Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The next four years

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  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to WH,

    a short video of one of the ceremonies at the Independent

    Are they trying to somehow manifest a reader?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • WH, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    I've read that traditional news outlets are experimenting as they explore the digital frontier but that does sound a little extreme.

    Did you know that Christian Dior consulted the tarot before each show?

    This is an interview with Florence Welch.

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • linger,

    Meanwhile, Rich Hall is back on BBC Radio 4 with his US Breakdown series commenting on Trump’s first 60 days in office.
    Episode 1 (March 22) will be available to stream or as MP3 download for 30 days after broadcast.

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie, in reply to linger,

    Meanwhile, Rich Hall is back on BBC Radio 4...

    Yay! Rich Hall. That episode is worth listening to, if only for the colourful descriptions of Bannon.

    And may I mention a great little site that's become a daily must for me since Trump took power. What the fuck just happened today gives a brief daily summary of goings on in the Trump world, including a few juicy little snippets not usually found in the MSM. It's a handy resource.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Today's LA Times editorial entitled "Our Dishonest President" doesn't hold back. This is the first of four editorials they're publishing this week collectively called The Problem with Trump.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    In the unlikely event that you're a Trump fan (perish the thought) and you've been tempted to splash out $US200,000 on a Mar-a-Lago membership, you may want to read this first.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    Attachment

    Today's Tremain - editorial cartoon from the ODT

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • WH,

    In witchcraft-related news, Vox’s Tara Isabella Burton has a story about viewing the solar eclipse with the Asheville coven in North Carolina.

    In addition, the Pentagon has ordered a temporary halt to naval operations following a collision involving the USS John S. McCain. It’s the third collision involving US warships in the Asia/Pacific region since Paul Campbell’s comment four months ago and the fourth incident this year. US naval veteran and writer David Garter told the Guardian:

    Collisions like these are extremely rare and two in one summer, both from seventh fleet based in Japan, is stunning.

    A US Navy report on the collision involving the USS Fitzgerald found that sailors on the bridge had “lost situational awareness”. The Washington Post has reported that the Navy has now launched a fleet-wide investigation:

    [Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John] Richardson said the series of accidents in the Pacific “demands more-forceful action,” adding that there is “great cause for concern that there is something we are not getting at”. […]

    Richardson said the investigation of the collision will review all possibilities, including some that are seen as less likely by experts, such as an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. He also said there is “no indication” that anyone aboard either crew deliberately caused the collision.

    Something wicked this way comes.

    Say no to witchcraft.

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • mark taslov,

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report Reply

  • WH,

    Attachment

    Black magic involves using spiritual forces to influence the mind, body or property of others without real consent.

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • mark taslov,

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,


    Holy Magick some lyrics in actual 'Atlantean'
    by noted Crowleyean - Graham Bond

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • WH,

    Following a spate of collisions involving US naval vessels, the State Department has withdrawn more than half of its staff from the US embassy in Cuba due to a series of unexplained "health attacks".

    The Atlantic reports that:

    at least 21 U.S. government officials in Havana had exhibited a range of physical symptoms, including hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus, balance problems, visual problems, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues, and difficulty sleeping.

    While officials have been investigating whether a kind of sonic weapon has been deployed, the source and cause of the attacks remain unknown.

    Secretary Tillerson has said he is considering closing the Havana embassy, a development that would adversely affect the cautious warming of relations initiated during the Obama Administration.

    Say no to witchcraft.

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to WH,

    Attachment Attachment Attachment

    Good, good, good vibrations

    While officials have been investigating whether a kind of sonic weapon has been deployed, the source and cause of the attacks remain unknown.

    I’d be looking at long term cellular damage caused by low frequency harmonics, possibly created by micro turbulence through the diffraction grating formed from the 140 flagpoles placed in front of the embassy back in 2006 – the prevailing wind seems to blow towards the building – different sized flags or winds would create luffing eddies of varying sizes.

    As above, so below…

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • WH, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    The incidents are occurring in the residences and hotel rooms of those affected, rather than in the embassy building itself. As CNN reported:

    In November, following the US presidential election, American diplomats began to experience a series of strange incidents. As CNN first reported in August, diplomats were awoken late at night in their homes feeling unwell and hearing sounds that resembled insects or metal dragging across the floor.

    They were unable to determine the source of the sound; by leaving the room or area they were in, the incidents stopped immediately, two US government officials said.

    By February, the State Department had concluded their diplomats were the targets of a campaign of harassment and they needed to raise the issue with Cuban officials.

    More questions than answers
    The devices used in the incidents had never been found, two US officials said, but appeared to be a type of sonic weapon that emitted sound waves capable of inflicting physical harm. The physical symptoms that people exhibited varied greatly, preventing doctors consulted in the United States from reaching a conclusion about what caused the trauma, two US officials said.

    US government technical experts were also baffled. Some affected diplomats had lines of sight to the street in their homes, while others had shrubbery and walls that blocked views of their homes. Some heard loud sounds when the incidents took place, while others heard nothing.

    It does not appear either the US Embassy or the ambassador's residence were ever targeted, three senior US officials told CNN.

    [...] Other incidents took place in hotels in Havana where US diplomats were staying, said three senior US officials, also locations that Cuban intelligence services closely monitor.

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to WH,

    More questions than answers

    Damn!

    A perfectly good theory with no situation to validate...
    ...casual causality going begging.

    This sounds like a job for ResoNancy Drew!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • WH,

    Well, I hope Nancy finds those responsible and brings them to justice.

    While the use of a sonic weapon can't be ruled out, this would be an unusual way to test or deploy one.

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to WH,

    Stanislaw Lem has a great book 'The Chain of Chance'

    Written in the style of a detective novel, The Chain of Chance is classic Lem: a combination of action, hard science, and philosophical investigation.
    An ex-astronaut is hired to look into the death of several wealthy businessmen. The authorities suspect a pattern, but neither the police nor a supercomputer enlisted for the investigation can crack the case.

    ---and from Good Reads

    An aging American astronaut is investigating a cluster of unexplained deaths (usually suicides that follow periods of depression and severe hallucinations) of late-middle-age men in and around Naples, Italy. The novel might be called a scientific and philosophical mystery as it deals with detailed analysis of various factors, which are common for all unexplained cases, with statistics and probability theory.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • WH,

    Are you saying that the incidents that gave rise to the decision to withdraw US personnel are unconnected, or are you saying that there's probably a rational explanation for the pattern?

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    ...or even an irrational explanation - sometimes weird stuff happens...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Caleb D'Anvers,

    We're well into this territory by now:

    London SE16 • Since Mar 2008 • 482 posts Report Reply

  • WH,

    I like the turntable device on the clip.

    I used to live in SE16 - near Bermondsey station, on the river, not far from the Tesco. The place had some great views of the city. I moved to a place in Angel after that, and eventually got a great apartment in SE1.

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • Caleb D'Anvers, in reply to WH,

    Cool! Yes, I really like SE16. The always changing moods and colours of the river; the views across to Wapping and Canary Wharf; the repurposed warehouses; the foreshore and the churches and the brickwork everywhere. I lived in East Greenwich for a while when I first moved to London, but much prefer the Peninsula.

    London SE16 • Since Mar 2008 • 482 posts Report Reply

  • WH,

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/oct/04/the-cough-the-p45-the-falling-f-theresa-mays-speech-calamity

    Give me an F! Give us an E!

    https://twitter.com/BBCPhilipSim/status/915545479236251648

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to WH,

    May and the writing on the wall...
    ...she was literally told to 'eff' off!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

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