Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher: a photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
In a strange way, even though Margaret Thatcher has been dead for nine years, her influence can still be felt in British politics.

Thatcher was loved by so many, yet hated by so many others. However, whichever side of the divide one stands, it cannot be denied that she was a wonderful leader. Certainly the best British peacetime leader of the twentieth century. She was also very intelligent–though, especially in hindsight, not always correct–and very charismatic and powerful. She was also a fascinating character.

Over the years, I have read a lot about her, both in English and in German. At the moment, however, I am reading an excellent book in French on her, written by Jean-Louis Thiériot, entitled simply Margaret Thatcher. Why in French? Because I like to understand the perspective of others on such important politicians. It is very interesting to understand how other Europeans perceive such important British public figures.

Whilst reading it early morning today, the following paragraph jumped out at me. In my opinion, it is a very powerful short paragraph, which enables us to better understand her. Here it is:

« On ne comprend rien aux fondements du projet thatchérien si l’on ne comprend pas la conception qu’elle a de l’égalité. Pour elle, l’égalité, c’est uniquement l’égalité de droit, la possibilité pour chacun de développer au mieux ses talents dans un environnement favorable. Ce n’est en aucun cas une quelconque « justice sociale » qui réduirait l’écart entre riches et pauvres. L’égalité doit seulement offrir au pauvre la possibilité de devenir riche, s’il en a le don et le courage. » [Page 288]

This paragraph, in just a few words, tells us so much about her. © Mark Alexander

WIKIPEDIA:

Margaret Thatcher in English, en français, auf Deutsch.

Here is the cover of this excellent book:

This excellent book by Jean-Louis Thiériot is available on Amazon.fr. Mr Thiérot is actually a lawyer, essayist and member of the French Parliament. Read all about him on Wikipedia here.

Wie wir in Zukunft satt werden | ARTE Re:

Jun 21, 2022 • Die sichere Versorgung mit Lebensmitteln galt lange als selbstverständlich. Doch Bevölkerungswachstum, Kriege und der Klimawandel lassen unsere Ressourcen knapp werden. 2050 werden voraussichtlich knapp 10 Milliarden Menschen auf der Erde leben. Wie werden wir in Zukunft unsere Ernährung sichern?

Maximaler Ertrag auf minimaler Fläche, dazu noch ressourcenschonend – das verspricht die „Vertical Farm“, die Anders Riemann in Kopenhagen betreibt. In Riemanns klimaneutraler Indoor-Farm wächst Gemüse auf 14 Etagen. 800 Kilogramm Salat werden hier pro Woche geerntet. Dieses Gegenmodell zur konventionellen Landwirtschaft stellt für Riemann eine große Zukunftschance dar: „Gerade Corona-Pandemie und der Krieg in der Ukraine haben uns gezeigt, wie verwundbar unsere Lieferketten in der Lebensmittelproduktion sind. Wir brauchen Lebensmittelproduktionen direkt vor Ort in den Städten, als Teil der Infrastruktur.“

Urte Grauwinkel von „Superfood Sachsen-Anhalt“ erforscht, welche Pflanzen im Osten Deutschlands neu angebaut werden könnten, um den geänderten klimatischen Bedingungen zu begegnen und unabhängiger von Langstreckenimporten zu werden. Sie experimentiert unter anderem mit Kichererbsen, Hirse, Amaranth, Quinoa und Hanf. Gelingt der Anbau einer möglichst großen Vielzahl an klimaresistenten und für die Ernährung sinnvollen Pflanzen auch bei uns? Ein weiteres zukunftsträchtiges Lebensmittel gedeiht im Meer: Algen. Sie gelten als besonders klimafreundlich, resistent und wertvoll für die menschliche Ernährung. In westlicheren Ländern hat dieses Superfood jedoch noch keinen besonders guten Ruf zum Verzehr. Joost Wouters, der ehemalige Manager eines Softdrink-Herstellers, will das ändern. Dazu hat er die „Seaweed Company“ gegründet, die Algen-Farmer und Lebensmittelindustrie zusammenbringt. Könnten in Europa geerntete Algen zur Nahrung der Zukunft werden und der Massenfischerei entgegenwirken?

Reportage (D 2021, 32 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis zum 07/03/2023

Palantir: Trump-backer’s Data Firm That Wants Access to Your NHS Records

THE GUARDIAN: Company co-founded by Silicon Valley’s Peter Thiel has been criticised for US defence and immigration contracts

Peter Thiel’s Palantir is favourite to win a £360m contract to amalgamate a wide range of NHS health data on to a single platform. Photograph: John Lamparski/Getty Images
For a company tipped to provide the NHS’s new overarching data platform, it is appropriate that Palantir Technologies is named after an all-seeing orb.

Palantir, which draws its name from the powerful crystal balls deployed in JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, is the favourite to win a £360m contract for the NHS’s Federated Data Platform (FDP). Covering everything from individual patients’ data to vaccination programmes, waiting lists and medical trials, the FDP will aggregate data from multiple sources and different formats on to a single platform.

According to a document sent to potential bidders for the five-year contract, it will “provide access to real-time data to enable decision-making to better coordinate care”. Speaking at London Tech Week last week, the health secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “This is the perfect moment to bring data together and reap the benefits.”

The ambitious scope of the platform has alarmed campaign groups, who fear for patient confidentiality, privacy and data security, but the identity of the frontrunner has also caused concern.

US-based Palantir was co-founded by Peter Thiel, one of Silicon Valley’s few high-profile Donald Trump supporters. The $15.6bn (£12.7bn) company has been criticised for its work with the US immigration agency, as well as its intelligence service and defence contracts. It already works closely with NHS England by providing software that processes data for a variety of purposes including take-up of Covid-19 vaccines and managing the post-pandemic bounce back in elective care (surgery or treatment booked in advance). » | Dan Milmo, Global technology editor | Tuesday, January 21, 2022

Palantir, the all-seeing US tech company, could soon have the data of millions of NHS patients. My response? Yikes!: You might never have heard of tech billionaire Peter Thiel’s CIA-backed analytics company. But it could know all about you if it wins a contract to manage NHS data »

This is troubling news indeed! I don’t want any company owned by this Trump-supporting ideologue to have any access to my NHS data. Thank you, but no thank you! In any case, he has got crackpot ideas on ageing. You can check out some of his ideas on YouTube. Here’s a link to one interview. It doesn’t look to me as though he is “winning the fight”!

That BoJo is considering giving this man and his company access to all this sensitive data in the NHS shows the need to kick BoJo out of office with dispatch.

