, Domestic Terrorists, Economy, Elections, Government, Immigration, Justice, Media, Politics, Propagandists, Racism, Religion, Republicans, Taxes, Trump, Voter Suppression | Tagged Autocrats, Despots and Dictators, DOJ, GOP House, January 6 Insurrection
What To Expect From The GOP House Majority.
In short, nastiness, revenge, political posturing, and impeachments.
James Comer, who is expected to chair the Oversight Committee, will lead an investigation into the business dealings of Hunter Biden. (What's really on that laptop?) In doing so, he and the rest of the GOP members of the committee will almost certainly try to damage President Biden and, at the same time, justify the actions of the former president that led to his impeachment.
In a promised investigation of Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray, the incoming chair of Judiciary Committee will try to exonerate the January 6 insurrectionists, claiming they were mere tourists who were victimized by the Capitol Police, the FBI, and the DOJ. The coatless and tieless Jim Jordan will roll up his sleeves and attack. He'll insinuate, imply, and claim wrongdoing. He'll bully and threaten witnesses, all as part of a show for TV, most especially Fox News Channel.
Comer and the Oversight Committee are also expected to investigate the origins of Covid-19 and Dr. Fauci. In doing so, we may be treated to questions from that famed scientist, Marjorie Taylor Greene, such as the one she recently posed on Twitter: "If a pair of underwear, really thick ones, high quality cotton, can't protect you from a fart, then how will a mask protect you from covid?"
There will almost certainly be investigations of supposed election fraud in both the 2020 and 2022 elections. In that case, we may be treated to testimony from such notables as Kari Lake, Mark Finchem, Herschel Walker, and every other Trump-supported candidate who lost. In the process, we might even learn how many children Herschel actually fathered and how many abortions he's paid for.
In addition, Republican House members are likely to use the debt ceiling and the threat of a government shutdown to block much of the Democratic legislation that has already passed, such as infrastructure spending, support for Ukraine, and efforts to address the climate crisis.
So, buckle up. It's going to be ugly. Little will get done – at least nothing that will benefit you. But if you view it for what it really is – performative politics – it promises to be entertaining, if not downright laughable.
Posted in Climate Crisis, Current Events, Domestic Terrorists, Elections, Environment, Foreign Policy, Government, Politics, President Biden, Republicans, Trump | Tagged COVID-19, Hunter Biden, January 6 Insurrection, Pandemic, Ukraine
The GOP And Traditional Churches Have Suffered The Same Fate.
Posted on 6. October 2022 by admin
Both devoured from within by Bible-thumping, government-hating, election-denying Americans who are gleefully leading the attack on democracy and civility.
Traditional community churches have been overwhelmed by mega churches led by demagogues spewing prosperity gospel (the notion that sanctimonious zealots will receive riches beyond their imaginations through blind devotion to their version of the gospel). Despite its obvious contradictions to the teaching of Jesus, this is a compelling argument for those who reject critical thinking and believe in the infallibility of their leaders. Worse, this warped interpretation of the gospel is often accompanied by large doses of hate for non-believers, immigrants, and the poor.
Over the same period, the GOP has fallen prey to a conman who has embraced white supremacists and gun-toting, treasonous militias – his way paved by Lee Atwater's southern strategy which, following passage of the Voting Rights Act, reached out to the southern proponents of Jim Crow-style segregation; by James M. Buchanan's libertarian economics; and by Ronald Reagan's embrace of the ironically named Moral Majority led by Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and other power-hungry televangelists.
These two groups have merged to create the MAGA movement that threatens our nation today. Their shared grievances of seeing their white Christian majority diminished by immigrants of color, their disdain for expertise and education, their lack of compassion for the poor and the weak, their hatred of progressives has led them to embrace a would-be autocrat who they believe will restore power to the white Christian majority.
This new Republican coalition has even separated itself from GOP icons like Ronald Reagan, John McCain, Dwight Eisenhower, Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, dismissing them as weak and misguided, unwilling to take the steps necessary to maintain power and destroy the libs. Add to this toxic mix the millions of followers of Q-Anon with their wild conspiracy theories and you have a recipe for the destruction of the world's oldest and most powerful democracy.
Without serious opposition and intervention, the destruction is not only likely. It's almost inevitable whether by acceptance, inaction, or by violence.
To stop it, Democrats, liberals, and progressives must vote in numbers never seen before. Longtime conservatives must reject the current iteration of their party and vote for candidates of the only political party – the Democratic party – that still believes in democracy. To save our nation, they must eviscerate their party before they can restore it. They must ignore the threats from MAGAts and join with other longtime conservatives who have left the GOP, including former party leaders, candidates, strategists, and government officials, to build the party anew.
The US needs a political party to compete with Democrats. It needs a Republican party. Just not this one.
Posted in Corruption, Culture, Current Events, Domestic Terrorists, Elections, Government, Greed, Immigration, Politics, Racism, Religion, Republicans, Trump | Tagged Christian Evangelicals, Demagogues, Donald J. Trump, MAGA Movement, Moral Majority, Prosperity Gospel, Republican Party, Southern Strategy, White Christian Nationalists, White Supremacists
Fox News Has Gone Full Goebbels.
During a recent Laura Ingraham show in which she questioned Mike Pompeo about his interview with the Jan 6 committee, a headline appeared at the bottom of the screen reading "Dems prop up phony democracies abroad, shred ours." In other words, the radical conservatives are angry that we are supporting Ukraine and investigating the January 6th insurrection.
And the Ingraham show is not even the worst thing on Fox. Tucker Carlson, the multi-millionaire heir to the Swanson Foods fortune, takes partisanship to a new level in his show by blatantly promoting autocrats and white supremacists, by excusing Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, and by fawning over our deposed president and crime boss, Donald J. Trump.
Despite Fox calling its content "news", it has long been little more than a propaganda network for Republicans and Libertarians. Its schedule is packed full of hate, fearmongering, and falsehoods. So much so that it is increasingly difficult to distinguish it from the pre-World War II work of Joseph Goebbels. (Goebbels, of course, was famously known as the chief propagandist who helped Adolf Hitler rise to power.) In fact, it could seriously be argued that many of the Fox hosts, Newsmax, and other MAGA propagandists are more extreme.
This pattern of radical anti-Democratic (and anti-democratic) rhetoric has been going on since the end of the Fairness Doctrine in the late eighties. A number of TV, radio and podcast hosts (Sean Hannity, Alex Jones, Mark Levin, et al) are deeply involved in Trump's seditious conspiracy. And their rhetoric is getting worse.
It is abundantly clear that such propaganda is the primary reason for our nation's divisions. As Trump and his MAGA followers have labeled the legitimate press as "enemies of the people" for reporting the truth, Fox and the other propaganda outlets have promised to tell you the real story. And what a story it is – full of partisan distortions and lies which blame immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and people of color for many of our nation's problems.
They portray immigrants as criminals and "illegals." They raise fears that same-sex marriage will somehow undermine the marriages of heterosexuals. They portray people of color as "lazy thugs" who have destroyed the rule of law in our cities. Like Trump, they describe our nation as a democracy in decay with carnage in our streets.
Yet, in truth, it is the Trump supporters – the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, white supremacists, and violent militias – who have taken to the streets with guns and body armor. It is these MAGAts who tried to bully governors, legislators, and judges from instituting policies to mitigate the pandemic. It is the MAGATs who invaded our Capitol to threaten Congress with the apparent intent to murder individuals and overthrow an election. And it is their NRA's greed that has made Americans feel unsafe in theaters, in shopping centers, in churches, at concerts, even at schools.
There are other striking similarities between the Republican MAGAts and Nazis. They both intended to seize power based on bullying and armed insurrection. And they both aimed their hatred at minorities.
And even though the insurrection of January 6th was stopped, the Republican Party's attempts to destroy our democracy continue. The propagandists are unbowed, and their falsehoods are unabated. Moreover, recognizing that knowledge is a threat and a counter to propaganda, the GOP continues its attacks on education and the educated. For decades, the GOP has dismissed and ridiculed expertise. It has dismissed economists who proclaimed trickle-down economics an abject failure. It has ignored the negative impact of tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. And it has ridiculed the vast majority of the world's scientists who warned about the devastating impacts of climate change.
Republicans have undermined public schools by slashing their budgets and channeling tax dollars into private schools through vouchers. They have threatened teachers for schooling their students in our nation's history of slavery and the genocide of natives. They have sought to marginalize LGBTQ students. And their push for private schools allows conservatives to prioritize Christianity in classrooms over science.
Republicans have also exposed the flaws of mainstream television networks. By trying to appear nonpartisan, the networks too often offer airtime to Republicans intent on spreading falsehoods and hatred. Moreover, by presenting news in soundbites without context, the networks offer a distorted and incomplete version of the truth which makes it more difficult to counter the Republican narrative.
Of course, social media plays a part in the conservatives' attack on democracy by creating information (more accurately, disinformation) silos where many people go for their news. It is in those silos, hidden from the public eye, where extremists, seditionists, and insurrectionists can go to reinforce their twisted ideas and plot their attacks on civil society. And despite the claims of those who profit from social media, little has been done to enforce decorum on their sites and to block disinformation.
Unfortunately, there is little government can do to counter all of this. Certainly, it can prosecute crimes as they happen. And we can vote out those who would destroy public education. But given our constitutional rights to free speech and a free press, we can't stop the propaganda. We can only make a real effort to inform ourselves and seek the truth. Let's hope that's enough.
Posted in Climate Crisis, Constitution, Crime, Culture, Current Events, Discrimination, Domestic Terrorists, Economy, Education, Elections, Government, Greed, Guns, Immigration, Justice, Media, NRA, Politics, Propagandists, Racism, Religion, Republicans, Science, Taxes, Terrorism, Trump | Tagged Donald J. Trump, Fox News, Genocide, Insurrection, January 6, MAGA, Newsmax, Sedition, Slavery
The GOP's Clown Car To Autocracy.
Posted on 4. August 2022 by admin
No, that's not hyperbole. And, no, Donald Trump, the narcissistic and wannabe autocrat, is not on the ballot. But, across the nation, many equally seditious and treason-adjacent candidates are. They call themselves Republicans. And some of them make the conspiracy-loving Marjorie Taylor-Greene, the gun-toting Lauren Boebert, the insurrectionist Paul Gosar, and the alleged child sex trafficker Matt Gaetz seem almost moderate.
