It Feels Like Boris Johnson’s Britain Is Finally ‘Sinking Giggling Into the Sea’

Oli Scarff/Agence France-Presse, via Getty Images
OPINION : GUEST ESSAY
THE NEW YORK TIMES: LONDON — For Boris Johnson, Britain’s embattled and scandal-ridden prime minister, nowhere is safe.

On Thursday, that may become inescapably clear. Two local elections — one in a traditional Tory area in South Devon that the party has controlled almost continuously since 1885, the other in a postindustrial seat in North England that the Tories took from Labour for the first time in 90 years in 2019 — will deliver a decisive assessment of Mr. Johnson’s flailing popularity. As things stand, the Conservatives are set to lose both.

Mr. Johnson’s ability to win over such disparate people and places — affluent farmers and neglected manufacturers, the shires in the South and old Labour heartlands in the North — once ensured his position at the top of the Conservative Party. Yet now, as Britain hovers on the brink of economic recession, the constituencies that previously united around the prime minister appear to be rejecting him. For Mr. Johnson, his authority frayed by a recent no confidence vote, a double defeat would leave his tenure hanging by a thread.

But the Conservatives’ problems are much bigger than the prime minister. After 12 years in office, under three different leaders, the Conservatives have collectively set the stage for Britain’s woes. The balance sheet is dire: Wages haven’t risen in real terms since 2010, austerity has hollowed out local communities, and regional inequality has deepened. Britain’s protracted departure from the European Union, pursued by the Conservatives without a clear plan, has only made matters worse. » | Samuel Earle * | Wednesday, June 22, 2022

* Mr. Earle is a British journalist who writes about politics and culture.

Lewis Lapham: Can America Survive the Rule of a “Stupified Plutocracy”? | 2018

Oct 24, 2018 • When author and journalist Lewis Lapham, founder of Lapham’s Quarterly and former editor of Harper’s, turned his shrewd gaze on the go-go ‘80s in “Money and Class in America,” he never imagined the era’s avatar of greed would one day become President Donald Trump. Three decades later, Lapham shares his views on the decades-long deterioration of democracy in an interview with INET’s Lynn Parramore. An expanded and revised edition of his book is now available with a new foreward by Thomas Frank from OR Books.

First Openly Gay Judge to Lead LGBT Veterans Probe

Lord Etherton will be asked to recommend how the government can redress veterans affected by the pre-2000 ban | HOUSE OF LORDS
BBC: Britain's first openly gay senior judge will lead a review into the impact of a historical ban on LGBT people serving in the armed forces.

Lord Etherton's inquiry will look at how those affected can be redressed.

Campaigners are hoping for compensation for lost livelihoods and suffering as well as mental health support.

The review will apply to veterans who served between 1967, when homosexual acts began to be decriminalised, and 2000.

Until then it was illegal to be gay in the British military - with more than 5,000 people in the armed forces thought to be affected.

Those who were, or perceived to be, homosexual faced intrusive investigations and were dismissed or otherwise forced to leave the military. Many still have the conviction on their criminal record.

Some veterans say it meant a complete loss of income which still affects them today, due to years of missed pension contributions.

In the review, expected to start in the next few weeks, Lord Etherton will be asked to recommend ways in which the government could "seek to mitigate any impacts, including any financial impact", the BBC has learned. » | Josh Parry, LGBT producer | Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Inflation in Turkey: Researcher Won’t Hide the Figures Erdogan Doesn’t Want to See

A man buys bread in the Ulus district of Ankara, Turkey on May 5, 2022. © Burhan Ozbilici, AP
FRANCE 24: In May the official Turkish statistics institute established the inflation rate at 73.5 percent, the highest in the country since 1998 – a figure ENAG, an independent group of researchers, immediately disputed. It puts the real rate at around 160.80 percent. The director of the organisation became the target of judicial inquiries and political pressure, and is losing his position at his university.

His hands deep in the pockets of his apron, sporting a large drooping grey moustache, Zeki looks wearily at the fruits and vegetables lying in full view in his shop in Moda, in the heart of the Kadikoy district in Istanbul on the Asian side of the city. "Look at these beautiful pink heirloom tomatoes," he says, pointing his chin in their direction. "They're coming straight from Antalya. Normally in this season everyone wants them. What a waste."