This is another Brexit bonus, I guess. One can see it on the horizon in the sunny uplands yonder. – © Mark Alexander

Mary Trump: Donald Trump ‘Handed Down a Death Sentence to Mike Pence’

Jun 18, 2022 • The January 6th committee has now held three public hearings, in which the American people were able to hear first hand testimony of how close we were to losing our democracy during the insurrection. Mary Trump joins Katie Phang to discuss where we are now.

Don Winslow Films:- #HowToConvictTrump

17 months ago, Donald Trump broke Federal and State laws, and he did it all HIMSELF. No middle-men. This is the President of the United States breaking the law and this represents the BEST CHANCE to convict Trump.

Phil Collins : Can't Stop Loving You | Official Music Video

Dame Kelly Holmes First Live Interview Since Revealing Publicly She Is a Gay Woman | This Morning

Jun 20, 2022 • Despite huge Olympic success and national adoration, Dame Kelly says in her upcoming documentary: ‘In one sense, you’re a celebrated athlete, but inside, I couldn’t celebrate being me.’ Well now, she can - with a weight off her shoulders, Kelly says she can finally live her life authentically and speak about who she really is.

'I've never been happy, but now I am': Dame Kelly Holmes, 52, breaks down crying in emotional This Morning interview after coming out as gay... »

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Texas GOP Adopts Resolution Rejecting 2020 Election Results

Jun 20, 2022 • CNN's Chris Cillizza breaks down how Trump's hold over some Republicans was on full display at the Texas GOP convention and reports on disturbing rhetoric used in a recent GOP candidate's ad.

Trump reminds me of a spoilt child who plagues his parents to death and won’t shut up until he gets what he wants, until he gets his own way. Further, he likes the sound of his own voice and constantly craves attention. Moreover, he wants to stay in the limelight.

Why the GOP is pandering to the childish needs of this man is beyond my comprehension. No doubt, it is beyond the comprehension of many others, too. – © Mark Alexander

Kathryn Morris Trotter ~ Paris in the Rain

Paris sous la pluie
Many thanks to Bill Zaccardi for this delightful image.

La bague d'amour Cartier Trinity : corps, âme, intellect.

Les trois couleurs d'or
Mes remerciements vont à Yulia Suhodoeva sur Pinterest pour l'image de cette belle bague.

Gay Republican Group Banned from GOP Convention

LGBTQ NATION: After years spent telling Republicans that LGBTQ rights aren't important and mocking the community, the group was surprised to find out that the Party listened to them.

Gay Trump supporters Juan Hernandez and Charles Moran at the 2016 RNC.Photo: ABC News, Screenshot
After spending the past few years decrying LGBTQ equality and denigrating the “leftist” community in general and transgender people in particular, the Log Cabin Republicans found out that people were finally listening to them.

Unfortunately for them, it was their own Party. The group was denied even a minimal gesture of inclusion – a booth at the Texas GOP convention.

While Charles Moran, the national group’s president, quickly jumped to social media to denounce the GOP’s decision, it lacked the same derisive tone reserved for Democrats and pro-LGBTQ initiatives. Moran has issued statements opposing the Equality Act, landmark non-discrimination legislation for the queer community, and has defended Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s Don’t Say Gay law.

The group has frequently targeted Chasten Buttigieg, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s husband, in an effort to portray him as an effete gadfly. Chasten Buttigieg is a former elementary school teacher and he was an outspoken critic of the Florida law. The radicalized organization has also frequently compared LGBTQ people to child molesters, saying queer teachers are trying to “groom” and “indoctrinate” young kids. » | Bil Browning | Monday, June 20, 2022

Gay Republicans released a cringeworthy video praising Donald Trump for President’s Day »

If I didn't know better, I would say that this is a joke. How on earth can gays be for Donald Trump? Queers being for Donald Trump is as absurd as queers being for shariah! It just doesn't make any sense. – © Mark Alexander

Emmanuel Macron, un président « puni » à la tête d’un pays « en territoire inconnu » : les résultats des élections législatives vus par la presse étrangère

LE MONDE : Le « style de leadership » du chef de l’Etat, exercé aux dépens du Parlement, a été sanctionné, selon un journal allemand. « Le pays a une alternative : soit apprendre la culture du consensus (…), soit être condamné à l’ingouvernabilité », prévient « El Pais ».

Le président Emmanuel Macron après avoir voté lors du deuxième tour des élections législatives françaises dans un bureau de vote au Touquet, dans le nord de la France, le 19 juin 2022. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
« Echec sévère », « défaite cuisante », « contre-performance »… La presse étrangère commente, lundi 20 juin, les résultats des élections législatives, qui ont vu le parti présidentiel et ses alliés récolter 246 sièges, perdant la majorité absolue, établie à 289 sièges sur 577. De l’Allemagne à l’Italie en passant par les Etats-Unis, les médias analysent pêle-mêle le taux d’abstention élevé, la nécessité pour Emmanuel Macron de trouver des alliances, la percée fulgurante de la Nouvelle Union populaire écologique et sociale (Nupes) ainsi que le score historique du Rassemblement national (RN).

Le journal allemand Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung décrit un vote « sanction » contre « le style » Emmanuel Macron, « qui a souvent bafoué le Parlement » lors de son précédent quinquennat. « Il prenait des décisions, seul, aux côtés d’un petit cercle de fidèles. Il n’a pas tenu sa promesse électorale de renforcer l’Assemblée nationale. Ce style de leadership a été puni », développe le quotidien, selon qui « les résultats de ce scrutin appellent à un renouveau très attendu de la tradition parlementaire française ». » | Le Monde | lundi 20 juin 2022

French PM under Pressure after Macron’s Alliance Loses Absolute Majority

THE GUARDIAN: Élisabeth Borne faces calls to resign after legislative election result throws French politics into turmoil

France’s prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, is facing calls for her resignation after Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance lost its absolute majority in parliament in the legislative election at the weekend.

Borne, who was appointed only a month ago, said the result created an unusual situation that posed “a risk for our country”.

After five years of controlling the Assemblée Nationale, Macron now faces a challenge on delivering key policies, including raising the retirement age and a shake-up of the country’s benefits and welfare system. His government will need to seek alliances and compromises to push measures through.

Macron had insisted before the election that all ministers who lost their seats would have to stand down. Borne, who escaped having to resign by narrowly winning her Normandy constituency, said on Sunday night: “The situation is a risk for our country, given the challenges we have to face at the national and international level. We have to draw the consequences of this vote. » | Kim Willsher and Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Monday, June 20, 2022

Raskin Says Trump Isn't Even Trying to Challenge Jan. 6 Evidence

Jun 19, 2022 • Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), who serves on the January 6 select committee, discusses how former President Trump is responding to the committee's evidence.

