The Evening Blues - 8-2-22



eb1pt12


The day's news roundup + tonight's musical feature: Johnny Shines

Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features delta bluesman Johnny Shines. Enjoy!

Johnny Shines - Two Steps to Hell

“For the powerful, crimes are those that others commit.”

-- Noam Chomsky


News and Opinion

I wonder if the morons in the NSC understand the concept of sovereignty. Mexicans have the "right to visit America," but that doesn't stop the U.S. from killing, arresting or brutalizing them when they cross the border if they fail to obtain proper permissions from the sovereign government of the U.S.

US says Beijing has no reason to turn Pelosi’s expected Taiwan visit into a ‘crisis’

The US national security council (NSC) has insisted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “has the right to visit Taiwan”, amid reports that she will be landing on the island on Tuesday – a move that China has vowed to respond to forcefully. Speaking at a press conference in Washington on Monday, NSC spokesman John Kirby said Pelosi has visited Taiwan before “without any incident”.

“There is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit consistent with longstanding US policies into some sort of crisis,” he added.

Around the same time, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, also told reporters that the speaker “will make her own decisions about whether or not to visit Taiwan,” stressing that Congress is independent from the White House.

“Congress is an independent, co-equal branch of government, the decision is entirely the speaker’s. This is very much precedent in the sense that [a] previous speaker has visited Taiwan. Many members of Congress go to Taiwan, including this year,” Blinken said, alluding to Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich’s visit in 1997.

Blinken added, of Beijing: “We are looking for them, in the event she decides to visit, to act responsibly and not to engage in any escalation going forward.”

China Threatens Outright WAR OVER Pelosi Visit To Taiwan

Pelosi arrives in Taipei voicing US 'unwavering commitment' to Taiwan

Nancy Pelosi Taiwan Visit Could Get Us All Killed

The arrogance of power is especially ominous and despicable when a government leader risks huge numbers of lives in order to make a provocative move on the world's geopolitical chessboard. Nancy Pelosi's plan to visit Taiwan is in that category. Thanks to her, the chances of a military confrontation between China and the United States have spiked upward.

Long combustible over Taiwan, the tensions between Beijing and Washington are now close to ablaze, due to Pelosi's desire to be the first House speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years. Despite the alarms that her travel plans have set off, President Biden has responded timidly—even while much of the establishment wants to see the trip canceled.

"Well, I think that the military thinks it's not a good idea right now," Biden said about the prospective trip on July 20. "But I don't know what the status of it is."

Biden could have put his presidential foot down and ruled out Pelosi's Taiwan trip, but he didn't. Yet, as days went by, news trickled out that opposition to the trip was extensive in the upper reaches of his administration.

"National security adviser Jake Sullivan and other senior National Security Council officials oppose the trip because of the risk of escalating tension across the Taiwan Strait," Financial Times reported. And overseas, "the controversy over the trip has sparked concern among Washington's allies who are worried that it could trigger a crisis between the U.S. and China."

Underscoring that the U.S. commander in chief is anything but an innocent bystander in terms of Pelosi's trip, officials disclosed that the Pentagon intends to provide fighter jets as escorts if she goes through with the Taiwan visit. Biden's unwillingness to clearly head off such a visit reflects the insidious style of his own confrontational approach to China.

More than a year ago—under the apt New York Times headline "Biden's Taiwan Policy Is Truly, Deeply Reckless"—Peter Beinart pointed out that from the outset of his presidency Biden was "chipping away" at the longstanding U.S. "one China" policy: "Biden became the first American president since 1978 to host Taiwan's envoy at his inauguration. In April, his administration announced it was easing decades-old limitations on official U.S. contacts with the Taiwanese government. These policies are increasing the odds of a catastrophic war. The more the United States and Taiwan formally close the door on reunification, the more likely Beijing is to seek reunification by force."

Beinart added: "What's crucial is that the Taiwanese people preserve their individual freedom and the planet does not endure a third world war. The best way for the United States to pursue those goals is by maintaining America's military support for Taiwan while also maintaining the 'one China' framework that for more than four decades has helped keep the peace in one of the most dangerous places on earth."