A year ago, Zeki was selling the tomatoes for eight Turkish liras (.45 euros) per kilogramme. Today, he can't sell them for less than 20 (1.10 euros), more than double last year's price. Economists say inflation is to blame, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan disagrees. He explained on June 6 that inflation doesn't exist in Turkey and that price increases are due to the growing cost of living. Denial » | Ludovic DE FOUCARD | Wednesday, June 22, 2022

UK Inflation Rises to 9.1%, Its Highest Rate in 40 Years

THE GUARDIAN: Headline CPI rate will add to cost of living crisis, fuelled by rises in food and transport costs

UK inflation has increased to 9.1%, its highest rate in 40 years amid record prices for petrol and the soaring cost of food.

The figures from the Office for National Statistics showed an increase in May from 9% in April, as measured by the consumer price index, in a reading that matched the forecasts of City economists. In a fresh high, the headline inflation rate has hit a level not seen since February 1982, piling pressure on households in the cost of living crisis.

Inflation is being fuelled by food and non-alcoholic drink prices, which are rising at the fastest annual rate since 2009, the ONS said, with the most dramatic increases seen in the cost of bread, cereals and meat.

Soaring prices for petrol and diesel also drove up inflation in May, adding to the pressure on motorists and business costs with a 32.8% jump motor fuels over the past year – the biggest annual increase on records dating back to 1989. » | Richard Partington and Rowena Mason | Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Tory ex-minister says plan to raise state pensions by 10% is ‘ludicrous’: Jim O’Neill scathing about decision to help pensioners while forcing real-terms pay cuts on public sector workers »

L’Union européenne face au cynisme de Boris Johnson

LE MONDE – ÉDITORIAL : Le premier ministre britannique a présenté, lundi 13 juin, un projet de loi qui remet en cause le « protocole nord-irlandais » contenu dans l’accord sur le Brexit signé avec l’UE. Les Vingt-Sept doivent s’opposer fermement à ces manœuvres destinées avant tout à faire oublier les déboires intérieurs de Boris Johnson.

Habituelle, la manœuvre n’en est pas moins détestable. A chaque déconvenue en politique intérieure, Boris Johnson dégaine son arme ultime, le conflit avec l’Union européenne (UE), destinée à mobiliser ses partisans et à détourner l’opinion britannique de ses propres turpitudes. En témoigne la présentation, lundi 13 juin, au Parlement de Westminster, d’un projet de loi supprimant des pans entiers du « protocole nord-irlandais », une partie sensible de l’accord sur le Brexit de 2019 avec l’UE.

Alors qu’il a lui-même paraphé ce traité international, le premier ministre britannique le remet en cause unilatéralement sur des points cruciaux. Le « protocole » vise en effet à concilier deux objectifs : maintenir une Irlande sans frontière afin de garantir la paix sur l’île, et éviter que l’Irlande du Nord ne devienne un sas d’entrée frauduleux dans le marché unique européen. Pour ce faire, l’Irlande du Nord a été dotée d’un statut mixte : la province a été maintenue à la fois dans la zone douanière britannique et dans le marché unique de l’UE.

Pareil arrangement suppose des contrôles douaniers et sanitaires entre la Grande-Bretagne et l’Irlande du Nord. Une contrainte que rejette le DUP, parti unioniste nord-irlandais allié de Boris Johnson, dont les élus refusent de siéger au gouvernement local de Belfast tant que le « protocole » avec l’UE n’est pas abrogé. » | Éditorial « du Monde » | mercredi 15 juin 2022

Earthquake in Afghanistan Kills as Many as 280 People, Officials Say

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The 5.9 magnitude quake struck about 28 miles southwest of the city of Khost, in the country’s southeast.

A photo released by the state-run news agency Bakhtar of earthquake destruction in Paktika Province, in eastern Afghanistan. The 5.9 magnitude earthquake, which struck early Wednesady, was felt across several provinces.Credit...Bakhtar News Agency, via Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan — A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan overnight, killing as many as 280 people and injuring more than 600 others, the country’s state-run Bakhtar news agency said on Wednesday.

The quake struck early Wednesday morning about 28 miles southwest of the city of Khost, a provincial capital in the country’s southeast, the United States Geological Survey said, and it had a depth of about six miles.

Raees Hozaifa, the director of information and culture in the eastern province of Paktika, said the earthquake was felt across several provinces, and that death toll in Paktika alone was at least 250 people.

“We have 250 bodies, around 150 wounded,” he said, adding that more than 100 homes had been destroyed across four districts of the province. A rescue effort was underway, he said. » | Safiullah Padshah and Mike Ives | Wednesday, June 22, 2022

‘A Dangerous Cancer’: Fourth Hearing Revealed the Human Cost of Trump’s Delusion

THE GUARDIAN: The ex-president’s attacks on officials to overturn the election resulted in them being harassed by his followers

Donald Trump was the most powerful man in the world. But he was also a paranoid fantasist who did not care how his lies destroyed people’s lives.