Arresting Beauty from Venezuela…

…now in Amsterdam
My sincere thanks go to franggy yanez on Pinterest for this super photo.

Bonnie on the Clyde!

A hot Scot in a cool kilt
Many thanks to BuzzFeed on Pinterest for this superb photo.

Zu Tisch ... Provencalische Voralpen | ARTE Reupload

Jun 19, 2022 • Die Provenzalischen Voralpen sind eine Region in Südfrankreich unweit der Mittelmeerküste. Dort lebt der Landwirt und gebürtige Togolese Pierre Koffi Alanda. Der Gemüsebauer erntet im Frühherbst Kürbis- und Zucchiniblüten sowie Mangold, der ursprünglich aus Togo stammt, aus Alandas Heimat.

Zwischen der französischen Riviera und den hohen Bergen von Mercantour liegen die Provenzalischen Voralpen. Das Dorf La Sagne hat nur wenige Einwohner, viele sind an die Küste gezogen. Manche kehren zurück, andere finden in dem kleinen Dorf auf 1.200 Meter Höhe ihre neue Heimat. Pierre Koffi Alanda kam zum ersten Mal vor etwa 20 Jahren dorthin. Er stammt aus Togo. Damals machte er ein Praktikum beim Vater seiner heutigen Nachbarin Joana Fabre. Heute betreibt er in La Sagne Gemüseanbau nach ökologischen Kriterien. Im Herbst wachsen in seinem Garten Kürbisse, alte Gemüsesorten und Gemüse, das ursprünglich aus Togo stammt. Joana Fabre ist vor ein paar Jahren mit ihrem italienischen Freund in das Dorf ihrer Kindheit zurückgekehrt. Ihre Kinder sollen auf dem Land aufwachsen. Die Familie hält Ziegen und Schafe und lebt von der Käseherstellung. Aus dem Gemüse von Pierre Koffi Alanda entstehen köstliche Gerichte der Region und seiner afrikanischen Heimat. Mit seinem Nachbarn Georges Fabre kocht er ein traditionelles Gericht: Kürbisravioli mit einer Walnusssoße. Kürzlich ist auch Pierre Koffis Partnerin, die deutsche Künstlerin Cosima Jentzsch, nach La Sagne gezogen. Gemeinsam bereiten sie einen Gboma Gnagna zu, ein togolesisches Rezept. Dort hinein gehört Gboma, afrikanischer Mangold, dessen Samen Pierre Koffi Alanda ursprünglich eigens aus Togo mitgebracht hat. Joana Fabre verwendet ihren Ziegen- und Schafskäse, um gefüllte Zucchiniblüten vorzubereiten. Dazu gibt es süßen Mangoldkuchen mit Parmesan und Rosinen.

Esskulturreihe, Regie: Marie Villetelle (D 2019, 27 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis zum 19/07/2022

Quand une dame souhaite faire une déclaration audacieuse et très belle.

Une création de Donna Hartley
Mes remerciements vont à The Portrait Kitchen sur Pinterest pour cette photographie incroyablement belle.

Au Québec, une loi pour renforcer le français embrase le Canada

LE MONDE : Le texte étend aux petites entreprises et aux immigrants l’usage de la « langue officielle » dans la Belle province. Les anglophones dénoncent un nouvel acte de « repli ».

Des opposants anglophones à la loi 96 sur la langue française du Québec manifestent dans le centre-ville de Montréal, Québec, Canada, le 26 mai 2022. CHRISTINNE MUSCHI / REUTERS
Sujet hautement sensible au Québec, le débat sur la langue est aussi inflammable dans tout le Canada, pays officiellement bilingue. Se vivant comme un village gaulois assiégé par plus de 350 millions d’anglophones régnant sur le continent nord-américain, la Belle Province considère la langue française comme constitutive de son identité.

Le 24 mai, le gouvernement québécois Coalition Avenir Québec (centre droit, nationaliste) a ainsi adopté une loi destinée à réaffirmer sa primauté. Ce texte dit « 96 » vient renforcer la charte de la langue française qui avait fait, en 1977, du français « la langue officielle » du Québec ; il étend son usage aux petites entreprises, fait de son apprentissage un droit et un devoir fondamentaux pour tous les immigrants et les anglophones, et impose aux commerces de privilégier le français sur leurs devantures. » | Par Hélène Jouan (Montréal, correspondance) | samedi 18 juin 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

Chris Hedges: How Republicans, Democrats, and the Media Have Weakened US Democracy

Jan 19, 2021 • Renowned journalist and author Chris Hedges talks about the many ways traditional media, digital media, and the two political parties have worked to prevent progressive movements and give rise to the growth of the extreme right

Crypto Panic as Digital Assets Follow Share Prices in a Downward Spiral

THE OBSERVER: Last week bitcoin fell 31% and Celsius put a hold on withdrawals – and some fear the turmoil is far from over

Investors used to buy bitcoin as a hedge against inflation, but it has proved to be vulnerable to the wider economic downturn. Photograph: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock
The cryptocurrency market could do with some respite but its convention-breaking nature means there is no hiatus. Trading in digital assets such as bitcoin and ethereum runs 24/7, unlike their conventional peers in equities on the New York and London stock exchanges, which at least get the weekend off.

So one torrid week tends to run into another for this most cutting-edge of markets. Bitcoin – the cryptocurrency cornerstone – fell below the key level of $20,000 on Saturday morning, meaning it has dropped 34% in the past seven days, according to CoinGecko, which showed that ethereum, the other pillar of the market, had fallen 40% to $994 in the same period. There are fears bitcoin’s fall will trigger more sell-offs, leading to another tumultuous seven days for digital assets.

The entire crypto market fell below $1 trillion last week, a precipitous decline from its peak of $3tn in November last year. A number of factors drove the declines – a mix of crypto-specific events and wider macroeconomic issues – and some of them will continue to hang over the market this week as well. » | Dan Milmo, Global technology editor | Sunday, June 19, 2022

Phil Collins: Another Day In Paradise | Remastered | 2016

Provided to YouTube by Laika Network | Views on YouTube: 20,760,867

Smoking Pleasure…

Der Hochgenuß des Qualmens einer Zigarette höchster Qualität.
Many thanks to Wattpad on Pinterest for this delightful and mysterious photo.

Lionel Richie : Don’t Wanna Lose You

Aug 24, 2018 • Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

Die schöne elegante Dame mit dem kecken roten Hut

Ich bedanke mich bei Livingly auf Pinterest für dieses ganz schöne Bild.

Michael Bolton : Said I Loved You...But I Lied

Views on YouTube: 200,742,115

Patel’s Harsh Immigration Policy Is Not Working

Jun 18, 2022 • The Home Secretary Priti Patel's Immigration policy is not working. Her policy appears to be focused on stopping as many immigrants and asylum seekers from coming to the UK as possible. Official routes have effectively been closed except for the 'brightest and the best'.

Because of this and the French appearing to be less willing to help stop the boats, the number of asylum seekers crossing the Channel is increasing rapidly.

Having tried and failed to return them to France and having failed to send them to Ascension Island, the Home Secretary is now trying to send them to Rwanda with no chance of return. This is both cruel and stupid and will not stop the people-traffickers.

There is a backlog of 50,000 asylum seekers in the UK at the moment and none of these is allowed to work despite severe labour shortages in many industries. Immigration under Patel, whose only response to punish the desperate people who are seeking asylum, is in chaos.

It's Not Unusual, A Lesbian & Gay History | Parts 1, 2 & 3 | BBC2, 1997

Part 1 is age-restricted, so it can be viewed only on YouTube itself. Here is a link to the first part of the documentary.

Parts 2 & 3 can be embedded. Here they are:

Thousands March in London over Cost of Living Crisis

THE GUARDIAN: Demonstration organised by TUC calls on government to make ‘better deal’ for people struggling to cope with soaring inflation

Demonstrators marching in central London on Saturday. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/Reuters
Thousands of people have gathered in London to protest against the government’s lack of action in tackling the cost of living crisis.

Protesters marched from Portland Place to Parliament Square for a rally with speakers including Frances O’Grady, the general secretary of the TUC, which organised the event.

O’Grady was met with applause and cheers as she gave a speech to the crowd.

Demonstrators carried banners reading “cut war not welfare” and “end fuel poverty, insulate homes now”. » | Anna MacSwan and Tom Ambrose | Saturday, June 18, 2022

«Fuck the cis-tem»: Die LGBT-Community zieht an der Pride durch Zürich

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Nach der Pandemie kann die Zurich Pride erstmals wieder in der gewohnten Grösse stattfinden. Dieses Jahr stehen die Rechte von Transmenschen im Zentrum.

Regenbogenfarben hüllen für einmal die Stadt ein. | Michael Buholzer / Keystone
Wenn der Regenbogen allgegenwärtig ist – auf Flaggen, T-Shirts, Wangen, Bärten – dann ist Pride. Die grosse Demonstration der LGBT-Community ist am Samstag durch die Zürcher Innenstadt gezogen. Nach der Pandemie hat sie erstmals seit 2019 wieder ihren Volksfestcharakter mit grosser Party auf dem Kasernenareal und dem Zeughaushof.

Gestartet wird aber mit dem politischeren Teil, Ansprachen auf dem Helvetiaplatz und anschliessendem Umzug. Kurz vor 13 Uhr wirkt der Helvetiaplatz noch etwas verlassen. Die Demonstranten drängen sich in den spärlichen Schatten, den Gebäude und Bäume vor der gleissenden Mittagssonne spenden. Die Transparente sind schon parat, werden aber erst auf Schulterhöhe gestemmt: «queer, proud, angry», ist zu lesen, «trans rights = human rights» oder etwas origineller «fuck the cis-tem». » | Jan Hudec | Samstag, 18. Juni 2022

How the Great Depression Helped Drive the World Towards Fascism | Impossible Peace | Timeline

Jul 23, 2020 • A look at the international upset and devastation caused by the global depression; unemployment, hyperinflation, despair are everywhere as people try to survive.

You can subscribe to ‘History Hits’ here and get a big discount by using the code “TIMELINE”.

Kryptowährungen: Bitcoin bricht erneut ein und fällt unter 20 000 US-Dollar

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Virtuelle Währungen wie Bitcoin und Co. haben einen schlechten Ruf. Seit Anfang Mai stürzen die Kurse regelrecht ab. Sie gelten als unbeständig und als Energiefresser. Doch sie haben gegenüber herkömmlichen Zahlungsmitteln auch Vorteile. Die wichtigsten Antworten zu Kryptowährungen.

Die neusten Entwicklungen

Der Bitcoin-Kurs bricht weiter ein und fällt auf unter 20 000 Dollar. Am Samstag (18. 6. ) brachen auch die Kurse vieler weiteren Digitalwerte weiter ein. Die Nummer zwei am Markt, Ether, sank unter die Schwelle von 1000 Dollar. Der Marktwert aller rund 19 900 Kryptoanlagen ging weiter zurück. Der Wert von einem Bitcoin fiel auf der Handelsplattform Bitfinex am Samstagvormittag bis auf 18 690 Dollar (17 791 Euro). Das waren etwa zehn Prozent weniger als am Tag zuvor. Der Preis für einen Ether sank bis auf 973 Dollar. Ein Bitcoin kostet damit so wenig wie zuletzt Ende 2020, der Ether-Kurs hatte zuletzt Anfang 2021 so niedrig gelegen. Das Marktvolumen aller derzeit existierenden Kryptowährungen fiel laut Coinmarketcap auf 832 Milliarden Dollar. Das ist weniger als ein Drittel des im November markierten Rekords von fast drei Billionen Dollar. » | Thomas Schürpf / Werner Grundlehner | Samstag, 18. Juni 2022

Bitcoin value slumps below $20,000 in cryptocurrencies turmoil: Digital asset slides to lowest level since November 2020 as rate rises increase pressure on markets »

Antikapitalist, EU-Kritiker und Choleriker – Jean-Luc Mélenchon greift nach der Macht

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Der Linkspopulist wirbelt mit seiner Wahlallianz die französischen Parlamentswahlen auf. Sein erklärtes Ziel, Premierminister zu werden, dürfte er zwar verfehlen. Dennoch bringt er Präsident Macron in Bedrängnis.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon ist es vor der Parlamentswahl gelungen, die Linke zu einen, doch scheiden sich die Geister an dem Linkspopulisten. | Christophe Petit Tesson / EPA / Keystone
Ginge es nach Jean-Luc Mélenchon, dann würde am kommenden Sonntag in Frankreich ein neues Kapitel beginnen: Dieses würde einen radikalen Bruch bringen mit dem bestehenden System, das Ende von «Neoliberalismus», «präsidialer Monarchie», «Untätigkeit» in Klimafragen und allem, was sonst noch falsch laufe unter Präsident Emmanuel Macron.

