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By Alexandra Brodsky • @azbrodsky • 7 years ago
#FBrape unleashes the power of the feminist internet
Last week, Katie posted about #FBrape, a campaign to pressure companies whose ads were displayed next to violently misogynistic photos (trigger warning) on Facebook to pull their support until the social media company changes its posting policy. While Facebook still hasn't responded, #FBrape's success over the last week shows advertisers shouldn't mess with the feminist internet.
As of this morning, #FBrape has received 50,000 mentions on Twitter, 4,500 emails have been sent to advertisers, and more than a dozen companies have pulled their ads. Campaign co-founder Women, Action, and the Media (WAM!) is asking supporters to redouble their efforts to pressure advertisers who refuse to act, including American Express and faux-feminist Dove. If they don't remove their ads from the misogynistic site, we won't buy their product.
True victory, of course, will require Facebook to change its policies. WAM! Executive Director Jaclyn Friedman has confirmed that Facebook is in discussions with the #FBrape organizers, but the only public action Mr. Zuckerberg's empire has taken thus far is the deletion of some of the specific sexist pages highlighted by the campaign. That isn't good enough. Without a substantive policy shift, the burden of policing the huge social media network will fall on feminist activists–and there's no reason to think their efforts will successfully rid the site of misogynistic photos.
Facebook has a full team hired for the sole purpose of responding to users who report "offensive" material, but it has regularly determined gender-based hate speech–unlike other forms of bigotry actively censored on the network–doesn't violate community standards. A clear policy banning such photos is necessary if we want Facebook to continue responding to complaints once media scrutiny has turned elsewhere.
The fight for policy change is also an important opportunity to articulate why such sexism is destructive. Pictures like those highlighted by #FBrape don't just offend and hurt feelings; they promote violence through glorification and trivialization. Of course, Mark Zukerberg didn't invent misogyny. Facebook's current policies reflect a culture in which sexual violence is a joke and breastfeeding is judged more troubling than rape. But the network's overwhelmingly male leadership solidifies the acceptability of gender-based violence by codifying sexism into its community standards, restricting some speech while granting misogynists free reign.
Facebook's idealistic mission has always been to build a "more open and connected" world in its virtual reflection of users' everyday lives. Implicit in this promise is the recognition that the website will both shape and be shaped by our off-line lives. It is not surprising that violence–antithetical to the freedom and community-building Zuckerberg seeks–has worked its way into this crowdsourced society. Right now Facebook is actively reflecting this misogyny back in magnified form, like a funhouse of distorted mirrors: gender-based violence is amplified in its online expression, promoting more violence in our lives off the screen, which in turn manifests itself in online hate speech.
It would be so easy for Facebook to stop this cycle. If our complaints can't, #FBrape shows, perhaps the threat of our dollars will.
Alexandra Brodsky
Alexandra Brodsky was a senior editor at Feministing.com. During her four years at the site, she wrote about gender violence, reproductive justice, and education equity and ran the site's book review column. She is now a Skadden Fellow at the National Women's Law Center and also serves as the Board Chair of Know Your IX, a national student-led movement to end gender violence, which she co-founded and previously co-directed. Alexandra has written for publications including the New York Times, the Atlantic, the Guardian, and the Nation, and she is the co-editor of The Feminist Utopia Project: 57 Visions of a Wildly Better Future. She has spoken about violence against women and reproductive justice at campuses across the country and on MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX, ESPN, and NPR.
Alexandra Brodsky was a senior editor at Feministing.com.
Read more about Alexandra
Alexandra Brodsky	Alexandra Brodsky
Gender-Based Violence Declared a National Crisis in Puerto Rico
By Amanda R. Matos
Dear NYT and Atlantic: Do We Really Need A Primer On Enthusiastic Consent in 2018?
By Meg Sri
Why is Twitter Protecting Violent Islamophobes While Banning Everyone Else?
By Amanda R. Matos • @@Amanda_R_Matos • 2 years ago
Earlier this month, Coordinadora Paz Para La Mujer, a women-led anti-violence coalition, declared gender-based violence a national crisis in Puerto Rico.
Since Hurricane Maria, there has been an increase in sexual violence and harassment and a decrease in access to resources for survivors in Puerto Rico. The national disaster recovery plans and emergency responses lack a gender analysis, causing a mismanagement of reporting processes and little attention to violence prevention plans.
To date, there have been 12 reported deaths caused by domestic violence in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria. This number is a gross misrepresentation. Five out of eight shelters are operating. And even when shelters are fully functional, gender-based violence is severely underreported.
Prior to the hurricane, gender ...
Since Hurricane Maria, there has been an increase in sexual violence and harassment and a ...
After a woman pseudonymously named "Grace" accused comedian Aziz Ansari of sexual assault last week, it took less than 24 hours for the victim blaming to begin: spearheaded, of course, by none other than reactionary, conservative and uncritical voices at the New York Times and the Atlantic.
In a babe.net exposé, Grace detailed a painful, relatable and cringe-inducing account of a date night with Ansari: a night that culminated in unwanted sexual contact that made her cry all throughout her cab ride home. Grace describes in her piece how exactly the night had unfolded and points out which particular moments made her feel, in her own words, violated: Ansari's ignorance of her verbal and ...
After a woman pseudonymously named "Grace" accused comedian Aziz Ansari of sexual assault last week, it took less than 24 hours for the victim blaming to begin: spearheaded, of course, by none other than reactionary, ...
Conservative journalist Laura Loomer went on a hateful, Islamophobic rampage on Twitter on Wednesday, posting photos and video she took of Muslim women in New York City. Unsurprisingly, Twitter has done nothing about it.
Labeling herself a proud Islamophobe, Loomer called Muslims "fucking savages," Islam a "cancer" and alleged that Muslims were "all the same" and should "never be let into the civilized world." Loomer also claimed that she was late to work at a New York Police Department press conference because it took her 30 minutes to find an Uber or a Lyft not driven by a Muslim driver, calling it "insanity" and demanding a version of a ridesharing app that would exclude "Islamic immigration drivers." Her actions ...
Labeling herself a proud ...
@FBrape campaign▪#FBrape▪Facebook▪Gender-Based Violence▪hate speech▪Jaclyn Fried▪Mark Zuckerberg▪rape culture


Travelin' out west, back in two weeks.
Late last Friday we added JC Penney, Sprouts Farmers Markets and Verizon to accounts and sold GM common maintaining our position in the warrants.
We have trade Spouts profitable this year and purchased after the shares dropped 10% on news of a placement of 10 million shares being sold by an institutional insider. The company had just reported strong earnings and sales. The insider's investment firm still has large position.
We bought Verizon for the yield/trade as we have done several times over the past few years and took a flyer on Penney after a more positive quarterly report.
We added a few shares of Old Second Bank to accounts this week. We have followed the bank for years and traded it a few times. OSBC almost went under in the 2009 to 2011 banks blowups but seems to have managed to survive. Right before the 2009 collapse the bank purchased a bank that had a bunch of terrible real estate loans on its books- only obvious after the purchase- and has suffered for years trying to work those loans off the books.
In April the bank sold 15 million shares of stock to raise money to pay off preferred shares issued to the FDIC to maintain solvency. Insiders purchased shares at that time and recently purchased more shares. Insiders now have an 18% interest in the bank. There has been consolidation in the Chicago area for years and if OSBC continues to improve we are guessing that a larger Bancorp may decide to acquire them to get exposure in Aurora.
The next major market move probably won't be occurring until after Labor Day- if then.
We took trading profits in Walgreen, GM, and Deere and scratched on Sprint. We remain nervous traders of event and earnings news with an eye towards a significant correction soon. Not always right but…..
Walgreens and Sprint were on sale this week after both dropped 25% in price on negative news. Walgreens dropped because it decided not to do an inversion which would have save it $4 billion in taxes over the next number of years. Of course U.S. taxpayers would have had to make up the difference and since U.S. taxpayers are Walgreen customers the folks at WAG decide that the inversion wouldn't have been such good business practice.
Sprint dropped because its merger with T Mobile was called off and the arbitrageurs had to unwind positions. Moreover talk of Sprint not being able to compete again surfaced. Softbank, the Japanese conglomerate owns 70% of Sprint and the Japanese take the long view so not to worry.
We have traded both stocks over the past few years having good success with WAG but not so much with Sprint.
We also repurchased AT&T and Cisco both slightly lower than our last sales and Deere and GM both down 15% from our last sales.
