Friday, February 17, 2017

If there ever was a true Maverick in the Republican Party it is Mark Sanford.

February 17, 2017
By Tim Alberta 

...Sanford’s opposition to Trump, (click here) then, was somewhat inevitable. When a chorus of House conservatives took turns fawning over the GOP nominee after a meeting with him last June, Sanford made a point of mocking Trump’s constitutional knowledge. (“Somebody asked about Article I powers and what he would do to protect them,” Sanford told reporters. “I think his response was, ‘I want to protect Article I, Article II, Article XII,’ going down the list. Of course, there is no Article XII.”) When party officials began marginalizing the issue of tax returns after the convention, Sanford wrote a New York Times op-ed calling Trump’s unprecedented lack of transparency “something our country cannot afford.” And when his colleagues returned to D.C. infused with optimism after the Republican ticket’s November 8 victory, Sanford privately warned them to brace for disappointment....

I agree the lack of transparency is troubling, but, because of the Russia issue. I don't believe Trump ever paid taxes. I think he deliberately runs up costs to his empire and has deficits regularly to avoid taxes. 

The motto is "Never Settle." (click here) I believe Trump never does, but, the American people have through their loose tax laws that allow such indulgence. It is one thing to allow businesses to survive our tax structure and maintain an economy and employment, but, to indulge such enormous losses when it was caused by deliberate spending that results in opulence is rather disgusting. 

That is the way I see Donald Trump's abhorrence of the USA tax structure, disgusting. And he is President. He never paid a dime of tax to the USA Treasury for god sake.

Mark Sanford is known for speaking his mind and groveling for votes when there is no reason to vote for him. There isn't anything phony about him, except the Appalachian Trail. But, the hiking trip was the staff. When he returned to the public he openly stated he was unfaithful to his wife.

He is just a good ole boy and he won't be anything less or more. It is the honesty that keeps him within reach of many South Carolinians. They consider him more a family member that trips over himself too often, than a politician that will fleece them of their lives after the election is over.

I am not surprised he needed to get this off his chest. I am sure many of his constituents are wondering, "What gives with Trump?"

Mutiny shall be punished by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct. U.S. military law requires obedience only to lawful orders.

What would happen (click here) in the National Guard if the State Governor and the President gave contradictory orders?

I ask because the Oath that most (all?) of the National Guard members take includes a reference to obeying the orders of both offices. Assuming that the President takes precedence, how does that affect the Governor's position as Commander in Chief of the state's National Guard?
Any National Guard soldiers willing to round up Mexicans on their weekend off, raise your hand!

February 17, 2017
By Mike DeBonis

...“Using the National Guard, (click here) the Army, to come into our communities, to police our communities, to disrupt and to gather people up for the purpose of deporting them, is a very, very scary thing,” he said. “It’s not a country that I’m familiar with called the United States. It’s not how we conduct ourselves. We see that happen in other countries that aren’t as free and aren’t as open as we are to welcoming immigrants. We welcome immigrants. We want the best, the brightest and the bravest. . . . And now they’re under fear that armed [men], you know, with M-16 rifles, come to your door and break it down and leave your children who are American citizens there but take you and deport you.”...            
Give me a break. Adult women participate in a joke for a few dollars with men they have no idea who they are or how they will respond. Right. 

February 17, 2017

An Indonesian woman (click here) held over the killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother thought she was taking part in a TV prank, police say.

Kim Jong-nam is thought to have been poisoned as he waited to board a flight in Malaysia on Monday.

Two women and a man were arrested over the death.
Indonesia's national police chief said one of the women, named as Siti Aisyah, claimed to have been paid to perform what she thought was a prank....

..."Such an action was done three or four times and they were given a few dollars for it, and with the last target, Kim Jong-nam, allegedly there were dangerous materials in the sprayer," Mr Karnavian told reporters.
"She was not aware that it was an assassination attempt by alleged foreign agents."....
Nam had two wives plus a mistress and at least six children. What do they have to say? 

Work is on going for Flint River Water Project.

