Sanity Sunday Musical Break for October 2022

by Nomad

alexrainbirdMusic · Relaxing Sunday Mornings  - An Indie/Folk/Pp Playlist | Vol. 1R

I thought you would might like a bit of calming music this Sunday. 

Queen Elizabeth II - The End of an Era

by Nomad

At the age of 96, Elizabeth II has died peacefully at her castle in Balmoral, Scotland.

Trump: "No One is Above the Law"

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Watch LIVE: Day 8 of the Public Hearings of the January 6th House Select Committee

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A “minute-by-minute” account of Donald Trump’s actions throughout the melee at the Capitol- that's the focus of Thursday's prime-time hearing of the January 6 House committee. Sources tell us:

Investigators will press their case that Trump’s refusal to intervene more quickly is further evidence that the former president was squarely on the side of the protestors, even as their demonstration against Trump’s defeat escalated into a violent mob attack on Congress — one that threatened the lives of lawmakers and his own vice president.

Watch LIVE: Day 7 of the Public Hearings of the January 6th House Select Committee

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For the 7th day of the House Select Committee's investigation of the January 6th insurrection, the focus will now zero in on the role that extremist groups, such as Proud Boys and the OathKeepers, played in the Capitol riots. 

Just Because It's Not Happening Here..

by Nomad

Even though this video is eight years old, this PSA, produced for Save the Children Fund, is still impactful.. and timely, especially given the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This video shows how a girl's life is completely transformed in one year.

 
Originally it was entitled "If London were Syria." But I found it online with the new (and probably more universal) title "Just Because It's Not Happening Here, It Doesn't Mean It Isn't Happening."

Watch LIVE: Day 6 of the Public Hearings of the January 6th House Select Committee

by Nomad

In an expected change to the schedule, the January 6 Select Committee will hold a last-minute public hearing Tuesday to present new evidence and hear witness testimony. Before Monday, the panel had scheduled the next hearing for mid-July. Interestingly, unlike previous hearings, the witnesses who were to be testifying were not been announced.

Watch LIVE: Day 4 of the Public Hearings of the January 6th House Select Committee

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Day Four of the House Select Committee hearings on the events of January 6 will include the testimony of Brad Raffensperger, secretary of the state of Georgia, and Gabriel Sterling, one of his top aides.

LIVE: Public Hearings of the January 6th House Select Committee Continues

by Nomad

The second House Committee hearing on the January riots at the Capitol will deal primarily with evidence that Mr. Trump knowingly spread the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him in an attempt to overturn his defeat.

LIVE: Public Hearings of the January 6th House Select Committee - Day One

by Nomad

Watch live coverage on June 9 of a public hearing from the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The committee will present previously unseen material, including hundreds of thousands of documents, phone and email records, and witness testimony. 

In this the first of eight public hearings, the committee will provide the American people an initial summary of its findings of the coordinated, multi-step effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and prevent the transfer of power.

“Prayer for Ukraine”

by Nomad

“Prayer for Ukraine” (“Молитва за Україну”, “Molitva za Ukrainu”) is a patriotic hymn composed and published in 1885, during a time when the Ukrainian language was suppressed by the government of Imperial Russia. The text was penned by poet and interpreter Oleksandr Konynsky and the music was provided by composer Mykola Lysenko.

Alexander Nevzorov: Where Putin's Disastrous War in Ukraine Will Leave Russia

by Nomad

Russian and Soviet television journalist, a film director and a former member of the Russian parliament, Alexander Nevzorov isn't afraid to criticize Russia's ruling elite. And he is not a man to mince his words.

Putin's Disastrous Misadventure in Ukraine

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Russian Invasion of Ukraine: A Dark Day for Europe

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BBC Podcast: Hunting Syria's War Criminals

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Imagine walking down a street in a European capital and meeting your torturer. For many Syrian refugees fleeing war and human rights abuses, Europe was meant to be a sanctuary. 

So it was a shock when people began bumping into their torturers out shopping or in a cafe. 

In fact, many of those involved in the Syrian government’s notorious interrogation facilities are hiding in plain sight in European cities, having used the refugee wave as a “ratline” out of the country. 

More and more are now being investigated, arrested and put on trial in European courts. But with President Assad firmly in control in Syria, the long arm of the state is reaching those willing to testify..

  

Take a moment to listen to this chilling podcast from the BBC program "The Documentary."

How We Got Here

by Nomad

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Say Hello to 2022!

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

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Santa's Third Category

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Happy Thanksgiving!

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To all my American compatriots, here's wishing you a delightful Thanksgiving holiday. 

I found this selection of classical autumnal pieces to put you in the mood.

Twenty Years Ago

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Photo of the World Trade Center from 20 years ago (10/9/01). Around 12 hours before the attack. 

It's hard to believe it all happened two decades ago. Do you remember where you were and what you thought? What do you recall about that moment?

Shelter from the Storm: First Afghan Families Arrive in the US

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A family evacuated from Afghanistan arrives at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia.

