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“I WILL CRIPPLE YOU” – LONGSHOREMEN STRIKE

In a scene straight out of The Sopranos, video has emerged of Harold Daggett, the chief negotiator for the International Longshoreman's Association, threatening to "cripple" the U.S. economy.

RedState has been reporting that a strike was looming, and the dockworkers made good on their threats by walking off the job at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday. The union foresaw a time in the not-so-distant future when robotics and AI would take over their profession, so they decided to double down and demand a significant increase in wages.

“The ILA is reportedly asking for raises of $5 an hour, per year, which would be an immediate 12.8% pay hike on the current top pay of $39 an hour. Repeating that $5 an hour increase each year would result in raises totaling 77% during the life of the contract.”

The union is also seeking a total ban on the use of automation in their industry.

In the video that's taking the internet by storm now that the strike has begun, the Queens-born Daggett, sporting a gold chain around his neck, lays out in minute detail what will happen to the U.S. economy if the strike is allowed to linger.

“When my men hit the streets from Maine to Texas, every single port locked down.

You know what's going to happen?

I'll tell you….”

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FLASHBACK FRIDAY – DEWAR’S AT THE NORTH POLE

dewars-n-pole April, 1979 – on the sea ice at 90 North latitude, the North Pole. I was one of the more unusual Profiles for Dewar’s Scotch. It was the 3rd of my 21 expeditions to the very top of our planet. One thing that stood out for me was the photographer brought false ice cubes of carved polished crystal for the photo you see of a glass of scotch perched on a small pressure ridge. That’s the way the pros do it. One genuine item he brought was a case of Dewar’s. We had one heck of a party on top of the world! (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #75 photo of Jack Wheeler)

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THE FORTRESS OF LUXEMBOURG

luxembourg-fortressOriginally built upon Roman fortifications on a rocky promontory in the 900s by the Counts of Luxembourg, the Luxembourg Fortress gained strategic importance located between the French Kingdom and the Hapsburg Empire.  By the 1600s it became so impregnable it was called the “Gibraltar of the North.” It was fought over by so many armies that finally, in establishing the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg’s full independence and neutrality in 1867, Luxembourgers agreed to tear it down.

What you see here is what is left, and is now a World Heritage Site. The Chemin de la Corniche ­– the promenade along the top of the ramparts overlooking Alzette River and the Old City – is renowned as “Europe’s most beautiful balcony.”

Wedged between France, Belgium, and Germany, small 1,000 square-mile Luxembourg is a haven of peaceful beauty.  Come here to stand on these ramparts to experience it yourself. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #233 photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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THE TREE OF JESSE

tree-of-jesseThe Igreja de São Francisco (Church of St. Francisco) was built 800 years ago on a ledge overlooking the Douro River in Porto, Portugal.  500 years later in the early 1700s, the people of Porto devoted themselves to making its interior supremely magnificent.

Most breathtaking is the polychrome wood carving depicting The Tree of Jesse springing from the reclining body of Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David, and showing the genealogy of Jesus through the branches of the tree that are the Twelve Kings of Judah, ending with Joseph and above him the Virgin and Child. Above the Tree to the ceiling is intricately carved woodwork deeply covered with hundreds of pounds of gold leaf.

This masterpiece of baroque art is an awesome tribute to the importance of Christianity to Western Civilization.  To experience the power of this masterpiece yourself, come with us on our next exploration of Portugal over New Years. We’re going to say goodbye to 2024 and enter 2025 in a memorable celebration.  (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #234 photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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IS THIS THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACH?

praia-do-sanchoAccording to the many thousands of world travellers on TripAdvisor, it’s #1: Praia do Sancho on the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha. You’ll also find it on just about any list of most beautiful beaches, such as Condé Nast, Harper’s Bazaar, and Luxury Travel.