For example, in Arizona, Trump acolyte Mark Finchem will carry the Trump banner forward as the Republican nominee for Arizona Secretary of State. If he wins, he will be in control of the state's elections. What makes this prospect frightening is that he is still a firm believer in the Big Lie – that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Not surprisingly, he was also in Washington, DC for the January 6th insurrection. If elected, he plans to ban electronic voting machines and ban early voting making it far more difficult for low-paid workers to cast their ballots. And, given his past, imagine what he might do if, once again, the vote totals were not in favor of his preferred candidate.
In the race for Arizona governor, the GOP will offer one of two horrific choices: the Trump-endorsed bat-crap crazy Kari Lake who says she would have overturned Biden's victory in Arizona, or the Pence-endorsed theocratic Karrin Taylor Robson. Both are legitimate threats to democracy. And, in the race for US Senate, Democratic incumbent Mark Kelly will face off against Blake Masters, a libertarian, Big Lie-embracing, billionaire-funded venture capitalist. Masters believes that our history of slavery and racism should not be taught in schools. He blames gun violence on black people. He supports a national abortion ban and the privatization of Social Security. He also reportedly compared requirements that political candidates disclose financial donations to Nazi Germany's Kristallnacht. And he supported some views of the Unabomber.
In Georgia, former NFL running back, Herschel Walker is the GOP nominee for the US Senate. Walker, who always refers to himself in third person, has a Trump-like aversion to the truth. Indeed, his own campaign staff has called him a pathological liar. To wit: he falsely claimed to be a former FBI agent and a valedictorian graduate of the University of Georgia (his only degree is in carrying a football). And though he claims to stand for Christian values, he has a history of domestic violence, and he seemingly can't remember how many children he has fathered. Moreover, if forced to take the most simplistic sixth grade level civics test, he unquestionably would fail. Yet he hopes to win one of the most powerful seats in government.
In Missouri, Trump-loving Eric Schmitt is the favorite for Roy Blunt's open Senate seat. A theocrat and 2020 election denier, Schmitt worked to help overturn Biden's win in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin. He is also an enemy of women's reproductive rights.
In Pennsylvania, Hillbilly Elegy author and wingnut, J.D. Vance is also running for the US Senate funded by billionaire Peter Thiel. Vance is running a campaign of fear based on all of the wacko hot button social issues, such as banning Critical Race Theory in public schools (it's only taught in law schools). He also believes women should risk staying in abusive relationships "for the sake of the children." And like most Republicans, he believes in regulating women's uteruses. Not guns.
Yet, as dangerous as all those candidates seem, they pale in comparison to Republican incumbent and longtime wackadoodle, Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Johnson, you may remember, was a participant in the attempt to decertify Biden's electoral votes on January 6. Not only is he a supporter of the Big Lie, if Republicans gain control of Congress again, he wants to end mandatory funding of Social Security and Medicare. Instead, he proposes that the funding be made discretionary, which would mean Congress would have to vote to approve funding annually.
The list of such anti-government, anti-American, and anti-democracy candidates is long. And, if Republicans take control of Congress, they promise to impeach Biden (in retaliation for the twice impeached Trump), to investigate members of the January 6 select committee, and to ban all abortions. They will also do everything in their power to privatize education, to privatize or eliminate Social Security and Medicare, to eliminate affirmative action…their ugly, hateful list is long. But the even greater threat to the future of our nation is the departure of competent and trustworthy election officials.
In states and counties across this nation, election officials have resigned or been pushed out of office under threat of violence. They have been doxed – their personal information made public to Trump's heavily armed insurgent militias who have harassed the officials by phone, staked out their homes, and threatened their lives along with the lives of their families. Many have been replaced by inexperienced and unqualified individuals who believe the 2020 election was rigged and who plan to make sure Trump and his allies never lose again.
If the MAGAts are able to take control of more statehouses, governorships, and secretary of state offices, future elections will be elections in name only. It will be officials who decide the "winners." Not the voters.
Posted in Arizona, Civil Rights, Constitution, Corruption, Current Events, Domestic Terrorists, Education, Elections, Government, Greed, Justice, Medicare, Politics, President Biden, Privatization, Racism, Religion, Republicans, Social Security, Terrorism, Trump, Women's Rights | Tagged Democracy, Domestic Terrorism, Election Fraud, Republicans
The Plan To Destroy Democracy.
In case it's not yet obvious that Trump tried everything in his power to overthrow a free and fair election, here is what we know, or can reasonably surmise, about his plan to stay in office despite an overwhelming defeat at the polls:
1. Before the election, Trump began to sow doubt in the electoral process by claiming that the election would be rigged if he didn't win. (He did the same in 2015.)
2. In anticipation of a large mail-in vote caused by Covid, Trump named a lackey (Louis DeJoy) as Postmaster General to delay and disrupt the mail, particularly in cities with large Democratic majorities.
3. On the night of the election, Trump claimed victory long before all of the ballots were counted. This was designed to support his claims of a stolen election should Biden ultimately be named the winner.
4. As mail-in and absentee ballots continued to be counted, Trump claimed the ballots were fraudulent and encouraged armed supporters to go to ballot-counting stations to disrupt the counting and intimidate election workers.
5. When it was clear that Biden had won, Trump and his personal lawyers claimed foreign interference in the election, saying that China dumped millions of ballots in the mailboxes. That Venezuela and Italy hacked Dominion voting machines to change votes to Biden.
6. Trump and his lawyers filed more than 60 lawsuits claiming voter fraud. All but one was thrown out for lack of evidence.
7. Trump and his closest supporters created a "war room" in the Willard Hotel where sycophants made plans to overturn the election results.
8. As cabinet members announced their resignations, Trump began replacing them with more compliant loyalists, including acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller who tried to investigate a voter fraud conspiracy involving Italian satellites that the DOJ called "pure insanity."
9. Trump pressured Department of Justice officials to declare the election fraudulent and to order a new election. When they refused, he threatened to fire acting Attorney General Rosen and replace him with Trump loyalist Jeffrey Clark.
10. Trump, his personal attorneys, and other supporters called Secretaries of State in Georgia and other critical swing states asking them to "find" the precise number of votes to change the outcome of the election.
11. As other plans for Trump to stay in power failed, he and his inner circle encouraged Republican-led state legislatures to select "alternative" slates of electors to replace the legitimate slates.
12. As Biden's inauguration neared, Trump demanded that Vice-President Pence refuse to certify the official electoral votes on January 6 by declaring them invalid and sending the election to state legislatures where Republican legislators would declare Trump the winner.
13. Trump sycophants, including the wife of a sitting Supreme Court justice arranged for a "Stop the Steal" rally in Washington, DC the day Congress was set to certify the vote. Trump tweeted supporters to "Be there. It will be wild." In the days leading up to the rally, the recently pardoned felons, Roger Stone and Michael Flynn, met with leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys to plan the coup. As part of the plan, these insurgent militias organized weapons depots outside the District of Columbia in anticipation of a civil war.
14. On January 5, at least one congressional representative provided an apparent reconnaissance tour of the Capitol for constituents who participated in the January 6 insurrection.
15. In the early morning hours of January 6, pipe bombs were placed in front of the offices of Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee as an obvious attempt to create a distraction for law enforcement prior to the insurrection.
16. On the morning of January 6, Trump placed a phone call to the Vice-President in a last-ditch attempt to convince Pence to refuse certification of the electoral votes. When he refused, Trump angrily called him a pussy before hanging up. He then tweeted that the Vice-President "didn't have the courage to do the right thing." In essence, this was the equivalent of a crime boss ordering a hit.
17. At the "Stop the Steal" rally, Trump extremists and conspiracy theorists made a series of fiery speeches telling the crowd to "fight like hell" or they wouldn't have their country anymore.
18. When many of Trump's armed supporters refused to enter the rally grounds for fear of having their weapons confiscated as they passed through security screenings, Trump became upset by the optics of a small crowd. He then demanded that the Secret Service take down the magnetometers. When told that many in the crowd were armed, Trump said he didn't care, they weren't there to harm him.
19. In his own speech at the rally, Trump asked his supporters to "march to the Capitol," saying he would join them. He became furious when the Secret Service refused to take him to the Capitol to lead the insurgency.
20. As the electoral certification got underway, 147 of Trump's congressional supporters – Biggs, Brooks, Boebert, Cawthorn, Cruz, Gohmert, Gaetz, Gosar, Hawley, Loudermilk, Taylor-Greene, Tuberville, et al began to challenge electoral votes.
21. Meanwhile, even before the rally ended, Trump's insurgent militias began to break through police lines and encouraged others to follow.
22. As the siege of the Capitol began, gallows were constructed on Capitol grounds with the apparent intent to threaten VP Pence and Democratic leaders. After Trump issued a tweet saying Pence didn't have the courage to do what's right, the crowd became even more inflamed and clearly intended to murder the Vice-President, coming within a few feet of Pence and members of Congress.
23. Following Pence's narrow escape, it appears the next step in the plan was for Trump loyalists in the Secret Service to spirit Pence away from the Capitol so that Chuck Grassley, as president pro tempore of the Senate, could take Pence's place and send the election back to the state legislatures.
24. As a last-ditch effort, it appears Trump planned to use the violence as an excise to declare martial law. In doing so, he could order the military to seize voting machines and call for a new Putin-style "election" that he would be guaranteed to "win."
25. Trump would then declare himself president for life as he had previously suggested when China's Xi Jinping was given that title.
If not for the courage of the Capitol police, along with Mike Pence and a few other individuals, we would no longer be living in a constitutional democracy. But we must all realize that Trump's attempted coup is far from over. Not only does he plan to run again in 2024. His hateful and heavily armed followers are standing by waiting for his orders. In addition, he has successfully created suspicion about election security resulting in threats of violence against election officials and their subsequent resignations. Many of those have been replaced by MAGAts who will do his bidding. And throughout the country he is promoting candidates for governor, Congress, and Secretaries of State who are attuned to his ideology.
