Saturday, March 31, 2018

Paramedic Medicine

From the BBC:
"Paramedics set to prescribe medicines"

Advanced paramedics in England will be able to prescribe medicines to people who do not need hospital treatment, under new laws starting on Sunday. Up to seven out of 10 people currently seen by advanced care paramedics may need help - but not a hospital visit. Paramedics only have a limited ability to supply medicines at the moment but will now be able to do this without delay or the patient seeing their GP. Rachel Power, The Patients Association chief executive, called it "good news". She added: "It will make it easier for them to receive treatment at home, eliminate the need to see a second professional in many cases, and reduce the need for transportation into hospital that isn't clinically necessary.  "Rather, they will be able to start treatment without delay, which for some will be critical." Some advanced paramedics already work in GP practices, where they usually look after urgent same-day patient requests, including some home visits. And others who work in emergency departments will also be able to prescribe medicines, allowing doctors to see more needy patients. Around 700 paramedics are going to be trained, to qualify them to write prescriptions. Gemma Walsh, an advanced paramedic who specialises in urgent care, said the ability for paramedics to be able to prescribe was a "fantastic development for our profession". She said it would help to reduce pressure on GPs and hospitals and would speed up the time it takes for patients to receive treatments.  "It will allow us to really complete our care. Going to a patient, we already do thorough history assessments, coming up with working diagnoses and management plans, and being able to complete that care will be of complete benefit to the patient." An NHS England spokesperson said: "Increasing the range of treatments offered by paramedics closer to people's homes is another significant step in transforming emergency care, as ambulance clinicians increasingly become part of community urgent treatment services. "In the NHS's 70th year, home visits by advanced paramedics and increasing use of clinical pharmacists and mental health therapists are among the practical ways the health service continues to innovate and adapt to the changing needs of patients and the population." Dr Ron Daniels, chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: "Timely identification and treatment of sepsis can mean the difference between life and death, so better access to healthcare professionals who can make accurate diagnoses and prescribe antibiotics, where appropriate, is an important provision." Gerry Egan, chief executive of the College of Paramedics said: "Independent prescribing legislation is a huge endorsement of the paramedic profession and the role it plays in providing safe, high-quality care for patients in urgent and emergency care.  "This is great news for patients and the profession and is the culmination of many years of preparatory work."   

^ As long as the advanced paramedics are carefully trained and the same control over prescriptions is observed as with doctors then I see this new program helping save time and money for everyone - not to mention the health of the patient. ^



Social Visa

From the BBC:
"US may tie social media to visa applications"

The Trump administration has said it wants to start collecting the social media history of nearly everyone seeking a visa to enter the US. The proposal, which comes from the state department, would require most visa applicants to give details of their Facebook and Twitter accounts. They would have to disclose all social media identities used in the past five years. About 14.7 million people a year would be affected by the proposals. The information would be used to identify and vet those seeking both immigrant and non-immigrant visas. Applicants would also be asked for five years of their telephone numbers, email addresses and travel history. They would be required to say if they had ever been deported from a country, or if any relatives had been involved in terrorist activity. The proposal would not affect citizens from countries which the US grants visa-free travel status - among them the UK, Canada, France and Germany. However, citizens from non-exempt countries like India, China and Mexico could be embroiled if they visit the US for work or a holiday.

What's the current stance on requesting social media?
Under rules brought in last May, officials were told to seek people's social media handles only if they felt "that such information is required to confirm identity or conduct more rigorous national security vetting", a state department official said at the time. The tougher proposal comes after President Trump promised to implement "extreme vetting" for foreigners entering the US, which he said was to combat terrorism. "Maintaining robust screening standards for visa applicants is a dynamic practice that must adapt to emerging threats," the state department said in a statement, quoted by the New York Times.  "We already request limited contact information, travel history, family member information, and previous addresses from all visa applicants. Collecting this additional information from visa applicants will strengthen our process for vetting these applicants and confirming their identity.

Who decides if it happens?
The idea is subject to approval by the Office of Management and Budget. The public will have two months to comment on the proposal before it makes a decision.

How does this affect free speech?
Civil liberties groups have condemned the policy as an invasion of privacy that could damage free speech.  "People will now have to wonder if what they say online will be misconstrued or misunderstood by a government official," said Hina Shamsi of the American Civil Liberties Union. "We're also concerned about how the Trump administration defines the vague and over-broad term 'terrorist activities' because it is inherently political and can be used to discriminate against immigrants who have done nothing wrong," she said. The social media platforms covered in the proposal include US-based entities such as Instagram, LinkedIn, Reddit and YouTube. However, the New York Times reports that overseas platforms such as China's Sina Weibo and Russia's VK social network would also be included.  