The whole island is gorgeous. Mention that you’ve been there to any Brazilian who hasn’t and their eyes get misty. Fernando de Noronha (no-rone-ya) is the dream honeymoon, the dream vacation that only comes true for few in Brazil, as it’s hard to get to and hardly any place to stay once you’re there.

You have to get to either Recife or Natal in the far northeast, then fly 220 miles out into the Atlantic. Then take a boat, or scamper down the rocks of a 250ft-high cliff to be on the sugar sand of this enchanting beach – which you’ll have almost to yourself.

For some reason, all those lists have the name wrong, calling it “Baia” or “Baio,” when it’s “Praia” (beach in Portuguese). As the welcome sign proudly announces above the cliff trail: “Praia do Sancho – A Mais Bonita do Mundo,” Sancho Beach – The Most Beautiful in the World. If you’re lucky to ever get here, you’ll surely agree. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #73 photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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THE WORLD’S MOST SACRED MOUNTAIN

mt-kailas-north-faceThis is the North Face of Mount Kailas (6,638 m/21,778 ft) in a remote region of far western Tibet inhabited only by Changpa nomads. For 22% of all people on Earth – 1.2 billion Hindus, 510 million Buddhists and many millions of others – it is the spiritual Center of the Universe, the Navel of All Creation.

Kailas and surrounding glaciers are considered the source of four of Asia’s great rivers radiating out from it: the Indus, Tsangpo-Bhramaputra, Sutlej, and Karnali-Ganges. As a sacred mountain it has never been climbed.

For thousands of years, people from all Asia have made the arduous pilgrimage to Kailas to perform the sacred act of circumambulating around the mountain – most clockwise, counterclockwise for others such as the Changpa adhering to the ancient Bön Tibetan religion.

It is not easy. Huffing over the high point of the pilgrimage route with TTPer Big John Perrot, our altimeter said we were as high as Kilimanjaro, over 19,000 feet. The highlight, however, is being among so many pilgrims from so many diverse cultures. This is one of our world’s thrilling adventures, and such a privilege to participate in. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #38 Photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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DROWNING HURRICANE VICTIM RELIEVED AS RESCUE CHOPPER DROPS $750 CHECK

ASHEVILLE, NC — A hurricane victim struggling to keep his head above flood waters was relieved when he heard the sound of a rescue chopper overhead that brought him much-needed relief when it dropped a $750 government check.

The desperate man looked up, his eyes stinging from debris kicked up by the helicopter's roaring blades, and was overwhelmed by a feeling of gratitude as he snatched the fluttering $750 check out of the air.

"Finally!" he said. "Now I won't drown. I'll be able to — replace one of my couches, I guess."

The helicopter promptly departed, presumably to deliver checks to others in danger of drowning.

"Hey, wait! I can help you pass out checks!"

But it was too late; the government official was busy. He had more checks to pass out and little time to do it.

"It's a tough job," a FEMA employee who graciously volunteered to pass out checks via helicopter said later. "We've got to be quick before these people drown. They need these checks. This $750 will fix everything."

The man from the harrowing story above was later identified as William Thumpridge, an Asheville native who taught at the elementary school. He survived, and he owes it all to the check.

"Sure, it won't be enough to replace my home, but it was just barely enough to cover the cost of a meal at Five Guys. I never get to go there because it's so expensive but today, thanks to the government, I can eat like a king. A king who likes bacon cheeseburgers."

At publishing time, William Thumpridge was dismayed to learn that the nearest Five Guys had been swept away in the flood.

- Babylon Bee reporting.

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HALF-FULL REPORT 09/27/24

This video, entitled “Revenge Is Definite,” was published on the official website of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on January 15, 2022.  It is captioned: “The winning animation from the people in the Hero contest conducted by Khamenei.ir on the topic of revenge on Trump, Pompeo and the murderers of Gen. Soleimani.”