Even if Trump is eventually charged with seditious conspiracy, manslaughter and various other crimes, he still has a compliant majority on the Supreme Court. He still has a well-established propaganda network (Fox News, Newsmax, Breitbart, and talk radio). He still benefits from a shocking amount of disinformation on social media platforms. He still has the support of the Republican Party and "Christian" evangelicals. And there are still nearly 74 million Americans who voted for his brand of hateful and vengeful politics – many of them heavily armed and waiting for the opportunity to act.
Posted in Constitution, Corruption, Crime, Culture, Current Events, Domestic Terrorists, Elections, Government, Politics, President Biden, Propagandists, Religion, Republicans, Terrorism, Trump | Tagged Insurrection
We May Have Already Lost Our Democracy.
Posted on 30. June 2022 by admin
If you believe we dodged a bullet on January 6, 2020, you are most certainly correct. But the outcome of the insurrection is still very much in doubt. Forget Trump 2024. He will likely already be in prison by that time. At very least, he will be banned from holding office.
The real threat is the five-vote radical majority in the Supreme Court.
Flexing their newfound muscle, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Thomas have already agreed to hear a case that could give state legislatures the power to choose the winners of elections. All they need is to convince the Trump-appointed Coney-Barrett to help them further gut our Constitution.
In the most extreme Republikkkan-controlled states, that would mean legislatures could overturn the will of the people if they don't like the election outcome. Given such power in 2020, states like Arizona would have almost certainly handed the presidency to Trump. And, given that a majority of the states are currently GOP-controlled, that could ensure a never-ending chain of Republikkkan presidents, regardless of the popular vote.
Unfortunately, we have precious few ways of preventing such an outcome. We can call for the four justices who perjured themselves during their Senate confirmation hearings to be impeached, so that a new court majority can overturn the most egregious of this court's decisions. But impeachment convictions are unlikely to pass the 60-vote threshold in the Senate.
That leaves us with only the ballot box at our disposal. In the coming mid-term election, everyone who wants to preserve our democracy must repudiate the radical right by voting for solid Democrat majorities in both the US House of Representatives and in the US Senate. Congress can then go about the process to codify reproductive rights, privacy rights, and same-sex marriage rights, as well as strengthening voting rights for all Americans.
This is the only means certain to prevent our nation from becoming a failed democracy further controlled by theocrats, autocrats, and plutocrats. (If you don't know the definition of these terms, I suggest you look them up. Because no matter your political or theological beliefs, if they gain even more control, you will wind up holding the short end of the stick.)
Posted in Civil Rights, Constitution, Corruption, Current Events, Domestic Terrorists, Elections, Government, Justice, Politics, Religion, Republicans, Supreme Court, Trump, Voter Suppression, Women's Rights | Tagged Autocracy, Plutocracy, Theocracy
We Have Entered The Realm Of Theocracy.
For some people, churches are a blessing. They feel the need for pastors to guide them, to minister to their emotional needs, to provide hope, to tell them how to behave, and they look to congregations for support. But, in my opinion, having once considered becoming a pastor myself, organized religions are little more than social clubs. Like all clubs, they have clubhouses, they perform initiations, and they collect dues (tithes).
Most use symbols (crosses, fish, stars, crescents, etc.) to make it easy to identify one another. Some push a form of exclusivity, encouraging their members to do business with one another, to date one another, and to marry one another. Implicit in all of this is either a conscious or subconscious belief that the followers of their particular club are superior to others. That only through following the path of their club can people reach heaven and everlasting happiness.
Some of these clubs have made celebrities of their leaders, showering them with obscene wealth and submitting to their every wish.
Throughout history, these clubs have inevitably ventured into local, national, and international politics. They have not only gone to great lengths to recruit new members, often sending recruiters (missionaries) around the globe. Too often, they have forcibly pushed their beliefs onto others. They have relied upon their feelings of spiritual superiority to justify the torture and exclusion of anyone who strays from the path of righteousness, to excuse the rape of children and women, to justify the subjugation of others, the taking of land, and the taking of slaves.
They have labeled non-believers as heretics and, by implication or direct order (ostensibly from God), encouraged their members to kill those who refuse to submit. Indeed, many wars, genocides, and ethnic cleansings have resulted from the notion that one club's beliefs are superior to those of others – the heathens and infidels.
Today, despite the 1st Amendment of the Constitution stating, "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion," many Christian club members demand that the U.S. be declared a Christian nation. They demand that symbols and scriptures of their beliefs be displayed on public taxpayer-provided property. Ignoring the law that prohibits churches from engaging in political activity, they openly campaign for candidates that will empower them. Despite our constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion (and, by implication, freedom from religion), they demand that all taxpayers help pay for their children's' religious education in club-approved schools. And the most extreme are willing to force others to comply with their demands under threat of violence.
Yet, in Matthew 6:6 of the Christian Bible, Jesus is said to have admonished his followers to avoid being like the hypocrites. "For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others." To, instead, communicate with God in private. "…to enter into a closet and pray to thy Father; and thy Father who sees in secret will reward you."
Though it's obvious that anyone can engage in silent prayer anywhere and at any time, many of Jesus's supposed followers now demand that their children be allowed to display their faith in state-sanctioned prayers at public schools, on the football field and elsewhere.
And now, having engaged in a decades-long effort to seize the levers of power, the most extreme of these religious clubs have used that power to, once again, claim control of women's bodies – more specifically, their uteruses. We must not allow this to stand. We cannot permit one or more of these clubs to control our government, to decide which of us are worthy of enjoying the rights and freedoms enumerated in our Constitution, to decide what a woman can do with her own body in the privacy of her own home or in her doctor's office, to decide who can marry, to decide when, where, how, and who to worship.
There was a reason why our nation's founders included the Establishment Clause in the Constitution's 1st Amendment. Many of the original colonies had anointed certain religions to give them supremacy over all others. In Massachusetts, Puritans persecuted Quakers and anyone else who refused to submit to their strict beliefs. In much of the rest of New England, Congregationalists prevailed. Maryland was originally Catholic. And in many southern colonies, the Church of England was supreme. Colonial governments not only provided direct aid to these established churches through taxes. Their officeholders were often required to take oaths to support the tenets of the established faith.
Recognizing the injustice of such demands and remembering that their own families escaped religious persecution by coming to America, the constitutional framers created the Establishment Clause as a virtual wall separating church from state. We must jealously guard that separation. As churches have become larger and more powerful, we must rein in their political activities. We should tax them like the social clubs they really are, only providing tax write-offs for truly charitable activities. We must no longer allow them to divide us. We must hold those who use their pulpits to preach discrimination and hate accountable. We must reject their attempts to wrest individual rights from others.
We must take back our federal and state governments from the theocrats and the wannabe autocrats.
Posted in Civil Rights, Constitution, Corruption, Culture, Current Events, Discrimination, Domestic Terrorists, Government, Politics, Privacy, Racism, Religion, Supreme Court, Women's Rights | Tagged 1st Amendment, Establishment Clause, Matthew 6:6, Organized Religion, Public Prayer, US Constitution
It Is No Longer Accurate To Call White Nationalists Extremists.
While those who espouse white nationalism may seem extreme to Democrats and to many independents, it has become clear that they now represent the mainstream of the Republican Party.
Perhaps you will trust Miles Taylor, the former Chief of Staff of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during the Goerge W. Bush and Donald J. Trump administrations. A former Republican himself, he says that fully 50 percent of today's GOP voters believe in Replacement Theory, the racist theory that Democrats are encouraging the illegal immigration of people of color in order to reduce white Christian Americans to minority status.
Once a theory propagated by only the most twisted racists on the very fringes of society – the KKK and neo-Nazis – it has been elevated from the sewers by Trump and mainstreamed by Fox News along with rightwing radio pundits, social media, and various Internet celebrities. The violent results of their hateful rhetoric have accelerated throughout the last 5 years, beginning with the "Alt Right' March in Charlottesville and culminating in last week's racist shootings at a Buffalo grocery store.
Of course, those who have incited such hatred refuse to claim any responsibility. And, though they may well briefly tone down their rhetoric, they will soon return to full-throated racism.
To underscore the ties between the GOP and racial terrorism, CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) will hold its annual conference in Budapest, Hungary. Why? Because Hungary's dictator, Viktor Orban, espouses the same racist replacement theory as much of the GOP. Indeed, so does Russia's resident dictator and Trump supporter, Vladimir Putin. Which may explain why 25 percent of the Republican congressional caucus voted against more military aid to help Ukraine defend itself against Putin's invasion.
Moreover, according to Taylor, 50 percent of GOP voters believe in the cult-like conspiracies espoused by QAnon, including the preposterous belief that Democrats are pedophiles and that Democratic leaders and A-list Hollywood celebrities are running a child sex trafficking ring.
Finally, Taylor notes that 70 percent of the GOP think the 2020 election was stolen despite all evidence to the contrary. Not even Trump's hand-picked Attorney General nor the Trump-appointed judges and justices believed in the claims of widespread voter fraud. Of course, there were a few notable cases of individual voter fraud. But they were Trump supporters who returned ballots for dead family members. And, of course, there's the case of Trump's Chief of Staff who illegally registered to vote in two states.
Nevertheless, the GOP and many of its candidates continue to espouse the "Big Lie." At the same time, GOP governors and legislatures are working overtime to ensure they control upcoming elections. By that, they don't simply mean they want to win the elections. They are taking steps to rig them by any means necessary.
Taylor says the DHS determined the biggest national security threat is domestic terrorism. I would amend the threat to include the GOP.
Posted in Civil Rights, Corruption, Crime, Culture, Current Events, Domestic Terrorists, Elections, Government, Immigration, Politics, Propagandists, Racism, Religion, Republicans, Terrorism, Trump, Voter Suppression | Tagged Buffalo Shootings, Charlottesville, CPAC, DHS, Hungary, Mark Meadows, Miles Taylor, Orban, Putin, QAnon, The Big Lie


