https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-vc9pt-146213a Gday Folks, Ethan joins me for this episode as Andy couldnt make it due to family commitments. Ethan and I tackle 3 main topics for this show and we keep our eye on the big picture as we observe whats being rolled out around us in the incremental creep towards the globalist technocractic agenda.  []

DR SOPHIE SCAMPS: INDEPENDENT MP FOR MACKELLAR | RSS.com JUST OVER A year ago, on 21 May, 2023, Australia experienced a seismic shift in its political landscape with a federal election that saw six community independents, six women, elected to parliament by defeating sitting Liberal Party members in affluent, blue ribbon seats in Sydney, Melbourne []

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TransitZone

Margo Kingston, Peter Clarke and Tim Dunlop come together to talk through the transitions and transformations happening in the world at the moment as we all deal with Covid-19 pandemic. With regular guests from a range of occupations and disciplines, with minds wide open, and a heartfelt desire to see the best of what is possible at this weird moment in the history of the world, we hope #transitzone becomes your alt podcast of choice.

#transitzone theme is by Ivan Clarke at Pang Productions.

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1 Last week on Yeah Nah Pasaran! we spoke to Jock Palfreeman [Twitter] about the International Day of Solidarity with Anti-fascist Prisoners, July 25. Of particular note is the repression currently being faced by anarchists and anti-fascists in Belarus and Continue reading

Your tax dollars at work. Youll be happy to know that the University of Sydney has just been granted permission to provide exclusive financial scholarships to students from the following countries: Uzbekistan Kazakhstan Turkmenistan Tajikistan Azerbaijan Kyrgyzstan China India Pakistan Bangladesh Sri-Lanka Nepal Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam Myanmar...

Thanks to Andrew for the tip!

My new book, The Palestine Laboratory, opens with a personal story about the horrific Pinochet regime in Chile in the 1970s and Israels support for it.

Im therefore happy to see my book getting traction in Chile with this story in the local media:

On the 50th anniversary of the coup dtat [in Chile in 1973], the massacre that restored the oligarchic usurpation of Chile, it is decisive to hold Israel accountable for its participation in the Pinochet dictatorship and in the prolongation of its industry during the period of democracy. What involvement did Israel have in the dictatorship? We know that the coup was forged in the United States, which had the necessary support from Brazil, but it remains to elucidate the place that Israel had in this equation.

Read the whole story: Israel and Pinochet: About the 50th anniversary of the 1973 coup dtat The Voice of the Leftovers

The post How the Palestine laboratory impacted Chile appeared first on Antony Loewenstein.

Seven heads of Switzerland prior to 2023 elections (above) notice how they like to insert an extra, in this case the individual standing right at the back, above the Z in Zurich (below).

...

Generally speaking, theres good reasons and bad reasons to oppose government projects, whatever they may be. And then sometimes, the reason itself lacks reason. Geoff Russell weighs in on the recent decision to block the construction of a nuclear waste dump in South Australia.

I recently emailed the Federal Court asking for a link to the registry of cases so I could find out the relevant details of the Kimba Nuclear Waste Repository legal case which got coverage in most kinds of media a few days ago.

Someone with one of those oxymoron job titles, a Client Services Officer, replied: Please provide a file number of your matter so the registry may further assist.

If I had the bloody file number, I wouldnt need to see the register.

Ive dealt with the legal system before in my life, and promised myself to strenuously avoid it in future. I come out in a rash within 100 metres of a courtroom. But bugger it, sometimes you really need to read the actual decision rather than rely on reports.

Happily, a second client services officer responded to my second request for information with a link to the judgement; a good place to start.

The non-reasons for the decision

The ABC report was ambitiously titled: Heres what we know about the Kimba nuclear storage facility decision. It reported that the area concerned had no native title but was a dryland wheat farm.

Its not clear if the Barngarla people understand why they won the case. The ABC reported:

The Barngarla people have a sacred site for women near Kimba, which they fear a facility would destroy.

The Seven Sisters Dreaming is through that area, Barngarla woman Dawn Taylor said.

The Guardian reported:

Its about listening to the First Nations people, the corporations chair, Jason Bilney, said after the ruling.

The lesson is about truth-telling. You can go on about the Voice, but its about listening to the First Nations people and here we are today and we prevailed and we won.

This case definitely wasnt about truth-telling. The truth is that radioactive minerals litter the Barngarla lands and this waste repository poses no risk whatsoever to any mythical beings or stories; both being impervious to radiation. And of course, all of the above gratuitous quotes were irrelevant to the actual legal case. You can read the full judgement here.

Contributed by Joe Montero

First the PwC scandal and its fraudulent relationship to government. Now Deloitte is taking a hit as its similar toxic relationship with government is made public, thanks yet again, to whistlebower leaked documents.

The new scandal makes it clear that there is something wrong with the ways the consultancy giants operate and that this is systemic to the way they do business. The problem cant be written off as merely a case of a few bad apples. It demands an appropriate response from the government, and when this isnt coming, the rest of us gets to pay the price.

