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FCC Rolls Back Media Consolidation (A Little Bit)
By Brad Friedman on 3/31/2014 6:30pm PT
Finally. For the first time in years, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rolled back the mad consolidation of our public airwaves by huge corporate interests.
Today's party-line vote by commissioners is just one small step for the FCC, but it may suggest that, under its new Chair Tom Wheeler, the federal agency may once again be showing some interest in fulfilling its mission of assuring that the public airwaves actually serve the public interest...
The Federal Communications Commission today took a critical first step toward tightening its rules and putting more of the public airwaves into the hands of local owners.
In a tense vote, the agency closed a loophole that has allowed companies like Raycom, Sinclair and Tribune to evade federal ownership limits. The industry calls these loopholes "joint service agreements," but we call them "covert consolidation" because they allow companies to control as many as four TV stations in the same market. Companies that have exploited the JSA loophole have gutted newsrooms and often broadcast the exact same newscast on multiple stations in the same community - if they run any news at all.
In the wake of this decision, some companies will be forced to sell off stations that violate the new rule.
In addition, the JSA loophole was one of many. The Department of Justice has pushed the FCC to close all loopholes and a recent statement from the FCC's media bureau suggests it's primed to scrutinize future deals.
The LA Times reports the new rules "will greatly reduce and potentially bring to an end the popular practice of business partnerships between competing local television stations."
Mind you, many of the corporations who have been abusing the rules by partnering to avoid competing with other local stations are the very same corporations who pretend to be in favor of so-called "free market competition."
The Times goes on to note that "FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said such partnerships have been abused by many broadcasters who have used so-called joint sales agreements to get around the regulatory agency's rules limiting the number of television stations a broadcaster can own."
"Broadcasters will have two years to unwind their joint sales agreement arrangements or can file a request for a waiver and try to make the case that the partnership serves the public interest," the paper reports. Public advocates like Free Press President and CEO Craig Aaron, who otherwise lauded today's vote, still has "concerns about how the FCC will apply waiver standards."
Still, Aaron said in a statement issued today, the new rules amount to very encouraging news from the FCC for a change...
--- Click here for REST OF STORY!... ---
( 3 so far... )
Article Categories: Mainstream Corporate Media, Rush Limbaugh, FCC
9.5 Million Previously Uninsured Now Insured Thanks to 'Obamacare' (So Woe is Fox 'News')
UPDATE: AP reports ACA exchange to meet initial 7 million signup target before tonight's midnight deadline for 2014 enrollment...
By Brad Friedman on 3/31/2014 12:43pm PT
Well, this is fun. Today, a report out from the LA Times details a wide range of sources finding that "at least 9.5 million previously uninsured people have gotten health insurance since Obamacare started."
That's 9.5 million Americans who previously had no reliable access to health care now having such access thanks to the various provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA or "Obamacare").
But don't tell, Fox "News". They are busy with their trademark misleading graphics today...
Yes, they do that sort of thing quite a bit. Always fun.
And, before we hear complaints from progressives, for those don't recall, while we've been very critical of the ACA over the years (we prefer a single-payer, "Medicare for All" time plan, versus the obsenity of private insurers profiteering off of sick people), as we noted late last year (when the ACA allowed me sign up for a new plan with my same insurer and save $300/month or $3,600/year in the bargain), more people now having access to health care --- the overall goal of the Republican-conceived "Obamacare" law --- is certainly a good thing, no matter how one slices it. That's true even if it's bad law (and it is.)
But, as noted, don't tell Fox. For that matter, don't tell the Democrats who, for some unknown reason (perhaps because they are delicate, quivering, easily-intimidated flowers?) still haven't figured out how to run for office on their positive accomplishments, such as the ACA.
UPDATE 8:59pm PT: Moments before midnight on the east coast, just before the March 31, 2014 deadline for signing up for health care insurance without a penalty under the ACA, AP is reporting that the "Obamacare" health care exchange is "on track to sign up more than 7 million Americans for health insurance." That number was the original target set by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) when the bill was first passed into law and has been seen as the administration's initial goal for signups. That target was scaled back to 6 million after the disastrous opening of the website late last year (despite the misleading Fox "News" graphic indicating otherwise above). But if the AP is right, ACA has now exceeded its initial target...
Article Categories: Fox 'News', Mainstream Media Failure, Barack Obama, Health Care, Democrats
Court: NC Legislators Must Reveal Documents, Purpose Behind Challenged Voting 'Reform'
Emails may show attempted discrimination, tie effort to GOP/ALEC's nationwide vote suppression tactics...
By Ernest A. Canning on 3/31/2014 6:35am PT
A U.S. District judge has ruled that Republican legislators in North Carolina must provide documents revealing their work in passing and implementing a radical election reform bill which, when it was passed last year, was described by opponents as the "worse-than-anyone-would-have-ever-imagined voter suppression bill."
Late last week, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Joi Elizabeth Peake issued an Order [PDF] in which she rejected a blanket refusal by NC Republican state legislators to provide any documents that relate to the question of whether the sweeping legislation known as the Voter Information Reform Act ("VIVA" aka HB 589) amounted to nothing less than a racially-motivated attempt to deprive African-Americans of their constitutional right to vote.
As we observed when the law was hastily enacted last year, among the law's myriad ways of making registration and voting much more difficult, VIVA includes "draconian polling place Photo ID restrictions (despite the absence of any evidence of polling place impersonation in the state), shortens the early voting period and eliminates NC's very successful same-day voter registration program."
VIVA was quickly passed last year on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court's controversial, 5-4 decision in Shelby County v. Holder. The decision resulted in the gutting of a central provision of the federal Voting Rights Act. Before that, most of the measures in VIVA could not have taken effect unless they received advance approval from either the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) or a federal court. Such approval could have been obtained only if NC established that VIVA was neither intended to nor would have the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race, color or being the member of a language minority.
The new ruling may help plaintiffs establish violations of both the still-standing elements of the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution. Moreover, the order to compel documentation concerning the law's genesis in NC, if upheld, could also have a broader national significance...
Article Categories: Election Reform, North Carolina, U.S. Constitution, Voter ID, Accountability, Dept. of Justice, Republicans, Voting Rights Act, ALEC, Election 2014
Gingrich: Elections 'Favor Billionaires over Middle Class' (So Wait Until You See His 'Solution'!)
Oh, the irony of Newt Gingrich never ends...
Newt Gingrich says all the attention to be paid in Las Vegas by GOP officials and wannabe presidents this weekend to billionaire campaign donor Sheldon Adelson-a patron of Gingrich's 2012 White House bid-is something that won't go away until genuine campaign finance reform occurs.
"Whether it's the Koch brothers or [George] Soros on the left or Sheldon," said the former House speaker in an interview with National Journal on Friday, ticking off other campaign mega-donors, "if you're going to have an election process that radically favors billionaires and is discriminating against the middle class-which we now have-then billionaires are going to get a lot of attention."
Gingrich was asked about the gathering of some top Republicans in Las Vegas for what officially is the spring meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Some have even taken to dubbing the event the "Sheldon Primary," for the casino mogul who almost single-handedly bankrolled Gingrich's presidential candidacy in 2012 and is said to be looking for another horse to back for the White House in 2016.
That's from Billy House's piece at National Journal today.
But if you want to know what Gingrich proposes to help even the score in elections between the billionaires and the middle class, you have to read to the last line of House's article...
Article Categories: Election Reform, Republicans, Election 2012, Newt Gingrich, Koch Industries, Election 2016
Brad on Progressive Radio in Minnesota as State Democrats Join Deadly 'War on Vaping'
Dem Governor Mark Dayton breaks with party on proposed e-cig regulations, says bill goes 'too far' by banning use indoors...
Finally, I'm no longer the only progressive taking to the air waves to call bullshit on the Democrats' deadly and stupid War on People Trying to Quit Smoking with E-cigs.
On Thursday I was invited to discuss the issue with Ian Levitt of the Daily Report, the afternoon drive time show on KTNF, Minnesota's great Progressive AM950. Minnesota now joins the growing list of places where legislatures are considering a ban on vaping in public spaces because...well, I guess because they want more people to keep smoking rather than quitting via the non-smoking alternative of vaping. (I'm sure there must be some other reason --- and we discussed that a bit during the show --- but whatever that reason is, as is the case here in Los Angeles, it sure isn't based on science or public health benefits, as my interview with L.A. City Councilman Paul Koretz, who sponsored and voted for the ban here, made very clear a few weeks ago!)
It's time that Progressives (not to mention Democrats, but I don't necessarily hold out much hope for them) get on the right side of this issue. Here's my conversation about e-cigs and ill-considered bans against them, with Levitt yesterday...
To his great credit, according to the Star Tribune, MN's Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton has signalled the state's proposed ban goes "too far". So the bill has been sent back to committee in the state Senate.
"Dayton said he would sign a bill to restrict children's ability to buy e-cigarettes and to keep the product out of schools, but he would likely oppose making them subject to the indoor air law," the paper reports. "Dayton told the Star Tribune that he's not convinced there is definitive evidence that secondhand vapor poses a danger similar to secondhand smoke."
Here in Los Angeles, while the City Council voted to ban e-cig use like cigarettes, in public spaces such as parks, beaches, restaurants, bars, clubs, work spaces etc., Mayor Eric Garcetti has yet to approve the new ordinance. He can be contacted here, if you'd like to ring in with your thoughts on the new ban which is sure to make it harder for smokers to vape and, therefore, to quit smoking entirely.
If you have any questions about the effectiveness of e-cigs, feel free to ignore my own testimonial (vaping has allowed me to stop smoking immediately after decades of being a smoker) and take a look at some of the almost identical testimonials from former smokers in that Star Tribune article I linked to previously on the Minnesota ban now being considered.
Article Categories: BRAD BLOG Media Appearance, Minnesota, Health Care, Los Angeles, Vaping/e-cigs
'It's the Biggest Problem Facing Humanity': VICE's Shane Smith on Climate Change
'People who know the science is real are paying people to say it's not real. That's the definition of shitting where you eat.'
By Brad Friedman on 3/28/2014 6:35am PT
On last week's episode of VICE on HBO, the documentary news magazine's founder Shane Smith went to Greenland to cover the startling melting of its massive ice sheets
Grist's Ted Alvarez interviewed Smith about the episode recently. Here are a few highlights from that interview...
Q. What made you guys want to tackle climate change?
A. I did a story last year - and I'm going to do this every season, every time we get a chance because I think it's the biggest problem facing humanity as a whole today. I don't know how you get bigger.
Q. And yet mainstream media often shies away from covering it, at least in proportion to the seriousness of the problem.
A. I find it incredibly strange that that's the case. When you talk to people in the scientific community and ask how much of this is our fault, they say, "Oh, 100 percent of it." And most people don't think it's true. But I guess there's people who deny gravity and evolution. ... It's not even that the gun is to our heads; the hammer has been cocked back. We have to do it now or we're screwed.
Q. What made the biggest impression on you while out there on the ice?
A. The scale of what's happening is amazing. I live in Tribeca, and during Sandy my whole street was underwater. It's personal: My house is going to sink. You realize the scope of the problem. Greenland is several miles thick, and it's sinking as fast as it can. We flew over this deglaciated land which has been covered for 50,000 years, and 10-15 miles of it is deglaciated. You realize what used to be miles wide and miles thick is just gone. If you understand the science, you understand it will happen at an exponential rate. And then it becomes wholly terrifying. You can see how a place that's three times the size of Texas is melting all at once. It's mind-bogglingly huge.
I don't think the scientific community understands the war they're in. [They say], "It's difficult to say anything is 100 percent this or that." They don't understand that if they leave any loophole, the far right, the Koch brothers, the well-funded lobbies will exploit it. Ninety percent of the comments on anything we do [on VICE] are positive, but when we cover climate change they're negative, and it's because they're funded.
That's what I really think is the most insidious. Look, we all know [climate change] is real - the science at this point is indisputable. But people who know the science is real are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for people to say it's not real. That's the definition of shitting where you eat: damning future generations so you can make short-term profit on fossil fuels.
Unfortunately, the episode doesn't appear to be available online for free, other than for HBO subscribers at HBO Go. If you have access to either, you should try and watch VICE's disturbing "Greenland is Melting" segment. Here's Shane Smith's "Debrief" on the episode...
Article Categories: Environment, Climate change, Greenland, VICE
Toon of the Moment: 'Build That Ark'
[Hat-tip too-infrequent BRAD BLOG guest blogger D.R. Tucker]
Article Categories: Climate change
'Green News Report' - March 27, 2014
By Desi Doyen on 3/27/2014 3:42pm PT
IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Was logging a factor in deadly Washington landslide?; New BP oil spill in Lake Michigan; Rooftop solar endangers the electric grid? 'Bullsh*t', says former Energy Secretary; Next UN climate report warns climate change will affect 'every aspect of human life' and 'cost trillions'; PLUS: Irreversible climate change could be locked in as early 2036... All that and more in today's Green News Report!
IN 'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (see links below): House of Representatives votes for No More National Parks; U.S. Oil Boom Shifts Alliance as Obama Visits Saudi King; Ridiculously Resilient Ridge Hangs Tough; Fracking's Earthquake Risks Push States to Collaborate; Fracking the USA: New Map Shows 1 Million Oil, Gas Wells; EPA moves to protect streams, wetlands; Drug companies agree to curb livestock antibiotic use ... PLUS: Millions of salmon begin migration --- by truck ... and much, MUCH more! ...
Article Categories: United Nations, Accountability, Environment, Washington State, Republicans, Green News, EPA, Natural gas, Coal, Thom Hartmann, Oil, Wind energy, Solar energy, Climate change
Ukraine War Bait and E-Cigs and Dems, Oh My!: KPFK 'BradCast'
I haven't gotten to go to the phones for weeks on the KPFK/Pacifica Radio BradCast, so that's what we did on this week's show. No guests. Just me, a few rants, lots of callers (and, of course, Desi Doyen and the latest Green News Report).
The rants included more on the mad media misinformation/neo-con war-baiting over Ukraine (which, thankfully, it appears Obama no longer seems to be falling for or taking the bait on); the Democrats woeful 2014 campaign plans and --- the one that got ALL the phone lines ringing off the hook --- the rapidly increasing media disinformation about e-cigs.
Lots of good calls, but my favorite on that last was from "David in Los Angeles". I think his opinion may be a nearly perfect distillation of the entire, insane backlash against the public health miracle that is vaping. David describes his concern: "We don't want to encourage the behavior of smoking, even if its not harmful." My question to him is, "Why?" He explains: "because it's the perceived behavior that is negative." You'll have to tune in to see how that call, and all the others, worked out.
It was a very lively show this week. Hope you'll enjoy it...
Download MP3 or listen online below...
Article Categories: BRAD BLOG Media Appearance, Mainstream Media Failure, Barack Obama, Health Care, Democrats, Republicans, KPFK, BradCast, Vaping/e-cigs, Ukraine
IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Deadly --- and predicted --- landslide disaster in Washington State; Meet the nation's newest oil spill, now in Galveston Bay; Air pollution from fossil fuels kills 7 million people a year; PLUS: The never-ending legacy of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, 25 years later... All that and more in today's Green News Report!
IN 'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (see links below): Plane search hampered by ocean garbage problem; BP oil causing fish deformities; Wind and Solar Harvest Enough Energy Now to Pay Back Manufacture Plus Add Storage; Global warming has not stopped, will go on for centuries; Kids living near big roads have higher cancer rates; Does US oil boom mean more oil spills?; WI towns fight to control local frac sand mining; Los Alamos nuclear storage accident diverts waste to Texas; Global energy demand vs. agriculture for water supplies ... PLUS: Warming Is Big Risk For People: 'the polar bear is us' ... and much, MUCH more! ...
Article Categories: Fox 'News', Texas, Alaska, United Nations, Mainstream Media Failure, Environment, Washington State, BP Oil Disaster, Fracking, Coal, Nuclear power/weapons, Oil, Climate change, Extreme weather, China, Keystone XL
'Math Not Fox 'News' Strong Point'
But what is? Yes, in Fox Crazy World, 138% of registered voters disapprove of Obama's handling of Ukraine. (I suspect negative 85% of them even noticed or cared)...
Math, not @FoxNews' strong point. pic.twitter.com/dTrT1wJvLl
— Maggie Jordan (@MaggieJordanACN) March 25, 2014
I asked Bret Baier of Special Report on Fox 'News' for comment on this graphic via Twitter, but he has, so far, declined to respond.
But you'll be shocked to learn that this isn't the first time Fox has had this kind of trouble with basic math...
Article Categories: Fox 'News', Barack Obama, Ukraine
Misguided War on Quitting Smoking Continues: NYTimes Runs Hit Piece on E-Cig Liquid Nicotine
For all of the long-time smokers who are quitting or have now quit the deadly habit (myself included) thanks only to the miracle of e-cigs (which offer none of the thousands of known, harmful byproducts of smoking tobacco), it's remarkable to see anti-smoking zealots actually fighting against their use in myriad ways.
Several weeks ago on my KPFK/Pacifica Radio show, I interviewed Paul Koretz, one of the L.A. City Councilmembers who, beyond all reason --- and without a single shred of scientific data to back up his reasoning --- recently voted to ban vaping in all the same places where smoking is banned (on beaches, public parks, inside work places, restaurants, bars, etc.) Those who vape, if L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti decides to approve the City Council's ridiculous and dangerous ordinance (as other mayors have done in other cities) would be consigned to having to go outside to a smoking area to use their safe, odor-free vaporizer.
As one caller to the radio show pointed out, that ill-considered policy is akin to forcing recovering alcoholics to go sit in a bar. It's almost assured to keep more people smoking rather than quitting. That, even though, as Koretz admitted to me on air, there's a "99% possibility" that vaping is "much safer than smoking" and the former. (And he was low-balling that number, no doubt.) The former President of the American Lung Association describes the L.A. ban on vaping as "misguided" and "a public health disservice".
Which brings us to Monday's New York Times, where the Idiotic War on Quitting Smoking continues with a misguided hit piece on e-liquid --- the "juices" used in e-cig vaporizers --- headlined "Selling a Poison by the Barrel: Liquid Nicotine for E-Cigarettes"...
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Article Categories: New York Times, Mainstream Media Failure, Health Care, Los Angeles, Vaping/e-cigs
Koch Is It! Dems' 2014 Campaign Plan Revealed!
By Brad Friedman on 3/24/2014 11:55am PT
Well, it just makes sense. Republicans aren't actually running on anything in 2014 other than "Democrats are no good! Also, Obamacare!"
As Jesse LaGreca points out, however, "50+ repeal votes, a SCOTUS decision and a Presidential election, still no GOP alternative to Obamacare, just trolling & BS."
So, it's not much to run on. But that's okay. The Rs have an advantage this year thanks to the D's huge wins in 2008, leaving Dems with much more territory to defend this year in the U.S. Senate. More importantly, while Republicans have little or no policy initiatives to actually run on --- or, at least, few they'd like to mention out loud --- they don't really need to. The Koch Brothers are so desperate to see Republicans back in power, and all the swell goodies that come with it, they are unleashing everything they can to simply buy their way back into greater control of our nation's once-of-the-people, by-the-people, for-the-people government.
At the same time, unfortunately, Democrats aren't running on much more themselves. "We're not crazy Republicans!" may be true, but it doesn't give American voters much to vote for, especially while the Kochs are outspending outside Democratic-leaning groups 10 to 1 so far this year. So it all makes sense that with the Kochs' money running this year in lieu of actual Republicans with policies, Democrats seem to be set on simply run against the Kochs. That appears to be the plan. Or, at least the one that's working for them so far, according to Dave Weigel at Slate today:
I've seen some numbers from fundraising emails from one [Democratic] campaign that were sent from roughly mid-January to mid-March, pretty bad news cycles for the party. Nineteen emails didn't mention the Kochs. They raised, in total, $48,146.30, for an average of $2,534.02 per message.
But five emails mentioned, in at least some way, the Koch brothers. Those asks raised $32,668.72, an average of $6,533.74 per email. The Democratic base, which has been hearing about and fearing the Kochs for nearly four years, responds to this stuff.
So, running against The Koch Brothers brings in three times as much money as running on...whatever else the Dems have been trying to run on so far this year.
It'd be nice if the Democrats gave voters something concrete to vote for. It might even solve their oft-cited problem of D voters not turning out for mid-terms. Why should they, after all? That's not a criticism, that's an actual question. Why should voters turn out? What are they supposed to be voting for?Democrats might want to start thinking about offering a concrete reason or three. But, in lieu of that, running against the two privileged sons of an oil baron who are willing to spend as much of their father's hard-earned money as they need to in hopes of buying the United States whole hog will have to suffice, apparently. In 2014, with few, if any, policy promises (so far) presented to voters, Koch is it.
Unfortunately, for every dollar raised by the Dems, the Kochs can just cut a check for three or ten more. So, if you'd like to start questioning the Democrats' 2014 election strategy, now would be a good time.
You also might want to ask them why they aren't doing much more to fight against the madness unleashed by the infamous Citizens United in 2010 and the way that Republicans (particularly the Kochs and Karl Rove) have gamed every last inch of whatever scraps are left of campaign finance law in this country. Come to think of it, a hard promise to pass laws to effectively overturn Citizens United and restore campaign finance enforcement at the FEC would be just one concrete policy that Americans might actually turn out to vote affirmatively for. And, Democrats could beat up on the Kochs all they like in the bargain. Win-win! So, of course, Democrats probably won't do it.
Article Categories: Election Reform, Karl Rove, Accountability, Democrats, Republicans, Koch Industries, 'Tea Party', Election 2014
How to Collapse the Nationwide Power Grid: BRAD BLOG's Desi Doyen on 'The Young Turks'
Republicans enjoy pretending to be "tough on terrorism". But, as with most things they pretend to be, they are not. If they actually were, they'd have sprung into action long ago to deal with the massive infrastructure vulnerability of our antiquated nationwide power grid.
As the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) warned some time ago, as per a secret memo recently revealed by Wall Street Journal's Rebecca Smith [subscription req'd], the entire nationwide grid could be brought down by an attack on as few as 9 of the nation's 55,000 electrical substations during a heat wave. Knock out a transformer manufacturer at the same time and the power --- nationwide --- would stay collapsed "for at least 18 months, probably longer".
The former chairman of FERC has suggested a solution, which may (partially) explain Republican interest in ignoring the matter entirely: distributed solar power.
Of course, after Smith's report, the U.S. government is not angry at the lack of action to protect against the vulnerability. They are mad at Smith for reporting it, even though she withheld key details.
The entire issue became even more critical recently, after last April's "mysterious and sophisticated sniper attack" on a substation in San Jose, CA.
Desi Doyen of The BRAD BLOG's Green News Report explained the entire mess while guest hosting last Friday's The Young Turks...
Article Categories: BRAD BLOG Media Appearance, War On Terror, National Security, Republicans, Solar energy
Republican WI State Senator: GOP Polling Place Photo ID Restriction Law 'Just Plain Wrong'
Says 'not willing to defend them anymore, I'm embarrassed by this'
Accuses colleagues of 'trying to suppress the vote'...
Last week we told you how Wisconsin's Republican Gov. Scott Walker considers implementing a polling place Photo ID restriction in his state to be so "pressing" that he would call a special session of the state legislature to do it. He says it's the only such matter "pressing" enough to merit such extraordinary action this year, in advance of the November 2014 election --- when Walker himself, just coincidentally, faces a very tight re-election race.
That, despite the fact that two state courts have already found the Republicans' existing polling place Photo ID voter restriction law to be a violation of the state constitution and that expert testimony during one of the two trials detailed how there is only one single known case of voter impersonation fraud in WI over the past 10 years that might have possibly been deterred by such a law. At the same time, tens of thousands of perfectly legal voters will likely be barred from voting under such a law.The state Supreme Court is currently deciding on the state's appeal to the lower courts' rulings.
Republicans pretend that implementing such a law is not about voter suppression, but now at least one of them, to his great credit, strongly and loudly disagrees.
This week, Republican state Sen. Dale Schultz accused his own party of "trying to suppress the vote" and said that he is "not willing to defend them anymore. I'm just not and I'm embarrassed by this."
Schultz also decried the current WI GOP effort to suppress the vote --- one which would likely effect many elderly as well as minority and student voters --- as an insult to veterans, calling it "a slap in the face at the very least to some of the people who gave some of the most vital years of their life in the service of their country"...
Article Categories: Election Reform, Election Fraud, Rights And Freedoms, Wisconsin, Photo ID Laws, Scott Walker, Election 2014
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This part of IEC 60079 specifies requirements for the construction, testing and marking for Group II electrical apparatus with type of protection, "n" intended for use in explosive gas atmospheres.
This part is applicable to non-sparking electrical apparatus and also to electrical apparatus with parts or circuits producing arcs or sparks or having hot surfaces which, if not protected in one of the ways specified in this standard, could be capable of igniting a surrounding explosive gas atmosphere. This standard describes several different methods by which this can be achieved which may be combined with other methods described in IEC 60079-0.