Even with these purchase most accounts remain 70% or more cash.
The markets are keying on Putin and the Ukraine. If he invades the 20% correction will occur. If not, the correction may be put off till the fall.
We headed to the sidelines before the big drop on Thursday taking scratch profits. We are holding onto the GM Warrants but that is all. We don't know when but we do know Mr. Market likes to frustrate everyone. July was the first down month in a while – though the down was insignificant and we continue to look for earnings disappointment trades. August brings retail and a few tech earnings reports.
After wrecking the U.S. economy and sucking hundreds of billions of dollars from American taxpayers for their own survival, what can our patriotic big banks do for an encore? Why, help American companies flee the U.S. to avoid taxes, of course. For America!
Andrew Ross Sorkin had a must-read New York Times column on Tuesday about how some of our biggest bailout recipients also have the biggest share of the nearly $1 billion banks have made in the past few years helping U.S. companies do "inversions." That's when an American company buys a company in an foreign country that has a lower tax rate and then moves its headquarters to that country to shave a few points from its tax bill, possibly costing the U.S. government $19 billion over the next decade. For America.
And you'll never guess which bank has made the most money on this patriotic activity! OK, you'll probably guess: It is Goldman Sachs: Yes, the Vampire Squid has made more than $200 million advising companies on 10 different inversion deals since 2011, according to the NYT's crunching of Thomson Reuters data. The second-busiest inversion handmaiden is Morgan Stanley, with 8 deals at nearly $98 million. JPMorgan Chase has made more than $184 million on 6 such deals, and JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has taken the extra step of publicly defending the practice, Sorkin noted.
And then Dimon added this hilarious kicker: "I'm just as patriotic as anyone." Which is a little like the "some of my best friends are black" racism defense.
I dare say that Jamie Dimon might not be exactly as patriotic as anyone, like, say, a soldier holding it down at a forward operating base in Afghanistan or, I don't know, maybe the CEO of a company that decides against doing an inversion for reasons of actual patriotism.
But Jamie Dimon is not the first person in a Sorkin column to declare their undying love of country while doing the opposite thing. In a recent column titled "Reluctantly, Patriot Flees Homeland for Greener Tax Pastures," Heather Bresch, the CEO of drug maker Mylan, called herself a patriot as she reluctantly packed her bags to reluctantly move her company forever to the Netherlands, in order to reluctantly cut her company's tax bill from 25 percent to the "high teens."
Dimon and other defenders of inversions claim they keep U.S. companies competitive and so are truly patriotic. If only the U.S. would cut corporate tax rates, they say, then these companies would stop running away. But most of these companies already pay far less than the statutory tax rate of 35 percent. And one tax professor told Sorkin that the U.S. would have to cut its corporate tax rate to less than 10 percent to have any real effect.
"This is going to sound cynical, but as much as I may hate these deals and the ramifications for our country, if I don't do the deal, my competitor across the street will be happy to do it."
Pro tip: If you ever hear an investment banker start a sentence off with "This is going to sound cynical," you'd better brace yourself for a blast of weapons-grade cynicism right in the face.
President Obama has called for Congress to stop inversions, so of course they will probably go on forever. But if even Andrew Ross Sorkin, who usually struggles to find reasons to criticize Wall Street, is angry about them, then maybe the chances are a little better than we thought.
"The biggest seller on the NYSE today has been NoDoz!?"
I have spent many a night with Art Cashin at Bobby Van's directly across from the NYSE. Artie should actually write a book because there are not many of us left!
The stories he tells are unrivaled in stock market folklore, and it will be sad if those tales are not recorded for future generations. The same experience happened to me in a limo ride a few months ago with legendary investor Ron Baron, eponymous captain of Baron Capital. Ron founded Baron Capital with $10 million in 1982 and his assets have grown to over $27 billion since then.
During that limo ride Ron said to me, "There are not many of us left!"
Of course, the "us" in question is me! Indeed, in the next 25 years, there will be very few of us who experienced the "crash" of 1987; so, Art, write a book! I was actually in Barron's magazine in September of 1987 suggesting that there was going to be a "waterfall decline." Of interest is that said "crash" commenced 64 months into the recovery in stock prices. Also of interest is that the 1929 recovery rally peaked at 64 months, the Nikkei 225 (INDEXNIKKEI:NI225) peak took 65 months, and the NASDAQ 100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) peaked at 64 months; so, the 64/65 month timing point historically seems significant, at least to me, although I am not expecting anything like a crash here. Yet, this month is month 64 from the "nominal bottom" of March 2009 and next month is month 65.
Yesterday, however, I received this note from one disgruntled advisor. "I read your weekly strategy reports almost every week. I found this morning's annoying. You said, 'a few weeks ago I turned more cautious on a near-term basis.' Nonsense! You have been calling for a 10 to 12% pullback for at least 7 of 8 months. Have I been misinterpreting your comments for the last 7 or 8 months?"
My response was, "I have repeatedly said that coming into the year we were due for a 5 - 7% pullback in the first 3 months of the year based on the historical odds. And, that those same odds suggest we are due for a 10 - 12% drawn-down sometime this year. Whether we started it 3 weeks ago when we traveled into the 1950 - 1975 target zone, triggered by the April 15, 2014 upside reversal session at SPX (INDEXSP:.INX) 1816, is unknowable. So it is true, I have said there should be a 10 - 12% pullback sometime this year, but I have not been calling for it for the past 8 months and I do have the documentation to prove that."


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aauthor: Mebus
Alternative Historical Fiction
fantasyRL5
Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus, 340 pp, RL 5
First reviewed in 2011, Gods of Manhattan is very much like Wildwood in that it is a fantasy squarely set in America as well as a fantasy that presents a world within a world. This time, there is a ghost world of historical figures running New York City alongside the flash and blood politicians. Excellent fantasy and adventure and really great history as well!
It's really hard not to pick up a kid's book with the title Gods of Manhattan, especially when the cover art is by the current god of fantasy cover art for kids, Brandon Dorman. When Scott Mebus' first book for kids came out in 2008 I picked it up and read the jacket flap and was instantly intrigued by this book that created an American mythology with historical figures from New York City's past.
I'm not sure why it took me three years to actually read the book, but by the time I did my son had been on vacation to New York City and come home with The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of 400 Years of New York City's History by Eric Homberger, which was an excellent resource, although not necessary to enjoy and understand Mebus' story. The Gods of Manhattan does come with a fold-out, four page map of Manhattan illustrated by Brandon Dorman which also includes a list of characters and important terms. However, once I started reading Gods of Manhattan it was rare that I wanted to stop reading long enough to look up people and places. This book, aside from having a very unique and interesting premise, is so well written and full of vivid descriptions and compelling characters that it was a genuine treat for me to read - like a delicious meal at a fabulous restaurant. And, fortunately for everyone, this is a three course meal. Book two in the series, Spirits in the Park is currently in paperback and book three, The Sorcerer's Secret, comes out in paperback in August.
Having attended fourth grade in California, I am more familiar with names like Junipero Sera and places like the the twenty-one missions that line the El Camino Real than I am people like Adriaen van der Donck and places like Central Park and the Fulton Fish Market, but Mebus' writing is so inviting that I slipped into this new old world that he created with ease and excitement. The Gods of Manhattan, as the title suggests, are mortals who have done something great in their lifetimes, be it notorious or noble, and left a mark on the history of Manhattan. In their afterlives they live on in the parallel world of Mannahatta, which was the Lenape Indian's name for their land, and now Manhattan. As the magician Hex describes to our hero, Rory,
Mannahatta is lousy with gods, each of whom watches over his or her slice of Manhattan, big and small. Gods of everything from Justice to Sample Sales, Guilt to Jaywalking, Money to Street Construction - very equal opportunity. . . When a mortal does something great, he is reborn in Mannahatta as a spirit. If his legend grows enough, he might be fortunate enough to ascend to godhood. Of course, it all depends on what they're remembered for. Mannahata is littered with the spirits of famous gangsters, so very few of them become gods, since there's room for only so many gods of crime. But there aren't many contenders for the job of God of Alternate Side of the Street Parking, which is how Alan Tuddle rose to the position simply by being remembered as the guy who always got the spot. All told, there are thousands of gods here in Mannahatta, on top of hundreds of thousands of spirits, not to mention all the other creatures lurking about. They all have jobs to do - making sure Manhattan keeps sailing along smoothly, spiritually speaking. Though some work harder than others.