Consider the Deloitte case. Access to confidential defence documents was given, and they were used to help Deloitte line up lucrative government contracts.  Deloitte was previously involved in the creation of the Robodebt scheme that is now recognised to have been illegal. Get the picture?

A third of the big four, EY or Ernst and Young as it used to be known, was the advisor to the Victorian government on the Commonwealth Games and central to the cost blowout from around $2.5 billion to almost $7 billion.

Image by erhui/IGetty

Fourth on the list is KPMG. This one might not have been caught out yet. But consider this. Its Australian division was fined $US450,000 in a United States court in 2022 for violations by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) over several years, in connection with its internal training program. They were found to have shared confidential information with their clients. Some of the other countries where KPMG has been found to have acted improperly are South Africa, Bangladesh, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and the Philippi...

With the revelations that large consultancy firm, PwC, had misused government information for commercial gain, The Echo asked local federal MP, Justine Elliot, whether she supports a royal commission into the consulting industry and to formally ban firms that breach legal and ethical standards? 

According to www.theguardian.com, a former KPMG partner is asking for just that. 

Misuse of government information

Another large consultancy, Deloitte, has also admitted misuse of government information.

Mrs Elliot told The Echo The Albanese government is horrified about the PwC revelations. Treasury has referred the matter to the AFP and it is currently under investigation.

As way of background, she says The Department of Finance has already taken a number of actions under the Commonwealth Procurement Framework to strengthen our systems following the disclosure of the PwC emails

Secretaries have been reminded that ethical behaviour must be taken into account as part of the value for money assessments which underpin decisions under the procurement framework.

PwC has been directed to stand down employees who were involved in, or had knowledge of, the tax matters from government contracts, until the Switkowski investigation is completed, and the department is satisfied that the direction can be lifted.

New clauses 

New clauses will be included into the standard government procurement contracts to further strengthen the ability of the government to cancel these contracts in response to such behaviour in the future.

The post Federal Labor tightens procurement regs on consultancy firms, as PwC scandal deepens appeared first on The Echo.

Kurze Durchsage der FDP:

Mehr Geld hilft nicht, sondern schadet eher.

Oh nein, warte. Es ging nicht um Abgeordnete. Es ging um die Kindergrundsicherung. Und DAS wei ja wohl JEDER, der noch nie ein Kind hatte: Wenn Eltern Geld zur Versorgung ihrer Kinder haben, dann ist das nicht gut fr die Kinder. Kinder sollten in Armut aufwachsen und Hunger leiden, sollten sich keine Schulbcher leisten knnen und am besten auch nicht ins Kino gehen.

Eigentlich sollte man das dann wohl machen wie frher. Ab in den Bergbau!1!!

Wie hat denn der Typ seine eigenen Kinder durchgebracht? Nun, er hat bei MLP "Finanzprodukte" "angeboten". Klar wei der dann nicht, wie das bei Leuten aussieht, die ihr Geld mit ehrlicher Arbeit verdienen mssen.

We see them on political campaigns, we hear about their impact as charismatic cult leaders, we have seen the footage of Hitler wielding his poisonous Silver Tongue and seducing every day people to agree to the most horrendous crimes against humanity using a fast paced hypnotic cadence, making the unimaginable hideously real.

And weve seen the documentary segments of Hillsongs Brian Houston compelling crowds to religious fervour, engaging with the same kinds of charismatic language and call to deep diving on the inside, in a fashion similar to how personal development GuruTony Robbins who bursts onto stage like a rockstar can make a stadium weep, laugh or cry and swipe their card$ for the next-level -sometimes all at the same time!

Silver Tongues.

When the Silver Tongue misuses, exploits or manipulates their gifts of language, charisma and charm they can leave devastation in their wake.

Weve seen how they can divide a country politically, convince their followers to agree to murder and suicide. Online they can charm...

From New Dawn Special Issue Vol 16 No 5 (Oct 2022)

Russia gets into your blood. It got into mine when I studied Russian at the United Nations Language School in New York in the 1980s and 90s while working as a UN information officer, having already learned the basics when I was 19.

I can still hear our teacher Alla coming into the classroom and saying: Today, my dear students, we going to study our beautiful Russian verbs first the imperfective and then the perfective verbs. Who could fail to fall in love with Russian verbs with such a charming teacher? If you happen to read this, Alla, I send you a big wave.

But it was not onl...

From New Dawn Special Issue 18 (Dec 2011)

The symbol of the All Seeing Eye appears regularly among writings by conspiracy theorists. It is alleged the reverse of the Great Seal of the USA is a Masonic symbol and proves that Masonry helped found the United States of America.¹ It is also widely believed the All Seeing Eye is the symbol of the Illuminati,² and where the symbol appears that is evidence of a continuing Illuminatist influence. 

While there is much exaggeration...