text:
Free Speech GRA Reform Labour Party
As a trans Labour party supporter I'm exasperated
Transgender ideology is indeed transgender nonsense. I believe trans women are male, and women are female; male people are not female people and therefore trans women are not women. I say that as a trans woman.
4 Comments on As a trans Labour party supporter I'm exasperated
It has been a trying week for the Labour Party. The leadership contenders are falling over each other in an astonishing bid to make themselves equally unelectable by a membership who are becoming exasperated with what many now view as transgender nonsense. I say that as a trans woman who is a member of the Labour Party.
Have they not learned from Jo Swinson? In December, the former Lib Dem leader's election campaign went up in smoke on the altar of transgender ideology. Her inability to define the word "woman" is a masterclass in how not to do live radio.
Now Labour is repeating her mistakes. Events moved rather quickly. On Monday, the self-styled Labour Campaign for Trans Rights launched an appalling campaign that condemned Woman's Place UK and the LGB Alliance as transphobic hate groups, and called for their supporters to be expelled from the party. Strong language indeed. But when the trans flag was raised, the leadership contenders came running. Now, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy and Angela Rayner have all signed the pledge.
However, it was back in the radio studio that Nandy stumbled on the fundamental problem with transgender ideology. She announced that "if you start from the position — as I do — that trans women are women, then…"
Unfortunately for Nandy, she floundered like Swinson before her. Transgender ideology is indeed transgender nonsense. I believe trans women are male, and women are female; male people are not female people and therefore trans women are not women. I say that as a trans woman.
But talking about it has become a statement of faith — dogma even — and it is central to both pledges. All four contenders are up to their necks in this, and by perpetuating untruths they let down three vulnerable groups. Women and children are the obvious victims. If any man can identify as a woman — for reasons known only to himself — women's boundaries become meaningless.
Meanwhile children, some who are young enough to believe in the tooth fairy, are being told they can choose their sex long before they can understand the consequences.
Trans people also suffer. While waiting lists for specialist gender services have ballooned to more than two years, and mental health service remain chronically underfunded, campaigners have become obsessed with rhetoric and possible reform of the Gender Recognition Act. Words are cheaper than actions, and a tempting diversion to politicians with an eye on the cost.
After this week's events, I'm unimpressed with all four candidates. I want them to cut out the dogma and focus on practical ways to improve services for transgender people. If they went into radio studios with that message, they might get my vote.
Debbie Hayton is a teacher and campaigner on transgender issues
* This article was first published by The Evening Standard on 14 February 2020: As a trans Labour party supporter I'm exasperated
Tags Angela Rayner, Jo Swinson, Labour Party, Lib Dems, Lisa Nandy, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Transgender
By Debbie Hayton
Physics teacher and trade unionist.
← Do Rebecca Long-Bailey and Angela Rayner have a problem with trans people like me? → What Labour gets wrong about transwomen
4 replies on "As a trans Labour party supporter I'm exasperated"
Doreen Milnesays:
Always thoughtful and sensible articles, Debbie. They're so appreciated. I despair at the total collapse of rational thinking in Labour, SNP, LDs and Greens. Speaks to how much money is behind this blatant denial of reality. I fear where the path is leading. The destruction of children and young people's boundaries seems to be uppermost while denying women's safety and rights is the cover for it. Shut women up thus rendering them unable to stop harm coming to children.
More power to you and your bravery in staying strong in the face of this onslaught.
Clare Flourishsays:
What "Onslaught". 3400 people signed the Labour Campaign for Trans Rights pledge. Journalists like drama, cos drama means clicks, so focus on this, but all three (not four) leadership candidates say they want to move on, and want dialogue even with WPUK. Debbie Hayton exaggerates the views of the side she opposes- LCTR does not demand expulsion of all supporters of WPUK, though many of them indulge in repetitive transphobic actions, and as Lisa Nandy says each individual should be judged on their individual behaviour.
If Debbie wants this to be less of an issue for Labour she should stop writing about it. There are many more important issues for Labour and for the country: Traveller's rights, under an onslaught from the Tories, for one.
Debbie Haytonsays:
Happy to disagree with you, Clare. But I would say that problems will not disappear if I stop writing about them, and LCTR did indeed define WPUK as transphobic and then called for transphobes to be expelled. I stand by my main conclusion: "I'm unimpressed with all four candidates. I want them to cut out the dogma and focus on practical ways to improve services for transgender people. If they went into radio studios with that message, they might get my vote."
What four candidates?
And- can you distinguish between WPUK and its supporters? You are deliberately inflaming the situation, making transphobes think they are more condemned by all the MPs so bravely signing the LCTR pledges. Can you quote the bit about WPUK being transphobic? Here it is. "Organise and fight against transphobic organisations such as Woman's Place UK, LGB Alliance and other trans-exclusionist hate groups." And who should be excluded? "those who express bigoted, transphobic views." Not all WPUK supporters. Do you see now?
Who gains from your anti-trans campaigning, do you think? How are such gains going?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Community Health Grant is funded by the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance. This additional money will give the Women's Breast Health Initiative the resources to provide mammograms for 100 women.
The Women's Breast Health Initiative is working to lower breast cancer mortality in DeKalb County for refugee, immigrant, and uninsured women, targeting women who are 40 years old and older.
To learn more about the Clarkston Community Health Center and its upcoming events, go to: https://www.clarkstonhealth.org/home.


