Open Thread - 03-31-23 - Help Wanted

Help wanted for the Friday Open Thread. Inquire within the comments or private message me.

Share
up
7 users have voted.

Comments

QMS's picture

Hope someone volunteers to fill the slot.
Thanks for keeping the lights on.
Listening to a station on Radio Garden (H/T EL)
NR Astrology
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia
new age space music.

cheers

up
8 users have voted.

question everything

dystopian's picture

@QMS Hey QMS, I just wanted to second your hat tip to EL for the radio garden link. I have not wandered around the site really, just listen to the original link he sent from a station in Big Pine CA. Because that is where I graduated high school and we were still on smoke signals when I left. We could not get LA FM radio in '73. I sent the link to my brother and he replied WHO TF is this? I replied to him that if they play anything from Peter Green's The End of the Game album we'll know it is Buck Steele or a friend of his. LOL.

On a side note, moving from Huntington Bch. in Orange Co. to Big Pine, separated by 250 miles and at least 25 years, I went from having two brothers that were friends named Kyle and Kent, to two brothers named Buck and Mutt. I let you guess who was cooler. Smile

The weather reports have been of interest since for Mammoth Lakes, Mtn., etc. where a snow magnet for the Eastern Sierra. They have over 800 inches fallen at the summit so far this season. At utube check out Life in the Eastern Sierra channel vids recently, the guy drives around in it, and it has been bad. I did get to walk to school in 18" of fresh snow as a senior in high school. But it was not uphill both ways.

I wish I could help with the OT but Fridays are beyond buried for me. I have to do new spreadsheet price lists for a half dozen or more different overseas fish exporters. And I do my town supply run on Fridays, which am just about out the door for now, after having been at the desk all morning. So unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I can't consider it. Wink

have good ones all!

up
9 users have voted.

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

Lookout's picture

Hope someone will consider the Friday OT. Thanks JtC and OTC for stepping up.

With the scheduler it is not as difficult as it sounds to handle an OT.

Been busy this AM starting the mowing season this week. Also got in some plants and seed in the garden before tonight's rain.

Have a good Friday everyone!

up
9 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

snoopydawg's picture

The Most Dangerous International Treaty Ever Proposed

Human history is a story of forgotten lessons. Despite the catastrophic collapse of European democracy in the 1930s, it appears that the tale of the twentieth century – in which citizens, cowed by existential threats, acquiesced in the rejection of liberty and truth in favour of obedience and propaganda, whilst allowing despotic leaders to seize ever more absolutist powers – is perilously close to being forgotten.

Nowhere is this more evident than in relation to the apparent nonchalance which has greeted two international legal agreements currently working their way through the World Health Organisation: a new pandemic treaty, and amendments to the 2005 International Health Regulations, both due to be put before the governing body of the WHO, the World Health Assembly, in May next year.

As concerned scholars and jurists have detailed, these agreements threaten to fundamentally reshape the relationship between the WHO, national governments, and individuals.

They would hardwire into international law a top-down supranational approach to public health in which the WHO, acting in some cases via the sole discretion of one individual, its Director General (DG), would be empowered to impose sweeping, legally binding directions on member states and their citizens, ranging from mandating financial contributions by individual states; to requiring the manufacture and international sharing of vaccines and other health products; to requiring the surrender of intellectual property rights; overriding national safety approval processes for vaccines, gene-based therapies, medical devices and diagnostics; and imposing national, regional and global quarantines preventing citizens from traveling and mandating medical examinations and treatments

Let me know if y’all are bored with this topic. I think it’s very important that we are aware of what it does.

Related

up
8 users have voted.

The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt

studentofearth's picture

@snoopydawg by a small group of people. The intent is to override power structures in sovereign nations. Their arbitrary rules will supersede the traditional power methods of political, military, organized religions and individual rights.

It is a fairly brilliant plan. A small group of control freaks would no longer have to worry about US political races to create global rules.

up
7 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

up
11 users have voted.
snoopydawg's picture

@humphrey

Every person in America should be outraged by the government restricting their right to free speech and yet the effing shitlibs want it to crack down harder on what they think isn’t true. Dumb shits have forgotten:

First they came for…..but I wasn’t one of them! And then they came for me!

Civil Rights abuses never ever stop at just those who you don’t like. Now just imagine their reaction if this had happened during Trump.

up
9 users have voted.

The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt

@snoopydawg

up
9 users have voted.
soryang's picture

@humphrey ...by Scott.