From New Dawn 194 (Sept-Oct 2022)

If you stand on top of Canberras Mt. Ainslie and look west, your eye will pass over the top of the War Memorial and run along the brown strip down the middle of Anzac Parade toward...

From New Dawn Special Issue Vol 9 No 3 (June 2015)

It is almost impossible for modern man to understand how he can be blind. We see what is in front of our noses, and we could not see more even if we opened our eyes as far as they will go.

But there is another kind of blindness, which American philosopher and psychologist William James describes in his essay On a Certain Blindness in Human Beings. James recounts how he was being driven, in a buggy, through the mountains of North Carolina, and looking with revulsion at the n...

From New Dawn Special Issue Vol 16 No 5 (Oct 2022)

We do not believe in progress or in salvation. For the Latin race, which goes to its death, we prepare a final splendour, to dazzle and gentle the barbarians who are to come. These words, published in Le Figaro on 2 September 1891 as part of an essay titled Manifesto of the Rose+Cross, heralded the major work of one of the most astonishing figures in the history of Western occultism a teacher and visionary wi...

From New Dawn 190 (Jan-Feb 2022)

The XRP community is struggling with a significant rise in profit-booking actions due to repeated attempts at smashing through the unbreakable $0.85 resistance barrier, resulting in a severe loss of traction for the Ripple altcoin price.

The market is now anxiously awaiting the answer to the crucial question: Will the bullish forces muster enough strength to defend the critical $0.70 support level? Investors are patiently waiting for a definitive response as uncertainty reigns, aware of the delicate balance at stake.

Following reports that the US Securities and Exchange Commission planned to appeal the recent legal verdict in favor of Ripple, XRP saw a substantial 12% fall against USDT on Binance. This appeal nullified the profits achieved during the significant spike in XRP and other altcoins brought on by the lawsuits successful resolution.

At the time of writing, the top altcoin was trading at $0.739, down 4.6% in the last 24 hours. Despite the hiccup, XRP managed to tally a 3.0% increase in the weekly timeframe, data from crypto market tracker Coingecko shows.

After hitting a barrier near the $0.85 level, XRP lost impetus, and on-chain signals indicate that whale investors may soon give in to the developing bearish trend.

RSI Shows XRP Losing Steam 

The price of XRP decreased by 17% between July 13 and July 22. The partial victory for Ripple stoked excitement among XRP holders and drove the alternative currency to its regional high of $0.9375.

Its also important to note that XRP has yet to go very far despite a few falls over the past week as some traders took profits, with its support level still rising as of this writing.

...

From your rsum and cover letter to the interview and thank you note, there are a lot of opportunities to mess up on the road to your dream job. Here, weve gathered essential advice for what to say every step of the way.

When youre looking for a new job theres a lot to figure out: What information should you include on your rsum (and what do you need to trim)? Is a cover letter really necessary? What are the best answers to the most common interview questions? How should you prepare for quirky interview questions? And do you really need to send a thank you note?At Fast Company, weve been covering every aspect of the job hunt process for years, and one writer is behind many of our most popular job hunt advice: Judith Humphrey. Shes the author of the new book The Job Seekers Script, which pulls from five years of Fast Company articles.The first step, Humphrey says, is to focus your search, so that any job you apply for is exactly what you want. You dont want to waste your timeand everyone elsesby applying randomly for 400 or 200 jobs. This leads to considerable frustration and a lot of ghosting. She suggests that job seekers should ask themselves these six questions to make their job hunt more productive:1. Am I prepared to invest time?2. What are my skills and interests?3. Do I want a new direction?4. What kind of culture do I want to work in?5. What size company do I want?6.  Will I be able to succeed there?

Read Full Story

"No one asked any of us": A federal plan for states to share the carbon offset cost of new gas field development has not been well received.

The post Aussie Climate Policy Fracture: States Push Back on Paying Carbon Offsets first appeared on Watts Up With That?.

Apple's consolidation of its third party iPhone, Mac, and iPad resellers to Amazon has induced Spain's antitrust agency to levy a $218 million fine in total on the pair.

It has been stated that the renewable energy business in Austalia is vital to the government's "economy", where it's primary obective is about the money and not the environment.

(L) Debi Marshalls book Banquet (photo penguin.com.au), (R) Colin Manock (photo abc.net.au)

by Mary W Maxwell, LLB

As noted in my 19 July 2023 article, an international one-day conference was held in London on July 16, 2023. It was advertised as an SRA conference: Satanic Ritual Abuse, under the auspices of Jeanette Archer of the UK.  (The speaker from Australia was Rachel Vaughan. She did not speak directly on the topic of satanism, using her 25 minutes instead to report her research into the deaths of abducted children.) The full 7-hour video of the conference is available.

Todays article will be short. The so-called Family murders, that took place in Adelaide from 1979 to 1983, are not a matter on which I have expertise. On the other hand, Im not stupid and I can see, as you can see, when something is just way off the mark. This article is written in reaction to page 232 of the book by Debi Marshall entitled Banquet, published in 2021.