That was the picture of the former US president that came into focus with startling clarity at Tuesday’s hearing of the congressional committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Dead people, shredded ballots and a USB drive that was in fact a ginger mint were all part of the delusional narrative of election fraud peddled by Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani. They would have been as comical as flat-earthers but for the way they posed a danger to both individual citizens and American democracy.

“The president’s lie was and is a dangerous cancer on the body politic,” committee member Adam Schiff said at the hearing into how Trump pressured state officials to overturn [overturn] results.

It was worth remembering that Trump once boasted that he had passed a cognitive test by reciting the words, “Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV,” in the right order. And that, according to the Washington Post, he made 30,573 false or misleading claims during his four-year presidency. » | David Smith in Washington | Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Weinstein | Full Film | FRONTLINE

Jun 21, 2022 • The inside story of how Harvey Weinstein allegedly sexually harassed and abused dozens of women, and the elaborate ways he tried to silence his accusers.

FRONTLINE’s documentary investigates the disgraced mogul’s spectacular downfall, and what Hollywood itself knew — and when. With allegations going back to Weinstein’s early years, the film draws on exclusive insider accounts and examines how Weinstein used lawyers and private detectives to help him suppress sexual harassment allegations.

The Lincoln Project : The Crazy Ones

May 12, 2022 • Some call them crazy. We call them dangerous. | Views on YouTube: 878,416

Stevie Wonder : Overjoyed

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Views on YouTube: 5,663,754

Élégance dans une brise méditerranéenne

Un beau soir d'été
Mes remerciements vont à Saatchi Art sur Pinterest pour cette belle image.

Russia Warns Lithuania of ‘Serious’ Consequences over Rail Blockade

Jun 21, 2022 • Russia has demanded that Lithuania lift its ban on the transit of sanctioned goods by road and rail to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad - threatening "serious and sensitive consequences" for the Lithuanian people if it doesn't.

Speaking in Kaliningrad, the head of Russia's security council described it as a "hostile action" and warned "retaliatory measures will follow".

Lithuania has insisted there's no blockade and it's simply implementing EU sanctions.


Verwandt.

Transgender-Tochter von Elon Musk beantragt Namensänderung und bricht Kontakt ab

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Ein erwachsenes Kind des Tesla- und SpaceX-Firmenchefs hat demonstrativ seinen Namen abgelegt, weil es angeblich keine verwandtschaftliche Verbindung mehr zu ihm haben möchte.

Elon Musk kommt bei der diesjährigen Met Gala am 2. Mai in New York an. Eines seiner Kinder wendet sich nun demonstrativ von ihm ab. | Andrew Kelly / Reuters
Elon Musk ist der Meinung, dass die Welt mehr Leute brauche. Sonst zerfalle die Zivilisation. «Ich kann es nicht genug betonen, es gibt zu wenig Menschen», sagte Musk im vergangenen Dezember während einer Veranstaltung des «Wall Street Journal». Er selbst scheint einen Beitrag dazu zu leisten, damit seine schlimme Befürchtung nicht eintrifft. Musk ist bereits siebenfacher Vater.

Ob er auch ein guter «dad» ist, wird gerade durch eine aufsehenerregende Nachricht infrage gestellt. Eines seiner Kinder wendet sich demonstrativ von ihm ab. Es will seinen Nachnamen ändern, weil «ich nicht mehr mit meinem biologischen Vater zusammenlebe oder in irgendeiner Form mit ihm verwandt sein möchte».

Familiengeschichte wiederholt sich

Ein Stück weit wiederholt sich da eine Familiengeschichte. Musk sagte zu seinem Biografen: «Ich hatte keine glückliche Kindheit, es war ein Elend.» Seinen eigenen Vater nannte Elon Musk «ein furchtbares menschliches Geschöpf». Daher verhindert der Milliardär auch, dass seine Kinder ihren Grossvater kennenlernen. » | Michele Coviello, Sonja Blaschke | Dienstag, 21. Juni 2022

Related article in English here.

Biden Gives Speech Marking Pride Month

Streamed live on Jun 15, 2022 • President Joe Biden is delivering remarks to celebrate Pride Month and will also give an update regarding his targeting of some ‘hateful’ anti-LGBT+ laws.