"The Disappearance of the Woman"

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(Photo by Boushra Almutakawel)

Watch Live: House Committee Holds First Hearing On January 6th Capitol Attack

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Sanity Sunday- Classical Mandolin Pieces Played by Avi Avital

by Nomad

Another summer is upon us. This year, summer has brought hope that normalcy - whatever that means- would finally emerge. After four desperate years of Trump, I am not even sure I would recognize normalcy if it tapped me on the shoulder. 

  

Happy Mother's Day

by Nomad

The Ask Project: What Do Israelis and Palestinians Really Think?

by Nomad

Canadian-born Corey Gil-Shuster isn't what most people would consider an activist. He is just very curious.

With his YouTube channel, The Ask Project, he conducts one-to-one interviews with Jewish, Israeli Arabs, and Palestinian peoples to find out what they think on a particular subject. 

The responses are always interesting and sometimes counter-intuitive.

As Gil-Shuster explained to The Jerusalem Post:

“I don’t really care about leaders...  I want the guy selling bread, I want the regular guy who sells oranges... they are part of society, too.” 

Too often, says Gil-Shuster, those opinions and beliefs are ignored "unless they can serve a specific purpose or agenda." His quest to understand people takes him into the streets, the markets, the cafes, the offices, the malls, the tiny shops, and even into people's homes.

Sanity Sunday- The Music of Frédéric Chopin

by Nomad

A bit of change of pace.

I thought I would offer you a sanity break this Sunday, featuring the music of Frédéric Chopin. 

Although his musical career was foreshortened by his early death at age 39, this Polish composer was considered a "poetic genius...without equal in his generation." As his Wikipedia bio reminds us:

Chopin's music, his status as one of music's earliest celebrities, his indirect association with political insurrection, his high-profile love-life, and his early death have made him a leading symbol of the Romantic era.

This selection is Prelude no.15 ‘Raindrop’, op.28, played on the piano by the Chinese concert pianist popularly known as Yundi.

 

Mask Burning Protests in Boise Idaho

by Nomad

Around a hundred Idahoans gathered at the front of the Idaho Capitol in Boise to burn masks in a protest against measures taken to limit coronavirus infections and deaths. 

"What's Wrong With That?"- QAnon Shaman's Mom Speaks Out on Insurrection Charges

by Nomad

Martha Chansley, the mother of 33-year-old Jacob Chansley, the so-called QAnon Shaman, appeared on 60 Minutes to defend her son of charges. In the interview, when asked if she thought her son did anything wrong, Ms. Chansley said:

"What do you mean by wrong? He went through open doors. He was escorted into the Senate. So I don't know what's wrong with that."

The Perfect Winter Storm: Texas, Arctic Cold and Power Outages

by Nomad

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The huge winter storm that swept across the southern US has killed at least 21 in Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky, North Carolina and Missouri. 

The news out of the Lone Star State has gone from bad to worse. Record-breaking winter temperatures have strained the energy grid leading to widespread outages across the state. 

WATCH LIVE: Trump’s Second Impeachment Trial Concludes in Senate | Day 5

by Nomad

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"Ordinary Political Rhetoric" 

On Friday, Trump's defense team took the helm and attempted to weaken the Impeachment managers' case against the former president in his second impeachment trial. 

LIVE: Trump’s Second Impeachment Trial Continues in Senate | Day 4 - Trump's Defense

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Remember This Day Forever 

Today is the fourth day in the trial of the Second Impeachment of former president Donald Trump. Trump's defense team now responds to the Impeachment Team's case against Trump and the charge of inciting the riot and attack on the Capitol Building on January 6.

WATCH LIVE: Trump’s Second Impeachment Trial Continues in Senate | Day 2 and Day 3

by Nomad

"Borderline"

Having voted in favor of the constitutionality of the impeachment of a former president, the Senate today will officially commence with the trial of Donald J. Trump. 

If yesterday is anything to go by, fur will be flying. The weak performance of Trump's defense lawyers reportedly infuriated the former president. 

WATCH LIVE: Trump’s Second Impeachment Trial Begins in Senate | Day 1

by Nomad

Today we will witness history when members of the Senate take on the role of both jurors and witnesses in the unprecedented second impeachment of ex-president Donald J. Trump.

Scenes from the Alexei Navalny Protests in Russia

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Throughout Russia, demonstrators launched a second round of protests calling for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny's release. This despite a growing crackdown and threats of prosecution by the authorities. 

CREW Draws a Roadmap for Presidential Accountability in the Post-Trump Era

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The Lessons Trump Taught Us

The Trump era is finally over and the Biden era has begun. It is perhaps human nature not to want to look back over the previous four years. It was too horrible, too shameful, and too humiliating a period for America. We are exhausted and we need time to forget what happened.

  

And yet, it would be an enormous mistake not to review the failure to hold the executive branch accountable. It was, after all, not merely the criminality of one man, or one administration, or one party. It was a systemic failure of the entire oversight process.