The gist of the offending page, 232, is that one person who held an official post in South Australia in the 1970s, Dr Colin Manock, admitted to Debi Marshall that he knew the location of one of the murder...

Any security arrangement with too many variables and multiple contingencies, risks stuttering and keeling over. Critical delays might be suffered, attributable to a number of factors beyond the parties concerned. Disputes and disagreements may surface. Such an arrangement is AUKUS, where the number of cooks risk spoiling any meal they promise to cook.

The main dish here comprises the nuclear-powered submarines that are meant to make their way to Australian shores, both in terms of purchase and construction. It marks what the US, UK and Australia describe as the first pillar of the agreement. Ostensibly, they are intended for the island continents self-defence, declared as wholesomely and even desperately necessary in these dangerous times. Factually, they are intended as expensive toys for willing vassals, possibly operated by Australian personnel, at the beckon call of US naval and military forces, monitoring Chinese forces and any mischief they might cause.

While the agreement envisages the creation of specific AUKUS submarines using a British design, supplemented by US technology and Australian logistics, up to three Virginia Class (SSN-774) submarines are intended as an initial transfer. The decision to do so, however, ultimately resides in Congress. As delighted and willing as President Joe Biden might well be to part with such hulks, representatives in Washington are not all in accord.

Signs that not all lawmakers were keen on the arrangement were already being expressed in December 2022. In a letter to Biden authored by Democratic Senator Jack Reed and outgoing Republican Senator James Inhofe, concerns were expressed about the state of the US submarine industrial base as well as its ability to support the desired AUKUS SSN [nuclear sub] end state. Current conditions, the senators went on to describe, required a sober assessment of the facts to avoid stressing the US submarine industrial base to the breaking point.

On May 22, a Congressional Research Service report outlined some of the issues facing US politicians regarding the procurement of the Virginia (SSN-774) submarine for the Australian Navy. Should, for instance, Congress approve, reject, or modify DODs AUKUS-related legislative package for the FY2024 NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act] sent to Congress on May 2, 2023? Would the transfer of three to five such boats while pursuing the construction of three to five replacement SSNs for the US Navy have a net impact on collective allied deterrence? And should Beijing even worry, given some unequivocal remarks from Australian officials that they would not automatically use the US-supplied boats against them in a conflict involving Washington.

The....

The Voice is facing defeat even the Herald thinks so. Committed leftist and ABC lifer Quentin Dempster calls for an escalation: The left wants to frame voting NO as equal to racism. Its a dirty tactic. These people are getting really desperate.

"It's the care that creates the longevity." Remembering the legendary Tony Bennett today. #TonyBennett pic.twitter.com/ru8OVvRYgE American Masters (@PBSAmerMasters) July 21, 2023

Kathryn Campbell, advisor to the AUKUS program on $900,000 per year, has been suspended for her role in the fraudulent Robodebt Scheme and is possibly facing criminal charges. Most people would not know []

In life, we often find ourselves at crossroads, faced with choices that shape our path. The ultimate question of which path to take, left or right, dark or light, is a deeply personal one. It is a question that speaks to our values, aspirations, and desires.

While there is no definitive answer, exploring this question can lead to self-discovery and personal growth.

One way to approach this question is through the concept of path analysis. Path analysis is a statistical technique used to evaluate causal relationships between variables.

It allows us to understand the direct effects of certain variables on others, helping us to uncover the factors that influence our choices and the outcomes they lead to.

In path analysis, models are often depicted from left to right, with independent variables on the left and the outcome variable on the right.

This visualization helps us understand the causal relations between different factors and how they contribute to the path we are walking in life.

It's important to note that the paths we choose in life are not always clear-cut. They can be influenced by a multitude of factors, including our upbringing, experiences, and personal beliefs. Sometimes, the path may seem dark and uncertain, while other times it may be filled with light and clarity. 

Ultimately, the path we choose is a reflection of who we are and what we value.

There is no predetermined number of paths in life. Each individual's journey is unique, shaped by their own choices and circumstances. The paths we take can branch out in various directions, leading to different experiences and outcomes. 

It is up to us to navigate these paths and make choices that align with our values and aspirations.

...

G20 Labour, Employment Ministers Asked to Embrace International Solidarity

By GNA 

July 22, 2023

Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General, International Labour Organization (ILO), has called on G20 Labour and Employment Ministers to tackle skills gaps, invest in social protection systems, and embrace sustainable financing mechanisms for employment and social protection policies.

He also called for the closing of the growing fractures in the global labour market and reducing inequalities.

Mr. Houngbo made the call at the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers meeting, which highlighted the need to sustainably finance social protection, to extend social security to more workers, including in the gig and platform economies, and to address the global skills gap.

The Ministers meeting, which was hosted by India and took place in Indore also, focused on three main topics: addressing the global skills gaps, extending social protection to platform and gig workers, and sustainably financing national social protection systems, according to a document made available to the Ghana News Agency.