Presiding over all of the spirits and gods is the Mayor and his Council of Twelve. Alexander Hamilton, the God of Finance, has been mayor for over two hundred years, displacing the original mayor of Mannahatta, Peter Stuyvesant, a Dutchman who arrived in New Amsterdam in 1647 and turned the settlement into the beginnings of a real city. The Council of Twelve also counts Dorothy Parker, Goddess of Wit, Zelda Fitzgerald, Goddess of Trends, Walt Whitman, the God of Optimism and Babe Ruth, God of Heroes, among its members. The worlds of Mannahatta and Manhattan collide at Bridget Hennessy's ninth birthday party when the magician Hex shakes things up for Bridget's big brother, Rory.
After the party, Rory begins to notice things around Inwood, the Manhattan neighborhood where his mother's family has lived for generations. Stone gargoyles eat pigeons, cockroaches ride on rats, an Indian hunts in Central Park and a rat and a squirrel have a throw down right before his eyes. Since his dad walked out on his family when he was four and Bridget was a baby, Rory has been an outcast, the kid without a dad, and, most often, the primary care giver to his sister while his mom works overtime to keep the family afloat. Bridget and his mom are his tribe and he doesn't think he needs anyone else, especially after he starts seeing things and worries that this will make him even stranger to those around him. However, Rory does decide to hunt down Hex and get some answers and this is when he learns that he is a Light. As Hex explains to him, "People don't want to see the real truth. They'd rather live in a fog. They don't want to see the chips in the paint or the bums on the street. So they close their eyes to it, without even knowing it. But it's the nature of a Light to see through all illusion to the truth, to face the truth and point it out to others. So you, out of all the other mortals in the city, can see through to Mannahatta. That is very valuable to many people." Rory also learns that he may be the only person who can right a horrible wrong that Mayor Hamilton and his right hand man, a shadowy figure named Kieft (with a very interesting real-life history as the Director-General of New Amsterdam preceding Stuyvesant who left a trail of slaughtered Native Americans in his wake) have enacted upon the spirits of the Munsee Indians, one of the original tribes to inhabit the land.
The ensuing story has as many twists and turns as the NYC subway system and kept me guessing almost to the end of the book, so much so that there is not much more of the plot I can share here without revealing any crucial elements of the book. Gods of Manhattan is a story of many layers populated with characters with multiple identities and hidden agendas. As someone who reads a lot of fantasy, it is easy to spot a plot element that has been dropped in to make the story move along or explain something. Mebus' story is so seamless and his character development so rich that every plot advancement and all of the characters' actions were believable within the world he created and there was only one instance in which a resolution scene seemed almost too tidy. And, while most of the story takes place in Mannahatta, which is a parallel world with quite a few magical things that the real Manhattan doesn't have, the real city is a very strong presence and Mebus's writing was very visually descriptive. At times, the large cast of characters was difficult to keep track of and I found myself flipping back to the list of characters and important terms often. However, this did not slow me down but instead increased my curiosity about the historical figures who populate the story.
While Gods of Manhattan is definitely the start of an adventure, Mebus tells you enough about his characters to draw you in and make you want to know more but he also leaves the reader with a sense of closure, on one level. There are many characters I liked and am excited to know more about, like Alexa van der Donck and Toy, to name a few, but my favorite character has to be Bridget, Rory's little sister. Although she is just nine, she is the kind of kid who thinks she should be the hero of the story and has spent most of her life preparing for it - or maybe just filling the hole left by the absence of her father. With her cardboard sword named BUTTKICKER that she says her father left behind for her when he disappeared, she has a strong sense of wanting to protect her family and prove herself brave and worthy to her father when he returns. Over the course of their adventure, she chides herself for not stepping in front of danger the first time she has the chance, then jumps the next time she does. On a shopping trip with her mother, she passes over the shiny sandals and sporty Pumas for the steel-toed lace up boots that she knows will serve her well in a battle. With the popularity of Harry Potter, it has become common to see the flawed, conflicted hero in fantasy novels struggling with the subtle nuances between good and evil these days. Never before have I seen the character who wants to be the hero, is in training to be the hero and instead finds herself the sister of the hero. Gods of Manhattan ends with Bridget taking the kind of chance that propels a story forward but also makes a character interesting and exciting to watch. And, to top it all off, Bridget is hilarious. When she and her brother decide to spend the day in the Central Park she spots a mime and wants to throw things at him to see if she can make him say "Ouch!" When she gets bored waiting for Rory to decide what to do next she plays her favorite game: "hailing cabs and then pretending to be surprised and confused when they stop for her."
I can't recommend Gods of Manhattan enough to readers who enjoy fantasy and to readers who love historical fiction because this book is the perfect blending of the two genres with the very rare setting of the United States, as opposed to the typical fantasy setting of England. The obvious comparison is with Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series but Mebus' writing is so much more complex and thoughtful than Riordan's books and, while there is plenty of action, Gods of Manhattan is not the fast paced roller coaster ride the Riordan's books can be. This makes Riordan's books easy to read for younger kids reading at a higher level and appealing to older readers who like an easier read. While reading Gods of Manhattan, I was often reminded of one of my all-time favorite series, the Time Quake Trilogy by Linda Buckley-Archer. A time travel book rather than a fantasy with a parallel historical ghost world, the books share a depth of character development and historical foundation that makes for richer stories. Before I even finished Gods of Manhattan I was ordering books two and three and now find myself waiting not-so patiently to how Bridget, Rory and that creepy bad guy in the darkness, Kieft cross paths a final time.
Labels: aauthor: Mebus Alternative Historical Fiction Fantasy fantasyRL5 Historical Fantasy Mythology and Folklore New York City Reading Level 5 Series

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Whether you are running to the corner for coffee, grabbing lunch with a friend or going on vacation, go with the Nikky Loves Friends Fanny Pack.
Exterior Features: Made of eco-leather. Main zipper closure with Nikky logo zipper pull. Nikky logo nameplate at front. Adjustable 22.5"-35.5" buckle belt.
Interior Features: Nikky signature Heart print nylon fabric. Zip wall pocket at back.


text:
Ron Emmons Writer & Photographer
Periodicals >
Deep in the Delta
Blissful Bloom
The Wonder of Water
Striking Signs
A Hike up Chiang Dao Mountain
Quirky Chiang Mai
On the Road to Rio
Searching for Shangri-La
Ron's CV
Following is a list of articles Ron has written on a variety of topics. If you would like to see the text or images of any story, please make your request using the contact form at the foot of this page.
Let's escape the rigid lines of cityscapes and look at the fluid patterns of trees and plants, rocks and rivers, which provide relaxation and inspiration.
Water is a wondrous element, with the ability to change into both a gas (steam) and a solid (ice). It can soothe us with its sound and delight us with its visual beauty.
Though water is in principle a transparent liquid, it produces a rainbow of colours through reflection and refraction.
The Rhythms of Rice
Rice not only fuels half the world's population with energy to get through each day – it also determines the rhythms of the lives of those who cultivate it. This story looks at the cycle of rice-growing in Thailand.
Coconut - King of Trees
With its nutritious fruit, good building wood and preference for beaches, the humble coconut palm deserves a prize for the many ways it helps man.
The English language only has one word for this fruit that has many different varieties and is a key ingredient in a staggering range of dishes.
The Bizarre Baobab
Baobabs look different to any other tree with their huge, smooth trunks and squiggle of branches. They can survive long periods of drought and some live thousands of years.
The Mute Swan's Tale
George is an 18 year-old mute swan who lives on the River Thames in England. His story is a heart-warming example of overcoming an environmental disaster, and includes a description of the ancient Swan Upping ceremony that takes place each July.
Buddhas with Attitude
The hand gestures, or 'attitudes', of Buddha images reveal insights about the teachings of Buddhism and are a source of inspiration for those who contemplate them.
Sweeping Meditation
A personal history of attitudes to sweeping reveal the activity as both a senseless chore and a route to enlightenment.
The Many Faces of Buddha
Images of the Buddha in Thailand take many forms - fat and thin, gleaming and battered, massive and minute. A close look at a range of images reveals much about his life and teaching.
The Gentle Art of Walking
Meditation is often considered an elusive, esoteric practice, yet a form of walking meditation can bring unimagined benefits.
The Rains Retreat
A month-long meditation course, undertaken at the beginning of Khao Pansa, the 'Rains Retreat', in a Northern Thai temple provides some challenges and leads to unusual experiences.
Mindful Moments
Visitors may not realize, but when they marvel over the beauty of Thai temples, they are practising mindfulness, just like the monks who live there.
