IMRAN AWAN INDICTMENT: SOMETHING VERY STRANGE GOING ON HERE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qLanISdoxA
Reflections from news and commentary of the day
Thursday, August 31, 2017
IMRAN AWAN INDICTMENT: SOMETHING VERY STRANGE GOING ON HERE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qLanISdoxA
Will special counsel Mueller examine the DNC server, source of the great Russiagate caper?
Will special counsel Mueller examine the DNC server, source of the great Russiagate caper?
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/russia-hacking-dnc-server-comey-mueller-hillary-clinton-20170829.html
New America Foundation Head Anne-Marie Slaughter Botches Laundering Google’s Money, Fires Anti-Trust Team at Eric Schmidt’s Behest
New America Foundation Head Anne-Marie Slaughter Botches Laundering Google’s Money, Fires Anti-Trust Team at Eric Schmidt’s Behest
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2017/08/new-america-foundation-head-anne-marie-slaughter-botches-laundering-googles-money.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NakedCapitalism+%28naked+capitalism%29
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Europe: Jihadists Exploit Welfare Benefits
Europe: Jihadists Exploit Welfare Benefits
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10916/jihadist-welfare-benefits#continued
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Business as Usual: The Long History of Corporate Personhood
Business as Usual: The Long History of Corporate Personhood
https://bostonreview.net/politics/lawrence-b-glickman-business-usual-long-history-corporate-personhoodManhattan College Track and Field Reunion 2017 - YouTube
See UTube link below for Joe Kearney at .1 and .14 minutes.
Manhattan College Track and Field Reunion 2017 - YouTube
How worried should we be about the military’s takeover of American foreign policy?
General Concerns
How worried should we be about the military’s takeover of American foreign policy?
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/interrogation/2017/08/the_military_takeover_of_american_foreign_policy.html
Monday, August 28, 2017
New Senior Adviser to US Ambassador to Israel: Ideology Trumps Experience
New Senior Adviser to US Ambassador to Israel: Ideology Trumps Experience
http://lobelog.com/new-senior-adviser-to-us-ambassador-to-israel-ideology-trumps-experience/#more-40824Trump swings a wrecking ball at US–Asia relations
Trump swings a wrecking ball at US–Asia relations
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2017/08/27/trump-swings-a-wrecking-ball-at-us-asia-relations/
Sunday, August 27, 2017
"It's a War on Christians": Muslim Persecution of Christians, April 2017
"It's a War on Christians": Muslim Persecution of Christians, April 2017
by Raymond Ibrahim • August 27, 2017 at 4:30 am
- "The shopkeepers returned, trapped him in his home, set the room on fire and locked it. They stayed outside the room and did not allow any of the family members or local residents to unlock the room to save Ameen's life." The man was burned alive. — Pakistan Christian Post.
- Mike said that five uniformed railway transport officers stood by idly watching the attack. According to a local Orthodox priest, "There are gangs of these young fellows of Muslim background who have been harassing people they identify as Christian... You don't hear about it because no one's reporting it." — Sydney, Australia.
- According to a new study, 59% of Indonesians who responded to a survey have carried out acts of intolerance against non-Muslim minorities, and religious radicalization is on the rise. Only 11% of Indonesians are strongly opposed to an Islamic nation that governs according to strict Islamic law, Sharia. Around 11.5 million Indonesians are "spiritually" ready to make radical fundamental changes in Indonesian society. "They want to adopt laws inspired by Sharia, and their demands will become more and more radical," said a spokesperson for the statistical study. — Indonesia.
In
Muslim enclaves of southwest Sydney, Christians are regularly warned
not to wear overtly Christian symbols such as crucifixes. A Greek
Orthodox man wearing a crucifix necklace was recently violently
assaulted by four Muslim men who yelled "F*** Jesus", while he was
traveling on a train from Belmore Station, Sydney. Pictured: All Saints
Greek Orthodox Church, Belmore, Sydney, Australia. (Image source:
Sardaka/Wikimedia Commons)
As in former years, Easter was under attack in various Muslim nations, most spectacularly in Egypt. On April 9, two Coptic Christian Orthodox churches packed with worshippers for Palm Sunday
Mass, which initiates Easter holy week, were attacked by Islamic
suicide bombers. Twenty-seven people—mostly children—were killed in St.
