Posts from — July 2015

Actually they said “Οχι” because they are Greek.

Greek voters reject bailout offer by 61% and the Euro bankers say there is no point in negotiating with people who won’t agree with them.

The voters have gone along with the Euro bankers for 5 years and things just kept getting worse.

Women’s World Cup final: USA 5-2 Japan.

The US scored 6 of the 7 goals [one was a US own goal] which makes it the highest scoring WWC final. US captain Carli Lloyd scored a hat-trick in 13 minutes, the third goal from the half-way line. The US is the first women’s team to have won three World Cups.

A lot of very happy players who feel they have overcome their disappointment with the 2011 loss.

It was Germany 0-1 England as Fara Williams put a penalty kick passed Germany’s goalkeeper, Nadine Angerer in the second overtime period of the match. This marked the first time that England has beaten Germany in 20 matches, and made England the top European side.

The Declaration of Independence

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security…

Independence wasn’t really achieved until September 3, 1783 when Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, and, to be factual, our current government only dates from March 4, 1789 when the first government under our Constitution was installed.

Liberty was not extended to all men until December 6, 1865 with ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery, nor were women given the one of the most important rights of men until August 26, 1920 with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment recognizing their votes.

In truth, until July 2, 1964 when Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, there was no mechanism to force government to recognize the rights of all American citizens.

The national security establishment and religious whackoes on the Supreme Court are eroding the rights hard won over the last 230+ years.

Access Control

Walk around!

[Editor: When Ninja does it, the path is definitely blocked.]

Friday Ark

So Chris Christie has leaped on the luggage rack of the GOP Presidential clown car on the same day that Macy’s joined the growing list of companies severing ties with Donald Trump over his remarks about Mexico. Former NY governor George Pataki and former FL governor J.E.B.‽ made it clear that they don’t agree with Trump.

Ted Cruz apparently just figured out that all of the justices of the Supreme Court are lawyers, and all of those appointed by Republican Presidents are Catholics. Currently the Court has 6 Catholics and 3 Jews.

FL Senator Marco Rubio has announced that he will oppose normalization of relations with Cuba. This is because there are still a couple of old Cubans in Calle Ocho who haven’t had the common decency to die so all of the other Cuban-Americans can have normal relations with their families still in Cuba.

The FBI and BATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms] are investigating a series of fires at black churches in late June. Some, but not all, of the fires have been declared arson. The last church in South Carolina was burned down by the KKK 20 years ago and rebuilt.

People keep getting bitten by sharks on the North Carolina coast. Just a hint – if you are in warm water and you see schools of small fish swimming quickly in the area, get out of the water. The so-called ‘bait fish’ are trying to avoid the shark that’s chasing them, and hungry sharks just swim and bite everything in their path. Near shore, it is probably bull sharks, especially in bays and sounds. They don’t usually swallow, but they will bite off bits of people. Local authorities could post the beaches, but they are tourist areas, and the tourists come to swim. Just like a certain movie the authorities don’t want close the beaches on the Fourth of July weekend … [Da dum da dum da dum …]

The second semifinal ended with Japan 2-1 England. Unfortunately Japan only scored one of its two goals. The winning goal is too painful to discuss.

This sets up a repeat of the 2011 final that Japan won on penalties after a 2-2 draw with the US. The final will be played on Sunday, July 5th.

La fête du
Canada
Day

Thank you for not yet building a fence along your southern or western border, and for brewing great beer.

Schedule of Ottawa events and some background.