Developing Compassion
The Sangha Metta Project, which is training monks in Southeast Asia to help local communities cope with the AIDS crisis, is causing a quiet revolution.
Making Dreamscapes
Sandwiching slides is one of the easiest techniques to come up with other-worldy images as backgrounds and foregrounds interplay in strange ways.
The Element of Surprise
While far from home, we need to use our own surprise and that of locals to capture the magic of the moment and get great travel pictures.
Billboards, street signs and graffitti are there to inform, persuade and entertain, yet they also make intriguing subjects to photograph.
Artful Abstracts
Abstract images, which can be found all around us, bring out the importance of line, tone and texture in a good photograph.
In Mouhot's Footsteps
Re-tracing the travels of Henri Mouhot, French naturalist, through Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Mouhot is credited with making the Western world aware of the splendour of Angkor Wat.
The Road to Kelmscott
Kelmscott Manor, near the source of the River Thames, was the last home of William Morris - writer, philosopher, designer and printer. A visit there helps to understand the turbulent life of this productive man.
One Knight in Bangkok
Sir John Bowring's The Kingdom and People of Siam is still a page-turner 150 years after its publication, and an eye-opener on Western perspectives of Thailand's enigmatic culture.
The Vendor of Eternal Life
Daniel McGilvary spent over half a century trying in vain to convert the Buddhists of North Thailand to Christianity, yet succeeded in founding most of Chiang Mai's schools, hospitals and churches.
Culture: Thailand
A Fruit For All Sesons
Thailand's benign climate bestows a fantastic range of fruit on those who live there, and new varieties are coming into season every month of the year.
The Crafts of Lanna
Silkweaving, ceramics and woodcarvings are just a few of the crafts which have been produced in Northern Thailand for centuries using techniques that have gone unchanged.
The Handicraft Highway
The road linking Chiang Mai and Sankamphaeng is often called 'The Handicraft Highway', and is the place to go to see silk and silverware, ceramics and lacquerware being artfully crafted.
The Carvers of Tawai
Situated just south of Chiang Mai, Ban Tawai has transformed from a village of rice farmers into the heart of the local woodcarving industry, which is booming these days.
The Weavers of Mae Chaem
Nestled among the hills of Northern Thailand, Mae Chaem has a reputation for producing some of the finest woven textiles in the country.
Thai Spas and Health Retreats
Throughout the country, relaxing spas and health retreats are tempting visitors to pamper their bodies while on holiday.
Jumbo's New Tricks
Competition for visitors to elephant shows around Thailand has led the camp owners to come up with some surprising activities for their charges, such as playing music, painting pictures, playing football and giving a massage.
From September to November, beetle fans in Northern Thailand go crazy over these gallant warriors, which wield their horns at opponents in battle for the favours of a restrained female.
Thai Transport
Whether it be by elephant or tuk-tuk, by trishaw or bamboo raft, travelling round Thailand is an adventure in itself.
Thai Teak
The sturdy teak tree is inextricably linked with Thai culture, and was the cause of a 'teak rush' in North Thailand in the late 19th century.
Trance Dancing in Thailand
Spirit mediums in Thailand occasionally arrange trance dances to show their thanks to tutelary spirits for the powers bestowed on them.
In the House of the Spirits
Thailand's ubiquitous spirit houses show the importance of ancient beliefs and rituals as their owners make offerings to 'Phra Phum', the spirit of the land.
Festivals: Thailand
Parasols and Flowers
The streets of Chiang Mai and the nearby village of Bor Sang flare into colour at these New Year festivals, which feature lavishly- decorated floats, pretty Northern ladies and the heady scent of flowers (late Jan/early Feb).
Three Days off the Ground
Brilliant outfits and wild celebrations accompany the ordination of young Shan men into the Buddhist monkhood. For the three days of the festival, they are carried on shoulders or horseback (April).
Dancing Spirits
In a ceremony (Phi Ta Khon) to celebrate one of the Buddha's last re-incarnations, young men dress up as fearsome spirits and bring to life the sleepy town of Dan Sai in Loei Province (June/July)
Nan's Raucous Regatta
At the end of the Buddhist Rains Retreat (late October/early November), villagers around Nan converge on the local river to compete in long canoes for coveted prizes.
Soaked at Songkran
This traditional Thai new year in April is celebrated in the most appropriate way to deal with the stifling heat – by dousing each other with water.
The Festival of Light and Water
The Loy Krathong Festival is probably Thailand's loveliest, when small, candle-lit floats are released to honour Mae Khongkha, the goddess of the water.
Travel: Thailand
Thailand's Natural Treasures
The best place to escape the tourist hordes in Thailand is in its National Parks which occupy more than 13% of the country's area. Landscapes range from coral reefs to upland meadows and misty mountains.
Breezing round Bangkok
With the introduction of the skytrain and subway, moving around Bangkok has suddenly become easier, so finally visitors can enjoy sightseeing without fretting about the traffic.
Round Thailand in a Day
The Ancient City, located just over 30km from downtown Bangkok, features reconstructions, some on a reduced scale, of all Thailand's best-known buildings and monuments. The huge site includes lakes and woodland where deer roam free.
The Charms of Chiang Mai
With its beautiful landscapes, rich culture and warm, friendly people, Chiang Mai plays host to a constant stream of visitors.
A Stroll through Chiang Mai's Old City
The best way to discover Chiang Mai's charm is by walking through its narrow lanes and temple compounds, where plenty of surprises await.
The Chiang Mai Enlightenment Tour
While this tour does not guarantee a short cut to Nirvana, it reveals some fascinating facts about Chiang Mai's past and much of interest about its spiritual path today.
Bullets on the Border
A group of classic motorbike enthusiasts ride round the border of North Thailand on Enfield Bullets, passing through the Golden Triangle, the historic town of Chiang Saen and the laid-back town of Nan.
Northern Peaks
The cool season is the best time to get high in North Thailand, heading for the summits of Doi Pui, Doi Inthanon, Chang Dao and Phu Chi Fa to gaze over awesome seas of mist in the valleys below.
Footloose in Lanna
Northern Thailand, once called Lanna, has long attracted visitors with its treks to hilltribe villages, but these days the region's attractions also include rock climbing, kayaking, white-water rafting, bungy jumping and mountain biking.
In the Mae Sa Valley
With elephant camps and orchid farms, bungy jumping and off-road buggies, craft centres and the country's best botanic garden, the Mae Sa Valley has plenty to offer.
The Oldest Town in Thailand
Located just 25km south of Chiang Mai, Lamphun was once capital of the Haripunchai Empire, and claims to be Thailand's oldest continually inhabited town.
Afloat in a Wonderland
On the shores of a lake created by the Bhumibol Dam, the Mae Ping National Park (between Chiang Mai and Tak) offers true peace, with accommodation on a raft floating amid a drowned forest.
Doing the Mae Hong Son Loop
The 600-km route from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son and back is one of Thailand's most exciting journeys. It has more than 3000 bends and unfolds views of misty mountains, rice terraces, narrow gorges and hilltribe villages.
Thailand's Northern Loop
Hire a car or motorbike and head off on a sweeping tour of Thailand's north, taking in Lampang, Nan, Chiang Khong and Chiang Rai.
In the City of Three Mists
Mae Hong Son, in Thailand's wild northwest, is becoming one of Southeast Asia's hottest destinations. Great landscapes, colourful hilltribes, Burmese architecture and artifacts are some of the attractions.
Through Hardship to the Stars
A trek to the summit of Doi Chang Dao (2240m) in North Thailand provides a challenge that brings to mind the motto of the British Royal Air Force - 'Per Ardua ad Astra'.
The Friendly Ghosts of Phrae
Near the northern town of Phrae lies an area of eroded earth towers called 'Phae Muang Phi' which contains some other-worldly views.
A Cool Spot Called Hot
Surrounded as it is by attractions like weaving villages, forest monasteries, rushing rivers, hot springs, narrow gorges and a huge lake, Hot is a pretty cool place to be.
Time out in Nan
Crumbling temples, tasteful textiles and mountainous parks are the main attractions in Nan Province of Thailand's north, where the pace of life is leisurely to say the least.
Tranquil Tak
Tak, a quiet market town in Central Thailand, is the birthplace of King Taksin, one of Thailand's heroes, and is well-placed to visit several nearby scenic areas.