Now, Pelosi's move toward a visit to Taiwan has amounted to further intentional erosion of the "one China" policy. Biden's mealy-mouthed response to that move was a subtler type of brinkmanship.

Many mainline commentators, while very critical of China, acknowledge the hazardous trend. "The Biden administration remains committed to being more hawkish on China than its predecessor," conservative historian Niall Ferguson wrote on Friday. He added: "Presumably, the calculation in the White House remains, as in the 2020 election, that being tough on China is a vote-winner—or, to put it differently, that doing anything the Republicans can portray as 'weak on China' is a vote-loser. Yet it is hard to believe that this calculation would hold if the result were a new international crisis, with all its potential economic consequences."

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal summed up the current precarious moment with a headline declaring that Pelosi's visit "would likely sink tentative rapprochement between U.S., China."

But the consequences—far from being only economic and diplomatic—could be existential for all of humanity. China has several hundred nuclear weapons ready to use, while the United States has several thousand. The potential for military conflict and escalation is all too real.

"We keep claiming our 'one China' policy hasn't changed, but a Pelosi visit would clearly be precedent setting and can't be construed as in keeping with 'unofficial relations,'" said Susan Thornton, a former acting assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the State Department. Thornton added: "If she goes, the prospect of a crisis goes way up as China will need to respond."

Last week, a pair of mainstream policy analysts from elite think tanks—the German Marshall Fund and the American Enterprise Institute—wrote in the New York Times: "A single spark could ignite this combustible situation into a crisis that escalates to military conflict. Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan could provide it."

But July ended with strong indications that Biden has given a green light and Pelosi still intends to go ahead with an imminent visit to Taiwan. This is the kind of leadership that can get us all killed.

Pelosi to Visit Taiwan Despite Risk of Provoking China

Sources told Reuters that Pelosi was due to arrive in Taiwan on Tuesday and spend the night on the island. A US official told CNN that the Pentagon is preparing for her trip and is monitoring Chinese forces in the region. The Financial Times reported that Pelosi will meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday. ...

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the administration will support Pelosi’s trip. “We want to make sure that when she travels overseas, she can do so safely and securely and we’re going to make sure of that,” he said.

The Assassination of Ayman al-Zawahiri: CIA Drone Kills al-Qaeda Leader at Safe House in Kabul

Aaron Maté: Zelensky Is A Neoliberal PAWN, US Hits $8 BILLION In Aid To Ukraine

Food prices soaring in developing world amid Ukraine crisis, World Bank finds

Food inflation has soared across much of the developing world since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has trapped several richer countries in a cycle of rising prices, a report by the World Bank has found. The Washington-based development organisation said the war in eastern Europe would hit many countries with an increase in food bills worth more than 1% of their annual national income (GDP), while others would fail to contain the impact and be plunged into a full-blown debt crisis.

Lebanon was the worst-hit, the World Bank said, after a food grain store explosion in Beirut two years ago crippled the Mediterranean country’s ability to hold and distribute maize and wheat to its 6.8 million people.

Food inflation there hit 332% in the year to June, ahead of Zimbabwe’s 255% increase and Venezuela’s 155%. Turkey was fourth with a food inflation rate of 94%. ...

The World Bank said the shock increase in food prices over recent months was affecting most economies, including those with relatively high incomes. “The share of high-income countries with high inflation has also increased sharply, with about 78.6% experiencing high food price inflation.

Members of the Uhuru African Socialist Party speak after the FBI raided their home Friday morning.

FBI Raids St. Louis Black Liberation Group Alleging Russian Ties

Federal investigators raided the offices and homes of leaders involved with local Black liberation group under suspicion of Russian collusion early Friday morning. Officials of the Uhuru Solidarity Movement and African People’s Socialist Party say the FBI performed a "violent" raid with flash grenades and drones around 5 a.m. Friday morning.

