Far left liberal Shayne Mallard was a waste of space in the NSW Parliament. He achieved very little other than being a factional number in snake Matt Keans power base. Perrottet did one good thing on the way out the door he helped flush Mallard. Mallard's childish crap on Twitter...

A great-grandmother has died a week after she was allegedly Tasered by a police officer in a NSW Snowy Mountains aged care facility. Clare Nowland, 95, passed away surrounded by family in Cooma Hospital just after 7pm on Wednesday, less than an hour after police confirmed charges had been laid...

America is worth the fight... Every. Single. Time. pic.twitter.com/lWNQ3DIXgp Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) May 23, 2023

An extract of my new book,  The Palestine Laboratory, has been published by Dawn, founded by the murdered Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in his quest for democracy and human rights in the Middle East.

The extracted chapter is about Israeli desires to make Gaza an effective testing ground for new weapons, social media manipulation and politicide.

Heres the extract in PDF form: The Technology of Occupation Has Become One of Israels Main Exports DAWN

The post The Palestine Laboratory book extract on politicide appeared first on Antony Loewenstein.

Introduction by Dee McLachlan

I will be posting some articles in the future about humans being originally designed as a slave race. So nothing surprises me anymore. Our leaders have been put there to ensure that our freedoms are curtailed, and to ensure they do the bidding of powers above them.

Put simply, the politic...

As usual, Google is defrauding its customers and ripping off content creators.

See explanation in the following video:

Fembots, sexbots, killerbots, chatbots: all these and more are the subject of Tracey Spicers latest book Man Made: How the bias of the past is being built into the future. But while the book offers an overview of the problem just as AI dominates the news, its critical analysis falls short.

The post The future liberal feminists want: Tracey Spicers Man-Made appeared first on Overland literary journal.

These people are out of control. Its not about you Michael. The ABC has plenty of beige, smug, know-it-alls who could do your job. Got a replacement already.

Contributed by Joe Montero

The budget just handed down by Victorias government is relevant to the whole of Australia. It represents a small shift away from the neoliberalism that has long been the consensus in Australias parliaments.

The opposition, big business groups, and substantial parts of the media have been quick to accuse the government of class warfare. Of course, this crude sensationalism is wrong. is budget merely represents a minor upwards redistribution of burden, after years of it going the other way. Besides, the accusation misses the point.

Photo by James Ross/AAP: The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews at the states budget lockup where the budget was unveiled

So, what is the budget about? The answer is that it centres on the belief that the budget deficit be brought down. In this respect, it carries on with tradition, except that it applies only to the $35.5 billion debt incurred through the governments role in dealing with the Covid Pandemic. It does not apply to a major part of government spending, which goes under the title of the state building debt.  

Treasurer Tim Pallas compared the state building debt to a mortgage, and the other, to a credit card debt that must be paid off. This makes sense. Debt that works to create value to cover it is not a problem. Debt that does not do this is a potential problem. Businesses rely on borrowing and routinely make this distinction. Why shouldnt government do the same?

Investing in services and infrastructure adds to the economy and its potential, as it adds to the standards of living and quality of life for all. These goals are surely worthwhile.

A hero SASR soldier who helped save hostages during a six-day siege at the Iranian Embassy in London has died. Mel Parry died yesterday after a "very long illness", said SASR veteran Bob Shepherd. He was involved in the mission to rescue dozens of hostages from armed Islamist Arab separatists...

Reductions in reoffence and new offences have been identified as a result of NSW domestic violence (DV) offenders wearing electronic ankle devices in the first year of release from prison.

On average, one woman every nine days and one man every month is killed by a current or former partner in Australia. On 4 January 2023 Lindy Lucenas body was found in Ballina; she was the first woman to be murdered in an act of domestic violence this year.

The Domestic Violence Electronic Monitoring (DVEM) program was introduced in June 2016 and is the first electronic monitoring program in NSW to target domestic violence (DV) offenders and their compliance with Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (ADVOs). The study monitored 226 DVEM participants and 768 offenders who met all eligibility criteria for DVEM but did not participate in relation to four areas: 1. Any reoffence, 2. Domestic violence reoffence, 3. ADVO breach reoffence, and 4. Return to custody.

The...

READ MORE AT CALDRON POOL  Freedom of information documents acquired by LNP senator Alex Antic...

At the gathering of G7 countries in Hiroshima over the weekend, the assembled leaders of the worlds richest countries managed to put together a collective, yet veiled response to Chinese economic coercion and aggressive posturing in the Indo-Pacific. While not forgetting the ever-present war in Ukraine, evidenced by the presence of Volodymyr Zelenskiy, regional concerns dominated the weekend. It was a clear message to Chinese President Xi Jinping that changes in the geopolitical status quo would not be tolerated, or worse that the G7 would act with the same determination in Taiwan as it has in Ukraine. However, despite the message of unity, at home, many of the G7 members have challenges that threaten to overwhelm efforts to quell turmoil in the region.

U.S. President Joe Biden, while embracing training Ukrainian fighter pilots on American-made F-16 jets and who recently announced a $375 million military aid package, which includes artillery, ammunition and HIMARS rocket launchers, in addition to the more than $37 billion already spent since the Russian invasion began, is facing growing scrutiny at home. Republicans, as the 2024 Presidential campaign heats up, will continue to press the issue of the utility of US support for Ukraine. Both Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump have already called into question Bidens support, even suggesting that it is not vital  to US national security interests. Ukrainian aid also runs counter to US domestic turmoil, where another debt ceiling debate forced Biden to cancel a Quad meeting in Australia and a historic first-ever meeting in Papua New Guinea. Attending both would have boosted American visibility in the region, and sent an important message to Indo-Pacific countries that the United States is a steady, trusted, and reliable partner. Abandoning the Papua New Guinea meeting gives China fodder for a legitimate counter argument.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also a visible presence at the G7, but despite the first face-to-face meeting with Zelenskiy, is likely to have to walk a careful line between calling for the end of the war in Ukraine to managing New Delhis relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. India between 2018 and 2021...

$150 billion later, Americans remain with unanswered questions about Kievs stumbling armed forces. Five months ago to this day, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky delivered what has now become an infamous address to the U.S. Congress. During his speech, Zelensky boldly declared the city of Bakhmut as his countrys stronghold in the east, adding, the fight for Bakhmut will change the trajectory []

READ MORE AT CALDRON POOL  In years gone by, the Government did not direct the...

Things are not looking up at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a global professional services firm piratically free in sharing confidential tax information gathered from government clients. Then again, the firms expertise is not so much to look up to a principled heaven as down to a tax-proof Hades, buried in the scrambling minutiae of accounting and deception.

This year has been particularly eventful for PwC, notably in connection with its relationship with one of its most valuable clients: the Australian Commonwealth. It all began with the Australian Financial Reviews sniffing around the role played by now former PwC tax partner Peter Collins. Collins had circulated confidential information about proposed government plans to target the moving of multinational company profits to offshore havens to avoid tax. This took place despite the signing of a number of confidentiality agreements with the Australian Treasury between 2013 and 2018.

The little known regulator, the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB), had made little fuss of the whole business, only going so far as to place a two-year ban on re-registering Collins as a tax practitioner. It was small beer given his breaches, which included a failure to act with integrity, as required by his professional, ethical, and legal obligations. The best TPB Chair, Ian Klug, could do was express concern when tax practitioners abuse their positions of trust, or fail to act with integrity.

Then came the probing of an inquiry from the Senate Finance and Public Administration Committees, and the release of 144 pages of internal PwC emails. These revealed that PwC had created a global team to increase their client base using the tax information in question. The emails also reveal 53 redacted PwC emails addressed in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Others were sent to tax partners and directors. It is estimated that the company raked in A$2.5 million from the leaked material.

In March, the PwC Australia executive Tom Seymour did few favours for himself, observing at the Financial Reviews Business Summit that evidence submitted to the Senate committee revealing that 20 to 30 partners and staff had received confidential information was merely a perception problem. He also insisted, without clarification, that those found to be directly involved, had l...

Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh on 23 May for talks with his counterpart in the kingdom Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). "During the session, they discussed ways to enhance security cooperation paths between the two countries' ministries of interior, in addition to discussing a number of issues of common interest," a report by SPA reads. The meeting was attended by several other interior ministry authorities from the kingdom, as well as Russian Ambassador Sergey Kozlov. Kolokoltsev's warm welcome to Riyadh comes despite a slew of sanctions issued against him by the US, Australia, Canada, the EU, Japan, New Zealand, and the UK. In 2022, Washington refused to grant him a visa to participate in a UN chiefs of police summit.

...

Sudan Conflict: UNITAMS Chief Blames Military Leaders for Escalation

Volker Perthes briefs the Security Council about the situation in Sudan on May 22, 2023

May 22, 2023 (KHARTOUM) In a briefing to the United Nations Security Council on Monday afternoon, Volker Perthes, the head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), placed the blame squarely on the leadership of both warring parties for the escalating conflict in Sudan.

Perthes further urged an immediate end to the fighting, emphasizing that the responsibility for the ongoing violence rests with those who have chosen the battlefield over peaceful negotiations.

Addressing the council, Perthes acknowledged the various opinions regarding the root causes of the conflict. Some criticize the international community for failing to recognize the warning signs, while others point fingers at flaws in the political process or the Framework Agreement itself. However, He stressed that it is the leaders of the opposing sides who bear the responsibility for the daily warfare and its devastating consequences.

The responsibility for the fighting rests with those who are waging it daily: the leadership of the two sides who share accountability for choosing to settle their unresolved conflict on the battlefield rather than at the negotiating table, Perthes emphasized. He underscored that the decision to resort to violence has ravaged Sudan and that it is within the power of the warring parties to bring an end to the bloodshed.

The international diplomat told the Council that more than 700 people have been killed, including 190 children, with another 6,000 injured. Many are missing. Over a million have been displaced: more than 840,000 have sought shelter in rural areas and other states while another 250,000 have crossed Sudanese borders. Nearly 8,000 of the displaced population are pregnant women.

Perthes outlined the extensive efforts made by UNITAMS and the international community to prevent the crisis. Since the October 2021 coup, UNITAMS engaged diligent...

This week on Yeah Nah Pasaran! we talk to Kristina Stoeckl [Twitter]. Kristina is a professor of sociology at LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome, an adjunct professor at the University of Innsbruck and the author, with Dmitry Uzlaner, of Continue reading

Costs are costs. They get passed on to customers in higher prices. It's axiomatic. And very few property owners are "lucky enough" to own an investment property. They work hard for it. Socialist Victoria in your face. Dear landlords, Renters are not cash cows. If youre lucky enough to own...

In 2021 I was fortunate to give evidence at the first hearing of the Royal Commission into Defence & Veteran Suicide. It will be interesting to see the results come next year, & what (long overdue) actions are taken from there.#Veterans #RoyalCommission #Responsibility #Action pic.twitter.com/gQj1PWRFDC Heston Russell (@HestonRussell) May...

I once lived in public housing Albanese looks like a contestant on Millionaire Hot Seat.

(L) a Dunkin Donut franchise, Photo: Boston.com  (C) Hobarts Constable Pat Allen, Photo: Facebook (R) Confucius, Photo: xoticbramds.net

by Mary W Maxwell, LLB

I write to ask the Readers of this article if they can help me think up a name for a very important phenomenon that does not yet have a name.  Without a name, it is hard to discuss the phenomenon or evaluate it.  The word I am looking for is something like chutzpah, or unmitigated cheek, but more subtle.

Here is an example.  In 1996, the authorities in this case, Justice William Cox in Tasmania gave Martin Bryant 35 life sentences for killing 35 people at Port Arthur. I think he knew that Bryant was innocent and that the narrative was garbooge. But if Cox didnt realize it, another authority-person, Damian Bugg certainly did.  There was no trial, as Martin had been shanghaied into pleading Guilty.

The ways...

by Caroline Chen

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published.

The outbreaks keep coming.

Mpox, the virus formerly known as monkeypox, last year crossed borders with unprecedented speed to infect nearly 90,000 people. In the past year, Ebola killed at least 55 in Uganda, and a related, equally deadly virus called Marburg emerged in two countries that have never seen it before. Now, scientists are worried that a dangerous bird flu thats been jumping to mammals could mutate and spread among humans.

These viruses all came from wildlife. Understanding what conditions prime pathogens to leap from animals to people could help us prevent outbreaks. After COVID-19 showed the world the devastation a pandemic can bring, youd think this type of research would be among the hottest areas of science, with funders lined up far and wide.

Thats not the case. As ProPublica has shown in a series of stories this year, global health authorities focus far more attention and money on containing outbreaks once they begin rather than preventing them from starting in the first place. This mindset has hindered scientists who study the complex dynamics that drive whats known as spillover, the moment a pathogen leaps from one species to another.

Australian researcher Peggy Eby and her colleagues have shown that it is possible to predict when spillovers are going to happen by closely tracking bats that spread contagion and patiently observing changes that shape their world. This groundbreaking research on the often-fatal Hendra virus relied on decades of Ebys field work, some of which she did without pay. Early on, one government funder told her that the project she proposed wasnt a sufficiently important contribution. She and her colleagues had to cobble together a mishmash of different grants and keep impatient fund...

Aluminum is a material used for various purposes and in various industries. One of the major reasons why it is used so widely is the flexibility it provides. With that in mind, you can see it as a substitute for many materials that do not offer the much-needed flexibility. Of course, utilizing methods that will help with the processing procedure is essential. As you can presume, only experienced professionals can do it properly.

There is not only one solution that can serve as an answer to every question. Think about it; different processes have different needs. Therefore, expecting that everything you do can help achieve the best linear motion of the best quality is unreasonable. For example, when you compare aluminum with titanium and steel, you will see that aluminum offers a feature others do not, flexibility. Sometimes, conducting them in complex shapes is necessary.

As we have said, understanding the proper way of designing aluminum profiles does not work without the necessary experience. Today, we want to discuss some tips to help you optimize linear motion solutions. So, without further ado, let us look at the most important tips.

Specifying Metal Thickness

When you are about to process the material to get the shape you want, you should know there are potential pitfalls. Therefore, it is crucial to assess these and find a way to prevent them from happening. By doing that, the process will ensure that keeping sufficient metal thickness around the profile you are interested in getting at the end of the process. The thickness is crucial for meeting the structural requirements.

The shapes you get should be resilient enough to sustain all the influences that might occur down the road. But, at the same time, they need to remain functional. Otherwise, there is a potential problem of it experiencing issues that can damage the structural quality of the device. Another thing you can expect to achieve with enough thickness is flexibility. Even if some adjustments are made, the piece should return to its original shape.

When the thickn...

My interview with the Unauthorised Disclosure podcast talking about my new book, The Palestine Laboratory. With hosts Kevin Gosztola and Rania Khalek, we discuss the influence of Israeli counter-insurgency tactics in Latin and South America, the silencing of Palestinians on social media and much more.

The post Unauthorized Disclosure podcast interview on The Palestine laboratory appeared first on Antony Loewenstein.

Does your living room feel stuffy? Do unpleasant odours linger around your house even after youve cleaned up? If so, your home could be suffering from poor ventilation.

Ventilation plays an important role in maintaining and improving the air quality in your property. Though it might seem like a trivial thing, poor ventilation can cause a lot of different issues such as respiratory problems, serious allergic reactions, mould build-up, moisture damage around your property and so on.

Because of this, its essential that this problem is addressed as soon as possible. To help you out, were going to discuss four easy ways to improve ventilation around your home.

Understanding the Importance of Ventilation

The primary purpose of ventilation is to provide freshness within a space by removing pollutants within stagnant air and replacing it with clean air. Ventilation helps to remove pollutants such as mould, bacteria, and VOCs. Great ventilation also helps to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, which can occur if certain appliances are not properly vented. With good airflow, you might also experience improved oxygen levels and a reduction in unpleasant odours.

Proper ventilation not only improves air quality but also controls temperature and humidity. This reduces the risk of respiratory problems and other serious health issues. This is especially relevant in homes (or workplaces) where people spend a significant amount of time indoors.

Needless to say, understanding the importance of ventilation is crucial for healthy living.

To get an idea of how well-ventilated a space is, consider the size and shape of the room, the number and location of windows, and the presence of mechanical ventilation systems. Also, pay attention to how you feel in these spaces. Do you find it easy to breathe? Are you feeling more tired than usual?

If youre having issues doing simple tasks in your very own living space, its worth thinking about how good the ventilation is within your home.

Ways to Improve Ventilation Around Your Home

1. Use Plantation Shutters
   
   If you want to reduce indoor pollutants and increase the airflow in your home, consider investing in plantation shutters. Not only do these shutters add a stylish element to your home decor, but they also provide practical benefits such as promoting better air circulation and ventilation. This is especially important if you live in a humid area that is prone to mould and mildew build-up.

   Unlike traditional blinds or curtains, plantation shutters are designed with adjustable...

   ...

Thanks 'Mate' for this!

Sorry Day - all day this Friday Reconciliation Week - all day every day, Saturday 27 May to Saturday 3 June.

According to some US Human Rights report, Australia is a constitutional democracy.

Well, what they don't tell you in this report is that Australia, according to the constitution is a colony, albeit a self governing one.

One would expect 'free speech' to be part of this thing called democracy, no?

No, not in the colony called Australia.

Free speech may be illegal soon, the way things are going, and people's right to gather en masse for the purpose of solidarity in relation to a particular government action has already being put into the illegal pile, well without prior government approval, anyway.

Actions of this calibre are all part of the Nanny State, Penal Colony Policies agenda.

Australia, Alcatraz v2.0, the 'free range' prison isle.

IS THIS ANOTHER CASE OF POLITICIANS MAKING A PROMISE THAT IS MORE HONOURED IN THE BREACH THAN IN THE OBSERVANCE?

Did you know that when federal politicians are Sworn-In after a federal election or a federal By-election, that they must make a Sworn Oath to uphold the law?

Posting shortlink: https://wp.me/p1n8TZ-3i2

THE DAISYCHAIN:

When I send emails, I often daisychain the text of  series of emails to make a new, larger, more detailed, (updated) email, which I may then broadcast to many people, some of whom may have received one of the original emails.

EMAIL CHAPTERS: The following text is of an email that has been sent to about 40 federal politicians, and it includes the text that was published in my last 2 Ronalds spa...

At least one decision-make at the Cape York Instiute knows the truth will they share that knowledge?

As a result of the email that was sent to the Cape york Institute on the 18th May 2023, one or more of the decision-makers in this organization now knows some shocking truths that the major financial sponsors of the CYI, i.e., the Federal Government and the Queensland Government, do not want any of Australias indigenous population to know.

Short URL: https://wp.me/p1n8TZ-3hM

How many civil rights violations has the Basics Card created?

Supermarket prices have lifted off again, according to new data, placing pressure on households and feeding inflation while also denting hopes that shoppers were set to soon receive a respite from surging food costs. Investment bank UBS has found that food and grocery prices at Australia's dominant supermarket chains, Coles and Woolworths, were running at an annualised 9.6% increase in April, according to its analysis of more than 60,000 items. The UBS figure, which is disputed by Coles, represents a new high, with fresh food propelling the increases with near double-digit annual rises.

See video: 

Microsoft is a corporation that works closely with supplying data to the Five Eyes  TVEY global surveillance network.

It is therefore doubtful if there will be any legal repercussions with regards to this action.

Warning: Microsoft products are not recommended for use if you value your privacy and security.

Thank you Doubtful John for the tip.

Contributed by Joe Montero

Everyone knew it all along. Now the hard evidence is in. Coles and Woolworths have been price gouging and made big increases to their profit margins by doing this. Some would suggest this is a form of theft.

An analysis by Guardian columnist Jonathan Barrett, gleamed from an examination of five years of the financial accounts of the two supermarket monopolies, revealed the use of the covid pandemic to increase prices.

Cartoon by Nicholson

This is hardly surprising. Shoppers depending on Coles and Woolworths knew they faced the increasing cost of their shopping bill at a time when they were particularly vulnerable. Nor were they convinced that this was the result of market conditions.

Coles has explained away the profit rise as due to cost savings. Woolworths has said that price rises were due to increasing costs payments to suppliers. This doesnt explain why both profits and prices went up together. Reducing costs should work to hold down prices. Increasing supply costs should work to hold down profits. Something else is going on and these supermarkets want to keep this hidden.   

For Coles, the gross profit margin from its supermarket division increased from 24.7 percent before the pandemic, to 26.5 percent in its latest result. Woolworths recorded a lift from 29.1 percent to 30.7 percent. These gross figures represent the profit rate before tax and a few other expenses are calculated in. They may appear to be small. Dont be fooled by this. More than two thirds of Australias weekly shopping bill is spent at these two supermarket chains. Any change represents a big part of the nations spending.

It can be argued that some price rises have been due to other factors. Examples are the impact of drought, fire and flood on farm products, and the cost of fuel on transport. But these would not result in a simultaneous rise in prices and profit.

I am down but I will get back up. And you can come at me again and I will meet you with the love of my people. Stan Grant delivers a powerful message on Q+A before taking a break from the media. #StanGrant #QandA #WeStandWithStan pic.twitter.com/avNBJtzSMK QandA (@QandA) May...

Australias complex web of secrecy laws are undermining democracy and silencing whistleblowers, journalists and human rights defenders, the Human Rights Law Centre, Transparency International Australia and Griffith University's Centre for Governance and Public Policy said today.

In a joint submission to a review of secrecy provisions by the Attorney-Generals Department, the three organisations have called on the Albanese Government to swiftly repeal the worst excesses in Australian secrecy laws and strengthen safeguards for whistleblowing and public interest journalism.

A consultation paper released by the Department identified more than 800 different secrecy provisions across federal law. Previous changes to Australias general secrecy provisions under the Turnbull Government expanded their scope and significantly increased potential jail-time.

The joint submissions recommendations include:

• The introduction of a serious harm requirement across all secrecy offences

•  Reform to minimise application to non-public servants

• A reduction in penalties to ensure proportionality

•  Robust exemptions for whistleblowers, human rights defenders and journalists

The secrecy provisions review was recommended by several parliamentary inquiries, including press freedom reviews conducted following the raids on News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst and the headquarters of the ABC in 2019.

Kieran Pender, Senior Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, said

Australias secrecy laws at present have no place in a healthy democracy. They are sweeping, disproportionate and lack robust safeguards and oversight. They pose a daily risk to whistleblowers, human rights defenders and journalists - and are having a chilling effect on accountability. There is a need for urgent reform.

Clancy Moore, CEO of Transparency International Australia, said:

A transparent Australia is a better Australia. The Albanese Government must embrace this opportunity to narrow these laws and ensure they only apply where there is a genuine public interest in confidentiality. Right now, secrecy laws are allowing government wrongdoing to go hidden, while brave whistleblowers are punished for doing the right thing.

Professor AJ Brown, Griffith Universitys Centre for Governance and Public Policy and Transparency International Australia board member, said:

We welcome this important review and the Governments recognition of the risk posed to Australian democracy by excessive secrecy. But this reform process is one part of a wider overhaul needed including comprehensive whistleblowing reform, the establishment of a whistleblower protection authority, robu...

By Neenah Payne Julian Assange, the Australian founder of WikiLeaks, is battling extradition from Britain to the United States where he faces a sentence of...

Stella Assange Addresses Australian National Press Club

UN Urges Sudans Warring Parties to Honor 7-day Ceasefire Starting Monday Night

By EDITH M. LEDERER

UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. envoy for Sudan urged the countrys warring generals to honor a seven-day cease-fire starting Monday night, warning the growing ethnic dimension to the fighting risks engulfing Sudan in a prolonged conflict .

Volker Perthes told the U.N. Security Council that the conflict, which began April 15, has shown no signs of slowing down despite previous declarations of cease-fires by both sides. But he said this time they must stop the fighting so desperately needed humanitarian aid can get to those in need and civilians caught in the fighting can leave safely.

U.S. and Saudi mediators announced after a meeting in the Saudi port city of Jeddah on Saturday that representatives of the Sudanese army, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, signed off on the short-term cease-fire due to take effect at 9:45 p.m. local time in Sudan on Monday night.

The pending truce is the seventh cease-fire to be announced since the conflict began April 15. All previous deals have foundered.

Unlike the previous verbal truces, Mondays inked deal brokered by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia will be accompanied by a cross-party committee designed to track any potential violations, the two mediating nations said. The 12-person committee will be comprised of three representatives from both warring parties, three from the U.S., and three from Saudi Arabia.

Suliman Baldo, director of the think tank Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker, expects the two parties to better adhere to this weeklong cease-fire.

I think the RSF needs the break as it has come under considerable pressure from the SAF in Khartoum seeking to flush RSF units from residential areas, he said.

Perthes called the agreement, which is renewable, a welcome development but cautioned that fighting and troop movements have continued even today, despite a commitment of...

Black Princesses Thrash Benin 3-0 in WAFU B Opener

May 22, 2023

The Black Princesses of Ghana began their West Africa Football Union (WAFU) B Girls Cup campaign with a 3-0 victory over Benin at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Saturday.

Goals from Maafia Nyame, Mary Amponsah and Skipper Stella Nyamekye gave the hosts a perfect start in the competition as they journey to win the sub-regional title.

The Princesses coming into the clash were confident of grabbing all three points, having had a pre-tournament preparation against Group B counterparts, the Menas of Niger last Wednesday.

Coach Basigis side were solid in their play as they enjoyed most possession in the early minutes of the game, comfortably sharing passes like it was nobodys business.

Skipper Nyamekye was brilliant on the day, keeping the attack of the Ghanaian side busy whiles Maafia Nyame also kept hopes alive with her breathtaking skillful play and impressive runs.

Benin tried to pave way into Ghanas defense but were unsuccessful after several attempts.

Despite the dorminance, it was still difficult for Yussif Basigi and his charges to find the net as they bottled some crucial chances in the visitors half.

It took the intervention of Faith Ladies attacker, Maafia Nyame to break the deadlock after she beautifully slotted in a perfect cross from Comfort Yeboah in the 35th minute to put the Princesses ahead of their opponents to end the first 45 minutes 1-0.

The second half was indeed a recovery session for Ghana who came all out to mount pressure on Benin.

Substitute, Mary Amponsah after a successful season with Ampem Darkoa, continued her goalscoring streak to once again register her name on the scoresheet 16 minutes into the second half with a brilliant shot.

Benin were more defensive as they packed themselves in the 18-yard box to escape humiliation.

Stella Nyamekye sealed the win for the Princesses with a well calculated freekick 68 minutes on the clock to give her side a comfortable lead...

Its easy to miss the mosses, the ubiquitous green, silver and brown carpets that drape across natures surfaces, from forest to fen. Its also easy to underestimate just how big a role these small but mighty organisms play in maintaining ecosystems and countering climate change. A recent study in the journal Nature Geoscience looked into the contributions of mosses that grow on soil and found that they cover an estimated 9.4 million square kilometers (3.6 million square miles) of land an area roughly the size of China. On a global scale, soil mosses have the potential to add 6.43 billion metric tons of carbon to the soil, an amount roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of 2.8 billion passenger cars, underscoring the substantial impact of these wee plants. The researchers found several other benefits for soil covered with mosses versus bare soils. For example, mosses cycle higher amounts of essential nutrients through the soil, contribute to faster decomposition, and reduce the number of harmful plant pathogens in the soil.  Moss carpets the landscape in Iceland. Image by var Gumundsson via Flickr (CC BY 2.0). The biggest surprise for us was that at least half of the attributes we measured were significantly enhanced under mosses compared with bare soil, study co-author David John Eldridge, a professor of dryland ecology at the University of New South Wales in Australia, told Mongabay. Overall, its a huge positive effect. Researchers collected soil samples from both natural areas and urban green spaces in 123This article was originally published on Mongabay

It Cant Be Put Right!

Inspired by the ever-expanding series of Enquirer articles on Potto Parish Council, MANDY THOMPSON, Labour Town Councillor 2013-17 (hereinafter the whistle-blower), writes to relate her own insider experiences of corrupt local government at Peterlee Town Council.

~~~~~

The words quoted in the above image are the Peterlee Deputy Town Clerks exact and witnessed response when challenged by the whistle-blower about data in the Internal Auditors report. Preferring not to call in the Police, and being prevented from contacting the H.R. Dept., the whistle-blower just asked the Deputy Clerk to put it right.

The former Town Clerk and the Deputys good personal friend (and godmother to the former Clerks daughter) had received 100% of salary as sick pay, whereas the public sector arrangement for entitled employees is full pay for 6 months, half pay for 6 months, then statutory sick pay. A public sector Executive Director of Finance/Chartered Accountant estimated, in November 2015, that this overpayment had cost the Town Council around 40,000.

Alongside this, a separate and legally correct sick pay system was followed for a junior staff member (i.e. the same policy applied with two diametrically opposed interpretations).

The Internal Auditor was acting in response to the Councils Anti-Fraud & Corruption Policy being invoked by the whistle-blowing Councillor, who was concerned about apparent misappropriation of public money. In his report, the Internal Auditor described the Councillor as a whistle-blower and recorded the irregularity about the former Town Clerks sick-pay, citing there were questions to be answered.

The Deputy Town Clerk had made a Code of Conduct complaint against the whistle-blower and had contacted the former Town Clerks close friend (Director of an Employment Organisation) to conduct a Grievance Investigation & Report into the whistle-blower. However, this was improper procedure, as the Council had previously received eminent legal advice that such a commission was unlawful (affirmed: Harvey vs Ledbury Town Council).

Extract from Particulars Of Claim:

...

Ken Ham has declared that he cannot respect other peoples pronouns. The reason: that would be lying.

As believers, we cannot in good conscience use transgendered pronounsno matter our intentionsbecause, in doing so, we are lying. When we use she/her (or Miss or Mrs.) for a man or he/him (or Mr.) for a female, we are participating in the lie that sex/gender is on a spectrum or that a man can be a woman and a woman a man. Or if we use they/them (or Mx., etc.) or the myriad of other pronoun options today, we are participating in the lie that humans are not innately sexed as either male or female. Were participating in the lie that humans can choose to be or are naturally androgenous or ambiguous, when that is not true because God has created us either male or female.

One problem with his excuse is that Ken Ham has never been reluctant about lying, whether its to get tax breaks on his con game or his claims about science. Hes also lying here: its not about preserving his honesty at all, or hed just come out and plainly state that its because he thinks gay and trans people should burn in hell.

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The post Fears of Abandonment: Australia, Biden and Cancelling the Quad Visit appeared first on Global Research.

Twitter Files drop by journalist Paul Thacker exposes the seedy side of the mainstream media.

In this episode of the Patrick Henningsen Show on TNT Radio which aired on May 19, 2023, Patrick talks with Dustin Stockton from America Mission, where he unpacks the latest Twitter Files drop by journalist Paul Thacker exposing the seedy side of the mainstream media, as MSM Democrat political hacks and professional doxxers who work for the biggest brands in media have been caught targeting political activists for censorship, de-platforming, and even lobbying the Department of Justice to investigate people they dont like. All this and more. Listen:

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QUESTION: Regarding WWII Who Bombed Cities First
How does the bombing of the historical center of Rotterdam/Netherlands in May 1940 fits the picture? It seems Germany started bombing civilian targets.
Kind regards, Marco

ANSWER: The bombing of Rotterdam was different. There the Germans invaded and troops were fighting in the city.  The stories that were put out of 100,000 civilians dead were fake news. The civilian population had already fled because there was an invasion and the troops on both sides were battling it out in the city in a gorilla-style warfare.

The Germans subjected Rotterdam to heavy aerial bombardment by the Luftwaffe to support the German troops fighting in the city, and to force the Dutch army to surrender which was using the buildings in gorilla-style warfare. The bombing began with the start of hostilities on May 10th for four days into May 14th. Many have called this the Rotterdam Blitz. When the facts were sorted out, the official list published in 2022, revealed that at least 1,150 people were killed and 85,000 more were left homeless a far cry from the fake news of war that 100,000 civilians dies in the bombing. As I have said, the first casualty of war is always the truth.

Nevertheless, at the end of the day, there are always...

Study Finds Over 1/3 of Children with NDCs Had Mental Health Needs, Females Reported Increased Internalizing Symptoms Compared to Males

Researchers from Australia recently set out to evaluate mental health concerns in children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) who were attending their first developmental assessment at a publicly-funded diagnostic assessment service. In total, their study included 232 children aged 1.9617.51 years. The authors assessed mental health concerns using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), an assessment of behavioral and emotional difficulties. Their research showed that mental health concerns were highly prevalent in children with NDCs, with over one-third of children displaying subclinical or clinically elevated internalizing (e.g., symptoms of depression, loneliness, and anxiety), or externalizing (e.g., oppositional defiance disorder, conduct disorder, and antisocial personality disorder) behaviors. These increased rates remained even after excluding items specifically relating to neurodevelopmental concerns. Additionally, the authors discovered that more school-aged females reported elevated internalizing problems relative to males (67% vs. 48%). Children who received two or more DSM-5 diagnoses showed a greater rate of subclinical or clinically elevated scores than children who received one DSM-5 diagnosis. The authors concluded that children attending developmental assessment services have considerable mental health needs. They point out that it is critical that mental health concerns are identified and addressed in children when they first visit developmental assessment services and that clinicians become equipped to provide appropriate resources and ways to access ongoing care.

Original Study

The post Mental Health Concerns Are Prevalent in Children with Neurodevelopmental Conditions appeared first on SafeMinds.

Zimbabwean cricketing legend Heath Streaks career mirrors many of the unresolved tensions of race and class in Zimbabwe. Yet few white Zimbabwean sporting figures are able to stir interest and conversation across the nations many divides.

Over the weekend, news surfaced of the critical illness of Zimbabwean cricketing legend, Heath Streak, who is battling advanced cancer. News was first shared on social media by former Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture, David Coltart. Since then, members of the general public have taken to Twitter in particular to share their support for Streaks recovery. A prominent figure in Zimbabwes golden cricketing era (spanning the late 1990s into the early 2000s), and then later a national team coach, it is no surprise that the all-rounders health is eliciting such concern.

Streak, aged 49, made his one-day international (ODI) debut in November 1993 against South Africa and followed this up with a test debut the following month in a Zimbabwean tour of Pakistan. Zimbabwe had entered international cricket in 1992 and the early team featured batsmen Dave Houghton, Alistair Campbell, the Flower brothers (Andy and Grant) as well as all-rounder, Eddo Brandes. A few years later, the leg spinning all rounder, Paul Strang (in 1994), and fast bowler Henry Olonga (in 1995) would also join the line-up. Some years after this, talents such as Murray Goodwin and Neil Johnson would also join the team; returnees to Zimbabwe having previously migrated to Australia and South Africa respectively.