Bucolic Pai
Situated between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son, Pai is one of Northern Thailand's hottest new destinations. Trek to hilltribe villages, go white-water rafting, explore caves, or just relax by the river.
Rafting the River Pai
A white-water rafting trip in Thailand's far northwest brings close encounters with baboons, birds and the river itself. Though packed with excitement, the trip is safe for beginners.
On the Mountain that Points toward Heaven
Straddling the border of Thailand and Laos, Phu Chi Fa is a towering wedge of rock with a sunrise view to beat them all.
To the Top of Thailand
Amid the cool mists and lush vegetation of Doi Inthanon (Thailand's highest mountain), visitors can see rare birds and plants as well as some of the country's prettiest waterfalls.
Three Spirits Sharing Water
Doi Luang National Park, situated near Phayao in North Thailand, has some beautiful waterfalls, and the small but historic city has many attractions too.
The Beauty of Bell Mountain
In Loei Province of Thailand's northeast, Phu Kradung (Bell Mountain) presents a challenge to those who would scale its steep slopes to experience the enchanting atmosphere of its plateau.
In a Communist Paradise
Phu Hin Rong Kla, a mountainous national park in the north of Thailand, was once the scene of bloody battles with communist rebels, but is now a peaceful plateau with beautiful views.
Khmer Culture in Isan
Thailand's Northeast, known as Isan, was once a central part of the Angkor Empire, and the region is strewn with evocative Khmer ruins, as well as other traces of Khmer culture, such as elephant handling, silk weaving and ceramics.
Thailand's Eastern Islands
The islands off Thailand's eastern Gulf coast are easier to get to and less crowded than beaches in the south. Which is the one for you? Is it Ko Si Chang, Ko Samet, Ko Chang, Ko Mak or Ko Koot?
Exploring Samui
One of Thailand's best-known beach destinations, Koh Samui has plenty of quiet bays far from the crowds, but lots of attractions inland as well.
The Perfect Prison
Tarutao Island, near the Thai border with Malaysia, was once used as a prison, but these days it tempts sun-worshippers with its long, deserted beaches and clear waters.
Pampered in Phuket
Thailand has emerged as Asia's premier spa destination, and the country's most popular beach resort is the ideal place to indulge in a range of rejuvenating treatments at its top spas.
An Andaman Idyll
Ko Ngai, just off Thailand's Andaman coast near Trang, is the ideal spot to relax and watch the world go by, with excellent beaches, cozy resorts and no cars or roads .
Travel: SW China
Up the Raging River
The Nujiang River, which flows through the northwest of Yunnan Province, is called the Raging River for good reason, as its waters slice deep gorges in the landscape.
Yunnan, meaning 'South of the Clouds', is China's south-westernmost province, with over 20 brightly-dressed 'national minorities' and landscapes ranging from snow-capped peaks to steamy jungles.
The City of Eternal Spring
Kunming, capital of Yunnan, is a crossroads of many colourful cultures and enjoys an idyllic climate throughout the year. It is also the base for trips to nearby Western Hills and the Stone Forest.
A Walk Through the Stone Forest
A short drive from Kunming leads to one of China's most scenic attractions - an area of limestone pinnacles that gives the impression of a forest which is home to the colourful Sani tribe.
Surreal Dali
A medieval city in northwest Yunnan Province provides scenes that would surprise even its namesake, the surreal painter Salvador Dali. Set between a tranquil lake and snow-capped mountains, it is home of the Bai people and their ancient ways.
Journey to the Jade Dragon
Near the Tibetan border, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lijiang Valley are ripe for adventure. As well as meeting the local Naxi people, visitors can trek into the awesome Tiger-Leaping Gorge along the Yangtze River.
Among the Tai
The Tai are one of the largest ethnic minority groups in Yunnan, and have farmed the lush valleys around Jinghong for millennia. Their sophisticated cuisine, dress and architecture never fail to impress visitors.
Jinghong Jaunting
Short trips from Jinghong, in China's extreme southwest, bring glimpses of bright markets and temples, botanical gardens and the mighty Mekong.
Into the Heart of Huangguoshu
China's highest waterfall, situated in the remote countryside of Guizhou Province, reveals some spectacular views from a tunnel through its heart.
Breathless in Yangshuo
Whether from climbing the steep limestone hills, riding a bicycle or simply staring at the classical Chinese scenery, all visitors to Yangshuo are rendered breathless.
Vibrant Chengdu
The capital of China's most densely-populated province (Sichuan) pulses with life. It is an ideal place to see pandas, opera performers and storytellers in action.
Travel: Indochina
Seductive Saigon
With its bustling markets, colonial architecture, stylish restaurants and nightclubs, Saigon (now formally known as Ho Chi Minh City) has a seductive attraction.
Savouring Saigon
Vietnamese cuisine is currently enjoying worldwide popularity, and the best place to sample it is in Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon), the country's commercial and culinary capital. With venues ranging from simple street stalls to superbly-restored colonial villas, eating out in this city is always an exciting adventure.
The Mekong Delta is a melting pot of peoples and lifestyles, with Viet and Khmer farmers living side by side in this land of plenty.
Getting Hot on Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc is Vietnam's largest offshore island, located off the southwest coast of the Mekong Delta. With an expanding choice of resorts and guest houses, as well as some fabulous beaches, the island is growing in popularity.
Hanoi Rising
With investments and visitors streaming in, Hanoi is waking up to its potential as an appealing travel destination. Restful lakes, leafy boulevards and colonial buildings give the city an entrancing atmosphere.
Along the Dragon's Tail: Travels in North Vietnam
Vietnamese legends are littered with dragons, and a journey across the mountainous north from Halong Bay to Hanoi, Hoa Lu, Mai Chau and Sapa is like climbing the serrations on a dragon's tail.
High Fashion in the Hills of Vietnam
In the Tonkinese Alps of Vietnam's northwest, the different hilltribe groups try to outdo each other with the flamboyant styles and colours of their dress.
Puppets on a Watery Stage
Unique to Vietnam, water puppets skim and splash their way through a set of sketches guaranteed to make children or adults of any age roar with laughter.
Inside the Golden City
Luang Prabang, the ancient royal capital of Laos, is a veritable Shangri-La of graceful temples and friendly locals amid the jungle.
Vientiane – the Cosy City
Compared to other congested capitals of Asia, Vientiane is visitor-friendly, with a small centre packed with temples, markets and great restaurants.
Angkored Out
The massive scale and intricate carvings of the temples at Angkor are enough to overwhelm even the most ardent lover of ancient monuments.
Signs of Change in Cambodia
Along the roadside throughout Cambodia are hand-painted billboards urging people to beware of land mines, to hand over their weapons, to prevent AIDS and malaria and to protect the environment.
Travel: Asia general
Stalking the White Rajahs
With a history that reads like a 'Boys' Own' comic book story, Sarawak spent a century under the autocratic rule of the Brooke family, yet these days retains a great diversity of ethnic cultures and wildlife.
Purring in Cat City
Kuching, the capital of Sarawak in Borneo, is named after our feline friend, and apart from some kitsch statues of cats, has plenty to offer the curious – such as a rich colonial heritage, bargains in the markets and a bubbling nightlife.
Boogie in the Jungle
The Rainforest World Music Festival, which takes place each July at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Borneo, is a great place to enjoy music from around the globe and make new friends.
Breathless in the Land below the Wind
Sabah, which occupies the northern part of Borneo, offers plenty of activities for the adventurous, from climbing Mount Kinabalu to white-water rafting on the Padas River and diving at Lankayan Island.
Stone Visions in Sri Lanka
The former capitals of Sri Lanka, at Anuradhapura, Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa, contain some of the finest examples of stone carvings in the world.
Sweet-Tasting Kandy
Sri Lanka's prettiest city, set in a bowl of hills, is the home of Sinhalese culture and an ideal base for visits to the ancient cities and tea plantations. It also hosts the spectacular Perahera Festival.
Festival of the August Moon
The Kandy Perahera is often claimed to be Asia's most beautiful festival, and few who see it would disagree. Caparisoned elephants join the parade with whip crackers, torch spinners and the acrobatic Kandyan dancers.
Kelaniya: Temple of Dwarves
Situated just outside Colombo in Sri Lanka, the Temple of Kelaniya dates back over 2000 years. The present temple, built about a century ago, features a frieze of cherubic dwarves, each in its own posture.
To Catch the Fishtail
A quest to photograph a sacred and elusive mountain in the Himalaya while trekking in Nepal is almost snuffed out by low-hanging clouds.
