Posts by WH
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Hard News: The next four years, 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.
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Following a spate of collisions involving US naval vessels, the State Department has withdrawn more than half of its staff from the US embassy in Cuba due to a series of unexplained "health attacks".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.
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While I have a lot of time for NZ First's economic priorities and hope the party goes with Labour and the Greens, Peters has been unusually combative in his recent media appearances.
I hope Peters finds a way to strike a different balance - presumably every interview is an opportunity to convey a point of view and to win people over.
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Black magic involves using spiritual forces to influence the mind, body or property of others without real consent.
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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.
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Speaker: Low-quality language on immigration, in reply to Farmer Green,
Ceterum censeo wizards esse delendam.
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Apropos nothing, this Hillary Clinton speech about the dangers of enabling cranks and extremists is going viral.
David Duke was a wizard.
Say no to wizards.
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Speaker: Low-quality language on immigration, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
The irony being that a year ago, we were in London – a city whose economy would collapse as it drowned in its own shit if every migrant was sent home tomorrow. As so often happens, it’s easy to throw around “low-quality language” on the people you choose not to see. Certainly didn’t see any English Roses pushing the cleaning cart in our hotel – but I sure could have brushed up on my Polish conversation if I had any.
I think we’re slowly getting to a better place on immigration; unfortunately the housing crisis and Auckland’s traffic woes have been a big part of that. I tell anyone who’ll listen that house price binges flow into the cost of living and discretionary income, personal financial security and retirement, the competitiveness of our exports and the balance of payments.
As you allude to, the real discussion is about the effect of widespread change in our society. It’s not about diminishing those who come to live here or those who wish to do so.
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While it can be difficult to talk about immigration without rehearsing unhelpful patterns, every area of policy should be responsive to the practical needs and preferences of our communities.
Our failure to allow for growth in the systems that support immigration and social change is linked to the linguistic and ideological frameworks that have dominated national conversation. Our policies have hurt New Zealanders in ways that statistics and misjudged turns of phrase will never fully capture.
The ‘low quality’ argument is rather strange, because I’d be curious if we would accept Kiwis to be judged under the same criteria when we are migrating to other countries.
When I sought to work in the UK I could only apply under the Highly Skilled Migrant Program, which limited entry to those who met certain educational and professional criteria.
I think Kiwis are fairly accepting of these sorts of constraints.
Nothing is less convincing than a New Zealander looking up from a butter chicken pie made by a Cambodian baker, complaining about immigration
As luck would have it, I wolfed down an award-winning chicken, cranberry and cheese pie in similar circumstances just a few days ago.
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If there was a logic in having Little as leader, it lay in having him build trust and respect over time with a view to winning over soft National supporters during the campaign. It's good to see that people feel that he brought honesty and good character to the position.
Ironically, if National continues to attract between 42% and 47% support Labour and its partners have a real chance of winning the election.
One can only wish Ardern and her team all the best for the campaign. Perhaps Little will play an important role in the next Cabinet.
