Raising Cruelty

From the BBC:

"Animal cruelty sentences to rise to five years in prison"

 People in England who commit the most serious crimes of animal cruelty could face up to five years in prison, the government has said. The move - an increase on the current six-month maximum sentence - follows a number of cases where English courts wanted to hand down tougher sentences.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said it would target "those who commit the most shocking cruelty towards animals". The RSPCA said it would "deter people from abusing and neglecting animals".  Under the government's plans, courts will retain the ability to hand out an unlimited fine and ban an offender from owning animals in the future.  However, they would now also have the ability to sentence the worst cases more harshly. The new legislation will also enable courts to deal more effectively with ruthless gangs involved in organised dog fights, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said. The plans will only apply in England, as animal cruelty powers are devolved to the nations of the UK.   The maximum sentence for offenders in Wales is six months in prison, while the maximum sentence in Scotland is 12 months.  The Scottish government said it had recently committed to increasing the maximum penalty for the most serious animal cruelty cases to five years' imprisonment. The move in England will bring maximum sentences for animal cruelty in England into line with Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic, Australia, and Canada. It comes as judges and magistrates in some English courts have complained they wanted to hand down tougher sentences to those guilty of abusing animals. "These plans will give courts the tools they have requested to deal with the most abhorrent acts," Mr Gove said. "We are a nation of animal lovers and so we must ensure that those who commit the most shocking cruelty towards animals face suitably tough punishments." David Bowles, head of public affairs at the RSPCA, welcomed the move.  He said: "The strength of feeling behind a move to toughen up these sentences is huge. "At the moment the courts are limited by the law under which the strongest sentence for animal cruelty is six months' imprisonment and an unlimited fine - but this rarely happens." The Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) said about 1,150 people per year are convicted for animal cruelty - but fewer than five receive the current maximum sentence. Claire Horton, chief executive of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, added the change will be "very positively received by the public". Philippa King, from the League Against Cruel Sports, said it was "excellent news" that the government had "listened to the people who are dealing with this on the front line". "There are people in this country who find it either enjoyable or profitable to force dogs to attack each other, and the law at the moment is a pitiful deterrent," she said. "If these proposals lead to five-year jail sentences for those involved in dog fighting, this will be a massive step forward." The government is expected to publish draft legislation for consultation at the end of the year.

^ This is such a great move. I would love to see the US and other countries follow-suit to protect animals. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-41451893

Cuba Warning

From USA Today:

"U.S. warns Americans against visiting Cuba, cuts embassy staff"

The U.S. State Department, responding to a series of mysterious "attacks" on diplomats in Havana, warned Americans on Friday against travel to Cuba and ordered more than half of its diplomatic personnel to leave the island. The warning comes as the Trump White House was already moving to reverse the Obama administration's easing of travel restrictions two years ago as part of an effort to improve relations between the longtime enemies. In 2015, Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro restored diplomatic ties. Embassies re-opened, and travel and commerce restrictions eased. President Trump has reversed some changes, but broadly left the rapprochement in place. The latest decision will deliver a heavy blow to the Cuban economy, which increasingly depends on tourism.   The State Department, in issuing the formal travel warning, said on its website that the U.S. has been unable to identify the source of the attacks on diplomats and believes that "U.S. citizens may also be at risk. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement that while there are no reports that private U.S. citizens have been affected "the attacks are known to have occurred in U.S. diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by U.S. citizens." He said the decision to pull out non-emergency diplomatic personnel and their families was done to ensure their safety. "We maintain diplomatic relations with Cuba, and our work in Cuba continues to be guided by the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States," Tillerson said. "Cuba has told us it will continue to investigate these attacks and we will continue to cooperate with them in this effort."  The U.S. is expected to pull out roughly 60% of the embassy's U.S. staff and halt the processing visas in Cuba indefinitely. Cubans seeking visas to enter the U.S. may be able to apply through embassies in nearby countries. The U.S. will also stop sending official delegations to Cuba, though diplomatic discussions will continue in Washington. The decision by the State Department follows a series of unexplained reports, beginning almost a year ago, of health problems for some 21 diplomats and their families. Significant injuries have included ear complaints, hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus, balance problems, visual complaints, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues and difficulty sleeping, the State Department said.  After a lengthy lull, the U.S. noted renewed attacks in August, senior State Department officials said in a background call with reporters ahead of the official announcement. One official said the means and methods of the attacks remain unknown and therefore could not be characterized as "having stopped in August."

The FBI and other agencies that searched homes and hotels where incidents occurred found no devices. And clues about the circumstances of the incidents seem to make any explanation scientifically implausible. Some U.S. diplomats reported hearing various loud noises or feeling vibrations when the incidents occurred, but others heard and felt nothing yet reported symptoms later. In some cases, the effects were narrowly confined, with victims able to walk “in” and “out” of blaring noises audible in only certain rooms or parts of rooms, the Associated Press reported. Diplomats from Canada, which has warm relations with Cuba, have suffered similar health problems.

^ It does seem strange that this is happening to Americans (and Canadians) in Cuba. I had no plans to ever go to Cuba, but definitely wouldn't go now. ^

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/09/29/u-s-warns-americans-against-visiting-cuba-cuts-embassy-staff/716121001/

Separate Europe

From the DW:

"Beyond Catalonia: Separatist movements in Western Europe"

Catalonia's regional government plans to hold its independence referendum on Sunday. But separatist movements are not unique to Spain: There are several other European regions that have aspirations to become autonomous. The fall of the Soviet Union and break up of Yugoslavia created several new countries in Eastern Europe. Borders in Western Europe, by contrast, have remained firm. Yet, this foundation is being challenged by a series of independence movements, some of which are militant. They have varying chances of success.

Catalonia

Nowhere in Western Europe is the call for independence louder than in Catalonia. The regional language was oppressed in the Franco years, but Catalonia has since achieved a considerable amount of cultural and political autonomy, including its own regional parliament. That is not enough for many of Catalonia's 7.5 million residents. They want their own country, largely for economic reasons. They believe that the central state is sucking their wealth dry. The region that includes Barcelona accounts for 20 percent of Spain's GDP. On Sunday, the regional government wants to have a referendum. Spain's conservative government led by Mariano Rajoy is firmly against it, calling it unconstitutional. The central government in Madrid is trying to block the referendum through the courts and by using police force.

Basque Country

Catalonia looks to its Spanish neighbors in Basque Country. It is the only region in Spain that does not send its tax revenue to Madrid to be shared across the country. Basque Country is responsible for its own taxation, sending just a small amount to the central government. However, it is a poorer region than Catalonia. Like Catalonia, Basque Country was also oppressed by the Franco dictatorship. Its history has created a more militant push for independence, giving rise to ETA separatist group, which killed more than 800 people in 50 years of attacks. In 2011, the organization declared an end to violence. Neither attacks nor talks have brought Basque Country closer to independence: Madrid rejects the idea as it does for Catalonia.

Scotland

Scotland has been part of the United Kingdom for more than 300 years, and many Scots have been less than happy about that. They already have their own parliament, and the Scottish National Party (SNP) has been pushing for full independence. The referendum in 2014 failed to achieve that, however, but independence sentiments were again stoked by the Brexit result in 2016. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (SNP) reasoned that her country, which voted largely to remain in the EU, should not be forced to automatically leave the EU along with the rest of the UK. She is floating the possibility of another referendum for 2018, when the details of Brexit are clearer. But opinion polls show the result would likely be the same as in 2014.

