another conspiracy theory might have been true

 

This was supposed to be an urban legend, but I have been told of many cases by people who said they heard it from someone who heard it from someone, which often means it wasn't happening.

This video is from a Catholic network, which is not a hysterical anti science site, since Catholics recognize brain death as death. But the cardiac death criteria which has been used in receent years, is the real problem, since the brain is still alive and is a fuzzier criteria since if the heart stops too long the organs are unusable, so often there is a rush to declare death.

here is the information off of a twitter post which for some reason I am unable to post:

 Dr. Heidi Klessig

@heidiklessigmd

The US Department of Health and Human Services under RFK Jr. is announcing a major initiative to overhaul the organ transplant system after an HRSA investigation uncovered significant problems:

from the HHS:The US Department of Health and Human Services under RFK Jr. is announcing a major initiative to overhaul the organ transplant system after an HRSA investigation uncovered significant problems: HRSA examined 351 cases where organ donation was authorized, but ultimately not completed. It found: •103 cases (29.3%) showed concerning features, including 73 patients with neurological signs incompatible with organ donation. •At least 28 patients may not have been deceased at the time organ procurement was initiated—raising serious ethical and legal questions. •Evidence pointed to poor neurologic assessments, lack of coordination with medical teams, questionable consent practices, and misclassification of causes of death, particularly inoverdose cases.

30 years ago, when bioethicist Dr Caplan went for his Pennsylvania driver's license, when he asked the clerk how to add organ donor to his license, she cautioned him: Don't sign it or they will let you die. He wrote a letter about this to JAMA (sorry no date or link). But I know that I have heard too many people tell me of anecdotes they heard from someone who heard it from someone that a person was waking up when they tried to take their organs.

Trust is already being destroyed in the medical profession, and this will not help.

another interview on EWTN, a Catholic network:

International bullies trying to run the world

the activists manipulating the UN/International organizations are trying to run the world.

Case one: See previous post about the Philippines being bullied to stop letting the US help them to defend their soverignty against China.

Two: The WHO treaty will let them take over the world. They already did this with covid, and looking back, the response made things worse.

,,,,, 

the argument is that of course this doesn't overcome national soverieignty, but as I quoted in an earlier post, once there is a rule like this in the UN laws, if a government tries to refuse to go along with it, there are powerful lobbies to pressure you to follow the law.

This argument about the Climate treaty shows how this is done.

 Powerlineblog quotes an article from Breitbart about how international organizations will pressure/control governments that don't go along with the Climate treaty stuff that they refused to sign:

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on Wednesday will reveal a host of proposed penalties the U.N. can implement against countries that defy climate diktats. Activists hope the legal opinion from the ICJ judges will have far-reaching consequences in the fight against “climate change”….

cross posted from my medical blog

NGOs want Philippines to bow to China

So Marcos is visiting the USA: lots of Fil Ams and both legal and illegal Filipinos in the USA, and there is a wish for more US investment here, but the main reason is about the increase in US presence here as a way to stop China from grabbing Taiwan and the shipping routes and natural gas resources that belong to other countries in the West Philippine sea.

So all the peace groups are protesting: Oh the USA is the bad guy. WTF?

A human rights coalition on Sunday denounced the upcoming bilateral talks between President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and US President Donald Trump, saying it represents the Philippines’ “subservience” to Washington and supports the “peace through deterrence" strategy.

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) made the remarks as it called for an end to the “increasing” US militarization in the country, warning it may “bring more war and destruction to the Filipino people” and may “further plunge the most marginalized in Philippines society into poverty”.

“The US military build-up in the Philippines is not defensive nor geared towards peace, but aggressive war preparations that put the Filipino people at risk to be collateral damage in a war with China. The Filipino people don’t want to be a battlefield for a great power war,” said ICHRP chairperson Peter Murphy.

so follow the money. 

I asked Grok who the heck is funding an organization that is busy gaslighting us that China's aggresion is not the problem, but asking the US to help stop it is.

and I got this answer:

There is limited publicly available information that directly details the specific funding sources for the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP).

no publically available information? That suggests a shadow organization funding them. CIA? Or Chinese intelligence?  

The ICHRP is a global network of organizations focused on advocating for human rights and peace in the Philippines, and its funding likely comes from a combination of member organization contributions, donations, and grants, as is typical for such advocacy networks.

translation: Money from international organizations, often from governments or shadow international governments. This by the way was why USAID was shut down: A lot of money given to organizatoins that gave it to other organizations so it couldn't be traced. 