^ If this does become law I don't see the US being able to handle looking into all the accounts, etc. I think it is one of those things that if it becomes law will only be used if the Government can't stop a suspected threat on any other grounds (kind of like getting Al Capone on tax evasion because they couldn't get him for murder.) ^




Accessibility

From Disability World:
"Accessibility Information for Persons with Disability"

Accessibility
Refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both "direct access" (i.e. unassisted) and "indirect access" meaning compatibility with a person's assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). Accessibility is strongly related to universal design which is the process of creating products that are usable by people with the widest possible range of abilities, operating within the widest possible range of situations. This is about making things accessible to all people (whether they have a disability or not).

Main Document
Accessibility can be defined as the "ability to access" the functionality, and possible benefit, of some system or entity and is used to describe the degree to which a product such as a device, service, environment is accessible by as many people as possible. Accessibility is often used to focus on people with disabilities and their right of access to entities, often through use of assistive technology. Several definitions of accessibility refer directly to access-based individual rights laws and regulations. Products or services designed to meet these regulations are often termed Easy Access or Accessible. While accessibility is often used to describe facilities or amenities to assist people with disabilities, as in "wheelchair accessible", the term can extend to Braille signage, wheelchair ramps, elevators, audio signals at pedestrian crossings, walkway contours, website design, and so on. Another dimension of accessibility is the ability to access information and services by minimizing the barriers of distance and cost as well as the usability of the interface. In many countries this has led to initiatives, laws and regulations that aim toward providing universal access to the internet and to phone systems at reasonable cost to citizens. The disability rights movement advocates equal access to social, political, and economic life which includes not only physical access but access to the same tools, services, organizations and facilities which we all pay for.

Disability Management (DM) is a specialized area of human resources, to support efforts by employers to better integrate and retain workers with disabilities. Some workplaces have policies in place to provide "reasonable accommodation" for employees with disabilities, however, many do not. In some jurisdictions, employers may have legal requirements to end discrimination against persons with disabilities.

Different countries currently have legislation requiring physical accessibility:
In the US, under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, new public and private business construction generally must be accessible. Existing private businesses are required to increase the accessibility of their facilities when making any other renovations in proportion to the cost of the other renovations. The U.S. Access Board is "A Federal Agency Committed to Accessible Design for People with Disabilities." Many states in the US have their own disability laws.

In South Africa The Promotion of Equality and the Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 2000 has numerous provisions for accessibility.

In Ontario, Canada, the Ontarians with Disabilities Act of 2001 is meant to "improve the identification, removal and prevention of barriers faced by persons with disabilities."

In Australia the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 has numerous provisions for accessibility

In the UK the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 has numerous provisions for accessibility. In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport have mandated that each local authority produce an Accessibility Plan that is incorporated in their Local Transport Plan. An Accessibility Plan sets out how each local authority plans to improve access to employment, learning, health care, food shops and other services of local importance, particularly for disadvantaged groups and areas.

Quick Facts: Urban Design Accessibility
Accessibility modifications to conventional urban environments has become common in recent decades. The use of a curb cut, or kassel kerb, to enable wheelchair or walker movement between sidewalk and street level is found in most major cities of wealthy countries. The creation of priority parking spaces and of disabled parking permits has made them a standard feature of urban environments. Features that assist people with visual impairments include braille signs and tactile paving to allow a user with a cane to easily identify stairways, train platforms, and similar areas that could pose a physical danger to anyone who has a visual impairment. 

^ People often hear the word "accessibility" and yet don't really understand what it really means. Hopefully, this definition and examples will clear that up. ^



Tracking Bunny

Why doesn't NORAD track the Easter Bunny the same way they track Santa? Some may say it's because Santa flies, but if you have see "Hop" then you know the Easter Bunny can too. 

Friday, March 30, 2018

CDN Passover

From the Canadian Prime Minister:
"Statement by the Prime Minister on Passover"

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the occasion of Passover: “Tonight at sundown, Jewish communities in Canada and around the world will celebrate the beginning of Passover. “Over the next eight days, families and loved ones will gather around the Seder table to share festive meals and wine, read from the Haggadah, and recite the four questions in celebration of freedom. “Passover commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. It celebrates the power of faith, the triumph of freedom over bondage, and the enduring strength of the Jewish people. “For all of us, the Passover story is a call to action. The story of the Israelites reminds us that with courage and determination, each one of us has the power to be a voice for justice and a force for freedom. “On Passover, we also celebrate Canada’s Jewish community and the significant contributions Jewish Canadians make to our country. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to stand against anti-Semitism, oppression, and hatred in all its forms – and to work to build a better world for all. “On behalf of the Government of Canada, Sophie and I wish health, joy, and happiness to everyone marking Passover. “Chag Pesach Sameach!”