You may recall that two years earlier (01/03/20), President Trump ordered the successful elimination of Iran’s chief terrorist Qasem Soleimani via a MQ-9 Reaper drone decapitation strike.  Khamenei’s video has resurfaced in the media this week (cf. the New York Post on Wednesday 9/25) for its uncanny similarity to the second attempt on Trump’s life by Ryan Routh on the West Palm Beach golf course.

No wonder that after Trump was informed of Khamenei’s video he reacted:

Yet there is something even more uncannily unnerving regarding threats to Trump than Khamenei’s years ago.

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SKYE’S LINKS 09/26/24

“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” Indeed. The truth really will out. It’s busting out all over, in fact – truth about J6 and lies by Pelosi and Milley, Miller, and McCarthy, truth about just how FUBAR the Secret Service is (at least when Trump is the one being protected), truth (in their own words) about how the ‘Crats view the Constitution, truth about what Capitalism is NOT as well as truth about what Marx's Labor Theory of Value IS. Then we’ll see some real (though not real good) truth about the economy, and end with some wonderful truth about Climate that may just make your day!

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THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL IS CHINESE

mystery-handwritings-on-the-walls[This Monday's Archive was originally published on November 18, 2005.  It is about the prospects of Christianity in China. Those were the days of a Christian president, George Bush, and its predictions were overly optimistic.  Christianity in China stagnated during the non-Christian Obama years, started to resurge under Trump 45, and resumed stagnation under Biden-Harris. Under Trump 47, it will resurge again, resulting in the growing possibility of a future Christian China on the horizon.]

TTP November 18, 2005

The famous story in Chapter 5 of the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament tells of a banquet held by the King of Babylon, Belshazzar, during which a magical finger writes mysterious words on the wall: mene, mene, tekel, upharsin.

After a fruitless debate by the king’s advisors over the words’ meaning, the king asks a Jewish captive, Daniel, to translate, who explains the strange words mean “counted and counted, weighed and divided.”

Meaning that Yaweh, God, has counted and numbered Belshazzar’s kingdom, weighed its balance, and now will bring it to an end by dividing it up among Babylon’s enemies, the Persians and Medes.

This prophecy is said to have taken place in 559 BC. 21 years later, in 538, Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire, occupied Babylon, ended its independence, and freed the Children of Judah from their captivity. Ever since, “the handwriting on the wall” has been used as an expression of foreboding doom – or of liberation.

Today, the handwriting on our wall is in Chinese. And just like back in 559 BC, there is a huge debate over the correct translation – this time between two factions on the President’s National Security Council.  But where is Daniel?

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LOTS OF ‘COINCIDENCES’ IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS

The U.S. Secret Service (USSS), established as a personal bodyguard for U.S. presidents, is playing an increasingly dangerous role in U.S. politics.

Assassination attempts on the life of former president Donald Trump, by Ryan Routh on September 18 and Thomas Crooks at Butler, Pennsylvania, raise the disturbing possibility of designed convergences of security lapses that give assassins the opportunity to kill.

 

Trump’s protective detail was purposefully stretched thin

Details are still missing regarding Routh’s attempt, but he apparently camped out for approximately 12 hours waiting for Trump to appear at hole 6 of the Trump International Golf Club.

Trump was headed that way, teeing off at hole 5 when a Secret Service agent saw a rifle sticking through some shrubbery and flushed Routh out with a few shots.

There was no prior sweep done of the golf course.

 

Newly consolidated details on Trump’s Butler rally reveal a more sophisticated plot.

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TRUMP SUPPORTERS APPARENTLY ATTACKED AT RALLY WITH CLANDESTINE WEAPON

[TTP:  This is a developing story, so it is short in both words and data. But we want you to be aware of what has occurred and to tell others. Perhaps more eyes will see the perpetrators and stop this vile action.]

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At least 20 Trump supporters may have been attacked covertly by chemicals or a high-power laser at a Trump rally in Tucson on September 12.

Some victims suffered severe burns. Many were temporarily blinded, with symptoms lasting until today.