At present, the global employment divide is deepening in the face of global shocks and risks, with low-income countries being left further and further behind, Mr. Houngbo stated.

To tackle this situation and to promote social justice, more global resources must be mobilized.

Initiatives such as the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions play a pivotal role in generating the necessary technical and financial support.

Such endeavours need to be part of a broader reform of the international financial architecture to make more resources available for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the ILO Director-General said.

Mr. Houngbo spoke about the Antalya Youth target of reducing the share of 15 per cent of the young people who are most at risk of being permanently left behind in the labour market by 2025.

He said to tackle gender inequality in particular, action must focus on promoting m...

Whats a guy to do when he is about to be indicted for a third (and possibly fourth time) for various coup-related crimes and is feeling kinda blue about it? Apparently, if that guy is a former president with severe narcissistic personality disorder, his own social media network, and a cult-like following, the answer is sharing memes that portray him as a messianic figure.

The eyes may be the window to the soul, but Truth Social is the window to what is going on in Donald Trumps head at any given point in time.

Right now, that window tells us that he is feeling mopey and is in serious need of validation. Therefore, if being re-Truthed by a twice-impeached president has been a dream of yours, then today might be a golden opportunity to cross that item off your bucket list.

Here is how: Head on over to Truth Social, create an account, and then either compare Trump to God or put down one of his opponents. Oh, and apparently it helps to pretend to be a member of QAnon.

Lets take a closer look at what will do the trick:

It is probably fair to say, and Two Corinthians would agree, that the former president is not a scholar of the Good Book. However, he loves it when people pray for/over him, and he has a basic understanding of the main plot. Therefore, if you want to be re-Truthed, do not make the mistake of comparing him to one of the minor biblical characters. Stick to the highlights.

The Back Story to Trumps Astonishing Strong Christian Lie

For example, on Friday night, the former president re-Truthed a post saying actor and QAnon fave Jim Caviezel...

Syria: UN expert condemns 'snatching' of boys in SDF-run camps

This is an opinion editorial by Mickey Koss, a West Point graduate with a degree in economics. He spent four years in the infantry before transitioning to the Finance Corps.

It may seem counterintuitive, but in my last four years serving for the U.S. Army, Ive essentially been a customer service specialist, whether its addressing pay issues in the military pay office as a commander, or addressing travel or budget questions as a comptroller in an operational unit.

Of late, Ive found myself asking more questions of the customers than theyve been asking of me. Ive come to realize that many people dont really understand the problems they are experiencing. And, because of this conundrum, the questions they ask me when seeking assistance may not yield an answer that actually solves those problems. Ive come to realize that a large part of my job has become uncovering the actual problems, so that I can fix them at their roots.

Therein lies a common thread Ive found with orange pilling and teaching people about Bitcoin. Much like the soldier who approaches me, asking a question that doesnt quite make sense, your friends and family may be asking you strange questions as well without a real understanding of what problems Bitcoin is trying to solve.

As stewards of the Bitcoin space and de facto ambassadors to our circles of acquaintance, I see the Bitcoiners role as similar to that of a customer service professional. People dont understand the monetary system, let alone the problems they face within. (Insert the potentially-overused analogy about asking a fish about water here.)

Instead of answering questions blindly and taking them at face value, I challenge you to dig a little deeper next time. Help your curious friend understand what they are asking. Help them uncover the issues they didnt know they cared about. Help them ask the right questions. Otherwise, they may never get their problems solved.

This is a guest post by Mickey Koss. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.

Ive just returned from a week-long book tour in New Zealand for The Palestine Laboratory. 4 cities in 5 days, I spoke at packed public events, engaged with journalists and politicians, met huge numbers of Palestine activists and visited the Christchurch mosque where 51 Muslims were massacred in 2019. I wanted to pay my respects.

The countrys leading weekly magazine, The Listener, published a 3-page spread about my work and book:

Heres the PDF of the story: Writers uncomfortable truth about Israels battle-tested weapons tested on occupied Palestinians NZ Herald

In th...

A great review of my new book, The Palestine Laboratory, by Andrew Hornung for the UKs Jewish Voice for Labour:

Loewensteins great contribution is to pull together a vast trove of information about this sector, its activities, its origins, its power and its effects. The books central idea, reflected in its title, is that Israels expertise in this area indeed, its Unique Selling Point derives from its use as a tool in supressing the struggle for Palestinian rights, in particular in the Occupied Territories. If facial recognition technology can be successfully used in Hebron to monitor Palestinians, why not use it in South America, in Myanmar or Uganda?

Read the whole thing: The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel exports the technology of occupation around the world | Jewish

The post Jewish Voice for Labour embraces the Palestine lab appeared first on Antony Loewenstein.

THE ROADMAP MURDERS

WRX,

Proof that WE ARE EXPENDABLE is provided in this posting.

Posting short link: https://wp.me/p1n8TZ-3n0

[A series of emails from G5]

by G5

Future View (2024)

The current round of moveable chairs in the GOP and the Dems is.