Here’s what can be inferred based on available information:

- **Member Organizations**: ICHRP comprises over 50 member organizations worldwide, including churches, trade unions, environmental advocacy groups, and grassroots solidarity groups.

a lot of churches are essentially funding these international NGOs instead of actually helping the poor.  

These organizations may provide financial or in-kind support, such as resources or volunteer efforts, to sustain ICHRP’s activities.[](https://ichrp.net/about/)

- **Donations**: ICHRP actively encourages donations through its website, suggesting that individual and organizational contributions play a role in its funding. For example, their website includes a "DONATE" option, indicating reliance on public or supporter contributions.[](https://ichrp.net/category/conference-2023/)

- **Grants and Partnerships**: As a coalition operating in 15 countries, ICHRP may receive grants from international human rights or development-focused NGOs, foundations, or advocacy networks. While specific funders are not named in the provided references, similar organizations often receive support from entities like the United Nations, international development agencies, or private foundations focused on human rights. For instance, the U.S. Embassy contributed Php7 million to a UN Joint Programme for Human Rights in the Philippines, which supports similar goals, suggesting potential overlap in funding ecosystems.[](https://ph.usembassy.gov/u-s-contributes-nearly-php7-million-to-un-joint-programme-for-human-rights-in-the-philippines/)

hmm... I assume that these organizations were funding the push  to destroy Duterte who was anti CIA (Because of drugs) and a bit pro China but later changed his mind and became anti China. So now they are anti USA and ignoring not only China's  aggression against the Philippines, but Chinese spying, corruption, drug involvement here, and that China   destroys local businesses by their cheap imports?

- **Campaign and Event Support**: ICHRP organizes events like conferences and solidarity missions, which may be funded through participant contributions, sponsorships, or grants from aligned organizations. For example, their 2013 conference in Quezon City and subsequent assemblies in Davao City (2016), Hong Kong (2019), and Bangkok (2023) likely involved logistical support from member organizations or external partners.[](https://ichrp.net/about/) Since no explicit list of funders is provided in the references, it’s reasonable to conclude that ICHRP’s operations are supported by a mix of grassroots donations, member contributions, and possibly grants from human rights-focused entities. For precise details, you would need to contact ICHRP directly through their website (ichrp.net) or check their financial disclosures, if available.

If available? Sheesh.

  because nothing says astroturf as a left wing organization run by an Australian activist  

Trump defunding USAID was about defunding these astroturf groups, so I suspect the reason they want the US to leave is because they hate anything linked to Trumpieboy even though Biden had the same policy.

Essentially giving up the Philippines so they can have peace in our time.

why does this sound familiar?

Rain rain go away

 

this is partly from a low pressure area that is now flooding south China, and partly because the low pressure area is pulling in more monsoon rain.

the rai is worse south of us, as the map shows.

Both LPAs have a “medium” likelihood of intensifying into a tropical depression, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

READ MORE: https://t.co/31RXt1yg0P pic.twitter.com/6c1WqfPCXb

— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) July 21, 2025

Another day another tropica storm

 we have been having a lot of monsoon rains lately: usually this means thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening. 

But now we have a tropical storm hitting north of here, so not a lot of wind but it's very dark outside and constant medium to heavy rain.

And the roof is starting to leak. Yuck.

and it is again threatening the newly planted rice. Sigh.

TROPICAL CYCLONE BULLETIN NR. 11
Tropical Storm #CrisingPH (WIPHA)
Issued at 11:00 AM, 18 July 2025
Valid for broadcast until the next bulletin at 2:00 PM today.

“CRISING” SLIGHTLY INTENSIFIES WHILE MOVING WEST NORTHWESTWARD TOWARDS
MAINLAND CAGAYAN – BABUYAN ISLANDS pic.twitter.com/s8gcVo7UhR

— PAGASA-DOST (@dost_pagasa) July 18, 2025

....

and so I am busy listening to cozy mysteries that are posted on youtube. This one is about Christmas but unlike most of the series has no murders, just a lost cat and some lonely old ladies. Enjoy.

Why hysteria on the Epstein list now?

