But, where are the Palestinians supposed to live, work and grow olives?

12 May 2022

Israel advanced plans (click here) for the construction of more than 4,000 homes in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, a rights group has said, a day after the Israeli army demolished homes in an area where hundreds of Palestinians face the threat of expulsion.

Peace Now, an anti-settlement group, provided the figure after a meeting of Israel’s Higher Planning Council, which convened to ratify the construction. At the meeting, 2,791 homes received final approval and 1,636 received an initial nod, the watchdog said.

Critics, including three major human rights groups, say those policies amount to apartheid, a charge Israel rejects.

Hagit Ofran, an expert at Peace Now, tweeted: “The state of Israel took another stumble toward the abyss and further deepened the occupation.”

“It’s bad news for Israel and for anyone who cares about the people in our region,” she said....

No one ever addresses the economic and cultural issues of Palestine in a real way. All that is ever discussed is violence. There is more to Palestine and Palestinians than violence.

Palestinians don't go around day after day with their hair on fire trying to end the existence of Israel. Why is that the only image the world sees? 

Al-Badawi olive tree (click here) in al-Walaja village, West Bank, seen in a still from a video uploaded Sept. 23, 2011.

...The olive harvest in the West Bank (click here) lasts roughly October through November, a festive season of family and friends coming together to pick olives, often on groves passed on through generations of ancestral inheritance. In the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 45 percent of agricultural land is planted with olive trees, with the olive oil industry making up a quarter of the region’s gross agricultural income, and supporting the livelihood of about 100,000 families. The olive tree also has broader meanings—historically, the long-living, slow-growing, and drought-resistant olive tree represents peace and resilience for Palestinians, and also holds symbolic value across the religious scriptures of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Dating back at least 4,000 years, Bethlehem’s Al-Badawi is one of the oldest olive trees in the world, a living reminder of the tree’s presence in the region. It is said to have been named after a villager in the Palestinian town of Al-Walaja, who could often be found sitting under the shade of the tree—resting and reflecting—over two centuries ago....

Ali Al-Samudi was the producer accompanying Shireen Abu Akleh.

He states from his emergency room bed that the crew were all wearing press jackets and helmets. He states clearly there is no mistaking who they were (click here for video).

 

What occurred with beef also occurred with dairy.

Trump's CAMUS has caused a drop in competition.

October 30, 2022
By Lori Robertson

...A consolidation trend (click here) - of fewer but bigger dairy farms — has been happening “for quite some time now,” Chad Hart, a professor of economics and crop markets specialist at Iowa State University, told us in a phone interview. A decline in the number of producers continued under the Trump administration, he said. 

It’s true that dairy farmers generally applauded the new United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, which went into effect on July 1, but Trump claimed “our dairy exports to Canada are expected to surge by at least 100%.” We found no support for that figure, and the president’s campaign didn’t respond to our query.

The International Trade Commission estimated dairy exports to Canada would increase by 43.8%, while dairy imports from Canada would go up 139.5% under the agreement, which would take six years to largely implement. The ITC described the overall impact as “small.”

Trump made his claims in an Oct. 27 rally in West Salem, Wisconsin....

Percentages can be deceiving. In 2016 the USA exported nearly four times more than was imported from Canada. To understand the percentages it must be realized that the USA was already exporting a far greater amount of milk to Canada. So, percentages can be deceiving. 

2016 Factsheet (click here)

There are basically five USA states that produce 64 percent of the milk. Milk production is an expensive business. From the utter of the cow to the bottle on the table, the entire pipeline is sterile and closed. So, in order to increase the competition the USA federal government needs to invest in more start up farms that can be equipped with "the pipeline." Setting up the dairy pipeline is the most challenging aspect of the operation. It is expensive to build and expensive to maintain. It is difficult for small producers to do the job. 

HOWEVER.

There are small farms still in existence such as "Moomers" in Traverse City (click here), Michigan. I am quite confident they are not alone in the USA. Moomers prides itself on it's ice cream. It sells it throughout the area. Very successfully, too. It is smaller operations like this that the federal government should encourage to produce more milk for use in baby formula. 

Like any other product in a capitalist economy, the shrinkage of competition under Republican leadership has cost the consumer dearly. Now, our very vulnerable Americans are at risk. This cannot be tolerated and it is up to Congress to address this issue and now.

The US House and Senate needs to take recommendations from the smaller dairies to help them to compete and produce to help the country move out of a baby formula scarcity. This is just not acceptable. The Congress needs to address the use of milk in the USA while exploring the balance of trade with Canada. It is not a problem that can be fixed overnight, but, it needs to be expedited to avoid any problems.

