Saturday, December 31, 2016
Canadian cemetery in Holland
Maybe this could be forwarded to many of our Legion friends. We tend to forget the sacrifice that so many Canadians made.
Each Christmas Eve children in Holland place candles on graves of 1355 Canadian Soldiers who died liberating their country.
Thanks Cliff
Thanks Cliff
Friday, December 30, 2016
An act of kindness by a socially conscious President
President Obama signed into law the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act that, among many other things, “protects atheists, humanists, and other freethinkers around the world [including America] from religious persecution.” What that means for American Secular Humanists, agnostics, atheists and other nonreligious persons is that they are now explicitly named as “a class” protected by an “Act” that was quietly and unceremoniously signed into law last week. The new law was an update, and a much-needed upgrade, to the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act that states:
“The freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is understood to protect theistic and non-theistic beliefs as well as the right not to profess or practice any religion.”
Of particular note is the Act’s explicit condemnation of any group or government entity that specifically “targets non-theists, humanists, and atheists because of their beliefs” as well as attempts to forcibly legislate or compel “non-believers or non-theists to recant their beliefs or to convert.”
The reason this is so important in America is that each and every one of the Republicans calling themselves “social conservatives” (evangelical fanatics) who attempt to force other Americans to bend to their religious will are imposing their evangelical religion on the entire population. Now women, atheists, Muslims, and the LGBTQ community have a law that prevents religious Republicans from legislating or “compelling” other Americans to comply according to the social conservatives’ bastardized interpretation of Christianity.
With One Pen Stroke President Obama Protects Non-Believers from Religious Republicans
Freedom of religion isn't just about the right to practice religion. It's about the right to have your own views about religion including being agnostic and atheistic.
Free Leonard
Free Leonard Peltier: Obama Urged to Grant Clemency to Native American Activist Jailed for 40 Years
As President Obama’s last month in office begins, Amnesty International and other groups are calling on the president to grant clemency to Native American activist Leonard Peltier, who has been imprisoned for 40 years. The former member of the American Indian Movement was convicted of killing two FBI agents during a shootout on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975. Leonard Peltier has long maintained his innocence. The shootout occurred two years after the American Indian Movement occupied the village of Wounded Knee for 71 days. The occupation of Wounded Knee is considered the beginning of what Oglala people refer to as the "Reign of Terror." We speak to Peltier’s attorney, Martin Garbus, and Norman Patrick Brown, a longtime friend of Leonard Peltier’s. He survived the 1975 Pine Ridge shootout.
Donald "Quack" Trump tweets again .... and again.... and Oh WTF
5 Comments in Two Days Perfectly Show How Dangerous, Insecure & Hypocritical Trump Is (Video)
Even though it’s only been a few weeks since Donald Trump won, it feels like it’s been much longer. He’s not even officially our president yet, but he’s already showing us all what an absolute nightmare the next four years are going to be.
For a perfect example of what I’m talking about, we don’t need to look further than five comments Trump made in a span of two days that put on full display what an immature, unhinged and incompetent fool he truly is. Let’s start off with his statement where he effectively put his support behind starting a massive arms race. Because nothing says “let’s make the planet a safer place to be” quite like the president-elect who’s gone out of his way to anger and provoke China, while also vilifying the entire religion of 1.6 billion people, saying that he wants to start an arms race that would lead to more countries seeking out weapons of mass destruction. Something that would make it much easier for those weapons to fall into the wrong hands — you know, like into the hands of terrorists.
Though the stupidity of that comment was basically a follow up to this tweet:
Read more at: http://www.forwardprogressives.com/5-comments-two-days-put-display-dangerous-insecure-hypocritical-trump-video/
Even though it’s only been a few weeks since Donald Trump won, it feels like it’s been much longer. He’s not even officially our president yet, but he’s already showing us all what an absolute nightmare the next four years are going to be.
For a perfect example of what I’m talking about, we don’t need to look further than five comments Trump made in a span of two days that put on full display what an immature, unhinged and incompetent fool he truly is. Let’s start off with his statement where he effectively put his support behind starting a massive arms race. Because nothing says “let’s make the planet a safer place to be” quite like the president-elect who’s gone out of his way to anger and provoke China, while also vilifying the entire religion of 1.6 billion people, saying that he wants to start an arms race that would lead to more countries seeking out weapons of mass destruction. Something that would make it much easier for those weapons to fall into the wrong hands — you know, like into the hands of terrorists.
Though the stupidity of that comment was basically a follow up to this tweet:
Read more at: http://www.forwardprogressives.com/5-comments-two-days-put-display-dangerous-insecure-hypocritical-trump-video/
Words of wisdom for old farts
During a visit to my doctor, I asked him, "How do you determine whether or not an older person should be put in an old age home?"
"Well," he said, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the person to empty the bathtub."
"Oh, I understand," I said. "A normal person would use the bucket because it is bigger than the spoon or the teacup."
"No" he said. "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?"