The public fora owned by corporate media aren't really private. The communications giants try to use a "state action" foundational requirement to block the argument that what they are doing infringes the right of free speech. The problem with this legal argument is that the public forum created by private corporations are using the government provided carrier airwave monopoly. Therefore they are aren't private, there is a major public state owned property interest in the services that they provide. Without the easements and wavelength licenses provided at various levels of government, interstate and local, these so called "private" businesses couldn't even exist. So there is large state interest or component to their activities. By permitting these communications corporations to get away with censorship of speech, without due process and clear transparent standards is to say the right of free speech doesn't really exist.

In addition to this, we have the disclosures from Matt Taibbi, of the behind the scenes even more malevolent censorship functions being covertly imposed by state agenccies, on the so called private carrier. If there isn't a state action component to actions by Twitter, and other social media, the government could use that specious legal fiction of "private carrier" to completely eviscerate the right to expression on any communications media.

There will always be limits on fighting words, defamation, solicitation of criminal acts, violations of decency standards, and the advocacy of the overthrow of the government that presents an immediate security threat, the "shouting fire in a theater exception" and the like, but what is being done to gag Scott and others, whether people agree with them or not, is clearly repression of the core definition of free expression of political speech.

My 2 cents. Thanks for posting Humphrey.

up
9 users have voted.

語必忠信 行必正直

snoopydawg's picture

@soryang

That won’t just affect Europe but almost all countries that have social media. Hillary pushed for them to pass it of course. History will remember her for releasing one of the biggest psyops in history on America.

As for the Trum indictment never forget that Obama authorized the assassination of 2 Americans without due process. When will he be indicted for this?

up
8 users have voted.

The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt

@snoopydawg

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_5504

The European Commission adopted today a European Media Freedom Act, a novel set of rules to protect media pluralism and independence in the EU. The proposed Regulation includes, among others, safeguards against political interference in editorial decisions and against surveillance. It puts a focus on the independence and stable funding of public service media as well as on the transparency of media ownership and of the allocation of state advertising. It also sets out measures to protect independence of editors and disclose conflicts of interest. Finally, the Act will address the issue of media concentrations and create a new independent European Board for Media Services, comprised of national media authorities. The Commission also adopted a complementary Recommendation to encourage internal safeguards for editorial independence.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/rt-sputnik-content-officially-banned-across-...

Russian-backed media RT and Sputnik are officially banned in the European Union as of today, as the bloc hardens its stance against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The restrictions prohibit broadcasting content from the two television channels and their subsidiaries, downloading their apps and sharing their output on social media platforms, according to documents published by the European Commission today.

“In order to justify and support its aggression of Ukraine, the Russian Federation has engaged in continuous and concerted propaganda actions targeted at EU and neighboring civil society members, gravely distorting and manipulating facts,” the Commission wrote.

State-controlled media “are essential and instrumental in bringing forward and supporting the aggression against Ukraine and for the destabilization of its neighboring countries,” according to the Commission. “It is necessary to urgently suspend the activities of such media outlets in the EU, until the aggression to Ukraine is put to an end.”

up
7 users have voted.

Zambian opposition leader Fred M'membe on Kamala Harris' visit to the country today: Zambian opposition leader Fred M'membe on Kamala Harris' visit to the country today: A country that has overthrown so many governments in Africa, that has led so many coups in Africa and other parts of the world. The country that has killed so many of our leaders in Africa and other parts of the world. The assassins of Patrice Lumumba, the assassins of Kwame Nkrumah, the assassins of Nasser, the assassins of Muammar Gaddafi will come today to teach us about democracy. A country that was built on brute force, on the enslavement of other human beings, on the humiliation of Africans, on the exploitation of Africans, will come today to teach us democracy. If you do not have respect for the dignity of others, if you do not respect the sovereignty of other countries, you cannot claim the title of “democracy champion”
up
10 users have voted.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/17/uk-approves-us-extradition-of-w...

17 Jun 2022
British Home Secretary Priti Patel has approved the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to face criminal charges, bringing his longrunning legal saga closer to a conclusion.

Assange is wanted by US authorities on 18 counts, including a spying charge, relating to WikiLeaks’ release of vast troves of confidential US military records and diplomatic cables which Washington said had put lives in danger.

up
7 users have voted.
mimi's picture

German politician who gets on your nerves the most, I tell you who I think is the worst American politician who gets on my nerves the most. (Trump and Biden excluded).

You start.

PS, I could take over the Friday Open threat, If it could be an empty thread. The solution to all problems is to remain silent. Bingo.

up
5 users have voted.
QMS's picture

@mimi

On the Friday open thread, as you know, it is basically easy. Once run thru the steps,
not is automatic. Could do it on any other day.