Others may have been affected but have yet to be identified. The fact that all those known to have been affected were sitting on the stage immediately adjacent to President Trump is important in understanding the significance of what happened.

The victims were all part of a “Latinos for Trump” group on the stage. President Trump shook hands with them as he walked to the podium.

But what they believed was their good fortune soon turned into a nightmare when severe symptoms began to strike 30 minutes after the rally.

Experts believe the symptoms resulted either from a chemical agent or, more likely, from a high-powered infrared laser attack.

Thus, while chemicals were initially blamed, physicians and retired military experts experienced in chemical-biological-nuclear-directed energy warfare now believe it was an attack by an unseen infrared laser.

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DUSK OR DAWN?

There is a feeling among some that the November 2024 election is special. It is useful to consider why.

American presidential activities have become increasingly important since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, ushering in a period of U.S. dominance that is  occasionally referred to as The End of History.

The Reagan victory marked a moment when the key battlefield in the struggle to determine the future of humanity shifted from the superpower competition between East and West to the simple control of the institutions of the West, following the collapse of the USSR.

Gone was Che Guevara and Mao's strategy of surrounding the global cities from the Third World countryside. Back was Gramsci's plan to infiltrate Western institutions and culture from within.

If the enemy walls were impregnable from without, they were vulnerable from within. The left accepted the West would be conquered by coup. To this task they set forth with might and main.

 

But something happened that Gramsci did not expect. As the march through the institutions progressed, the "progressives" -- so confident of their intellectual superiority -- did not sweep all before them.

Rather they found the resistance stiffening unexpectedly. Unlikely coalitions rooted in the "Working Class" and even among formerly left-wing sympathizers began to multiply.

The surprise setbacks of 2016, Trump and Brexit, grew rather than declined, as one might expect of the last-gasp resistance in the inevitable tide of history.

Today the Reagan castle the progressives captured by coup is in shambles. They are in possession of a ruin. The Global World has not only shattered but is breaking out in war. The only answer to inflation is price control. Worse, the political opposition to progressive ideas has become assertive and even respectable. Things have come to a head; that is what makes November 2024 so special.

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THE MOST DELICIOUSLY DEVIOUS PART ABOUT ISRAEL’S PAGER ATTACKS

hezbo_pagerAs a spy thriller fan, I love reading about the clever gadgets the good guys use to vanquish the bad guys, which is why I've been fascinated by the story of Hezbollah's deadly exploding pagers.

How did Israel pull this off? Was it really Israel who did this? This attack is even more exacting than the exploding bed at the Iranian "safe" house.

Now we're learning more details of the attacks, and they're as impressive as they are diabolical.

Three thousand beepers exploded this week, killing a bunch of Hezbollah terrorists and some innocents. Iran's ambassador to Lebanon lost an eye in the attack.

After that attack, Hezbollah began using walkie-talkies, and they exploded.

When the terrorists decided to meet in person in Lebanon Friday, someone bombed the meeting.

Israel has not confirmed it carried out the attacks, nor is it likely they will ever lay claim to them, but U.S. intelligence officials who talked to their favorite intelligence mouthpiece, the New York Times, claimed Israel pulled it off. Time will tell what the truth is.

This operation has obviously been planned for quite some time.

Though Israeli intelligence agencies were completely caught off guard by Hamas's Iran-backed October 7 attack, they appear to be trying to make up for that huge intelligence debacle.

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FLASHBACK FRIDAY: RIDING A YAK AT RANGDUM

yak-riding-at-rangdum Rangdum Gompa, Zanskar, August 1993. Ever ridden a yak? Brandon did when was 10 at the Rangdum Tibetan Monastery or Gompa atop a small hill at 13,225 feet high in an extremely remote region of the Himalayas in India called Zanskar. It was part of our Indian Tibet expedition which will be repeating soon – and this time Brandon will be leading the expedition. I’ll just be along for the ride. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #161 photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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