Poodles are very cute dogs. They seem to be made just for playing or as ornaments. Poodles look so cute that owners most often ignore a problem that most poodles carry until their maturity: This is the poodles' biting behavior. Allowing this problem until a poodle puppy matures will make the poodle continue to bite indiscriminately.
Poodles have a higher biting rate than most dog breeds. It is manifested by the poodle's fondness for biting toys, more than other dog breeds do. If poodles are trained not to bite, they will live by it.
The poodle's high incidence of biting can be ascribed to their instincts. Only a few owners have thought of training poodles because they are supposed to be bred to be just pets. Poodles are among the smartest of known dog breeds, but they are naturally stubborn. Training them requires you to be in control.
As has been said, poodles are smart. It is easy to teach them not to bite. Socializing is a very important lesson that every poodle puppy must undergo in order to inhibit it from biting. Poodle puppies should not be taken away from their mothers before they reach eight weeks old, to see to it that their mothers have taught their puppies not to bite. This is also the time that the puppy learns to suppress its desire for dominance.
Poodle puppies should be socialized as they reach eight weeks of age. Enrolling them at puppy day cares available is also a sound idea because biting aversion lessons are taught here. Treat your puppy calmly while it is going through with the lessons. Never shout at it. Never shout at it. All puppies are fragile creatures that easily become afraid. This can also translate to future aggression issues later on.
Any manifestation of biting in poodle puppies should be addressed at once. If the puppy bites your hand, give it a toy. You can also show to the puppy that biting is painful by producing soft whimpering sounds whenever it bites.
Older poodles with biting issues can be controlled if you impose your dominance upon it. Older poodles should see you as its alpha leader so that it will stop asserting its dominance. A way to show it that you are in control is by scheduling its feeding and walking times. You also need to teach your poodle to perform basic commands, avoid playing with your poodle any games that relates to aggression such as tug of war or chasing, which the poodle can use as a chance to bite.
If your dog is anxious or aggressive, you can take it to an obedience class where it will be trained not to bite and socialize.
If your poodle's biting or aggression persists, you should consult a professional to resolve this behavior. You can also visit a vet to find out if your dog's biting is caused by health problems.
Remember, biting is a sign of a deeper problem. The cause should be discovered at once so that your dog's biting is stopped.


