Well, today I had another you-tube video censored. The video was about the town where I grew up in, and where I am now. I hoped that it was inspirational. But apparently the You-tube censors felt otherwise. They believed that comparing my town in the United States to my town in China would generate people to kill themselves. No. I am not being “funny”. I am speaking the truth…
It’s actually kind of funny when you think about it. Well, I will generate a second replacement video. And I will pay attention so that I don’t inspire anyone to kill themselves. Sheech!
Let’s get on with the news…
MAJOR DEVELOPMENT: NATO Says “Previous Commitments to Russia no longer valid”
BREAKING NEWS 7:48 AM EDT — Deputy Secretary-General of NATO: The alliance is free from its previous commitments with Russia not to deploy its forces in Eastern Europe.
UPDATE 8:11 AM EDT —
VILNIUS, lITHUANIA — NATO is no longer bound by past commitments to hold back from deploying its forces in eastern Europe, the US-led alliance’s deputy secretary general said Sunday.
Moscow itself has “voided of any content” the NATO-Russia Founding Act, by attacking Ukraine and halting dialogue with the alliance, Mircea Geoana told AFP.
Under the 1997 Founding Act, intended to reset the relationship between Russia and the Alliance, both sides agreed to work to “prevent any potentially threatening build-up of conventional forces in agreed regions of Europe, to include Central and Eastern Europe.”
“They took decisions, they made obligations there not to aggress neighbors, which they are doing, and to have regular consultations with NATO, which they don’t,” said Geoana, speaking in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
“So I think that in fact this founding act is basically not functioning because of Russia,” he added.
Russia, he said, had effectively moved away from the terms of the 1997 agreement.
“Now we have no restrictions to have robust posture in the eastern flank and to ensure that every square inch of NATO’s territory is protected by Article 5 and our allies.”
NATO’s article 5 is the one referring to collective defense, which says that an attack on one member is an attack on all of them.
Geoana did not give details of any such planned deployment, but said he anticipated “a robust, flexible and sustainable presence.”
In 2017, NATO had already deployed multinational tactical groups to the Baltic states and Poland as a dissuasive measure. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the end of February, it sent reinforcements there.
The Baltic states have called for a greater presence of its allies there, including for the development of brigades to replace the smaller tactical groups.
NATO defense ministers will meet in mid-June to discuss this and other questions, and the leaders of the NATO members states will meet to approve any changes at a NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June.
Texas, 1977
Authentic Thai Basil Chicken Recipe (ผัดกระเพราไก่)
In this Thai basil chicken recipe, you’ll learn to cook an authentic Thai street version of the dish.
Thai basil chicken, better known in Thai as pad kra pao gai (ผัดกระเพราไก่ pad ka prao gai), is a contender for the most popular, and the most beloved Thai street food dish of all time.
You know sometimes when you go to a restaurant and you have no idea what to order, or even what you want to eat?
When that happens in Thailand, pad kra pao gai (ผัดกระเพราไก่, with chicken), or any type of meat stir fried with Thai holy basil, is a dish that comes to the rescue!
Ingredients you’ll need
For the fried egg (optional, but I think it’s mandatory)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons of oil for frying
For the basil chicken
- 1 chicken breast (or any other cut of boneless chicken, about 200 grams)
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 4 – 10 Thai chilies – when you fry the chilies, they aren’t as spicy
- 1 tablespoon oil for frying
- 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 splash of dark sweet soy sauce (you can use Indonesian kecap manis)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 handful of Thai holy basil leaves (really try to get holy basil)
You can make your pad see ew with chicken, pork, squid, shrimp, or even tofu, but this time I’ll be making this Thai basil recipes with chicken. However, feel free to substitute chicken with whatever meat you want.
Note: To see the exact steps for making this Thai basil chicken recipe, scroll down below to the recipe box, or keep reading for more of an explanation of this amazing Thai dish and an in-depth look into some of the ingredients.
Let’s quickly talk about Thai basil…
There are three main types of basil used in Thai cooking: Thai sweet basil (ใบโหระพา bai horapa – this one is often just referred to as Thai basil), lemon basil (ใบแมงลัก bai maenglak), and holy basil (ใบกะเพรา bai kra prao).
This Thai basil chicken recipes uses holy basil (ใบกะเพรา).
But, can I use Thai sweet basil for this recipe?
Unfortunately it can be challenging to find holy basil outside of Thailand, and I’ve found that Thai restaurants in the United States often substitute Thai sweet basil for Thai holy basil and call it basil chicken.
However, sweet basil doesn’t have the vibrant peppery flavor that holy basil has, and so to get this dish to taste the way it tastes in Thailand, you really can’t substitute another type of basil for holy basil.
But if you simply cannot find holy basil (you could grow some yourself) and can only find Thai sweet basil, you can still make this recipe, and though it won’t have that peppery flavor, it will still probably taste good.
For a little reassurance, on my latest visit to the United States, one day at the Asian supermarket I came across a big box of holy basil, I think grown in California – so it can be found in the US.
Another way you can really elevate the flavor of this Thai basil chicken recipe is by using a mortar and pestle to hand grind your garlic and chilies. A garlic press would also do the job well.
Unlike mincing, grinding really releases all the juices and oils of the chilies and garlic and it brings out an extra depth of flavor, which in return makes the entire dish of chicken basil more vibrant, garlicky and spicy.
You don’t need to crush the garlic and chilies down to a curry paste, but you’re just looking for just a coarse crush, like in the photo above.
But no worries if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, mincing is still adequate.
Before getting started on this Thai basil chicken recipe, often my very first step is to begin by cooking a pot of rice. That way it’s finished and freshly cooked as soon as the chicken and egg are ready.
The first step is to fry the egg. Thai fried eggs are more like deep fried eggs, cooked in lots of oil. The extra oil gives them a lovely crispiness on the outside edges, and they taste so incredibly good mixed with the rice and chicken.
After the egg is finished cooking, lay it aside and get started cooking the chicken.
Finally, just like all of my Thai recipes, the ingredients listed (and the quantities) are a guide – it’s what I used – but use it loosely as a guide. Thai food is made to taste the way you want it to.
Thai basil chicken recipe
Time: About 30 minutes or less
Recipe size: 1 plate meal, and to be honest, it tastes best when cooked in a single portion. You could multiply this recipe a few times to make enough for a few people at once, or you could make individual portions.
Utensils: wok, frying pan
Flavors: Salty stir fry, complete meal deal, fragrant from the chilies, garlic, and holy basil
Eat it with: Pad kra pao gai (ผัดกระเพราไก่) is normally eaten on top of a pile of plain steamed jasmine rice with a fried egg on the side.
Dish out a plate of freshly steamed jasmine rice, scoop the hot Thai basil chicken (pad kra pao gai ผัดกระเพราไก่) onto one side of your rice, and nestle your fried egg on the other side of the plate.
And there you have one of the most widely loved Thai street food dishes in Thailand.
Try this recipe out, let me know if you have any questions or comments below, and if you enjoyed this recipes, I would really appreciate it if you would share this with a friend you know who loves Thai food as well – thank you!
Toronto, Canada, 1972
Reality Sets-in: Europe Cracking; CANNOT agree on Russia Oil Embargo
EDITORIAL OPINION —
Superficial European “unity” over Russia’s entry into Ukraine to De-Nazify and De-militarize” that regime, which resulted in Europe sanctioning Russia, is falling apart.
The European Union CANNOT get unanimous agreement to embargo Russian Oil or gas into Europe. The reality, that Europe actually needs inexpensive, reliable energy, is finally taking hold.
The knee-jerk reaction by European Union countries to “sanction” Russia, was poorly thought out from its beginning. By sanctioning Russia, Europe was actually siding WITH the Nazi-infested regime of Ukraine.
That was downright foolish on every level.
But ever-willing to contort reality, politicians in Europe chose to call their actions “defending democracy” and “defending Ukraine sovereignty.” That flew until Ukraine outlawed opposition political parties, which is not “democracy” and was exposed as using heavy artillery against civilians in Luhansk and Donetsk, WHO THEY BURIED IN MASS GRAVES, which is not something any “sovereign” can legally do.
More directly though, Europe came to realize that their countries actually DEPEND on Russian natural gas and Russian oil.
Their economies require inexpensive, reliable energy, which Russia provides.
As the initial “sanctions” took effect, prices for petrol in Europe skyrocketed to over $10 a gallon. Home heating oil — and natural gas — are also skyrocketing in price.
Europeans simply cannot afford it.
When winter comes this year, people in Europe will face the mind-numbing choice of heating their home to stay alive, or eating. That’s a choice no one NEEDS to be forced into; except that “sanctions” on Russia are forcing that precise choice upon citizens.