I remind. This is a Congress that defeated the codification of Roe v. Wade and if they don't act to increase the production of baby formula it will be all too obvious this is nothing but politics rather than a sincere concern for the country.

State legislators should explore the possibilities of promoting smaller dairies to help with a more abundant supply.

Sixty hours of investigation is a good start. I think a healthy debate between GMO and Non-GMO would be of interest to most any consumer

April 15, 2022
By Christina Szalinski

...We spent more than 60 hours (click here) researching formulas, interviewing pediatricians and other experts, and reading more than 20 scientific studies and journal articles. And we learned that all FDA-approved formulas made for healthy, full-term infants are safe and nutritionally adequate for normal growth and development from birth through the first year. We then analyzed the ingredients of more than 60 formulas to find the ones we think offer the best combination of evidence-backed benefits and value.

We recommend Costco’s Kirkland Signature ProCare Non-GMO Infant Formula, Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark Infant, and Target’s Up & Up Advantage Infant Formula, all generic options that are just as nutritious as brand-name versions, but much less expensive. We also recommend the generic Parent’s Choice Tender Infant Formula (the least expensive true “gentle” formula we’ve found) and Earth’s Best Organic Infant Formula (an affordable organic formula). And we have information about an FDA-regulated “European-style” formula, as well as what to know about so-called toddler formula for older babies (hint: medical experts say it’s unnecessary)....

Welcome Aboard!

May 12, 2022
By Steven Erlanger

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (left) (click here) and President Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki

Brussels - Finland’s prime minister and president (click here) announced their support on Thursday for the nation to apply to join NATO.

President Sauli Niinisto, who is mostly responsible for Finland’s foreign policy, has helped orchestrate Finland’s move away from a long history of military nonalignment, prompted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

“Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay,” they said. “We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days.”...

It would be best  if all of Europe would join NATO. I really do believe Russian aggression is so egregious there is no looking back. Europe should have zero risk in allowing any further warring by Russia. Even little Iceland, the most peaceful country in all of Europe is a part of NATO. It knows where security can be found.

Putin was and is attempting to scare Europe into factions and dividing the continent to facilitate further aggression. If Ukraine's struggle proves anything it is that Putin has no respect for neutrality.

May 15, 2022
By Danya Hajjaji

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (click here) welcomed Finland's newly announced petition to join the alliance and promised a "smooth and swift" process.

In a statement emailed to Newsweek, Stoltenberg said: "I welcome the joint statement by President [Sauli] Niinistö and Prime Minister [Sanna] Marin supporting an application for NATO membership without delay. This is a sovereign decision by Finland, which NATO fully respects.

"Should Finland decide to apply, they would be warmly welcomed into NATO, and the accession process would be smooth and swift."...

I am surprised "Rich Strike" will not run in the Preakness Stakes..

It was the jockey. Sure he had a lot of horse under him, but, the jockey rode that horse from the start to the finish. 

It was Leon's third careless riding infraction in the last nine months (click here)

I don't know how reckless riding is defined, but, the owners of "Rich Strike" should appeal any suspension and let the horse run the Preakness. The thoroughbred is up to it. It would be a shame if this is the reason they aren't running the horse.

I watched whatever was on film because it was pure skill and knowing the horse that brought about an upset at Churchill Downs. Sonny Leon took Rich Strike to the rail at the back of the pack, or herd whichever is your pleasure, and stayed there. This group of three-year-olds were very closely matched. If one looks across the pedigree of these horses it is easy to see where the "trust" in the bloodlines lie. But, that aside, Sonny Leon was stealth in his riding and it was brilliant.

He hung back and no one ever expected to find him first at the finish line. The herd ran very closely together and the distance from the front of that herd to the back was limited. "Rich Strike" was never even stressed. It was a fast field and they all kept that pace. At no point did any one horse stand out as the obvious winner. The entire herd was competing and none of them quite and finished a distant last. 

When Rich Strike finally comes into the camera view he is being ridden and guided by Sonny Leon. I could not believe he rode that horse so brilliantly and Rich Strike listened to every command. That is rare to see. Usually, the winner of the Derby is so game that the jockey simply let's him run a race he was bred for, but, Rich Strike was pointed in the direction of the opening and the horse was looking for an opening to go there. As soon as Sonny was able to find open space it was the home stretch and Rich Strike outpaced every other horse on the track. If that was Sonny's strategy to allow the horse to run at the back near the rail until the top of the stretch and then turn the colt loose, then it worked and it worked beautifully.

I think Sonny Leon is a brilliant rider and a superior strategist. If that ability to strategize his horse's best assets gets him in trouble once in a while then I think the stewards overseeing the races don't know what they are looking at.