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Friday, September 22. 2017

I'm a brain scientist and I let my son play football

New Cotinga Tree Of Life Sheds Light On Evolution Of Brilliant Colors

Study: Dinosaur-killing asteroid accelerated bird evolution

Hubble discovers a unique type of object in the Solar System

Where did Syphilis come from?

Missing from Ken Burns’ ‘Vietnam’: The patriotism and pride of those who fought

Ken Burns' Vietnam: Episode 1. Very Good, But 2 Omissions

THE CAUSES OF INCOME INEQUALITY, REVEALED

Duh: Unemployment, single parenthood, youth

Debt-Serdom and Our Neofuedal Status Quo

Indeed, governments are Tax Farmers

Related, With Popular Single-Payer Plan, Bernie Sanders Enters New Territory: A Wealth Tax

An annual tax on your life savings should be popular. That is, in addition to any income it generates. How about an annual 10% tax on your net assets?

Clapper Claims FISA Wiretap Of Paul Manafort Conducted Without His Knowledge

Why CNN told you Trump's campaign was wiretapped

Trump’s ‘sovereignty’ talk was what the UN needed to hear

Merkel’s Great Transformation

North Korean leader on Trump: ‘I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire’

China and the art of the deal

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 04:13 | Comments (38) | Trackback (1)

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Re: Clapper Claims FISA Wiretap Of Paul Manafort Conducted Without His Knowledge

QUOTE:

Either way, we either have a very sick man in James Clapper, or we have a scandal brewing that could shatter the media’s love affair with the Obama presidency.

Leaning toward option #2.

#1 drowningpuppies on 2017-09-22 08:53 (Reply)

First he asserted there was no wiretap (condescendingly I might add), now he says there was a wiretap but it was conducted without his knowledge.

So the best we can say about James Clapper is that he is an incompetent leader.

Sorry but I can't foresee the latter option ever coming true. The media are Obama fanboys and promoters, they can't stop loving him, no matter what.

#1.1 steve walsh on 2017-09-22 09:30 (Reply)

The media will be Obama fanbois forever.

#1.1.1 Sam L. on 2017-09-22 13:43 (Reply)

QUOTE:

Missing from Ken Burns’ ‘Vietnam’: The patriotism and pride of those who fought

"He was impregnably armored by his good intentions and his ignorance... I never knew a man who had better motives for all the trouble he caused."
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American, 1955

#2 Zachriel on 2017-09-22 11:06 (Reply)

Relevance???

#2.1 drowningpuppies on 2017-09-22 11:31 (Reply)

Zachriel is telling us that having patriotism and pride are irrelevant when it is an evil cause. This is because he is more concerned with moral judgment than history. It's just one more way of changing the subject just enough to not have to deal with inconvenient facts.

I have not seen any of the Ken Burns effort, and as I don't do TV or movies, am unlikely to. I feared it would be nothing more than a well-crafted restatement of the myths of the last fifty years. The reports, here and elsewhere, are that it is better than that. If this continues I will be gratified, even if it is not all that I think it should be.

Burns builds from still photographs. As he will certainly use the Nguyen Ngoc Loan and Kim Phuc photos, I am hopeful he will tell the actual story behind them, which is at variance with what they seem to portray.

#2.1.1 Assistant Village Idiot (Link) on 2017-09-22 11:47 (Reply)

Assistant Village Idiot: Zachriel is telling us that having patriotism and pride are irrelevant when it is an evil cause.

Not at all. Patriotism and pride of country have often played in an important role in defeating evil. However, good intentions combined with ignorance can lead to tragedy.

Assistant Village Idiot: This is because he is more concerned with moral judgment than history. It's just one more way of changing the subject just enough to not have to deal with inconvenient facts.

The inconvenient fact is that the Americans bumbled into Vietnam just as described by Graham Green — in 1955.

#2.1.1.1 Zachriel on 2017-09-22 13:36 (Reply)

Just to annoy Zach:

http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2017/09/i-amuse-myself-122.html

Heh!

#2.1.1.1.1 Russtovich on 2017-09-22 16:31 (Reply)

The inconvenient fact is that the Americans bumbled into Vietnam just as described by Graham Green — in 1955.

Regarding the political wisdom of Graham Greene, consider the following Graham Greene quote:
I'll Be Damned:Graham Greene's most fervent loyalty was to betrayal.

QUOTE:

"If I had to choose between life in the Soviet Union and life in the United States of America, I would certainly choose the Soviet Union, just as I would choose life in Cuba to [sic] life in those southern American republics, like Bolivia, dominated by their northern neighbor, or life in North Vietnam to life in South Vietnam."