This book picks up right where Without a Front: The Producer's Challenge ends. Read that book first.
See Without a Front: The Producer's Challenge.
The time is the far future. On Planet Alsea the inhabitants are humanoids with empathic powers. Most of the events take place in Blacksun, the capital, and the landholdings of the Opah family, called Hol-Opah.
London, Paris, and Rome. An alternate summer of 1870 in which the American Civil War is still going.
The far future, all over space. We see action aboard a deep space convoy, Planet Sulla, and a marine planet. Planet Sulla has a very civilized-looking society with some giant underlying problems.


text:
<?php
namespace Cerad\Bundle\CommonBundle\Functions;

/* ==================================
 * Aliasing/Importing a function is not supported for ssome reason
 * Hence the static function isdie of a class
 */
class Hash
{
    static public function exe($value, $crc = false)
    {
        if (is_array($value))
        {
            $array = $value;
            $value = null;

            // Trim and cat
            array_walk($array, function($val) use (&$value) { $value .= trim($val); });
        }
        // Probably just get rid of everything but letters/numbers,undersocres
        $value = strtoupper(preg_replace("/[^a-zA-Z0-9_]/", '', $value));

        if (!$crc) return $value;

        return hash('crc32',$value);
    }
}
?>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Samantha Willis
Samantha Willis is a journalist and Richmond native whose research and writing centers largely on African American history and culture. Among the articles and essays she writes for a variety of publications, three of her recent features — on Richmond's historic black neighborhood, Jackson Ward; the hurtful history of blackface; and Central Virginia's rich legacy of gospel music — won Virginia Press Association awards. Based on months of research and first-person interviews, Samantha presented a paper about Richmond-born civil rights advocate James E. Jackson at the 101st conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 2016.
An outspoken advocate for equality, Samantha is the creator of #UnmaskingRVA, a three-part forum and learning series examining Richmond's racial history and present reality.
Samantha lives in Ruther Glen, Virginia, with her husband Jamaal and son David, and expects a new baby in January.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This is just a small example of the type of products Mark has on offer but if there's anything he's missing, let him know and he's always happy to order something in for you.
The Famous "Green Tin" box of blades are stocked up & ready to go.
a 'How To' step-by-step guide for any first time clippers.


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Garden fashion. Tropical turquoise
Each year, the efforts of designers and garden centers, constantly updating the assortment of varieties, change trends in the design of the garden, touching not only the most popular plants, but also the colors that are preferred for seasonal decoration and fashionable transformation of the garden. In order to keep up with landscape trends, you should not only keep track of the latest varietal novelties, but also remember to think over the future look of the garden, choosing the most relevant colors for the coming season. This year, fashion will be dictated by clean, acrylic tones, expressive and self-sufficient. Along with the brightest impressive orange in the representation of brick and terracotta shades on the garden scene, they will increasingly use the opposite, but no less bright color - cold and brought to the absolute turquoise.
Despite the total trend of the dominance of warm sunny colors, which enhance the charm of the garden and compensate for any flaws in lighting and the vagaries of the weather, those who are looking for a completely different aesthetic should not despair. For lovers of cool colors and associations with water elements, landscape designers suggest choosing a bright, non-standard and always winning tone reminiscent of the sea breeze, a unique shade of the blue spectrum - turquoise (or sea wave).
Color with character
Turquoise shades are often called royal or noble. They really stand out from the entire spectrum of blue tones, while their features are not limited to an active admixture of a greenish tint. Despite its softness and harmony, the turquoise tones are surprisingly bright and can overshadow even the most catchy shades of pink, yellow and orange. It is as if they bring the coolness and calm of blue to the absolute.
Turquoise is traditionally associated with tropical landscapes and seems to bring a relaxing holiday mood to the garden, to maximize the effect of detachment from everyday problems and emphasize the special rhythm of life in the garden.
Turquoise among plants
With the introduction of turquoise shades into the garden there are many difficulties. It is very difficult to find plants painted in such tones. An exception is chrysanthemums specially bred for floristry, which are grown in pot and container forms. They can be used to place accents throughout the garden, starting from the front garden. The queen of blue acrylic flowers is hydrangea, in which rare shades of turquoise are visible on the blue caps of inflorescences.
Otherwise, the rare shade of greenish blue in garden crops is no longer repeated. Close, friendly colors are found in some garden crops, including blue fescue, emerald and blue host varieties, which can be enhanced by silver leaf plants. But the lack of plants can more than be compensated for by the active use of decor.
The focus is on decor
You can bring turquoise touches to your garden and create a feeling of dominance of this color as the main accent and bet for the next season with a variety of tricks. We recommend starting with textiles. Updating pillows and blankets, choosing new covers for furniture, using transparent flying curtains of different shades of turquoise color, tablecloths, substrates and other textiles will allow you to introduce turquoise into the recreation areas and onto the terrace. You can always use beautiful shawls or neckerchiefs, whole cuts of fabric for effective drapery.
Decorative painting or the use of patterned painting on walls and fences is still relevant. A small bright border on the surfaces or full painting in the desired shade will more than help to compensate for the lack of plants. Moreover, today stencils for ornaments can be bought literally at every step.
But not only textiles and paint are important: when introducing color into the garden design, do not forget about the little things. A variety of boxes and boxes, new pots for plants, a group of bright vases or candles will help to use this rare color as effectively as turquoise textiles. Do not forget about ribbons, decorative cords, sisal, etc., which can decorate almost every corner of the garden.
Strengthen turquoise with white
The best way to emphasize the beauty of the turquoise color and bring its influence in the garden to the absolute is the active use of additions in the form of snow-white accents. White furniture, lamps, containers for potted plants and other accessories will emphasize the turquoise shades, introduced even in the smallest quantity with maximum efficiency.
Strengthen turquoise and classic white and blue combinations, patterns and ornaments, where snow-white is combined with other shades of the blue spectrum. Despite the difference in shades, they emphasize and enhance the influence of fashionable tropical colors.
Watch the video: Spring-Summer 2018 Ready-to-Wear CHANEL Show (January 2021).