Du premier Minsitre du Canada:
"Déclaration du premier ministre à l’occasion de Pessah"

Le premier ministre Justin Trudeau a fait aujourd’hui la déclaration suivante à l’occasion de Pessah : « Ce soir, au coucher du soleil, les communautés juives au Canada et à travers le monde célébreront le début de la Pessah, ou la Pâque. « Au cours des huit prochains jours, familles et proches se rassembleront autour de la table du Seder pour partager un repas festif et du vin, lire les textes de la Haggadah et réciter les quatre questions en célébration de la liberté. « La Pessah commémore la libération des Israélites de l’esclavage en Égypte antique. Elle célèbre le pouvoir de la foi, le triomphe de la liberté sur l'esclavage et la force éternelle du peuple juif. « Pour nous tous, l’histoire de Pessah représente un appel à l’action. L’histoire des Israélites nous rappelle qu’avec courage et détermination, chacun d’entre nous a le pouvoir d’être une voix pour la justice et la liberté. « À l’occasion de Pessah, nous célébrons également la communauté juive du Canada et les contributions importantes que les Canadiens d’origine juive apportent à notre pays. Aujourd’hui, nous réaffirmons notre engagement à nous dresser contre l’antisémitisme, l’oppression et la haine sous toute forme età travailler en vue de bâtir à un monde meilleur pour tous. « Au nom du gouvernement du Canada, Sophie et moi souhaitons santé, joie et bonheur à tous ceux qui célèbrent la Pessah. « Chag Pesach Sameach! »

^ This was a good message to start the Passover holiday. ^


Passover


14 Facts

From: Chabad.org
"14 Passover Facts and Traditions Every Jew Should Know"

1. Passover Is the Most Widely Celebrated Jewish Holiday

There’s something about Passover, the first holiday given to the Jewish people by G‑d, that speaks deeply to the Jewish soul. According to the 2014 Pew Portrait of American Jews, the Passover Seder is celebrated by even more Jewish people than Yom Kippur and Chanukah. Looking for a Seder near you? Chabad has a Seder that’s right for you.
2. Passover for All!
Giving to those less fortunate is the hallmark of Judaism and the Jewish people. Before Passover, funds are collected to ensure that everyone can celebrate the Holiday of Freedom in style. The Jerusalem Talmud records that Jewish communities would make collections of maot chitim, literally “wheat money,” before Passover.1 To find to a local maot chitim fund, contact your local rabbi.
3. Live Leaven Free
As Passover approaches, Jewish people can be found cleaning their houses, cars and offices. This is not a mere spring cleaning; it is a mission—to get rid of chametz, anything produced from grain that has risen. Even dishes are either purged or put away for the duration of the holiday, ensuring that no Jew owns or ingests even the smallest bit of chametz.
4. The Main Thing Is the Matzah