 For four years under the Biden administration, nothing was done to push prosecution of those who abused girls and boys in the US Virgin Islands on Epstein's island.

Two questions: 

1. Why the hysteria now?

2. So what has those in charge of prosecuting this done for the last four years?

For the first, the answer is that it is politics: To destroy Trump, and destroy the unity of those backing Trump. His policies seem to be working, and seem to be popular so this is about politics.

For the second, Well I too wonder what was going on for the last four years, and AmuseOnX blog has the details that seem to make sense.

Summary: the prosecution was limited to Epstein, and there was no search for the others who may or may not have abused underage teens visiting Epstein island (remember, not all those who visited were involved in the shennanigans but will have their reputations destroyed as collateral damage).

the deeper, more unsettling reality may be that such a list does not exist, not because these men are innocent, but because the investigation was intentionally limited in scope by prosecutor Maurene Comey......

italics mine 

Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted on trafficking charges, yet only four victims were highlighted—each directly linked to Epstein's personal predations.

Consequently, there was never an official compilation by investigators and prosecutors of the powerful men ...

]

The broader network, connecting hundreds more victims to influential predators, was deliberately omitted from public scrutiny.

translation; there is no Epstein list because no one bothered to investigate or document those who might have committed sex crimes, except for a few isolated cases like Prince Andrew.

 Nothing new under the sun you know. 

  A similar coverup was probably done to protect those behind various banking and stock market scandals in the past. And in the Vatican, to protect the jobs of those who shielded pedophiles and looted funds meant to go to the poor.

so in today's news I read that Ms Comey was just fired. Political revenge by Trumpieboy? Or maybe not: She was involved in the Epstein investigation. 

or should I say non investigation?

here is the conspiracy theory part:

 

Such calculated limitation raises the uncomfortable possibility of undue influence. The FBI, under James Comey’s tenure, has faced longstanding criticism for politicized investigatory choices; thus, skepticism toward Maurene Comey's motives is well-founded.

I have no idea how much of this is true, but I do know that this is how things can be covered up to help their friends. And I am old enough to remember before Clinton, it was the left who dug out corruption in big shots of the banking scandals etc. 

Now comes the real question: Why is Trumpieboy not pushing the prosecution of those guilty? Or is it because his team is still trying to find hard evidence, which has probably been destroyed or never collected?

Sigh.

In the news

 according to CSPAN, PEPEFAR funds will be restored.

Hopefully the funds will go for medicine, not to fund sex education (not self control, selfesteem for girls so they feel they can say no, or the imporance of family, but American sex ed: promiscuity and gay sex is fine if you use safe sex, meaning condoms, (not the traditional African way to not get pregnant while courting)

Family news

 heavy rain from thunderstorms every afternoon/evenning.

The problem? The heavy rain has washed away the recently planted rice, so Kuya and his contract farmers will have to replant it.

No floods in this area yet. It is not a typhoon as much as heavy monsoon rains, which are also behind reports of floods in China, Indian, Texas and New Mexico.

I put that last part in because I once owned a house in Ruidoso, on a slope, and there was a creek ten feet lower than the house. But on inspecting the house, I found dried mud almost at the top of the foundation, so I actually bought flood insurance just in case.

My area of Ruidoso was in the pine woods area, but upstream a fire years before had denuded the mountains so that meant the rain might run off in stead of being absorbed.

Here, the river is not near, and our house is on high ground, but even we were under two feet of water after an irrigation dam ruptured after one typhoon. I should explain, the flood is not just when it rains here, but from rain water in the mountains not too far north of here which drains south through our area on the way to the coast.

I also lived in the Johnstown PA area, and although that was years after the 1977 flood,  and  the city garage near the creek had a line 9 foot up saying: Flood level 1977. 

People simply don't recognize how dangerous such floods are, or how vulnerable they are if they walk or drive in what would usually be seen as shallow water (i.e. 3 feet deep).

Rescue stories coming out of there show a lot of local heroes risking their lives to save others, but probably won't get much publicity.

 Sigh... instead the MSM will politicize it to criticize Trump for cutting funds from the government weather organizations, cuts which won't go into effect until the next fiscal year in October, but hey since when does truth matter?

Sigh.

Well, anyway, since all our cats died a few years ago we have mice (and rats), and the mice get into the bedroom to eat clothing: They seem to like cotton, either to eat or to make a nest inside our clothing drawers.