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Review by Michèle
13th November 15
The Living and the Dead in Winsford by Håkon Nesser
Thriller of the month
It is appropriate that, of any and all awards, The Living and the Dead in Winsford has won the Rosenkrantz award for best thriller of the year (2014). While this award might actually be in the name of Danish crime writer Palle Rosenkrantz, it is in fact reminiscent of that other Rosenkrantz: the compere of Guildenstern. The mystery, the crime and the repercussions are in tone more in keeping with the ambiguity of those other Danes, Hamlet's betrayers.
We begin with a lone Swedish woman, and her dog, in England and isolated from everyone who knows her. What is she doing? What is she running from? Who is she? To say more would ruin the story and the gossamer threads that make up the web of her history. It requires your full participation and creativity as Nesser's slow and anxious descriptions of her days on the moor make it the unique psychological thriller that it is. There are plenty of questions here and, despite the clear physical resolution, more questions linger after you have put the book back on its shelf. Nesser's skill in delving into the psyche of our female narrator and his insidious suggestions of betrayal and disloyalty make it a worthy award winner, even if it were to be doubly awarded in another Rosenkrantz' name.
About Michèle
Culture vulture with a background in Russian and American literature who's read, seen and listened to everything.
Rush Oh! by Shirley Barrett
Tender and Humourous Coming of Age in 19th C Australian Whaling community
The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura
The Art of Life
The Course of Love by Alain de Botton
Seasoned Sequel to The Romantic Movement
The Red Scarf Girl by Ji Li Jian


The Leander furniture is manufactured in, among other things, European beech, moulded in a classic Scandinavian design that combines function with simple, clear aesthetics. The principle is that the beautiful appearance must always be accompanied by great applicability. And that good design gives pleasure and quality of life.
To see your child grow and develop into a little personality is a privilege for all parents.
The Junior bed is 59 inches long, and it has Leander�s round shape and design which stimulates your child�s imagination and inspires play. The bed is not too high so the child can easily get in and out of it.
The bed does not take up much space in junior�s bedroom so there is more floor space for games and activities.
The bed is ideal when the baby bed is to be made ready again for a little brother or sister.


This Apple's AirPower charger is taking longer to make as a consequence of a series of technical hurdles, slowing the company's wi-fi strategy and highlighting supply-chain challenges which have hampered product launches in recent years. I consent to receive the T-Internet Direct weekly email e-newsletter from T-Internet.
Fb has reportedly launched a brand new feature, tentatively titled Your Time On Facebook", that would offer information about how a lot time customers spent on the platform each day in every week, together with the typical time spent on the location per day.
Google Pixel 2 XL 64GB is offered at a down-fee of Rs 15,599 and the purchasers will have to pay Rs 2,799 monthly for 18 months to pay the EMI dues and get bundled calling, knowledge, Amazon Prime, and app benefits. Backed by extensive expertise in all features of business-to-business (B2B) publishing in the South African know-how sector, our management team has a profound understanding of modern, professional technical media.
WhatsApp, which is testing its payments providers in India, today stated it's updating its terms of service and privacy coverage to reflect the addition of payment interoperability features" ahead of the complete-fledged launch of the service.
The expertise news of the day distilled all the way down to its important parts. A group of Google cloud division engineers refused to work on an "air gap" security device that may have helped the company earn extra military contracts. A supply says a Google government agreed to postpone the device's improvement, whereas one other source says the know-how may have a smaller scope.


ThinkNetwork™ was created with one main focus: To maximize your revenue while simultaneously providing your site users with an innovative, rewarding, and positive experience. Each program designed by ThinkNetwork is associated with industry-leading companies. Not only will ThinkNetwork provides you with a beneficial and profitable opportunity, but we will always provide you with a top-notch support staff who are available to help guarantee your success with our exclusive programs.


text:
« June 2010 | Main | August 2010 »
Cambridge Lions Club gets chartered
By William Tauro
After two long years in the making, the newly formed Cambridge Lions Club made the history books and has been chartered as an official Massachusetts 33k Lions club on Wednesday July 28
The new club started the evening with the Installation of twenty-five new members and officers that were installed by Past Massachusetts District 33k Governor Ned Merrick then later followed by a dinner and multiple presentations including two "Blue Badge presentation pins to Somerville Lions members Charles and Rosalie Goumas.
Continue reading "Cambridge Lions Club gets chartered" »
Mayor's program putting Cambridge teens to work
The Cambridge Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program (MSYEP) is in full swing.
Cambridge resident teens ranging from 14-18 years of age have begun working in the six week program that began on July 6 and will continue through August 13.
A home-cooked meal goes a long way
By Julia Fairclough
Community Cooks volunteers come in all ages and sizes, but they all believe in their mission to contribute a portion of a meal to a shelter or service program in the Somerville and Cambridge area communities.
For over 17 years, this volunteer-run organization has carried on this work, and now boasts over 140 volunteers serving over 450 meals each month. Its 12 partner organizations run the gamut, from Respond Inc., a domestic violence agency in Somerville, to the Somerville Homeless Coalition, to The Women's Center, a women's resource center in Cambridge.
Continue reading "A home-cooked meal goes a long way" »
2010 State Primary
The 2010 State Primary will be held on Tuesday, September 14, 2010. For Cambridge residents not already registered, the last day to register to vote is Wednesday, August 25, 2010 until 8 p.m. The list of candidates is posted on the Election Commission website. The polls will be open on Election Day from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Continue reading "2010 State Primary" »
Senate President honors DiDomenico in Cambridge
Former Somerville Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay at the podium as she introduces Senator Sal DiDomenico to a crowd of supporters at a fund-raiser that was held Wednesday evening at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge.
Continue reading "Senate President honors DiDomenico in Cambridge" »
Expect delays around Cambridge Rindge and Latin
The massive construction renovation project that's currently being done at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School is still underway.
Traffic on Cambridge Street in front of the school the surrounding area continues to be congested with construction vehicles and new detours.
Cambridge man arrested after hitting security guard in Somerville
A Cambridge man struck an AJ Wright security guard with a bicycle lock July 15, according to police.
Henry Sousa, 58, of 8 Dana St., Cambridge, was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Continue reading "Cambridge man arrested after hitting security guard in Somerville " »
New Citizenship Classes to Start August 4 at MAPS
The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) is forming a new Citizenship class to start August 4 at the agency's headquarters, located at 1046 Cambridge Street in Cambridge. The class will meet every Wednesday, from 6-8 pm, for 12 weeks.
Continue reading "New Citizenship Classes to Start August 4 at MAPS" »
Preparing for a Flood
The recent heavy and flashy rains have caused flooding in areas throughout the City that normally do not experience flooding. Residents should be proactive in protecting their properties from potential floods by following the following simple steps:
Continue reading "Preparing for a Flood" »
FEMA Field Team at Home Depot to Provide Guidance on Mold & Mildew Removal
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending a Field Team to the Home Depot at 75 Mystic Avenue in Somerville on Thursday, July 15, beginning at 9 a.m., to provide guidance to residents regarding proper procedures for dealing with mold and mildew removal, and disposal of flood damaged materials. The Field Team will be in place over the next several days as necessary.
Turkeys in Cambridge
Three turkeys lost their way and were found wandering around the Fresh Pond area late Wednesday afternoon. Traffic came to a stand still for a little while the flock decided to cross Fresh Pond Parkway.
Summer in the City 2010
Join the Cambridge Arts Council for the annual Summer in the City. Each summer Cambridge parks come alive with music, dance, storytellers, theatrical performances, puppetry, arts & crafts, movies and more! The City of Cambridge offers a wide array of FREE, multicultural, interactive arts programs, performances, and activities both day and night for children, families, and the entire community.
Continue reading "Summer in the City 2010" »
Cambridge streets back to normal
Traffic on Bishop Allen Drive in Cambridge returned back to normal on Monday after severe torrential rains came down today and over the weekend.
Cambridge DPW crews cleaned up areas affected with flood damage immediately after the rain stopped.
Central Square Branch Library to close until Fall 2010 for Renovation and Repair Work
The Central Square Branch will close after July 4 in order to repair and upgrade the heating and cooling systems, and to do other interior renovations. This project is expected to be completed in the fall.
Continue reading "Central Square Branch Library to close until Fall 2010 for Renovation and Repair Work" »
StoryWalk along Cambridge Street on Tuesday, July 13th
Please join us for a StoryWalk along Cambridge Street on Tuesday, July 13th.
The Opening Celebration will be at 11 a.m. at Donnelly Field (behind King Open) at 850 Cambridge Street, featuring The Secret Agents - Acrobatics and Puppetry!!
Continue reading "StoryWalk along Cambridge Street on Tuesday, July 13th" »
Somerville man honored for donating 2 1/2 gallons of blood at Mount Auburn Hospital
Pictured right to left: Somerville resident, David Fletcher pictured with VP of Marketing and Strategic Planning Michael O'Connell, both of Mount Auburn Hospital. He has been inducted into the '2 ½ Gallon Club' of the Mount Auburn Hospital Blood Donor Program. David was honored in a ceremony during Donor Recognition Week.
Somerville resident, David Fletcher, was recently inducted into the coveted '2 ½ Gallon Club' at Mount Auburn Hospital for donating gallons of blood to the Mount Auburn Hospital Blood Donor Program. It takes a lot of time and blood to get in the employee-only club, but the pursuit signifies David's on-going commitment to donating blood, helping both the hospital and the community it serves, said a spokeswoman for the hospital. David works in the homecare department at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge.
Somerville Police: Woman indecently assaulted walking home from Porter Square train station
By George P. Hasset
A woman walking home from the Porter Square train station was knocked to the ground and attacked by a man on Sunday night, police said.
Police are looking for a suspect described as a white male, 20 to 25 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall, medium build, brown hair and clean shaven.
Continue reading "Somerville Police: Woman indecently assaulted walking home from Porter Square train station" »
Galluccio granted parole
Former state senator Anthony Galluccio will be released from prison July 14.
Former state senator to receive 'supervised release'
By Tom Nash
Former state Sen. Anthony Galluccio will be released from jail July 14, following a decision by a member of the state parole board.
Parole board member Cesar Archilla wrote in his decision that Galluccio "expresses remorse" for the hit-and-run incident that set off his string of legal troubles and that he "would benefit from supervised release."
The former state senator and Cambridge mayor was sentenced to one year in jail in January after he violated his probation for a hit and run car accident.
Continue reading "Galluccio granted parole" »
East Boston Man Arraigned On Third OUI Charges After Hitting Trooper
An East Boston man has been arraigned on OUI charges in connection with hitting a State Police Trooper with his car, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public today.
Felix Morales, 39, of East Boston, was arraigned today in Cambridge District Court on charges of OUI, 3rd offense, OUI causing serious bodily injury, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Cambridge District Court Judge Roanne Sragow ordered bail set at $10,000 bail, which the defendant had posted, and with the conditions that he sustain from alcohol, sustain from driving, and surrender his driver's license.
Continue reading "East Boston Man Arraigned On Third OUI Charges After Hitting Trooper" »
DCR and MassDOT announce road & bridge closures for July 3 and July 4
Storrow Drive, Memorial Drive, Longfellow Bridge, and Massachusetts Avenue Bridge to close at various times
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) will close portions of Storrow Drive in Boston, Memorial Drive in Cambridge, and the Longfellow Bridge and Massachusetts Avenue Bridge to accommodate the thousands of spectators expected for the July 3 and 4 celebrations and fireworks. Clean-up will begin 30 minutes after the last firework on July 4, and all roadways will remain closed until the clean-up is complete, which is expected to be Monday morning, July 5.
Continue reading "DCR and MassDOT announce road & bridge closures for July 3 and July 4" »