1. Open new thread
2. Type whatever in the subject line
3. Type whatever in the body
4. go down the page to tags
5. type Open Threads
6. go to scheduler at the bottom
7. put in date and time
8. hit save

That's it! Your post will come up as an open thread your at chosen date.
We can send you the banner code, if you want to get fancy.

Thanks for considering this!

up
5 users have voted.

question everything

mimi's picture

@QMS the steps to put it together, it is that I fear I am too insulting to everybody about what goes through my mind, if I were to write it down. And I am going downhill memory wise. I can feel me brain's dysfunction. I rather hide that.

up
5 users have voted.
QMS's picture

@mimi

so, if you put down the word 'whatever'
in the title and body, there makes no harm.
It is an opportunity for members to put up
their own 'whatever'. Respond or not. No
matter. It's the spirit that counts.

up
6 users have voted.

question everything

mimi's picture

@QMS @QMS
@QMS
strong enough to sit up and work from my PC. There is a song 'I will survive' - Just imagine the song to be inserted here.

Anyhow it is April fools day, I am dead already. Don't get confused. Smile

up
5 users have voted.
janis b's picture

@mimi

Just kidding ; )

up
5 users have voted.
mimi's picture

@janis b Everybody and everything fools me. That is my revenge.

I hope everything is well in your woods and hills, friend. Nolthing else left in my brain aside from foolish things. It is 'foolishbar'.

You really expect me to be serious? Better do not.

up
6 users have voted.
janis b's picture

@mimi

Your combination of foolishbar and seriousbar are uniquely appreciated.

up
2 users have voted.
snoopydawg's picture

Want to know the truth about how it was fake and used to create fear across the world?

Read this and then remember that it spread across the world in record breaking time which is very unlikely for a global pandemic. Viruses don’t just show up everywhere all at once.

One of the ways they created the fear of dying from the Rona:

The Lies of Bergamo

The now infamous Bergamo image of three long rows of lined up coffins spread like wildfire and shocked the world without any investigation of the veracity of the photos by the duplicitous media hyenas who instead fanatically fanned the Covid flames at every turn.

Responsible reporting would have authenticated that the photo in question was taken in a hangar at Lampedusa Airport back on October 5, 2013.

The coffins in that photo were filled with corpses of African migrants who perished in a shipwreck, the body count was an estimated 360 deaths, off the coast of Lampedusa, an Italian island off the coast of Tunisia.

Click to see all the info in this tweet.

The area had already been seeing lots of deaths from chronic lung diseases because of air and soil pollution and people were dying more because of austerity measures against health care in the region.

Austerity Measures and Health Infrastructure

Compounding the abysmal environmental conditions facing the people of Northern Italy are austerity measures of the past two decades which have decimated Italian public services, severely decreasing health care resources.

Examining the state of the hospitals in northern Italy, long before the “pandemic”, a pattern starts to emerge.

A 2019 review on the current state of Italian hospitals, “Health & Hospitals in Italy. 17th Annual Report”, noted a “significant increase in 2019 of people on waiting lists and for longer times, compared to the already problematic situation in 2018,” and a, “pronounced deterioration, over the last 5 years, of the “connection” systems between general medicine and hospitals and between these and post-hospitalization services (rehabilitation, long-term care, assisted living homes and home care service).”

The charged atmosphere and resulting firestorm created by a trumpeted “viral invasion” brutally exposed the effects of 20 years of cuts to the national health care system.

A 2013 Oxfam report on the impacts of austerity measures, “THE TRUE COST OF AUSTERITY AND INEQUALITY Italy Case Study” highlighted the decline in Italian health services.

The report noted that in 2000, Italy was 2nd in the world for health coverage. The reports cited that by 2011, due to yearly declines in health spending, “more than nine million people declared that they could not access some health services for economic reasons.”

Further cuts magnified an already volatile situation. Over the period 2010–19, the Italian National Healthcare Service suffered financial cuts of more than €37 billion as it experienced a progressive privatization of health-care services. Government spending on healthcare, decreasing for years, spiraled down to a rate below what the WHO considered capable of offering basic health care.

These comprehensive cuts also had severe effects on the healthcare workforce and available hospital beds and equipment, effectively hampering the ability of care facilities to effectively treat patients.

The period from 2009 to 2017 saw 5.2 percent of healthcare staff cut. In the last 10 years, 70,000 beds were lost. In acute medical units bed availability dropped from 922 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1980 to 262 per 100,000.

The U.K. has also starved their healthcare with austerity measures and have moved more of it into privatization just like hedge funds have been buying up hospitals here and closing them down creating less ICU beds available for communities. Starvation tactics usually have very negative consequences for people.

The whole article is worth reading.

up
7 users have voted.

The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt