Nobody Cares: PRS

[Katheryne Helendale]

Katheryne Helendale if only the US Navy had it this good!

Ahh, MREs. Something I've never had to deal with, though it's been threatened a few times.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

The L word, the F word, and contemporary UK politics

9th December 2019 In a few days there will be a general election in the United Kingdom. This post is not about the possible election result – that is still uncertain and it may even come down…

davidallengreen.com

Very powerful article by David Allen Green, well-known legal journalist for the Financial Times, among other, twitterer and blogger, and one of the leading British specialists in constitutional law.

His examples are, for obvious reasons, drawn from UK politics, but his points are equally sound in the US and elsewhere.

 

[Han Held]

Interestingly enough, Veritable Quandry and I were talking about Eno in the "What are you listening to" thread and this popped up in my google news feed today:

Brian Eno Shares "Everything’s On The Up With The Tories" Ahead Of UK Election

The UK general election will take place this Thursday, and Brian Eno has shared quite an original song ahead of the vote. Eno has been extremely vocal about his politics for decades now, and he was among the public figures who signed a letter expressing support for Labour Party leader Jeremy...

www.stereogum.com

 

[Essence Lumin]

Katheryne Helendale if only the US Navy had it this good!

I had to google that one.

The traditional story is that poutine originated in the 1950s in Warwick, Quebec, at a restaurant called Le Lutin qui rit. Upon being asked to add cheese curds to a customer’s fries, owner Fernand Lachance responded, “Ça va faire une maudite poutine,” or, “That’s going to make a dreadful mess.”

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Paul Volcker dies at 92

Paul Volcker, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve under Presidents Carter and Reagan who later played a role in the Obama administration’s response to the financial crisis of 2009, has…

thehill.com

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Falklands war veteran wins apology over LGBT ban

Joe Ousalice was discharged in 1993 because of ban on LGBT people serving in armed forces

www.theguardian.com

A British Falklands war veteran has been given his medals back and received an apology from the Ministry of Defence after being forced out of the navy over his sexuality.

Joe Ousalice, 68, had served in the navy for nearly 18 years when he was discharged in 1993 because of a ban on LGBT people serving in the armed forces.

The former radio operator, who lives in Southampton, served in the Falklands war, did six tours of duty in Northern Ireland, was posted to the Middle East and was seconded for two and a half years to a Nato taskforce.

Ousalice was stripped of his long service and good conduct medal and three good conduct badges when he was discharged because of his sexuality.

Following a historic court settlement in a case brought by Liberty, the human rights organisation, the MoD has apologised and restored Ousalice’s medals.

The ministry is establishing a scheme so that others in Ousalice’s situation can get their medals back.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Australia just recently became a neighbor of the USA now, didn't you notice it? Australia finally does enjoy as much civil freedom as the USA does, and was downgraded from "open" to "narrowed."

Australia’s democracy has been downgraded from ‘open’ to ‘narrowed’

Australia is now in line with the United States, Ghana and Botswana in terms of civil freedoms.

www.sbs.com.au

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Australia just recently became a neighbor of the USA now, didn't you notice it? Australia finally does enjoy as much civil freedom as the USA does, and was downgraded from "open" to "narrowed."

Australia’s democracy has been downgraded from ‘open’ to ‘narrowed’

Australia is now in line with the United States, Ghana and Botswana in terms of civil freedoms.

www.sbs.com.au

It's maybe worth pointing out that this also brings Australia into line with much of the EU, including France, Spain and the UK, and with Japan.

Obviously it's a step in wrong direction (or seems to be -- I don't really understand the scoring system, not that I've done more than skim the report) but I think the real causes for concern are the countries falling into the Obstructed, Repressed and Closed categories, in which 83% of the world's population apparently live.

 

[Grandma Bates]

Someone on twitter pointed out that these dim bulbs from the Freedom Caucus keep posting negative statements and then put an "X" next to them as if to negate the statements. The result is a double negative. Now I cannot avoid being mesmerized by the sheer audaciousness of their brilliant stupidity.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

One for Kara: 34 year old Sanna Marin is going to become the next Finnish prime minister. She'll be the youngest head of government world wide.

Sanna Marin: Finland prime minister who loves to party

One of the world's youngest leaders has divided opinion in Finland with her lifestyle.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Argent Stonecutter]

Well, that's the last time I book a tour to an active volcano.

Good call. I haven't visited the crater of an active volcano in 50 years.

 

[Cristalle]

Democratic strategists should be fired.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

One for Kara: 34 year old Sanna Marin is going to become the next Finnish prime minister. She'll be the youngest head of government world wide.

Sanna Marin: Finland prime minister who loves to party

One of the world's youngest leaders has divided opinion in Finland with her lifestyle.

www.bbc.co.uk

I'm sending this to Millenial friends wit: "Feel old yet? )"

 

[Anya Ristow]

TL;DW How do the candidates think they can win what they promise?

Trump: mythical negotiating power
Biden, Obama, Buttigeig: fantasy of coming to the table in good faith negotiation with republicans
Warren: jujitsu the levers of government through superior bureaucratic knowledge
Sanders: organizer in chief pressures the opposition with citizen participation so that special interests aren't the only thing they fear

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

TL;DW How do the candidates think they can win what they promise?

Trump: mythical negotiating power

So some people still do really think that Trump is honest enough to make his promises come true?

 

[Anya Ristow]

So some people still do really think that Trump is honest enough to make his promises come true?

Master negotiator, deal maker. Successful businessman. Statesman. Stable Genius(TM).

The man has it all.

LOL

Okay...not funny. Sorry.

 

[Essence Lumin]

Gizmodo has a fascinating article about Ring camera, Amazon and surveillance.

Ring’s Hidden Data Let Us Map Amazon's Sprawling Home Surveillance Network

As reporters raced this summer to bring new details of Ring’s law enforcement contracts to light, the home security company, acquired last year by Amazon for a whopping $1 billion, strove to underscore the privacy it had pledged to provide users.

gizmodo.com

 

[Essence Lumin]

Story updated 1 minute ago.

Officer, 3 Civilians and 2 Suspects Dead in Jersey City Shootout

A police officer and three civilians were killed during a shootout in Jersey City which also left the two suspects dead, law enforcement officials said. According to senior law enforcement officials, the Tuesday afternoon shootout began when a detective saw a U-Haul truck possibly linked to the...

www.nbcnewyork.com

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

Update on the New Zealand volcano; the numbers have become a little more firm.

Authorities say that at the time of the eruption, there were 47 people visiting the island. 30 of those were passengers from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship on a shore excusion.

As of today, 6 of those people have been confirmed dead, and 8 are still unaccounted for - although authorities have said very plainly that they do not believe any living survivors remain on the island, bringing the putative death toll to 14.

34 of the victims were treated at local hospitals. One of them is among the dead; three others were released. The remaining 30 remain hospitalized for severe burns, 27 of them with burns over 30% of their bodies. Many of the victims also have burned lungs, requiring intensive airway support.

 

[Essence Lumin]