Wednesday, October 23, 2019

2,624-year-old Tree Discovered in North Carolina Swamp Is One of the Oldest on Earth

Via Nicole Leon 

David Stahle, Black River, North Carolina, bald cypress trees

Researchers have identified a group of ancient bald cypress trees which are over 2,000 years old in the forested wetlands of North Carolina's Black River.

Staggeringly, the scientists found that one of the trees was 2,624 years old. This makes the bald cypress the oldest-known tree in the eastern portion of North America, as well as the longest-living known wetland tree species on Earth, according to a study published in the journal Environmental Research Communications.

More with video @ Newsweek

Graphic: Why Officers Shoot Until the Threat Has Stopped


A Confederate Dialogue


A review of The Lytle-Tate Letters: The Correspondence of Andrew Lytle and Allen Tate (University of Mississippi Press, 1987), Thomas Daniel Young and Elizabeth Sarcone, eds.

Considering Allen Tate’s well-documented contrariness, the four-decade-long friendship of Tate and Andrew Lytle must be considered one of the great creative acts in the lives of both men. That the two men could keep their relationship under “constant repair” through forty years of financial uncertainty, marital discord (Tate) and geographic dislocation ultimately attests to the symbiosis that arose between the Kentucky poet/essayist/biographer and the Tennessee farmer/novelist/ essayist/ biographer. Certainly Tate, ambivalently poised between Agrarian belief and Modemist doubt, must have found in the practicing farmer Lytle the concreteness, the levelheadedness perhaps missing in himself and the other Agrarians. It is not surprising, then, that, as Young and Sarcone note, “a closer, more personal relationship existed between Andrew Lytle and Allen Tate than… between any of the other Nashville writers.”

Focus of Durham Probe Shifts to Senior Obama Officials

Via Billy

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper (L) and CIA Director John Brennan chat before testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Feb. 9, 2016. (MOLLY RILEY/AFP/Getty Images)

US Attorney John Durham reportedly 'very interested' in interviewing former CIA Director John Brennan and former DNI James Clapper

John Durham, the U.S. attorney tasked with investigating the origins of the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign in 2016, is expected to seek an interview with former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper following an expansion of his investigation.

It was reportedly the meetings Durham and Attorney General William Barr recently had in Rome—where they obtained new evidence—that were the impetus for the broadening of the scope of the probe.

Military Leader of Syrian Kurds Thanks Trump for Cease-Fire

 General Mazloum Abdi (Delil Souleiman / AFP / Getty)

General Mazloum Abdi, the pre-eminent military leader of the Syrian Kurds, thanked President Donald Trump on Wednesday for his efforts in stopping a Turkish offensive and negotiating a cease-fire.

General Mazloum, who leads the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), issued his statement shortly after the president announced the U.S. was lifting economic sanctions on Turkey in return for its commitment to a “permanent” cease-fire.

That commitment had been announced the day before, when Russia and Turkey agreed to joint patrols within 10 km of the Syria-Turkey border, and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) agreed to withdraw 30 km south of the border.

More @ Breitbart

Adam Schiff Desperate to Hide William Taylor Testimony that Would Kill Ukraine Hoax

  (INSET: Adam Schiff) A top U.S. diplomat, William Taylor, departs the Capitol after testifying in the Democrats' impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump, in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) said, “The truth is, in two minutes, John Ratcliffe destroyed this witness. There is no quid pro quo.”

Rep. Ratcliffe (R-TX) neither he or any other witness has provided testimony that the Ukrainians were aware that military aid was being withheld. You can’t have a quid pro quo with no quo.

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) “The leaks out of today’s witness interview have been laughably overblown and don’t tell the full story. Still no evidence of quid pro quo. Much of the statement and hearsay allegations didn’t hold up against any real scrutiny. The FULL transcript should be released immediately.”

The Big Fake News today is that Ukraine’s top diplomat, William Taylor, delivered a smoking gun to Rep. Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) secret impeachment hearings.

More @ Breitbart

NC VFW: Highly Sophisticated Scam Targeting Veterans

 Image result for NC VFW

Veterans beware! There is a new scam sweeping the country targeting U.S. veterans. This one involves the use of new telephonic technology, and a well-orchestrated cast of scam artists who mimic Veterans Affairs (VA) culture. Unfortunately, the scam has already ripped off thousands of veterans – don’t be the next victim.

The scam uses sophisticated telephonic technology that imitates VA operating signatures, thus, giving the impression via caller ID that the veteran is receiving a telephone call from the VA. Most veterans will see the following on their call ID system: “Department of Veterans Affairs, 1-800-827-1000 < tel:18008271000 > .” The second part of the scam involves the scam artists pretending to be VA personnel. The scam artists are using scripted material to mimic the culture of VA personnel by implementing processes that would be used when a veteran contacts the VA. Most veterans are getting the following:

Scam artists: “Hello, Mr. Smith, this is John from the VA, I’m contacting you because the VA is reaching out to veterans to ensure the accuracy of their records with us. Do you have a minute to go over your records at the VA?
Veteran: Yes!
Scam artists: “Before I get started, thank you for your service.”
Veteran: “No problem.”
Scam artists: “Mr. Smith, can you verify what branch of the military you served?”
Veteran: “The Army.”
Scam artists: “Ok. Thank you. Can you verify your current address?”
Veteran: “555 Main St., Topeka, Kansas.
Scam artists: “Ok. Great! Can you verify your birthday?”
Veteran: “July 10, 1947.”
Scam artists: “Please verify your last compensation payment amount.”