February 15, 2017
Lansing, Michigan (WLUC)Gov. Rick Snyder (click here) announced the members of the new Environmental Justice Work Group, which will work to better understand current policy and develop guidelines to better serve all Michiganders.
“Ensuring every Michigander has the same protections from environmental and health hazards is of the utmost importance. My goal for this group is to have thoughtful, productive conversations about this complex issue and I look forward to their recommendations and insight on this topic,” Snyder said.
The creation of the work group follows direct recommendations from the Flint Water Advisory Task Force and the Flint Water Interagency Coordinating Committee’s Policy Subcommittee. Both the FWATF and the FWICC were created by Gov. Snyder to review the crisis that occurred in Flint with its water system. The new Environmental Justice group will be tasked with examining policy issues and developing guidance, training, and curriculum for state and local agencies.
Chris Kolb of Ann Arbor is the executive director of Michigan Unity. He previously served as the vice president of public affairs for the Early Childhood Investment Corporation. Kolb holds a bachelor’s degree in natural resources from the University of Michigan and a graduate degree in political science focusing on quantitative analysis and interest group politics from Emory University in Georgia. He will represent the environmental community and serve as co-chair.
Fadi Mourad of Farmington Hills is the director of environmental strategy and non-utility at DTE Energy. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and chemical engineering from the University of Toledo, and a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Wayne State University. He will represent the business community and serve as co-chair.
Mariam Bazzi of Dearborn is an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office and the lead attorney at the Deed and Mortgage Fraud Task Force. She also is a member of the Michigan Middle Eastern Affairs Commission. Bazzi holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Michigan-Dearborn in political science and a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. She will represent the Middle Eastern Affairs Commission.
Sylvia Elliott of Detroit is the managing attorney and director at the Office of Legal Affairs for the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Elliot holds a bachelor’s degree in advertising and communications from Michigan State University and a law degree from the University Of Detroit-Mercy School of Law. She will represent state departments and agencies.
Kathy Evans of Muskegon serves as environmental program manager of the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission. She will represent the local government.
Charlotte Jameson of Ann Arbor is the government affairs director for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. She previously served as a policy analyst assistant for the Michigan Senate Democratic Caucus and a policy and communications assistant for the Legacy Land Conservancy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in environmental policy and planning from the University of Michigan. She will represent the environmental community.
Jegar Johansen of Marcellus runs the Wilbur Ellis Company-Three Rivers Branch and was a founder of Johansen Farms, LLC. He will represent the business community.
Fred Keller of Alto is the founder and chair of Cascade Engineering. He holds a bachelor’s degree in materials science & engineering from Cornell University, a master’s degree in business management and an honorary doctor of industry degree from Ferris State University. He will represent the business community.
Kathleen Lomako of Livonia is the deputy executive director of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. She holds a bachelor’s degree in urban planning from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in urban planning from Wayne State University. She will represent local governments.
Jerome Maynard of Marquette is an attorney and mediator for Jerome I Maynard PLC. He also is an executive committee member of Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Trust. Maynard holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Michigan Technological University and a law degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison. He will represent the environmental community.
Paul Mohai of Ann Arbor is a professor in the school of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan. He also serves as a faculty associate in the Institute for Social Research and the Program in the Environment at the University of Michigan. Mohai holds a bachelor’s degree with distinction in mathematics from the University of California, a master’s degree in statistics and environmental science from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and a Ph.D. in environmental sociology and environmental/natural resource policy from Pennsylvania State University. He will represent the academic community.
Kaushik Nag of Grand Rapids is the director of employee engagement at Amway. He previously served as vice president of Wise Men Consultants and ACS Group and is a board member of the Asian Pacific American Commission. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and a graduate degree in human resources from Indian School of Training and Development. He will represent the Asian Pacific American Commission.
Maggie Pallone of DeWitt is the deputy director of external affairs for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. She previously served as policy director for the Michigan Forests Products Council. Pallone holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Michigan State University. She will represent state departments and agencies.
Larry Reynolds of Flint is the president and CEO of Mott Children’s Health Center. Reynolds holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wayne State University and a medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine. He will represent the medical community.
Robert Sisson of Sturgis is the president and CEO of ConservAmerica. He previously served as mayor and a city commissioner of Sturgis. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and management from Albion College and will represent the environmental community.
Andrew Such of Lansing is the director of Environmental and Regulatory Affairs for the Michigan Manufacturers Association. He is a member of MDEQ Green Chemistry Roundtable and MDEQ Air Quality Advisory Council. Such attended Flint Junior College, Lansing Community College, Michigan State University and is a graduate of the DNR Leadership Institute. He will represent the business community.
Jesse Venegas of Royal Oak is vice president of Ideal Group, a product manufacturing company. He serves as the vice-chair of the Board of Directors for the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Venegas holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Vermont and completed multiple executive training programs from Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business. He will represent the Hispanic Latino Commission.
Kyle Whyte of Lansing is the associate professor of community sustainability, Timnick Chair in the Humanities in the College of Arts and Letters and an associate professor of philosophy at Michigan State University. Whyte holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Babson College, a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Memphis and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the Stony Brook University. He will represent the tribal and academic communities.
Guy Williams of Ypsilanti is the president and CEO of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice as well as the principal for G.O. Williams & Associates LLC. He sits on the board of directors for the Great Lakes Leadership Academy and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and will represent the environmental community.