At a news conference Friday, Chairman Omali Yeshitela said he and his wife were handcuffed during the raid as investigators searched their home. He said the FBI threw flash grenades into his home and performed the raid without knocking or showing him a search warrant. Yeshitela said the FBI believes the Uhuru Movement and African People’s Socialist Party may somehow be involved with Russia’s tampering in U.S. elections.

“What they have claimed is that they are indicting someone, a Russian nationalist who is in Russia,” Yeshitela said. “They have claimed that they were investigating the African People’s Socialist Party that I lead in the Uhuru Movement because of some association that we might have with the Russian government.” ...

Yeshitela said he visited Russia in 2014 as part of a conference organized by a Russian organization that dealt with an anti-globalization movement in Russia, but his involvement with the country did not extend beyond that. “This movement had conferences in Russia, organizing peoples from around the world who were opposed to globalization and who were struggling for self-determination,” Yeshitela said.

Yeshitela founded the African People's Socialist Party in 1972. According to its website, party members aim to free African and oppressed populations from "U.S. capitalist-colonialist domination."

FBI Raids Black Socialist Group Over Alleged Russia Ties

No Means Yes to Abortion: Kansas Votes on Confusing GOP-Backed Constitutional Amdt. to Ban Abortion

Collins-Murkowski Abortion Bill Denounced as 'Just Another Political Stunt'

As GOP-led states continue working to further restrict reproductive freedom in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's late June ruling, some progressive advocates on Monday responded critically to the introduction of bipartisan abortion rights legislation.

Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) introduced the Reproductive Freedom for All Act, which they claim "would undo the damage of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade."

NARAL Pro-Choice America president Mini Timmaraju declared that "this bill is just another political stunt that would not actually address the abortion rights and access crisis that has pushed care out of reach for millions of people already."

"Unless these senators are willing to end the filibuster to pass this measure, there's no reason to take it seriously," Timmaraju added.

According to the co-sponsors, the Reproductive Freedom for All Act would:

  • Prohibit state regulations that impose an undue burden on a woman’s access to pre-viability abortions, while allowing states to enact reasonable restrictions on post-viability abortions—provided that states cannot ban abortions that are necessary to protect the life or health of the mother;
  • Protect access to contraceptives; and
  • Preserve conscience protections.

NARAL noted that in February, then again in May—after a draft of the Dobbs decision leaked—both Collins and Murkowski refused to support the Women's Health Protection Act (WHPA), a Democrat-led bill to codify Roe, the 1973 decision that affirmed the constitutional right to abortion until it was recently overturned by the high court's far-right majority.

At least 10 Republican senators would have to join with the Democratic caucus to pass a bill, due to the filibuster rule that is backed by not only the GOP, but also Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who notably opposed WHPA.



the horse race



US Capitol attack: militia member gets longest prison sentence yet

An associate of the far-right Three Percenters militia group has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for his role in storming the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.

It is the longest sentence imposed so far among hundreds of cases related to the insurrection by extremist supporters of Donald Trump who sought to stop the official congressional certification of Joe Biden’s election victory over his Republican rival.

Prosecutors said Guy Reffitt had told fellow members of the Texas Three Percenters militia group that he planned to drag the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi out of the Capitol building by her ankles “with her head hitting every step on the way down”, according to a court filing.

Reffitt was sentenced in Washington DC on Monday after being convicted by a jury in March of obstructing Congress’ joint session, of interfering with police officers outside the Capitol and of threatening his two teenage children if they reported him to law enforcement.

Justice department prosecutors recommended a 15-year prison sentence for Reffitt, with the duration warranted “for terrorism”.

Krystal Ball: Libs FREAK Over Forward Party Cringe Launch



the evening greens


Worth a full read:

Climate endgame: risk of human extinction ‘dangerously underexplored’

The risk of global societal collapse or human extinction has been “dangerously underexplored”, climate scientists have warned in an analysis. They call such a catastrophe the “climate endgame”. Though it had a small chance of occurring, given the uncertainties in future emissions and the climate system, cataclysmic scenarios could not be ruled out, they said.