Dems: Michael Obama for President and Epsteinite Reed Hofffman VP.

GOP: de Santis for President and Haley VP.

MAGA Party:...

Contextual Answers is designed for enterprise but could have far-reaching implications for the generative AI sector.

"so many of our people are lost because they dont have that connection to countrythey dont have a sense of belonging" - Jirrbal woman Georgina Wieden slamming the Chalumbin Wind Farm project.

The post Claim: Windfarms will Destroy the Australian First Nations Connection to Country first appeared on Watts Up With That?.

PMID:  Arch Esp Urol. 2023 Mar ;76(2):152-160. PMID: 37139621 Abstract Title:  Berberine Affects the Proliferation, Migration, Invasion, Cell Cycle, and Apoptosis of Bladder Cancer Cells T24 and 5637 by Down-Regulating the HER2/PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway. Abstract:  OBJECTIVE: To assess the anticancer effect, target, and mechanism of berberine on bladder cancer.METHODS: Bladder cancer T24 and 5637 cells were treated with different concentrations of berberine. Then, cell proliferation was assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) measure, cell migration and invasion were assessed by transwell method, cell cycle and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry, and the expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2/PhosphoInositide-3 Kinase/AKT Serine/Threonine Kinase (HER2/PI3K/AKT) proteins were assessed by Western blot. Berberine molecular docking and HER2 target were performed using the AutoDock Tools 1.5.6. Finally, HER2 inhibitors CP-724714 and berberine were used independently or in combination to detect AKT and P-AKT protein downstream changes by Western blot.RESULTS: Berberine inhibited the proliferation of T24 and 5637 bladder cancer cells in a concentration-dependent and time-dependent manner. Berberine can significantly inhibit the migration, invasion, and cell cycle progression of T24 and 5637 bladder cancer cells, promote their apoptosis, and down-regulate the expression of HER2/PI3K/AKT proteins. Berberine showed good docking with HER2 molecular target and had a similar and synergistic effect with HER2 inhibitor in T24 and 5637 bladder cancer cells.CONCLUSIONS: Berberine inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle progression of T24 and 5637 bladder cancer cells and promoted their apoptosis by down-regulating HER2/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

read more

The MintPress podcast, The Watchdog, hosted by British-Iraqi hip hop artist Lowkey, closely examines organizations about which it is in the public interest to know including intelligence, lobby and special interest groups influencing policies that infringe on free speech and target dissent. The Watchdog goes against the grain by casting a light on stories largely ignored by the mainstream, corporate media.

It is now four years since Julian Assange was imprisoned in Belmarshs high-security prison in London and eleven since he was forced into hiding in the Ecuadorean Embassy in the same city. But even before then, the Australian publisher and WikiLeaks co-founder has been under relentless attack from powerful bodies his organization exposed.

Today in The Watchdog studio, Lowkey is joined by Assanges wife Stella. Stella Assange is a South-African born lawyer and human rights defender. Her most famous case is undoubtedly that of her husband, whom she married in 2022. For years, Stella has tirelessly traveled the world raising awareness of Julians situation. Before marrying Julian, she attained degrees from the School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS) in London and from the University of Oxford. Earlier this year, she met with Pope Francis to discuss the situation of whom Lowkey described as the political prisoner of our time.

For Lowkey, Assanges brilliance was taking his anti-war passions and finding a way to directly work with units within the U.S. military to make the public aware of the illegal, immoral, and deeply unpopular decisions being taken in our name. As he said today:

Some of the most deeply heinous and hideous aspects of the Iraqi and Afghan occupations by the U.S., Britain and their allies, have been revealed within the WikiLeaks files. We are talking about millions of documents being made available to the public to understand truly what was happening.

Perhaps the most infamous leak was the Collateral Murder video, which showed footage of American helicopter pilots casually carrying out a massacre of Iraqi civilians in Baghdad in 2007, two of whom were Reuters-employed journalists.

Despite this, the media cheered Assanges arrest. The Washington Posts editorial board, for example,...

From 2024, the Grammys will feature an award for Best African Music Performance. Is the category a positive step embracing the global popularity of African music, or another homogenizing exotification?

In June, the Recording Academy announced three new categories for the 2024 Grammys: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording. According to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape.

On its surface, this acknowledgment appears like one of several marked steps forward by the American music market to embrace the growing popularity and influence of various music genres from the continent. In 2016, Beninese musical legend Angelique Kidjo accepted a Grammy for Best Global Music Album, and foretold an upcoming watershed moment. I want to dedicate this Grammy to all the traditional musicians in Africa in my country, to all the younger generations that knew our music, Kidjo declared. Africa is on the rise. Since then, megastar artists such as Burna Boy and Wizkid have gone on to win Grammys, Billboard has launched the US Afrobeats Songs chart, and seemingly ubiquitous hits such as Wizkids Essence, Remas Calm Down, and Burna Boys Last Last have become Billboard Hot 100 mainstays. Yet, when Mason was interviewed in 2021 about Essence failing to make the finals for Record of the Year as the best-selling African record of all time in the US, the response was noncommittal: It is a great record. Hes a very talented artist. I cant speak to why it didnt make it, but I do really love the record.