If you can only do one (or two) things to celebrate Passover, it’s this: eat a kezayit (a measure formally described as the size of an olive) of matzah2 after dusk on the first night of Passover, and then do it again on the next night. We lean while eating the matzah (as well as when drinking the four cups, and eating the korech sandwich and the afikoman) because, in times gone by, eating while reclining was a sign of true freedom. Extra points if you eat the round, handmade matzah. 
5. The Most Popular Hebrew Book
The Haggadah, the text around which the Passover Seder is based, is the most popular book in the history of Jewish printing, having gone through thousands of editions. Amazingly, there is very little variance between versions. The Haggadahs used in Morocco are almost identical to those in Jewish homes in Munich, with the differences limited almost entirely to nuances in the vowels and the songs in the back of the book. At its core, the Haggadah tells the story of how G‑d took our ancestors out of Egyptian slavery. As per the Torah’s command, we tell this story to our children (and ourselves) every single year, finding new depth and new meaning in every retelling.
6. The Coffee-Maker’s Haggadah
In 1932, Maxwell House, a leading coffee manufacturer, decided to print and distribute the now iconic Maxwell House Haggadah. There are more than 50 million of these Haggadahs in print. There was a two-year pause on the printing during World War II, due to paper shortages. Coffee is kosher for Passover provided that it is certified by a reputable rabbinic agency. 
7. Fine Wine Is Divine
Throughout the Seder evening, everyone drinks four cups of (ideally red) wine. For some reason, there’s a persistent idea out there that Seder wine needs to be gloopy sweet stuff that tastes like cough syrup. At one time the idea that this kind of wine was part of a Jewish diet was so ingrained that Schapiro’s Wine advertised (in Yiddish) that their wine was so thick you could almost cut it with a knife! Thankfully, there are hundreds of high-quality kosher wines out there, so go out and get some happiness in a bottle—enough for every Seder participant to have four cups full.
8. Go Nuts!
Kids are a major part of the Passover celebration. The Seder begins with the children asking four classic questions, starting with “Why is this night different from all other nights?” The rest of the reading consists of the answer to the kids’ questions. How to keep them engaged? The rabbis of old had a solution: give them nuts. Not sure if nuts will do it for your progeny? Make sure that the Seder itself is so engaging that they stick around to see what happens next. 
9. Four Squared
Did you ever notice how many elements of the Passover Seder come in groups of four? Four sons, four question, four cups of wine (in some homes, it feels like four hours until the food is served!) What’s the significance? The most common answer is that all these fours correspond to the four terms G‑d used when promising to take the people out of Egypt.
10. The Fifth Son 
There are four sons spoken about in the Haggadah. Sure one is wise and one is wicked, but they’re all there at the Seder. But what about the Jew who doesn’t show up for the Seder at all? In a letter penned to Jews worldwide in 1957, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory, urged every Jew to acknowledge and invite the “fifth son,” the Jew who would otherwise not be at the Seder, or even aware of Passover. Do you feel like the fifth son or daughter? There’s a spot for you at a Seder table. 
11. Lamb, Anyone?
In ancient times, the center of the Passover celebration was the Passover lamb, which was sacrificed in the Holy Temple and then eaten with matzah and bitter herbs as a dessert at the end of the Passover meal. Roman invaders destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago, and we no longer bring the sacrifice. Today, we still eat the matzah and bitter herbs without the lamb, and then eat an extra piece of matzah, known as the afikoman, to remind us of the missing meat. 
12. World’s Largest Seder
For decades, Chabad has been hosting the world’s largest Seder in Kathmandu, Nepal, with an excess of 2,000 attendees. To host so many celebrants, they get shipments of 2,000 bottles of wine, 2,000 pounds of matzah and 3,000 units of gefilte fish on an average year.
13. Coke on Passover?
Coca-Cola, America’s most popular drink, contains no wheat, so can it be consumed on Passover? The problem is that it often contains high-fructose corn syrup. In addition to being unhealthy, it is forbidden under the ban on kitniyot (legumes and beans) on Passover, which was accepted by all Ashkenazim and some Sephardim in the Middle Ages. The solution came in the form of a special run of Coke that contains sugar, with which the original Coke was actually produced. These bottles are easily recognizable by their yellow caps. There are those who drink the yellow-capped bottles all year long, enjoying the difference in taste. 
14. One Week Later
The Baal Shem Tov taught that while Passover is the holiday of redemption of the Jews from Egypt, the eighth day of Passover is the day we celebrate the future redemption: the era of Moshiach. We celebrate this by ending the holiday with “Moshiach’s seudah,” a meal that contains four cups of wine and matzah. 
^ It's important to know the reasons and traditions of a holiday - whether you celebrate it or not. ^