Daphne Pfeiffer, who has worked for 18 years at the Little Rock Zoo’s Great Ape Display, said she would love for more people to know about Trudy.

February 17, 2017
By Chelsea Boozer

A short distance inside (click here) the Little Rock Zoo's gates, settled into her habitat in the Great Ape Display, the oldest known gorilla in the world sits basking in the occasional February sunlight with little fanfare.


Trudy, a 60-year-old Western lowland, became without dispute the oldest gorilla on record after Colo, a gorilla at the zoo in Columbus, Ohio, died in her sleep Jan. 17.
The national Association of Zoos and Aquariums confirmed its belief that Trudy now holds the title.
Colo was well-known in zoo circles. She was the first gorilla born in captivity. She turned 60 on Dec. 22, about a month before her death. Her birthday and her death were national news.
Trudy, on the other hand, was captured in the wild in Africa in 1957. As an infant, she was brought to the U.S....

I think only Russian jets service Russia. There are international flights in and out of Moscow, but, not domestic flights. It's a big country.

6.602 million mi² - The USA is a little over half that size. Russia has a much larger arctic foot print than the USA. Most of it's large cities are in it's west, near Europe. It is why Putin gets agita at the thought of NATO.

China has quite a few countries between itself and Europe. It isn't nearly the size of Russia. Just imagine the USA winning Russia, China would have something to worry about, huh? It is all in good fun to think about such things.

17 February 2017

Aeroflot (click here) has been named the most powerful airline brand in the world by leading valuation and strategy consultancy, Brand Finance (click here), with the Russian company “surprisingly” leaving reputable American and Gulf carriers behind.

The young fleet's excellent safety record and sponsorship of football giant Manchester United, as well as successful marketing in Asia put Aeroflot ahead among nine global AAA airline brands, Brand Finance said in a press-release earlier this week....

...“The news may come as a surprise to those in Europe and North America more familiar with Western or Gulf flag carriers,” the consultancy said.
According to Brand Finance, the strength of the Aeroflot brand could be partly explained by “dominance of its domestic market.
Its brand equity scores for metrics such as familiarity, consideration, preference and loyalty are formidable, both when compared against other Russian airlines and against foreign ones within their home markets,” the press-release said, noting however that the company’s impressive results are “underpinned by competitive advantage rather than monopoly.”
Aeroflot beat American Airlines and Emirates for the No.1 spot on the list, with the likes of China Southern Airlines, Delta and Aeromexico also featuring in the Top 10....

He hasn't got much help in the State Department, so Tillerson has to do all his own policy reviews.

February 16, 2017

The G20.

A speed dating event. (click here) That's how the G20 meeting of leading and developing economies could best be described. And there was one man among the foreign ministers gathered in Bonn who was very much sought after.

The likes of Rex Tillerson, Boris Johnson or Sergey Lavrov did not travel to Bonn, Germany, in order to find the perfect mate. And yet, their schedule came awfully close to looking like a speed dating event. Aides were rushing up and down stairs, and ushering delegates in and out of conference rooms at the World Conference Center in Germany's former capital.



Russia's Lavrov and Rex Tillerson at the G20 in the sanitorium.

Everyone's favorite date was US Secretary of State and former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson. All eyes were on the Texas businessman turned politician. It seemed as if delegates from countries as different as South Africa and Saudi Arabia were all hoping that Tillerson would clarify what US foreign policy under President Trump will look like....