We put out traps, and filled the small holes they use but the last mouse I saw crept thorugh the small hole where the internet cable came through the ceiling. So it's an ongoing problem.

Today's mouse problem? Two days ago, when Joy came back from a meeting, she turned on her air conditioner and a horrible odor came out: a dead mouse was inside, but we couldn't find it. So today we got three men to fix it, but they had to take the airconditioner apart to find it, and so while they were at it, they suggested we pay a little more, and they are cleaning it.

In the meanwhile, the female dogs are getting out at night looking for other dogs. They aren't yet in heat, but merely checking out the neighbor's dogs. But one of the neighbors complained to me that they were too noisy so please keep the dogs inside. Since the dogs on the living area of our compound tend to sleep in my house, I guess I'll have to try to keep the door (and window) closed.... 

Actually this is good: Our mama dog mates with her brother here, but some of his puppies have suffered from hip dysplasia. So we are hoping she mate with the black dog across the street who seems to be courting her when we take her for a walk. She has mated with him before.

Finally, Joy has gotten an award for her work with organic rice business.

Congratulations.

Tibet news

the Delai Lama is denying that the Chinese government can appoint the next Dalai Lama, and he says that he will reincarnate and let an independent board find him.

 More background here at India Express which discusses the geopolitical background (including dam building plans to control the local water supply to India and SE Asia).

most people know about the story of Tibetan traditional culture and the Chinese takeover from the Brad Pitt movie.

legendary explorer? Heh. He was a Nazi.

But it is a good story. The original story can be read here on internet archives.

a documentary by the author is on youtube:

another version of the story was done by Martin Scorsese for Disney but made the Chinese so angry that it was not really publicized a lot so sort of has been forgotten:

the terror inflicted on that country and the cultural destruction by China is sort of known in the west.

however, China points out that they consider their attempt to change the culture is to bring them into the modern world.Their point of view can be found HERE.

Their point of view points out that a theocratic dictatorship government was replaced with a benevolent government that is trying to lift people out of poverty... by relocation, education, e commerce, getting rid of corrupt monestaries (gee didn't Henry VIII do this?) but also  relocating Chinese there (it is a hardship area for Chinese working there) and the Chinese policy encouraging intermarriage that has long term consequnces, as is China's polcies raising the status of women.

So what is the truth? Nostalgic views of primitive countries by those who didn't have to suffer from the poverty of those countries is the rule. And although China didn't have the right to take over Tibet and their takeover was brutal to those living in monasteries etc, don't be fooled that the place was a ShangriLa before the Chinese takeover.

Cultural lesson for the day

 the blog posts are getting too serious. So let's take a look at something really really important: Plastic Pink Flamingos:

...

wikipedia page here.

and for your grossout movie of the week: John Walter's movie Pink Flamingos is on internet archives to the delight of all those with the sense of humor of a 13 year old kid. Don't say I didn't warn you.

could a solar flare disrupt society?

I might say that it wouldn't affect us so much, 

but you know, when we were hit by a bad typhoon and lost power for a week, it meant no water or ATM/Bank or computer or TV... but our cellphones worked as did my portable short wave radio.

but we had a generator as long as the local gas station could supply us with fuel for the generator to run our water pump and charge our cellphones. That last part is important: within a day the local shops not only were selling bottled water, but had signs outside saying "cellphone charge 25 pesos" (fifty cents). So people could get in touch with relatives, and also get on line to get the news, or to play games or surf the net.

 Would cellphones be affected by the solar flare? 

Grok says:

A solar flare could affect cellphones, but the impact depends on the flare's strength and the phone's exposure. Solar flares release bursts of electromagnetic radiation and charged particles, which can disrupt satellite communications, GPS signals, and power grids,...

However, a strong flare could interfere with cellular networks by disrupting satellites or ground-based infrastructure, potentially causing signal loss or dropped calls. For example, a massive solar flare in 1859, known as the Carrington Event, disrupted telegraph systems, and a similar event today could affect modern tech...

when the typhoon hit, the roads were blocked but we are rice farmers and could buy produce locally. Everyone has a motorcycle or tricycle (motorcycle with side car) so food delivery was not badly affected. But what about trucks? Trucks would be needed to deliver food to cities...