Greene never had to make this choice, if only because he was often refused a visa for the United States and never "chose" to spend much time in the Soviet Union. He did, however, keep up a lifelong friendship with a permanent resident of that latter state, Kim Philby. Perhaps the most ruthless and successful espionage agent of the entire Cold War, Philby had actually risen to be a senior British intelligence officer and a colleague trusted by James Angleton, of the CIA, while acting as a dedicated agent of the KGB. Greene contributed the introduction to Philby's Soviet-edited memoir, My Silent War, in which he wrote, "He betrayed his country—yes, perhaps he did, but who among us has not committed treason to something or someone more important than a country?" Leave aside that "perhaps." This, with its sanctimonious echo of "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone," also recalls E. M. Forster's hope that he would "have the courage" to betray his country before his friends. This itself was almost as morally slippery as the original "casting the first stone" injunction: in any case, Philby, who sold out the colleagues he had trained himself, certainly betrayed both. Norman Sherry records that Greene lost his temper only once in the course of all their interviews—when Sherry pointed this out.

Graham Greene was a good novelist. As a political commentator, he was a good manure thrower. Yup, he would prefer living in the Soviet Union over living in the US, but his final years were spent on the French Riviera or in Switzerland.

#2.1.1.1.2 Gringo on 2017-09-22 18:15 (Reply)

Gringo: Graham Greene was a good novelist.

None that of that addresses the point, of course, that the U.S. was bumbling into Vietnam in 1955, and that their good intentions and ignorance led to foreseeable tragedy.

#2.1.1.1.2.1 Zachriel on 2017-09-23 09:27 (Reply)

Your selective quote ignores my main point about the validity of Graham Greene's political views.

QUOTE:

Graham Greene was a good novelist. As a political commentator, he was a good manure thrower.

#2.1.1.1.2.1.1 Gringo on 2017-09-23 11:08 (Reply)

Gringo: Your selective quote ignores my main point about the validity of Graham Greene's political views... Graham Greene was a good novelist. As a political commentator, he was a good manure thrower.

You replied with a non sequitur, ignoring Greene's accurate depiction of the Americans bumbling into Vietnam in 1955, and his illustration of how American optimism and ignorance would lead to disaster.

#2.1.1.1.2.1.1.1 Zachriel on 2017-09-23 11:42 (Reply)

On the contrary. Someone who said the following is not worth taking seriously when it comes to affairs of politics.

QUOTE:

That is, to put it mildly, a statement not worth taking seriously. It is the statement of a damned fool. It is also the statement of a damned hypocrite, given that Greene spent his last quarter century on the French Riviera or in Switzerland.

Another way of looking at his statement is that it shows a pro-Communist bias on Greene's part. As such, any statements Greene made about politics should be assumed to not be objective, but to have a pro-Communist bias.

In addition, recall that Norman Sherry, his biographer, pointed out to Greene that Philby betrayed both his country and his friends. Greene didn't like having that pointed out- not all all.

Yet you inform us that such a damned fool is someone to take seriously when it comes to politics.

#2.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1 Gringo on 2017-09-23 13:38 (Reply)

Gringo: Someone who said the following is not worth taking seriously when it comes to affairs of politics.

Even though he was right, you say the warning should have been ignored. And it was!

Gringo: Yet you inform us that such a damned fool is someone to take seriously when it comes to politics.

And yet, he touched on the fundamental truth of the matter; that the very thing that makes the United States admirable, it's optimism, it's boldness, is the very thing that led to such destruction; tragedy in the Greek sense, an inevitable doom due to the intrinsic character of the protagonist. Or as Barbara Tuchman would say The March of Folly.

#2.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1 Zachriel on 2017-09-23 13:47 (Reply)

You keep avoiding the elephant in the room- the following Graham Greene quote.

QUOTE:

1) Do you agree with Greene?
2)Would you have similarly chosen? Why or why not?
3) This statement expresses Greene's opinion of the Cold War. What does this statement say about Greene, and about the validity of his political views?
4)As has been said before, people "vote with their feet." How does the relative movement of people to and from the Iron Curtain reflect on the validity of Greene's statement?
5) Did Greene put his money where his mouth was with regard to this statement? [French Riviera and Switzerland.]
6) What is your reaction to Greene's getting angry when Norman Sherry, his biographer, pointed out that Kim Philby, Greene's friend, had betrayed both his country and his friends?

#2.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1 Gringo on 2017-09-23 22:46 (Reply)

Gringo: You keep avoiding the elephant in the room- the following Graham Greene quote.

You're still arguing a non sequitur. Greene was right about how the character of the Americans would lead them into disaster, and he said so long before most Americans even knew where Vietnam was on the map.