George's in Tanta, northern Egypt. "Where is the government?" an angry
Christian there asked AP reporters. "There is no government! There was a
clear lapse in security, which must be tightened from now on to save
lives." Less than two hours later,
17 people were killed in St. Mark's Cathedral in Alexandria. Since the
original building, founded by the Evangelist Mark in the first century,
was burned to the ground during the seventh century Muslim invasions of
Egypt, the church has been the historic seat of Coptic Christianity.
Pope Tawadros, who was present—and apparently targeted—emerged unharmed.
About 50 Christians were killed in the two bombings, 126 wounded and
many mutilated. (Graphic images/video of aftermath here).
Continue Reading Article
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10902/war-on-christians-persecution
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10902/war-on-christians-persecutionTop State Department Officials Step Down in “Black Friday” Exodus
Top State Department Officials Step Down in “Black Friday” Exodus
The State Department's Top U.N. Expert Steps Down On Eve of Trump's Turtle Bay Debut
http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/08/27/top-state-department-officials-step-down-in-black-friday-exodus/amp/
Saudi Arabia calls deadly strike on Yemeni civilians a 'mistake'
Saudi Arabia calls deadly strike on Yemeni civilians a 'mistake'
http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/25/middleeast/yemen-airstrike-sanaa/index.html
Saturday, August 26, 2017
An Amazon Drone Has Delivered Its First Products to a Paying Customer
An Amazon Drone Has Delivered Its First Products to a Paying Customer
The company’s first-ever autonomous aerial delivery is an important step forward for the technology.
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603141/an-amazon-drone-has-delivered-its-first-products-to-a-paying-customer/?utm_source=MIT+Technology+Review&utm_campaign=017c644c32-Weekend_Reads&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-017c644c32-153856085&mc_cid=017c644c32&mc_eid=e25735476a
Amazon Lays Out Its Vision for a Sky Thronging with Delivery Drones
Amazon Lays Out Its Vision for a Sky Thronging with Delivery Drones
To get its drone delivery service off the ground, Amazon must convince regulators to adopt its ideas for drone traffic control.
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/539726/amazon-lays-out-its-vision-for-a-sky-thronging-with-delivery-drones/?utm_source=MIT+Technology+Review&utm_campaign=017c644c32-Weekend_Reads&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-017c644c32-153856085&mc_cid=017c644c32&mc_eid=e25735476a
Friday, August 25, 2017
Talking to My Daughter About Charlottesville
Talking to My Daughter About Charlottesville
“Once your children know that even one person detests their bones and breath, they know.”
https://catapult.co/stories/legacies-talking-to-my-daughter-about-racism-and-charlottesville?src=longreads&utm_source=Weekly+Longreads+Email&utm_campaign=61d382a36c-Longreads_Top_5_August_25_2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bd2ad42066-61d382a36c-239031537&mc_cid=61d382a36c&mc_eid=9528811089
A Most American Terrorist: The Making of Dylann Roof
A Most American Terrorist: The Making of Dylann Roof
https://www.gq.com/story/dylann-roof-making-of-an-american-terrorist?src=longreads&utm_source=Weekly+Longreads+Email&utm_campaign=61d382a36c-Longreads_Top_5_August_25_2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bd2ad42066-61d382a36c-239031537&mc_cid=61d382a36c&mc_eid=9528811089Will Trump’s “America First” Result in U.S. Economy Being Left Behind in Asia?