While Zimbabwean cricketing teams have boasted a fair number of all-rounders over the years, it is Streak who generally stands out among them. He remains Zimbabwes all-time leading wicket taker in both Test and ODI cricket with 216 and 239 wickets respectively, both at an average under 30 (28.14 in Tests and 29.82 in ODIs). He is also the only Zimbabwean to have completed the double of 1000 Test runs and 100 Test wickets, and 2000 ODI runs and 200 ODI wickets.

At the height of his talents, comparisons could be made between Streak and other equally exciting allrounders, such as South African Lance Klusener. In Zimbabwes famous 1999 Cricket World Cup win over South Africa, it was Klusener (largely credited with batting his team into the semi-finals of that tournament) who remained not out on 52. Chasing an achievable...

See report:

Source: https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/13-90.pdf

READ MORE AT TOTT NEWS  GOVERNMENT SPENDING With much focus on Australias current economic woes,...

by Caroline Chen; Photography by Kathleen Flynn for ProPublica

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published.

Were investigating the cause of viruses spilling over from animals to humans and what can be done to stop it. Read more in the series .

Dressed head-to-toe in protective gear, Peggy Eby crawled on her hands and knees under a fig tree, searching for bat droppings and fruit with telltale fang marks.

Another horse in Australia had died from the dreaded Hendra virus that winter in 2011. For years, the brain-inflaming infectious disease had bedeviled the country, leaping from bats to horses and sometimes from horses to humans. Hendra was as fatal as it was mysterious, striking in a seemingly random fashion. Experts fear that if the virus mutates, it could jump from person to person and wreak havoc.

So while government veterinarians screened other horses, Eby, a wildlife ecologist with a Ph.D., got to work, grubbing around the scene like a detective. Nobody knew flying foxes, the bats that spread Hendra, better. For nearly a quarter century, shed studied the furry, fox-faced mammals with wingspans up to 3 feet. Eby deduced that the horse paddock wasnt where the bats had transmitted Hendra. But the horses owners had picked mandarin oranges off the trees across the street. The peels ended up in the compost bin, where their horse liked to rummage. Bingo, Eby thought. Flying foxes liked mandarins. The bats saliva must have contaminated the peels, turning them into a deadly snack.

Eby, however, longed to unlock a bigger mystery: Could she, with the help of fellow scientists, predict when the conditions were prime for Hendra to spill over from bats, before it took any more lives? What if they could warn the public to be on guard maybe even prevent the virus from making the leap? It would be painstaking work, but it wasnt a pipe dream; Eby was already spotting patterns as she crawled around infection sites.

But when she pi...

by Kathleen Flynn for ProPublica and Caroline Chen

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published.

Wildlife ecologist Peggy Eby fell in love with flying foxes when she moved to Australia from Kansas. She spent decades studying the bats movement and behavior. At times she worked without pay to answer questions she had about the fuzzy, fox-faced mammals.

Those bats turned out to be the carriers of the deadly Hendra virus, which can jump from bats to horses and then to humans. Eby began a quest to understand why and how the virus was making these leaps between species, known as spillover. She hoped to predict when the next infection would emerge. The decades of data Eby gathered as she followed her curiosity were key to cracking the mystery. So ProPublica decided to make a video about her.

Eby and her colleagues work shows that its possible to predict when spillover will happen. Doing so requires long-term research and funding to match. But ProPublica has found that public health authorities focus on responding to outbreaks already underway rather than trying to prevent them. Grants for developing treatments are easier to come by than for studies on spillover.

Eby says she hopes their findings will inspire more research into understanding whats sparking outbreaks of other diseases like Ebola or Hendras equally deadly cousin, the Nipah virus: Our response to COVID has made it pretty clear that vaccines arent going to be the answer, that while they are very important, while containment is very important, having a better idea of whats causing the spillover in the first place can play an important role in preventing pandemics.

Amala Ekpunobi Unapologetic YouTube May 19, 2023

Source

Netflixs Queen Cleopatra gets lowest audience score of any show in TV history: Forbes

Egypt Independent May 16, 2023

Netflixs Queen Cleopatra documentary has received the worst audience rating ever in TV show history on Rotten Tomatoes, according to a Forbes report.

The series got a one percent audience approval rate due to the great turnout of Egyptians to express their anger at its falsification of history, Forbes reported.

The Netflix film about the story of Cleopatra made her appear dark-skinned as if her origins were African and not Macedonian.

Hawass answers back protesters

Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass said that during one of his lectures in Los Angeles he was protested by people objecting to his refusal to consider Cleopatra being black.

They carried banners with slogans against him, he said, adding that they had fallen for false information.

The real Cleopatra had her image preserved in a portrait statue, now in the British Museum. She was Macedonian, a descendant of one of the generals of Alexander the Great, who conquered Egypt in the fourth century B.C. Unfortunately, Americas school children arent taught enough genuine history to know that.

During a phone interview with Hadith al-Qahira (Cairo Talk) talk show on the al-Qahira wal Nas (Cairo and the People) channel, Hawass stressed We are not against blacks, and if the same situation happened with the continent of Asia, I would object to them.

He emphasized that Cleopatra was burgundy in color, and not dark-skinned, and this a fallacy bought into by African Americans.

Hawass pointed out that ...

The retail industry is constantly evolving. Whether its new technologies, customer behaviours or something else, your point of sale (POS) should reflect current industry trends and what your customers want and expect from your business. The point of sale refers to both your POS system and the customer-product interactions that happen at your cash desk.

When you optimise your POS, youre making every transaction a more pleasant experience for your customers and your staff alike. This means increased profits, customer satisfaction and positive word-of-mouth that can transform your business for the better.

Below, lets discuss how you can optimise your point of sale and the benefits these changes can bring to your company.

Inventory Management

As anyone whos worked in retail knows, inventory management can be a time-consuming manual task. Unreliable inventory practices can lead to poor customer experiences, decreased revenues and shortages.

Having a POS system that comes with a built-in stock management system can change all this, allowing your stock levels to be synced as you make sales. This makes tracking your products much easier, and allows you to make more informed decisions regarding future purchases and sales.

By managing stock across various locations or channels using one centralised system, you can quickly master your inventory and make the most complicated of processes quick, simple and easy.

Displays

Your POS is one of the most high-traffic areas of your store, so why not take advantage of that? Display stands of all shapes and sizes can be the perfect opportunity to encourage impulse purchases and drive up your items per receipt and average transaction value. Items that may not have been on your customers shopping list but then trigger their impulse to make a snap purchase are perfect for your display stands, such as bottled water, lip balm, socks and snacks.

POS displays can also be used to push current promotional items or current discounts. Smaller displays will be right at home on top of your cash desk, with the signage capturing your customers attention and encouraging even more impulse purchases.

Customer Management

...

The post The racism experienced by Stan Grant is the norm, not the exception appeared first on IndigenousX.

Benefits of Tank Level Indicator Companies