He will sign an executive order to protect LGBT+ Americans following a wave of discriminatory legislation and Republican-led measures targeting transgender healthcare.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson Hosted Pride Reception at Downing Street | 2021

Why Pride Matters | Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Elon Musk’s Daughter Says She Is Trans and Wants Nothing to Do with Her Father

(Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
PINK NEWS: Elon Musk’s daughter has reportedly filed for a name change, explaining that she is trans and no longer wants a relationship with her father.

The Tesla tycoon’s daughter from his first marriage to Justine Wilson has filed a petition to change her name, citing that she does not “wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form”

The daughter, who just turned 18, also petitioned for a new birth certificate with a female gender marker at the Los Angeles County Superior Court in April, according to Reuters.

The Daily Beast reported that Musk replied to its request for comment ahead of the news of Wilson’s name change being made public, stating: “She does not want to be a public figure. I think it is important to defend her right to privacy.

“Please don’t out someone against their will – it’s not right.”

The story has since been been reported globally.

Musk has previously been criticised for making anti-trans statements, including tweeting “pronouns suck” and “pronouns are an aesthetic nightmare” in 2020. » | Emily Chudy | Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Elon Musk Says a US Recession Is ‘Inevitable’

THE GUARDIAN: Tesla CEO says slump is likely to come in near term, amid plan to lay off 10% of firm’s salaried staff

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, says a US recession is ‘more likely than not in the near term’.Photograph: Joe Skipper/Reuters
Elon Musk has warned that a US recession is “more likely than not” as the Tesla chief executive confirmed plans to cut 10% of salaried staff at the electric carmaker over the next three months.

The world’s richest man said a recession in the US was inevitable but would most probably come in the short term.

“A recession is inevitable at some point. As to whether there is a recession in the near term, that is more likely than not,” Musk said in an interview via videolink at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on Tuesday.

Musk said Tesla was planning to reduce salaried staff numbers by 10%, confirming plans revealed in an internal email this month by Reuters. » | Dan Milmo and agency | Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Texas Republican Platform: Being Gay Is 'Abnormal Lifestyle Choice'

From left: Dan Patrick and Greg Abbott
ADVOCATE: The platform, adopted over the weekend, also opposes “all efforts to validate transgender identity.”

The Republican Party of Texas is well known for its anti-LGBTQ+ stances, but the party platform it adopted this year goes beyond even previous ones, with language calling homosexuality “an abnormal lifestyle choice” and opposing “all efforts to validate transgender identity.”

The party adopted the platform Saturday at its convention in Houston, The Texas Tribune reports. Republican elected officials aren’t required to follow the platform, but the document indicates the general feelings and direction of the party.

Previous platforms included much antigay and anti-trans language, but the “abnormal lifestyle choice” statement is new. The platform also endorses conversion therapy, as it has in the past, and calls it by a new name, “reintegrative therapy.”

“Homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice,” the platform reads. “We believe there should be no granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin, and we oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values. No one should be granted special legal status based on their LGBTQ+ identification.”

At least one delegate, David Gebhart, tried to soften this language, saying, “We are the Republican Party of Texas, not the Westboro Baptist Church,” Tribune editor Sewell Chan tweeted. Gebhart’s suggestion was met with laughter and boos. Other delegates made homophobic and sexually charged comments. » | Trudy Ring | Monday, June 20, 2022

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines – June 21, 2022

Parts of the USA are in danger of falling into darkness.

I have news for the Texas GOP: Being gay is NOT a lifestyle choice. Disabuse yourselves of such stupid, ignorant notions. One is born gay; so, obviously it is the will of the Creator that one is so. Choosing to be gay would not be a very smart "lifestyle choice", given the difficulties and obstacles resulting from being that way. – © Mark Alexander

President Macron Loses Majority in Split French Vote - BBC News

Jun 20, 2022 • President Emmanuel Macron has lost control of the French National Assembly following a strong performance by a left alliance and the far right in the elections. His centrist coalition lost dozens of seats in an election that has left French politics fragmented.

The prime minister he had only recently appointed, Elisabeth Borne, who said the situation was unprecedented. "This situation represents a risk for our country, given the risks we're facing nationally and internationally," she said. "We will work as of tomorrow to build a working majority."


Related links here and here.

Zum Schaden Europas?: Emmanuel Macron, der mächtigste Präsident in Europa, hat die absolute Mehrheit verloren. Jetzt muss er sich neu erfinden und es mit Kompromissen à l’allemande versuchen. »

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.