The whole situation is untenable.
The politicians in Europe, shielded from the ugly reality of the decisions they make, actually want to make things worse by adopting a Europe-wide embargo of Russian oil. Discussion to achieve that have been ongoing, but finally fell apart this past weekend.
Many (but not all) European nations simply cannot survive with viable, normal, societies, and thriving businesses, if Russia is embargoed. The efforts to embargo have, finally, fallen apart.
Just today, Britain announced they expect rolling electric blackouts this coming winter.
As many as six million British households could be subjected to power cuts this winter if Russian gas supplies to Europe stop, The Times reported Sunday, citing a Whitehall document.
It said that imports of natural gas from Norway could halve next winter amid surging EU demand. Britain buys around half of its total supplies from the Nordic country.
Shipments of liquified natural gas from major producers such as the United States and Qatar could also halve this winter, the UK government warned, pointing to fierce global competition for supplies of the fuel.
Meanwhile, interconnectors from the Netherlands and Belgium could also be cut off in winter, as the two countries struggle meeting their own demand.
The UK, which has vowed to end the importation of Russian oil by the end of the year, is now seeking to bolster electricity supply by extending the life of its coal and aging nuclear power stations
This is a good thing.
The whole issue of “sanctions” upon Russia, was poorly thought out from it inception. Russia is not in the wrong on Ukraine. It is Ukraine that is in the wrong.
To their credit, Russia made Herculean diplomatic efforts – for years — to try to avoid what is now taking place. Even as recently as December 2021 into January of this year, Russia put forth Diplomatic proposals for “iron-clad-legally enforceable, security guarantees” which would have avoided all the bloodshed and destruction now taking place.
Both Europe and America WILLFULLY chose to ignore/reject those Russian Diplomatic efforts.
Then the fighting began on February 24.
Politicians in Europe and America, unaccustomed to anyone daring to disagree with them, or acting with force in opposition to them, got their skirts in a twist, and tried to manhandle Russia with economic sanctions. Worse, both the US and EU then outright STOLE Russia’s investments here in the West. They literally seized billions in Russia’s bank reserves and sovereign wealth funds. It was outright theft. The US Congress, Senate and US Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control are nothing more than brazen thieves. They seem to think that stealing someone else’s money, without due process of law, is somehow “OK” when a government does it. It’s not OK. It’s theft.
All of it backfired.
The only nations being harmed by the Sanctions are European countries, and the USA. Fuel costs for gasoline and diesel have skyrocketed to outright unaffordable levels.
Commerce is rapidly stopping because companies cannot afford shipping costs or even energy costs for manufacturing.
These are not “Putin Price Hikes” as the politicians love to claim; they are artificially-induced price increases because economic sanctions were imposed. We in America and in Europe, did this to ourselves!
That reality is finally sinking in. This past weekend, Europe could not come to unanimous agreement to embargo Russian oil.
Oh, did I mention, it gets worse for the Europeans too.
Over the weekend, Italy Army General Leonardo Tricarico publicly urged not to provoke Russia. Tricarico believes that the EU should leave the “crazy idea to win in Ukraine.”
He then went on to say publicly “If we want to reach an agreement with Putin on Ukraine, then we must avoid provocations and useless things, such as NATO expansion.”
Then, the coup de gras, when he said “We must force Ukraine to capitulate and not provoke Russia.”
FINALLY! Someone actually stated the obvious!!!
Kudos to General Tricarico!!!!!
What has gone on here with Russia-Ukraine-Europe-US-NATO has been a travesty of mis-management and deliberate provocation of Russia by the West.
It needs to stop.
Fast.
Before the ongoing hostilities explode into a much larger, and far deadlier World War.
14 Immortal Black And White Film Scenes Tastefully Colored By Austrian Artist
The exquisite and elegant beauty of monochrome film and photography is unparalleled. At the same time, it would be extremely curious and fun to see what some of the most iconic movie scenes in film history would look like in color, wouldn’t it?
If you agree with that sentiment, the works of Austrian photographer and photo editor Mario Unger (previously here, here and here) is just what the doctor prescribed to satiate that curiosity. The photo magician that he is, Mario meticulously colorized 14 of the most iconic film scenes and portraits of famous film personas, artists and musicians, and gave them new life.
China urges UN rights chief to look into school shootings in US
From HERE
The Global Times made the suggestion in an editorial Tuesday (May 31), a day after Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular briefing in Beijing that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights should produce a report on problems the US faces. "The US system is equally incapable, or lacks interest, motivation, and courage, to address these problems thoroughly," said the Communist Party newspaper, which added that US domestic issues have "intensified its external aggression." China has ramped up criticism of the US's human rights record around a trip to the Asian nation by UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, and the fault-finding escalated after the recent killings at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and at a school in Uvalde, Texas. The party's flagship People's Daily ran a commentary under the headline "Racism a poison running through American body politic," that referenced the killing of Blacks in Buffalo, and the official Xinhua News Agency and English-language China Daily published similar articles.
Of course, the usual reporting trick used by “news” is to redirect the criticism away from the United States and blame the accuser…
The commentaries appear to be an effort to hit back at the US, which along with lawmakers in other nations, has accused China of carrying out genocide in Xinjiang. Beijing calls the accusations "the lie of the century." The US has also criticised China for how it handled Ms Bachelet's recent trip. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's press office said in a statement that authorities "did not enable a complete and independent assessment of the human rights environment" in the world's No. 2 economy and that it had reports Xinjiang residents were warned not to complain. Human rights groups were also critical of Ms Bachelet and her six-day trip, which she repeatedly said wasn't an "investigation" of Chinese practices in Xinjiang or elsewhere.
What the U.S. just said about China is TERRIFYING | Redacted with Clayton Morris
A very, VERY good video. A must watch.
But you know... China has been at war with the USA since 2014, and China has never forgotten the bio-weapon "carpet bombing" of it's livestock. China does "tit-for-tat" actions prior to a formal war-declaration. I can only wonder what China is doing about all this... -MM
Tens Of Thousands Of Chickens Killed In 3 Million Eggs Per day Egg Farm Fire
The united States of America is obviously under planned attack of its food supply and food distribution network. The people doing this must be found and “stopped” by any means necessary.
Massive flames burned down a barn with tens of thousands of chickens in Wright County, Minnesota over the weekend.
The fire started late Saturday night at Forsman Farms in Howard Lake, causing major damage.
The Trebesch family thought they would spend Saturday night around their bonfire, but just after 10 p.m. they noticed massive flames across the field at Forsman Farms.
“It was unbelievable how quick it grew, it was insane,” Andy Trebesch said. “It was the whole sky, it was quite large.”
They called 911. Firefighters from multiple agencies across Wright County showed up, many volunteer firefighters. A barn housing tens of thousands of chickens was leveled, in what a farm spokesperson called a “tragic accident.”
According to Forsman Farms website, the farm started in 1918, and now the fourth-generation family farm sells more than three million eggs a day to some of the nation’s largest retailers.
“Overnight, a fire destroyed one of our barns at our Howard Lake farm. No one was injured and we are grateful that first responders were quickly on scene to put out the fire. Unfortunately, chickens were lost because of the fire. We are evaluating the extent of the damage – which appears to be confined to a single structure – as well as investigating the cause of the fire,” a Forsman Farms spokesperson said.
NUMEROUS OTHER FOOD – SUPPLY ALSO TORCHED THIS YEAR
In April, the tragic destruction by fire of the headquarters of Azure Standard in Oregon shocked millions of people, and since that news broke quite a few readers have been reaching out to me about the long string of unusual blazes that we have been witnessing from coast to coast in recent months.
I decided to look into this phenomenon for myself, and I am sharing what I have discovered so far in this article. Dr. Benjamin Braddock and others had already been digging into this, and their research proved quite valuable as I began my investigation.
Some of the incidents that people have reported I was not able to independently verify, and others I felt were too minor to be put on this list. With all that being said, the following is a list of 16 major fires that have occurred at key food industry facilities in the U.S. since the start of 2022…
As the smoke settles near Taylor Farms, questions remain on the future of the business and the roughly 1,000 people employed at the Abbott Street facility. There is little to nothing left of the processing facility due to fire and smoke damages caused by Wednesday night’s blaze, according to Deputy Fire Chief Sam Klemek. “About 85% to 95% of the building is a total loss,” he said.
Multiple workers are hospitalized following an explosion at a food processing facility that has nearby residents on alert for possible evacuation. The explosion occurred Tuesday evening at Shearer’s Foods in Hermiston, a city in agriculturally rich eastern Oregon. No deaths have been reported from the blast, but the extent of the damage to the plant and its future were not clear. City officials are concerned what the fire could mean for the community and local economy.