So would a solar flare disrupt the computers that run our cars and trucks, either those with computerized carborators or electric cars and trucks etc.( here in the Philippines we are starting to switch to e-jeepneys and e-tricycles, replacing the old pollution emitting engines).

  

Grok answers:

Yes, a solar flare could potentially disrupt computerized car engines and electric cars, but the extent depends on the flare's intensity and the car's design.

 Key Factors: Flare Strength:

Only powerful flares (e.g., X-class) pose significant risks.

Shielding: Automotive electronics are designed with some EMI protection, but not necessarily for extreme solar events.

Infrastructure Impact: Both types of vehicles could be indirectly affected if flares disrupt power grids or communication networks. No specific data on recent flares is provided here, but I can search for real-time solar activity to assess current risks if you’d like. 

Yup. even modern cars are computerized, so might be affected  which is why we keep our old jeep just in case. And of course we grow rice, and even if we had no cars, we could use a bicycle to get supplies...But in an advanced country, this could result in cities not getting food or supplies. How many people are prepared for this?

The example of what could happen was seen in the March 1989 geomagnetic storm when not only communications were affected, but the power grid of Quebec went down:

Sigh.

podcast of the week

his interviews are about grass roots questions:

.....

and this interview is from a reporter who used to write for the Pittsburgh press so she knows Pennsylvania working class:

cynical meme of the day

no don't know if this is a true quote, but it summmarizes what everyone knows but doesn't dare say.

alternative idea: That those involved in this destroyed the evidence before Trumpieboy took over. But then, where are the whistle blowers?

you know, Pam Geller and other conspiracy sites reports this, 

Deep State Steps Out of the Shadows, Using Their Regime Change Skills to Destroy Trump Presidency,“ CIA’s Simple Sabotage”:

in other words, this USAID employee admits that  maybe USAID was not helping starving people, but overthrowing governments 

Senator Church call your office. They are at it again.

....................

(and under USAID, PEPFAR was not just giving people with HIV medicine, but pushing anti family/pro promiscuity sex ed in schools and social media, including the gay rights agenda on conservative Catholic and Islamic countries but don't expect that to be reported, since the MSM sees conservative family customs in these countries as something to be destroyed, not encouraged)

WHO Treaty to take over the world

the WHO Treaty that proposes they get the power to bully every country on what to do when the next epidemic hits us is going to be passed: And they are pushing the rule around to sneak it into place.

Why is this important? Because the WHO, who has done excellent work in the past, proved they were incompetent in their response to covid.

,,,

and then you have the follow the money report LINK

LINK2

a quick google shows lots of article denying that this will interfere with the soverignty of individual nations, so no use in questioning grok who only gathers invormation from these official news sources.

the UKTelegraph last year admits that it doesn't officially interfere wit your sovereignty, but notes that like the climate change stuff that is being forced on many countries, it let you be pressured into it.

alternative link

Now it is true that agreeing to this in a treaty does not give away British sovereignty. That’s because in our constitutional system treaties cannot change our domestic law unless Parliament specifically agrees – as it did on the EU exit treaties. Parliament can always refuse to implement an international legal obligation, and governments can always act contrary to international law. How easy that is in practice – that is, not easy at all – we have discovered in the past few years. First with the UK Internal Market Bill, then the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, and now with the Rwanda saga, the Government has either shied away from breaking international law or been blocked from doing so by its own backbenchers. And that is the problem with this treaty, too. Our sovereignty is not formally affected, but we are taking on an international law obligation to work with the WHO system. When the next pandemic comes, government lawyers, MPs, and commentators will say “you must do what the WHO says, or you are breaking international law”.

earthquakes and rumors in southern Japan

from the The Asahi Shimbun​:

Residents of quake-hit isle in southern Japan begin evacuating

Residents of Akusekijima island in the remote and sparsely populated Tokara chain began evacuating voluntarily early July 4 following a strong earthquake the evening before. The southern Japan island chain has been hit by an earthquake swarm over the past two weeks.

earthquakes are common in Japan but this one is making experts worry:

and then you have this manga prediction making some who believe in prophecies worried;

.....

so should we here in the Philippines worry? if there was a superquake in that area, it would affect not just Japan but Taiwan and the Northern Philippines. 

....

ScienceTimes discusses

What is happening seems to be a slow slip earthquake...

