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Showing posts from September, 2022

A Reminder That Hillary Clinton Is Not What We'd Call a "Warm Person"

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NASA's Ironic "Caveman" Solution To Dealing With Extinction-Level Threats From Asteroids (And There's a Delay for Results)

This isn't your grandad's NASA : CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA spacecraft rammed an asteroid at blistering speed Monday in an unprecedented dress rehearsal for the day a killer rock menaces Earth. The galactic slam occurred at a harmless asteroid 7 million miles (11.3 million kilometers) away, with the spacecraft named Dart plowing into the space rock at 14,000 mph (22,500 kph). Scientists expected the impact to carve out a crater, hurl streams of rocks and dirt into space and, most importantly, alter the asteroid’s orbit. “We have impact!” Mission Control’s Elena Adams announced, jumping up and down and thrusting her arms skyward.  Not to insult anyone who's working on saving the planet, but hurling a large chunk of metal at a dense space rock is as primitive as you can get right? Anyway, as optimistic as this story is, there is a noticeble catch: Telescopes around the world and in space aimed at the same point in the sky to capture the spectacle. Though the impact wa

WikiLeaks Is Still Dropping Facts

 In particular, how certain nations use Hollywood to whitewash what would be considered war crimes . 

Russia Has Pro-Nazi and School Shootings Too...

Except that Russia being Russia, they just have to combine the two : MOSCOW, Sept 26 (Reuters) - A gunman with a swastika on his teeshirt killed 15 people, including 11 children, and wounded 24 at a school in Russia on Monday before committing suicide, investigators said. The attacker, a man in his early thirties who was named by authorities as Artem Kazantsev, killed two security guards and then opened fire on students and teachers at School Number 88 in Izhevsk, where he had once been a pupil. Russia's Investigative Committee, which handles major crimes, said it was looking into the perpetrator's suspected neo-Nazi links. "Currently investigators...are conducting a search of his residence and studying the personality of the attacker, his views and surrounding milieu," the committee said in a statement. "Checks are being made into his adherence to neo-fascist views and Nazi ideology." Investigators released a video showing the man's body lying in a clas

Chris Hedges: Fascism Is Making a Comeback.

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  As usual, the "Hedge-Clipper" pulls no punches: Energy and food bills are soaring. Under the onslaught of inflation and prolonged wage stagnation, wages are in free fall. Billions of dollars are diverted by Western nations at a time of economic crisis and staggering income inequality to fund a proxy war in Ukraine. The liberal class, terrified by the rise of neo-fascism and demagogues such as Donald Trump, have thrown in their lot with discredited and reviled establishment politicians who slavishly do the bidding of the war industry, oligarchs and corporations. The bankruptcy of the liberal class means that those who decry the folly of permanent war and NATO expansion, mercenary trade deals, exploitation of workers by globalization, austerity and neoliberalism come increasingly from the far-right. This right-wing rage, dressed up in the United States as Christian fascism, has already made huge gains in Hungary, Poland, Sweden, Italy, Bulgaria and France and may take power i

Brett Farve's Text Messages Intercepted; Showed Former Quarterback Was Told Taking Money From Welfare Was Illegal.

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  Can't believe this is the same person who sent unsolicited pictures of his privates to a woman, except I totally can : CNN — A series of text conversations between Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre and former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant appear to show Favre repeatedly pressing the then-governor about funding the construction of a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, even after Favre was told misuse of state funds was potentially illegal, according to new court filings. The funding of the facility at Favre’s alma mater was part of an investigation into millions of dollars of misspent public welfare funds within the Mississippi Department of Human Services, which investigators say were directed toward leadership members’ personal use and granted to prominent Mississippians like Favre, whose daughter played volleyball at the university at the time. While Favre has not been charged criminally in the massive welfare fraud scheme, he is a defendant in a

Watch & Learn: Capitalism Requires Theft.

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 Sad, but true.

Russell Brand on the Queen's Funeral

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 As balanced a take as we're going to get:

Quote of the Day

"The mounting social inequality is fueling protests around the globe. The global ruling class is determined to prevent these protests from employing the weapon that can bring them down — strikes."  -- Chris Hedges, on what the working class needs to do in order to truly resist the oligarchy . 