Will Trump’s “America First” Result in U.S. Economy Being Left Behind in Asia?
https://www.csis.org/analysis/southeast-asia-scott-circle-will-trumps-america-first-result-us-economy-being-left
Thursday, August 24, 2017
White Supremacists Have Stumbled Into a Huge Issue in Genetic Ancestry Testing
White Supremacists Have Stumbled Into a Huge Issue in Genetic Ancestry Testing
https://www.technologyreview.com/the-download/608673/white-supremacists-have-stumbled-into-a-huge-issue-in-genetic-ancestry-testing/?utm_source=MIT+Technology+Review&utm_campaign=e0752cde62-weekly_roundup_2017-08-24_edit&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-e0752cde62-153856085&goal=0_997ed6f472-e0752cde62-153856085&mc_cid=e0752cde62&mc_eid=e25735476a
Climate-Change Research Is Getting a Big Dose of AI
Climate-Change Research Is Getting a Big Dose of AI
https://www.technologyreview.com/the-download/608726/climate-change-research-is-getting-a-big-dose-of-ai/?utm_source=MIT+Technology+Review&utm_campaign=e0752cde62-weekly_roundup_2017-08-24_edit&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-e0752cde62-153856085&goal=0_997ed6f472-e0752cde62-153856085&mc_cid=e0752cde62&mc_eid=e25735476aWednesday, August 23, 2017
Does Talcum Powder Cause Ovarian Cancer?
Does Talcum Powder Cause Ovarian Cancer?
https://www.livescience.com/54264-does-talcum-powder-cause-ovarian-cancer.html
Trump and the Geopolitics of Crazy
Trump and the Geopolitics of Crazy
http://lobelog.com/trump-and-the-geopolitics-of-crazy/#more-40768
Fr. Warren's Week Reflection: The Canaanite Woman - Matthew 15:21-28
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| The Canaanite Woman ‑ Matthew 15:21‑28 | |||||
| We have a dramatic scene in today's Gospel, Jesus and the disciples are walking along and a hysterical woman comes up to them crying with the intensity of a mother whose child needs help. She is not a Jew but she must have heard of this wonder worker who cures people. She does not ask for help, she shouts it. She annoys the disciples and they try to persuade Jesus to get rid of her. The woman does not fit into the plans for the day. | |||||
| The problem is not with the woman, it is with Jesus. It is his job to save Israel; he is a Jew with a mission to his fellow Jews. Jesus reminds the woman that he was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. Here is where the tension lies, where there is a standoff of the story. There are two people on either sides of an issue but note what she does, she tries a second time and she drops the "Son of David" and simply says "Lord" or "Sir", help me. In other words she drops his particularity and appeals to universality. She is saying to forget the boundaries for a moment. "I have a daughter and she has a deformed body and a dark mind. She will never run and play with other children and she is hurting so badly. Can't you for once forget our label?" | |||||
| Jesus knows she is right. He may be a Jew but he is also Lord. Finally he says "Great is your faith" and the daughter lived. As St. Luke tells us, Jesus grew in wisdom, age and grace. He learned to see his mission wider than what he first thought. | |||||
| It is a dramatic and colorful story but we are not quite through. Let's go back to the woman, the loud‑mouthed, persistent woman. What drove her so? What made her cross boundaries? What fired her passion? It was her daughter of course. She is consumed by her love, by her mission. She is a mother and her mission is her daughter. Her demon‑filled daughter is going to die or endure a living death. If this Jewish Messiah can help them then by God, he is going to. | |||||
| Little things like nationality and ethnic rivalry are not going to stand in her way. What convinces Jesus that the spirit is at work in the Canaanite woman? Is it her deep love of her daughter and her persistent faith in his power to heal the child? Jesus cannot deny her request which is clear proof that the spirit is expanding his mission to the Gentile world. | |||||
| All through the Gospels, we see that Jesus encounters deep faith and love in religious outsiders like the Canaanite woman and the Roman Centurion. He also encounters it in religious outcasts within Israel.... Lepers, sinners and the poor who neither know nor keep the law. | |||||
| Matthew's gospel was written for primarily Jewish converts who were facing the rapid expansion of the Jesus movement into Gentile areas. They had to think outside the box and stretch their sense of special privilege and realize that all are welcome within the love of God revealed in Christ Jesus. You may as well get used to it now because the people in Heaven with you will include Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and many, many more. No one is outside of God's grace. Our own place at God's table may put us next to someone we never thought would be as cherished by God as we ourselves want to be. | |||||
| So what about the woman? We never hear of her again. We do not even know her name. I wonder... I wonder if with joyful tears she stood up... stood up and bowed to Jesus in thanks... and he with a knowing smile bowed to her, the woman who changed the mind of Jesus. | |||||
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Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Despite Stock Boom, Many of America’s Richest Getting Ready for a Major Crisis
Despite Stock Boom, Many of America’s Richest Getting Ready for a Major Crisis
http://thecrux.com/dyncontent/americas-richest-are-preparing-for-major-crisis/?cid=MKT335410&eid=MKT338443
Infrastructure, Investment, Oil & Gas Infrastructure, Jobs And Economic Growth
What Was Actually Inside The Ark of the Covenant?