Neighbors banded together to support crews as they battled a fire in Conway for about 16 hours Monday night. More than 12 departments and agencies worked together to put out the fire at East Conway Beef and Pork.
On March 31, 2022, a structure fire significantly damaged a large portion of the largest fresh onion packing facilities in South Texas.
“The situation at our Jonesboro factory is under control and we are looking into the cause of the fire,” a Nestle spokesperson said. “Thankfully, no employees were injured and all are safe. We appreciate the quick response of the Jonesboro Fire Department and emergency response teams. The factory will remain closed as we assess the damage and return the factory to full operation. We plan to continue to support our employees financially during this time.” Nestle opened the plant in 2002 and in December 2020 the company unveiled plans to invest more than $100 million to expand the frozen foods plant, including the addition of 90,000 square feet and a new production line for Hot Pockets frozen sandwiches. In addition to Hot Pockets, Nestle makes products under the Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine, DiGiorno, Tombstone and Sweet Earth brands at the plant.
A portion of Mauston’s Wisconsin River Meats burnt down during an overnight fire Feb. 2-3, with the cause of the fire still under investigation. “The old portion of the plant is a total loss,” Wisconsin River Meats said in a Facebook post about the fire. “We humbly ask that you be patient and please give us some time to sort out the cause of the fire and for us to transition some of our business and invoicing to our warehouse.”
Operating from what company officials referred to as the command center at Deli Star Corp.’s St. Louis Innovation Center, the Siegel family-led operations and executive team have spent the week scrambling to fulfill customers’ orders and work with local officials investigating a Jan. 11 fire that destroyed its 75,000-square-foot processing plant in Fayetteville, about 40 miles southeast of them.
Fire crews from several towns have been battling a fire at the Penobscot McCrum potato processing plant in Belfast. Crews were called to the scene at 28 Pierce Street around 3:30 a.m., according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.
A fire at a fertilizer company in western Kansas prompted evacuations Tuesday afternoon because hazardous materials were involved, officials said. The Ford County Regional Hazardous Materials Team deployed to Leoti for the fire and was fighting the blaze and removing hazardous material, Wichita County Clerk Lynda Goodrich said.
Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) said on Wednesday a fire had broken out in a bag house at its Claypool, Indiana, soybean processing and biodiesel plant on Tuesday and the affected systems had been suspended. No employees were injured and the fire was put out by 9:15 p.m. central time on Tuesday, LDC said in a statement. LDC’s website said soybean deliveries were suspended at the plant on Wednesday. LDC says Claypool is the largest fully integrated soybean processing and biodiesel plant in the United States.
An uncontrolled fire at a fertilizer plant in North Carolina forced thousands of people to evacuate as firefighters stood back Tuesday because of the danger of a large explosion. Authorities drove through neighborhoods and knocked on doors asking residents to leave within a one-mile radius (1.6 km) of the Winston Weaver Company fertilizer plant on the north side of Winston-Salem, where the fire started Monday night. Overnight, bright orange flames and thick plumes of smoke could be seen shooting into the sky. No injuries were reported.
A smoldering pile of sulfur quickly became a raging chemical fire just after 1 p.m. Monday at Nutrien Ag Solutions, 1101 Midvale Road, Sunnyside Fire Chief Ken Anderson said. The fire destroyed one storage building on the southeast corner of the fertilizer storage facility in the Port of Sunnyside and damaged others, but adjacent Nutrien buildings and storage tanks containing hazardous chemicals were spared, Anderson said Monday evening.
A fire started at the Cargill-Nutrena feed mill in Lecompte, LA in the early hours of Thursday morning and burned for 12 hours, coverage by local television news station KALB said. An explosion reportedly occurred as firefighters were working the scene.
It’s a long road to recovery for Maricopa Food Pantry after a fire destroyed around 50,000 lb of food. The fire happened just 15 minutes after their food bank closed on Monday morning. Smoke was still coming from the rubble 24 hours later. “It had to be 40-50 feet in the air, just pure black smoke. It engulfed the entire neighborhood,” said Maricopa Food Pantry President Mike Connelly. “The heat we could feel down at the corner.”
#15 Dufur, Oregon
The headquarters of Azure Standard, the nation’s premier independent distributor of organic and healthy food, was destroyed by fire overnight. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation. The loss of the facility and the impact on companywide operations is being assessed and expected to be limited and temporary. No other Azure Standard facilities were affected.
Investigators from the ATF’s National Response Team began its on-scene investigation on Friday into the massive fire at a Walmart facility in Plainfield. The team, led by Supervisor Christopher Forkner, is working with the Plainfield Fire Territory, Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Plainfield Police Department, according to a press release. ATF special agents from the Indianapolis Offices of the Columbus Field Division will also be assisting.
Of course it is not unusual for there to be fires at food industry facilities, and fire departments are accustomed to responding to such fires and putting them out.
But in many of these cases, we are talking about absolutely uncontrollable fires that seemed to erupt very suddenly.
And in many of these cases the firefighters that responded were not able to save the structures because the fires were so enormous.
Needless to say, the collective loss of all of these facilities will make the coming food shortages quite a bit worse.
It seems to many people this string of fires is not accidental. It seems the American people are under attack.
Whoever is perpetrating this, needs to be “ended.”
Utah state vet warns of cattle disease outbreak
From HERE
Utah is warning of a disease outbreak in cattle. The state veterinarian says that several bulls tested positive for trichomoniasis after grazing in a southern Idaho pasture last summer.
Ten herds grazed in that field and the state vet calls the discovery a concern.
Trich is a parasite that is spread through breeding. Bulls remain infected for life.
There is no treatment, and it can be economically devastating to a herd.
Biden’s New Boondoggle
A potential trade deal with 12 Indo-Pacific countries threatens to further hurt the American middle class.
From HERE
Earlier this week, President Joe Biden unveiled the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a potential new trade deal with 12 Indo-Pacific countries.
While the details of the deal remain murky, some have raised serious concerns based on the little information that has become public. The IPEF does not seem to focus on lifting tariff barriers like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which other countries have suggested the U.S. rejoin instead of going forward with the IPEF.
Instead, Biden’s new trade deal appears to be a handout to Big Tech, big online retailers like Amazon, and express shippers.
The U.S. and the 12 partner nations—Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam—released a joint statement Monday announcing the framework.
“We share a commitment to a free, open, fair, inclusive, interconnected, resilient, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region that has the potential to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth,” the statement read. “We acknowledge our economic policy interests in the region are intertwined, and deepening economic engagement among partners is crucial for continued growth, peace, and prosperity.”
The pandemic, the nations added, has “emphasized the importance of strengthening economic competitiveness and cooperation and securing critical supply chains,” and underscores the importance of “stimulating job growth and improving economic opportunities, including for our workers, women, medium- and small-enterprises, and our societies’ most vulnerable groups.”
Some conservatives, such as American Compass executive director Oren Cass, are uneasy about the deal.
“We should support the idea of assembling a regional economic bloc that includes U.S. allies and excludes China,” Cass told The American Conservative via email. “But it could also turn into a boondoggle that mostly just benefits multinational corporations.”
“The question,” he added, “is what everyone is intending to agree to, and what leverage the U.S. has to shape an agreement that benefits us. I worry that we are still caught in the neoliberal framework that takes access to the U.S. market as the unquestioned starting point.”
The vague language used in the nations’ joint statement suggests Cass’s fears are well-founded. For example, the signatory nations argued that, in the long run, “economic competitiveness will be largely defined by our ability to harness technology, promote innovation, participate in the digital economy, justly transition energy systems and achieve energy security, and tackle the climate crisis in a manner that produces equitable, inclusive growth and improves socio-economic welfare.”
What those platitudes will mean in practice is yet to be seen, but the deal appears to be centered around four pillars: trade, supply chains, clean energy, and anti-corruption. The White House’s fact sheet for the IPEF gives those components of the plan slightly different names, detailing the sorts of provisions that could be included under each pillar.
To foster a “connected economy,” the IPEF members “will pursue high-standard rules of the road in the digital economy, including standards on cross-border data flows and data localization.” The deal will also focus on “the region’s rapidly growing e-commerce sector, while addressing issues is [sic] such as online privacy,” and “seek strong labor and environment standards and corporate accountability provisions.”
While that language may seem benign, Charles Benoit, trade counsel at the Coalition for a Prosperous America, spots some red flags.
“Big Tech, when TPP started, wasn’t a big part of the trade scene,” Benoit said. “They very much are now, and they’ve got big trade-policy goals.” While “Big Tech sees that there’s not much appetite for tariffs to be cut, they think, ‘Why should that stop us from achieving our policy goals?’”