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Fake News on Russia and Other Official Enemies
The Times has played a major role in this latest wave of Russophobia, reminiscent of its 1917–20...
Online Privacy for Journalists
A Must-Have Guide for Journalism in 2017 [...]
All the American Lies About Serbs
Ambassador Walker told the media the purported massacre was "the most of horrific thing he has ever...
Western Media Propaganda Threatens Peace and Prolongs the Deadly Conflict in Eastern Ukraine
On August 28, the New York Times published an article by its Moscow bureau chief about the...
Mother Teresa India Charity 'Sold Babies'
Prospective parents have been known to buy babies illegally in India because of the tough laws and...
BBC Fake News
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has been slammed for mistakenly using a photo taken in Iraq in...
Thank You, Edward S. Herman (1925-2017) – Tireless Champion of Peace
Edward S. Herman died on November 11, 2017, at the age of 92. Fortunately, it was a...
Remembering Edward Herman: Explains the Role of Media Propaganda in Justifying War
Herman discussed the disgraceful demonization of Vladimir Putin and Russophobia, the New York Times playing a leading...
The Most Dangerous Weapon
What is the most dangerous and destructive weapon in the earth? [...]
Manchester Terror Act on May 22nd, 2017: Photo Evidence Not Presented on the Mainstream Global Mass-Media (Euronews, CNN, DW, BBC, ABC…)
See exclusive photo evidence of ISIS terror act done in Manchester (England, UK) on May 22nd, 2017...
Documentary Movie: "Bosnia: Cradle of Modern Jihadism?" BBC News, 2015
20 years ago in the civil war in Bosnia, hundreds of Arab jihadists came to join Bosnian...


While, in 2009, the Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia was in charge of organising both the Russian national selection and the Eurovision Song Contest itself, the responsibility has switched to RTR again for 2010. Today, RTR released the rules for the national selection on their website. In the first stage of the selection procedure, singers and songwriters can send in their songs, and a jury will evaluate them. The songs have to comply with the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest, and the lyrics of all songs have to be submitted in both English and Russian language.
In the end, 25 acts will be picked to take part in the national final, to be broadcast live from Moscow on the 7th of March. The outcome will be decided by a combination of televoting, SMS voting, web voting, and a professional jury. TV viewers can start casting their votes after the first entry has been performed, and the voting window will close 10 minutes after the last song has been performed.


Looking for a college major that pays the big bucks, well you better be ready for the long haul according to a recent article by CNBC on "The Top Paying Jobs of 2010". Four out of the five top paying jobs in 2010 are in the medical field and require a doctorate degree.
Here is a list of the top 5 highest paying jobs in 2010 provided by CNBC with a link to information about what majors/degrees and certifications are needed in order to start working in that field.
Job details : Specialize in women's health; treat and prevent disease related to pregnancy and the reproductive system.
Job details: Apply braces or retainers to straighten patient's teeth.
Job details: Administer anesthetics during operations or pain relief during other procedures outside the operating room.
Job details: Operate to treat patient's injuries or diseases.


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Dave Chappelle to receive Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from Kennedy Center
By Caitlin O'Kane
May 7, 2019 / 2:57 PM / CBS News
Dave Chappelle is being honored as one of the world's greatest comedians — he will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the Kennedy Center.
Past recipients of the prestigious award include Richard Pryor, the first recipient in 1998; Whoopi Goldberg, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Eddie Murphy and David Letterman, among others. Last year's recipient was Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
"Dave is the embodiment of Mark Twain's observation that 'against the assault of humor, nothing can stand,'" Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter said in a press release. "For three decades, Dave has challenged us to see hot-button issues from his entirely original yet relatable perspective."
During his decades of work, Chappelle has won two Grammys and an Emmy and starred in many films and TV shows, including "Chappelle's Show." Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Chappelle, described as having a "trademark wit and sharp, irreverent social commentary explores race, popular culture, sex, drugs, politics, and fame," has performed more than 1,600 concerts worldwide in the past four years, the Kennedy Center said.
The comedian, who grew up in Washington, D.C., will return to his hometown for a star-studded ceremony at the Kennedy Center in October, which will and will air on PBS in January 2020. He started doing standup at the city's Duke Ellington School of the Arts at just 14 years, according to the press release.
Chappelle was at the helm of his his own Comedy Central show, "Chappelle's Show" from 2003 to 2006. He has appeared in numerous films and TV series including "A Star is Born," "Chi-Raq," "You've Got Mail," "The Nutty Professor," and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights."
He has also recorded several popular stand-up specials and held a residency at Radio City Music Hall in 2017. All four of his standup specials were nominated for best comedy album at the Grammys; he won twice. He won his first Emmy in 2017 for his debut appearance as a "Saturday Night Live" guest host.
First published on May 7, 2019 / 2:57 PM


Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest weekends on the road, so planning ahead and being well prepared are essential to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip. To make the most of Labor Day, it pays to know a few things in advance to avoid being stuck on the road on your way back home from a great holiday weekend.
The last thing you want on Labor Day is a car that breaks on the road. A routine check of the engine, radiator and fluids will go a long way. Tires should be well inflated and wiper fluid should be replenished. Also, check that the steering wheel and brakes work properly. A car emergency kit should include, at a minimum, jumper wires, a tire gauge, a flashlight, a tool kit with wrenches and screwdrivers, duct tape, rags and an emergency stop sign. Add a first-aid kit, a bottle of water, a blanket and some energy bars in case something happens and you're stranded for some time.
There are two major reasons for accidents on highways: losing concentration while driving and ignoring the risk of big trucks. If you are tired, had a drink or feel sick, either give the wheel to somebody else or postpone the driving. This is especially important coming back home on Labor Day, as many spend the day drinking and having fun, and chances are people are tired and moody. Monitor yourself and learn your limits, so you can head to a rest stop if you start feeling dizzy, confused or sleepy. Big trucks are especially dangerous if you cut in front of them quickly and unexpectedly, as trucks cannot brake fast enough to avoid a collision if things get tight. Also, trucks drivers have lots of blind spots, where they are unable to see you and thus avoid you. As a general rule, if you can't see the truck's mirror, the driver can't see you either.
The most important thing you can do is leave early. Take on the highways early Saturday morning or before rush hour on Friday. If you're driving on Labor Day, follow the same rules. Most people will brave their return home in the early evening or late afternoon. Try getting to the highways before 4 p.m. or after 10 p.m. and you should be in much better shape. Another important thing you can do to prepare for Labor Day driving is to plan your route well. Look for alternate routes, program your GPS or use a map to get you where you need to go as fast and efficiently as possible. You also can check online to see if the road you're planning to take is undergoing repairs or has scheduled lane changes, so you can search for alternatives or plan for additional driving time.
Dray, Tammy. "Labor Day Driving Tips." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/labor-day-driving-tips-21014.html. Accessed 21 April 2019.