Flanders

The pro-independence leader of the New Flemish Alliance, Bart De Wever, leads Belgium's current Chamber of Representatives. Wever is convinced Belgium will one day break up and his Flemish-speaking Flanders region would be economically better off without the country's other region, majority French-speaking Wallonia. If that were to happen, there would be little of Belgium left: It would lose more than half of its people and economy, calling into question Brussels' status as EU capital and NATO headquarters, as well as the future of Wallonia. The leftover Belgian region could then be absorbed by France, Luxembourg or even Germany. At the moment, however, there are no immediate plans for a Belgian break up.

Padania

The secession movement in northern Italy is purely financially motivated. The region is Italy's industrial powerhouse and banking center, producing most of Italy's GDP. Many in the north feel their poorer compatriots to the south make off with their hard-earned money. The Lega Nord party in the 1990s wanted a complete split from the rest of the Italy, calling their region "Padania,” referring to the Po river valley. Since then, the focus has shifted away from a clean break and towards more control over finances.

South Tyrol

Even further north in Italy is the region that belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the end of the First World War. There followed a period where South Tyrol was Italianized under Mussolini, before gradually gaining more political and linguistic autonomy after the Second World War. Now the prosperous region is allowed to keep and control most of its revenue. South Tyroleans were largely satisfied with this arrangement, but separatist sentiments were stirred up by the debt crisis. After Greece, Italy has the highest amount of debt in the Eurozone. Many in South Tyrol didn't want to have anything to do with the problems of Italy's central government in Rome.

Corsica

France has long tried to deny the island of its local language and fought strongly against independence movements. The National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC) tried to pressure France by force, attacking representatives and French state symbols. The separatist group announced an end to hostilities in 2014, but the potential for conflict remains. French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin made some cautious proposals in the 2000s to allow for some autonomy. This was strictly opposed by the opposition. They feared other regions would then want to break away, too. The central government in Paris tends to pay little regard to regional languages, which are viewed as a danger to national unity.

^ This is just in Europe. Nearly every major country (including Russia, the US, Canada, etc.) have regions or groups of people that want their independence. Some, like Quebec, have been shown why it will be better to stay within their current country and allowed to hold independence votes that have failed because the Federal Government used democracy to keep them. ^

http://www.dw.com/en/beyond-catalonia-separatist-movements-in-western-europe/a-40761144

Kneeling Concussions

"When you see the NFL or any professional sports player kneeling just remember that many have been hit in the head so many times and are so concussed they have probably forgotten the real reason they don’t like the police: could it be the number of DUIs, drug charges, domestic violence abuse, animal cruelty, assaults and murders they have had? Or maybe they forget they are millionaire playboys who have no respect.  Either way: it’s fun to see those praising them now when those same people were 'Occupying' against these millionaires not too long ago.”

^ Well said.^ 

130,000 By 2020

From Disability Scoop:

"Nonprofit Wants To Create 130K Jobs For People With Disabilities"

 A  new effort with the backing of some major names in the advertising industry is launching with an ambitious goal: create 130,000 jobs for people with developmental disabilities by 2020. Leaders of several New York advertising agencies are coming together to form the nonprofit Creative Spirit, which will work to grow employment opportunities for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities at advertising, media, marketing and technology firms across the country. The group is looking to make a dent in what they say is an estimated 8 million Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities who lack integrated employment.  “This is a global crisis, and likely the most profound human rights employment issue of our time, yet it goes unsolved,” said Laurel Rossi, co-founder and CEO of Creative Spirit and chief marketing officer at the marketing agency Rauxa. “We believe that if the private sector comes together with its collective voice — and with the use of technology — that we can solve this problem at scale.” Creative Spirit is launching this week with a series of activities at Advertising Week in New York where an initial campaign to promote the nonprofit was unveiled. Plans include a $200,000 media push to create awareness of the need for integrated employment at fair wages for people with developmental disabilities. The idea for Creative Spirit originated in Australia in 2009. Earlier this year, two people with developmental disabilities were hired at Rauxa’s New York and Costa Mesa, Calif. offices as a pilot program in this country. Already, those behind Creative Spirit say they have more than 50 employers including A&E Networks and the advertising agencies Fallon, Joan Creative and Deutsch who are looking to offer positions. The nonprofit said it will provide employment specialists and other supports to help participating companies effectively incorporate new hires with autism, Down syndrome and other disabilities. Those with developmental disabilities who are interested in finding a job can sign up on the group’s website to learn about available opportunities. “There are few times when you can truly impact the industry status quo. We have that opportunity — right here, right now — with the launch of Creative Spirit, and we are really proud to bring the cause to life in North America,” said Andy Bird, chief creative officer at the advertising agency Publicis New York.

^ I am always impressed when people stop simply talking about doing something and actually start doing something. This program is doing a lot and seems to have the support of a wide array of businesses, groups, etc. I really hope they make their goal (or better yet - exceed their goal) and that more and more people, groups and businesses will follow their lead. ^

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2017/09/27/nonprofit-create-130k-jobs/24226/

Lucca

Who Needs the NFL?

Here is Lucca.

In 2012, Lucca, a bomb-sniffing U.S. Marine Corps dog, lost her front leg in a roadside IED blast while on duty in Afghanistan. The hero canine had already served in the military for over six years, successfully completing more than 400 missions and protecting the lives of thousands of allied troops in areas of conflict in the Middle East. There reportedly wasn’t a single human casualty during any of her patrols.

For her bravery she was awarded the Dickin Award.

So you can praise millionaires who play with a ball and cry about injustice (it must be hard spending all that money) or soldiers like Lucca who literally risk life and limb for everyone.

Russian Barking

From the MT:
"Russian Officials Ban Dogs Barking at Night"

Dogs and cats are banned from barking and meowing late at night in the Siberian region of Novosibirsk, the Interfax-Sibir news agency reported Thursday. The region is currently under an ordinance banning noise in apartment buildings. Violations carry a 3,000-ruble ($51.4) fine for individuals and 5,000 rubles for officials. The Novosibirsk legislative assembly voted 54-3 in favor of amending the noise-observance law to include dog and cat owners, Interfax-Sibir reported on Thursday. Novosibirsk region's new legislation requires pet owners to suppress barking, howling and meowing, actions that constitute a public nuisance. “Oinking, crowing and quacking are allowed,” the amendment’s author Yevgeny Smyshlyayev was quoted by Interfax-Sibir as saying.

^ This is so ridiculous. ^

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/noise-russian-officials-ban-dogs-barking-at-night-59102

Yom Kippur

Kyiv Remembers

From UNIAN:

"President Poroshenko, First Lady honor memory of Babyn Yar victims"

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and his wife Maryna Poroshenko took part in the ceremony of honoring the memory of the Babyn Yar victims. The president and his wife laid flowers to the memorial plate and commemorated the deceased. They also put a wreath with a ribbon painted in the national colors to the monument to the citizens and war prisoners executed by Nazis in the Babyn Yar. The ceremony was also attended by Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, members of Government, First Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Gerashchenko, people’s deputies of Ukraine, members of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, and public figures. The participants honored with a moment of silence the memory of the victims of Nazi atrocities.