The biggest policy goal for Big Tech companies in the trade space, according to Benoit, “is stopping data-localization requirements, which mean you have to have a server within the country’s borders.”
The IPEF’s stated commitment to pursue multilateral standards on data flows and localization, Benoit fears, could strip away requirements to keep data security and maintenance operations on U.S. soil, and incentivize those operations to move to Asia. Removing data-localization requirements would not only be a bad deal for the American workers currently tasked with manning these facilities. It would pose a national-security risk, given China’s ambitions for regional hegemony and rapidly increasing cyber capabilities.
Benoit also expressed concerns about the fact sheet’s explanation of the second pillar, the creation of a “resilient economy,” focused on stabilizing supply chains. The IPEF’s purported focus on supply chains, paired with its enthusiasm for a growing e-commerce sector, has the makings of another push to increase the de minimis threshold, a rule that currently allows shipments with a declared value of less than $800 to enter the U.S. without undergoing tariff evaluations.
When Congress established the de minimis threshold in the 20th century, it created three separate categories of goods that could enter tariff-free under a certain value: souvenirs, bonafide gifts, and certain mail orders. De minimis standards were created, Benoit told TAC, “because we didn’t want to use regular customs officers’ judgment or discretion on what to waive through. So, Congress said, ‘We’re going to tell you what’s worth your time and what’s not.’”
“The first two categories were $10 for most of that time period,” Benoit said. “The mail-order category was originally just $1. Everything over a dollar would have to get a tariff assessment.”
But NAFTA blew the lid off of de minimis thresholds in 1995. The de minimis threshold for the mail-order category, which has become known as the e-commerce category today, increased from about $5 to $200. It was a “huge win for express shippers like FedEx and UPS,” Benoit explained.
“When I see e-commerce, I see them pushing all the other IPEF nations to have higher de minimis thresholds.” Benoit told TAC. “The express shippers love this because they’re displacing a whole business segment, what used to be traditional import wholesalers,” and “can continue displacing” other small and medium businesses.
“The Jake Sullivan types don’t care at all about competition and don’t have real antitrust concerns at all,” Benoit claimed. “A lot of what we see in this policy area is securing pathways for entrenched big business and monopolies in the name of securing access, while actually making it harder for other businesses to compete in a given field.”
The IPEF has a significant environmental component. The signatories tout future “first-of-their-kind commitments on clean energy, decarbonization, and infrastructure that promote good-paying jobs” to “accelerate efforts to tackle the climate crisis.”
If the past is prologue with respect to clean energy provisions, then the IPEF’s clean-energy chapter entail be a massive tariff cut in favor of big businesses that off-shore or outsource manufacturing.
“For a long time there was a proposed WTO environmental-goods agreement,” Benoit explained. “It’s basically an effort to cut tariffs on thousands of machine components under the rubric of making clean energy cheaper. But it’s not like these provisions are limited to wind turbines and solar panels. They cover pretty standard machine components.
“So, a lot of other goods could get their tariffs cut under an environmental-goods agreement in the IPEF,” he said, if the IPEF is styled after previous attempts to make clean energy more cost-effective via trade agreements. “We could end up cutting tariffs on thousands of goods that are only tangentially related to clean energy.”
Nevertheless, the White House says the IPEF will create a “fair economy,” by tackling bribery, money laundering, and other forms of corruption. That’s all well and good, but when Americans cry out for fair trade, their foremost concern is not money laundering; it is the propensity of multinational corporations and other countries take advantage of deals like the IPEF to undercut America’s middle and working classes. The problem isn’t limited to individual actors failing to play by the rules of the game. The larger problem is that the rules of the game themselves are rotten.
While things could change, the IPEF is looking like another rotten deal for the American worker.
Be prepared for an animal disease outbreak
Hopefully, infectious diseases don’t appear in Canada but the industry needs to have a plan in place
If there ever is a foreign animal disease outbreak in Canada, we all know it could be devastating to the industry. Contagious pathogens such as foot and mouth in bovines, sheep and swine, or African Swine Fever (ASF) in pigs, can cost individual producers in lost production and animal deaths, as well as closing the borders to all exports. The older farming generation might remember the British 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak that required the destruction of more than six million animals to control the disease. In Canada, AHEM (Animal Health Emergency Management Project) is an organization created to meet with the different production-animal groups and provide advice on how the Canadian industry can be better prepared in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak. To read more about the four-year initiative that runs until 2023, visit https://animalhealth.ca. If you run across AHEM information please take it seriously. This work could potentially benefit us all immensely. The COVID-19 pandemic has made us appreciate how quickly a contagious disease can spread through a population. African Swine Fever would do the same with a tremendous mortality rate in the hog industry. The AHEM group has already developed a producer handbook as well as a fact sheet on what to do if, for example, your herd was quarantined. It’s very good information to use if ever needed — get the producer handbook and give it a read.
Incredible Futuristic-Looking 1939 Duesenberg Coupe Simone Midnight Ghost
Duesenberg ceased production in 1937 after Cord’s financial empire collapsed. However, between 1937 and 1940, one automobile put the final touch to this historical marque. It it took three years to complete both the tailor-made interior and futuristic body.
By command of the owner, it was to be painted in a two-tone grey paint scheme so it would look like a ghost in the night. Finished in 1939, this legendary masterpiece was christened as “Duesenberg Coupé Simone Midnight Ghost.” It was both the longest Duesenberg and the last one delivered; and finally the last one ever made.
Inspired by the modernist lines of the Art Deco movement, it captures all the romance of a bygone era. The graceful sweep of the fenders, the luxuriously appointed interior complete with a crystal-clear steering wheel.
The car was made by the American car body designer Emmet-Armand on the basis of the Duesenberg Type J. They only made one of them which was ordered by the French cosmetics king Gui De LaRouche.
Gui De LaRouche had always believed that a man must succumb to his passions. So he commissioned Emmett and Armand to create an exotic-bodied Coupé on a Duesenberg chassis. The new automobile would be a gift to his lover, a beauty called Simone.
As the drums of war were beating and Hitler was moving into France, many automobiles were stored in hide-a-ways to keep them out of the hands of the Nazis. The “Duezy” was lost somewhere on the French countryside at the beginning of World War II. The stranger part of the story is that Emmet disappeared with it. There still is a chance that some day “Simone Midnight Ghost” will be found in a shabby old barn however it’s also possible that it was destroyed during the war.
Nevertheless it’s probably one of the most stunning designs of the 20th century and it will be kept in our memories.
Syphilis-ridden Spanish Skeletons Found at Lima’s First Hospital
From HERE
The remains of 42 syphilis-ridden, colonial Spaniards have been unearthed at a 500-year-old hospital in Lima. But it’s suspected that beneath these poor afflicted souls, might lie the lost mummified bodies of the three last rulers of the Inca Empire.
Lima, the capital city of Peru, is located on the country’s arid Pacific coast and represents one of the largest population centers in South America. The city was founded with the building of a church on January 18, 1535, after Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro had successfully subdued the Inca population.
The city’s foundation date, January 18, 1535, marked the 16th-century Catholic ‘Epiphany’ holiday, celebrating the Three Kings visiting baby Jesus. Therefore, Lima became known as Ciudad de los Reyes, the “City of the Kings” and the capital of 16th-century Spanish Peru. It was at a site downtown that archaeologists discovered what is probably Lima’s first hospital, and the unfortunate Spanish syphilis patients.
First Spanish Hospital Built 20 Years After Pizarro Founded Lima
The Hospital Real (royal) of San Andres was founded only 20 years after Pizarro established the city of Lima. The story began when Francisco de Molina selflessly cared for poor patients through the 1530s and 40s at his home in the modern Barrios Altos area of Lima. The Peruvian hospital was formally founded in 1552 AD by Spanish viceroy , Andres Hurtado de Wildoso, after whom it was named. Today, this historic building is one of the oldest hospitals in Peru, and one of the oldest in the Americas.
Having slowly risen to the surface over five centuries, most of the 42 bodies were discovered only 30 centimeters (12 inches) beneath ground level, in a courtyard cemetery next to the 16th-century Spanish hospital. Within the sepulchral structure the researchers also discovered and mapped “a pharmacy, a psychiatric ward , a walled garden and the burial ground.” They also discovered fragments of ceramic bowls, containers, and bottles wrapped in cotton wool.
