How Charles Manson Put an End to the Hippie Movement

On By peanutgallerynhIn Media and Culture,Leave a comment

Manson preyed on all aspects of the hippie zeitgeist to serve his purposes, from the Beatles to the commune—where he would “isolate [his followers] from their family and friends,” Ross says—to LSD. “Manson would give them hallucinogenic drugs and he would pretend he was also taking a drug, but in reality, he wouldn’t,” Ross goes on. “Then he would manipulate their trip and suggest things to them in a vulnerable state, guiding them through a journey where, at the end, they believed completely in him.”

…The late-60s counterculture stripped away old systems of control and opened up a blank space in society, but they weren’t sure what would fill that space. And Manson preyed on that ambiguity.

Manson twisted the hippies’ anti-establishment beliefs as a way to isolate his followers as well. “He laid out a world that was, ‘You’re either with us or against us,’ and in that sense, he played into the counterculture and appealed to that sense of idealism,” Ross says. “He worked that one over, but not because he believed in it—because it served his purpose.”

How Charles Manson Put an End to the Hippie Movement – VICE

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Kushner’s Palestinian peace plan resembles real estate brochure

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Middle East,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

The plan is premised on three tenets: “Unleashing economic potential, empowering the Palestinian people, and enhancing Palestinian governance.” It’s replete with buzzwords, charts, and tables. It promises investments in private enterprise, education, health care, and government in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. It features images of happy Palestinians, with minimal mention of Israel and no discussion of the state of Palestine.

…It contains no political solution to the problem Kushner was tasked with solving. It doesn’t address the famously difficult questions that have doomed other peace proposals, like the status of the city of Jerusalem or Palestinians’ right of return. There’s no talk of what might be done with Israeli settlements in occupied territories, nor any discussion of borders at all. 

…Like any business proposal, it is meant to intrigue potential investors and get them dreaming big before getting bogged down by pesky facts on the ground.

Kushner’s Palestinian peace plan resembles real estate brochure — Quartz

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The Navy’s USS Gabrielle Giffords and the Future of Work

On By peanutgallerynhIn Media and Culture,, Military,Leave a comment

 “As equipment breaks, [sailors] are required to fix it without any training,” a Defense Department Test and Evaluation employee told Congress. “Those are not my words. Those are the words of the sailors who were doing the best they could to try to accomplish the missions we gave them in testing.” The intentionally small crew size made the ship ill-suited to forward combat, because not enough people were on board to stand watch.

These results were, perhaps, predictable given the Navy’s initial, full-throttle approach to minimal manning—and are an object lesson on the dangers of embracing any radical concept without thinking hard enough about the downsides.

The Navy’s USS Gabrielle Giffords and the Future of Work – The Atlantic

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Iran: Trump’s White House ‘afflicted by mental retardation’

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Media and Culture,, Middle East,Leave a comment

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has said the White House is “afflicted by mental retardation.” 

…An exasperated Mr Rouhani said: “You sanction the foreign minister simultaneously with a request for talks?” 

…Foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said the American government was “destroying the established international mechanisms for maintaining world peace and security.”

Iran says Trump’s White House ‘afflicted by mental retardation’ in protest at sanctions | The Independent

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Treasury Will Review Trump Administration’s Delay Of Harriet Tubman Note : NPR

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Media and Culture,, Money, Class, and Poverty,, Race,Leave a comment

The Treasury Department will conduct an investigation into the circumstances leading to a delay in the production of a new $20 bill featuring a portrait of slave-turned-slave-emancipator Harriet Tubman.

…In 2016, the Treasury Department announced it would replace President Andrew Jackson’s face with that of the famed abolitionist by 2020. As NPR reported, the update would have made Tubman the first woman since Martha Washington to appear on an American currency note and the first ever African American. But last month, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced the redesign will be delayed until 2028.

…”If, in the course of our audit work, we discover indications of the employee misconduct or other matters that warrant a referral to our Office of Investigations, we will do so expeditiously,” Delmar said.

Treasury Will Review Trump Administration’s Delay Of Harriet Tubman Note : NPR

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Dominican authorities say the David Ortiz shooting was a case of mistaken identity.

On By peanutgallerynhIn Boston,, Caribbean,Leave a comment

Ortiz is a strapping 6’3 and 250 pounds, according to the Red Sox. He’s one of the most famous and recognizable athletes in the world. Fernandez is smaller and thinner, with a lighter complexion.

“They don’t look alike at all,” Rojas said. “…Even a breastfeeding infant can identify David Ortiz.”

Dominican authorities say the David Ortiz shooting was a case of mistaken identity. – CNN

WTF?!