Tank-level indicator companies are always loyal to clients. They are determined to win clients hearts and minds. This is possible through the production of needed and desired solutions. The personnel is well informed of clients problems. A market survey is carried out to determine this. The needs are well analyzed. Then appropriate solutions are produced. All industry regulations are followed as guidelines. This ensures that you get solutions of high standards. Ensure to always engage the best of these organizations. This affects the level of results obtained. You will only achieve this by the use of correct information. Ensure to search for it first. There are many ways and sources of acquiring this information. The industry has invented these sources. Thus they are well-certified for market use. Compare different available sources for the selection process. Always aspire to use the best of them. The internet is the best to use in this case. The information is open for you to read through. Google search for it. All the organizations information is attainable. You can also learn about clients responses through the website. Use the information in settling on the best of them. There are many advantages attained through them. These advantages are outlined below. Ensure to read through them.

The first advantage attained through tank level indicator companies is sustainability. Strong organizations are required at all times. They assure you of their support always. Tank level indicator companies will assure you of this attribute. The personnel will create long-term solutions. Through this economic development is achieved. More clients access these solutions. In return, there is more sales volume. The high profit ensures these organizations sustainability. Talking to past clients will help you. Seek to know about sustainable organizations through them. Compare the information provided by these past clients. This information is always accurate and timely. Use it in engaging sustainable organizations.

The next advantage attained through tank level indicator companies is cost and affordability. All clients will engage in affordable solutions. A lot is guaranteed through them. You can save a lot of money through these solutions. Tank level indicator companies are the best in this. The personnel is aware of clients buying power. Thus they will mold solutions that are pocket friendly. You are required to always choose the most economical among them. You can always consult this personnel. Enquire about the pricing strategies. Seek to have the printed price list. Please read through this price list. You will discover more about affordable solutions. Depending on the information att...

So many of us dont identify with our actual age. Why is that?

How old are you? How old do you feel? If the answers to those two questions arent the same, youre likely someone who believes age can be subjective. Your answers may also reveal some interesting insights to your outlook on life, says Jennifer Senior, a staff writer for The Atlantic. Senior delves into this abstract concept in her article The Puzzling Gap Between How Old You Are and How Old You Think You Are, which appears in the magazines April 2023 issue.

Read Full Story

How the mighty has fallen. Once respected David Speers joins the ABC groupthink. The ultimate virtue signalling bullshit stunt : holding a sign and pulling a sad face.

Pathetic. Grow up.

Staggering admission by the defence lawyer in the Brittany Higgins case. From The Australian. If Ms Wilkinson had not said the things she said at the Logies, and the trial judge had not adjourned the trial for three months, I genuinely believe Bruce would have been convicted, Whybrow says. The...

@tyson_melbourne6

Epic DM Production

The transition to CBDC in Nigeria did not go as planned. The elites always seek out African nations to use as their test subjects. Nigeria attempted to slowly roll out the program dubbed eNaria built on the Hyperleger Fabric blockchain. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is solely responsible for running the nodes of this digital currency. Beginning stress tests stated this currency could execute 2,000 transactions per section.  In October 2021, the government began offering incentives to citizens who chose to CBN.

A year later, the country was still hesitant to make the switch so the central bank began implementing forceful measures. In October 2022, the CBN decided to cancel and resign the currency in a move aimed at restoring the control of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over currency in circulation. They stated that the original paper notes would only be legal tender until January 31, 2023, leaving the people with no alternative but to convert their cash. Nigerians were no stranger to the concept of currency cancellation as it is something the government has routinely done. The CBN openly announced that the end goal was to target a 100% cashless society replaced with eNaria. Fewer than 0.5% of Nigerians adopted the eNaria and protests erupted across the nation.

...

QUESTION: Hi Marty,
May I ask your indulgence? Am trying to come to terms with my own ignorance of real history and figured that if someone as smart as you made the same error as I, wouldnt feel as bad (good company and all that).
The German Blitz, the bombing of London, is a classic historical reference to the evil Hitler and the stoic peaceful Brits. Some claim that Churchill ordered the bombing of German cities first, and Hitler retaliated.
So here goes (no peeking):
Which of Great Britain or Germany was the first to bomb the cities/civilians of the other country during WWII?
Now, you may infer the answer b/c of the setup, but did you know that? I sure didnt. Feeling a bit gaslit.
How about you?
All the best,
Greg

ANSWER: Yes. History is written by the victor not the loser. It is not politically correct, to tell the truth. The only way to confirm the truth is to resort to contemporary reports before history is assembled. As I have explained, governments will engage in physiological warfare and this goes back to ancient times.

...

The study was titled Psychosocial Functioning in Transgender Youth after 2 Years of Hormones

Protect your top producing vegies and get a jump on the new season by overwintering plants.

Devastatingly good from Stuart Littlemore. What a shemozzle. Stan Grant, who writes a weekly opinion column for the ABC website, steps down from his Q&A hosting role on ABC-TV because he believes ABC management arent defending him from the online abuse directed at him after comments he made on another...

Thank you Ming, magnificent.

I ride to the city along the Upfield train lineand a creek, which I can't see and which isn't on Google Maps, but the frogs love it. It's an invisible wildlife refuge in Melbourne's inner north.

The post Merle Creek appeared first on Overland literary journal.

In what may turn out to be Australias longest election campaign, and with barely a moment to come up for air, 2022 Greens candidate Mandy Nolan has announced that she will run again as the candidate for the seat of Richmond at the next federal election.

Farming is not what it once was and innovations in all areas of agricultural industry have seen processes become faster, more productive and hopefully safer.

But its always good to look back where we came from, and one of the earliest surviving Australian-made tractors, the vintage 1912 McDonald EB oil tractor, which has recently joined the National Museums collection in Canberra, highlights some of the transformative changes in farming over the years.

J.G. Olsen / Financial Expositor

It is said that the battle of Antarctica in 1946 was lost by the Allies, the German flying saucers proving unbeatable.

This type of story sounds like a cheeky cover for the real story. We can say with plausibility and perhaps even certainty:

i) there was a civilisation on Antarctica long ago

ii) there is a secret no-go area where activities and the public are prohibited

iii) the best way from Europe to Antarctica is via Argentina

iv) the mischief in this world is not to b...

The COVID-19 vaccines have provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to answer this question

A Midwestern Doctor | The Forgotten Side of Medicine | April 5, 2023

A major problem I see throughout the scientific and political sphere is that people cannot maintain a perspective that allows them to see the whole picture; rather they tend to focus or fixate on things they have some type of emotional or subconscious priming to focus on (this has been an issue throughout history). This is why you can have someone be around an individual they like and they primarily register the one good thing the individual did (while ignoring all the bad things) and conversely why they will ignore all the good things another individual they dont like is trying so hard to do and focus on the one bad thing that individual did.

This human tendency ends up becoming a huge problem because the media will emotionally condition the public to focus on the one side on an issue which favors its corporate sponsors. This in turn leads to these people getting up in arms about that one point when individuals who dissent against the corporate narrative try to highlight the issues that greatly outweigh any purported benefit of the narrative.