Syphilis from the America’s Killed European Colonialists
Héctor Walde, chief archaeologist for the Lima municipality, and his team of archaeologists discovered a copper cross on a chain around the neck of one of the male skeletons. This was a form of spiritual protection against the devilish disease that was discovered in most of the bodies: syphilis. This sexually transmitted disease is caused by the Treponema Pallidum bacterium. And while we are all taught at school that Spaniards brought syphilis to the new world, The Columbian hypothesis states that navigators in Columbus’ fleet “brought the previously unknown affliction back to Europe on their return from the New World in 1493 AD.”
Whatever the origins of syphilis, Christians in the new world rightfully associated it with sexual promiscuity, and therefore, with the devil . And with the new Spanish city of Lima awash with syphilis it is no wonder Professor Walde said “the ritual and religiosity in Lima was very strong.”
In fact, so strong were beliefs in the protective powers of the crucifixion tool of Christ that the Hospital Real de San Andrés was designed in the shape of a cross, with its altar located at the very center, a location symbolic of the heart of Christ. Therefore, this church is a wonderful example of 16th-century architectural sacred geometry in a sacred healing context.
Are The Three Lost Royal Inca Mummies Beneath The Spaniards?
While the story of the 42 syphilis ridden bodies is grabbing media headlines, the researchers also identified an “underground crypt containing pre-Hispanic Inca ceramics.” And while all of the bodies recovered so far belong to mostly male immigrant Spaniards, according to a Daily Mail report Walde believes the site might contain the “mummies of the last three Inca kings, Pachacutec, Huayna Capac and Tupac Yupanqui.”
Let’s get something clear here. No matter what you read out there, there were no kingdoms or “kings” in Pre-Columbian Peru. The word “king” was a European thing. The sovereign ruler of the Inca Empire was called the Sapa, which in the Quechua language of ancient Peru meant “son of the Sun.”
Héctor Walde told the Associated Press that 16th-century Spanish chroniclers noted that three mummies were sent from Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire, to Viceroy Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza in Lima.
However, Walde indicated caution, saying several archaeological research projects over the last 200 years have failed to locate these three royal mummies. It is pure speculation that the three mummies are at the Lima hospital site. However, there weren’t that many administrative buildings in the area at the time, and the thinking is that these lost three Inca Sapas are hidden somewhere beneath Lima.
“Accidental Fires” Continue To Happen At Food Processing Facilities All Over The United States
We are supposed to believe that what we are witnessing is just one “tragic accident” after another. We aren’t supposed to see any sort of a pattern, and we aren’t supposed to ask any questions. Last month, I wrote an article about 16 mysterious fires that have happened at important food industry facilities in the United States since the start of 2022. Unfortunately, this trend has continued since that time. In fact, there have been more “accidental fires” in recent days, and I believe that the American people deserve some answers.
On Saturday night, a “massive” fire erupted at a commercial egg farm in Minnesota.
We are being told that the structure that burned down contained “tens of thousands of chickens”…
Massive flames burned down a barn with tens of thousands of chickens in Wright County. The fire started late Saturday night at Forsman Farms in Howard Lake, causing major damage.
Like so many of the other mysterious fires that I have reported on, this fire grew to an absolutely enormous size very, very rapidly…
The Trebesch family thought they would spend Saturday night around their bonfire, but just after 10 p.m. they noticed massive flames across the field at Forsman Farms. “It was unbelievable how quick it grew, it was insane,” Andy Trebesch said. “It was the whole sky, it was quite large.”
We are being told that there was no foul play.
Just another senseless accident.
Nothing to see here.
Of course the same explanation is being given for a “dramatic fireball” that burned a grain silo to the ground in Washington state just a few days ago…
A spectacular fire demolished M & E Seed and Grain Co. in Prosser and left one person with burns. A smoldering pile of twisted metal and charred lumber was all that remained Thursday morning after firefighters battled the blaze in downtown Prosser all night. A few firefighters remained at the scene to monitor the fire.
They are assuring us that this sort of thing happens all the time.
So don’t try to apply common sense to any of this, because that will just confuse you.
A few days before that tragedy in Washington state, 43 rail cars that were carrying much needed potash derailed in Alberta…
About 43 westbound Canadian Pacific (CP) Rail cars carrying potash derailed northeast of Fort Macleod, Alta., Sunday morning, RCMP say. At 8:15 a.m., Mounties responded to a train derailment between Range Roads 251 and 252, near Highway 3. Fire crews and CP Rail also came to the scene, according to police.
So what are Canadian authorities telling us about this incident?
You guessed it!
Apparently it was just another “accident”.
People sure are getting careless these days, because “accidents” just keep happening time after time after time.
And all of this is taking place at a moment in history when we are being told that we are about to enter an absolutely horrifying global food crisis.
During recent testimony in front of the UN Security Council, the CEO of Gro Intelligence warned that “the lowest grain inventory levels the world has ever seen” are getting even lower…
Menker said estimates from official government agencies from across the world show that wheat inventories at 33% of annual consumption, but added that models created by Gro Intelligence show that the figure may actually be closer to 20%, a level not seen since 2007 and 2008. “It is important to note that the lowest grain inventory levels the world has ever seen are now occurring while access to fertilizers is highly constrained,” she said. “And drought in wheat growing regions around the world is the most extreme it’s been in over 20 years. Similar inventory concerns also apply to corn and other grains.”
In other words, there isn’t going to be enough food for everyone.
As I noted yesterday, we are being told that one-fifth of the entire population of the globe could soon descend into poverty and hunger…
For months, the specter of a global hunger crisis has been looming. The war in Ukraine is a compounding factor, blocking key value chains for food and fertilizer just as the world reckons with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on global hunger. Add the pervasive effects of climate change to the mix, and the result is what the United Nations is calling a “perfect storm” that risks one-fifth of the global population – as many as 1.7 billion people – falling into poverty and hunger.
I am not the one saying that one-fifth of the global population is heading into poverty and hunger.
It is the United Nations that is saying this.
Of course it is quite true that I have been warning that a “global famine” was coming for a very long time, and now it is here.
David Beasley, the head of the UN World Food Program, says that his organization is already taking food away from the hungry to feed the starving.
So what is he going to do when countless millions are starving all over the planet?
Global trends have been pushing us in this direction for years, but now the events of 2022 have greatly accelerated the development of the “perfect storm” that we are now facing.
We are being told that things will be far worse by the end of 2022 than they are now, and you probably don’t even want to hear about what the outlook for 2023 looks like.
You can try to ignore this growing crisis if you want, but it is not going away.
A nightmare of epic proportions has begun. Unfortunately, this is a nightmare that is not going to end any time soon.
New Orleans, 1976
Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers – Jeff Beck
Classic Jeff Beck. I hope you all enjoy this. Screaming guitar solos. Great stuff this.
An interesting quote
I don’t have Telegram, but someone posted this on his social media. It sounds about right to me.
"There has long been a group of NATO advisers within the staff [Ukrainian] who is planning military operations. Recently, a strong confrontation has started due to the attitude of American generals who consider our (Ukrainian) troops as cannon fodder sent to be slaughtered on the eastern front. Mr. Zaluzhny disagrees on this issue with the political leaders of the country, who support the opinion of the [NATO] advisers”, writes the Ukrainian Telegram channel “Resident”. " As stated earlier the chain Telegram Legitimniy, a group of officers of the US armed forces were deployed in Ukraine. These officers have the power to issue direct orders to units and Ukrainian formations, and to cancel the orders of command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the National Guard. In case of disobedience to American orders, kyiv may be left without financial and military support from Washington." '
California – Early 1980’s
Why denazification?
From HERE
Talking to Ukrainian friends… Each of us today is faced with this terrible and painful necessity. Because our troops are bombarding Kyiv, and this is such a monstrous darkness that none of us could even think of yesterday. And let these be strikes on military targets, but civilians are dying, ours are dying - our common ones! - Soldiers and cadets. And the chaos on the streets of Ukrainian cities, albeit aggravated by the uncontrolled distribution of weapons, would not have begun if Russia had not opened hostilities.
How to talk with Ukrainian friends, when exactly we, Russians, having crushed an abscess in Donbass, flooded vast areas of Ukrainian land from Kharkov to Odessa with pus and blood?
We are not Nazis! our friends and relatives shout to us in despair and horror. We just want to live in our own land! Why did you come to us with your denazification??
Just today, a Ukrainian friend wrote to me that there are no more than 10% of Nazis in Ukraine (yesterday it was 2%, but this is not the essence of it), and this was not a problem of society. Like, the problems started now, when you aggressively attacked Ukraine, plunging it into bloody chaos and terror. Almost everyone says that the last sympathy for the Russians is buried under this ashes, we will never be forgiven, and the Russian troops have achieved unity of Ukraine against a common enemy much more effectively than any Maidan, any Nazis and Western partners.