However what we are interested in this post is a wider question: Is the presidency just a passing moment or does it serve a higher purpose? How did it change us personally and how did it change Hungary's role in the European Union?
In the new post-Lisbon institutional setup the rotating presidency is the last link that connects the Brussels Bubble to the Member States. And we must protect this role! The fact that the presidency rotates between Member States lends it great importance, but also creates its Achilles-heel: presidencies come and go and each one tries to reinvent the wheel again. This is why we tried to look at the incoming presidencies as a continuous flow and not as separate, conflicting or competing entities. We did our best to involve the Polish (and the Danish) communication team into our work and share all good and bad experiences honestly. Hereby let us wish good luck to the Poles, we are really crossing our fingers for your success!
furthermore we hope for more Hungarian lobbyists/activists in Brussels.
As the Multiannual Financial Framework* negotiations are just starting (see live tweeting from @hajduspox on 29/06), this improvement comes at the best moment.
And how about us, Kovács & Kováts? Well, we are in a strange situation. In the Brussels institutional setup, most people spend their EU-career in one institution and they begin to identify with their institution. If we wanted to draw a caricature, we could say that Commisison officials tend believe that the Commission equals Europe and Council and Parliament are only there to disturb. Council sometimes lives in a diplomatic ivory tower thinking they are the only real power in town and everyone else is just a joke. Finally Parliament officials believe their institution is the only one with a democratic legitimacy.
And before we go a few words of thank you to a few special people!
First to the whole Brussels press corps – thank you for taking us at face value, (mostly) without preconceptions and for a straightforward relationship. For those journalists with whom we had more regular contacts and have grown closer to our hearts (you know who you are), well we hope to stay in touch.
For the Brussels bloggers, especially to the Bloggingportal editors: we are happy that you came to that meeting in the winter that started us on an intellectually motivating cooperation that finally led to the pilot project of opening up the Council to bloggers.
We are grateful to colleagues in the Council's press team who have run most of the press relations for us or instead of us. Sometimes we thought that we were only a nuisance disturbing the smooth operation of the system, but you never made us feel as outsiders. Also colleagues at the 26 permanent representations were extremely helpful and cooperative on a bilateral basis when we needed them.
We must thank the spokespeople and press officers of all other institutions for their cooperation (some were more, others less cooperative, but we met no bad intentions and have no ill feelings) and for bearing with our sometimes rather undiplomatic blog posts without much complaint.
A great thank you to the interpreters, whom we have often criticized (and might have gone over the top –new blog post on this subject coming up), but without whom the Presidency could not have survived for one day.
And finally, the Hungarian Presidency team, including the Brussels diplomats who endured our constant pestering, but still proved to be most helpful. And of course our closest collaborators (Emi, Eszter and Magda) for enduring the hardship of supporting our work.


All families are blessed with grandparents. It is very important to truly appreciate them since you would also not be here without them. During special occasions, when there are also a lot of grandchildren giving their gifts, it is extremely hard to stay original and unique when it comes to the gift that you want to give. It is not really that simple and easy to find the right gift that suits your grandparents even if there are already excellent gift ideas that are currently available in the market, this is merely because not all of those gifts are appropriate for them.
The person that will receive your gift and what that person loves is the most important thing when it pertains to gift giving. Needless to say, you will definitely not give your grandmother that is sitting in a wheelchair a pair of roller skates, which means that you should always think carefully before buying anything. Although it cannot be denied that staying creative and original at the same time can be very difficult, some of the gift ideas that we have are so much easier and it will certainly help you.
Personal Gifts: Personalized items are one of the best gifts that can be given to grandparents. A family tree that can be placed on the wall is one of the best gifts that you give to grandparents that have a lot of grandchildren. A personalized locket or bracelet is considered precious and it will be sentimentally valued by a glamorous grandmother. An exquisite gift that can be given to time conscious grandfathers are engraved pocket watches for the reason that it can also become a beautiful heirloom that is handed over from generation to generation. However, you must be cautious when it come to the engraving to make sure that it can really be passed down.
Photo Gifts: Among relatives, especially with the older generation, photographs are considered as one of the most common gift idea. The explanation for this is simply because photographs are timeless items that hold the memories that happened several years ago. Generally, framed and canvassed photos are very popular and it is very easy to obtain one, however, if you want to be more creative with your gift, you can have the photos printed in shirts or hoodies. As an alternative, you can even have your photo gifts printed in cushions and collage blankets for the sofa so that it can be viewed always by your grandparents. Without a doubt, they would not want to turn this down since they can literally wrap themselves up with memories that they can remember through watching it.
Journal Gifts: Stationaries are one of the most practical gifts that you can give to your grandparents, especially if it comes in a notebook and a beautiful pen.


After you finished the workout, your muscles are hurt and your whole body is in pain. You need a dish that will help your muscles grow back again and give you enough energy for the rest of the day. An omelet with vegetables topped with avocado and cooked with olive oil will do all of these for you. The avocado will help your body absorb monosaturated fats on the one hand, as well as the vitamins that the vegetables contain such as vitamins A, D, K, E and more. The vegetables give you enough energy to recover and they are also tasty!