The article notes that these small earthquakes are not only in the Tokara Isalnd area but in the in Southwest Japan, because the news notes that an earthquake swarm continues near Ryukyu Island

The earthquakes are making the government advise people to take precautions but there already has been an impact: Lost tourism.

... the Phil Inquirer discusses LINK

“The real disaster will come in July 2025,” followed by “the ocean floor between Japan and the Philippines will crack,” aren’t exactly very comforting words to see on a book said to have previously and accurately predicted natural disasters.

“The Future That I Saw” by Ryo Tatsuki, first published in 1999, gained notoriety after a baseless premonition, “massive disaster in March 2011,” ended up coinciding with the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which resulted in the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

the good news?

seers don't always get things right: One famous lady predicted the big one for Manila in 2024, only to have a minor tremor occur, which of course these minor tremors happen all the time...but of course if the prediction is vague enough or you make enough predictions, eventually one will happen.

well, anyway, right now the problem is a tropical storm bringing oodles of rain into Luzon, and we are worried the rain will wash away the rice seeds that we recently planted. 

Traditionally farmers plant seedlings for the main harvest, but the price of rice is so low that we literally can't afford to buy and plant (by hand) the seedlings. But even the farmers who planted seedlings could see their crop endangered:

Sigh.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

follow up: Lots of small earthquakes but no major earthquake or tsunami yet as of July  9--

-------------

more here:

summary of Trump the president

.......

Trump has made peace between India and Pakistan, DRC and Rwanda, and is busy trying to make peace in the Ukraine.

But what about Gaza?

Hamas says it is studying new proposals for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, after US President Donald Trump said Israel had agreed to a proposal for a 60-day truce.

🔴 Follow our LIVE coverage: https://t.co/GPGtl1DYX2 pic.twitter.com/by6A7nNIXa

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 3, 2025

...

,,,.......................

more from Instapundit:

and he points out the political reality of the BBBill, which is too expensive and too huge:

And an important point about DOGE is that while yes, it saved money, it’s biggest impact was to defund the government-funded left — which turns out to be most of the left, especially the activist left — thus preparing the battlespace for other issues down the line. Elon, et al., are right that the debt is an existential threat, but you can’t get at the debt and at spending without first taking apart the coalitions that created the problem. That’s what Trump is doing.

history lesson for the day

animation in film: a short history

so how did they do it way back when:

...

.....

the way they made Princess Mononoke:

...

and the evolution into CGI:

but before there was film and computers, there were flip books:

Hummel figurines: The history you might not know

Photo from Little Things website which has more information on the figurines history and how they became popular collector's items after World War II.

in the USA, many people have one of these figurines: And a lot of people have small collections of them.

but what they might not know is that the figurines were based on drawings by a German nun Maria Innocentia Hummel who was a teacher who drew and painted in her spare time; 

Wikipedia points out:

The sisters were impressed with her art and sent copies to ...a publishing house in Stuttgart which specialized in religious art, to which Hummel reluctantly agreed. The company decided to release copies of the works in postcard form, which were popular in the early 20th century.... 

 Soon afterward, Franz Goebel, the owner of a porcelain company, was looking for a new line of artwork, and happened to see some of these postcards in a shop in Munich.

One would think Hitler would have been pleased with her art, but he hated it:

Leading Nazis attacked the art, denouncing the depiction of German children as "hydrocephalic, clubfooted goblins". Although the Nazi authorities allowed Hummel to work, they banned the distribution of her art in Germany.

The Nazis closed all religious schools, and she live in poverty in the convent during the war, supporting the sisters left behind with money from her art work.

 Sister  Maria Inncensia Hummel died after the war of tuberculosis.

more here: https://youtube.com/shorts/ZOgjOM5Sl8U?si=jyP7ooLQAtR6uPg6

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

More background here.

Little Red dots

 BehindtheBlack reports that the Webb Telescope has discovered a new phenomenum:

Using the WebbSpaceTelescope astronomers have begun to compile a small catalog of what they call “little red dots” [LRDs], objects in the very early universe that are very small, too small to be galaxies and are thus a mystery.,,

The present most popular theory to explain the dots...is that the dots are newly formed black holes, their red light caused by material falling into the hole at millions of miles per hour.

That theory has of course problems. For example, it doesn’t explain why we don’t see these dots in more recent times. Nor does it explain why the dots are dim in X-rays, a radiation expected from accreting black holes.