Valley Images
The cultural variety of the Kathmandu valley provides a visual feast, with Hindu temples and ceremonies, unbelievable skylines, and the ubiquitous eyes of the Buddha.
The rice terraces of Banaue are often dubbed 'The Eighth Wonder of the World'. If strung end to end, these terraces made by the Ifugao tribe would span the world.
Travel: Madagascar & Mauritius
A 'Mad' Experience
With its wacky ways, Madagascar is a destination for travellers in search of adventure. It has hundreds of unique animals and plants, and an odd fusion of Asian and African cultures.
Madagascar's Wild West
A visit to the west coast of the world's fourth-largest island brings encounters with cute lemurs, crazy chameleons, bizarre baobab trees and the friendly Sakalava people.
In Search of a Surreal Vision
A frustrating search for a set of geysers near a picturesque lake in Central Madagascar ends with the discovery of some surreal colours and patterns among the mineral deposits.
Adventures on Dodo Island
Mauritius has moved ahead since the luckless days of the dodo. These days it is a model of success, with hotels lining its powder- soft beaches and delightful scenery drawing visitors inland.
The Smooth and the Rough
The creature comforts of the holiday isle of Mauritius contrast strongly with the struggle for survival in nearby Madagascar.
Travel: the Americas
The Coast of Many Colours
The west coast of the USA is famous for its movie stars and hitech ways, but a drive down the Pacific coast from Seattle to Los Angeles shows that nature reigns supreme.
Exploring the Lost World
The 'lost world' of Conan Doyle comes to life in the Gran Sabana of Southeast Venezuela. The world's highest waterfall, Angel Falls, tumbles almost a kilometre from one of the region's table mountains.
Going with the Flow: Walking the Thames Path
The inauguration of the Thames Path has made it possible to follow England's historic river 180 miles from the source to the Thames Barrier, passing places like Oxford University, Windsor Castle and the Houses of Parliament.
A Stroll beside Jubilee River
England's newest river, an 11-kilometre channel linking the Thames between Maidenhead and Windsor, makes the perfect place to begin a 16-km stroll that passes classic views of Eton College and Windsor Castle before returning along the Thames Path.
Cruising Up the Thames
From Windsor Castle to Oxford University, the River Thames flows past many gems of rural England. The relaxed pace of a boat is ideal for getting the feel of England's heartland.
Hooray Henley
Each July, English socialites swarm to the banks of the River Thames in Henley, where they consume vast quantities of champagne and strawberries, and cheer on the crews in the annual Royal Regatta.
The Eden Project, located in Cornwall in England, is an ambitious attempt to teach visitors about the interdependence of all forms of Nature, in which it succeeds through a combination of information, inspiration and entertainment.
The Grotesques of Oxford
From the parapets of Oxford's colleges, some distinctly non-academic characters leer down. Subjects range from members of staff to dragons and demons, angels and clowns.
The Mysterious Stones of Avebury
The stone circle at Avebury in southwest England may not be as famous as nearby Stonehenge, but it emits a magical aura that has mystified generations.
Jazz on a Summer's Night
The annual North Sea Jazz Festival, which takes place each July in Rotterdam, Holland, is one of the best music festivals on the planet, and never fails to thrill visitors with its line-up of top performers.
Searching for Shangri-La (self-published, 2013 - read a sample here)
After a long spell travelling abroad, it's difficult going home, as home isn't the same any more.
Getting Needled
A westerner with back problems in Thailand tries his luck with acupuncture - an ancient Chinese form of healing or torture, depending on your perspective.
The author reflects on changing attitudes to sweeping leaves, from considering it a boring chore to becoming a way of clearing the mind.
Lost in the Middle Kingdom
Getting lost must be the traveller's ultimate nightmare. For someone lost in the wilds of southern China, unfamiliar with local language and culture, the way out isn't easy.
Mesmerized by Mao
The massive Mao statue in Lijiang, NW Yunnan Province of China, is the central figure in a tale featuring leaping tigers, stone drums, herbalists, lamas and lost hotel keys.
Down the Siddharta Highway
A visit to the birthplace of Buddha in Nepal on the author's birthday follows a bumpy road to some realizations of the aptness of Buddhist concepts.
Slow Boat to the Golden City
Drifting down the Mekong from Chiang Khong in Thailand to Luang Prabang in Laos, in the company of a gay Finn, a macho Japanese and a bunch of smiling Laotians.
A colourful cluster of scarecrows at the roadside in Sri Lanka draws a seasoned traveler into a tourist trap.
A Visit to Uncle Ho
A visit to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, leads to reflections on political ironies of the twentieth century.
London Bridge Revisited
A chance encounter with London Bridge in the Arizona Desert sparks off memories of driving a bus over the same bridge into the City of London.
The author reflects on a life-long search for the perfect place to live, and comes to an unexpected realization while on a long-haul flight.
Text and images copyright © Ron Emmons 2000-2020
Ron Emmons
122 Moo 7, San Pisua,
Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand.
Tel/Fax: (66-53) 115150
Mobile: +66-841758104
ron@ronemmons.com


text:
Force India F1 Team je bila konstruktor u natjecanju Formule 1 u vlasništvu indijskog poduzetnika Vijaya Mallyae.

Spyker
Spyker F1 je bivša momčad Formule 1 koja je nastala u rujnu 2006. koju je kupio nizozemski proizvođač sportskih automobila Spyker Cars, momčad koja se dotad zvala Jordan Grand Prix kojoj je bio vlasnik Eddie Jordan tako da ni ime Spyker nije dugo ostalo u Formuli 1. Krajem rujna 2007. indijac Vijay Mallya kupio je momčad i objavio da će se momčad odsad zvati Force India F1. To je ujedno otvorilo jedno veliko tržište da jedna od najmnogoljudnijih zemalja svijeta kao što je Indija ima momčad u F1 koja se natječe pod indijskom zastavom.

Rezultati

Vanjske poveznice

 forceindiaf1.com
 statsf1.com

 Momčadi Formule 1
Formula 1 u Ujedinjenom Kraljevstvu

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Man, the hit keep on coming and the weirdness... it's soooo rabbit hole at this point, there ain't no telling what or where the bottom is.
Now, couple of things... I may go all over the place with this, as it's a flow-of-thought here that I'm going to try and analyze.
The biggest and most confusing aspect of the whole fucking slo-motion debacle is the What The Fuck is going on? and Why?
Couple of things -popping out- to me:
There's a serious disconnect between what's happening on the ground, versus what we're hearing here stateside. Now some of MY sources have given me some updates, all the way until they managed to get the hell out of Dodge. There appears two major Groups: Perps and Vics. Under Perps, there seems to be three major 'players' in the whole fuckup, and then there's the Vics, which I break down into two groups. I think the best way to break this down is to name and shame the players as we go.
Perps:
1) "Executive Branch" This's Slo Xi Den and 'the team'... this includes the actual shot callers because Tater Joe ain't really 'in charge' except to fill his depends, and do stupid shit, which I'm also going to cover. State is part of this cabal as well. The enemedia/Ministry of Propaganda ALSO get grouped in here, as opposed to their own category, as they're providing extreme cover primarily for the Executive, so, they get grouped in here for now.
2) The Intel Kids: These are the 'secret squirrel' guys and gals. They've been responsible (ostensibly) for all the bad intel/good intel, but they seem to be the primary 'target' if you will in this entire battle. By far, they ain't innocent, but they seem to be the primary target for sdestruction in this threed-way battle.
3) The DotMil. This's the Joint Chiefs of Staff primarily, and all the troops and tools at their disposal. Not for nothing, but you'll understand where I'm coming from as we flow with this. They're guilty as fuck, just like AL the others under the Perp category
Vics:
1) American Citizens, abandoned by well, shit. Damned near everyone. These are Contractors, NGO workers, Aid Workers, and folks who are "Blue Passport" holders. The Blue passport is literally the blue covered passport issued to US Citizens. According to my sources, there's potentially 6000 folks who got left behind. The numbers are -countrywide- as a LOT of people seem to forget that there were people ALL over Affy, scattered to the four winds when everything went completely tits up.
2) Nominal and Actual US Allies. Mostly Afghanis that have literally 'grown up' in Affy, supporting and working for the UD DotGov, DotMil and 'other' things... People don't realize that a LOT of people did the 'scut work' for the US and NATO forces, and all of them are now in extreme danger, as the Tallybananas kids consider ANYONE and EVERYONE who worked for the Great Satan to be a traitor and an apostate. This means even Ali-the-Dishwasher in the DFAC is a dead man walking.