Addressing the Ukrainian nation, Poroshenko said: "Dear compatriots! Today, as every year on this day, we honor the memory of the Babyn Yar tragedy – the mass killing of civilians by Nazi occupiers in the city of Kyiv. We remember in our prayers the innocent victims, whose names – known and unknown – are forever etched on the bloody pages of history of World War II and the Holocaust. The Babyn Yar ravine became a place of eternal peace for more than 100,000 representatives of different nationalities – Jews, Ukrainians, Gypsies, and many others -- and consequently it became a place of our common memory, an impulse to preserve peace and interethnic harmony worldwide. Today, all of Ukraine – from the border that connects us with a democratic Europe to the border that separates us from the aggressor state – is a territory of tolerance, respect for the life and dignity of every person, as well as free development of representatives of various ethnic groups and religions. Having learned the bitter lessons of the past, Ukraine and the entire civilized world are united in their desire to protect humanity from the arbitrariness of totalitarian regimes and to guarantee the right of peoples to a safe life in dignity. Eternal memory to those innocently killed in Babyn Yar, all victims of Nazism. We remember, and we will prevent. Never again! Petro POROSHENKO."

UNIAN memo. On September 29-30, 1941, the Nazis executed nearly 34,000 Jews at the Babyn Yar in Kyiv, occupied by the Third Reich. In 1946, the Nuremberg trial provided estimates of about 100,000 people killed at the Babyn Yar. In 1941-1943, 621 members of the OUN [Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists] were shot at the Babyn Yar, including Ukrainian poetess Olena Teliha with her husband.

^ It's important for officials and ordinary people to remember the crimes committed in your country(even when they were done by foreigners.) ^

https://www.unian.info/society/2162486-president-poroshenko-first-lady-honor-memory-of-babyn-yar-victims.html

Babi Yar

^  On September 29th-30th, 1941 the Germans murdered 33,771 Jewish men, women and children at Babi Yar (Бабин Яр) in Kyiv, the Ukraine. Only 29 people survived the massacre (most by being shot and playing dead while being covered by other bodies and dirt.) I took this picture when I went with my family to Kyiv. It is a memorial to the children murdered and is in the exact location of the killings. ^

Belfast Threats

From the BBC:

"Belfast Catholic families flee 'sectarian threats'"

Four Catholic families in Belfast have left their homes having received sectarian threats, a housing authority has said.They live in Cantrell Close, a shared housing area off the Ravenhill Road.Sinn Féin said the threats came from the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a loyalist paramilitary group.One of those who fled said police had visited his home on Tuesday night, telling the family they were under threat and would have to leave. "I've just got my family out of there, we're moving into temporary accommodation at a friend's house," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme."We're not going to be able to go back to get clothes or anything and we went to the Housing Executive to try and get us rehoused." The man said he hoped he, his pregnant partner and their family would find a new home before Christmas because they are expecting another child in January.He added that he had been left "stunned" by the threat, believing that his family were targeted because they are Catholics."We've been living there for just over a year and never had a problem - talked away to the neighbours, everyone was really nice - then this just came out of nowhere," he said. Ch Supt Chris Noble said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) would not speculate on who was behind the threats.But he added: "Whoever it is clearly has no regard whatsoever for what the people of east Belfast want in terms a community that can work effectively together and without division."We want to work with the residents in that area to make sure this doesn't happen again."Ch Supt Noble denied that police had asked the families to leave their homes, adding that the job of the police was to "keep them safe". The Housing Executive said: "A number of families in the south Belfast area have presented to us as homeless today claiming sectarian intimidation."Cantrell Close is a housing development which is part of the Together Building United Communities programme.The strategy, which was launched by the Northern Ireland Executive in 2013, is aimed at "improving community relations and building a united and shared society".There was controversy in June when union flags and and UVF flags were put up in the area.Sinn Féin's Máirtín Ó Muilleoir said: "What family wants to get the PSNI arriving late at night, saying: 'Urgently, move from your home'? "The chief constable needs to get tough with the east Belfast UVF - they operate with absolute impunity in that area and they're allowed to get away with this."[The police] need to stand up to sectarianism." However, the East Belfast Community Initiative, which purportedly "mediates on behalf of ex-combatants linked to east Belfast UVF", said there was no proof that any threat was issued by the UVF."Sinn Féin, within their own comments, made clear that the PSNI did not identify the UVF when delivering these supposed threats," said the group."It is Sinn Féin that identified the UVF, and others have jumped on this bandwagon in order to push their anti-unionist cultural war."Alliance Party MLA Paula Bradshaw said "paramilitary thugs" were "trying to stamp their control over an area".Democratic Unionist Party representatives described the threats as "absolutely disgraceful"."This area has traditionally been welcoming to all and those responsible do not represent the area," said Emma Little Pengelly and Christopher Stalford.

^ This may seem like a random occurance and not that big of a deal to anyone besides the families directly affected, but this is exactly how The Troubles started in 1968. For several years before that Protestant thugs and para-military groups threatened Catholic families and even started a campaign of burning them out of their houses. When those families then went to their Housing Executive for a new place to live they found corruption and discrimination. An example is: a Catholic family with several kids were denied a house because it was given to a single Protestant woman with no children. The Catholic Civil Rights Movement in Northern Ireland was then formed and was non-violent until the British Military started massacring innocent men, women and children in the early 1970s (which the British Government has since admitted.) Even though people around the world like to think that complete peace was brought to Northern Ireland by the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 all you have to do is see all the stories like this one or go to Northern Ireland and see it in person - like I did. Hopefully, the PSNI, the Housing Executive and the British Government take these kinds of threats and violence more seriously than they did in the 1960s (well the PSNI wasn't around back then the RUC was and was disbanded because of it's discriminatory practices to Catholics over the decades.) The threat to any side by any para-military group needs to be addressed and stopped. No one wants a return to the 30 years of death and violence that Northern Ireland, the UK, the Republic of Ireland and Western Europe suffered through. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-41424906

Hobo Pride

"When I was in high school I was told I could only be a Hobo. I like to think I accomplished that goal." I got a nasty message over this quote (which I posted on Facebook with the following response:)

Apparently, the correct PC term isn't Hobo, but "Transient-American." Look, I am not anti-Hobo. In fact some of my best friends are Hobos. Hobos are people too. I believe in Hobo equal rights. I think Hobos should be allowed to marry. I don't believe that Hobos should make less money than everyone else simply because they are Hobos. I celebrate all the Hobo holidays. I wear the Hobo colors for Hobo Awareness Day. I remember everything I learned from AFN about Hobo Appreciation Month. I have even participated in a Hobo Pride Parade. The best thing about all of this is how often I used the word "Hobo" and know that that PC obsessed-freak won't like it. #Hobo

 

Crimean Fence

From UNIAN:
"Russia plans to build 50-km fence on Crimea’s "border" with mainland Ukraine"

The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation has announced an auction on building a two-meter high fence in the Krasnoperekopsky district of the Crimean peninsula bordering mainland Ukraine, TASS reports. The plan aims at “ensuring the republic’s security,” TASS wrote. The construction will cost more than RUB 200 million ($3.4 million) while the works are expected to be completed as early as this year, according to the website detailing the government procurement."Now the effort on engineering equipment of the Russian-Ukrainian part of the border is being carried out as scheduled and the construction of 50-km engineering installations in Crimea’s north is its another stage," the FSB said. The fence should be resistant to difficult climate conditions (including humidity up to 98% and temperature up to 65 degrees Celsius). The winner will be announced in mid-October.