Historically Fake

If you thought "fake news" was a modern-invention then you are wrong. It has been used by nearly every country/empire/group for centuries. It was perfected to its' current state by the Communists (especially those in the Soviet Union.)
So great are some of the lies that even 27 years after the collapse of the USSR many Russians believe what they were taught as truth despite Soviet, Russian and Western sources now made public.
Here is one example from one country (the Soviet Union) and during one time period (World War 2) that are still widely believed by millions upon millions of Russians:
1.) Lie: The USSR was never an ally of Nazi Germany.
Truth: From September 1, 1939 until June 22, 1941 the USSR and Nazi Germany were not only Allies, but also exchanged people, machinery, oil and foodstuffs up until a few hours when the Germans invaded.
2.) Lie: Stalin always knew Hitler was not to be trusted and had planned an invasion of Nazi Germany himself.
Truth: Stalin saw Hitler as a close friend and ally (Hitler did not reciprocate.) When Hitler invaded the Soviet Union and Soviet-occupied Eastern Europe (eastern Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) on June 22, 1941 Stalin felt so betrayed by his “friend” that Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov had to address the nation about the invasion. Stalin did not get over his “bromance” betrayal and address the Soviet people until July 3, 1941.
It was because of that betrayed mentality that Stalin issued an order that no Soviet citizen (civilian or soldier) was allowed to surrender or retreat to/from the Germans. That is why each Soviet unit had a special Communist Party Member soldier whose main mission was to shoot any retreating Red Army solider in the back. There was also a secondary special soldier just in the case the 1st special soldier needed to be shot in the back. The number of soldiers murdered from their own side were simply added to the causalities inflected by the Germans.
 Any man, woman or child that “allowed” themselves to be captured by the Germans were themselves re-imprisoned by the Soviets once liberated – including those that had been in German Concentration and Death Camps until - after Stalin’s Death in 1953. A famous example is of Alexander Pechersky, a Red Army Jewish Pilot who was sent to the Sobibor Death Camp in German-occupied Poland. He helped the other Jewish prisoners revolt at the Death Camp in 1943. He then joined some Soviet Partisans in Belarus and continued to fight the Germans until the Soviets liberated the area. As an escaped POW, Pechersky was conscripted into a special penal battalion, conforming to Stalin's Order No. 270 and was sent to the front to fight German forces in some of the toughest engagements of the war. Stalin refused to allow him to testify at the Nuremburg Trials because they were in Germany and in 1948 Stalin had Pechersky fired from his job as a theatre administration and arrested. For 5 years the only work he could get was selling handmade clothes at the local marketplace. Only after Stalin died did Pechersky find a real job, but his record of allowing himself to be imprisoned in a German Death Camp as well as his arrests by the Soviets after the war followed him until he died in 1990.
3.) Lie: The Russians believe they would have won World War 2 completely on their own.
Truth: The Soviet Union didn’t enter World War 2 against Germany until June 22, 1941 (when it had been going on since September 1, 1939.) The Soviet Union did not enter World War 2 against Japan until August 9, 1945 (the day after the US dropped the 2nd Atomic Bomb on Japan.) The Soviet Union was not involved in any of the battles in: Western Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Alaska, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, Southeast Asia or on Japan itself. The Soviet Union fought in Eastern Europe (against Germany) and in the northern part of Japanese-controlled Korea (modern-day North Korea.)
There is no way the Soviet Union could have won World War 2 since they didn’t participate in most of its locations. They would have won the Eastern Front by themselves, but not the whole war. And technically, Russia is still at war with Japan since they never signed a peace treaty over disputed islands.

Air France Strike

From the DW:
"Air France cancels quarter of flights as staff strike"

Air France staff on Friday went on strike for the third time in one month, causing the airline to cancel a quarter of its flights. "On 30 March 2018 we expect to operate 75 percent of our flight schedule," the airline said on its website. Air France estimated that 31.6 percent of pilots, 28.3 percent of cabin crew and 20.4 percent of ground staff were striking. A group of 11 trade unions have already staged two strikes this year, on February 22 and March 23, in the hope of obtaining a 6-percent pay raise. Two more protests have been planned for April 3 and April 7. Unions say the airline should share the company's wealth with its staff after it experienced strong results last year, but management claims it cannot offer higher salaries without putting growth at risk in what is a highly competitive sector.  Air France is due to introduce a 0.6 percent pay raise from April 1 and 0.4 percent from October 1, along with bonuses and promotions equivalent to a 1.4 percent raise for ground staff. CEO Franck Terner on Thursday said that with operating profits of nearly €590 million ($727 million) last year, only €200 million could be put toward salary increases. "To distribute wealth we have to create it first," Terner told French newspaper Le Parisien The Air France-KLM group, Europe's second-biggest airline that is 17.6 percent owned by France, has faced numerous strikes and labor disputes in its French operations over the last few years. In 2015, two French company executives had their shirts ripped off by workers protesting plans to cut almost 3,000 jobs. Despite strong operating profits of €1.5 million in 2017, Air France-KLM made net losses in 2017 of 274 million euros due to the costs of a new retirement deal with KLM pilots and cabin crew. Lawyers in France were also planning to strike across the country on Friday against reforms they say would overcentralize France's court system, while staff at state rail operator SNCF are set to begin three months of rolling strikes next week. 