What Was Actually Inside The Ark of the Covenant?
http://www.ucatholic.com/blog/what-was-actually-inside-the-ark-of-the-covenant/
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Saturday, August 19, 2017
Vatican liturgy chief calls for ‘revolt’ to defend traditional family values
Vatican liturgy chief calls for ‘revolt’ to defend traditional family values
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cardinal-sarah-calls-for-revolt-to-defend-traditional-family-values?utm_content=buffer379ef&utm_medium=social&utm_source=restoringculture%2Bfacebook&utm_campaign=buffer
Who Was Really at Fault in Charlottesville?
Who Was Really at Fault in Charlottesville?
https://amgreatness.com/2017/08/16/really-fault-charlottesville/
Muslims Tell Europe: "One Day All This Will Be Ours"
Muslims Tell Europe: "One Day All This Will Be Ours"
by Giulio Meotti • August 19, 2017 at 5:00 am
Hungary's
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán recently said: "Our view is that we must
solve our demographic problems by relying on our own resources and
mobilising our own reserves, and... by renewing ourselves spiritually".
(Image source: David Plas/Wikimedia Commons)
This week, yet another
Islamic terrorist attack targeted the Spanish city of Barcelona. As it
was for many years under Muslim rule, it is, therefore, like Israel,
land which many Islamists believe they are entitled to repossess.
At
the same time, far from Spain, elementary schools have been closing,
shuttered by the state after the number of children dropped to less than
10% of the population. The government is converting these structures
into hospices, providing care for the elderly in a country where 40% of
the people are 65 or older. That is not a science-fiction novel. That is
Japan, the world's oldest and most sterile nation, where there is a
popular expression: "ghost civilization".
Continue Reading Article
 https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10748/europe-muslims-demography |
Google and ProPublica team up to build a national hate crime database
Google and ProPublica team up to build a national hate crime database
https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/18/google-documenting-hate-news-index-propublica/
Cyberspace and Race
Cyberspace and Race
The color-blind Web: a techno-utopia, or a fantasy to assuage liberal guilt?
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/401404/cyberspace-and-race/?utm_source=MIT+Technology+Review&utm_campaign=2749f14f46-Weekend_Reads&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-2749f14f46-153856085&mc_cid=2749f14f46&mc_eid=e25735476a
Friday, August 18, 2017
Steve Bannon tried to destroy “globalism.” It destroyed him instead.
Steve Bannon tried to destroy “globalism.” It destroyed him instead.
https://www.vox.com/world/2017/8/18/16169486/steve-bannon-departure-foreign-policy
The Week With IPS 8/18/2017
| 2017/8/18 |
Click here for the online version of this IPS newsletter
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Women Slowly Break Barriers in Bangladesh
Mahfuzur Rahman
When one thinks of Bangladesh, its political leadership naturally comes
to mind as the leaders of the country’s major parties are women,
including the Prime Minister, the Opposition Leader and the Speaker of
the National Parliament.
When it comes to gender equality in daily life, the reality is ...
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Soy Changes Map of Brazil, Set to Become World’s Leading Producer
Mario Osava
“Our wealth lies in the climate, not in the land,” said Antonio Galván,
president of the Rural Union of Sinop, a municipality created just 37
years ago, which has prospered due to the continued expansion of soy in
Brazil.