February 17, 2017
By Gabrielle Bluestone

Secretary of State Rex (click here) Tillerson is in Bonn, Germany for the G-20 Summit, where he’s reportedly sleeping, eating and doing diplomacy at a sanitarium 30 minutes outside the city, a hotspot hospital featuring “elderly people in wheelchairs arriving for spa treatments.”

Officially, Tillerson is staying at the Steigenberger Sanatorium because all the hotels in Bonn were booked by the time he decided to attend the summit, as if there was some chance America might not be represented there this year. But it’s also emblematic of the Trump administration’s modus operandi, which included firing most of the State Department without finding replacements and shutting Tillerson out of the meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday. And as Bloomberg also points out, Tillerson has yet to hire a deputy secretary or hold a press conference, a stark contrast from the Obama administration, which held daily briefings with reporters.

On Thursday, Tillerson reportedly held at least seven bilateral meetings, including one at the sanitarium with Boris Johnson. The Times paints a grim picture:...

Tillerson met with the British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. The topic that seems to be of real concern is the immigration ban.

Scott Pruitt's correspondence needs to be obtained.

He allows conflict of interest in his decision making. It has to be revealed.
February 17, 2017
By Tom DiChristopher

An Oklahoma County district judge (click here) on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the EPA to turn over thousands of communications to a watchdog group.
The decision comes ahead of Pruitt's confirmation to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, which is expected to take place on Friday.
The order is the latest turn in a lawsuit against Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt brought by the Center for Media and Democracy earlier this month. The group charges that Pruitt violated the Oklahoma Open Records Act for declining to make public official documents it has requested since 2015.
Judge Aletia Haynes Timmons instructed Pruitt's office to hand over the emails to the group by Tuesday. The Oklahoma attorney general has 10 days to comply with the group's other records requests, Timmons ruled.
The center has sought correspondences between Pruitt's office and Koch Industries, other mining and drilling companies, and the Republican Attorneys General Association, which Pruitt chaired. As of Thursday's hearing, the office had produced 411 of the 3,000 emails that have been requested, according to the group.
Timmons found "there was an abject failure to provide prompt and reasonable access to documents requested" by the group....

Under President Obama's watch...

...one raid by the US Coast Guard netted 12,000 lbs of cocaine estimated to be worth $121 million. 

Pictured are the 12,000 pounds of cocaine a Northern California crew with the US Coast Guard seized from a homemade vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on July 18

7 August 2015

This is the incredible moment (click here) the US Coast Guard seized 12,000 pounds of cocaine from a homemade vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

One photo shows the whopping $181 million stash of narcotics lined up along the boat belonging to the US Coast Guard crew in Northern California. 
It doesn't even include another 4,000 pounds of cocaine that was lost when the 40-foot long semi-submersible vessel sank as the Alameda-based crew tried to tow it back to shore during the historic bust.... 

NO SNIFFER DOGS!

Chief Warrant Officer Allyson Conroy said the vessel (shown here being intercepted by the crew from the Coast Guard Cutter Stratton based in Alameda, California) is of the kind specifically made for drug trafficking


How many cantaloupe calved men are needed to carry 12,000 pounds across the USA desert SUCCESSFULLY? 


February 17, 2017

Border Patrol agents in Arizona (click here) have dismantled an enormous drug catapult that was being used to launch illegal drugs into the United States from Mexico.
Mexican authorities in the border town of Agua Prieta seized the enormous device on February 10, following a tip-off from the US Border Patrol.
Agents patrolling the region last week said they noticed a group of men who started to run away as soon as they saw the officials approaching.
When the officials got to the other side of the border fence, they discovered the catapult system attached to it, as well as two bundles of marijuana nearby.
The device seemed to be made out of square tubing and a heavy spring welded together, with ropes tied around different parts of it.
According to a Customs and Border Protection statement, it was "powerful enough to sling two bundles of weed - weighing a combined 47 pounds (21kg) - into the United States from Mexico"....

Considering cantaloupe calves can carry 150 lbs. it would take approximately 80 men marching across the desert to deliver the same amount of cocaine. 

Question of the Day:

"Which method of transportation do Mexican Drug Lords prefer?

A. Submarines

B. Cantaloupe calved men/women

C. Donkeys slapped on the rump in the direction of Phoenix

It was attached to the wall.