^ This seems more of a way to keep Crimeans from leaving Russian-annexed Crimea rather than keeping the Crimea "safe." It is basically a Berlin War (although it is a fence.) ^

https://www.unian.info/society/2158161-russia-plans-to-build-50-km-fence-on-crimeas-border-with-mainland-ukraine.html

Kurdish Yes

From the BBC:

"Iraqi Kurds decisively back independence in referendum"

People living in northern Iraq voted overwhelmingly in favour of independence for the Kurdistan Region in Monday's controversial referendum. The electoral commission said 92% of the 3.3 million Kurds and non-Kurds who cast their ballots supported secession. The announcement came despite a last-minute appeal for the result to be "cancelled" from Iraq's prime minister. Haider al-Abadi urged Kurds to instead engage in dialogue with Baghdad "in the framework of the constitution". Kurdish leaders say the "Yes" vote will give them a mandate to start negotiations on secession with the central government in Baghdad and neighbouring countries.  Iraq's parliament meanwhile asked the prime minister to deploy troops to the oil-rich region of Kirkuk and other disputed areas held by Kurdish forces. Kurdish Peshmerga fighters took control of Kirkuk, a multi-ethnic region claimed by the Kurds and Arab-led central government, when jihadist militants from so-called Islamic State (IS) swept across northern Iraq in 2014 and the Iraqi army collapsed.  The referendum was held in the three Iraqi provinces that make up the Kurdistan Region, as well as "areas of Kurdistan outside the region's administration". Electoral commission officials told a news conference in Irbil on Wednesday afternoon that 2,861,000 people had voted "yes" to independence and 224,000 had voted "no". Turnout was 72.61% among those eligible to vote. In a speech to parliament before the result was announced, Mr Abadi insisted that he would "never have a dialogue" about the referendum's outcome with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).  The vote was vehemently opposed by Baghdad and much of the international community, which expressed concern about its potentially destabilising effects, particularly on the battle against IS. Mr Abadi said his priority now was to "preserve citizens' security" and promised to "defend Kurdish citizens inside or outside" the Kurdistan Region. "We will impose Iraq's rule in all districts of the region with the force of the constitution," he added.  The prime minister also reaffirmed his threat to prevent direct international flights to the Kurdistan Region if Baghdad was not given control of Irbil and Sulaimaniya airports by Friday afternoon. The KRG's transport minister said he was seeking clarification from Baghdad. "We don't understand how to give them the two airports," Mowlud Murad told reporters. "They are already subject to the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority."  The United States, which was "deeply disappointed" that the referendum was held, has also questioned Mr Abadi's threat to ban international flights. State department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Tuesday that such a move "would not be an example of engaging constructively". Lebanon's Middle East Airlines and EgyptAir meanwhile warned customers they would halt flights to Irbil from Friday until further notice.   Mr Abadi has also demanded control of all border crossings and oil revenues. Kurds are the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East but they have never obtained a permanent nation state.  In Iraq, where they make up an estimated 15% to 20% of the population of 37 million, Kurds faced decades of repression before acquiring autonomy in 1991.

^ I do not understand why the Iraqis, the Iranians and the Turks hate the Kurdish people so much. I met several Kurds when I lived in Germany - they had fled their homelands because of discrimination. The Iraqi Kurds have done more in the fight against ISIS than any other groustabp or country. When the US and its allies bombed from the air, the Kurds fought on the ground and proved to be very good. The Baghdad Government is corrupt and unable to stabilize the country (just look at all the non-Kurdish Iraqis who take over government buildings, etc. The Kurdish Government has made their region safe and stable. The US and all other countries of the world (including the Baghdad Government) should allow Iraqi Kurdistan to become independent. The Kurds have suffered and fought long and hard over the decades and deserve to be free (especially since the majority of registered voters voted for independence.) ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41419633

Language Expansion

From the MT:

"Armenian Minister Quells Fears of Russian Language Expansion"

Following an uproar over the Culture Ministry’s decision to bolster Russian language programs in Armenian schools, Armenia’s Education Minister said that Russian will remain a foreign language in Armenia. “The only official language in Armenia is and will remain the Armenian language, since we are an independent, sovereign state,” Levon Mkrtchyan told the state-run TASS news agency on Monday. “This is an axiomatic truth, all other languages are foreign.” Mkrtchyan’s comments came in the wake of an ongoing controversy after the Armenian Culture Ministry published its plan on Sept. 11 to adopt a new policy that would improve Russian-language education in Armenian schools. The Ministry’s announcement was reportedly met with heavy criticism over fears the policy would threaten the Armenian language’s status. In an interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian service, Armenian activist David Sanasaryan said that Russia has always been clear in its intentions to spread Russian throughout post-Soviet countries. Armenian officials, the activists said, “speak about the indispensability of the Armenian language, but [their actions] start to subvert, to weaken the positions of the Armenian language.” Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the number of Russian speakers has decreased by about 50 million, the chairman of Russia’s State Duma Committee for Education and Science Vyacheslav Nikonov was cited as saying by the Interfax news agency on Aug. 28.  To counter the decline, Nikonov called for an expansion of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and an increase in educational programs abroad. Armenia is one of five countries belonging to the EEU. Despite the Russian language’s widespread use in Armenia, Russian “has not had any official status so far,” Mkrtchyan added. The minister stressed the importance of the measure by highlighting that Russian is the most commonly-spoken language in Armenia, is the language of the EEU, and the language of Armenia’s scientific institutions.

^ This does sound like it is being done from Moscow and not from Yerevan. It was one thing when Armenians were forced to learn Russian because the Russians forced them to during Soviet times (and the fact that Armenians like all other Soviets couldn't travel outside of the USSR) but in the past 25 + years since the Soviet Union collapsed and Armenia became independent and has joined the rest of the international community it doesn't make much sense to place emphasis on learning Russian (and I say that as someone who learned Russian by choice.) Learning English will help more Armenians inside Armenia and around the world since English, and not Russian, is the International Language of: Tourism, Business, etc. Armenia should focus on teaching English as the first foreign language and then other languages (like Russian) as a 2nd foreign language. ^

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/armenian-culture-minister-quells-fears-of-russian-language-hegenomy-59039

Saudi Lift

From the BBC:

"Saudi Arabia driving ban on women to be lifted"

Saudi Arabia's King Salman has issued a decree allowing women to drive for the first time, to the joy of activists. The Gulf kingdom is the only country in the world that bans women from driving. Until now, only men were allowed licences and women who drove in public risked being arrested and fined. Praise for the move has been pouring in from inside Saudi Arabia, as well as around the world. US President Donald Trump said it was a "positive step" towards promoting women's rights. Campaigner Sahar Nassif told the BBC from Jeddah that she was "very, very excited - jumping up and down and laughing".  "I'm going to buy my dream car, a convertible Mustang, and it's going to be black and yellow!"

What happens now?

• A ministerial body will be set up to give advice within 30 days
• The royal order will be implemented by 24 June 2018

The country's US ambassador, Prince Khaled bin Salman, confirmed that women would not have to get male permission to take driving lessons, and would be able to drive anywhere they liked. He said it was "an historic and big day" and "the right decision at the right time". Rights groups in the  kingdom have campaigned for years to allow women to drive, and some women have been imprisoned for defying the rule. Because of the law, many families have had to employ private drivers to help transport female relatives. Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul, who was detained for 73 days in 2014 for flouting the ban, tweeted "thank God" following the announcement  The move was welcomed by the US state department, which called it "a great step in the right direction". UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres echoed that sentiment. Manal al-Sharif, an organiser of the Women2Drive campaign who has also been imprisoned for driving, said on Twitter that Saudi Arabia would "never be the same again". The hashtags "I am my own guardian" and "Saudi Women Can Drive" quickly gained traction on social media. Not everyone reacted positively, however, with conservative voices accusing the government of "bending the verses of Sharia". Others emphasised that despite the latest development, Saudi Arabia remains a long way off gender equality.  Amnesty International's Philip Luther said it was "just one step", adding: "We also need to see a whole range of discriminatory laws and practices swept away in Saudi Arabia."