In diesem Szenario würde er, Mélenchon, Premierminister und könnte Frankreichs Innenpolitik massgeblich lenken. Seit Wochen appelliert der Linksaussenpolitiker an die Franzosen, ihm diesen Traum zu erfüllen. Es hat ihn weit gebracht. » | Judith Kormann | Samstag, 18. Juni 2022

Brussels Initiates Proceedings against London | Outside Views on Brexit and UK Politics

Jun 17, 2022 • Brussels initiates proceedings against London | Outside Views on Brexit and UK politics.

The dispute over the Northern Ireland Pact continues to escalate: the British government had declared that it wanted to change the agreement unilaterally. Now the EU Commission is drawing conclusions.

Starke Frauen in Afghanistan kämpfen für ihre Rechte I kulturzeit

Jun 18, 2022 • In Afghanistan verlieren Frauen unter der Herrschaft der Taliban immer weitere Rechte. Zuletzt mussten sich selbst Moderatorinnen im Fernsehstudio voll verschleiern. Die junge Journalistin Maryam Nayibi aus Kabul sagt, die Taliban hätten sich regelrecht gegen die Frauen verschworen.

Immer brutaler unterdrückt, bleiben sie und ihre jungen Mitstreiterinnen trotz Strafandrohungen kämpferisch. Die Bevölkerung rette sich angesichts der zwanghaften “Gender-Apartheit“ in Galgenhumor, sagt der afghanisch-österreichische Autor und Afghanistan-Experte Emran Feroz. Es kursierten bereits Witze über die Besessenheit der Taliban, Frauen kontrollieren zu wollen, aber sonst nichts auf die Reihe zu bekommen, so Feroz.

Mit dem Gesetz der Vollverschleierung werde die Gewalt in die Familien einziehen, sagt die Ärztin und ehemalige Frauenministerin des Landes, Sima Samar. Denn der männliche Vormund werde von den Taliban bestraft, falls eine Frau ihr Gesicht in der Öffentlichkeit nicht bedecke. Doch unter einer Burka als Ärztin oder Journalistin zu arbeiten, sei nicht praktikabel. Für die Zukunft von Mädchen und Frauen in Afghanistan, ihr Recht auf Selbstbestimmung und Bildung, kämpft sie an der Seite von jungen Frauen wie Maryam Nayibi.

The Hate Preachers: Bigotry and Fearmongering by Extremist Christian "Leaders"

Mar 22, 2022 • Columnist, podcaster, and activist Hemant Mehta joins us for a difficult yet necessary dive into the hate platforms like The New Independent Fundamental Baptist Movement. The featured audio clips aren't pleasant to hear, but they reflect Old Testament-based bigotry and the tragic war on our fellow human beings.

There are some weird people in America: members of cults, satanists, extreme Christians, and all sorts of other crazy people. Scratch the surface and God only knows what one will find. I feel sure that Seth Andrews would agree with my assessment. To be honest with you all, I find extreme people like some of the ones shown in this video to be both disturbing and creepy. I often thank God that I was born this side of the Pond. – © Mark Alexander

WIKIPEDIA:

Seth Andrews

Hemant Mehta.

The Lincoln Project: Clear and Present Danger

Jun 17, 2022 • The choice is the same as it’s been since 2016: America or Trump. Whose side are you on?

Please accept my sincere apologies for the filthy language used by Trump supporters in this video. The language used tells its own story. It helps us understand who Trump really is and who many of his supporters really are. – © Mark Alexander

January 6 Committee: Trump Knew His Plan to Overturn Election Was Illegal | DW News

Jun 17, 2022 • In the United States, the House select committe investigating the January 6 storming of the Capitol held its third public session. The panel presented more evidence of former President Donald Trump's goal to overturn the 2020 election result - and of the pressure he put on Vice President Mike Pence to help carry out the plan. Presidential historian Jim Robenalt explains why this scandal is much worse than Watergate.

Europe Sees Earliest Summer Heatwave in Decades | DW News

Jun 17, 2022 • A pre-summer heatwave in Europe has temperatures rising above 40 degrees celsius. Spain has already been sweltering under severe temperatures for almost a week, the earliest summer heat wave in over 40 years. Now other regions in Europe are bracing for soaring temperatures. Fires have already broken out in Spain.

Liens connexes ici

Putin Says 'Economic Blitzkrieg' Has Failed in Anti-West Rant | DW News

Jun 18, 2022 • Russian President Vladimir Putin has slammed the West, saying the days of a unipolar world led by the United States were over.

In a speech full of grievances at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said what he called the West's economic blitzkrieg of sanctions had failed. He also played down Ukraine's possible EU entry, saying he had nothing against it, unlike the security risk of Kyiv joining NATO that he alleged when he started the invasion.

Putin accused the US of acting as a colonial force and said tectonic changes in the global order would see states like Russia come to the fore.

Britain Approves Extradition of WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange to US | DW News

Jun 17, 2022 • Britain has approved the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States. That's where he's wanted on 18 criminal charges, including spying. Washington says Assange endangered lives by releasing troves of classified military records and diplomatic correspondence. Assange called Friday's decision a "dark day for press freedom and British democracy." He will appeal the decision at London's High Court.

Related here and here.

Bitcoin: Will El Salvador's Big Crypto Gamble Pay Off? – BBC News

Jun 18, 2022 • The falling value of Bitcoin is affecting investors all over the world.

It’s putting increased pressure on the Central American state of El Salvador, which nine months ago made cryptocurrency legal tender. As legal tender it should be accepted in all shops, you can now buy almost anything in Bitcoin, from pizza to real estate.

The government has encouraged people to use Bitcoin by giving $30 to each person who signs up for a government-sponsored Bitcoin wallet – and offering treatment for pets at a cost of just 25 cents for those who pay in Bitcoin.

But aside from some pockets of enthusiasm, people do not seem to be embracing the cryptocurrency as much as their Bitcoin-loving president who is under increasing criticism for investing so much public money in the project.

Julian Assange: UK Government Approves Extradition of WikiLeaks Founder to US

One Cool Dude!

This is posted especially for Drakeford, the First Minster of Wales, and Javid, the Health Minister of the United Kingdom, who want to make Wales and the UK smoke-free by 2030. Javid is an ex-smoker. Many ex-smokers are more anti-smoking than people who have never smoked at all. There are none worse than the converted. None more intolerant. Dudes! Nobody gives you the right to take smokers' rights away from them. Please cool it. Trying this on will cause people to turn to worse things than smoking for their kicks. Don’t be naïve! And don’t be killjoys either. Even though I am an ex-smoker, I do not want my country to become smoke-free. Let people get their pleasures and kicks where they can. Life is short. People who work hard deserve their pleasures, even though you personally might not approve of those pleasures. What, I wonder, will be the next bête noire? Alcohol? – © Mark Alexander
With many thanks to liveinternet.ru for this superb photo, full of expression.