This is particularly common with complex issues (which are difficult to understand to begin with) and one of my longstanding frustrations has been that despite the harms of vaccines greatly outweighing their benefits, many of you can only register the danger of the (often insignificant disease) the vaccine allegedly protects against. In my eyes, one of the upsides about COVID-19 is that this selective reframing of reality and the media lies to maintain it went to such an extreme extent, much of the public became able to realize it was absurd and started taking the time to try and fully understand the subject.

One of the common questions I get from readers relates to another complex questionwhich vaccines are safe for their kids, and which ones are a bad idea? This is surprisingly difficult to answer because you must weigh the likelihood of an adverse event from a vaccination vs. the likelihood of suffering a complication from the disease that the vaccine would prevent you from getting and compute a figure that takes the weighted average of each into consideration.

In order make this determination, you need to consider all of the following:

Disease Risk

 How likely is it for a person to get the disease?

Some diseases we vaccinate against are incredibly rare (e.g., tetanus).

How likely is the disease to cause a negligible, minor, moderate, severe, or fatal complication?

It is very important to distinguish between these catego...

Stan Grant has announced he will step aside from his ABC duties as he believes he has not been shown support by his bosses. @Hingers, who also works at ABC, shares why it can be difficult to be understood, not only at ABC, but in all workplaces. pic.twitter.com/zlFGidaGTu The...

Richard D Wolff is a  Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, and previously from Yale University and a Visiting Professor at the University of Paris at the Sorbonne (France). Today he is a Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School University, New York City, and teacher Brecht Forum in Manhattan. Here, Wolff writes (Economy for All 18 May 2023) about the continuing delusion of that school of economics and policy makers obsessed with the market as the solver of all economic problems. He Calls the most extreme of these fundamentalists. But he also points out the contradiction between preaching the virtues of free trade, while turning towards protectionism and government handouts to corporations. The reality is that the market is a mechanism for rationing and does not meet the needs of society.

A changing world order, a shrinking U.S. empire, migrations and related demographic shifts, and major economic crashes have all enhanced religious fundamentalisms around the world. Beyond religions, other ideological fundamentalisms likewise provide widely welcomed reassurances. One of the lattermarket fundamentalisminvites and deserves criticism as a major obstacle to navigating this time of rapid social change. Market fundamentalism attributes to that particular social institution a level of perfection and optimality quite parallel to what fundamentalist religions attribute to prophets and divinities.

Yet markets are just one among many social means of rationing. Anything scarce relative to demand for it raises the same question: Who will get it and who must do without it? The market is one institutional way to ration the scarce item. In a market, those who want it bid up its price leading others to drop out because they cannot or will not pay the higher price. When higher prices have eliminated the excess of demand over supply, scarcity is gone, and no more bidding up is required. Those able and willing to pay the higher prices are satisfied by receiving distributions of the available supply.

The market has thus rationed out the scarce supply. It has determined who gets and who does not. Clear...

MrBeast has reacted to being cancelled because he purportedly bought almost all of the houses on one street so that his staff could live in them.

Jimmy Donaldson, a famous content maker also known as Mr. Beast, is said to have bought several houses on a cul-de-sac in the southeast areas of Greenville, North Carolina for his workers and family to live in.

MrBeast has made a name for himself by doing tricks, jokes, giving away money, and doing good things like giving hearing aids to 1,000 deaf people. Now, he has given his employees stress-free housing close to work so they dont have to waste time traveling.

The normally devoted fans of the YouTuber, who is now 25 years old, were, however, caught aback by the neighborhood, which is not far from the place where the YouTuber spent his formative years.

One tweeted: That sounds very culty lol.

The next Jonestown will happen here, darkly quipped another person. A third stated: Imagine losing your job and your house on the same day. Thats what company towns are. Your employer owns every aspect of your life.

However, it wasnt all negative feedback from his devoted following.

One tweeted: Theres always someone who wants to ruin the fun, right? I dont see anything wrong with helping people in need without strings attached. A second said: You could rid of the entire world of debt and someone somewhere would find something negative to say about it. Nothing you can do. A third quipped that the haters were clutching at straws: They really scraping at the bottom if the barrel to cancel this man.

Now, MrBeast himself has gotten behind his computer keyboard to answer to the criticism that has been leveled at him, saying while he joked to his 20.4m followers: Only I could get canceled for giving people a place to live with no strings attached.. All these company town tweets make no sense, I was just helping some people.

According to sources from The New York Post, MrBeast acquired his own 3,000 square foot, four-bedroom house in 2018 for a price that was relatively low at $320,000. This property was the first one on the block to be bought by him.

After that, he started purchasing more properties on the same street off-market and for more than they were worth at the time.

On the block, there is still one home that has...

Australia is a country addictively hostile to the elderly. Despite being a continent that speaks to immemorial origins, respect for those who age is uncommon. In The Lucky Country, that seminal, repeatedly misunderstood text, written in frustrated, sour prose, Donald Horne observes that Australia is not a place where one should grow old.

And so, it follows: the rampant, habitual abuse of the elderly, seen as the gnats and brats of family and human refuse, the lack of community protections, the human rights abuses, all exposed vividly by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

No Royal Commission could possibly deal with all the social and structural issues that afflict the treatment of the elderly. A central feature of the nuclear family remains its obsessive selfishness: the savaging of the older member is seen as not only natural but logical. Those no longer functioning in mind, bowel and being, are rushed off to the retirement village or nursing home once the age meter ticks over. Family members are assured that their discarded elders will be happy in their new prison, and the conspiracy between what is loosely called the aged care sector, one racked by the most insidious of abuses, and the medical profession, is complete. All there is to do is wait out the time for the inevitable passing, and hopefully the old bats will have some spare cash left behind after the nursing home steals the bulk of the estate.

Before passing, the elderly individual will face the risks created by their environment, helped along by unhelpful carers, rapacious providers, and money-counting administrators. To this can now be added another risk: the prospect of being tasered by the police.

The last line deserves a place in a species of ageist dystopian literature with a social Darwinian slant, a sort of Mad Max for the Aged. But it is precisely what took place on May 17. Clare Nowland, a great-grandmother suffering dementia, found herself in a critical condition after being tasered by a senior constable of the New South Wales Police. The incident took place at Yallambee Lodge in the small town of Cooma, roughly 100 kilometres south of Canberra.

The Taser has a lengthy, rather nasty history of misuse. Comprising two barbed darts shot in Probe Mode, the recipient faces the release of 50,000 volts of electrical current lasting over 5 seconds. When used in its Drive-Stun Mode, the weapon is placed directly against the victims skin, causing terrific pain, sometimes burns. The casualty list attributed to the Taser is a growingly ghoulish one. In February 2012, Amnesty International reported that....

Why do some government schemes work; others dont? first shown on Taazakhabar News

Why do some schemes work and others dont? In answer to this question lies one of the secrets of making things happen in the Government. We can learn both from what is happening and what is not happening. Someone should first have the courage to accept the ground reality and then indulge in course correction.