^Slowly, but surely, Saudi Arabia is moving into the 20th Century as the rest of the world lives in the 2nd decade of the 21st Century. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41408195

Macron's Reforms

From the BBC:

"France's Macron seeks joint defence force under EU reforms"

The French president has called for a joint EU defence force as part of his vision for the future of the bloc. Setting out a series of reforms, Emmanuel Macron proposed greater co-operation on security and the fight against terrorism. He came to power in May promising to strengthen the eurozone and deepen EU integration ahead of Brexit. But his plans face fresh hurdles after Sunday's German election with the rise of eurosceptic Alternative for Germany. The nationalist AfD won its first seats in the German parliament, while Angela Merkel - a key ally of Mr Macron - was re-elected for a fourth term as chancellor amid falling support.   In a major speech at the Sorbonne university in Paris, Mr Macron said he wanted the European Union to have "autonomous capacity for action" through a joint military force. He gave few further details but said the force should complement, rather than replace, Nato's capabilities and aim to begin operations in about 2020.  He also called for a shared defence budget and common defence policy, and a European military training academy. Several EU countries, as well as European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, have previously called for a common European army to face up to Russia and other threats. But the UK has warned the move could undermine Nato.

In his other key proposals, Mr Macron said the EU should:

• Strengthen borders and protect the "sovereignty" of member states against uncontrolled migrant flows - speeding up asylum applications, setting up a central asylum office to hold background files, and helping countries where immigrants come from to stabilise their economies
• Set up a single, EU-wide tax on financial transactions
• Forge a common policy on sustainable development by harmonising subsidies for green technology and introducing a bloc-wide carbon tax
• Make the Common Agricultural Policy more flexible and less bureaucratic
• Set up a European agency to encourage "champions" in digital technology

Mr Macron acknowledged Europe's pitfalls but expressed conviction in the future of a reformed, post-Brexit EU.  "Europe as we know it is too weak, too slow and too inefficient," he said.  "But only Europe can give us the means to act on the world stage as we tackle the great challenges of the day."  The French president is pressing other EU leaders, including Germany's Mrs Merkel, to work with him.  However, the German chancellor is expected to try government with the Free Democratic Party (FDP), whose leader is an outspoken critic of Mr Macron's European agenda. In his speech, the French leader reached out to Germany in particular, saying the two countries should aim to apply the same legal regulations to their companies. He has already taken steps to mirror the German model with his controversial efforts to reform labour laws by allowing firms more flexibility in negotiating wages and conditions with employees. One of his goals is to reduce unemployment in France from 9.5% to 7% in five years. However figures released on Tuesday showed that the jobless total had risen by 0.6% in the last month.

^ There have been several politicians from around the EU member states who keep calling for EU reforms and yet the EU itself continues to not be effective enough to even address them. You can see how dissatisfied EU citizens are (ie. Brexit, Germany, the Eastern European member states, etc.) The EU needs to get its act together and make real change before more member countries decide to leave. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41403394

Army-Navy

Manning Banned

From the BBC:
"Chelsea Manning says she was denied entry into Canada"

Chelsea Manning, the former US soldier jailed for leaking classified information, says she has been denied entry into Canada.  Manning has tweeted a letter from the federal government that appears to show that she has been deemed inadmissible for entry.  The letter suggests Manning is not allowed in based on her conviction in the US on charges of espionage.  She was freed from prison in May after serving seven years of her sentence.  Former US president Barack Obama commuted her 35-year sentence before he left office earlier this year but did not pardon her.   Under Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a foreign national can be inadmissible on a number of grounds related to "criminality" and "serious criminality".   The government letter cites the fact of her having been convicted of an offence in the US that would result in a prison term that carries a maximum sentence of at least 10 years in Canada.  It notes that the American charges under the espionage act would, if committed in Canada, "equate an indictable offence, namely treason" under the criminal code.  Manning apparently tried to cross into Canada at a New York-Quebec border crossing on Friday.  She said on Twitter that she would be challenging the denial of entry at an admissibility hearing.  Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about the incident on Monday and said he had no comment.  The transgender soldier, born Bradley Manning, leaked diplomatic cables and other documents to Wikileaks in 2010, one of the largest breaches of classified material in US history.

^  This makes me proud to be Canadian. I guess it shows that you can't just commit treason (even in another country) and expect to not have any consequences. I was disappointed when Obama commuted the sentence because he was basically saying it's fine for people to steal classified information and then make it public to the world. Obama made treason a good thing. Hopefully, more countries will follow Canada's example (and not Obama's) and ban Manning from their countries too. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41391072

German Iditarod

^ Got this from someone on Facebook. Pretty funny. ^

To Bust Or Not To Bust

From the MT:
"Russian Culture Ministry Shrugs Off New Stalin Bust"

A new bust of Soviet leader Josef Stalin unveiled Sept. 22 in Moscow is not a provocation, Russia’s Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky said Monday in an interview with the RBC news outlet. The Military-Historical Society’s Alley of Rulers unveiled seven new busts of Russian rulers on Friday, including Vladimir Lenin and Stalin.  A woman protested the opening ceremony with a sign of Anna Akhmatova’s poem which refers to “sweet lovers of torture” and “experts in the manufacture of orphans.” “I do not really understand what sort of provocation is happening,” Medinsky told the RBC news outlet. “As far as I know, there are about thirty busts of all the rulers of Russia, from Rurik to Kerensky and Prince Lvov.” The Culture Minister added that excluding a bust of Stalin would be an act of historical deletion.  “If we cut something out of this story, then we’ll turn into Mankurts — people who do not remember their past,” Medinsky said.  A statue for President Boris Yeltsin is currently in the works and scheduled for an unveil next February, the culture minister added, saying that the Yeltsin bust will be the first installment in a series of busts of recent rulers. Stalin is making a comeback in Russian society with one poll earlier this year ranking the totalitarian leader as the world’s most outstanding figure.

^ I first want to say that I believe Joseph Stalin was a murderous dictator who should not be praised or honored. With that said you can not "whitewash" your history. If you are talking about every leader of your country you have to include the good with the bad. Germany can't hide from Hitler the same way Russia can't hide from Stalin. These kinds of evil people should never be glorified, but they should be remembered so that their crimes are never repeated. ^

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/new-stalin-bust-not-a-provocation-says-russias-culture-ministry-59034

Standing

I remember standing when they raised and lowered the flag everyday and when they played the National Anthem in movie theaters on bases worldwide. I wasn't forced to, but did. Of course I didn't make millions of dollars playing with a ball so I guess that doesn't mean much.

Australian Space

From the BBC:
"Australia to create national space agency"

Australia will establish a national space agency, the government has said. Although its space industry employs about 11,500 people, Australia is one of the few major developed countries that do not have a space agency. Industry Minister Michaelia Cash said it was "crucial" that Australia capitalised on the growth of the global space industry. The move follows a domestic industry review which called for a dedicated body to be established. "The agency will be the anchor for our domestic co-ordination and the front door for our international engagement," Ms Cash said.  The government is expected to announce further details at the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide this week. The conference will be attended by thousands of global space experts, including the heads of other national agencies and private companies.  The country is largely reliant on overseas nations like the United States for its satellite and earth observation data. The Space Industry Association of Australia has argued that the country is well placed to expand its space technologies because of its location, large geographical size and relatively low population.