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Metro-Area Membership Report
Maps and Reports > Select Metro >
Cleveland, TN, Metropolitan Statistical Area
Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) Evangelical Protestant Pentecostal +4 +6006 +81.9%
Seventh-day Adventist Church Evangelical Protestant Adventist +4 +1677 +173.4%
Church of the Nazarene Evangelical Protestant Holiness +1 +84 +62.2%
Southern Baptist Convention Evangelical Protestant Baptist +1 +3771 +11.1%
Assemblies of God Evangelical Protestant Pentecostal 0 +24 +42.9%
Catholic Church Catholic Catholicism 0 +524 +34.3%
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Mainline Protestant Baptist 0 -34 -18.3%
Christian Churches and Churches of Christ Evangelical Protestant Baptist 0 -1 -0.4%
Cumberland Presbyterian Church Evangelical Protestant Presbyterian-Reformed 0 -177 -30.7%
Episcopal Church Mainline Protestant Episcopalianism/Anglicanism 0 -165 -25.2%
Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod Evangelical Protestant Lutheran 0 +53 +17%
Pentecostal Church of God Evangelical Protestant Pentecostal 0 +33 +43.4%
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Mainline Protestant Presbyterian-Reformed 0 -105 -19.3%
Presbyterian Church in America Evangelical Protestant Presbyterian-Reformed 0 +87 +100%
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Other Latter-day Saints -1 +200 +65.4%
Churches of Christ Evangelical Protestant Baptist -1 +13 +1%
Church of God of Prophecy Evangelical Protestant Pentecostal -2 +992 +147.2%
United Methodist Church, The Mainline Protestant Methodist/Pietist -3 -454 -7.5%
Totals: +3 +12528 +22.8%
The population of the Cleveland, TN, Metropolitan Statistical Area was 87,355 in 1990; in 1980 it was 81,149. The total population changed 7.6%. The adherent totals of the religious groups listed above (55,726) included 63.8% of the total population in 1990.
The population of the Cleveland, TN, Metropolitan Statistical Area was 115,788 in 2010; in 2000 it was 104,015. The total population changed 11.3%. The adherent totals of the religious groups listed above (71,290) included 61.6% of the total population in 2010.