The Beach Boys : Surfin' Safari | Visualizer

Jun 17, 2022 • Official Audio for Surfin' Safari performed by The Beach Boys.

The Coin That Could Wreck Crypto

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As cryptocurrencies have plunged, attention has focused on a potential point of vulnerability: the market’s reliance on a so-called stablecoin called Tether.

SAN FRANCISCO — Cryptocurrency prices are plummeting. A so-called stablecoin lost all its value in a matter of days. A newfangled crypto bank halted withdrawals. And investors have been plunged into financial ruin.

Now the crypto industry is grappling with an even grimmer prospect: The worst may be yet to come.

Concern is mounting over another potential vulnerability in the crypto market: Tether, a company whose namesake currency is a linchpin of crypto trading worldwide. Long one of the most scrutinized companies in the industry, Tether is facing heightened pressure from regulators, investors, economists and growing legions of skeptics, who argue it could be another domino to fall in an even bigger crash.

“Tether is really the lifeblood of the crypto ecosystem,” said Hilary Allen, a finance expert at American University. “If it imploded, then the entire facade falls down.” » | David Yaffe-Bellany | Friday, June 17, 2022

Bernie Sanders ; How Much Money Does Jeff Bezos Really Need?

Apr 28, 2022 • If you’re worth $170 billion, who gives a damn about putting a few more dollars into workers' pockets? Mr. Bezos, I ask you sincerely: How much money do you need? When is 'enough' enough?\

Bernie Sanders.

Dimitra’s Dishes : The Creamiest Rice Pudding in Phyllo! : Rizopita

Rizopita

Get the recipe here.

Daniil Trifonov – C.P.E. Bach: 2 Piano Sonatas, Wq. 59: IV. Rondo in C Minor, H. 283

Jun 17, 2022 • Captivating the audience from the very first moment, pianist Daniil Trifonov brings deep insight into the music-making of Johann Sebastian Bach at the Philharmonie in Berlin. …

Refugees in Search of a Safe Haven

Jun 17, 2022 • Fleeing terror at home, searching for safety and shelter. During the Holocaust, European Jews cried out to the world for help, desperate to escape Nazi persecution. Without legal protection, their lives hung in the balance. Some were granted refuge in foreign countries with an unfamiliar language, new customs, and limited opportunities. Most found nowhere to turn.

Today, war, genocide, and mass atrocities are forcing millions of people around the world from their homes. Often separated from their loved ones, they face an uncertain future. In observance of World Refugee Day, learn more from Museum experts about the plight of refugees during the Holocaust and today.

Guest
Ron Coleman, Chief, Library, The David M. Rubenstein National Institute for Holocaust Documentation, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Host
Dr. Edna Friedberg, Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Drowning in Love!

In Liebe ertrinken! / Se noyer dans l’amour !
With thanks to Herofan for this great photo.

The Sweetest Queer Love Declarations on Netflix

Jun 17, 2021 • “We’re celebrating Pride Month with some of our favorite queer love declarations on Netflix. Cue the Kleenex!”

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines – June 17, 2022

EU Says Ukraine Should Be Given Candidate Status to Join Bloc

THE GUARDIAN: Commission also recommends candidate status for Moldova but gives more guarded response to Georgia

The European Commission has said Ukraine should be given candidate status to join the EU, in a show of confidence in the wartime government of Volodymyr Zelenskiy and a diplomatic blow to Vladimir Putin.

The EU executive also recommended candidate status for Moldova, another former Soviet state that launched an EU membership bid soon after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But it gave a more guarded response to Georgia, saying the country needed to carry out further anti-corruption and judicial reforms.

EU leaders will decide next week whether to grant the three states EU candidate status, although full membership would be likely to take years. The decision would be a historic step for Ukraine, where reformers have been seeking democratic change since the Maidan protests of 2014, events that were the prelude to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and war on its neighbour. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Friday, June 17, 2022

I Just Called to Say I Love You

Jul 26, 2018 • Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Views on YouTube: 26,359,854

Litauen soll nur der Anfang sein

Russlands Präsident Putin geht es darum, „Länder zu sammeln“. | Bild: AFP
RUSSISCHE DROHUNGEN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Russlands Präsident Putin bezeichnet eine estnische Stadt als russisch. Ein Abgeordneter will die Unabhängigkeit Litauens widerrufen. Nimmt der Westen solche Drohungen ernst genug?

Jahrelang galt der Duma-Abgeordnete Jewgenij Fjodorow selbst nach Moskauer Maßstäben als radikaler Exot. Er sah Russlands Elite vom amerikanischen Auslandsgeheimdienst CIA durchsetzt und schuf eine „Nationale Befreiungsfront“, die Präsident Wladimir Putin, dem Fjodorow die Rolle des Heilsbringers zumisst, im Kampf gegen die angebliche Fremdherrschaft unterstützen soll. Aktivisten der „Front“ beschimpften und attackierten – von den Sicherheitskräften protegiert – Oppositionelle. Fjodorow fordert seit Jahren, Russland zu den „Grenzen von 1945“ zu verhelfen.

Der Abgeordnete tat das offenkundig mit Zustimmung des Kremls, denn die Machtpartei „Einiges Russland“ stellte ihn immer wieder auf. Am vergangenen Mittwoch hat er ein Gesetzesprojekt in das Unterhaus eingebracht, um die noch unter Michail Gorbatschows Sowjetunion 1991 erfolgte Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit Litauens aufzuheben. Die Anerkennung sei „illegal“ gewesen, da keine einzige sowjetische Institution berechtigt gewesen sei, über den Austritt einer Republik aus der Sowjetunion oder über deren Ende zu entscheiden. Nach dieser Logik könnte jede frühere Sowjetrepublik zum Ziel werden, wie Fjodorow gegenüber dem Staatsmedium „Sputnik“ klarstellte: „Wir haben nur mit Litauen angefangen.“ » | Von Friedrich Schmidt und Reinhard Veser | Mittwoch, 15 Juni 2022

Zugang zu allen F+ Artikeln 2,95 € / Woche jetzt 30 Tage kostenfrei testen. Mit einem Klick hier online kündbar.