For decades, the American music industry at large designated artists like Kidjo to the nebulous genre of world music, a label that is not stratified by any meaningful technical criteria, but by...

Some people say, "Give the customers what they want." But that's not my approach. Our job is to figure out what they're going to want before they do. I think Henry Ford once said, "If I'd asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, 'A faster horse!'" People don't know what they want until you show it to them. That's why I never rely on market research. Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page.

Steve Jobs

Every planning process, whether short term or long term, starts with a question to residents asking what they want for their community. The answer is always the same: a better community. The planners then take this groundbreaking observation and add better community to the plans and the final recommendation. The planners can celebrate that they have given the residents of the city exactly what they wanted: a faster horse.

Urban design must be more nuanced and provide the opportunity for innovation. A process that allows for innovation starts with many humble observations before a single idea is tested. The urban designer needs to read the things that are not already on the page: they need to be able to show citizens the things they didnt know they wanted. A skilled urban designer is also able to observe opportunities hiding in plain sight.

I recently read an incredible article highlighting an innovative, if not radical, approach in the master plan for Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. Somaliland, a breakaway republic in northern Somalia, was ravaged by civil war and ethnic cleansing where over 200,000 people died. Hargeisa is now a recovering city that is rapidly growing. People between the ages of six and 29 comprise 62% of Somalilands population. The future for Hargeisa rests in the minds of the youth and children of the city. These are the citizens that have the opportunity to chart a different path and develop a city for their future. 

How, though, do you involve young people in the urban design process? More challenging, how do you involve children in a place where over 25% do not attend school and there are very low literacy rates? The answer: Minecraft.

Through a UN-sponsored initiative, 15 of Hargeisas youth used Minecraft to model and propose design elements for the new Hargeisa Stadium Park. According to the article in the Financial Times, they drew on their experience playing in existing improvised spaces, including dangerous street junctions [and] litter-strewn private plots. A larger group of 47 young people participated in a discussion...

• Mirsad Kandic, 41, of Brooklyn and Kosovo, Serbia, has been sentenced to life in prison for providing material support to ISIS.
• Kandic traveled to Syria in 2013, joined ISIS, and became a fighter, smuggler, and propagandist for the group.
• He recruited foreign fighters, including Jake Bilardi from Australia, who carried out a suicide truck attack in Iraq, killing himself and others. Kandic provided battlefield intelligence, managed money, and smuggled weapons for ISIS.  Read More

The post ISIS Fighter, Recruiter, and Smuggler From Brooklyn Given Life Sentence appeared first on The Clarion Project.

COMMENT: Mr. Armstrong, My cousin is in government here ___________________, and he said you have the best sources that even surpass some intelligence agencies. Only you have been reporting that your Ukrainian sources told you that Zelensky is corrupt and has destroyed his country for a handful of silver. It is coming out that the Ukrainian Army General Serhiy Krivonos has openly said that Zelensky has indeed destroyed his country. He actually said, This colossal mistake resulted in hundreds of thousands of dead Ukrainians and the destruction of a huge number of cities.

My cousin said people from all countries go to you because they have a similar mindset. Would you agree? Why are your sources better than anyone else?

GDK

ANSWER: Zelensky is an actor nothing more. He is destroying his country because he cares nothing about its people and plans his exit to a mansion in Miami. He always dresses in army clothing as a psychological ploy to constantly pretend he is fighting for freedom. This is such a lie, for Ukraine would never have been in such a position if Kiev did not start the civil war attacking the Donbas. This is the dissent against Putin that he did not invade Ukraine as the US did to Iraq. They are ethnic Russians who have been there for centuries in the Donbas. The US has done similar actions involving Americans in foreign nations. Zelensky wants them to surrender their language and their religion. This is absurd. He is willing to destroy his country and hopes that he will be able to sell the farmland and resources to Blackrock and live in Miami as a billionaire tax-free, of course.

Zelensky is listed in the Panama Papers, and the fact-checkers try to divert people away from this fact. When Zelenskys European...

Joseph Priestly kept his CO2 in a bottle!

From an Essay by Ivy Main, Power for the People, July 20, 2023

In medieval Europe, the Roman Catholic church encouraged sinners to get square with God by performing good works and acts of charity. Since both of these might require spending money, some resourceful church leaders streamlined the process, taking the money and letting the good works slide. A rich sinner could buy indulgences to cover adultery, eating meat during Lent, or any number of other transgressions.

The historical record does not indicate that emitting carbon dioxide was among the redeemable sins. (Well, CO2 wouldnt be discovered until 1754.) Still, medieval Christians would have recognized the attraction of buying indulgences in the form of carbon offsets rather than actually cutting back on CO2-emitting activities. We cant help sinning, so if the act of atonement evens the score, why not grant absolution?