..

the witnesses to colonialism; The Horror The Horror

The peace deal negotiated by the US/(Rubio) and Qatar has elicited a yawn by the western Mainstream media

 but the history of atrocities in that area from western colonialsm are also ignored , as are the Arab slave trade to Muslim countries that went on for centuries before the west decided to stop that slave trade, but then let a vacuum for western sociopaths to do the same thing). 

We know about these atrocities because western witnesses, often missionaries, documented what was going on. Bernardo DeLasCasas comes to mind but the Catholic Mambo press doumenting the civil rights abuses under the white regime when I worked in then Rhodesia comes to mind. (the publishing house is Mambo press: Mambo means Lord, not the dance of the west). Alas the horrors didn't stop with getting rid of the white Smith Government: the Gukurandi and Operation Murambatsvina come to mind. But next to the atrocities in Rwanda and central Africa, one has to admit that these are not the worst things happening in post colonial Africa.

Hence my interest in the new peace deal there.

a good summary of the sins of colonialsm can be heard in this podcast which has a series about King Leopold's fiefdom that decimated what is now the DRCongo. Listen and shudder. 

and what stopped it was the courage of a bureaucrat who saw it and became a whistle blower, inspiring others to check what was going on:

.....

the story has gotten some publicity thanks to a recent non fiction book. King Leopold's Ghost, but it is the novel by Joseph Conrad that might make it harder to bury history, because novels are forever:

\

the famous quote from that book: The Horror The horror could be applied to many other horrors of the twentieth century, as was done in the film Apocolypse now which was inspired by Conrad's book.

of course, atrocities were not only done by the west nor were atrocities against innocent civilians limited to colonialist powers: The horrors of the Gulag, the many civil wars and atrocities of Chinese imperial and nationalist and communist governments, come to mind....and don't forget the Islamicist massacres: Armenia anyone?

twentieth century horrors abound.

Among all the democide estimates appearing on this website, and in the table on the lower right, some have been revised upward. I have changed that for Mao's famine, 1958-1962, from zero to 38,000,000. And thus I have had to change the overall democide for the PRC (1928-1987) from 38,702,000 to 76,702,000. Details here. I have changed my estimate for colonial democide from 870,000 to an additional 50,000,000. Details here. Thus, the new world total: old total 1900-1999 = 174,000,000. New World total = 174,000,000 + 38,000,000 (new for China) + 50,000,000 (new for Colonies) = 262,000,000.  

 

 Plenty of horrors in history.

Link

Never again.

compare and contrast

 

"They did not spare a child or adult or anybody."

If the global refugee population were just 100 people, 33 would be children, each in need of protection https://t.co/9jCZLiajFR pic.twitter.com/kfsdOg0Hke

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 29, 2025

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full article here.

And this part surprised me:

Out of 100, 21 are from Afghanistan, 20 from Syria and 14 from Venezuela

But how many of the rich elites are helping out? Anyone? Anyone?

COmpare and contrast:

‘Eat the rich’: Venice protests shadow Bezos wedding https://t.co/NF1CcKxuAh

— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) June 29, 2025

...

CNN reports joyfully:

In the afternoon, the some 200 members of the celebrity guest list, including the Kardashian-Jenner family, Bill Gates, Karlie Kloss, Oprah Winfrey and Usher ... After much speculation (and not-so-subtle sightings of designer Domenico Dolce in Venice), it revealed her dress was a custom design by Dolce & Gabbana and was a year and a half in the making. The high-necked lace corseted gown had 180 silk chiffon-covered priest buttons dotting the front.

,MORE HERE:

The three-day affair is taking place until Saturday, with some 200 guests joining the billionaire Amazon founder and the former journalist in celebrating their marriage after a two-year engagement. The events are estimated to cost some 40-48 million euros ($46.5-55.6 million), according to Reuters.

tech headline of the week

Windows’ infamous ‘blue screen of death’ will soon turn black

old fashioned food hints

 take a ride into nostalgia:

   

 These tricks were used by my mom, so the video makes me nostagic.

Why aren't they used now? Well when moms work, they need fast foods to feed the hungry kids and don't have time to make things from scratch.

Hmm... since RFJ Jr is blaming fast foods and prepackaged foods for the obesity epidemic, maybe these tricks should be resurrected.

And maybe flex times so moms can come home earlier and cook a decent meal.

