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"The pandemic is over." No, it's very not.

The Australian Liberal party has responded to polling showing that they are not popular with the youth of Australia by announcing a new initiative, the Dutton Youth. ”We understand that the youth of Australia are not connecting with us and... Read More ›

Kevin McCarthy capitulated to the crazies yesterday and agreed to reinstate the “vacate the chair” rule with a compromise that would allow five Representatives to challenge the Speaker and call for a vote (a sort of “no confidence” move.) This rule was in place for decades allowing only on Rep to call for the vote but was withdrawn after wingnuts decided to abuse it. Now they want it back and McCarthy, for obvious reasons, has not been receptive. But finally he came up with this compromise which … didn’t help. There are still a whole bunch of nos (the last I saw was it was 14) against his for speaker. And they all have different demands. Meanwhile, the so-called “moderates” (which simply means they’re only 50% batshit crazy) are starting to get restive as well. It’s a mess. Harry Enten at CNN has an analysis of poor Kev’s current troubles. The problem is that nobody likes him: House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is hoping all’s well that ends well when it comes to becoming speaker of the chamber.

With Russian armies attacking into Ukraine, many have assumed Taiwan faces a similar threat from Mainland China. Similarities exist. Over Ukraine, Moscow mainly attacked because the Kiev government refused to honour the promise to grant autonomy to pro-Russian districts. Over Taiwan, Beijing has threatened to use force because the government in Taipei refuses to accept Continue reading »

In how we respond to allegations of genocide, there are double standards and hypocrisy in Washington, London, Ottawa and Canberra. We keep hearing allegations about Xinjiang but we never hear about Khalistan’s genocide, or human rights abuses. Many people have died, allegations of HR abuses persist and Indian media talks of “deradicalisation”. There is documented Continue reading »

The state of decline of the Federal Liberal Party revealed by its 2022 election review is so serious that even people who hope it never achieves power again should ask themselves whether it is in Australia’s interest that it be allowed to continue in its death spiral. The party, as such, is in no immediate Continue reading »

Treasury may consider the news media professional standards test is adequate, but hopefully the Communications Minister Michelle Rowland and her department think differently. In its November report on the first year of the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code, the Treasury concludes that the registration tests for news businesses have, overall, worked effectively. Continue reading »

Benedict XVI’s life and papacy was a mixed blessing for Catholicism. I actually have a letter personally signed by Joseph Ratzinger. It was the last in a three year-long correspondence between the then Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) and myself focusing on ‘errors’ in my 1997 book Papal Power (London, Continue reading »

In recent months governments around the world, including ours, have been striving to reach agreement on “protecting nature”. The UN summit held in Montreal aimed at reaching a global deal to secure the protection of 30 per cent of the planet by 2030. This would involve investment in ways to achieve conservation of 30 per Continue reading »

What are the Australian people doing about their archaic and undemocratic Constitution? Australia has participated in several questionable wars in recent years that resulted essentially from the decision by the PM rather than the federal Parliament. Amazingly, the Prime Minister’s position is not even mentioned in the Constitution. It is pertinent now to ask what Continue reading »

The US military has been showering CNN’s retiring Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr with effusive thanks and praise for her lifetime of service, giving some insight into the cozy working relationship between the media and the war machine inside the US empire. “Today closes a remarkable career for CNN’s Barbara Starr, a leader in the Pentagon Continue reading »

He blamed the anti-abortion zealots for the mid-term loss That’s a very big mistake and it makes me think that he really has lost a step. By this time he should know that this is a very important part of his base and fundamental to the Trump Cult. He’s right, of course. But that doesn’t make it smart in his political position to say it, especially so crudely. He used to understand that. Sure, he’s made mistakes on this issue before, by saying that he thought people who have abortions should be punished, but that was a mistake in favor of extremism. That’s always forgivable to the wingnuts. (They approve of killing doctors, after all.) But to blame the extremists for losing and saying they didn’t bother to vote once they got their way is a major error. He’s never been good at nuance but you’d think he would remember that this is a third rail in GOP politics. He’s losing it.

Get lunchin'

Here's a few ideas that might help you have a go at playing instruments without making any big financial commitment:

Here's a few ideas that might help you have a go at playing instruments without making any big financial commitment:

The "architecture graveyard" is alive and well

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Hovertext:
With no disrespect intended to you freaks.

Today's News:

Brace for new GOP efforts to stop younger Americans from voting The Financial Times offers data showing how the Great Recession reset how Millennials view the world. Something odd appears to be overturning an old paradigm about political views and aging. Unlike the generational cohorts before them, they are not getting more conservative with age. “The shift has striking implications for the UK’s Conservatives and US Republicans, who can no longer simply rely on their base being replenished as the years pass,” writes John Burn-Murdoch. “[C]oncepts from public health analytics” suggest the old predictions do not apply to Millennials: Let’s start with age effects, and the oldest rule in politics: people become more conservative with age. If millennials’ liberal inclinations are merely a result of this age effect, then at age 35 they too should be around five points less conservative than the national average, and can be relied upon to gradually become more conservative. In fact, they’re more like 15 points less conservative, and in both Britain and the US are by far the least conservative 35-year-olds in recorded history.

Leaving aside the particulars of the current situation, I do find it odd that many people think that Supreme Court Justices are actually supposed to die in office. That they are for life if they want them (whatever the wisdom of that) does not mean they are obligated to stay until the end! Retirement isn't a punishment!

Katie Halper's experience is but one example of the blacklisting that progressive voices face in the media, and she cites the influence of the pro-Israel lobby as one reason for this censorship,

The post The Truth Will Not Be Televised, with Katie Halper appeared first on MintPress News.

My dog is getting high on cane toads. Should I be worried? (Thanks to Ralph)