Richard Medhurst Shows Why People Should Be Careful About Praising Tucker Carlson

 Sure, people can go on Tucker Carlson's show to talk about being anti-war or push civil liberties, but they have to acknowledge how the guy will totally rewrite European history for the sake of white supremacy .  Seriously, you will learn more about the Partition from watching Ms Marvel on Disney + or reading tvtropes than from listening to the popular-yet-consistently-inaccurate hosts on FoxNews. 

Does Systemic Racism Contribute to Things Like Bad Drinking Water?

  Another day, another city suffers for being majority poor and/or non-white : JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Carey Wooten spent nearly seven weeks hunting for safe drinking water for herself, her two children and three dogs after clocking out each day as a Taco Bell manager, so Gov. Tate Reeves’ announcement that the water is clean again in Mississippi’s capital came as welcome news. But the crisis in the city of Jackson isn’t over, even if its boil-water advisory was lifted on Thursday. While the state plans to stop handing out free bottled water at sites around the city Saturday night, the city said water pressure still hasn’t been fully restored, and state health officials said lead in some pipes remains so worrisome that pregnant women and young children should still use bottled water. [SNIP] Jackson had already been under a state health department boil-water notice for a month when torrential rain fell in August, flooding the Pearl River and overwhelming the treatment system. Water pressu

How People Use Privilege to Stoke Racism and Muddy the Justice System

 In short: Sherri Papini faked her on kidnapping, claiming two Latina women grabbed, chained and branded her. She received $30,000 in victim compensation. Authorities used a new DNA testing technology to prove that she was lying, and after initially denying the claim, Papini later pleaded guilty with the rationale that she's suffers from anxiety, depression and abuse.  In other words: Papini had no problem starting an anti-Latina witch-hunt if she could make some money off of it, and when her lies could no longer hide the truth, she once again claimed victim.  Read this CNN article for the story.

Richard Medhurst and Scott Ritter on the Russia/Ukraine Conflict

 They talk about what mainstream media is getting right and wrong about each country's military goals .

Brett Farve Commits An Infraction Off The Field

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 I'm not saying that Brett Farve stole money from poor people to help his daughter's college volleyball team , but hey .

On CNN, There's No News More Important Than the Queen's Coffin

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  Climate Crises, rising homelessness, civil unrest, economic oppression and uprising, potential world war...nah, let's focus on the funeral of a wealthy monarch who did very little to make the world a better place .

Energy Crisis in the UK...

While CNN covers the Queen's death endlessly, the citizens of the UK may not be able to pay their power bills . 

Watch & Learn: On Peaceful Protests

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 Check this out before protests (which could be considered a form a free speech) is outlawed:

Watch & Learn: The Reality of Homelessness in the United States

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Quote of the Day

 "As I’m sure many can understand, my thoughts about Ken Starr bring up complicated feelings. But of more importance, is that I imagine it’s a painful loss for those who love him. " - Monica Lewinsky, on the death of Ken Starr . 

Unemployment Is About to Rise in the UK.

Citing redundancy , newly crowned King Charles ushers in a staffing cut involving 100 employees.  No word yet if the Crown has decided to cut their own personal, extravagant lifestyle to help the country out. 

Historian Gerald Horne on The Late UK Queen.

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Exodus of Moderates in Congress Exposes America's Failed Two-Party System.

  A combination of gerrymandering and focus on highlighting pro-Trump candidates predicts more gridlock , but that gridlock exists mainly because voters are forced to choose between Democrats and Republicans every cycle.  And regardless of which of the two you favor, one party makes things worse while the other refuses to make things better. Both are ridiculously pro-war, radically capitalist and utterly corrupted by numerous industries and independently wealthy people. Who virtue signals to which wedge issue group is the only thing that separates the two at this point.

Ron Placone Explains "Defund the Police."

  And he does it in about a minute .

Water Problems All Over The United States.

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 The latest is in an apartment in NYC:

What Happens When Fox News Talks to Real American Farmers.

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Once Again, America Media Shows That It Understands Little About the Russia/Ukraine Conflict.

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 Remember: "Russia is weak, but a they are also a threat."

Chris Hedges Is No Fan of Monarchies.