Now, the issue: I think, and this's MY OWN WORK, with bits and pieces I've gathered as we've gone over 'stuff' for the past few weeks/days, I THINK that there's a genuine behind the scenes war between the three major Perp Groups, hereby called PG for brevity now. The PG is at war with each other, jockeying to be the Head Honchos when the smoke clears. Because the Executive was actually 'installed illegitimately' (and this hypothesis is based on that, that Tater Joe was installed illegally) that there's a power vacuum, and nature and power-mad-motherfuckers abhor a vacuum. Presuming the idea that the various 'powers behind the throne' have decided to go for 'all the marbles', they've gone to War with each other, and have been scoring 'points' against each other, without any consideration to the real-time impacts of said-action items they've done.
First and foremost was State and Tater wanted to have a BIG photo-op on September 11th of this year. -Someone- though that those optics would be great in leaving the country exactly 20 years after the initial war-starter. Now, I got a hunch that behind the scenes the Intel Kids must have gone berserk, knowing full well that the Tallybananas kids would go bananas. The IK have been the ones who helped broker the deal, and by altering the deal, they knew that an Honor Based Clan-Oriented group like the Tallybananas kids would completely flip their shit. Leaks have now proven that to be absolutely dead on the money. They (the IK) warned the EB that shit would cut loose, and they were rebuffed. Other leaks have shown that the EB asked the DM kids if things would be manageable, and the DM said "Yeah, it'll be fine."
Strike One against the DotMil AND the Executive side.
So, as things started to roll downhill, the Executive realized that they had a giant shit sammich on their hands, and ordered the DotMil to get out right then and there. I think the idea was to get the DotMil out so as to NOT have casualties. Bad optics, so get the troops clear, here and now. A panicked uneducated choice, that led to the Bail-out/Bugout from Bagram. Problem was, State figured that the Tallybananas kids would have the 'respect thing' going of an Embassy, and that things would be chill. The Intel Kids seem to have been screaming at this point, and the Executive had the 'father knows best' attitude. After all, State is made up of elite ivy-leaguers don't you know peasant?
Next thing you know, the word spreads: The Tallybananas kids are coming, they're pissed off, and ain't fucking playing. Panic then ensued at State, as they then realized the Capital was about to get overrun by a bunch of 13th Century Warrior-Ethos Religious Fanatics, and ordered the DotMil to get BACK into Kabul to 'assist with evacuations'.
Now, as alllll of this has been playing out, lotsa leaks. Mostly from the Intel Kid side of the house, showing just how fucked up things have been on the Executive side. Now, even the Ministry of Propaganda can't cover this shit up, so they go with the 'if it bleeds, it leads' and shows the lack of true leadershit that we have in the Offal Office at this point. So, in turn, and I have zero proof of any of the following, this's all my own prognostication, based on what I've seen:
What happened then were a couple of extremely fucked up things.
State 'just happened' to 'accidentally' leave behind ALL the biometric and intel computers, databases and well, all of the IK toys and intel for the Tallybananas kids to snatch. This was, as far as I'm concerned a willful stab in the back at the Intel Kids.
And in turn, The DotMil then actively blocked people from getting on base. Primarily, from MY sources, it was the chickenshit 82nd Two Star who gave THAT particular order, but who the shot-caller was in DC? More than likely Joint Chiefs level. This was the DotMil 'getting' points against the Intel Kids by locking out the very people that the Intel Kids promised to keep safe. It gets even uglier from there. Word I got, was that the Marines at that one particular gate were actively ignoring the orders to NOT allow people on base. When confronted, there were tense moments between the Army senior NCO/Officers, and the Marines, who pretty much did the right thing, and kept processing people in, despite orders to the contrary.
Now, the Intel Kids, and reminder zero proof, pure speculation and fiction BUT: I wouldn't put it past the Intel Kids to have sent out an asset to blow'd the gate up... payback to the DotMil for fucking them over... and those who think that they wouldn't do something as cold as that for political jockeying behind the scenes, remember, these are the same government agencies that have been actively doing dirty shit for 50 years against all of us. For them to blow'd the fuck up a platoon of DotMil to advance/embarrass the DotMil, isn't that far a stretch.
And that was that.
The Chickenshit 2 Star was the last man out.
Officially "Mission Completed"
Except it's not.
LOTS of people, countrywide left behind.
And the ultimate responsibility for ALL of this?
Apparently no one.
Not one motherfucker has been 'called on the carpet'
EXCEPT A light colonel from the Marine Corps LTC Stuart Scheller who demanded accountability from the Higher Chain of Command. And for his efforts, they shitcanned his ass. Relieved of command.
Even worse? He resigned, and he could no longer in good conscience serve under such leadershit. But the worst is apparently the now-ongoing 'Sovietization" of this issue. They've now ordered him to be "evaluated by mental health professionals to judge his competency"
THIS...this right here: That's exactly what the former Soviet Union used to do... IF you had the audacity to stand up against the USSR DotMil/Gov/Pol, they declared you 'insane'... so what does this particular shitshow tell us?
Yep, full commie. The DotMil has gone 'full commie' in the higher ranks
Never Go Full Commie
Now that it's over, I'd also say that the specious -they- whoever they are are STILL trying to provoke a violent response... Leastways from the public-at-large.... Maybe wrong, maybe it's just 'Tater being Tater' but man, it's hard to believe that they AREN'T being provocative. Tater checking his watch multiple times during the transfer ceremony? The fact that when he met with the family members who were -willing- to sit down with him, (not many apparently) and him spending all his time reminiscing about his Good Son, you know the dead one? Instead of talking to the newly grieving families about THEIR loss? Yeah... Keeping it Classy there Tater.... Then... his casual scripted approach to the whole thing? Man, Tell you what, them parental units got waaaay more self-control than I would have had.
One sister of the fallen apparently screamed directly at Tater "I hope you burn in Hell!"
The very fact that they're broadcasting all of this tells me they either want to use this as prima facie reason to 25th his ass OR they're hoping that a good ole boy finally loses his shit and goes after the lot of them.
Dunno, but all of the above, to me tells me, from MY perspective mind you, that there's some serious knife-fighting going on behind the scenes. Primarily because the guy in charge? He ain't in charge. In fact he's told us as much. "I've been instructed..." "I'm not supposed to..." I mean wow. Leadership? WHAT leadership? And what's the end game? Right now, end result of the Bugout Boogie was to utterly and terminally damage the Intel Kids. ALL of their assets that -didn't- get out are all, for the purposes of this, fucking dead. The Executive Branch is floundering... and the DotMil? No clue as to what their game is, as supposedly, this's a representative democracy, not a Junta...of course, maybe we need to modify that to a "Yet"
So we'll see.
Beans August 31, 2021 at 3:35 PM
All of this, and now we found out that they left the military dogs at the fucking airport.
We have become Australia, and not in a good way.
Rich Zellich September 1, 2021 at 10:09 PM
Apparently not. The up-front claim is that NO mil dogs were left behind. The dogs seen in cages in news reports were apparently local "civilian" dogs being taken care of by a sort-of local Humane Society/dog rescue group.
seagypsy September 2, 2021 at 9:37 PM
And they'd NEVER lie to us, would they.
Phil August 31, 2021 at 3:48 PM
Sounds pretty plausible to me. I'm thinking the Intel boys aren't going to just let that shit slide either.
There is going to be MUCH more fuckery going on. It's whether or not we hear about any of it that is the question.
Paul August 31, 2021 at 4:11 PM
pretty fucked up. No rest for the weary.
Sounds about right.
But never underestimate the IK's when it comes to fucking people over. They play a long game. The FBI plot against Nixon by Sullivan and Felt by leaking all the Watergate info only got serious when the IK's decided they wanted Nixon out. Once the IK's decided, Nixon was dead man walking.
Since Jan the IKs were running interference for the EB's happy to have Trump gone. But not anymore. They are doing most of the leaking against the EB's and other players. Biden is toast.
As for the IK ops. The airport gate bomb does nt sound right. But the Hellfire into the interpreters car and killing the family, the supposed suicide bomber car, thats a classic IK op. Huge story outside the US, not much play by the MSM Ministry of Propaganda in the US. Embarrassed all the right people for the IK's.