Rubio and Qatar deserve the Nobel Peace prize

Qatar emphasises peaceful resolution of conflicts after DRC-Rwanda deal https://t.co/SL2CZIdDPn

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 27, 2025

full story here at AlJazeerah

Qatari diplomat Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi has welcomed the peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), saying that it came after several rounds of talks, some of which were held in Doha. The deal, signed in Washington, DC, on Friday with backing from the United States and Qatar, will see Rwandan soldiers withdraw from the DRC and the two countries set up mechanisms to enhance trade and security cooperation..

 

The agreement has sparked hopes of ending the conflict in the DRC, where the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has been advancing in the resource-rich east of the country....

 

The renewed violence had raised fears of igniting a full-blown conflict, akin to the wars that the DRC endured in the late 1990s, involving several African countries, which killed millions of people. .

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-one that got alas little publicity in the western MSM.

 

and don't miss this little snippet about Qatar (that runs Al Jezeerah):

Qatar has played a key role in securing diplomatic deals in various conflicts across the world over the past years. Most recently, it helped mediate the ceasefire agreement that ended the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.

RICE: let's hear it for the drones

 we grow organic brown rice, which is healthier, but more expensive since a lot of the weeding by hand (instead of using herbicides) and other methods cost more.

But what about the poor who live in cities?

the dirty little secret is that you need cheap rice or other foods (often grown with chemical herbicides and fertilizers) to keep the price down. 

A lot of NGOs pushed organic ideas on Africa, and even influenced countries like Zimbabwe to refuse cheap American grain during their famine because it might contain GM or other modern changes, so the excuse was they were worried about the health of their people: The people of course were dying of infectious diseases because they were malnourished, but never mind. The green ideas in the NGOs and even those associated with churches (yes I am talking to you Pope Francis) triumphed over the need to feed the poor.

but the good news is that China doesn't worry about people getting diabetes or cancer at age 55: They remember starvation is always a danger and are willing to grow hefty crops using modern techniques.

And luckily for Africa, China is there buying farm land and encouraging farmers in these countries to learn how  to grow abundant food to prevent famine.

introducing hybrid rice and modern techniques to increase the yield: including the use of drones to apply pesticides.

Hmmm... we don't use drones yet on our fields, but the IRRI is introducing drone technology here in the Philippines.

Drones serve various agricultural purposes, including irrigation planning, crop health monitoring, damage assessment, soil health analysis, and fertilizer and pesticide application

Right now, this is done by walking through the fields and analyzing if additional minerals or fertilizer is needed. 

and walking through the fields monitoring the crop if problems occur during the rice growing season: weeds, blight, insect infestation, etc.

We still have small farmers with small rice crops, but as the farmers age and sell their land (because their kids prefer other easier jobs) then mechanized farming will start, so that is where the drones come in.

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and of course drones can apply  pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer, etc. to fields at a lower price than a farmer doing it by hand.

Increased efficiency and speed, reducing manual labor Precise application, leading to reduced waste and damage to crops Accessibility to difficult or remote terrain Ability to cover larger areas in a shorter period of time Real-time monitoring and data collection for better decision making.

 

Rice: The unknown history of rice

 We grow organic brown rice.

There are many versions of rice that we grow, but in checking the history of rice I found out that Asian Rice is not the only form of rice: 

Africans developed/domesticated another rice: Oryza glaberrima

Native to sub-Saharan Africa, O. glaberrima is thought to have been domesticated from the wild ancestor Oryza barthii (formerly known as Oryza brevilugata) by peoples living in the floodplains at the bend of the Niger River some 2,000–3,000 years ago

   

This video discusses:

the original rice that made South Carolina rich was the African variety, but soon replaced by the Asian variety. And local farmers made sure they got their slaves from rice growing areas of West Africa who knew how to cultivate and irrigate the fields.

BBC article here.about the connection of the slave trade, rice cultivation, and how the African type of rice was the original rice grown in this area.

One thing not mentioned about why the African farmers transitioned to grow Asian rice: Easier to harvest (the seeds stay on the stem and don't shatter) and a better yield.

When I worked in Liberia, rice was one of the staple foods. and when the government increased the price of rice, there was a revolution, that eventually led to years of civil war and unrest. 

So yes, if you can find it, buy some African rice.

but remember: If you want to save this heritage plant, you need an affluent middle class who is able to afford it.

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