The fires are still burning.

February 17, 2017
Frustrated homeowners (click here) still don't know whether their Port Hills homes are standing or have been ravaged by fire.
Cordons blocking residents from going back to the worst-hit areas are likely to remain in place all day as fire crews and helicopters continue to dampen down hot spots.
About 1000 residents have been evacuated and 11 homes have been confirmed lost in the fires, which have been burning since Monday night.
Jack and Ilona Pawlowski were stopped at a cordon at the base of Worsleys Spur today within a few hundred metres of their home they call "paradise".
The Pawlowskis showed a photo of their property to a police officer at the scene and pleaded for them to check with officers up the hill to check on their home....           

Infrastructure doesn't hold up to the climate crisis. This is not alarming to scientists who have heralded the call for decades.

Hm...over half a century really.

February 17, 2017
By Georgina Mitchell

The Bureau of Meteorology (click here) has issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds and large hailstones the Sydney Metropolitan, Hunter, Illawarra, Central Tablelands and parts of the Mid North Coast, Southern Tablelands and North West Slopes and Plains.

The worst of the weather is expected to hit Sydney on Friday afternoon....

...Buses are replacing trains on part of the Hunter and Central Coast line, after lightning strikes affected signals on the tracks, and planes had to be diverted from Sydney Airport as lightning struck....

Once a propagandist, always a propagandist.

The word is paternalistic. "Daddy knows best." Forbid, Daddy shouldn't have a purpose anymore.

February 17, 2017
By Paul McGeough

..."[Trump] (click here) claims that the very institutions empowered in a democracy to expose lies are themselves corrupt, dishonest and lying. In spreading his meta-lies, Trump poisons the well of democratic discourse," writes Lawrence Douglas, professor of law, jurisprudence and social thought at Amherst College, Massachusetts.

At times all politicians lie. But Douglas sees something more insidious in what he casts as Trump's reckless disregard for reality – "Trump doesn't even make the pretence of trying to hoodwink his opponents. Instead, he deceives his supporters by lying about the neutrality and integrity of our truth-defending institutions, he consolidates his power by depriving his supporters of tools that might authorise an informed, critical assessment of his performance."

Now, as former House Speaker and Trump fan Newt Gingrich says, facts and statistics are not as important as feelings, suspicions, prejudices and anecdotal evidence....

Wow, the US House Oversight Committee called Bryan Pagliano in contempt.

Does Chaffetz ever understand his power or lack of it. Contempt only means the committee has the right to take legal actions to compel testimony.

JASON, BRYAN PAGLIANO ALREADY TESTIFIED!


There is no reason for a grand jury, Bubba. I suppose Jeff Sessions of the Ultra White has magical powers to change the past. Amazing.

The Clinton email 'thing' is over. Remember, Comey couped the country for the Ultra White already! It's over.

June 7, 2017
By Rachel Stockman

Bryan Pagliano, (click here) the Clinton IT worker who is widely believed to have maintained former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton‘s private server, filed copies of his DOJ immunity agreements, and a motion asking the court to keep those documents under seal. The documents are part of a federal FOIA case brought on by Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog organization.

“The U.S. Government counsel responsible for the investigation that gave rise to the grant of use immunity consented to that request,” Pagliano’s attorney wrote in a newly filed document.

His attorneys also reveal that Pagliano gave the testimony to the DOJ in December 2015 as part of the ongoing federal investigation into the Clinton email server. Interestingly, Pagliano’s attorneys say he was granted limited “use” and “derivative use” immunity shortly after talking with the feds. He apparently spoke with investigators on at least two separate occasions.  “Derivative use” immunity does not prevent the government from prosecuting Pagliano, but just limits them from using any evidence derived from Pagliano’s testimony against him...

Admiral Mike Mullens is the best choice for NSA.

Mullen at the Pentagon during the September 11 attacks in 2001

He is second from the right at the table. He was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs that went to Pakistan and called out the Haqquani network. He knows more about terrorists globally than most.

It would be more than interesting to see him put a domestic picture to his knowledge.

September 23, 2011
By Adam Levine

A Pakistan-based terrorist group (click here) that is actively attacking American troops across the border in Afghanistan is an "arm" of the Pakistani intelligence agency, the top U.S. military officer told Congress on Thursday.