“Facing a future of accelerating climate change while blind to worst-case scenarios is naive risk management at best and fatally foolish at worst,” the scientists said, adding that there were “ample reasons” to suspect global heating could result in an apocalyptic disaster.

The international team of experts argue the world needs to start preparing for the possibility of the climate endgame. “Analysing the mechanisms for these extreme consequences could help galvanise action, improve resilience, and inform policy,” they said. Explorations in the 1980s of the nuclear winter that would follow a nuclear war spurred public concern and disarmament efforts, the researchers said. The analysis proposes a research agenda, including what they call the “four horsemen” of the climate endgame: famine, extreme weather, war and disease. ...

The analysis is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and was reviewed by a dozen scientists. It argues that the consequences of global heating beyond 3C have been underexamined, with few quantitative estimates of the total impacts. “We know least about the scenarios that matter most,” Kemp said. ...

Particularly concerning are tipping points, where a small rise in global temperature results in a big change in the climate, such as huge carbon emissions from an Amazon rainforest suffering major droughts and fires. Tipping points could trigger others in a cascade and some remained little studied, they said, such as the abrupt loss of stratocumulus cloud decks that could cause an additional 8C of global warming.

Germany puts coal power plant back on network after gas supply cut

A coal-fired power plant that had been mothballed has become the first of its kind to be put back on to the network in Germany, as debate rages over how Europe’s largest economy will cope without Russian gas. The facility in Lower Saxony, which is owned by the Czech energy company EGH, has received emergency permission to run until April in an attempt to boost energy production.

The move has been described by Germany’s economy minister, Robert Habeck, a leading Green, as a necessary evil, as he acknowledged it was a considerable setback to the country’s attempts to tackle the climate crisis. Meanwhile, Germany’s Greens ruled out lengthening the life of nuclear power plants due to be mothballed by the end of the year.

Ricarda Lang, the head of the Greens, who are in a coalition government with the Social Democrats and the pro-business FDP, said such a move would not happen as long as her party was in government. She rejected calls from the FDP finance minister, Christian Lindner, to keep open until about 2024 if necessary three nuclear power plants due to stop operation by the end of this year.

Kentucky death toll rises to 35 from devastating flooding as hundreds still missing

Heavy rain has pummeled Kentucky once again, raising fears of further devastating flooding that has already killed 35 people, with hundreds more still missing. Another round of rainstorms hit inundated mountain communities on Monday as more bodies emerged from the sodden landscape, and the state’s governor warned that high winds could bring falling trees and utility poles.

Governor Andy Beshear said the death toll rose to 35 while hundreds of people remained unaccounted for five days after one of the nation’s poorest regions was swamped by nearly a foot of rain. The water poured down hillsides and into valleys and hollows, engulfing entire towns. Mudslides marooned some people on steep slopes.

With the saturated ground unable to soak up more water, bridges have collapsed under the weight of flooding, isolating towns and communities and hampering rescue missions. Roads are impassable, mudslides have produced further hazards and many houses have been destroyed. At a press conference from the state capital, Frankfort, Beshear said that on top of everything else residents now had to contend with high winds. ...

With several western states fighting their own battles against wildfires, extreme heat and prolonged drought, Kamala Harris travelled to Miami on Monday to announce a $1bn package to deal with disasters exacerbated by the climate crisis. The vice-president was briefed by officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) about the multiple calamities striking the country simultaneously.


Also of Interest

Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.

Chris Hedges: When the Just Go to Prison

Chile’s Draft Constitution: Undemocratic—or Too Much Democracy?

Deliberately Provoking Nuclear War With China!

China announces targeted military operations around Taiwan

Nancy in Malaysia, Taiwan next? Kosovo calm, but fragile. Second turbine stuck in Canada

Pelosi-Taiwan: An Easy Way Out for Biden

The Anti-China Brainwashing Is Working: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix

Are Our Elites Starting To Get It?