And all this is true. Most of the inhabitants of today’s Ukraine do not profess Nazi ideology. They are not Nazis, they often hate Nazism. So does denazification mean a lie, a fabricated pretext for invading and seizing territories?
NO.
The problem is that modern Ukraine is a passive element of the Nazi project, conceived and implemented by the new all-powerful Reich - the Western political and financial elite. And Ukrainians are modern Jews, that is, a political, economic, ideological resource and a lever.
Just as the majority of the Jewish population of the Third Reich did not profess the Nazi ideology, but passively participated in its implementation, so today’s Ukraine is a necessary cog in the cynical world order, in which the colonial system acquired precisely Nazi features and methods, albeit in a somewhat softened way.
And when Ukrainian friends tell us: “We are not Nazis! Bandera and other henchmen of Hitler are not our heroes!” – One cannot but agree with this. Yes, they are not your heroes. But they were appointed to you, and you accepted this appointment with criminal carelessness, not understanding what they were molding out of you.
And they are molding – or rather, they have already blinded – from Ukraine, of course, not a new Reich, but a completely structured, working and quite effective concentration camp for its functions, similar to the “open ghetto”, which serves as an important support for maintaining the power of the new Reich. Through long-term manipulations and a series of crises, including the last Maidan, Ukraine has turned into an absolutely manageable and controlled system that only imitates the functions of society and the state.
To clarify my idea, I will turn to the history of Jewish ghettos in the occupied territories during the Great Patriotic War.
Why did the Germans create ghettos and concentration camps? First of all, to control the rather large masses of the population, which suddenly came under German rule during the Drang nach Osten.
The process of creating a ghetto in the overwhelming majority of cases took place in two stages. At the first stage, the Nazis created a place of compact residence of a mono-ethnic minority (Jews) or a multinational people declared mono-ethnic (Ukrainians) in a specially allocated territory. In your case, national segregation was used much more sophisticatedly. Jews were declared pariahs and victims, Ukrainians were declared God’s Chosen .
Being God's Chosen is flattering, no one will refuse this mission, and the entire Ukrainian cultural elite rushed to look for and invent justifications for this new Nazi theory, the purpose of which was only to forever cut the Russian and Ukrainian peoples. I will not enumerate the heaps of lies and nonsense that fell on your heads to strengthen this primitive scam. From “Ukraine is not Russia” to “Kievan Rus is Ukraine”.
What was it for, you ask? It was for delineating the boundaries of an open concentration camp, inside which new rules for controlling the population were established. Brilliant and simple – everyone who felt falsehood and forgery felt the pressure of the rest of society, reveling in their chosenness, and were forced to either leave the country or submit to the general mood. Those who actively tried to resist were eliminated in one way or another, and a rather serious consolidation of society gradually arose around the idea of a “speciality” of the Ukrainian nation, which appropriated all the heroic achievements of the Russian Empire and the USSR, while at the same time portraying itself as a victim of their machinations.
Not noticing the paradoxical nature of such a position, the Ukrainians rushed to match the hypostasis invented for them, pulling out archaic or simply sham attributes into the light of day. Vyshyvankas (shirts with national embroidery), wreaths, “mova” (the Ukrainian language), a virus separate from the despised “Rusnya” (derogatory “Russians”) and other labels of belonging to a chosen race. At the same time, no one really asked the question for what purposes she was chosen – especially since all these ‘dances in little boots’ infinitely touched Western partners, who all these years applauded Ukraine-not-Russia as passionately as they recently applauded the fake president Zelensky in European Parliament.
Why was Ukraine chosen? Of course, for entry into the European family of higher peoples. This entry began immediately after the collapse of the USSR and continues to this day, miraculously making no progress in the process. No, individual parties of Ukrainians managed to almost catch up, if not with the Anglo-Saxons, then with the Poles and Czechs, gain a foothold in the orbit of the European Union and discard the take-off stage of Ukrainianism as an unnecessary vestige. But the rest were inspired by the very promise of equal rights and opportunities with the civilized peoples of Europe and the USA.
The fact that this promise was only a means of manipulation and control occurred to only a few – and these few also had to either leave or die.
The control over the Jews in the concentration camps was carried out much more primitively, but the scheme was worked out even then. Fake self-government bodies were created – the Judenrats, absolutely controlled by the Reich, consisting of loyal Jews, imitating the protection of the rights and freedoms of the ghetto population. To maintain order, the Jewish police were created and armed, supplemented by separate brigades of declassed bastards who did not disdain any methods of intimidation, including torture, rape of children and mass murders for their own pleasure.
This rot, which unfortunately exists in any nation, self-destructs in healthy societies or is re-educated in strict regime colonies. But in the ghetto, as well as in the Reichskommisariat, Ukraine performs the necessary function of keeping the population in complete obedience and fear. Because if you know that at any moment you can come to you with weapons of the down-and-out scum, that they can mock you and your family, they can torture and kill with impunity on the basis that you did not follow certain rules and rituals imposed from the outside – you will not once again raise your voice in defense of a neighbor.
You will think “ugh, it has passed”, and then you will justify someone else’s torment with objective reasons. After all, the neighbor really refused to dance at the vyshyvanka festival or uttered the word “palyanytsia” in the Moscow language. That he should not provoke the new masters of the situation - and the masters of the situation in such a community inevitably turned out to be scum with weapons in their hands.
Who armed them? Those who appointed you, Ukrainians, new heroes and gods, new founding fathers, a new faith and new ideals.
And when the work on redrawing your image was completed – with the loyalty of the absolute majority, although not fully accepted, but not rejecting this absolutely archaic image of a Ukrainian with a forelock, in trousers and with a yellow-blue flag, the same signal and identification as yellow star, it was already possible to do anything with you.
And the new Reich, by and large, wants only one thing: to pump out other people's resources. Absolutely all resources representing at least some value.
After 2014, when the Ukrainian society and its nominal government were completely taken under the control of the United States and NATO and actually cut off from Russia, the pumping went on without any restrictions. As at all stages of the existence of the ghetto – and the Nazis did not hide that this was a temporary formation – the Jews were seized by robbery and indemnities, first cash, then hidden gold, then things and clothes, gold crowns, the last household items. In the same way, while you forced the Russians to learn the preposition “in” (in Russian, the preposition “on” is used with the word Ukraine. The word “Ukraine” means “edge of the country”, therefore “on” the edge of the country, and not “in”) and applaud the “revolution of hydness” invented personally for you (but in fact, bad swagger), national incomes and natural wealth, labor resources and brains were pumped dry from / to Ukraine , technologies and works of art, including priceless antique gold, which is rich in yours – and in fact our common Russian land.
Yes, I share the point of view that the state of Ukraine is a simulacrum assembled from different parts of our common space of Ancient Russia, the direct successor of Constantinople. But the point is not only and not so much in the heterogeneity of parts of Ukraine or in ethnic differences. The rights to certain historical territories can be claimed by any neighbors anywhere in the world, and the peaceful existence of various ethnic groups and nationalities in one country is far from uncommon. Let me remind you that 190 nationalities coexist in Russia, the American in general is all tied together with the world – and Wyoming does not bomb Texas.
This was not the cause of the Ukrainian catastrophe. Namely, that social form of existence, which was not born naturally, but was prudently and ruthlessly organized by the new Reich.
In today’s circumstances, I have no right to talk about the reasons for what happened and blame someone for this – of course, except for the inhuman machine for the destruction of countries and peoples called the United States and NATO, which adopted Nazi methods. But with a pain in my heart, I urge you to wake up! It’s too late, it was late yesterday, but there is still a chance for salvation.
I understand that this is a huge national humiliation - to understand that you were sucked out and thrown away like an empty shell, pumped up with weapons for the last use - a fratricidal war with Russia. Do not try to bleed this pain! Because those who brought your country to this state are now putting a machine gun in your hands and cynically whipping them up with slogans that all of us, originally from the USSR, have sewn into the matrix of consciousness.
This matrix is assembled on the platform of the war of liberation, and it is this leverage that Western manipulators use to make us kill each other. It was as if a mirror was placed between the Russian and the Ukrainian and the same slogans were broadcast – “not an inch of their native land”, “death to the invaders”, “they fought for their homeland”. And I perfectly understand your shock, your pain and resentment from the fact that today Russia has become an enemy and occupier for you.
Our propagandists are making a terrible mistake when they press on the fact that Ukraine deserved its suffering. An even more monstrous mistake is to say that we invaded Ukraine in order to prevent a NATO strike and save ourselves .
NO! UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING!
I think I know why Putin committed this radical act, which many attribute to his madness. And why is he talking about denazification.