  And he explains why : Monarchy obscures the crimes of empire and wraps them in nostalgia. It exalts white supremacy and racial hierarchy. It justifies class rule. It buttresses an economic and social system that callously discards and often consigns to death those considered the lesser breeds, most of whom are people of color. The queen’s husband Prince Phillip, who died in 2021, was notorious for making racist and sexist remarks, politely explained away in the British press as “gaffes.” He described Beijing, for example, as “ghastly” during a 1986 visit and told British students: “If you stay here much longer you’ll all be slitty-eyed.” The cries of the millions of victims of empire; the thousands killed, tortured, raped and imprisoned during the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya; the 13 Irish civilians gunned down in “Bloody Sunday;” the more than 4,100 First Nations children who died or went missing in Canada’s residential schools, government-sponsored institutions established to “assimi

Fear of Virtual Reality Causes Real Harm @ University

  Anxiety over the virtual results in real-life pain : (CNN)Authorities in Boston have launched an investigation after a package sent to Northeastern University exploded and injured a staff member Tuesday evening, officials said. The package contained a rambling note that criticized Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and the relationship between academic institutions and the developers of virtual reality, several federal law enforcement sources told CNN. The 45-year-old man who opened the package suffered minor hand injuries, according to university and law enforcement officials. Investigators have not said how the package arrived on the campus, stressing the investigation is ongoing. The campus is expected to fully reopen Wednesday, the university said. The note was in a hard plastic container that detonated as the victim opened the latches and lifted the lid, the sources said. While the employee was not seriously hurt, the explosion caused hand injuries including lacerations, the sourc

Cornel West Talks About Palestine.

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Kyle Kulinski and Krystal Ball Talk About How Justice Democrats Was a Failure and Why Force The Vote Was A Good Idea (Kinda).

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 Well, let's be honest: they don't say those words. But in their segment about the DNC being more accepting of dark money, they basically admit these two things:

Not Everyone Can Celebrate the UK Queen.

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  Mostly because of the colonization and oppression her government and "rule" represented. 

Watch & Learn: Capitalism and Climate Change

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Watch & Learn: Democracy @ Work on Socialism vs Communism

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The Whitewashing of "Woke."

 The word "woke" started among the African-American community; black people used it as a way of being socially and politically aware. For example, knowing when a politician was lying/fabricating/exaggerating during a speech or foreshadowing the negative implications of gentrification.  However, like most things that come from the African-American community, once it made the mainstream, others (typically those of power, money and/or influence) adopted and adapted it to their own end. Now, "woke" is taking to mean using identity politics and virtue signaling to the point of annoyance.  Again, being truly woke is not about political correctness, it's about political awareness. Take the word back. 

When The CFO Jumps From a Building, Expect the Company's Stock To Go With It

 After the CFO of Bed, Bath and Beyond chose "beyond," the company's stock has not done so well . Keep in mind that the guy was being sued for inflating the company's stock prices before he decided to take the quick way downstairs . 

Almost 10% of Pakistan's Population Impacted By Climate-change Influenced Floods

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 Graham Elwood talks about it, and what it hints at for the future:

Another Day, Another Strike

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  This time it's American University as covered by Sabby Sabbs.

Status Coup Covers Labor Day Strike

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The Grayzone and Katie Halper Team Up To Cover Joe Biden's Confusing and Divisive Speech

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Watch & Learn: Solutions To World Hunger Won't Come From Capitalism.

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Watch & Learn: Capitalism's Contribution to Lonliness

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Watch & Learn: Katie Halper Talks With a Victim of an FBI Raid

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 Halper has a discussion about the event and the FBI overall with Omali Yeshitela of the African People's Socialist Party:

The West Really Doesn't Understands Russia.

" Russia's war with Ukraine is hurting them !" London (CNN Business)Six months after invading Ukraine, Russia is bogged down in a war of attrition it didn't anticipate but it is having success on another front — its oil-dependent economy is in a deep recession but proving far more resilient than expected. "I'm driving through Moscow and the same traffic jams are there as before," says Andrey Nechaev, who was Russia's economy minister in the early 1990s. The readiness of China and India to snap up cheap Russian oil has helped, but Nechaev and other analysts say Russia's economy has started to decline and is likely facing a prolonged period of stagnation as a consequence of Western sanctions. On the surface, not much has changed, bar a few empty storefronts that once housed Western brands that have fled the country in their hundreds. McDonalds (MCD) is now called "Vkusno i tochka", or "Tasty, and that's it" and Starbucks (SB