#2.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Zachriel on 2017-09-24 09:35 (Reply)

Not at all. how good a judge of the Cold War was Graham Greene.How objective was he?

I am not going to get into a detailed discussion of The Quiet American. I will point out that there are some definite question marks about the book. For example, Fowler, by virtue of not speaking Vietnamese, is just as colonialist-out-of-touch as Pyle. That is a red flag for me. Anyone who claims to know a country well and doesn't know the language of that country, is deluding himself. Te lo juro.Or Fowler's somewhat pro-French attitude. Ditto a red flag. I view The Quiet American as the ignorant informing us about the ignorant.

A novel is not a valid politics primer. See my above points about the The Quiet American and about Graham Greene.

But what can I expect of someone who informed us that one should see Casablanca to inform oneself about the Spanish Civil War? As if Casablanca would be a better source than books written by, for example, Hugh Thomas, George Orwell, or Stanley Payne? Books which I had previously recommended and also read. I recommend books. Z-Team recommends a movie. Que boludez.

Graham Greene acted as a courier for Fidel Castro. As such, he was an enabler for a totalitarian despot. Non sequiter? No way. That gives us context for judging him. As did his statement about preferring to live in the Soviet Union.

#2.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Gringo on 2017-09-24 11:27 (Reply)

Gringo: how good a judge of the Cold War was Graham Greene.

Demonstrably, a good one with regards to the American involvement in Vietnam.

#2.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Zachriel on 2017-09-24 11:31 (Reply)

Gringo: Z-Team recommends a movie.

No. (Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with that.) We cited a novel by Graham Greene which accurately explained how the American character could lead to tragedy in Vietnam.

#2.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.2 Zachriel on 2017-09-24 12:23 (Reply)

We also cited Barbara Tuchman.

#2.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.2.1 Zachriel on 2017-09-24 13:00 (Reply)

The Harry Hopkins fellowship of the ruling elitist always did their best to bail out the evil corruption of communism. Their kind still exists and still hope for a more perfect communist union. Viet Nam was simply a waystation on their way to a new world order of globalists. And Graham Greene as a reference doesn't bolster any argument for his political neutrality. He was a member of the British communist party and in the 50's he was even a courier for Fidel Castro's Cuban adventures. He supported Castro to the end although he thought he might be a bit to authoritarian. Our current foreign inspired and domestically raised antifa are simply communists with an alias.

#2.1.1.1.3 indyjonesouthere on 2017-09-22 19:09 (Reply)

indyjonesouthere: Their kind still exists and still hope for a more perfect communist union.

None that of that addresses the point, of course, that the U.S. was bumbling into Vietnam in 1955, and that their good intentions and ignorance led to foreseeable tragedy.

#2.1.1.1.3.1 Zachriel on 2017-09-23 09:28 (Reply)

Graham Greene was a bumbling leftist...much like yourself.

#2.1.1.1.3.1.1 indyjonesouthere on 2017-09-23 17:49 (Reply)

QUOTE:

The inconvenient fact is that the Americans JFK and LBJ bumbled into Vietnam just as described by Graham Green — in 1955.

Then it was left up to Nixon to get us out.

#2.1.1.1.4 drowningpuppies on 2017-09-22 23:06 (Reply)

Re: Why CNN told you Trump's campaign was wiretapped

An inconvenient truth?
Or CYA?

#3 drowningpuppies on 2017-09-22 12:04 (Reply)

Origin of syphilis- that was published 20 years ago, with proposed follow on research mentioned. So no new updates?

#4 DrTorch on 2017-09-22 12:45 (Reply)

Why is CNN telling us about the wiretap? If you haven't been paying attention, the media has been building a case against Manafort with variously timed leaks. They needed to build this idea that Manafort deserved the wiretapping and that it was all 'legal' before they could admit he WAS wiretapped and, whoops, Trump may have been caught up in that.

That way, the media and Obama people (who are feeding this stuff to the media) can pretend as if a crime of some kind was committed, so, therefore, the wiretapping of a campaign was totally legit.

In fact, this is the defense I am seeing already from your average Democrat online. Manafort must have been doing illegal things for the wiretapping to occur and Trump is a crook.

So the story is working, for now. But Manafort is just the tip of the iceberg. The details about Power unmasking the equivalent of 1 person per day in 2016 and even up to the DAY of the Inauguration is just the start.

The left is running out of people to corral into this 'Russia' crap. They tried Don Jr., Kushner, even Farage was leaked as a potential Russia conspirator back in the early part of summer. Why? Because it means to me that in all likelihood we will see these people were unmasked...They have to cover their assess somehow.