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Category Archives: Nations
Not just a story
Our world is under a constant change. That is a given. Those who try to stop change or stand in the way of progress are slowly being rooted out.
That is certainly being seen across the Middle East as they continue to fight for their freedom of speech, equalities and the ability to finally be out from under the unspeakable acts of cowardly dictators that have ruled over them for decades.
As each day passes, bravery becomes more evident because to share the turmoil going on in places such as Egypt, Syria, Libya, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, it literally means risking arrest or even one's life. Making a phone call, sending a picture, a tweet, updating a blog or even carrying on a conversation on the street or anywhere in public can cost a person their life on the spot or have them detained, tortured, or kidnapped leaving their family to wonder whatever became of them. This is not something that is exaggerated or made up. This is life for the people of these countries and has been for decades.
Most reporters sent in are there under government watch and only go places with government permission, in government convoys and to places the governments wants them to see. Example of this is in Tripoli's famous Rixos Hotel where a large group of reporters have stayed and covered Libya's conflict for an ongoing amount of time. This is where Iman Al Obaidi ran in to share her story of what happened while she was held by Gaddafi's soldiers. Her story became internationally known once it was shared by worldwide news organizations and across social media websites. This became possible only because she risked her life to go into that hotel in the first place.
Other reporters have been thrown out of Libya and other countries for sharing too much of the truth as well as having been detained, beaten, raped or are still missing or or have been killed.
To name just a few, Chris Hondros, Tim Hetherington, Mohammed Al-Nabbous, Anton Hammerl were killed just recently. These are just a few and are just naming ones killed in Libya.
Why do "outsiders" risk their lives to share these "stories"?
I'll answer this question very directly so as to be very clear.
These aren't just stories, this is life. Just because I am an American writing about people that are living all the way around the world, doesn't make this any less relevant than if I were writing about something locally, not to me.
You see, these people in many ways are just like me. They have hopes, dreams, families, loved ones, and friends.
Rebel fighters at the Wazin Border Crossing(Tunisia and Nafusa Mountains) May11th
Photo Courtesy of: @ShababLibya
A mother losing her child or a child losing their parents somewhere else in the world is just as upsetting as if that happened here, or to me. A friend watching their friend die is no less painful because it is further away or because it is in a time of war. Many of those fighting in these current revolutions are students, lawyers, doctors or young kids. Most are not soldiers and had never held a weapon before in their life. They are protecting their homes, businesses, families and their lives. They didn't want to fight. They don't want to fight. They want to be free which is the opposite of fighting.
As an American, I want our government to be able to help, of course.
I also know that many times, U.S. involvement comes with a cost and although at first glance and in a time of crisis, it seems great and the right thing to do when making arrangements but the long term effects, due to diplomatic arrangements made to reach that original agreement, often far outweigh the long term benefit. Doesn't sound right, does it?
Let me explain. Iraq and Afghanistan.
The need for help is there and the desire to help is there but the actual response and outcome is often so jumbled up in politics, the RSVP would have been better to have been lost in the mail.
Some situations are so clear, up front, one would think there wouldn't be any issues. One would think.
In Libya, Gaddafi was making it abundantly clear that he had no problem with taking as many lives each day as he could without any given reason. He also made it clear he wasn't listening to reason. Once the UN came to an agreement and NATO started its response against Gaddafi's crimes against his own people, it wasn't as quick of a process as it would have once been thought.
At this point, it seems communication on the ground (what little there is) doesn't get heard by the right people, quickly enough. I personally think if it were, Gaddafi would have been cut off much quicker.
Syria has tried to hide what is going on in their country but they haven't been able to do this, not completely. The government says one thing and does another. It seems they want to act like Iran, dress like Iran but not be treated like Iran. When do threats from the U.S. end? Syria's government has clearly chosen its path.
In Yemen today, President Saleh refused to sign the exit deal to hopefully bring an end to the political crises. Saleh has ruled for 32 years.
For months now, Yemen has been filled with protests for him to step down. Hundreds have been killed and he has refused to sign a deal at least twice before.
Saleh is demanding the opposition be present at the signing. The opposition refuses saying it will send the wrong message to the revolution leaders in Sanaa, making Saleh look victorious.
The opposition signed their part of the agreement on Saturday, May 21st with the understanding Saleh would sign his on Sunday.
About Saudi Arabia…this is a country with a great deal of oppression toward women.
I am a woman. I drive. Recently Manal Al Sharif was arrested for doing exactly the same thing in the eastern town of Khobar, Saudi Arabia which defies a long standing ban on women's driving. Yeh, that's right.
Manal Al Sharif 32 year old Saudi Arabian woman detained for driving in Saudi Arabia
It's said that about two-thirds of a woman's salary goes toward their transportation. They can't walk on the street or drive so they must pay a taxi or private driver. There's no public transportation.
On June 17th, there's a campaign #Women2Drive which is growing in numbers on their Facebook page. The idea is for those women, with foreign licenses, to go out in the Kingdom of Saudi and drive that day. Some are even offering to teach others how to drive. Manal Al Sharif remains detained at this moment but in an interview to Gulf news she said, "Every lady has something to do in the city, she'll just drive, do her business and come back. So it's as simple as that. People can't call it a demonstration, we're not going against the law, we're not going against anyone, we're not even demonstrating."
I was going to divide this article into two parts but I think it's important to keep it as one.
You see, as a nation, we have an enormous amount of freedoms. I am writing this article which I will shortly post because I have the freedom to do so. I have the ability to share the information which I freely read about on the Internet or via links that were sent to me. Information is golden.
Education is priceless. The ability to have those available to us should never be taken for granted.
In many parts of our world, these freedoms or abilities do not exist. Our freedoms were fought for by very brave people before us and to take anything at all for granted, to me, just seems wrong. It also seems wrong to take lightly why others would want these same freedoms as well as the loss of lives they are experiencing while fighting for their freedom.
Many have chosen to come here, to the U.S., seeking a better life for themselves and their children. Around the world, America has been known as the "Land of the Free", but is it? Do we truly know where these people are coming from, why they are seeking freedom and can they still find it here? In coming here, they have often made many sacrifices leaving behind the only homes they have ever known and family members to still live under dictators and the very life they are running from.
It's been a while since I have written. I've been following much of what has been going on around the world, devastating natural disasters, revolutions and our own nation and its many ups and downs.
I hadn't planned to write quite yet until I read a comment about the woman in Saudi, Manal, who had been arrested for, driving. The comment was basically along the lines of the fact the reader would never live in a place that wouldn't allow a woman to drive!
My question: What if you were born there?
This entry was posted in America, Bing, children, CNN, compassion, death, education, families, Freedom, freedoms, government, Human Rights Violations, media, Nation, Nations, news, people, politics, Social Media, tracy solomon, tweet, Twitter, United States and tagged #AntonHammerl, #bahrain, #ChrisHondros, #feb17, #GaddafiCrimes, #HumanRights, #Jan25, #June17, #ManalAlSharif, #Mo, #MohammedNabbous, #SocialMedia #Twitter, #TimHetherington, #Women2Drive, @tracysolomon, Afghanistan, America, Change, children, CNN, democracy, education, Egypt, Facebook, freedom, politics, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Syria, world, Yemen on 05/23/2011 by Tracy L. Solomon.
Will History Repeat Itself???
Have you watched the news lately??
You really don't have to watch the news to see how much divide is going on in our country, our world or even just in those around you.
It used to be you could say, "I don't want to discuss religion or politics" and that would keep you out of hot water with people at your work place, neighbors or the new in-laws. Nowadays, it could be a broad range of topics. Almost anything is a hot topic or it's going to lead straight to a heated debate.
I think there are times and places for debates and places that should be safe from debates but I also think there are ways to "debate" (actually discuss is a better word when done right). It doesn't require an argument but it does require respecting another person's opinion, choices, lifestyle, space, etc. and also knowing a decent amount of what you are talking about because you, yourself have taken the time to look into the subject or you, yourself have actually been through the matter at hand.
A subject came up today about gays. Yep, I am going to jump straight in, head first to one of the hottest topics that has just been drudged around for years. Because it, like many other topics seems to be just brought up as though it isn't going to affect someone if it is going against them, their choices, their opinion or their lifestyle. It is like one of those things that are hush hush and everyone wants to talk about it but nobody wants to say they are curious enough to either ask a gay person questions about their homosexuality (I am not going to say their lifestyle or choice here because I don't believe it is just a lifestyle or always a choice) or even think about the fact this topic, like many others, through time has been shoved behind closed doors, misunderstood and not given the proper attention it does deserve. Think about it. Is there something you didn't understand 5 years ago, 10 years ago or 15 years ago that you do now? Maybe not something like this but something you have since looked into and wish you had earlier and not judged before you looked into the matter? I think each of us can say yes to that question. Have you heard of someone else misjudging someone and thinking, "They should really think about that or get all of the facts first." Maybe you should read on and follow the posted links. Some things might surprise you.
Everyone has their opinion and everyone has their rights, right? When you say "everyone", do you mean everyone or just the ones you see "eye to eye" with? I am going to look at this from a different angle. Give it a different perspective. Many things aren't so cut and dry to be able to draw a quick opinion without putting effort into collecting facts, getting to know someone and really understanding what your part really is in the matter when it comes to casting judgment. This seems to be quite blurry for many people these days (at least from where I am standing and in a lot of what I am observing, reading and hearing). I am not just talking about mainstream media either. If I used that for the information I draw from, I would be a shallow, fearful individual. There are a lot of things that we hear daily. There are usually more than two sides to everything. Just like we have a chance to judge others, others have that chance to judge us. Ultimately, God is the judge. He is the only judge on many matters and only He knows our hearts and the hearts of others. Remember that. And on many things that have been argued over for hundreds of years, He will be the final judge on these matters too.
Throughout history there have been many times where all over the world, judging has been taken into the wrong hands. Millions of lives have been lost. Human beings have gone back and forth against each other all over the world because of race, gender, religion, sexual preference, politics, land, greed…. I could go on. It has turned into Wars. Not once, not twice, over and over. Not every war means weapons out and armies against each other either. They can be in our country, in our hometowns, in our "close knit communities". When people see others as different or feel their views are wrong, suddenly they are the enemy and either they must change or suddenly it becomes a place of hatred, intolerance, judgment and even if it isn't with open violence or painted signs, the message is there, the feelings are there and things can quickly get out of hand. Our young people are watching and picking up on the message we are sending out. Some people are okay with that. That is their objective and what they hope to do. I don't feel that is the right message. To understand this, first we must look at history. So, this entry is going to be about history. I will touch on more after this entry.
The fact is that history repeats itself because we allow it to do so. If you read books from History or you listen to speeches from past Presidents… (all of them) and you look around and see what is going on in our society today, it is shameful to me. I say that because of the fact we have the GUIDANCE of history. We must learn from history. There have been so many lessons laid out for us but, as human beings we to have to look at each other just that way and see how history has taught us that throughout the world, judging each other hasn't done anything but lead to death and, too many times massive destruction. Don't get me wrong, there are times I could see where war has been necessary and in our part that has mainly been in the times of coming to another's defense to protect rights and independence. Obviously before taking on any war, we have to know what we are standing for, who we are standing with and what we are able to do, how long and with what military man power, materials and finances.
As the years have gone on, the ease of international information has made a huge difference in our society and societies around the world. International travel has brought more and more cultures both to and from many different countries allowing people to come to the U.S. and Americans to travel abroad. The United States is a Nation that is full of diversity and has become the great culture that it is due to its diversity. No other country has this advantage of such diversity. Many times instead of this being appreciated, it is not only downplayed, it is looked down on as differences that many can't get along with. There are of course a great amount of people that wholeheartedly enjoy the diversity in our Nation and the many positive attributes this brings.
When you are in your work place, the mall, an amusement park or the airport, if you take a moment and look around you will notice just how many people are around you. Everyone is living their own life. Everyone has their own families, their own background, their own worries, dreams, and are moving about their day as you are. Although they may not share the same religion, race, ethnic background, sexual preference, or even have many of the typical ideals set up the same way, for the most part, although we each have our difference, in many ways, we have far more in common. Other people often see you, the same way you see them, another person.
So, let's take a look back at history and then move on from there to start moving forward.
Times change. A lot of people say, "I wish things could go back to like it was when I was growing up." Okay, so let's say that was during the 40's,50's 60's or 70's.
Let's take a look back….. Many horrible things have happened. And there's been productive and good things. Please take a chance to click on some links.
In the 40's
*War was going on everywhere. World War II
*The Japanese attack the US base at Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7, 1941. In the surprise attack, more than 350 Japanese airplanes sink 12 US ships and destroy or damage more than 300 aircraft. More than 2,300 military personnel are killed and 1,100 wounded. More than 1,100 men on the battleship Arizona die and the ship sinks.
*Due to the Japanese attacks at Pearl Harbor more than 110,000 Japanese Americans (Nisei) living on the West Coast are moved inland to internment camps, some for the duration of the war. Although most were born in this country, the Nisei are designated enemy aliens who must obey travel restrictions, curfew, and contraband regulations. Many lose their homes, farms and property during this time of internment.
* In Europe we had a World War that included a Holocaust with Adolf Hitler's
Nazis killing over 6 million European Jews plus millions more that were considered "different" from what the leading Nazis had considered acceptable. War ravages everywhere. In the US, the draft is taking over. Gas and sugar is rationed. Women are working to replace men and keep lines of necessary war equipment rolling out. In 1944, China is in its 7th year of War and Japan is taking their kids out of school to work in factories to produce bombs and other war equipment.
*The morning of June 6, 1944, (known as D-Day) 3,000 warships carry 200,000 American and British soldiers cross the stormy English Channel and land on the heavily fortified beaches of Normandy, France, to begin a vicious battle with the German army. The Battle of the Bulge begins in December as Hitler musters 500,000 troops along the Allied front from southern Belgium into Luxembourg. In bitter cold, they push ahead 50 miles, creating a bulge in the Allied lines. By the end of January, 1945, more than 76,000 Americans have been killed, wounded or captured.