 

WATCH LIVE: The Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

by Nomad

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Well, somehow we survived it.
Remember the night we thought the Trump presidency would be over no later than one year in? A person so unfit for office- as Trump unquestionably was- could not remain in power for longer than a year, we told ourselves. 

And here we are, four years later, bruised and exhausted. 

Can the 14th Amendment Be Used Against Insurrectionist Members of Congress?

 by Nomad

As civil rights lawyers will tell you, the 14th Amendment has been a bulwark against institutionalized racism in America. 

Ratified in the Reconstruction Era following the Civil War, the amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States—including formerly-enslaved people—and guaranteed all citizens “equal protection of the laws.” civil and legal rights for Black Americans were- (at least, in theory, if not in practice) guaranteed by federal law. 

In the 1950s and 60s, it was to prove a reliable foundation upon which to abolish the second-class status for African-Americans in the Deep South.

QAnon's Phony Shaman: A Portrait of an American Traitor

by Nomad

Imagine being stupid enough to purposely make yourself the most recognizable member of a crowd that's committing a serious crime. As we all know by now, you don't need to be smart to be a Trump supporter. 

In fact, that might just disqualify you.

You simply need to be willing to believe anything con artists tell you and, at least in this person's case, have a desperate need for public attention.

 

Farewell to 2020, Welcome to 2021

by Nomad

A Founding Father's Fear: Why Presidential Pardons Worried George Mason

by Nomad

The Atlantic posted an article on the following subject the other day and I thought it deserved a little more attention.

"In Order to Form a More Perfect Union"

Back in the summer of 1787, delegates of the Constitutional Convention came together in Philadelphia to draft the Constitution and thereby, address the problems of a weak central government under the Articles of Confederation. There were many vested interests in the crowd of delegates and getting the representatives from each colony to agree was not an easy task. 

  

The Articles of the Confederation had been written under the threat of war, as a means of uniting the colonies against the threat of British retaliation for the declaration of independence. 

It was, in effect, a contractual agreement among the 13 original states of the United States of America a set of clearly written rules for how the states' "league of friendship" would be organized. The Articles had stressed the sovereignty of individual member states, a prerequisite for any agreement. 

Seasons Greetings - 2020

by Nomad

Here's wishing you all a wonderful holiday season. There's no denying that this has been a hellish sort of year and I, for one, am glad it is coming to a close. We are still facing a few more grim months ahead of us before things settle down. My Christmas wish for all my friends in the community is that you stay healthy and stay positive and that you will be able to find joy and happiness amid these troubled times. 

How a Long-Forgotten Science Fiction Story from 1962 Imagined the Pandemic of 2020

by Nomad

While floating aimlessly around the Internet, I stumbled across a science-fiction short story written back in 1962 entitled "Pandemic." Obviously, it's a word we have all come to loathe but I was curious how 1962 imagined the 2020 pandemic.

 

The writer, Jesse Franklin Bone, imagines the consequences of a lab accident that releases a "virus pneumonic plague" (called Thurston's virus) which threatens to wipe out humanity. At the moment the story begins, the pandemic is in full bloom, laying waste to civilization. 

Welcome the 46th President of the United States - Joe Biden

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LIVE: Coverage of the 2020 Presidential Election Night

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The moment of truth has finally arrived and with it comes both hope and dread. The question: Will Trump somehow pull off another surprise victory or will there be a much-needed course correction with a Biden win?

LIVE: The Final Presidential Debate of the 2020 Election

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The final presidential debate between President Trump and former Vice-president Joe Biden be held at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. This would have been the third in the series but is now only the second following the cancellation of the October 15 debate. Nevertheless, it will mark the last time the two candidates will appear on the same stage before the November 3 election.

LIVE: ABC News Town Hall in Philadelphia with Presidential Candidate Joe Biden

by Nomad

Former Vice-President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will be participating in a town hall held in Philadelphia this evening. As per the town hall format, the event will allow voters to ask questions directly to the candidate.

LIVE: Confirmation Hearing for Supreme Court Nominee Judge Amy Barrett

by Nomad

Today is the first day of the Senate Judiciary Committee Confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett is an American attorney, jurist, and academic who serves as a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. 

CNN has called her "a proven conservative with a compelling personal story." 

Barrett, the mother of seven children and a former law clerk to the late right-wing beacon Justice Antonin Scalia, Barrett, now 48, was a finalist for the Supreme Court spot that went to Brett Kavanaugh in 2018.

Democrats who are in the minority in the Senate allege Barrett's ultra-conservative views on such issues as abortion, same-sex marriage will disrupt the ideological balance of the high court.   

LIVE: The 2020 Vice-Presidential Debate

by Nomad

Tonight Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris will go head-to-head at Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City. USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page will be the moderator for the event which will start at 9 p.m. ET ((8 pm CT, 7 pm MT, 6 pm PT). The debate will run for 90 minutes without commercial interruption.