ARE YOU GOING TO PASS THIS ON … OR DO YOU WANT THE BED NEXT TO MINE? :
A short neurological test
1- Find the C below.. Please do not use any cursor help.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
2- If you already found the C, now find the 6 below.
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
3 - Now find the N below. It's a little more difficult.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
This is NOT a joke. If you were able to pass these 3 tests, you can cancel your annual visit to your neurologist. Your brain is great and you're far from having a close relationship with Alzheimer.
"Well," he said, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the person to empty the bathtub."
"Oh, I understand," I said. "A normal person would use the bucket because it is bigger than the spoon or the teacup."
"No" he said. "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?"
ARE YOU GOING TO PASS THIS ON … OR DO YOU WANT THE BED NEXT TO MINE? :
A short neurological test
1- Find the C below.. Please do not use any cursor help.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
2- If you already found the C, now find the 6 below.
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
3 - Now find the N below. It's a little more difficult.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
This is NOT a joke. If you were able to pass these 3 tests, you can cancel your annual visit to your neurologist. Your brain is great and you're far from having a close relationship with Alzheimer.
SENIOR CITIZENS
ARE THE NATION'S LEADING CARRIERS OF AIDS!
HEARING AIDS
BAND AIDS
ROLL AIDS
WALKING AIDS
MEDICAL AIDS
GOVERNMENT AIDS
MOST OF ALL,
MONETARY AIDS TO THEIR KIDS!
Not forgetting HIV (Hair is Vanishing)
Give me the grace to see a joke,
To get some humour out of life,
ARE THE NATION'S LEADING CARRIERS OF AIDS!
HEARING AIDS
BAND AIDS
ROLL AIDS
WALKING AIDS
MEDICAL AIDS
GOVERNMENT AIDS
MOST OF ALL,
MONETARY AIDS TO THEIR KIDS!
Not forgetting HIV (Hair is Vanishing)
Give me the grace to see a joke,
To get some humour out of life,
And pass it on to other folk.
I'm only sending this to my 'old' friends.
I'm only sending this to my 'old' friends.
Thanks Randy
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Fake news and Russia: The back stabbing bastards of the internet
I was a victim of a Russian smear campaign – I understand the power of fake news
A couple of years ago, I was the focus of a smear campaign, elements of which could have been lifted out of a spy novel
We were told in June that the Democratic National Committee had been hacked by Russians. We were told in October that material subsequently passed on to WikiLeaks came from the same source and that President Obama was considering a response.
Numerous articles were written about these leaks and about Donald Trump's many Russian connections. And yet no one was really outraged until now. Why? I have a theory: until you have seen for yourself how 21st-century disinformation works, you laugh at the very idea of it. Once you have understood its power, you stop laughing.
If I was slightly ahead of the curve, it's because - like everyone who ever wrote critically about Russia - I saw early on how it worked. A couple of years ago, I was the focus of a smear campaign, elements of which could have been lifted out of a spy novel. In the wake of the invasion of Crimea, I was writing quite a bit about Ukraine, when nasty little articles about me started appearing on Russia-based websites.
The technique was the same as that used by people who later dressed up the stories from the emails of the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta: mix truth and lies - my book contract and royalties were described as mysterious income from questionable sources - make ludicrous claims, pass on the lies to other Russian-backed websites, and then pass it on again.
Stop being a victim of fake news .... THINK before you repost.... INFORM yourself before you repost
How Facebook’s Fake News Ecosystem Empowers Total Lies
How Fake News Purveyors Used Facebook To Create The Notorious “Pizzagate” Conspiracy Theory
Facebook never set out to be a hotbed of bogus conspiracy theories. But its information ecosystem and news feed algorithm proved ripe for bad actors, and purveyors of fake news have gamed the system to deceive and misinform the public -- with incredibly dangerous consequences.
On October 30, a white supremacist-linked Twitter account posted a tweet that would develop into a national fake news story, one claiming Hillary Clinton and her allies were involved in a widespread child sex-trafficking ring. After fake news stories spread the baseless claim through Facebook, conspiracy theorists on message boards Reddit and 4Chan named a Washington, D.C., pizza parlor as a central hub in the supposed operation. The story gained further traction on Facebook from there. Weeks later, an armed man entered the restaurant and endangered the lives of patrons and employees while he attempted to “self-investigate” the conspiracy claims that Facebook’s fake news ecosystem had artificially legitimized.
Read more:
https://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/21/how-facebook-s-fake-news-ecosystem-empowers-total-lies/214860
Brilliant post contributed by Kristen Vernace
This year, instead of having my 6th grade class write the usual persuasive letters about why their family should get a dog or they should get a higher allowance, I challenged them to write about a local, national, or global issue that they felt passionately about.
Through the process they learned what a credible source is and how to ignore fear-based media and biased media; they learned to do their own research instead of trusting rumors; they learned to check their facts and become experts on a subject before spewing their opinion; and they learned the most American thing you can do is calmly and genuinely make your voice heard in order to improve your world.
We've got about 90 letters going to Trump about global warming, Lepage about gun control, Anna Wintour about Photoshopping in magazines, Hillary about women's equality, police chiefs about Black Lives Matter... and so many more I can't even name. And to think the kids came up with these issues on their own is truly inspiring.