^ It always gets me when an airline or a anyone else abuses striking. Air France is doing it as has Lufthansa in the past. There needs to be a lot more done in the EU and around the world to protect the real victims in all of this: the passengers. ^


Russia's No Victim

From Reuters:
"Russia, in spy rift riposte, expels 59 diplomats from 23 countries"


Russia expelled 59 diplomats from 23 countries on Friday and said it reserved the right to take action against four other nations in a worsening standoff with the West over the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain. Russia said it was responding to what it called the baseless demands for scores of its own diplomats to leave a slew of mostly Western countries that have joined London and Washington in censuring Moscow over the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. A day earlier, Moscow ordered the expulsion of 60 U.S. diplomats and the closing of the U.S. consulate in St Petersburg, Russia's second city, in retaliation for the biggest ejection of diplomats since the Cold War. Preparations appeared to be under way on Friday to close the St Petersburg mission down, with a removals truck making repeated journeys to and from the consulate which took delivery of a large pizza order for its staff. Russia summoned senior envoys on Friday from most of the other countries that have expelled Russian diplomats and told them it was expelling a commensurate number of theirs. Russia has already retaliated in kind against Britain for ejecting 23 diplomats over the first known use of a military-grade nerve agent on European soil since World War Two. British ambassador Laurie Bristow was summoned again on Friday. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Bristow had been told London had just one month to cut its diplomatic contingent in Russia to the same size as the Russian mission in Britain. A spokeswoman for the British Foreign Office did not say how many British diplomats would be affected, but said Russia's response was regrettable and Moscow was in flagrant breach of international law over the killing of the former spy. The poisoning, in southern England, has united much of the West in taking action against what it regards as the hostile policies of President Vladimir Putin. This includes the United States under President Donald Trump, who Putin had hoped would improve ties. Russia rejects Britain's accusation it stood behind the attack and has cast the allegations as part of an elaborate Western plot to sabotage East-West relations and isolate Moscow. The hospital where she is being treated said on Thursday that Yulia Skripal was getting better after spending three weeks in a critical condition due to the nerve toxin attack. Her father remains in a critical but stable condition. The BBC, citing sources, reported on Friday that Yulia was "conscious and talking".

EXPULSIONS:
During the course of Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned senior embassy officials from Australia, Albania, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Croatia, Ukraine, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Canada and the Czech Republic. All were seen arriving in their official cars at the Foreign Ministry's gothic building in Moscow. "They (the diplomats) were handed protest notes and told that in response to the unwarranted demands of the relevant states on expelling Russian diplomats ... that the Russian side declares the corresponding number of staff working in those countries' embassies in the Russian Federation persona non grata," the ministry said in a statement. Four other countries -- Belgium, Hungary, Georgia and Montenegro -- had only "at the last moment" announced that they too were expelling Russian diplomats over the Skripal affair, and Moscow reserved the right to take retaliatory action against them too, it said. Emerging from the Foreign Ministry building, German ambassador Rudiger von Fritsch said Russia had questions to answer about the poisoning of Skripal, but Berlin remained open to dialogue with Moscow. The U.S State Department said after Russia announced the expulsions on Thursday evening that it reserved the right to respond further, saying the list of diplomats designated for expulsion by Russia showed Moscow was not interested in diplomacy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in a conference call with reporters on Friday, disagreed with that assessment, saying that Putin still favoured mending ties with other countries, including with the United States. 

You've got to love how far Russia is willing to try and play the victim in all of us (even if no one is buying it.) I guess invading, occupying, annexing, spying, hacking and poisoning around the world - not to mention the domestic programs of: surveillance, censorship and official discrimination of Gays, Jews and other minorities - isn't that time-consuming. They can add massive expulsions and finalizing their self-imposed International isolation to the list. ^



http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43596812

Russia's Website Ban

From the MT:
"Russia Bans Popular LGBT Website for 'Propaganda of Nontraditional Sexual Relations'"
Russia’s state media regulator has added a prominent website for the Russian gay community to a list of banned sites for violating a law on gay propaganda. In 2013, media regulator Roskomnadzor said the Gay.ru website did not violate the gay propaganda law that passed the same year. Polls show Russian attitudes toward homosexuality deteriorating since the passage of a law banning "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors.” Gay.ru wrote Friday that Roskomnadzor served it a ban notice pursuant to a court ruling in Siberia that it “disseminated information that promotes non-traditional sexual relations.”  An attached letter said the website’s administrators had 24 hours to remove unspecified “information prohibited for distribution in the Russian Federation.” If the website fails to adhere to Roskomnadzor’s orders, the state regulator gives its Internet service provider 24 hours to block access to the website. If the service provider fails to comply, Roskomnadzor will ban access to the website itself.  “We’ve been with you for 20 years, since September 1997 […] Our website is intended for persons over 18 years of age, whereof it contains an appropriate label,” the website wrote.  