Revelations since Shinzo Abe death shed light on Moonies’ influence

Trapped In The Slaughterhouse

NATO-backed network of Syria dirty war propagandists identified

Yanis Varoufakis: Inflation as a Political Power Play Gone Wrong

Coalition Representing 24 Million Workers Blasts 'Dangerous' Cuellar Bill

Google Forced To Reveal Secret Of Algorithms In Court

Brace Yourself for Federally-Insured Bank Failures Caused by Crypto

US begins court battle against publishing giants’ merger

CNN Denies We’re In A Recession To Boost Biden


A Little Night Music

Johnny Shines - Sweet Home Chicago

The Johnny Shines Blues Band - Dynaflow Blues

Johnny Shines - Ramblin'

Johnny Shines - Sitting On top Of The World

Johnny Shines - I Don't Know

Johnny Shines with Big Walter Horton - G. B. Blues

Johnny Shines - Two Trains Runnin'

Johnny Shines w/Big Walter Horton - Layin' Down My Shoes & Clothes

Johnny Shines - Terraplane Blues


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Comments

Saw this video on Youtube. The description of the video states "The hard work of Dutch plainclothes police officers to detain one of the participants in the protests of farmers". Have no way to validate the video, but some cops violently waylay what looks like peaceful people. The cops that showed up look to have really brained a few of the people.

Western rules based democracy in action. Violent content from human rights loving Europeans.

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joe shikspack's picture

@MrWebster

heh, no matter how much a people loves human rights, their police are invariably thugs that despise human rights and anyone who stands up for them.

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snoopydawg's picture

"In the face of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) accelerating aggression, our congressional delegation’s visit should be seen as an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner, as it defends itself and its freedom," Pelosi said.

That’s a declaration that says that if China makes any moves towards Taiwan then America will back Taiwan whilst talking out of the other side of its mouth saying that there is one China.

I’m seeing the shitlibs bending over backwards defending Pelosi’s trip there, but I’m guessing that if Pompeo had gone during Trump they’d be singing a different tune. Lots of xenophobia for China making an appearance from them after spending Trump’s years saying the opposite.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@snoopydawg

Lots of xenophobia for China making an appearance from them after spending Trump’s years saying the opposite.

Hypocrisy is usA.

What could be less "woke" than xenophobia?

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joe shikspack's picture

@snoopydawg

pelosi doesn't own an olive branch and would only try to hit people with it if she had one.

i guess she knows that she isn't going to be in congress much longer, so she wanted to make sure that she did something to goose up her investments in the military industrial complex on the way out.

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(or reported death). Anyone else find this odd? Old Joe probably thought this would be his ticket to reelection as OBL's was for Obama.

Is the Taliban surprised that the CIA continues to operate in Afghanistan? With whose help? Pakistan ISI (another reason why Khan had to go?)? Or is that a cover story? To mask a new rift between the Taliban and Haqqani network? Or gin up more anti-US sentiment in the country?

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joe shikspack's picture

@Marie

i guess biden needed a quick "win" before midterms to make it look like his military tough-guy act is working as all of his other efforts to poke hornets nests appear to be backfiring against america and its allies, immiserating millions.

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@joe shikspack
al-Zawahiri on the public airways 24/7 for the past nine months. Absent that, it's a shrug or a big who? from the public.

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snoopydawg's picture

You can move the slider to see how much it has shrunk since 1985 when it was at its fullest to where it is now. After receiving huge amounts of snow in 1983 where streams from the mountains were diverted to 2 major streets in SLC and the wasted money on pumps to pump water from it into the desert our winters have been wimpier every year. It’s been shrinking for well over 20 years and no one in government has done a damn thing about it except our legislators who are all real estate folks have allowed more water thirsty companies to move here. Who thought that building the NSA fusion center that uses billions of water a day was a bright idea to have it in Utah a desert state?

The state says that we can only water once a week and it seems people are doing it. Lawns around Ogden look like crap, but the golf courses are nice and green.