Pat LaFrieda has teamed up with a German company called Otto Wilde Grillers — which appears to specialize in nothing but its eponymous products , as well as any accessories for use with them — for his Pat LaFrieda Signature Series model. Electronics, home and kitchen items, beauty products , food, baby items and other categories have items marked as Prime Day launches. Features bacon and other pork products , Kentucky bourbon and beers from local breweries.
Fun and free events this weekend," 12 July The final product , Bourzac explains, relied on the formation of silver-mercury-gold particles at points where light had struck the plate during the portrait sitting. Use restorative products , which act as post-traumatic therapy for your hair. Origin and Etymology of product in sense 1, from Middle English, from Medieval Latin productum , from Latin, something produced, from neuter of productus , past participle of producere ; in other senses, from Latin productum.
Antonyms antecedent , causation , cause , occasion , reason ;. Near Antonyms consideration , determinant , factor ; base , basis , foundation , ground , groundwork ; impetus , incentive , inspiration , instigation , stimulus ; mother , origin , root , source , spring ;.
Related Words ramification ; denouement also dénouement , echo , implication , repercussion ; afterclap , afterglow , aftershock ; by-product , fallout , offshoot , ripple , side effect also side reaction , spin-off ;. Phrases matter of course ;. Related Phrases waste product. Definition of product for English Language Learners.
Learn More about product Thesaurus: Seen and Heard What made you want to look up product? Need even more definitions? Get Word of the Day daily email! Ionian mode a cappella balladry rococo. You can find this information on your local fishing regulations website or through your local health department. If this information is not provided, consumption of such fish should be limited to 6 ounces per week.
Learn more about foods to avoid while pregnant. It is unlikely that one serving of such fish would pose a risk. However, it is best to avoid these while pregnant or breastfeeding. While omega-3 supplements are beneficial, if you avoid all fish, you will be missing out on other essential nutrients.
It is best to eat a variety of lower mercury fish. In addition, you can take an omega-3 supplement. The Association recommends the brand Nordic Naturals. Safe Catch individually tests each and every fish for mercury levels.
Safe Catch also raises their mercury level restrictions even further than what the FDA allows creating an even healthier fish option. Learn more about Safe Catch by visiting their website: Department of Health and Human Services. If you, due to your family history, believe you may be at increased risk of diabetes mellitus 2 or coronary heart disease, you may consider having a diet high in fiber.
On the other hand, if you believe fiber irritates your gut you may discuss with your doctor about decreasing certain types of fiber. Examples of foods high in insoluble fiber. Peeling and removing seeds from fruits or vegetables and removing bran from cereal grains usually decreases amount of fiber mainly insoluble. Cooking, canning and freezing usually does not significantly affect food fiber content .
Cooked and cooled potatoes, pasta, noodles or rice contain more resistant starches a type of soluble fiber than hot foods . Foods with low or no fiber content [23,42]:. During low-residue diet you should avoid eating whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables with peels.
The purpose of added fibers is to improve the texture and taste of foods rather than to prevent or treat diseases, since the amount of added fiber is generally small . There is also a lack of studies about health benefits of added fiber. Types of fiber commonly added to foods include alginate, beta-glucan , cellulose , chitin, chitosan, fructo-oligosaccharides FOS or oligofructose, gums, hemicellulose, inulin, modified starches, pectin, polydextrose, resistant dextrins or maltodextrins and soluble corn fiber.
Common foods with added fiber include breakfast cereals, pre-prepared soups, yogurts, snacks, energy bars, powdered drinks, fruit juices and canned foods. To date, there is no conclusive evidence that dietary fiber actually helps to prevent or treat any disease .
In many studies, consuming high-fiber foods was associated with lower risk of certain diseases, but it is not clear, if the beneficial effect was due to fiber or other food ingredients, such as potassium and magnesium , lower intake of saturated fats or more physical activity and healthier life style commonly observed in individuals who consume a lot of fiber-rich foods [11,43]. Low fiber intake is a cause of constipation only in some people and is usually not the only cause .
In several trials in adults with chronic constipation, dietary fiber intake was associated with the increased frequency of stools [3,6,31]. Fiber supplements, such as cellulose and psyllium , were only modestly effective [3,19,33]. In constipated children , fiber-rich diet and fiber supplements may not be always helpful and may increase abdominal pain [35,37,38].
Gastrointestinal reflux disease GERD. Dietary fiber probably insoluble may help relieve GERD symptoms . Irritable bowel syndrome IBS.


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With donation, farmers market sets construction date for new shelter
On Saturday, Newmont Goldcorp pledged $25,000 for the multi-purpose structure
Jordan Horrobin
More from Jordan Horrobin
Published on: July 7, 2019 | Last Updated: July 7, 2019 2:10 PM EDT
Yvonne Talon, left, and Vicky René, centre, share a laugh with a customer on Saturday at the Mountjoy Farmers' Market at the Mountjoy Historical Conservation Area (Participark). The market takes place under a temporary structure that is expected to be replaced by a permanent shelter in time for the spring. JORDAN HORROBIN/THE DAILY PRESS
What a week it's been for the Porcupine District Agricultural Society (PDAS) and the Mountjoy Farmers' Market.
On Monday, the market kicked off its season with a grand opening at its new location, on the grounds of the Mountjoy Historical Conservation Area (Participark), catering to hundreds of customers from a bustling Canada Day crowd.
Then Saturday, the PDAS announced its acceptance of a $25,000 donation from Newmont Goldcorp, which will go toward the construction of a permanent gazebo-like shelter at Participark.
This most recent donation, along with EACOM's in-kind donation of lumber in May, will put the PDAS in a position to begin construction of the shelter in mid-October (the weekend after Thanksgiving), according to PDAS president and Ward 1 councillor Rock Whissell.
"Definitely in October, we'll be putting some shovels into the ground," he said.
Whissell added that fundraising for the shelter is only about halfway done. The total estimated value of the project is $120,000, which he hopes will be in place when workers break ground in the fall.
The current structure at the Mountjoy Farmers' Market, located precisely where the new shelter will be built, is just as long (100 feet) but 10 feet narrower than the impending shelter will be.JORDAN HORROBIN/THE DAILY PRESS
The PDAS is searching for a dozen contributions of $5,000 (or in-kind donations of labour, materials, etc. that equate to that amount) to complete the funding. The building will have 12 pillars and each one will bear the name of a donor who gave $5,000, as a permanent recognition of sponsorship.
Equipment North has secured a pillar spot already, with an in-kind donation of machinery. EACOM and Newmont Goldcorp are gold sponsors, so their contributions will be recognized on a plaque.
In its final form, the wooden shelter will be eight feet tall, 30 feet wide and 100 feet long with a tin roof. Its main purpose will be to house the Mountjoy Farmers' Market, but Whissell spoke of its potential to host weddings, picnics and barbecues as well.
"Goldcorp recognized that this building is not only for one event — it's for the whole city," he said. "And they were happy to give us the $25,000 this morning to make this happen and make sure we get this building up and going for next spring."
For now, the farmers market operates under a pair of white tents that are 100 feet long in total and 20 feet wide. Saturday's crowd was markedly reduced from the craze on Canada Day, but that is sure to change as the summer carries on.
"We are early in the season," said Garnet Wilcox, vice president of the PDAS. "So as more produce becomes available, then we'll have more vegetables and more traffic in the market for that as well."
Eats and Beats next week	 Briefs


Two friendlies in the past week for Cliffe FC, both ending on the wrong side of a 3-1 scoreline. Heworth Green winning Tuesday, and Cawood winning Saturday.
Tuesday, Heworth Green made the trip to Oxen Lane. They took an early lead before Dan Smith finished of a chance for 1-1 before half-time. Heworth led 2-1 at the break, before scoring once more in the second half, 1-3. Ally Harris made a superb save towards to end of the match to cement his man of the match award. 1-3 FT.
Jackson Lucitt's Sunday team begin their season with a real welcome to the top division, as they travel to last season's champions, Wigginton Grasshoppers, in league senior cup competition.
Saturday, the first team suffer another defeat, away to Cawood, and yet another frustrating result considering the manner of improving performance. Cawood winning 3-1.
A mad 100 seconds on the quarter hour mark saw Cliffe go two goals behind, both goals from close range. 2-0 at the break.
Connor Potts scored a deserved goal, to make it 2-1. A Cawood freekick that went under the wall made it 3-1. Cliffe looked to narrow the deficit, but Kev Taylor saw his penalty hit the post and go wide, which would have made Cliffe's string of five corners near the end of the match a little more testing for Cawood. 3-1 was the final score.
Malcolm Bryce's squad have a few weeks until season starts, a derby to start the league season away to Hemingbrough United on 17th September.
Next Saturday, 3rd Sept, both Cliffe FC first and reserve teams are in action, away to Selby Olympia and Thorpe United Reserves respectively.
Cliffe FC, whilst much improved from previous weeks, suffer a narrow 2-1 defeat to Goole AFC's academy side.
With the Cliffe Playing Field Association Yorkshire Beer Festival taking place at The New Inn over Saturday and Sunday, this was Cliffe FC's solo fixture of the weekend. With a end to end wind, Cliffe played the first half with the wind at their backs. With some good football played and chances created, the score remained 0-0. Any Goole attack was thwarted by the back four and it remained goalless at half-time.
Manager Malcolm Bryce told his squad, any more wasted chances from the home side and they would surely be punished. As the script was written, Goole opened scoring early in the second period, pouncing on Cliffe giving the ball away, and then opening scoring with their first chance of the half, 0-1. Cliffe bounced back quickly and worked a chance that saw Sean Gallagher ghost past his marker and slot the ball under the 'keeper to his left, 1-1. Cliffe repeated the same mistake to give Goole the lead shortly after, giving the ball away in the middle third, and then Goole switching the their left wing to finish for 1-2. For all of Cliffe being on top during the game, Goole held out for a win, Sean Gallagher having a second goal wiped out for offside in the last minutes, 1-2 FT.
Much improved performance from Cliffe, a step in the right direction as preparations continue for the season ahead, lessons learnt and positive attitude throughout. Next week, they face Cawood away. The Cliffe FC Sunday team are in action Tuesday night, at home to Heworth Green.
One win a-piece for the Cliffe FC vs. Farnley Sports double header, Cliffe losing the first team game 3-0, Cliffe Reserves then winning 6-2. Sunday saw a humbling 8-2 defeat at Hambleton.
Saturday 1pm KO saw Cliffe FC host West Yorkshire Amatuer Premier side, Farnley Sports. Farnley had two penalties in the first half, taking the lead in the first ten minutes, 0-1. The second penalty had to be taken twice, first Dave Laverack made a strong save to his left to only see it have to be re-taken, the second attempt was dragged wide. Nigel Horner came closest for Cliffe, unable to get a toe on a cross flashed in front of goal. 0-1 HT.
Old habits died hard in the second half, but Farnley scored once more for 0-2. Cliffe improved in attitude toward the game but could get themselves back into the game. A Farnley volley deflected into the net for 0-3 at the final whistle, FT. Improvements must be made in the coming weeks, Manager Malcolm Bryce satisfied with some phases on play but ultimately results need to follow, and soon. Next Saturday, Goole AFC's Development side are the visitors.
The 3pm KO saw a super performance from Cliffe's second string to win 6-2 against Farnley Sports Reserves. Young Kieran Gallagher was the star of the show with a hat-trick, the impressive Max Dutton scored the goal of the game from the edge of the box. Glynn Richardson and Nathan Leach opened scoring for Cliffe in the first half.
Cliffe eventually cruised to a classy win after a tough first half, and frustrated their Farnley opponents.
With a narrow defeat to higher division opponents last week, and now a dominating performance against a robust opponent. Another test next week as higher division Riccall Reserves visit Oxen Lane.
A second half collapse sees Cliffe humbled at Hambleton. The HT score read 3-2, Scott Birch and Kieran Dinsdale with the goals for Cliffe, Cliffe leading 1-0 and 2-1 in the first half.
Ally Harris in Cliffe's goal picked up an injury, so could not continue second half, and not having a recognised 'keeper saw a number of avoidable goals conceded as Hambleton ran riot. 8-2 the final score.