^  The official discrimination of gays in Russia continues. I guess invading, occupying, annexing, hacking and poisoning around the country and the world isn't all that time-consuming.  ^


New Florist

After 4 years we need a new florist in New York. The old florist can't seem to manage delivering flowers to the National Cemetery on-time - we constantly had to keep on them to make sure they were sent - or take a picture of the flowers on the grave (with their phone) and e-mail it to us. Yesterday they sent pictures of the flowers sitting in their store. The amount of times we use them a year and the cost of each floral arrangement we at least deserve an e-mailed picture since none of us are in New York anymore. Now I am searching for both a new florist and someone local to pick them up and deliver them to the gravesite.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Easter Movies/Shows

From USA Today:
"Easter weekend viewing guide: Christian movies, TV specials you can watch"

For those celebrating Easter, it's possible to have Jesus in your heart and on your screens all weekend long.  This Sunday, singers John Legend, Sara Bareilles and Alice Cooper will take the stage in NBC's stripped-down production of Jesus Christ Superstar Live (8 ET/PT). If you're seeking even more faith-based entertainment, these divine movies and TV specials might be the answer to your prayers:

TV:

'The Greatest Story Ever Told'    Saturday, TCM, 8 ET/PT
Swedish legend Max von Sydow plays the Messiah in this four-hour 1965 drama, which tracks Jesus' life from the Nativity through the Resurrection. Dorothy McGuire, Charlton Heston and Claude Rains co-star, while John Wayne, Sidney Poitier and Angela Lansbury also make appearances.

'Killing Jesus'  Saturday, National Geographic, 8 ET/PT 
Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) and Stephen Moyer (True Blood) headline this 2015 adaptation of Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard's best-selling non-fiction book, which examines the political and historical conflicts that led to Jesus' execution by the Romans.

'The Ten Commandments'   Saturday, ABC, 8 ET/PT
Nominated for seven Academy Awards including best picture, this 3½-hour 1956 epic follows Moses (Heston) in his quest to free the Israelites from Egypt and lead them to Canaan. Come for the plagues, stay for the parting of the Red Sea.

'Heaven Is for Real' Sunday, Lifetime, 8 ET/PT
A box-office wonder with $91.4 million, this 2014 family drama centers on the 4-year-old son (Connor Corum) of a pastor (Greg Kinnear) who claims to have experienced heaven during emergency surgery. Adapted from Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent's 2010 best seller. 

MOVIES:
'God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness'
The third installment of the hit religious franchise, following a congregation searching for hope after their church burns down. (In theaters Friday.)

'I Can Only Imagine'
The rags-to-riches true story of MercyMe lead singer Bart Millard (J. Michael Finley), whose father's death inspired I Can Only Imagine, the best-selling Christian single ever. Dennis Quaid co-stars. (Now in theaters.)

'Paul, Apostle of Christ'
The Passion of the Christ star Jim Caviezel steps into the sandals of disciple Luke in this biblical drama, which tells the story of how Paul (James Faulkner) went from persecuting Christians to following God. (Now in theaters.)

'Getting Grace'
A faith-based dramedy about a girl dying of cancer (Madelyn Dundon) who goes to a funeral home to learn about death, but winds up teaching an awkward funeral director (Daniel Roebuck) about living life to the fullest. (Now in theaters.)

^ There are a lot more (especially animated shows and movies - like "Hop") but this is a good list to start with. ^

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2018/03/29/easter-weekend-viewing-guide-christian-movies-tv-specials-you-can-watch/462671002/


Good Friday


US' 25%

From the AP:
"US: Won't pay over 25 percent of UN peacekeeping anymore"