It's not going to last. Congress will have to start interviewing Power, Brennan, Rice, Rhodes, Lynch and Comey. For some, they will appear more than once b/c more info is coming out about these unmaskings every day and their part in it. And when they get to those people, it will not be pretty for the Dems.

#5 MissT on 2017-09-22 13:45 (Reply)

MissT: They needed to build this idea that Manafort deserved the wiretapping and that it was all 'legal' before they could admit he WAS wiretapped

Apparently it was legal, a warrant issued by a judge based on probable cause.

#5.1 Zachriel on 2017-09-22 13:47 (Reply)

Since Manafort was under investigation in 2014, I'm sure it was easy enough to use same reasoning. However, biggest problem, Zachriel, is that the reports have said NOTHING was found in those 2 years Manafort was being listened to.

How convenient that the warrant was reissued around the time Manafort joined Trump's campaign. Clapper has already admitted in a TV interview that it is likely Trump was recorded.

And you are OK with this because of a 'warrant' that was 'legal'? Also, do you know how easy it is to get a warrant in FISA court? Almost NEVER turned down. Doesn't sound like a difficult thing to get a warrant that will pass muster.

Sorry if I don't trust our thoroughly corrupt intelligence community to act within the law.

I am really uncertain why you are trying to make it okay for a president to abuse his powers in order to listen in on an opposing campaign. I think you are going to be very embarrassed with your posts in the near future.

Please explain also, Zachriel, why Power (UN Ambassador) was unmasking so many people around Trump up until Inauguration Day. Why would she need to do that? What possible job-related scenario can you come up with? I'd really love to hear your explanation for that one.

#5.1.1 MissT on 2017-09-22 15:42 (Reply)

MissT: How convenient that the warrant was reissued around the time Manafort joined Trump's campaign.

You do understand it required a judge to be convinced there was probable cause? Indeed, it's been reported that Manafort is a target of the investigation, meaning an indictment is likely.

MissT: Sorry if I don't trust our thoroughly corrupt intelligence community to act within the law.

You don't have to. The surveillance had to be approved by a judge.

MissT: why Power (UN Ambassador) was unmasking so many people around Trump up until Inauguration Day.

Unmasking requires an independent review. To be approved, a request must be in writing, must be tied to official duties, and the identity must be important to understanding the intelligence. There's no indication at this point that Power did anything untoward.

#5.1.1.1 Zachriel on 2017-09-22 16:46 (Reply)

Yes Zach, that's how it's supposed to work. The revelations are the entire system was corrupted by the Obama administration to become an illegal spying system for political purposes.

#5.1.1.1.1 Jim on 2017-09-22 18:33 (Reply)

Jim: The revelations are the entire system was corrupted by the Obama administration to become an illegal spying system for political purposes.

Are you claiming the FISA court was corrupted by the Obama Administration? On what basis?

#5.1.1.1.1.1 Zachriel on 2017-09-23 09:30 (Reply)

Feigning ignorance again, huh, kidz?

#5.1.1.1.1.1.1 drowningpuppies on 2017-09-23 09:37 (Reply)

You do understand that nearly all serving judges on the FISC are Republicans?

#5.1.1.1.1.2 Zachriel on 2017-09-23 09:58 (Reply)

QUOTE:

There's no indication at this point that Power did anything untoward.

Yep, nothing untoward about over 200 unmaskings in one year by a U,N. Ambassador/ Obama apparatchik during an election year.

Nothing at all.
Thanks kidz.

#5.1.1.1.2 drowningpuppies on 2017-09-22 23:27 (Reply)

A 19th Century Eating Tour of the Lower East Side

http://www.messynessychic.com/2017/08/18/a-19th-century-eating-tour-of-the-lower-east-side/

#6 feeblemind on 2017-09-22 15:44 (Reply)

Democrats are spending less and less time commenting of Russia, Russia, Russia because there is nothing there for them to hang on Trump. At the same time they are getting sick and tired of Hillary and her plethora of excuses. They are slowly watching Trump demolish all of Obama's penmanship and squeezing the life out of his ISIS caliphate. And Comey...he just keeps sliding further and further into the muck and mire.

#7 indyjonesouthere on 2017-09-22 19:29 (Reply)

I tried to read the daily wire article linked in "..very good but two omissions..." but the popups, poparounds, popunders, slide ins, cover ups, and all the other craptastic ads kept me from being able to actually READ it until I switched to a different browser that kept the ads to a minimum.

Geez, it's like Daily Wire (like so many others, sadly) doesn't really want all the revenue from the ads it allows, and is willing to have us just ad-block or go to a block-enabled browser.

Silly people.

#8 OldFert on 2017-09-24 23:41 (Reply)

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Friday, September 22. 2017

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