Romney is throwing $10 billion for a study. How long will that take? And for how much longer will government allow foreign countries to buy farms for crops that are extremely water thirsty to send home to their country?

The whole west has been in a 20 year drought that is the worst in 1,200 years, but I haven’t seen much talking about how to deal with it. Some cities in the west are totally out of water. I just don’t get the lack of concern for decades.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

joe shikspack's picture

@snoopydawg

I just don’t get the lack of concern for decades.

acting on those concerns would have hastened the time when the profits stop.

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CB's picture

Almost 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed yesterday. The Russians appear to be massively shelling opposing forces to 'soften' them up all along the front line to minimize troop losses.

I believe we will start to see more ground being taken at a greater rate in the Donbass region as they pulverize Ukraine's defensive lines and HQ's that have been constructed over the last 8 years with the assistance of NATO.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYzpy0WatAg]

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@CB He said the Russians would use massive firepower and then roll in with massive armor. One thing the pundits who seemed to make sense said was that NATO/US under-estimated the Russians and used military experience based on fighting under gunned insurgency groups. The Russians prepared for BIG War while NATO/US prepared to fight opponents like ISIS and Taliban. Even the design and construction of Western weapons cannot handle the rigors of Big War.

German weapons failing in Ukraine – media The howitzers apparently can’t handle the demands of combat

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joe shikspack's picture

@CB

yep, alexander mercouris said the other day that the russians are punching holes in the ukronazis frontlines in donetsk and that it seemed likely that russia would wrap up the donbass region by the end of august.

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The Liberal Moonbat's picture

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In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.

Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!

joe shikspack's picture

@The Liberal Moonbat

heh, refreshingly frank ought to spend a little more time studying power structures before offering such a simplistic solution. after all, any real relief would have to start with the liquidation of the billionaire class and its institutions.

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the MSM.

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joe shikspack's picture

@humphrey

i guess ordinary racism is still popular in europe and strongly supported by its institutions.

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enhydra lutris's picture

Alex' clown world today was a bit off, though probably right but only as a matter of scale. The Spanish Prime Minister has a point about going tie less. Some studies were done in the US, I think one in Denver, but won't swear as to locales. Casual wear every day seriously reduced energy consumption in the facilities in which it was tried, both AC in summer and Heat in winter. I doubt it would be enough to solve the EU energy crisis, but it would certainly help.

Members of the Uhuru African Socialist Party speak after the FBI raided their home Friday morning.

Accused of collaborating with Russia's "meddling" or "interference" in our elections? WTF even is that, and how the hell can it be illegal unless it is literal vote tampering?

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

joe shikspack's picture

@enhydra lutris

heh, well, i too am a proponent of ditching the tie, though on the grounds that uniforms are icky. i suppose that every little bit helps, though, i suspect that compared to the deficit in energy that europe is trying to make up, even allowing people to show up to work naked wouldn't reduce consumption enough to make a serious dent in the problem.

i suspect that we'll find that the allegations of russian conspiracy will be a lot like j. edgar's tendency to spot communist influence where it didn't exist.

have a great evening!

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dystopian's picture

Hi all, Hey Joe, Hope it's all good out there...

Johnny Shines was great, what an original real deal player, very good. Great there is some movie footage of him too. What a voice too, incredible. That Ma Rainey was awesome too, she was something else as well. Her and that Bessie Smith must have been a great party. Wink

Guess I need to ask folks now if they are in the drought burning up part, or the flooded part? There is open water going right up nearly to the north pole! But Zelensky and Pelosi give good kabuki.
http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2022/07/arctic-sea-ice-july-2022.html?m=1

Smart money is on weapons.

Thanks for the great soundscapes Joe!

be well all!

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

joe shikspack's picture

@dystopian

johnny shines and honeyboy edwards were authentic delta bluesmen who worked with robert johnson and brought elements of his style and repertoire north with them. fortunately they both had long lives and careers.

for now, maryland is doing pretty well, we are getting enough (but not too much) rain and the heat has occasionally ramped up, but it has been nowhere near as bad as some other parts of the country. i'd say that so far this summer has been a little cooler here than the average maryland summer. (phew!)

sorry that things are not as swell weatherwise in texas, i hope that things straighten out for you guys soon.

have a great evening!