Sinop, population 133,000, is the biggest city in northern Mato Grosso, a
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When Policies Speak the Same Language, Africa’s Trade and Investment Will Listen
Busani Bafana
The rising Maputo-Catembe Bridge is a hard-to-miss addition to
Mozambique’s shoreline.
The 725-million-dollar bridge – billed to be the largest suspension
bridge in Africa on its completion in 2018 – represents Mozambique’s new
investment portfolio and a show of its policy commitment to boosting
...
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Minamata Convention, Curbing Mercury Use, is Now Legally Binding
IPS World Desk
The Minamata Convention -- a legally-binding landmark treaty, described
as the first new environmental agreement in over a decade – entered into
force August 16.
The primary aim of the Convention is "to protect human health and the
environment” from mercury releases, which are considered both ...
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Population Aging: Hallmark of the 21st Century
Joseph Chamie
While rapid population growth may be the defining feature of the 20th
century, with world population nearly quadrupling from 1.6 to 6.1
billion, the hallmark of the 21st century is likely to be population
aging.
The consequences of the population aging are reverberating across the
globe. The ...
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What Does “Climate-Smart Agriculture” Really Mean? New Tool Breaks It Down
Desmond Brown
A Trinidadian scientist has developed a mechanism for determining the
degree of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) compliance with respect to
projects, processes and products.
This comes as global attention is drawn to climate-smart agriculture as
one of the approaches to mitigate or adapt to ...
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FEATURED VIDEO: New Tool Separates Wheat from Chaff for Climate-Smart Ag Finance
Desmond Brown
Climate-smart agriculture seeks to achieve food security and broader
development goals under a changing climate and increasing food demand.
CSA initiatives sustainably increase productivity, enhance resilience,
and reduce/remove greenhouse gases, and require planning to address
tradeoffs and ...
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Will Renewable Energies Finally Get Their Chance in Argentina?
Daniel Gutman
The first thing anyone who looks at any official document this year in
Argentina will read is: “2017, the year of renewable energies.” This
indicates the importance that the government gives to the issue,
although translating the slogan into reality does not seem as easy as
putting it in the ...
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Yemen: African Migrants Beaten, Starved, Sexually Violated by Criminal Groups
Baher Kamal
African migrants who arrive on Yemen’s shores --that’s if they are not
forced into the sea to drown—risk to fall in the hands of criminal
networks who hold them captive for several days to extort money in
exchange for their “freedom,” according to UN sources.
During captivity, the migrants ...
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Promise or Peril? Africa’s 830 Million Young People by 2050
John Dramani Mahama and Siddharth Chatterjee
Last month, Spanish charity workers rescued 167 migrants arriving from
Africa aboard a small boat.
2016 was the deadliest for migrants attempting to cross the
Mediterranean, with at least 3800 deaths recorded. Most know the
dangers they face on the route, yet still choose the possibility of ...
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Conservation Agriculture Sprouts in Cuban Fields
Ivet González
At the entrance, the Tierra Brava farm looks like any other family farm
in the rural municipality of Los Palacios, in the westernmost province
of Cuba. But as you drive in, you see that the traditional furrows are
not there, and that freshly cut grass covers the soil.
“For more than five years ...
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Jordan Makes Strides Toward Inclusive Green Economy
Safa Khasawneh
Jordan may be one of the smallest economies in the Middle East, but it
has high ambitions for inclusive green growth and sustainable
development despite the fact that it lies in the heart of a region that
has been long plagued with wars and other troubles, says the
Director-General of the Global ...
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One Earth: Why the World Needs Indigenous Communities to Steward Their Lands
Manipadma Jena
“Showing them a picture-book crow, I intone ‘kaak’ in Bengali, the State
language. While others repeat in chorus, the tribal Santhali
first-graders respond with a blank look. They know the crow only as
‘koyo’. They’ll happily roll out glass marbles to count but ask them how
many they counted, they ...
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