At this point, if the veteran provides information and gives an amount, the scam artists are using another script that eventually leads to asking the veteran to verify their social security number. If the veteran refuses to give information, the scam artists inform the veteran that he/she needs to be transferred to the Finance department. Then, the scam continues as:
Scam artists: “This is Mike in the Finance department. How are you Mr. Smith?”
Veteran: “I’m ok.”
Scam artists: “As John mentioned to you, we [VA] are reaching out to veterans to ensure the accuracy of their information on file with the VA. We want to make sure nothing happens to your current or future payments from the VA. Is that ok with you Mr. Smith?”
Veteran: “Sure.”
Scam artists: “Mr. Smith can you verify your social security number on file with the VA?”
Veteran: 123-12-1234
Scam artists: “Great! Thank you. Also, can you verify the credit card we have on file for you?”
Veteran: “I don’t have a credit card on file with the VA. Do I need to have a credit card on file?”
Scam artists: “Yes! To make sure any incidentals are covered. In 99.9% of the cases, the credit card is never used, and if the credit card is used it will never exceed $10. Public law, and VA policy makes it necessary we have a credit card on file just in case something comes up that is not covered by the VA. So, what card would you like to keep on file? We take Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. Which would you like to use?”

If you get a call from the “VA” and the scenario resembles anything close to the narrative above, terminate the telephone call. It is likely you are being scammed.
[Source: http://www.veteranprograms.com/scams5.html | August 30, 2019

Andrew L. Jackson
NC Transition Assistance Advisor (TAA)
Skyline Ultd Inc. Contractor
W: 984-664-6573
W: 800-621-4136 ex 46573
F: 984-664-6358
Andrew.l.jackson8.ctr@mail.mil

Sincerely,

Andrew Zinkievich
Adjutant
Department of NC VFW
o: 919-828-5058
c: 919-537-2593
f: 919-261-6771

Exclusive — Impeachment Backfiring: GOP Polling Memo Shows Public Turning Against Democrat Efforts to Oust Trump

 House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., joined by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., criticizes President Donald Trump's pro-Wall Street policies during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

A memo by the Republican National Committee (RNC) that contains internal GOP polling data shows the American public, even Democrat voters, are turning against the Democrat Party’s “impeachment inquiry” into President Donald Trump.

The memo, obtained exclusively by Breitbart News, shows independent voters nationwide en masse oppose impeachment—with 54 percent opposed and only 34 percent in favor.

More @ Breitbart

Brand New 1,000HP Widebody Hellcat


Howard Zinn’s Anti-American Propaganda Takes Over The Smithsonian

Via Billy

Debunking Zinn

Long ago, during my childhood, school began right after Labor Day, and Columbus Day, commemorating the date Christopher Columbus discovered the New World on Oct. 12, 1492, was the first holiday of the school year.

Not anymore. Columbus Day of late has been marked by defacement of statues and hordes of angry adolescents demanding an end to the holiday. Leading young people in the hate-fest are teachers who have been educated with Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States.”

This semester, the Smithsonian Institution is helping. Teachers will learn new teaching strategies and receiving continuing education credits at two “teach-ins” — on Sept. 7 in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, and on Sept. 28 in New York City.

Both “teach-ins” are efforts of our national museum, the Smithsonian, and D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice, “a project of Teaching for Change.” The invitation promises to feature “classroom resources for K-12 from Native Knowledge 360 [Degrees]” and from “the Zinn Education Project, including the campaign to abolish Columbus Day.”

The Zinn Education Project’s Infiltration

More @ Eagle Forum

"Alexa, who's the President of the United States?"

Via G.W. Long via Ninety Miles from Tyranny

 

Professor fired after claiming polar bears are thriving in climate change

Via John

Professor fired after claiming polar bears are thriving in climate change

“When push came to shove, UVic threw me under the bus rather than stand up for my academic freedom,” said Crockford.

 Susan Crockford, a zoologist who has been an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria for 15 years, said the university rejected her renewal application in May according to the Washington Times.

Crockford has now accused officials at the university of breaking under outside pressure after she published research showing that polar bear populations are not shrinking, rather they are thriving as a result of the shrinking Arctic sea ice which defy claims of climate change.

Media faked out by 84-year-old phony Vietnam veteran army nurse

Via David

Image result for Media faked out by 84-year-old phony Vietnam veteran army nurse

Did you know? Stolen Valor penalty is a year in jail

If journalism isn't dead, it must certainly be on life support when it can be knocked so easily on its collective butt by an 84-year-old Stolen Valor fraud, who flimflammed even Fox News with her tales of wartime heroics, faux medals, and a handful of push-ups.  Margaret DeSanti, a self-proclaimed retired lieutenant colonel (sometimes captain) Army nurse, is a known phony Vietnam vet who was first exposed as such five years ago by TAH (This Ain't Hell), one of the military blogs that long ago took on the mission of guarding the veterans' community from those who falsely claim honorable service.

Trump’s withdrawal from Syria saves American lives from unwinnable Middle East conflict

 Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer is a retired senior intelligence operations officer and President of the London Center for Policy Research.
 If we fight, we will fight to win.

President Trump cares about America’s men and women in uniform in a way that his detractors can never fully understand, because he alone bears responsibility when the political class’s visions of glory give way to the grim realities of war. Plus — he understands that being tied down holding terrain makes our troops the target and removes our ability to remain agile and maintain the initiative.

When President Trump announced his decision to move American troops out of Northern Syria ahead of a military offensive by Turkey, Democrats and the Washington foreign policy establishment howled with outrage (note after years of inaction or concern under the Obama Administration whose inaction resulted in 500,000 innocent people murdered).

More @ Sun-Sentinel