Here in the present, a whole industry has sprung up to sell climate indulgences to guilt-ridden liberals. As one website explains soothingly, Carbon offsets work through supporting tree planting services and carbon offsetting projects to neutralize your emissions and mitigate your impact on the planet. Buying these indulgences requires just a click of your mouse and a credit card. For $25 you can feel good about an airplane flight of up to 10,000 miles! Thats enough to get you from D.C. to Australia, where you can visit the Great Barrier Reef before it is completely destroyed by the ocean acidification resulting from your carbon emissions.

(Ive committed this sin myself: Ive been to Australia, on a miserably long flight the CO2 emissions of which I did not pay $25 to offset. They hadnt invented $25 carbon offsets at the time, or I might have.)

Martin Luther, a 16th century priest who made a name for himself by opposing the selling of indulgences, put the matter succinctly: Indulgences are most pernicious, he wrote, because they induce complacency and thereby imperil salvation.

He meant saving souls, and we mean saving the planet; regardless, he had the psychology right. Were more likely to excuse ourselves for driving gas-guzzlers and flying to cool places if we also pay to plant trees in Africa or bribe Brazilians not to deforest the Am...

Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published April 14, 2018.

Technology didn't come about by accident, it's a reflection of human will, or so claims the intriguing documentary, "Stare Into the Lights My Pretties." Yet, with the rate of technological development continuing to grow exponentially, it's unclear if anyone envisioned how society would become obsessed with staring at screens, such that our waking hours are dominated by them in one form or another.

In the beginning, there were only a few ways to get new technology funded, known as the ABCs. "A," for armed forces, included ARPA, the Advanced Research Projects Agency, which commissioned the work that started the internet.

"B," for bureaucracy, refers to innovations such as government sites intended to deliver information and services, including online tax returns. "C," or corporate power, made up the third arm, which drove the development of new products to draw in new markets.

According to Lelia Green, a professor and senior lecturer at the school of communications at Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia, who is featured in the film, "Google would offer many examples of corporate power driven development."¹ Yet, social engagement is the new driver of technology that has taken off more so in recent years. Green notes that distributed collaborators and everyday innovators are now an important driver of technology.

"The acknowledgement of distributed networks of collaborators allows recognition of the creative power of harnessing the hive;' the community of people engaged in a shared activity," she says. "We see these alliances of enthusiasts working creatively and productively in gaming contexts, in wikis and on fan fiction sites to name but a few," but what does all of this mean, and what will happen if this technological culture is left to continue unchecked?

Are Machines Running Our Lives?

At the foundation of the documentary is the unsettling question of who's really in control: the machines or us? The film gives some unsettling statistics of how integrated technology has become in our 21st century lives:

• Over 3.8 billion people have access to the internet
• There are 2 billion active Facebook users every month
• The average adult spends more than eight hours a day with screens (more time than sleep)
• Within the first 15 minutes of waking up, 4 out of 5 smartphone users check their phones
• By the time the average person reaches 70, they will have spent the equivalent of 10 to 15 years of their life watching television, more than fo...

Everything you need to know about converting your boring old grass nature strip into a bountiful edible verge garden.

Part 1 of a highly revealing investigative series exploring the unlikely rise to power of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, by American author, military analyst, former US Marine Corps intelligence officer, and former United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) weapons inspector, Scott Ritter.

Continuing the expos on the creation of Zelensky and how British and US intelligence created the central character of the war, and the conditions which led to the current conflict.

Scott Ritter says

In the intelligence business, every agent is assigned tasks by his or her handlers. In the case of Agent Zelensky, Ive identified ten obligations that define his relationship with his foreign intelligence masters. Once youve examined each of these, it becomes clear why Zelensky the comedian said one thing, and Zelensky the President did another. What are the true reasons behind the current situation in Ukraine today? What kind of operation has the CIA been running in Ukraine over the course of many years? You will find the answers to these and other questions in Part 2 of my investigative documentary film, Agent Zelensky. Watch: 

WATCH PART 1 OF AGENT ZELENSKY HERE

Learn more about the new series Agent Zelensky at Scott Ritter Extra.

READ MORE UKRAINE NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Ukraine Files

SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM  BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV....

Why the Wests experimental a la carte approach to fighting their seemingly cock-sure yet obtuse proxy war against Russia has netted such terrible results for Ukraine.

In this episode of the Patrick Henningsen Show on TNT Radio which aired on July 19, 2023,  Patrick talks with independent French researcher and journalist Freddie Ponton, discusses US-UK-NATOs military debacle in Ukraine, and why the Wests experimental a la carte approach to fighting their seemingly cock-sure yet obtuse proxy war against Russia has netted such terrible results for Ukraine, while simultaneously pushing Europe into financial deficit. All this and more. Listen:

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Bahrain: UK MPs demand answers after kingdom removed from human rights list