*Nearly one million men, women, and children in the Leningrad, Russia, die from starvation and cold during a two-and-a-half-year siege and blockade by German troops.
*After considering all options, President Harry S. Truman gives the order and on August 6, 1945, the US drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. In minutes, half of the city vanishes and about 200,000 people are killed or missing. Radiation reaches more than 100,000 people. On August 9, the US drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. In September, Japan surrenders unconditionally on board the USS Missouri.
*By the time World War II was over in 1945, nearly 300,000 Americans had been killed. In all countries about 55 million people lost their lives. And more civilians lost their lives than soldiers. In 1948, the Soviet Union blockades Berlin, Germany, trying to force the Allies out of West Berlin.
There were some good things in the 40's as well. Aside from the fact all of the good that was done by all the good troops that fought for the freedom during World War 2 and all those at home that helped keep things going while troops were being deployed also, war time takes everyone's effort. Here are a few of the noteworthy things that happened during that time period.
*The Social Security Administration, created by 1930s New Deal legislation, sends out its first checks.
*The Rh factor of blood is discovered.
*CBS demonstrates the first color television in New York City, and WNBT in New York City becomes the country's first regular television station, broadcasting to about 10,000 viewers.
*Transportation expands. The first multi-lane superhighway, October 1, 1940 the Pennsylvania Turnpike opens; and the first Los Angeles freeway opens. Burma Shave roadside ads are set up along the highways.
The 1940's brought about something that is still going very strong today, McDonald's which originally opened in San Bernadino, California. They started small and now they are everywhere and don't appear to be going anywhere, anytime soon.
With the good and the bad, the 40's to me, was primarily spent fighting wars affecting nearly everyone around the world in some way.
Let's look at the 50's.
Well, I am going to stick as close as possible to the Home Front, the U.S. But, mind you what goes on around the world is closely tied to the U.S. in many many ways. Let's start right at the beginning of the 50's.
*U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin tells President Truman that the State Department is infiltrated with communists and communist sympathizers. This initiates a period of witch hunts and blacklists.
*Former U.S. State Department official Hiss is convicted of perjury and sentenced to five years in prison. He was accused of being a Soviet spy in 1948. Let the finger pointing begin.
*Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are sentenced to death for espionage against the U.S. for selling classified information about the atomic bomb to the Russians. They are executed in 1953. (Can nobody keep their mouth shut!)
*Rosa Parks, an African American woman, is arrested after refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person in Montgomery, Alabama. Her arrest sparks a bus boycott led by local minister Martin Luther King Jr., and sets the American civil rights movement in motion.
*North Vietnam, through the Viet Cong, begins a guerilla war against South Vietnam.
*In 1957, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus calls the National Guard to prevent nine African American students from integrating Little Rock's Central High School. He defies the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.
*In 1959, Fidel Castro installs the first communist regime in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. will later break off diplomatic relations in 1961.
Okay, the good times of the 50's…. I remember there were poodle skirts, fun music and some good movies, oh and Elvis! There were also advancements and some things that just stand out.
*The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is passed, limiting the president to a maximum of two terms in office.
*The Brown v. Board of Education decision is handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court saying that "separate but equal" school systems are unconstitutional. An era of desegregation of schools is instituted.
*RCA introduces the first color TV sets, and NBC begins regular broadcasts in color.
*Elvis Presley releases the first of more than 170 hit songs, "Heartbreak Hotel."
*1958 NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is founded and starts the Mercury Project to take the first Americans into space. (First though, animals were sent…not all flights were successful)
*American Airlines launches the jet age in the U.S. transportation industry with the first transcontinental flights with a Boeing 707 aircraft.
*Albert Sabin develops a live-virus polio vaccine that can be taken orally and offers longer immunity than the Salk vaccine.
Onto the 60's
This is the decade I was born in and I remember learning all that went on during this decade when I was in Junior High and High School.
*U.S.-trained Cuban exiles attempt to overthrow the Castro government in Cuba with an invasion at the "Bay of Pigs." The invasion fails badly. It's a major embarrassment to the Kennedy administration.
*The Berlin Wall is constructed in Germany to prevent East Berliners from defecting to the West.
*In 1962, Nelson Mandela, deputy president of the African National Congress (ANC), is arrested in South Africa for agitating against apartheid laws.
*On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy is assassinated on November 22 in Dallas, Texas, by Lee Harvey Oswald.
*Early 1964, U.S. destroyers are allegedly attacked by North Vietnamese patrol boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. In response, President Johnson pushes through Congress a resolution allowing him to greatly increase U.S. troop levels in Vietnam. The escalation of the war begins.
*On March 7,1965 600 civil rights marchers are attacked by state and local police with billy clubs and tear gas. Only the third, and last, march successfully makes it into Montgomery.
*In New York, on February 21, 1965, Black Muslim leader Malcolm X is assassinated.
*1967 By year's end, there are 480,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam. The U.S. begins mining rivers in North Vietnam.
*In Washington, DC, 50,000 people protest the Vietnam War at the Lincoln Memorial. Students nationwide burn their draft cards. Mohammad Ali is stripped of his boxing title for refusing to join the Army because of his Muslim faith.
*On March 16, 1968 in South Vietnam, the My Lai Massacre takes places conducted by a Unit of the US Army taking the lives of mostly women, babies and elderly ranging in ages of 1 to 82. The death toll ranges from 347 to 500 due to chaotic circumstances.
*1968 As the U.S. presidential campaign heats up, President Lyndon Johnson shocks the nation by announcing he will not seek reelection because of frustrations with the Vietnam War.
*Just before the announcement, Senator Robert F. Kennedy had entered the race. He won the critical California primary in June, but within minutes, on June 6, 1968 he was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan.
*Martin Luther King, Jr., is assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, by James Earl Ray. Riots erupt across the U.S.
*In 1968 Pope Paul VI issues a encyclical against all artificial means of contraception. In 1970, he declares that priestly celibacy is fundamental to the Roman Catholic Church.
During the 60's there were also some BIG happenings that the world will always remember, that many of us see in our day to day lives and other things that are still being improved upon. And, there was music! Always music!
*The Peace Corps is established by President Kennedy encouraging young people to volunteer to help third world countries. Over the years, more than 187,000 people have served as Peace Corps Volunteers in 139 countries.
*February 20, 1962 Astronaut John Glenn is the first American to orbit the earth when he goes around the earth three times and returns successfully.
*The Wal-Mart discount store in opened by Sam Walton in Arkansas.
*In May In August, 250,000 freedom marchers descend on Washington, DC, and hear Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.(Video)
*In 1963 he U.S. and the Soviet Union set up a hotline between the White House and the Kremlin to avoid communication problems that were evident in the Cuban missile crisis.
*The Beatles release their first album, "Please Please Me".
*Russian Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space.
*July 2, 1964 The U.S. Civil Rights Act is passed, ending legal discrimination in public places, promising equal voting rights and creating the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
*1964 The Beatles make their U.S. television debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show." The next morning practically every newspaper wrote that the Beatles were nothing more than a "fad," and "could not carry a tune across the Atlantic." They couldn't have more wrong.
*1965 President Lyndon Johnson announces his Great Society agenda, creating Medicare and expanding his "war on poverty." Also, the U.S. Congress passes the Voting Rights Act, attacking voting restrictions aimed at African Americans. But, Johnson refuses to raise taxes to pay for both the social programs and the Vietnam War.
*The U.S. Supreme Court, citing the Constitutional right to privacy, strikes down a Connecticut law that prohibits married couples from using birth control pills.
*January 16, 1967 In the first Super Bowl , Green Bay Packers beats the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 35-10.
*1967 Dr. Christiaan Barnard performs the first human heart transplant operation in Cape Town, South Africa. He is assisted by Hamilton Naki, a self-taught black African surgeon who later receives an honorary degree in medicine.
*In Woodstock, NY, around 500,000 rock-and-roll fans attend three days of music, "peace and love."
*July 16, 1969 Neil Armstrong walks on the moon during Apollo11's mission. More than 100 million people watch on television around the world as U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong steps onto the surface.
Let's take a look at the final decade I am going to touch on, the 70's.
*Vietnamization fails
The process of allowing South Vietnam to defend itself without US intervention proved to be a mistake, the 120,000 North Vietnamese soldiers stormed into South Vietnam, surprising the 6000 US troops still in the country.
*In October North Vietnam offered a compromise if Communist troops were allowed to stay in South Vietnam, it wouldn't expel the South Vietnam government and try to reach a new agreement with them. The US agreed, and declared that peace "was at hand." Once Nixon was re-elected, Kissinger reversed himself on the issue of troops remaining and bombing of Hanoi resumed. Kissinger Video
*Israeli athletes taken hostage/killed at Olympics
The PLO group Black September in revenge for the 1970 defeat of Palestinian guerrillas, broke into the Olympic Village and killed two coaches and took nine hostages. It later ended in the death of the hostages and the commandos as they tried to leave the country.
* Watergate Burglary
The act that felled the President two years later, was committed in June of 1972 by five men, among them ex-FBI man G. Gordon Liddy and ex-CIA man E. Howard Hunt.
*August 8, 1974 President Richard Nixon resigns.
Once the articles of impeachment had been drawn up, Nixon was required to release more tapes, which clearly tied him to the Watergate coverup.
President Gerald Ford later Pardons Nixon.
*1975- Lebanon civil war begins
Sparked by Christians killing a busload of Palestinians and other Muslims, the country was quickly thrown into a war between the privileged Christians and the poor Muslims.
*1975- Saigon falls to communism
America suspended its aid two years after removing it's military forces. In April, US official ordered the remaining 1000 US citizens to evacuate to the embassy in Saigon. This lead to the now famous image of citizens climbing the ladder to helicopters to be airlifted out of the city.
*1978- Jonestown massacre
The suicide and murder of 900 people who drank cyanide in fruit-flavored drink, the leader shot himself.
*1979- The Shah flees Iran
The Ayatollah Khomeini assumes power February 11, 1979 an introduces Islamic law.
*1979- Iranian students storm the US embassy
They held 52 of the 66 people in the embassy hostage for 444 days, which helped to undermine Jimmy Carters re-election efforts in the 1980.
Then there are the accomplishments, the progress and the highlights of the 70's….
*In December 1970, the North Tower of the World Trade Center was completed and in July 1971, the South Tower was completed.
*On January 1, 1971 the last cigarette commercial played on TV during the Johnny Carson show. On April 1st , President Richard Nixon signed the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act.
*CT or Cat Scans were introduced in the United States during the early 1970's
*October 1, 1971 Disney World in Orlando, Florida opens!!!
* HBO (Home Box Office) launches!
* Nike running shoes hit the market.
* First successful report of freezing mouse embryos. They actually survived after being frozen!
* Vietnam War Ends
President Nixon takes last troops out of Vietnam.
* 1974- First black model on cover of a major fashion magazine.
Beverly Johnson on Vogue
* Founding Of Microsoft
Microsoft was founded in 1975
* Betamax and VHS VCRs released (yeah for fast forward and rewind!!)
1979- Mother Teresa Wins Nobel Peace Prize
In Stockholm Sweden, Mother Teresa is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her saint-like presence in India.
By looking back at the past 4 decades, there were many hard times, many horrible times, things that can never be forgotten or taken back, the pain never erased or hearts never mended. It seemed each decade there was a repeat of wars in different areas that all had to do with a simple disregard of life and respecting others for their differences and their own rights of religion and race for the most part.
Slavery was a big part of U.S. History during those decades we lost great leaders trying to fight for the rights of blacks simply wanting the same rights as whites. Humans are humans regardless of their race. But it took a lot to get to the point to make laws to protect those rights.
It has taken a lot of suffering and pain to get many laws on the books to protect the rights to many things that seem to be taken for granted today or even seem to be getting taken away from many. The right for equalities regardless of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, ethnic background. Human rights are being put aside for some to allow rights for others. The word equal is simple in meaning yet large in context.
Equal: having the same privileges, rights, status, and opportunities as others.
It seems too often, time is spent looking past the good in someone to see the fault. If it is a moral issue, that is going to be in another blog. But remember Christ walked on this earth with everyone and as a Christian we are to be a witness for Christ, not a judge. We do not have a pure enough heart, or are we just enough or are we the One to be the judge.
If we don't want history to repeat itself, then we shouldn't behave as people have all throughout history. The choices we make today will reflect tomorrow. We are responsible for every choice we make.
We can change the present and we are in control of our choices and how we raise our kids, how we teach them is the right way to react to those around them. We can't prepare the path for them in life but we can prepare them for the path. Self respect and respect for others, tolerance and understanding. I believe that when people understand that what is going on around the world does affect each of us and what goes on with us does affect the rest of the world, it makes the world not seem like such a big and scary place. Of course, there will always be negative people in the world, those people that are just out to destroy others. They have always been around. We know about them more due to the ease and ability for news to travel faster, the ease for International Travel and the desire by people to spread fear and chaos amongst whoever will listen to them.
The best thing to do to fight against bad in the world though is to increase the unity, confidence, communication, and raise the next generation to carry that on. In today's world, that is more important than ever with today's technology.
Be responsible for the information you are taking in and especially passing along. Of course with Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, etc., we have the choice to sign on or sign off. We have the choice to forward and email or delete. We have the choice to post a certain status update that is going along in Facebook or not. Before you do though, know that if you are saying something is a fact, you have checked the source. Reference it if possible with more than just the fact it has been forwarded to you. A lot of things have been started wrongly by playing along with the elementary game of "telephone" and getting the actual facts wrong. If you see a video clip of something, chances are in today's world, the full video is out there (especially if it is political).
The Whitehouse/Russia hotline helped ease the idea of misunderstandings just like checking the facts can. Know both sides. Use multiple news sources.
Don't be the person that says, "Don't bother me with the facts, my mind is already made up."
Here is a quote from Mark Twain that is growing more true each day as the media turns more to digital especially.
"If you don't read the newspaper, you are uniformed; if you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed." Mark Twain
So true since it takes time to print the paper, everything in today's world can change….
More later. Feel free to leave your thoughts. I am interested.
"Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it." Chuck Swindoll
Be a part of bridging the gap on unity and pass this blog along. Follow the blog so you can see future post on this topic and others.
This entry was posted in "Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.", American, gender, history, media, Nations, Obama, politics, President, race, religion, rights, tolerance, tracy solomon and tagged "LIfe is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.", "Tracy Solomon", @tracysolomon, American, gender, history, media, Nations, Obama, politics, President, race, religion, rights, tolerance on 05/11/2010 by Tracy L. Solomon.