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CB's picture

Donbass fighting is ‘hell’ – Zelensky
The president says Ukrainian forces can’t break Russia’s advantage in artillery and manpower.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on Tuesday that the fighting in Donbass was “hell,” claiming that Kiev’s military remained heavily outgunned and even outnumbered by Russia and appealing to the US and its allies for even more weapons such as the HIMARS rocket launchers.

In a five-minute address to Ukrainians, Zelensky thanked US President Joe Biden and NATO for sending the rocket artillery, calling it “very effective” and vowing to inflict “more painful losses” on the Russians, whom he described as a “horde” of invaders.
...
“Yet we are unable to break the Russian army’s advantage in artillery and manpower, and this is very much felt in the fighting, especially in Donbass. Peski, Avdeevka, other directions … It’s just hell there. It cannot even be described in words,” the Ukrainian president added.

The two towns near Donetsk, heavily fortified since 2015, have seen heavy fighting over the past week. On Tuesday, Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov, embedded with the military in Donbass, posted an expletive-laden report from Peski calling it a “meat grinder.” Butusov infamously filmed himself firing a cannon on the Donbass “separatists” last year.
...
“There is no counter-battery fire, none at all,” he wrote on Tuesday. Russian forces were firing “6,500 shells per f****g village in less than 24 hours. It’s been like this for six days now, and it’s hard to fathom how any number of our infantry remain alive under this barrage.”

Ukrainian troops were holding the line, Butusov claimed, but “without counter-battery fighting, it turns into a senseless meat grinder, where huge numbers of our infantry are chewed up in one day.” According to Butusov, a reserve platoon that tried to advance was taken apart in minutes, with only one out of 15 men left unharmed.

“All the reserves are spent, the military equipment goes up in flames, and the enemy approaches and takes our positions without any problems after another barrage of artillery,” he wrote. “Right now we are losing Péski, all our human and material capabilities are almost exhausted.”
...

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Diplomacy 101.

With all ongoing efforts to antagonize Russia and China at the same time there was an opportunity to go back to the JCPOA instead we get this.

https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/08/02/686653/Iran-feeding-gas-new-cen...

Iran’s foreign minister says the recent decision to feed gas into cascades of new centrifuges was a response to the United States’ insane obsession with imposing new sanctions against the country.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in remarks on Tuesday that the “irrational” and “insane” sanctions the US has slapped on his country will not have an adverse effect on Iran’s progress.

“I would like to point out that in response to this American action, Iran started feeding gas into hundreds of new generation centrifuges last night,” he said.

The top Iranian diplomat made it clear that the Americans will not gain any concessions in the negotiations that aim to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement by imposing new sanctions.

“They need to put aside their excessive demands,” he said. “We are people of logic and dialogue and we are serious about reaching a strong agreement, but if the Americans want to continue on this path, our hands will not be tied.”

Iran and the other parties to the nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have been engaged in sporadic rounds of talks since last April to revive the JCPOA by bringing the US back into the deal.

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snoopydawg's picture

@humphrey

There was no reason why they didn’t just reinstate the deal with the original terms since Iran had been adhering to it. Biden promised us that he would return us to it immediately, but he got scared of Israel and republicans saying bad things about him so he put unfair new rules that Iran would have to swallow follow. Trump withdrew us from it to please Bibi Nutenyahoo. So much for his American first policies.

We’ve joined Israel in new war games and Israel is once again threatening to attack Iran because they say they are ‘this close' to be able to build nuclear weapons. They’ve been saying that for 3-4 decades. Maybe if Israel stayed in its lane and quit stirring up trouble in the Middle East they wouldn’t feel so threatened.

Lol…someone asked if the USS Liberty was one of the ships used in our armada. I haven’t seen Israel attacking Syria since Russia told them to knock it off.

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@CB

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