The United States will no longer shoulder more than a quarter of the multibillion-dollar costs of the United Nations' peacekeeping operations, Washington's envoy said Wednesday. "Peacekeeping is a shared responsibility," U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said at a Security Council debate on peacekeeping reform. "All of us have a role to play, and all of us must step up." The U.S. is the biggest contributor to the U.N.'s 15 peacekeeping missions worldwide. Washington is paying about 28.5 percent of this year's $7.3 billion peacekeeping budget, though Haley said U.S. law is supposed to cap the contribution at 25 percent. The second-biggest contributor, China, pays a bit over 10 percent. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has complained before that the budget and Washington's share are too high and pressed to cut this year's budget. It is $570 million below last year's, a smaller decrease than the U.S. wanted. "We're only getting started," Haley said when the cut was approved in June. It followed a $400 million trim the prior year, before Trump's administration. Haley said Wednesday that the U.S. will work to make sure cuts in its portion are done "in a fair and sensible manner that protects U.N. peacekeeping." The General Assembly sets the budget and respective contributions by vote. Spokesmen for Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declined to comment on Haley's remarks, noting that the 193 U.N. member states will decide the budget. Drawing over 105,000 troops, police and other personnel from countries around the world, the peacekeeping missions operate in places from Haiti to parts of India and Pakistan. Most are in African countries. The biggest is in Congo, where the Security Council agreed just Tuesday to keep the 16,000-troop force in place for another year. Some missions have been credited with helping to protect civilians and restore stability, but others have been criticized for corruption and ineffectiveness. In Mali, where 13,000 peacekeepers have been deployed since 2013, residents in a northern region still "don't feel safe and secure," Malian women's rights activist Fatimata Toure told the Security Council on Wednesday. She said violence remains pervasive in her section of a country that plunged into turmoil after a March 2012 coup created a security vacuum. "We have still not felt (the peacekeeping mission) deliver on its protection-of-civilians mandate," though it has helped in some other ways, Toure said. "We feel, as civilians, that we've been abandoned, left to our fate." Peacekeeping also has been clouded by allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation. An Associated Press investigative series last year uncovered roughly 2,000 claims of such conduct by peacekeepers and other U.N. personnel around the world during a 12-year period. Maintaining peace has become increasingly deadly work. Some 59 peacekeepers were killed through "malicious acts" last year, compared to 34 in 2016, Guterres said Wednesday. A U.N. report in January blamed many of the deaths on inaction in the field and "a deficit of leadership" from the world body's headquarters to remote locations. Guterres said Wednesday that the U.N. is improving peacekeepers' training, has appointed a victims' rights advocate for victims of sexual abuse and is reviewing all peacekeeping operations. Still, he said, more needs to be done to strengthen peacekeeping forces and ensure they are deployed in tandem with political efforts, not instead of them. They also shouldn't be overloaded with unrealistic expectations, he said. "Lives and credibility are being lost," he said. "A peacekeeping operation is not an army or a counterterrorist force or a humanitarian agency." Representatives from many countries also stressed a need for more focused, better prepared peacekeeping missions and more robust political peace processes. The U.N., its member states and countries that host peacekeeping missions all "need to shoulder our responsibilities," said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose country arranged the debate as this month's Security Council president.  

^ This is long over-due. It is time for some of the many other UN member-countries to step-up and start doing something for the world instead of always complaining about the US around the world. ^


Czech Change

From the BBC:
"Czechs consider national anthem update"

The Czech Republic's Olympic Committee has suggested an overhaul of the country's national anthem to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia. They have commissioned several new arrangements of the anthem, including a vocals-free version specifically for sporting events, Radio Prague reports. Kde domov můj (Where is my home), was adopted as Czechoslovakia's anthem in 1918, with one verse in Czech, followed by a second verse with a different melody in Slovak. In 1993, when the Czech Republic and Slovakia split, the two countries went their own way with their two verses, and Slovakia adopted the second verse, Nad Tatrou sa blýska (Lightning over the Tatras), as its own anthem. Now, Czech Olympic Committee president Jiří Kejval considers the existing anthem to be "too short" at just over a minute, and also "lacking in majesty", says Czech Television.  The new arrangement re-instates a largely forgotten Czech-language second verse by original lyricist Josef Kajetán Tyl, and features a more complex orchestral style to that of composer František Škroup's original. However, the newly beefed up versions haven't been welcomed with universal acclaim, with one music critic speaking on Czech TV calling it a "megalomaniacal arrangement under which the original composition is completely lost".  However, Mr Kejval is sticking to his guns, saying that it's right for the Olympic Committee to ask questions about the tune as it is mostly heard at sporting events, but he concedes that people might still be attached to the current version. "And even if it doesn't change, just having a discussion is a very good thing," he told Radio Prague.

^ It seems that many countries have decided to change their national anthems. It has become almost like a fad. The Czech Republic isn't considering changing its national anthem to make it gender-neutral like Canada did (which was ridiculous) but to make it longer. I don't know if that is good or bad - I have never heard the Czech National Anthem. I can say that I just hope  the US doesn't change our National Anthem. ^