Now the real death match starts. The one that was put on hold in Jan. As the Swamp People duke it out like King Kong v Godzilla. With the US getting stomped like Tokyo as collateral damage.
checkers August 31, 2021 at 5:10 PM
Leaving animals trapped in cages to starve or dehydrate to death is a sign of evil. Not just stupidity or incompetence. These people will gladly put you on the boxcars and laugh about it.
SemperFi, 0321 August 31, 2021 at 6:42 PM
And yet the average American lives in denial of who their owners are, all around me I hear fools still talking of voting themselves out of this, by voting the same criminals back in for another dose of this shit.
We truly live among idiots.
DWEEZIL THE WEASEL August 31, 2021 at 9:03 PM
Sigh. I could not have said this any better. I do not worry about the Orcs and Orcettes with badges as much as I worry about the sheeple, normies, and cucks who will vote for more wealth confiscation and other anti-liberty trickery. God help us. Bleib ubrig.
Bear Claw Chris Lapp September 1, 2021 at 10:55 AM
You forget nobody voted for these shit stains and nobody will vote for these shit stains next time either. George Carlin was correct. Those military aged males shipped over here will be put to good use by these sick mofo's.
Oldfart September 1, 2021 at 3:13 PM
Talking with the wife this morning: She commented that her "better educated friends were avoiding the jab while those with poorer educations were flocking to the clinics for the latest vaxx. I suggested that while the 'plandemic' might be a bad thing for individuals it could turn out to be a good thing for humanity-in-general. I know I'm treading on slippery ground here, but God is still running this show and this might be His way of culling the herd.
I'm not claiming to be overly intelligent but I've learned a few things in my 87 years and if an agent of our government were to tell me the sun would rise in the east tomorrow morning - I'd still watch the western sky over my shoulder.
Wayne Wilson August 31, 2021 at 5:14 PM
You notice that congress , mostly democrats, have not said a word about this shit. They gladly give away their jobs to try and look clean. The courts probably won't step in either.
riverrider August 31, 2021 at 6:46 PM
hell, a whopping 26 republicans demanded joe's resignation, out of how many? no honor among them.
Congress did give away most of their job. That's why the EB is the fatass it is.
Sandman August 31, 2021 at 5:41 PM
Hopefully we see some politicos having heart attacks, maybe a few car accidents. If a member of the JCoS get thwacked in a "hunting accident". Shit like that, just watch. Langley is Minas Morgul to DC's Barad-dur. Still evil fucks, but in this case I would cheer them on.
SFC Johnny US Army Retired August 31, 2021 at 5:53 PM
I am sick to my stomach! Serious things need to start happening!
Carl B. August 31, 2021 at 5:58 PM
Quote the scum:
"Let me tell you, you take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you," Schumer told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow.
DAN III August 31, 2021 at 5:59 PM
The Patriots, Traditional Americans in this formerly great nation are in deep shit !
The ENTIRE .fedgov cabal needs to be "removed". And that just for starters.
Fred August 31, 2021 at 6:01 PM
The further we get into this year, the more fondly I look back at 2020.
Arthur Sido August 31, 2021 at 6:17 PM
Just when I start to think I know what these assholes are up to, they do something outrageous again and remind me that I am only scratching the surface.
"provoke a response?" nah, its pure arrogance, drunk with power, and too stupid to know when to quit. yes, a battle, maybe 4 ways. somebody completely different is running the pacific command, acting contrary to all edicts put out of d.c.... word is two super secret subs are missing in the south china sea. they ain't missing. shits about to get REAL real. got iodine?
i call milley little bo peep. says yes sir yes sir three bags full to everything tater joe says. tater did what he does best, blame.
MAJMike August 31, 2021 at 8:37 PM
It'll only get worse. Been practicing head shots at the pistol range.
John Wilder August 31, 2021 at 10:32 PM
He came out of his psyche eval clean.
Uncle Lar September 1, 2021 at 8:16 AM
The last time a POTUS effed over the intel gang this badly his initials were JFK, and we all know how that turned out.
Brian E. September 1, 2021 at 12:02 PM
Stop it! Now you're just teasing!
Troy Lee Messer September 1, 2021 at 12:11 PM
I get the sense there are 3, or more competing factions.
...I worry about the sheeple, normies, and cucks...
Because when us guys finally decide to do something, these are the fucking cowards that will fret, suck some jewish cock, then stand in our way.
Normies are too busy streaming netflix and acquiring chattels. The people Mark Dice will ask a question (like name just two the freedoms enshrined in the 1st amendement) and they will laugh at thier own ignorance. I want to ...ahem... process them first.
Gotta tell ya, I very much like where you are coming from in your posts. I find they help me get my thoughts together on all the BS thats going down. I'm a Former Airborne Grunt, no genius here. It's your blog and you can do anything you want. I get it. But damn dude, reading your writing that sound like a defiant junior high schooler wrote it is tiresome. Just my opinion. That and a buck will get you one round of 5.56.


text:
Florida adds 1,868 new COVID-19 cases. The 42 deaths are the most on a Sunday in a month
The state of Florida's COVID-19 dashboard reported 1,868 new cases Sunday and 42 more deaths from the novel coronavirus.
Throughout the pandemic, less data collection and entry led to the daily reports on Sundays having lower case and fatality numbers than the rest of the week. Sunday's case count remains in the range of the last several Sundays, but the 42 deaths is the most reported on a Sunday since the 51 reported on Aug. 23.
For the pandemic, the state of Florida reports 716,459 COVID-19 total cases and 14,845 total deaths.
South Florida counties
▪ Miami-Dade reported 329 new cases and four new deaths for pandemic totals of 172,205 total cases and 3,334 deaths, respectively. According to the state's county-by-county breakdown, Miami-Dade's daily positive test rate has been over 5% four of the last seven days and averages 5.00% for those seven days. The previous seven days, the average daily positive rate was 4.61%.
The Miami school district says all schools are ready to reopen this week. Some disagree
Miami-Dade and Broward public schools are reopening. Are certain masks prohibited?
▪ Broward County's 172 new cases leave it at 77,934 total cases. The dashboard reported 1,420 deaths, an increase of six. As for positive test rates, Broward has been under 4% on 10 of the last 11 days in the county-by-county breakdown. The exception was 4.02% reported for Wednesday.
▪ Palm Beach had 115 new cases, a pandemic total of 47,079, and three deaths, moving the death toll to 1,394. Nine of the last 11 days, Palm Beach's positive test rate has been under 4%.
▪ Monroe County added eight new cases and no deaths. The Keys have had 1,869 cases and 22 deaths.
Two hand sanitizers recalled and 14 added to the FDA's Do Not Use list in 16 days
6 hand sanitizers for kids recalled. There's a reason kids might eat or drink them
Current Hospitalizations
Government officials use current hospitalizations to decide the next action in dealing with the pandemic. On the state level, this has been steadily falling over the last month.
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration reports the number of patients hospitalized statewide with a "primary diagnosis of COVID." The data, which is updated at least every hour, does not distinguish between the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital intensive care units and those in acute-care beds, which require less attention from nurses.
As of 10:45 a.m. Sunday, the AHCA's said there were 2,044 people currently hospitalized, a rise of six from Saturday afternoon. Miami-Dade was up nine to 273; Broward down eight to 199; and Monroe was down two to two. Palm Beach was up two to 101.
The state reported another 20,434 people have been tested, a total of 5,404,082 during the pandemic. The positive test rate for the pandemic is 13.27%.
By the state's numbers, it's average daily positive test rate for the last seven days is 4.43%, a tiny drop from 4.61% for the previous seven days.
Florida's positive test rate for the last two weeks, according to the Florida Department of Health
Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center agrees with the state on the overall pandemic positive test rate percentages, but differs with the state on the daily, weekly and monthly percentages. It's latest update puts Florida's positive test rate over the week before Saturday was 11.25%, trending up.
Johns Hopkins' site explains how it calculates positive testing rate for each state: "Our calculation…looks at number of cases divided by number of negative tests plus number of cases.
We feel that the ideal way to calculate positivity would be number of people who test positive divided by number of people who are tested. We feel this is currently the best way to track positivity because some states include in their testing totals duplicative tests obtained in succession on the same individual, as well as unrelated antibody tests.
"However, many states are unable to track number of people tested, so they only track number of tests. Because states do not all publish number of positive and number of negative tests per day, we have no choice but to calculate positivity via our approach."
Florida says it figures positive test rate by calculating "the number of people who test positive for the first time divided by all the people tested that day, excluding people who have previously tested positive."
Topics #adds #cases #COVID19 #deaths #Florida #month #Sunday
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