Stock Markets Plunge again as Flurry of Interest Rate Hikes Fuels Recession Fears

THE GUARDIAN: Investors wary as other central banks follow US Federal Reserve in raising borrowing costs

The global rout in stock markets, cryptocurrencies and other risky assets has gathered pace amid growing concern that out-of-control inflation, rising interest rates and slowing growth could combine to tip the world into recession.

Share prices fell in Asia on Friday at the beginning of what was likely to be another torrid day for investors spooked by the US Federal Reserve’s decision this week to raise interest rates by the largest margin for almost 30 years.

Other leading central banks such as the Bank of England and the Swiss National Bank have followed suit – the latter in its first hike for 15 years – sending economists scrambling to revise their forecast for growth downwards.

Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management in Hong Kong said: “No central bankers worth their weight would put inflation-fighting credentials on the line and import higher energy inflation via a weaker currency. » | Martin Farrer | Friday, June 17, 2022

Julian Assange’s Extradition from UK to US Approved by Home Secretary

THE GUARDIAN: Fresh appeal likely after Priti Patel gives green light to extradition of WikiLeaks co-founder

Supporters of Julian Assange demonstrating outside the Home Office on 17 May calling on Priti Patel to refuse the US extradition order. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Priti Patel has approved the extradition of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange to the US.

The case passed to the home secretary last month after the supreme court ruled that there were no legal questions over assurances given by US authorities over how he is likely to be treated.

While Patel has given a green light, an expected cross-appeal by Assange’s legal team would restart the clock on a renewed legal battle in the courts.

It is likely to focus on grounds such as the right to freedom of expression and whether the extradition request is politically motivated. Patel had been considering whether the US extradition request met remaining legal tests, including a promise not to execute him. » | Jamie Grierson and Ben Quinn | Friday, June 17, 2022

This is truly disgraceful! Patel's heartlessness knows no bounds. She's a mean, nasty little woman. Shame on her! – © Mark Alexander

Londres approuve l’extradition de Julian Assange aux Etats-Unis : La justice américaine veut juger le fondateur de WikiLeaks pour la diffusion, à partir de 2010, de plus de 700 000 documents classifiés sur les activités militaires et diplomatiques américaines, en particulier en Irak et en Afghanistan. Il risque cent soixante-quinze ans de prison. »

Foreigner : I Want to Know What Love Is | Official Music Video

an 25, 2020 • You're watching the official music video for Foreigner - "I Want to Know What Love Is" from the album 'Agent Provocateur' (1984). "I Want to Know What Love Is" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was featured on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest songs of all time. | Views on YouTube: 180,869,413

Harry Nilsson : Without You | 1972 | HD

Copyright music records SME. | Views on YouTube: 9,331,762

Idaho to Bay Area: White Supremacists Violently Target Pride Events, Egged On by Right-wing Media

Jun 16, 2022 • President Biden celebrated Pride Month at the White House Wednesday as events encouraging celebration of LGBTQ identity and visibility are increasingly being targeted by white supremacist violence and as Republican-controlled states pass a slew of anti-LGBTQ measures. We speak with Ari Drennen, LGBTQ program director for Media Matters, who says far-right social media influencers and conservative media outlets are spreading lies that members of the LGBTQ community “aim to confuse, corrupt or sexualize kids.” We also talk to Southern Poverty Law Center investigative reporter Michael Edison Hayden, who has studied the key players in recent attacks and describes a “concerted effort to ramp up this rhetoric tying LGBTQ people baselessly to pedophilia.”

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines – June 16, 2022

Beautiful Muscovite Domes…

…ugly Muscovite politics.
With many thanks to Architecturia on Pinterest for this stunning photo.

’Intimates’

Two handsome men enjoying one of the greatest pleasures in life: a kiss, with pride and aplomb.
With many thanks to ✨ on Pinterest for a great photo.

UK Interest Rates Raised to 1.25% by Bank of England

BBC: UK interest rates have risen further as the Bank of England attempts to stem the pace of soaring prices.

Rates have increased from 1% to 1.25%, the fifth consecutive rise, pushing them to the highest level in 13 years.

It comes as finances are being squeezed by the rising cost of living, driven by record fuel and energy prices.

Inflation - the rate at which prices rise - is currently at a 40-year high of 9%, and the Bank warned it could surpass 11% later this year.

The Bank said rising energy prices were expected to drive living costs even higher in October, but added it would "act forcefully" if necessary should inflation pressures persist. » | Dearbail Jordan, Business reporter, BBC News | Thursday, June 16, 2022

The Phoney War: Why Didn't the Allies Act? | Price of Empire | Timeline

Jun 14, 2022 • What were the noteworthy events at the beginning of World War II? See rare archive footage and hear remarkable testimony on early advances made by Germany, Italy and the USSR.

You can sign up to the 'History Hit' documentary service and get a 50% discount by clicking here and using the code 'TIMELINE'.

Flucht und Vertreibung weltweit I Grafik-Explainer

Jun 16, 2022 • Seit zehn Jahren steigt die Zahl der Vertriebenen immer weiter – auf inzwischen mehr als 100 Millionen Menschen weltweit, wie die aktuellen Daten des UNHCR der Vereinten Nationen zeigen. Über die Hälfte von ihnen ist im eigenen Land auf der Flucht. Von den mehr als 33,5 Millionen (Zahl inklusive Ukraine-Flüchtlinge), die ihr Land verlassen haben, sucht der größte Teil in direkten Nachbarstaaten Schutz.

Die Fluchtursachen sind vielfältig: Krieg, Gewalt, Hunger und Naturkatastrophen zwingen weltweit Menschen dazu, ihre Heimat aufzugeben.

Dieses Grafikvideo informiert über die Situation der Flüchtenden in den größten Krisenherden rund um den Globus und beleuchtet die unterschiedlichen Fluchtursachen – in Europa, Asien, Afrika und Amerika.

Lavish Money Laundering Schemes Exposed in Canada

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Government officials in the province of British Columbia were aware that suspicious money was entering their revenue stream, but took no steps to stop it.

VANCOUVER — Self-professed students were buying multimillion-dollar homes in the Vancouver area, with dubious sources of income, or none at all.

A family of modest means transferred at least 114 million Canadian dollars to British Columbia.

Loan sharks cleaned their dirty money by giving garbage bags and hockey bags full of illicit Canadian 20 dollar bills to gamblers who took it onto casino floors.

Those were just some of the findings from a long-awaited report into money laundering in Canada’s western province of British Columbia, which after two years of testimony was finally released by a special commission on Wednesday.