The blunt accusation from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael Mullen, reflected the growing impatience of U.S. officials with Pakistan's unwillingness to stop the attacks and the belief that Pakistan is actively supporting the insurgents.

But the recent high profile attacks by insurgents in Afghanistan represent a shift in strategy by the Taliban, who have ceded control of territory in much of the country, the U.S. secretary of defense said Thursday....

Rarely seen in the USA military, Admiral Mullens cultivated relationships between ranking officers in Pakistan. The country is highly unstable because of a tribal region that has yet to be tamed.

Mullen praised Pakistani Army Chief Gen Ashfaq PervezKayani for taking ‘bold steps’ against the insurgents. Kayani and the country’s political leadership face growing demands from Washington to take decisive action against the militants who are alleged to enjoy support from the country’s intelligence service. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he has gone out of his way to build a rapport with his Pakistani counterpart, General Ashfaq Kayani, speaking to him regularly and holding 10 face-to-face meetings since November 2007.

Osama bin Laden was not found in that tribal region, but, in the back yard of a Pakistan military academy. That makes a great deal of sense once applied to bin Laden's status and claim to 911. 

The Pakistani ISI is as much an enemy of the government, or at least it was, as the enemies within the country. I haven't followed the ISI lately, but, I am sure they are as tenacious today as the past.

The point is Admiral Mullens may still have work to be done. He is extremely knowledgeable to all the players, places and events. He could step into the job today and never miss a beat.

February 17, 2017
By Muhammad Farooq and Adil Jaward

Pakistani forces killed and arrested (click here) dozens of suspects in sweeping raids as the death toll from a massive suicide bombing by the Islamic State group that targeted a famed Sufi shrine the day before rose to 88 on Friday.

The terror attack — Pakistan's deadliest in years — stunned the nation and raised questions about the authorities' ability to rein in militant groups despite several military offensives targeting militant hideouts.

It also threatened to drive a deeper wedge between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Islamabad quickly lashed out at Kabul, saying the bombing was masterminded in militant sanctuaries across the border in Afghanistan.

Underscoring tensions, Pakistan fired a blistering round of artillery shells into Afghan territory on Friday and shut down the Torkham border crossing, a key commercial artery between the two neighbors.

Afghan police chief Gul Agha Roohani in eastern Nangarhar province told The Associated Press the artillery assault began on Friday morning, although there was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan....

Pakistan is the only country left for them to hide. Daesh won't find welcome there either. The people in Pakistan are diverse in their spiritual beliefs and Daesh has done incredible damage to antiquities in the region. Daesh already has many enemies in Pakistan.

The Pakistani people can be tenacious. The Taliban made a huge play to rule the streets years ago and they were ousted.

I don't see the sale as a possibility at all, actually. UNLESS, Unilever had competition pressing it's viability.

United Kingdom companies are very valuable to the country in general. It doesn't matter where the operations are in the world, the income translates directly into funding the government through taxation. The UK needs it's multi-nationals in a way the USA does not.

Kraft-Heinz should pursue their own product line. Dove is hard to beat. It is a unique product people have trusted for generations. It isn't going anywhere. Kraft-Heinz should have some fun and bring about unique products to the market out of the R&D. It is a better idea that will create jobs and build a wider base of support. 

If course, I would like that R&D to take place in the USA, of course.

February 17, 2017
By Martinne Geller

Unilever (ULVR.L) (click here) rejected a surprise $143 billion takeover bid from U.S. food company Kraft Heinz Co (KHC.O) on Friday, saying it saw no reason to discuss a deal which it said had no financial or strategic merit.

But while Unilever, the maker of Lipton tea and Dove soap, said the $50 per share offer undervalued it and recommended its shareholders take no action, Kraft Heinz said it looked forward to "working to reach agreement on the terms of a transaction".

Analysts saw this as a sign Kraft was open to a higher bid, although the Anglo-Dutch company said in a statement it saw no basis for further talks. Unilever shares jumped as much as 14 percent to a record high. They were up 13 percent at 37.79 pounds ($46.92) at 1338 GMT, short of the offer price.

A combination of the two multinationals would be the third-biggest takeover in history and the biggest ever acquisition of a UK-based company, according to Thomson Reuters data....