Ukraine is a victim of an inhuman experiment of Western intelligence agencies and financial centers. And only the dismantling of the system of its internal structure can save this country and its population. Russia went to war not with the people of Ukraine, not with a gang of local Nazis, and not with an army pumped up and infected with nationalist ideas . This is a war with the world order that made a concentration camp out of Ukraine – with a lured ruling elite and an uncomplaining population.
In some mystical way, this is understood and felt by all people in Russia - with the exception of the cultural and financial elite bred in the West, who were bred just for the same purpose.
Dear, beloved Ukrainian friends, everything that happened to you yesterday should have happened to us tomorrow, because we are just as easy to be trapped in political manipulation, and only a miracle and our huge size did not allow it to happen to Russia as quickly. and successfully, as they did to you.
The dismantling of the Nazi concentration camp, in which you were imperceptibly placed – this is the goal of denazification, and not punishment, or – God forbid – lustration, which the frenzied “patriots” are calling for here. I hope – or rather not, I see that this is the task that the Russian Army has to solve today.
When in 1943-1945 the army of the USSR liberated the cities captured by the Nazis, it also unwittingly brought with it grief, death and destruction. And people who got used to the Germans also suffered from the fact that the liberators were destroying their usual life. Sometimes, when a concentration camp is liberated, not only policemen, but also prisoners die – this is our common tragedy.
But the way your government behaves under these conditions only indicates that these bloody clowns are just a props for the mighty world forces that created the Reich Commissar of Ukraine, so that under sweet speeches about freedom and democracy it would be easier to rob you, rape you, and then destroy, erasing the traces of their crimes.
What to do with it further - I do not know. But if you continue to live in the illusion that you were almost taken to Europe, and bloody Putin prevented your free choice, as the scoundrels who gutted the country suggest to you, we will not be able to help. No army can make people realize their mistakes and change their lives. I can only say one thing - there is oriental wisdom, which personally helped me many times in my life.
No matter how far you go down the wrong path, come back. The road will be long and difficult, but sooner or later you will reach your goal. If you don’t come back, you’re going nowhere.
And the last.
While the Nazis of the Third Reich were herding Jews into ghettos and appointing fake “institutions of democracy” for them, a few residents of the occupied territories (including Jews) went into the forests and began to partisan. They blew up trains and killed Nazi chiefs. Many hated them – because after each such attack, the Nazis burned villages as punishment, hanged civilians. In the same way and for the same reason, you began to hate the LNR and the DNR, which did not submit to the concentration camp. It seemed to you – and it still seems to many now – that all your problems are because of the partisans, and if they had sat quietly, then everything would have worked out. And you can live under the Nazis. Or maybe, if it were not for the partisans, you would have been taken to Europe – as the Jews from Bremen, Hamburg and Cologne were promised that they could return and live in Germany, if only they would serve the masters of the Aryan race well. They were promised this in the Minsk ghetto in 1941. In December 1943, the Minsk ghetto with its entire population was already destroyed – the Germans so brilliantly simply solved the “Jewish question”.
What to do with the “Ukrainian issue” is up to you and me to decide. Therefore, the Western hosts have already seen you off with applause. To their pleasant surprise, you dug your own hole almost resignedly and are already standing on its edge. Fireworks for these funerals are still being delivered. And “Putin’s invasion”, which they so condemn in words, in fact suits them perfectly. Because they do NOTHING to save you except talking and pumping weapons. You are not even allowed to sign a surrender – they want to push you into the pit so that you drag us along with you.
Yes, they applaud your death. But pay attention – with what horror they exchange glances at the same time. Because the smartest ones understand that if they cannot devour Russia, tomorrow they will have to eat each other.
Personally, I really, really look forward to seeing it.
Author Olga Pogodina-Kuzmina
New Orleans, 1981
Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll-Ups
A clever technique and a few lightened-up touches let you indulge in all the flavor of Chicken Cordon Bleu, without all the fuss or the fat. It all starts with skipping the stuffed chicken breasts. Instead, pound your chicken breasts flat and layer with Swiss cheese, ham and spinach (for an extra boost of veggies). Then, roll them up, so the flavors can melt together. Coating the outside of your chicken roll-ups with a toasty, herby panko crust and baking them, instead of frying, keeps calories down without sacrificing crispy texture. So, you end up with crunchy-on-the-outside and melty-on-the-inside chicken roll-ups packed with classic flavor and fewer than 400 calories per serving!
Ingredients
Topping
- 1/3 cup Progresso™ plain panko crispy bread crumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Chicken Rolls
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (8 oz each)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup baby spinach
- 4 slices (0.75 oz each) Swiss cheese
- 4 slices (0.5 oz each) deli ham
- 1 egg white, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
The Worst Energy Crisis In U.S. History Is Going To Get Even Worse In The Months Ahead
Are you ready for what is coming next? Are you ready to pay six dollars for a gallon of gasoline? Are you ready to pay much higher prices for everything at our major stores as the price of diesel goes haywire? Are you ready for widespread blackouts all over the U.S. this summer? Unfortunately, we are being warned that all of these things are coming. The worst energy crisis in U.S. history is poised to get even worse in the months ahead, and there is no “silver bullet” on the horizon which is going to magically solve our problems. The refineries that we need are not being built and the drilling that needs to be done is not really happening. Of course energy supplies are getting tighter and tighter all over the globe, and things will go to an entirely new level once the next major war starts.
Needless to say, things are bad enough already. On Sunday, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States set a brand new all-time record high of $4.61 a gallon…
Gas prices in the US soared to record heights again Sunday, reaching an all-time high of $4.61 per gallon. The number is more than 50 percent higher than the cost of a gallon a year ago. It comes as gas prices have continued to climb during Joe Biden’s presidency, and as millions of Americans are poised to travel by road for Memorial Day weekend.
A 50 percent increase in just one year.
Just think about that.
To my knowledge, we have never seen anything like this before.
If you can believe it, the average price of a gallon of gasoline has jumped 25 cents over the past six weeks.
That is crazy, but we are being warned to expect significantly higher prices “by the end of the summer”…
Experts say that number will likely surpass the $6 mark by the end of the summer – as pump costs in West Coast cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco already meeting that mark earlier this month.
I still remember when I could get 20 gallons of gas for 20 dollars.
Soon, 20 gallons of gas will cost all of us 120 dollars.
Who can afford that?
The price of diesel has been increasing at an even faster pace.
In fact, it has risen a staggering 75 percent since last Memorial Day…
Diesel prices are up as well – by a whopping 75 percent from Memorial Day last year – at around $5.50 a gallon, also an all-time record. The rising cost of the fuel – commonly used by truckers for their rigs – has further hampered America’s embattled economy, driving up prices of good being transported cross-country by truckers, who are now electing for shorter routes due to the ‘unprecedented’ increase. ‘I can pretty much count on setting on fire $5-$700 a day…minimum,’ 22-wheel driver Eric Jammer told NPR Saturday of the rise in diesel costs seen over the past 12 months.
The trucks and trains that bring our goods to the stores run on diesel.
Diesel is only going to get more expensive from here, and America’s companies are going to pass those costs along to the consumers.
Yes, that will be quite painful.
Thanks to the soaring cost of fuel, airline fares are also shooting up dramatically…
Domestic airline fares for summer are averaging more than $400 for a round trip, 24 percent percent higher than this time in 2019, before the pandemic, and a full 45 percent higher than a year ago, according to travel-data firm Hopper.
One survey that was conducted just a few days ago found that approximately a third of all Americans say that their travel plans for Memorial Day were affected by high energy prices.
Joe Biden promised to do all that he could to drive down gasoline prices, and in order to try to keep that promise he foolishly took enormous amounts of fuel out of our strategic reserve.
Obviously that didn’t work, and now we are being told that Biden is running out of options…
President Joe Biden has vowed to do everything in his power to fight record-setting gasoline and diesel prices, but he’s up against a stark reality: There are few options for taming the surge. While Biden has unleashed an unprecedented amount of oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve, other tools at the administration’s disposal would come at the expense of environmental protection and have little effect on fuel costs stoked by strained crude supplies and a global shortage of refining capacity. And the one sure-fire fix — for Americans to stop driving so much — is largely outside his control.
In case you haven’t figured it out by now, Joe Biden is not going to save us from this crisis.
In the short-term, nobody is going to save us from this crisis.
We need more refineries, we need more drilling, and ultimately we are going to need some major technological breakthroughs because the way that we are currently doing things is not even close to sustainable.