Planning and Governance Division, Information and Communication Development Center (iDEC) organized the iDEC 2018 Achievement Monitoring Workshop on April 18, 2018 at 8.30am to 5.00 pm at the Lecture Marketing Room (UGC), Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Pre-workshop is aimed at revising, detailing and providing clear measurement methods for iDEC Quality Objectives comprising Performance Indicator Index (KPI), Client's Charter and Functional and Level Action Plan. Participants consist of all Head of Section and Head of Section.
Thank you and Welcome to iDEC!


Tends power saw that rips logs of specified length into halves or quarters for barrel-stave cutting: Places log, or halved log, on saw carriage or lifts log to saw table, and starts saw. Shifts lever moving carriage toward saw or pushes log along table to feed log into saw and rip log in half. Moves carriage away from saw and removes sawed pieces.


text:
Hillsborough Inquests
https://www.davidalton.net/2012/09/14/hillsborough-twenty-three-years-of-cover-up/
27 Nov 2012 : Column WA38
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the petition by Anne Williams to hold a new inquest into the death of her son at Hillsborough; and what consideration they have given to fast-tracking the request on compassionate grounds.[HL3142]
The Advocate-General for Scotland (Lord Wallace of Tankerness): The Attorney-General is in the process of preparing an application to the High Court to quash the original inquests and order new inquests into the deaths of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster. The evidence which supports an application in respect of Kevin Williams is essentially the same as that which supports an application into the other deaths and the Attorney-General expects to be in a position to lodge the application in December. Should the court order new inquests the timing thereafter is a matter for the coronial process.
For 18 years David Alton was a Member of the House of Commons and today he is an Independent Crossbench Life Peer in the UK House of Lords.
Tweets by DavidAltonHL
Stop Organ Harvesting In China
As the Medicines and Medical Devices Bill Bill...
Christmas 2020 – Listen to T.S.Eliot and Hugh Laurie reading "Journey of the Magi", Read J.R.R.Tolkien's, Noel, and G.K.Chesterton's "The House of Christmas" and Liverpool poet, Stewart Henderson's ,new 2020 Christmas poem, What did you get for Christmas?
Christmas 2020 - Listen to T.S.Eliot and Hugh...
The Place In Which We Work
The Houses of Parliament We all see the place...
Historic House of Lords Vote on All-Party Amendment on Genocide Determination passes by a Majority of 126. Now Members of the Commons have the chance to say no to trade deals with States credibly accused of Genocide.
Historic House of Lords Vote on All-Party...
In Vino Veritas – with a glass of Australian wine show solidarity and drink a toast to Australia's courageous truth telling.
In vino veritas - Australia tells the truth...
The World Must Not Forget Andy Li And The Hong Kong 12
With Andy Li During The Hong Kong Elections In...
Burma Human Rights Network urges Commons to back the Genocide Amendment
Rohingya still waiting for justice BHRN Urges...
Sunday Times: critics say WHO has "become Beijing's puppet." CPA "running rings around the compromised organisation" Secret film reveals CPA cover up of Wuhan virus and doctors warned "not to tell the truth"
Sunday Times: critics say WHO has "become...
In today's Daily Telegraph Charles Moore says " a freedom-weary West must not end up seeing China's tyranny as a safe haven" and that the Genocide amendment before the House of Commons on Tuesday "opens interesting possibilities" to do something about it.
In today's Daily Telegraph Charles Moore says "...
2020 Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Lord David Alton.


micro-KEY USB Powered Keyboard — Perfect for the budding musician. Hook up to your desktop, laptop or iPad.
Belgrave Crescent Roxburgh Travel Folio — Maybe this is a little biased as I am the designer, but I never tire of this portfolio case. Use it as passport and travel holder or to transport your tablet and notebooks. The Sedgwick leather is stunning and will last for ever.
K72 Closed-back studio headphones — Perfect for home use when you don't want to disturb those around you. Once you use these, you'll never want to go back to ear buds.
Brompton S1E — Amazing little bike you can take anywhere.
Pro-Ject Essential III — Vinyl album sales have made a huge comeback in the past few years. Maybe we are reaching digital saturation and people are looking for a more analog experience to interact with their music. There is something tactile and rewarding about the whole experience of shopping for, purchasing and playing a vinyl record. The Pro-Ject Essential III is a quality player that will enrich your listening experience.
Beoplay A1 Portable Bluetooth speaker with up to 24hrs of battery life — Perfect for listening to podcasts while cooking in the kitchen or on the terrace.
Bedwyn Chef Kitchen Knife – Chocolate, Red & Brown Richlite — A good quality Chef's Knife is an essential piece of kitchen kit that you will never regret purchasing. If you give the Bedwyn as gift you will be remembered fondly every time the recipient uses the knife.
Derek Rose Lingfield Cotton Satin Stripe Navy — Luxury pyjamas and dressing gowns.


PINK DOG DIAMOND SHAMPOO is formulated to enhance dark and red coats. It will clean your pet's coat without stripping natural oils from its skin and coat.
INGREDIENTS: Deionized water, surfactant blend (coconut shampoo base). Vitamin E. glycerine (soothes the skin), plant proteins, strawberry extract, EDTA (aidsin blending), proprietary blend of color intensifers, DMDH hydration (a preservative).


Welcome to Ninola Design Studio, a world of watercolors and patterns!
We are a textile design studio focused in create prints for fashion, kids, home decor, wallpaper and stationary products.
We are a print design studio specialized in painting and patterns: Whether you need to create, a print collection completely, a bespoke textile or wallpaper design, or if you want to purchase unique watercolors or prints from our exclusive catalogue, we're confident that you will be happy with the results!


WordPress Ideas — Easier searchable themes please.
Before the vacation finding new themes was a hurricane, now it is all plain vanilla with one link to select one category at once. What happened with the checkbox driven interface that let you check multiple criterias for the theme you wanted? Please bring us back that feature since now it is hopelessly inadequate to even thinking about searching after themes in a fast way.
This exists in the theme repo. Click Feature filter next to the search box.


Chronic sleep loss could potentially lead to irreversible damage to the brain, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Using a mouse model, researchers at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the Perelman School of Medicine discovered that after several days of shift work sleep patterns, the mice lost 25% of the neurons essential for alertness and optimal cognition. The team hopes to use this new research to evaluate potential new therapies for shift workers. They also plan to examine whether this neuron loss affects the acceleration of other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's. Although more research is needed, the study provides a clear association between sleep loss and irreversible brain injury.


Our seed and cutting compost is produced from fine screened Grade 1 Peat, sand and nutrients. The fine texture ensures even and healthy growth.
A great deal of care goes into the production of this compost to give you the high quality required for this delicate job. We guarantee you will not find better compost for your seed and cuttings.
See our Vegetable Beds & Bins pages for suitable planting options.


I've been trying to learn the programming language R for a couple of months now, and while following the course datacamp.com has been good – it is only by doing real (useful) tasks that I feel I can move my knowledge forward enough to be ready to tackle some machine learning competitions on Kaggle.
My plan is to develop something like this as a set of blog posts, where each posts outlines a problem – with the solution after. I have no doubt that some of the solutions will be suboptimal – but that's where I hope the interweb will come in handy and help me improve my knowledge.
Lets see how it goes. Here are the topics covered to far.


Affordable hunting and recreational properties located in southern Granville County, 30 miles north of I-540. Up to 183 acres available for $1,900/acre. Most of the property is located well off the main road and is surrounded by large timber tracts, including thousands of acres owned by the State of NC. Access is from a shared 50 foot wide access easement. The road is graveled from Blue Mountain Road (private) to the bridge over Knap of Reeds Creek. From there, the road is an improved dirt road. Land cover includes 16 year old pines and hardwoods. Adjoining 72 acres also for sale.
Tract 1 is suitable for a home site or farm and includes mostly pasture, a pond, electricity and well.
Tract 2 has gravel driveway access and is suitable for a homesite. Electricity is very close. The property borders Knap of Reeds Creek.
Tract 3 has frontage along Knap of Reeds Creek and dirt road access. It could be combined with Tract 2 if a home site was needed.
Tract 4 includes the summit of a nearly 600 foot tall "mountain".
Tract 5 has frontage along Knap of Reeds Creek, two food plots and easy access from several dirt roads.
Tract 6 includes the summit of a nearly 600 foot tall "mountain".
Tracts 2, 3 and 5 are subject to the conservation easement describe below.
The property is 23 miles north of Durham, 30 miles north of I-540 in north Raleigh and 15 miles north of Creedmoor. The land was formerly located within Camp Butner. The property is gated and currently under a hunting lease. Please call agent before viewing.
*Pending final survey. Final price to be adjusted by per-acre advertised prices.
Home sites, hunting, recreation, timber management.
From Stem: Turn right on Old Route 75. Go .7 miles and turn left on Little Mountain Rd (SR 1137). Go .8 miles and turn right on Range Rd (SR 1126). Go 3.4 miles and turn left on Enon Rd (SR 1139). Go 3.2 miles and turn left on Blue Mountain Rd (gravel). The property is .5 miles on the left - look for second red gate at the gravel driveway.
To protect water quality and unique plant and animal communities, Knap of Reeds Creek is protected by a 300± foot-wide conservation easements. Allowable uses include hunting, fishing and hiking. Building and clearing is not allowed. All other uses are allowed outside of this area.
36.237666,-78.792827 at red gate/access easement.