Canada is a “major money laundering country,” with weak law enforcement and gaps in its laws, that put it on a list of countries that included Afghanistan, China and Colombia, according to a 2019 report by the State Department. Few places in Canada launder as much money as the province of British Columbia, specifically the region around Vancouver, which has one of the country’s biggest underground economies. The province has earned an international reputation as a haven for “snow washing” — a term for money laundering in Canada, according to government officials. » | Catherine Porter, Vjosa Isai and Tracy Sherlock | Wednesday, June 15, 2022

The Crypto Crash Continues.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Cryptocurrencies fell again on Wednesday, extending a rout that has dragged down digital currencies more steeply than many other markets. Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency, traded at about $21,000 early on Wednesday, down 4 percent over the past 24 hours, 30 percent over the past week and 55 percent so far this year, according to CoinDesk.

Wall Street analysts have been keeping a close eye on cryptocurrencies to see if they might avoid the slowdown traditional assets have experienced. (The S&P 500 is in a bear market, down about 20 percent this year.) The pullback in the crypto market, however, illustrates the precariousness of the structure built around these risky and unregulated digital assets.

Stock prices of crypto companies have cratered, retail traders are fleeing and industry executives are predicting a prolonged slump that could put more companies in jeopardy, The New York Times’s David Yaffe-Bellany and Erin Griffith report.

“The tide has gone out in crypto, and we’re seeing that many of these businesses and platforms rested on shaky and unsustainable foundations,” said Lee Reiners, a former Federal Reserve official who teaches at Duke University Law School. “The music has stopped.” » | Eshe Nelson | Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Why the Fed Can Keep Rates ‘Pretty Aggressively’ in the Short Term: Economist

Zach Griffiths, Wells Fargo Senior Macro Strategist, and Jeanette Garretty, Robertson Stephens Wealth Management Chief Economist, join Yahoo Finance Live to break down consumer positions amid rising inflation and the latest Fed interest rate hike and the significance of the latest unemployment rate reading.

Weak Pound Puts the Squeeze on Holiday Spending

BBC: The pound's weakness against the dollar and the euro spells bad news for British holidaymakers this summer.

Fears over the UK economy are weighing on markets, causing sterling to sink below $1.20 on Tuesday, its lowest level since the start of the pandemic, before partly recovering on Wednesday.

Versus the euro, the pound is hovering near thirteen-month lows.

As a result many Brits traveling abroad in the next few weeks will find their spending money won't stretch as far.

"The pound remains a very vulnerable currency," said Jane Foley, head of foreign exchange strategy at the Dutch bank Rabobank.

"A lot of this is related to fears about growth," she continued, noting that political uncertainty and a potential trade conflict with the European Union were likely to add to investors' concerns about the UK's economic outlook. » | Noor Nanji, Business reporter, BBC News | Wednesday, June 15, 2022

The Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates by 0.75 of a Percentage Point.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point on Wednesday, its biggest move since 1994, as the central bank ramps up its efforts to tackle the fastest inflation in four decades.

The big rate increase, which markets had expected, underlined that Fed officials are serious about crushing price increases even if it comes at a cost to the economy.

Officials predicted that the unemployment rate will increase to 3.7 percent this year and to 4.1 percent by 2024, and that growth will slow notably as policymakers push borrowing costs sharply higher and choke off economic demand. » | Jeanna Smialek | Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Federal Reserve announces biggest interest rate hike since 1994: Fed confirms 0.75 percentage-point increase as Americans across country hit hard by rising prices and shortages of key items »

Praise Ye the Lord! – Mark

A Gentleman Puttin’ on the Style

… double-breasted style
With thanks to styleforum.net on Pinterest for this super photo.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines – June 15, 2022

Elegant Simplicity : The Cloche

elegante Schlichtheit / simplicité élégante
Queen ELizabeth The Queen Mother
With many thanks to britflorida.hubpages.com for this photo of this exquisite and elegant cloche.

Wenn nichts weniger als Eleganz und Raffinesse ausreichen.

When nothing less than elegance and refinement is good enough. / Quand rien de moins que l'élégance et le raffinement suffisent.
Ich bedanke mich bei frannieredman (We Heart It) auf Pinterest fürs ganz schöne Bild.

Tendre était la nuit.

Zart war die Nacht. / Tender was the night.
Je remercie ‘Creative Market pour cette belle photo.

'Stop the World, Scotland Wants to Get On'

Jun 15, 2022 • The leader of the Scottish National Party in Westminster Ian Blackford MP, echoed his colleague Nicola Sturgeon's words calling for a new referendum on Scottish independence….

Verwandt.

Gegen Recht und Gesetz

Zur Not ohne London: Nicola Sturgeon strebt ein zweites Unabhängigkeitsreferendum an | Bild: DPA
SCHOTTISCHES REFERENDUM
FRANFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Legal wäre es nicht, wenn die schottische Regionalregierung ohne Zustimmung Londons nochmal über eine Unabhängigkeit abstimmen ließe. Aber Boris Johnson nimmt es mit Recht und Gesetz auch nicht so genau.

Die Unabhängigkeitsbestrebungen in Schottland, seit einem Referendum im Jahre 2014 eigentlich für mindestens eine Generation zu den Akten gelegt, haben seit dem Brexit neuen Schwung gewonnen. In Schottland hatte eine deutliche Mehrheit gegen einen Austritt des Vereinigten Königreichs aus der EU gestimmt. Im Gesamtergebnis wurden die Schotten aber von Engländern und Walisern majorisiert. » | Ein Kommentar von Peter Sturm | Mittwoch, 15. Juni 2022

Lien assocée.

Dimitra’s Dishes : Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers with Olives & Herbs | Vegan

Get the recipe here.

'Let's Call a Spade a Spade - This Is Illegal' - the EU Takes Action against the UK

Jun 15, 2022 • The EU has begun legal action against the UK following the Government's decision to override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Maros Sefčovič had acted illegally in ignoring parts of the deal they with the EU.

He said the move had damaged trust and respect between the EU and the UK.


Related video.

'Let's Call a Spade a Spade': EU Resumes Legal Action against UK over New NI Protocol Bill

Jun 15, 2022 • The EU's Brexit commissioner has confirmed the body has decided to take fresh legal action against the UK over its new legislation bypassing sections of the Northern Ireland protocol. Along with reviving the infringement process it launched in 2021, the EU is initiating two more processes – accusing the UK of failing to comply with provisions in the protocol relating to controls at border posts and the sharing of data

Boris the Billionaire's Bitch

Jun 15, 2022 • Peter Oborne on how Boris Johnson's ruthless drive for power is dismantling democracy in the interest of the super-rich