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No bones about it, beta blockers help osteoporosis
Posted Mon 8 Nov 2010 at 11:06pm Monday 8 Nov 2010 at 11:06pm Mon 8 Nov 2010 at 11:06pm , updated Mon 8 Nov 2010 at 11:52pm Monday 8 Nov 2010 at 11:52pm Mon 8 Nov 2010 at 11:52pm
Osteoporosis causes the bones to become fragile and brittle and increases the risk of fractures. (Fabrizio Bensch : Reuters)
abc.net.au/news/no-bones-about-it-beta-blockers-help-osteoporosis/2329782
Researchers have shown a class of drugs used to treat heart problems and hypertension also reduces the risk of an osteoporosis fracture by about half.
In Australia, osteoporosis affects one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50.
Their bones become fragile and brittle and they face a higher risk of fractures.
The condition is so prevalent that someone is admitted to an Australian hospital with an osteoporotic fracture every five to six minutes.
The introduction of beta blockers about 40 years ago revolutionised the treatment of heart problems, hypertension and anxiety. The drugs are used to lessen the effects of stress hormones, including adrenaline.
But now researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research say they also increase bone density.
The institute's Professor Tuan Nguyen says he and a colleague discovered beta blockers could help those suffering from osteoporosis after observing a decline in fracture incidents since their introduction.
The study was inspired by some earlier work by researchers at Columbia University, who had shown that mice treated with beta blockers have increased bone mass.
Professor Nguyen and a colleague set out to test if humans responded the same way.
"That discovery was on a connection between the brain and bone, that's a very exciting one," he said.
"After all, we now know that the brain plays an important role in the regulation of bone mass."
The researchers examined data from a long-running study of people with osteoporosis living around Dubbo in the New South Wales central west.
Osteoporosis Australia's medical director, Professor Peter Ebeling, has welcomed the discovery but says it is still a long way off recommending beta blockers as the preferred treatment for osteoporosis.
"What we don't know is if giving people beta blockers will actually reduce their fractures in sort of a randomised control trial situation," he said.
The study's researchers have raised concerns about the diminishing use of beta blockers as other drugs have come onto the market for heart disease and hypertension.
They say the downturn in use of beta blockers may lead to a significant increase in the number of fractures that are seen.
Professor Ebeling says he believes that is a possibility.
"Well, I think that is evidence that could be taken away from this association, in that if people are using less beta blockers there could be an increase in fractures," he said.
The researchers fear an increase in fractures would lead to a higher mortality rate and add substantially to the $1.9 billion already spent each year on direct health costs attributed to osteoporosis.
Their findings have been published online in the journal Bone.
Posted 8 Nov 2010 8 Nov 2010 Mon 8 Nov 2010 at 11:06pm , updated 8 Nov 2010 8 Nov 2010 Mon 8 Nov 2010 at 11:52pm
Bones and Muscles
Posted 8m ago 8 minutes ago Fri 21 Jan 2022 at 6:03am
UK, Australia vow to step up defence cooperation amid rise of 'malign actors'


Key Words: Agromyzid leafminers, Liriomyza bryoniae, Phytomyza horticola.
J. Bio. Env. Sci. 13(2), 353-357, August 2018.
In Iraq, the leafminer, is one of the most destructive pests of vegetables. Vegetable crops, such as squash Curcurbita pepo L. and tomatoes Solanum lycopersicum L were surveyed to record abundance and diversity of agromyzid leafminers and their natural enemy species. Population density of these pests were studied for the period from April to June 2014 in the College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad- Abu Ghraib. Two leafminers were detected, including Liriomyza bryoniae (Kaltenbach) on squash crop and Phytomyza horticola Gaureue on tomato crop. The results revealed that infestation by Leafminer, L. bryoniae and P. horticola were initiated on leaves situated on the median level of squash and tomato plants, then on leaves of lower level. Because, adults don't tend to lay eggs on young leaves so that reflected on larval density on these leaves. The rate of larvae numbers of tested insect through the growth season showed that squash's and tomato's leaves of median level were more preferred for leafminer's larvae through the growth season. In addition, the results showed that significantly higher L. bryoniae on squash's leaves than P.horticola on tomato's leaves in all plant levels. Four hymenopteran parasites, including Diglyphus isaea, D. crassinervis and Neochrysocharis Formosa belong to the family Eulophidae were recorded on leafminers.
Al-Zubaidi, H. K. 1992. Biological control of insect pests. Dar Mosul. 603 pp.
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Devkota S, Seal1 DR, Liburd OE, Ferguson S, Waddill C, Martin CG. 2016. Abundance of Liriomyza trifolii (Diptera: Agromyzidae) and its Parasitoids on Five Vegetable Crops in Southern Florida. J. J. Agriculture 2(1), 012.
Gencer H. 2004. A Study on the Chalcidoid (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) Parasitoids of Leafminers (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in Ankara Province. Turk. J. Zool 28, 119-122.
Hawthorne DJ. 1999. Physiological not behavioural adaptations of leafminers to a resistant host plant. Environmental Entomology 228(4), 696-702.
Kang L, Chen B, Wei JN, Liu TX. 2009. The roles of thermal adaptation and chemical ecology in Liriomyza distribution and control. Annual Review of Entomology 54, 127-45.
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Lasalle J, Parrella MP. 1991. The chalcidoid parasites (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of economically important Liriomyza species (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in North America. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash 93(3), 571-591.
Leite GLD, Picanço M, Jham GN, Marquini F. 2004. Intensity of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae (and Liriomyza spp. (Diptera: Agromyzidae) attacks on Lycopersicum esculentum Mill. Leaves. Ciênc. agrotec., Lavras 28(1), 42-48.
Mekhlif AF, Abdul-Rassoul MS. 2002. Efficiency of parsitoids of pea leafminer Phytomyza horticola Goureau and their appearance time in the field. Bull. Iraq Nat. Hist. Mus 9(4), 27-32.
Minkenberg O, Helderman CAJ. 1990. Effects of temperature on the life of Liriomyza byroniae (Diptera: Agromyzidae) on Tomato. Journal of Economic Entomology 83(1), 117-125.
Minkenberg OPJ. 1989. Temperature effects on the life history of the eulophid wasp Diglyphus isaea, an ectoparasitoid of leafminers (Liriomyza spp.), on tomatoes. Annals of Applied Biology 115(3), 381-397.
Parrella MP, Jones VP, Youngman RR, Lebeck LM. 1985. Effect of leaf mining and leaf stipping of Liriomyza spp. on photosynthetic rates of Chrysanthemum. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am 78, 90-93.
Singh KB, Weigand S. 1996. Registration of three leafminer resistant chickpea germplasm lines: ILC 3900, ILC 5901, and ILC 7738. Crop Science 36, 472-475.
Tran DH. 2009. Agromyzid leafminers and their parasitoids on vegetables in central Vietnam. J. ISSAAS 15(2), 21-33.
Wardlow LR. 1984. Monitoring the activity of tomato leaf miner (Liriomyza bryoniae, Kalt.) and its parasites in commercial glasshouses in Southern England. Mededelingen van de Faculteit Landbouw wetenschappen, Rijksuniversiteit Gent 49, 781-791.
Soolaf A. Kathiar, Nabaa A. Al Rada Mukuf, Saja H. AL. Abdulameer, Sawsan K. Flaih.
Agromyzid leafminers and its natural enemies on vegetables (squash and tomato) in green houses.