I've never felt more proud! This is our future!
AC/DC - Highway to Hell (Official Video)
Alec Baldwin has offered to sing this at Trump's inauguration
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Canada: The last country standing
Canada in the Age of Donald Trump
What it means to be the last country on Earth that believes in multiculturalism
It is early november and in the streets of Toronto, men and women are pinning bright red poppies onto their dark winter coats. They do this in remembrance; they remember the men and women who gave their lives in the two great orgies of violence that defined the twentieth century in order to build a saner and a better world. That world, which the survivors managed to build, came to a sudden end last night. With the election of Donald Trump, the last of the major Western democracies holding out against the tidal onslaught of xenophobia has fallen. Well, not quite the last. There is Canada.
In Europe the power of the far right has been growing steadily and ferociously for decades. The far right may not even be the correct term for the force that is coming to dominate what was formerly called the West. It combines the promise of social cohesion through the welfare state with a racially defined ethnic identity. This power is on the march everywhere and naturally tends towards autocracy. It’s not just Western. It is producing Vladimir Putins across the globe, in Turkey and in the Philippines.
The Rice Video - Carbon Dioxide in perspective by The Galileo Movement
Aussies getting into the CO2 game as well. Watch the videoThe Carbon Tax....It's just three minutes of Primary School CO2 Science that the Government doesn't want made public. This three-minute video puts carbon dioxide into perspective. Yes, it's principally aimed at Aussies but the science, not hype, is universal.How can the implementation of a tax effectively reduce the carbon footprint? You tell me! By the way Australia have repealed their carbon tax. Every Canadian should receive this????The Aussies are getting the same BS as Canucks.
Thanks Richard
You are being conned
Don’t be fooled by these dishonest attacks on the ‘metropolitan liberal elite’
Nigel Farage would have burst a blood vessel, had he only had the chance to listen in. What could be more metropolitan liberal elite than last week’s Guardian Christmas telethon, as readers called in to journalists to make a donation for child refugees? Just imagine it, all those Islington luvvies and bleeding hearts, ringing in from one part of London N1 to another, the Bollinger chilling nicely in the fridge, as they salved their well-paid consciences and congratulated themselves on being leftier than thou. How utterly Guardianista.
Except it was nothing like that. The calls came from all over the country, with perhaps an over-representation from the north of England. In my two and a half hours on the phones, I heard from Barrow-in-Furness, Hull, Lancaster, Leeds, Swansea and a string of small towns and villages from Devon to Cumbria. Colleagues reported the same pattern. True, I took a call from my own small part of north London – but it was the only one. However else you’d want to describe this group of people, metropolitan they weren’t.
Nor were they the elite. Pensioners called to give the fiver or tenner they worked out they could spare, or, as Polly Toynbee has recounted, their entire winter fuel allowance. Gary Younge took a call from an unemployed Asian man, living with his parents in northern England, who gave £1.33: he chose that precise sum because he had £1.34 in his account. Meanwhile, and by coincidence, Stuart Heritage spoke again to Sam, the same teenager whose call he took last year. Sam isn’t old enough to have a credit card, but each year he has raised money at his school for the Guardian appeal.
Not many of these people fit the Guardianista stereotype. I wonder what Farage and his friends would make of the lifelong reader who described the recent funeral of a 94-year-old friend: a retired major and veteran of the second world war whose devotion to the Guardian was so great that a copy of the paper was placed on top of his coffin.
And yet, because of their sympathy for refugees and their presumed support for British membership of the EU – with 91% in favour, Guardian readers were the country’s most solidly pro-remain demographic, more reliably anti-Brexit than Green party voters, the young, university graduates and Scots – these people would be casually, and falsely, dismissed by the likes of Farage as the metropolitan liberal elite.
Old Man
ou know how twenty something girls like to flirt and tease old men?
This gal recently “sexted” me this picture and asked…
“Well, whaddya think about this old man?”
I texted her back...
"You need to clean up your room."
Thanks Ivan
This gal recently “sexted” me this picture and asked…
“Well, whaddya think about this old man?”
"You need to clean up your room."
Thanks Ivan
IT'S WHAT YOU SCATTER
I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes... I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.
I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.
Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.
'Hello Barry, how are you today?'
'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good'
'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?' 'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.' 'Good. Anything I can help you with?' 'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.' 'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr. Miller.
'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.'
'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?'
'All I got's my prize marble here.'
'Is that right? Let me see it', said Miller.
'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.'
'I can see that. Hmm mmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.
'Not zackley but almost.'
'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble'. Mr. Miller told the boy.
'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.'
Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.
With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.
When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.'
I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.
Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.
Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket.
Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one; each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.
Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.
'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about.
They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt.'
'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho ...'
With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.
The Moral:
We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.
We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.
Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself...
An unexpected phone call from an old friend.... Green stoplights on your way to work....
The fastest line at the grocery store....
A good sing-along song on the radio...
Your keys found right where you left them.
Thanks Kerry
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