On top of everything else, our rapidly aging power grids were never designed to handle so much demand. According to CBS News, we could potentially be facing widespread outages during the summer of 2022…
In its annual summer assessment released this week, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation noted that the Upper Midwest is facing a capacity shortfall leading to a “high risk of energy emergencies.” The entire Western U.S. also could face a power outage emergency in the event of spikes in energy use. “We’ve been doing this for close to 30 years. This is probably one of the grimmest pictures we’ve painted in a while,” John Moura, NERC’s director of reliability assessment and performance analysis, told CBS MoneyWatch.
What will you do if the power in your area goes out for an extended period of time?
We all know that California has been experiencing problems for years, but in 2022 we are being told that the middle of the nation is actually at greatest risk…
In a large swath of the grid stretching from Illinois to Minnesota, the summer’s power demands are projected to exceed the grid’s capacity. That’s because this area of the grid — known as the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO — has lost about 2% of its generation capacity since last year as plants have retired; a key transmission line is also down for maintenance.
Perhaps you think that my headline is a little too dramatic.
Perhaps you do not yet believe that we are facing the worst energy crisis in U.S. history.
If that is the case, give it a few months.
By the end of the summer, I think that everyone will understand that we truly have entered a nightmare with no end in sight.
More pictures from the past…
2022.05.30 The Crazy Policies Are Going To Get (A Lot) Worse
Good video from Gonzalo Lira.
Portland, Oregon, 1973
Harpoon Missiles Arrive in Ukraine
The Odessa, Ukraine Regional Military Authority said Sunday “So many Harpoon missiles have been handed over to us, we can sink the entire Russian Black Sea Fleet.”
The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space & Security). The AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM) and later AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER (Standoff Land Attack Missile – Expanded Response) are cruise missile variants.
The regular Harpoon uses active radar homing and flies just above the water to evade defenses. The missile can be launched from:
- Fixed-wing aircraft (the AGM-84, without the solid-fuel rocket booster)
- Surface ships (the RGM-84, fitted with a solid-fuel rocket booster that detaches when expended, to allow the missile’s main turbojet to maintain flight)
- Submarines (the UGM-84, fitted with a solid-fuel rocket booster and encapsulated in a container to enable submerged launch through a torpedo tube);
- Coastal defense batteries, from which it would be fired with a solid-fuel rocket booster.
It has not (yet) been revealed which type of Harpoon missiles have been sent to Ukraine and there is GIGANTIC RISK for NATO countries depending upon the type of Harpoon sent. You see, at least one of the Harpoon variants has the ability to use net-enabled networking for in-flight target updating.
That updating would have to come from a NATO ship or aircraft as the missiles flew, once launched by Ukraine.
If a NATO ship or aircraft provided in-flight target updating, that would constitute active participation in the war, and would be an “act of war” against Russia.
Here are the various types of Harpoon Missile:
Harpoon Block 1D
This version featured a larger fuel tank and re-attack capability, but was not produced in large numbers because its intended mission (warfare with the Warsaw Pact countries of Eastern Europe) was considered to be unlikely following the Dissolution of the Soviet Union. Range is 278 kilometers (173 mi). Block 1D missiles were designated RGM/AGM-84F.
SLAM ATA (Block 1G)
This version, under development, gives the SLAM a re-attack capability, as well as an image comparison capability similar to the Tomahawk cruise missile; that is, the weapon can compare the target scene in front of it with an image stored in its onboard computer during terminal phase target acquisition and lock on (this is known as DSMAC). Block 1G missiles AGM/RGM/UGM-84G; the original SLAM-ER missiles were designated AGM-84H (2000-2002) and later ones the AGM-84K (2002 onwards).
Harpoon Block 1J
Block 1J was a proposal for a further upgrade, AGM/RGM/UGM-84J Harpoon (or Harpoon 2000), for use against both ship and land targets.
Harpoon Block II
In production at Boeing facilities in Saint Charles, Missouri, is the Harpoon Block II, intended to offer an expanded engagement envelope, enhanced resistance to electronic countermeasures and improved targeting. Specifically, the Harpoon was initially designed as an open-ocean weapon. The Block II missiles continue progress begun with Block IE, and the Block II missile provides the Harpoon with a littoral-water anti-ship capability. The key improvements of the Harpoon Block II are obtained by incorporating the inertial measurement unit from the Joint Direct Attack Munition program, and the software, computer, Global Positioning System (GPS)/inertial navigation system and GPS antenna/receiver from the SLAM Expanded Response (SLAM-ER), an upgrade to the SLAM. The US Navy awarded a $120 million contract to Boeing in July 2011 for the production of about 60 Block II Harpoon missiles, including missiles for 6 foreign militaries. India acquired 24 Harpoon Block II missiles to arm its maritime strike Jaguar fighters in a deal worth $170 million through the Foreign Military Sales system. In December 2010, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified U.S. Congress of a possible sale of 21 additional AGM-84L Harpoon Block II Missiles and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for a complete package worth approximately $200 million; the Indian government intends to use these missiles on its Indian Navy P-8I Neptune maritime patrol aircraft. The Indian Navy is also planning to upgrade the fleet of four submarines – Shishumar class – with tube-launched Harpoon missiles. Harpoon Block II missiles are designated AGM/RGM/UGM-84L. In early 2018, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of Harpoon Block II to the Mexican Navy for use on their future Sigma-class design frigates, the first of which is being built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding.
Harpoon Block II+
On 18 November 2015, the U.S. Navy tested the AGM-84N Harpoon Block II+ missile against a moving ship target. The Block II+ incorporates an improved GPS guidance kit and a net-enabled data-link that allows the missile to receive in-flight targeting updates. The Block II+ is planned to enter service in 2017. The USN intends to deploy the Harpoon Block II+ in late FY2018[24] by upgrading its existing inventory of Harpoon IC missiles.
Harpoon Block III
Harpoon Block III was intended to be an upgrade package to the existing USN Block 1C missiles and Command Launch Systems (CLS) for guided missile cruisers, guided missile destroyers, and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter aircraft. After experiencing an increase in the scope of required government ship integration, test and evaluation, and a delay in development of a data-link, the Harpoon Block III program was canceled by the U.S. Navy in April 2009.[citation needed]
Harpoon Block II+ ER
In April 2015, Boeing unveiled a modified version of the RGM-84 it called the Harpoon Next Generation. It increases the ship-launched Harpoon missile's range from the Block II's 70 nmi (81 mi; 130 km) to 167.5 nmi (192.8 mi; 310.2 km), along with a new lighter 300 lb (140 kg) warhead and a more fuel-efficient engine with electronic fuel controls. Boeing offered the missile as the U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship frigate upgrade over-the-horizon anti-ship missile as a cost-effective missile upgrade option; complete Next Gen Harpoons would cost approximately as much as a Block II at $1.2 million each, with upgrades for an existing missile costing half that. The version is also called the Harpoon Block II+ ER. Boeing claims the Block II+ ER is superior to the Naval Strike Missile through its improved turbojet giving it greater range and active radar-homing seeker for all-weather operation, as well as a lighter but "more lethal" warhead. Test shots in 2017 had been confirmed. In May 2017, Boeing revealed it was no longer offering the upgraded Harpoon for the frigate OTH missile requirement, but would continue development of it. Radio frequencies used for the net-enabled, in-flight target updating for the Harpoon missile, ARE KNOWN to the Russians. They can monitor those frequencies for in-flight target updates, and they WILL know if a NATO plane or ship participated in a missile strike upon a Russian Naval vessel.
Chicken Parmesan Skillet Casserole
This hearty skillet dinner is an easy, deconstructed version of chicken Parmesan that makes the classic achievable, even on the most rushed weeknight. Still cheesy, still crunchy, still saucy—just easier to assemble and made right on the stovetop!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup Progresso™ Panko Italian style crispy bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 package (16 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch pieces, patted dry
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 cups Muir Glen™ organic tomato basil pasta sauce (from 24.5-oz jar)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz)
- 2 tablespoons thinly shredded fresh basil leaves
The Prisoner 2.0 – ep14: FALL OUT [Series Finale, Part 2] (SirQ Audiovisual Restoration)
This is supposed to be the final episode of “The Prisoner”. Numerically, it should be episode 17, but this refers to an episode 14. So I am a tad confused.
This is the end of the series. I hope that you like it.
(SirQ Audiovisual Restoration)”]Do you want more?
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New Beginnings 4.
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Expend or give away an obsolete weapon system, the sub sonic 35 year old Harpoon and replace with new hyper systems. The US is attempting re armament and upgrading through Congress funding and the backing the of Ukraine. Expend ordnance and boost the economy. They have been doing this for 40 years.
This has nothing to do with this post but it was too damned cute.