^ While most manned space missions have all, but stopped around the world there are more and more unmanned missions and Australia looks to want to get involved. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-41382609

UK Withdrawal

From the BBC:

"Court ruling not needed to withdraw care, judge says"

Legal permission will no longer be required to end care for patients in a permanent vegetative state, a judge has ruled.  Until now a judge must also consent, even if medics and relatives agree to withdraw nutrition from a patient.  But in what been described as a landmark decision, those cases will no longer have to come to court. The Official Solicitor, appointed by the state to act for such patients, is likely to appeal against the ruling. Doctors are able to withdraw treatment from a patient - if relatives consent - under various circumstances  without needing court approval.   Mr Justice Jackson, who sits in the Court of Protection, made his ruling in a case concerning a 50-year-old woman who suffered from a degenerative illness for 14 years.  The patient, known in court as M, had Huntington's disease and was bed-ridden in hospital and fed by a tube.   She had shown no sign of awareness for 18 months, the court heard, and Mr Justice Jackson agreed with her family and doctors that withdrawing nutrition from her would be in her best interests. The tube was removed and she died in August. Mr Justice Jackson said in his view the case should not have come to court. "The decision about what was in M's best interests is one that could lawfully have been taken by her treating doctors, having fully consulted her family and having acted in accordance with the MCA (Mental Capacity Act) and with recognised medical standards," the judgement said.   So long as relatives agree, and it's in the best interests of a patient in a minimally conscious or vegetative state, doctors can withdraw all sorts of treatment that will result in the end of someone's life.  These include, for instance, the withdrawal of life-saving dialysis. Doctors do not need the permission of a court to be able to do this. However, withdrawing food and water - the most basic requirements for life - has been handled differently, and for many years has needed the approval of a court.  It's been treated as an exception, in part, perhaps, because of the emotional and psychological significance of the decision to remove sustenance from a person.   This has resulted, some experts believe, in individuals spending longer on life support in a vegetative state than was necessary because hospitals have shied away from going to court due to the expense and bureaucracy involved. Today's ruling makes clear that as things stand, courts need not be involved in these sorts of cases, so long as doctors and families are in agreement, and the removal of food and water are in the best interests of the patient.  A spokesman said: "The family argued that major life and death decisions happen every day in hospital and do not always need to come before the court. NHS doctors supported this argument." For nearly 25 years, these decisions have been referred to the Court of Protection, even where doctors and families agree. This followed a House of Lords ruling that Tony Bland, who was left in a persistent vegetative state after suffering severe brain damage in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, should be allowed to die. Wednesday's ruling removes this exception and paves the way for a change in the way such cases are handled by hospitals. Sarah Wootton, chief executive of the campaign group Compassion in Dying, said the ruling was "a helpful step towards a clearer, more person-centred view of end-of-life care".  "When all parties - family, the hospital and treating doctors - are agreed on what someone would have wanted for their care, it seems absurd to require a costly court process to confirm this." Research by the BBC established last year that there were more than 100 patients in England and Wales in permanent vegetative or minimally conscious states.  One patient had been in this condition for more than 20 years.

^ I didn't know this was even an issue. I have since started reading as much about this and cannot believe it was allowed to go on for so long. If the doctors and the family completely agree with the decision than why would the courts need to involved? It seems like just a complete waste of time and money. I'm glad that this requirement is finally being dropped. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-41341482

NFL

Violating Rights

From the BBC:

"UN accuses Russia of violating human rights in Crimea"

Russia is committing "grave human rights violations" in Crimea, according to a report by the United Nations. The UN human rights agency says it has documented arbitrary arrests, torture and at least one extra-judicial execution in the region. "There is an urgent need for accountability," UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said. Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine after the country's pro-Russian leader was overthrown in 2014. In response to the report's accusations, one Crimean official complained the account was not objective and did not reflect reality.  The UN report cites "grave human rights violations, such as arbitrary arrests and detentions, enforced disappearances, ill-treatment and torture, and at least one extra-judicial execution". It adds that there have been "intrusive law enforcement raids of private properties" which "interfered with [the] right to privacy".  The report, which says the human rights situation has "significantly deteriorated" in the region, notes that hundreds of prisoners were illegally transferred from Crimea to Russian jails.  It says civil servants were forced to renounce their Ukrainian citizenship or face losing their jobs, and condemned Moscow's decision to replace Ukrainian laws with Russian ones. "Education in Ukrainian has all but disappeared from Crimean schools," the report adds. It is based on interviews conducted from mainland Ukraine, as human rights investigators were not permitted entry into the region.   Crimea, which has a Russian-speaking majority, voted to join Russia in a referendum that was not recognised by the international community. The UN says Crimea's Turkic-speaking minority, the Tatars, who make up 12% of its population, have been targeted. The Tatar parliament, the Mejlis, boycotted the referendum on joining Russia. Moscow said it was an extremist organisation and banned it last year.  "While those human rights violations and abuses have affected Crimean residents of diverse ethnic backgrounds, Crimean Tatars were particularly targeted especially those with links to the Mejlis", the UN report says. It adds that the ban on the Mejlis "has infringed on the civil, political and cultural rights of Crimean Tatars". Mr Hussein accused Russia of failing to investigate alleged human rights violations. He said: "Failure to prosecute these acts and ensure accountability has denied victims proper remedy and strengthened impunity, potentially encouraging the continued perpetration of human rights violations."

^ This report supports what those of us around the world have known that Russia has been doing for years in the annexed Crimea. I am curious to see what, if anything, the UN and rest of the world will do with these facts. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41386490

Weiner Jailed

From the BBC:

"Anthony Weiner jailed for 21 months for sexting underage girl"

Ex-New York congressman Anthony Weiner burst into tears as he was sentenced to 21 months in jail for sending sexually explicit messages to an underage girl. He pleaded guilty in May to transferring obscene material to a minor and agreed not to appeal against a prison sentence of 27 months or less. Weiner, 53, quit Congress in 2011 over a sex scandal and was again exposed in his 2013 run for New York mayor. His lawyers had asked a US District Judge for probation instead of jail.  But in sentencing Weiner, Judge Cote said: "This is a serious crime that deserves serious punishment."  "Anthony Weiner, a former Congressman and candidate for Mayor, asked a girl who he knew to be 15 years old to display her naked body and engage in sexually explicit behaviour for him online," Acting Manhattan US Attorney Joon H Kim said in a statement on Monday.  "Justice demands that this type of conduct be prosecuted and punished with time in prison." In addition to jail time, Weiner was sentenced to three years of supervised release, according to a statement from the US Attorney's Office.  An investigation into Weiner's sexting case played a role in last year's 2016 presidential election, when authorities found emails on his laptop from Ms Abedin, who was a senior aide to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.  The FBI began investigating Weiner last September after the Daily Mail reported that he had exchanged obscene messages with a North Carolina teenager.  The 15-year-old girl said he had asked her to undress on camera.  Once a rising Democratic star, he stepped down from Congress in June 2011 after a graphic image sent from his Twitter account went public. Initially claiming his account was hacked, he eventually confessed to having lied. Weiner also admitted indulging in explicit online exchanges with at least six other women and pledged to seek therapy.  He tried to revive his political career in 2013 by running for mayor of New York. But his campaign imploded amid reports of further graphic online messages.

^ This guy is the very definition of scum-bag. While it is stupid to send pictures of yourself naked from one adult to another adult it is disgusting and illegal to do so with a minor. I'm sure he will have a "fun" time in jail with both his name and the things he is known to have done - especially the child porn. Once he leaves jail he should be forced to register as a Child Sex Offender since the girl was a minor. I don't know if that's part of his sentencing - I haven't seen anything saying it is. He is clearly a Child Sex Offender and that should follow him the rest of his life. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41391640

New Ban

From the BBC:

"US expands travel ban to include N Korea"

US President Donald Trump has expanded his controversial travel ban to include people from North Korea, Venezuela and Chad, citing security concerns. The new, open-ended restrictions follow a review of information sharing by other countries, the White House said. Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia remain under the travel ban. Sanctions previously placed on Sudan were lifted. In a presidential proclamation, Mr Trump said the countries in the list had "inadequate" security protocols. "I must act to protect the security and interests of the United States and its people," he said in the document, issued late on Sunday  Mr Trump's original ban was highly controversial, as it affected six majority-Muslim countries, and was widely labelled a "Muslim ban". It was subject to a range of legal challenges and several large-scale protests, and is due to be considered by the US Supreme Court in October, having been partly reinstated in July.  The American Civil Liberties Union rights group said the addition of the new countries did not "obfuscate the real fact that the administration's order is still a Muslim ban". The addition of North Korea and Venezuela now means not all nations on the list are majority-Muslim. The restrictions on Venezuelans apply only to government officials and their family members. The Venezuelan foreign ministry on Monday described the new restriction as "a form of psychological and political terrorism". 

The criteria for the new ban list are now based on vetting procedures and co-operation, and the restrictions have been "tailored" on a country-by-country basis:

• The White House said North Korea did not co-operate with the US government "in any respect" and failed all requirements - and so all travel to the US by its citizens had been banned. However, officials acknowledged to US media that numbers of visitors were very low and the measure might have a limited impact
• Chad, while an important counter-terrorism partner, did not share terrorism-related and other public information the US required - business and tourist visas for its nationals have been suspended
• Only "certain Venezuelan government officials and their immediate family members" have been banned - its government has recently been hit with economic sanctions by the US, who now say it does not co-operate "in verifying whether its citizens pose national security or public-safety threats" and does not receive deported nationals willingly

Most of the restrictions come in the form of suspension of B-1 and B-2 business and tourist visas, and are not time-limited in the way that Mr Trump's former executive order was. In a fact sheet accompanying Mr Trump's proclamation, the White House said that while Iraq also fell short of the required criteria, the country was not included in the new restrictions "because of the close co-operative relationship between the United States" and their part in fighting so-called Islamic State. The restrictions come into effect on 18 October, but will not apply to those already in possession of a valid visa, the White House said.

^ I do not understand how people can continue to protest the travel ban. I guess they are more concerned with just hearing themselves protest against Trump rather than actually looking at the issue itself. The blanket protests only bring more people away from them as they are seen as anti-Trump rather than anti-whatever issue they are actually about. I agree with all the countries that are currently on this travel ban (except for Chad as I don't know much about the country or its internal situation to make such a statement for or against.) The US hasn't had diplomatic relations with Iran since the Iranians broke into our Embassy there and kept Americans hostage (breaking international law.) It is only right to include Iran on the travel ban for that (the lack of diplomatic relations.) North Korea should have been on the travel ban list from the very beginning - not solely because of its current threats, but also because the US has never had diplomatic relations with North Korea and for the way North Korea has continually imprisoned Americans who for some stupid reason or another travelled to that country. Libya, Syria, Somalia and Yemen are on the banned list because of their political instability and the current wars going on there (many countries around the world also either ban their own citizens from going to all of most of those countries or at least advise against travel to them because of the violence.) I don't agree with people or groups simply hating everything because they hate (all that "Love Trumps Hate" really means hate everything Trump touches.) You may not like Trump and that's fine, but constantly protesting everything for no good reason just makes you and your ideals look bad. This new travel ban protest does just that. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41382585

Direct Affordability

From Disability Scoop:
"Report: Direct Care Workers Can’t Afford To Stay In Jobs"

The direct support professionals that many people with disabilities rely on are barely getting by, with new data showing they make little more than minimum wage despite surging demand. The median hourly wage for home care workers is $10.49, but due to varying hours, those in the field typically make just $13,800 per year. The figures come from an annual report out this month from PHI — a group that works to promote the direct support workforce — that’s based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Low wages have persisted in the direct support workforce even as the number of people working in the field has more than doubled in the last decade, PHI said. When adjusted for inflation, the report found that hourly wages for home care workers are up just 16 cents compared to 2006. About 1 in 5 home care workers lives below the federal poverty line and more than half rely on public assistance. The majority work part-time or only a portion of the year, according to PHI. The picture is only marginally better for nursing assistants working in people’s homes, PHI found, with those jobs netting a median wage of $12.34 per hour or roughly $20,000 annually. “This important research continues to paint a troubling picture: direct care workers cannot afford to stay in these jobs, and when they eventually leave the sector, many families struggle to care for their loved ones without the support they need,” said Kezia Scales, director of policy research at PHI.

^ I have worked as both a direct-care worker being paid for years as well as a caregiver not being paid for years. The work is the same (hard, tiring, but also rewarding) for both. With that said I know how little direct care workers are paid and yet how much is required of them for that low salary. It is a shame that we do not give those that care for the disabled the pay and benefits that they deserve in order to not have to live below, or just above, the poverty line. ^

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2017/09/22/report-direct-care-cant-afford/24202/

Vietnam War (2017)

I have just watched all 10 Parts of "The Vietnam War" by Ken Burns. I saw some when they aired on TV and the rest on DVD. I was never directly affected by the Vietnam War, but have heard about it from those that were and also studied a lot about it over the years. With that said, I honestly don't know what I would have done had I been alive during the War (would I volunteer to serve, would I stay in college to get a deferment, would I flee to Canada, would I get Drafted or would I be in the anti-war protests.) I know what I think I would do, but thinking and actually doing are two different things  - especially when you are talking about an event in the past and not one you lived through/are living through. 

I was a little skeptical when I first heard of Ken Burns making this series because I know he is a staunch supporter of the Democratic Party and wasn't sure if this would be tilted to the anti-war side or very pro-North Vietnamese side as I have seen done in the past. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised (I know that sounds odd when talking about a War) that it wasn't tilted to any one side over the other. 

The countries included and explained in this program were from:

1)      US (2,709,918 soldiers sent, 58,318 soldiers killed -  17,671 of those were Draftees) , 153,303 wounded, 1,604 still missing) South Vietnam (254,256 soldiers killed), Australia (61,000 soldiers sent with 521 killed), New Zealand (3,890 soldiers sent with 37 killed), South Korea (320,000 soldiers sent with 5,099 killed), Thailand (351 soldiers killed), the Philippines (10,450 soldiers sent with 9 killed) , Khmer Republic, Kingdom of Laos, Taiwan (25 soldiers killed)

2)      North Vietnam, Viet Cong,  (849,018 soldiers killed between the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong) China (1,446 soldiers killed), the Soviet Union (15 soldiers killed), North Korea, Pathet Lao, Khmer Rouge

This program dealt with a wide range of issues, groups, battles, policies, etc. how and did a good job in separating the different events in an easy-to-understand way. 

1.  French Colonization of Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos)

2. Japanese Occupation of Vietnam (OSS Involvement)

3. French-Vietnamese War (Dien Bien Phu, Creation of Communist North Vietnam and Democratic South Vietnam)

4. North Vietnamese- South Vietnamese War (Diem Coup, Corruption, Instability, Lack of Support from Saigon on the South Vietnamese countryside)

5. US Involvement In Vietnam: (Advisors, Gulf Of Tonkin Resolution, Body Count Ratio, Bombing of the North, The Draft, US POWs, LZs, Search and Destroy, Anti-War Protests - 1968 DNC Protests, Weather Underground, Black Panthers, Jane Fonda, Hippies, Vietnam Veterans Against The War , US' My Lai Massacre - 508 people killed, the Media portrayal, Tet Offensive, North Vietnamese's Hue Massacre - 2,800-6,000 people killed, the Chu Chi Tunnels, Fragging, US Nurses, the Silent Majority, the Phoenix Program,  Vietnamization, the Pentagon Papers,  Peace With Honor, Communist China Visit,  Paris Peace Accord, War Powers Resolution, Operation Homecoming, Vietnam Veterans Memorial)

6. US Involvement In Cambodia (Ho Chi Minh Trail, Kent State Killings, Jackson State Killings, 450 Student Strikes across the US)

7. US Involvement In Laos (Ho Chi Minh Train, Most Bombed Place on Earth)

8. Reunification of Vietnam (Evacuation, Fall Of Saigon, Re-Education Camps, Vietnamese-Cambodian War, the Boat People, World Isolation, Normalization of Relations)

The program had a wide range of people from almost every side (they didn't include: the French, Khmer Rouge Cambodians, anti-Communist Cambodians, Pathet Lao Laotians, anti- Communist Laotians, Communist Chinese, Soviets, Australians, New Zealanders, Filipinos, South Koreans, Thais or Taiwanese.) They did include: the Americans (volunteer soldiers, politicians, journalists, anti-war peaceful protesters, anti-war violent protesters, deserters, Draftee soldiers, POWs, students, Blacks, Hispanics, Indians, Whites, Asians, Men and Women), the South Vietnamese (politicians, soldiers, those that worked with the Americans, those that had fled the Communists, those that fought with the Communists, Men and Women) and the North Vietnamese (politicians, soldiers, Men and Women.)

To sum this program up. I was impressed by the wealth of information included in the 10 parts, how easy it was to follow and understand everything and the variety of people from every major side involved. 

Rebel Association

From UNIAN:
""DPR" representation opening in France as "public association""

The representation office of Russia-controlled Donbas militants is about to open in Marseilles, France, registered as a public association, with no diplomatic status, the Embassy of France in Ukraine reported referring to a briefing held in the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs September 21. Deputy Speaker of the French foreign ministry was asked to comment on the opening of the "representation office" of the self-proclaimed "DPR" in Marseilles on September 25. "The organization you refer to (the so-called" Representative Center of the “Donetsk People's Republic” in France) is registered with the status of a public association, under the law of 1901, which requires no permission. The French authorities do not officially recognize this association, which has no diplomatic status and cannot acquire the privileges and immunities associated with it," the French foreign ministry said. "Our position remains unchanged: France stands for territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and full restoration its state sovereignty; France does not recognize separatist entities in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which we have no relations with," reads the report.

^ It's clear that the Russian-backed rebels are trying to find use a loop-hole in French law to eventually gain recognition. I don't see it working. The world knows that the so-called DPR is just a puppet-state of Russia and no government should give it any aid or official status. ^

https://www.unian.info/world/2148556-dpr-representation-opening-in-france-as-public-association.html

Fall

Fake Ending

From USA Today:

"World ending Saturday? Here are all the times the world was supposed to end, and didn't"

OK, it's probably not, but David Meade, a Christian and self-published author of end-of-the-world survival guides says so. Meade makes the claim using "astronomical, scientific, the Book of Revelation and geopolitics"  ideology, laid out in his book Planet X — The 2017 Arrival. His is the latest in a very long line of self-proclaimed prophets who claim they know when — sometimes to the hour — the biblically predicted “end times” will arrive. 

While we wait for Sept. 23, here are some noteworthy Doomsday predictions:

July 29, 2016 - The group End Times Prophecies once announced the world would end on July 29, 2016, because of something called a “polar flip.” It was predicted the stars would race across the sky and the atmosphere would be pulled along the ground. It turns out such a reversal is a common phenomenon occurring when iron shifts in the Earth’s core. This prediction turned out to be a bust, as did the group’s prognosis that former President Barack Obama would reveal himself to be the Antichrist.  

Oct. 7, 2015 - The eBible Fellowship, a Philadelphia-based Christian website run by Chris McCann, predicted the end of the world in correlation with the blood moon. (It also claimed the world would end on May 21, 2011.) "According to what the Bible is presenting it does appear that 7 October will be the day that God has spoken of: in which, the world will pass away," McCann told The Guardian. "It'll be gone forever. Annihilated."

Sept. 27, 2015 -  The blood moon-supermoon phenomena generated several end-of-the-world predictions related to four consecutive and complete lunar eclipses occurring at six-month intervals for about two years. Mormon author Julie Rowe's apocalyptic musings caused the Mormon Church to issue a statement to USA TODAY distancing itself from her statements. Hold onto your predictions, though: the blood moon-supermoon will next appear in 2033.

April 15, 2014 - Some people thought it was the end; others just think it's the beginning of the end. The blood moon marked the beginning of a tetrad — four consecutive and complete lunar eclipses occurring at six-month intervals — which some see as a prophecy. Specifically, Texas televangelist John Hagee (author of Blood Moons: Something is About to Change) says the blood moons signify a "world-shaking event" that begins to fulfill End Times prophecy, aka the second coming of Christ.

Dec. 21, 2012 - Remember this hoopla? Basically, the ancient Mayans, who ruled through Mexico and Central America until around 900 A.D., used three calendars, one of which ended on Dec. 21, 2012. And such laid the groundwork for the Mayan calendar doomsday craze of 2012. People planned. People partied. It was debunked, over and over. Celebrities tweeted. The Mayans chuckled.

August/September 2011 - NASA's recap of the Comet Elenin fascination explains it all: "Elenin somehow quickly became something of a 'cause célèbre' for a few Internet bloggers, who proclaimed this minor comet could/would/should be responsible for causing any number of disasters to befall our planet. … NASA's response to such wild speculations was then, in turn, speculated to be an attempt to hide the truth."

May 21, 2011 - Harold Camping, a then-89-year-old televangelist and former president of the Family Radio Network, predicted the rapture world end the world with series of worldwide earthquakes hitting at 6 p.m. People believed him. Some quit their jobs and nervously huddled in their home awaiting their moment with God. The day of judgment didn't come. So, he pushed the date back to Oct. 21. Then, he stopped making predictions. Camping lived a long life and died at 92.

Jan. 1, 2000 - The computers can't handle an extra digit they said. So, the world braced for a computer database crash of catastrophic preparations. Rev. Jerry Falwell said Y2K would fulfill Christian prophecy. People who had never previously bought into end of the world theories were suddenly stockpiling canned goods in their basement. More than $100 billion was spent on Y2K fixes, the New York Times reported. When the clocked hit midnight, there were a few minor computer glitches but nothing major. Everyone survived.

^ It's kinda fun to hear all the crazy people and groups out there when they say the world is going to end on such a such a day and time and then are proved wrong. I'm not sure what they hope to get. Even if they are correct. If the world ends no one (those knowing/believing it would happen and those that didn't know/believe it would happen.) would survive anyways. ^

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/09/21/word-ending-saturday-here-all-times-world-supposed-end-and-didnt/689011001/