Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Remarkable B&W Photos: The Many Faces of 1950s Vietnam

 

In this collection of black-and-white snapshots, a famed French photographer finds beauty in tumultuous 1950s Vietnam.

Black-and-white photography is often considered more challenging than its color counterpart, as photographers must rely on contrast and light to come up with interesting and captivating shots.

French photographer Raymond Cauchetier, however, makes shooting sans color look like a cakewalk.
Cauchetier is perhaps best known for his work as a set photographer on Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 debut film, À Bout de Souffle (Breathless). However not many know that before participating in Godard’s breakthrough film, Cauchetier began his career as a hobbyist while serving in the press corps of the French Air Force in Indochina.

His platoon had neither the budget for a camera nor a cameraman back then, so he bought his own Rolleiflex and started snapping away. When his service ended, Cauchetier remained in Indochina and what was supposedly a short vacation resulted in a host of intimate portraits of local residents and their daily life.

Have a look at Cauchetier’s stunning street portraiture below, courtesy of Flickr user manhhai:

More @ Saigoneer

The White Privilege Of Black Confederate Denial

Via C.W. Roden

 

 For the first time in my life, I think I finally understand what the term "white privilege" truly means. 
 
Of course, to clarify, it doesn't mean what modern-day Regressive Leftists believes it to mean. Much like the mental gymnastics that go into their arguments for why people who are ethnic minorities cannot be racist, their definitions of what they define as "white privilege" practically needs a GPS device to navigate the twists and turns of logic needed to justify the term. 
 
No folks, the white privilege in question that I want to address today comes from the Don Quixote of History himself, Kevin Levin, author of the historical parody blog Civil War Memory Amnesia.  
 

California, the Chinese, and Nullification

 

J.P. Morgan, tycoon banker and a close friend to President Stephen Grover Cleveland, observed that “a man always has two reasons for the things he does a good one and the real one.[1] In the case for reconstruction the Republicans who ruled the senate majority knew they needed to do something to prevent the reseating or readmitting of Southern senators as well as keeping the votes of the south and west from going Democrat. The tool they used were amendments and acts cloaked under the name of “civil rights.” The Republican congress in their successful political coup took from the electorates their votes and handed it over to those who lacked knowledge or understanding of the American system. However, as long as the votes went to the Republicans in order to pass their railroad acts, tariff acts, and currency acts, it did not matter the relations between any group of people. Therefore establishing the true motive for the republican congress as only being the ability to hold a new found monopoly over the recreation of American Government. Moving it from the founders republic to a national republic in attempts to usurp all powers and consolidate the states under one government.

An Example of a Brave, Skillful, Hard-Fighting Soldier and Gentleman

 Image result for England, museum re lee bust

I searched but could find nothing, so I guess it has been hidden from view as well as from type. :(

The following account of the presentation of the bust of Gen. R. E. Lee to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, England, was contributed [to the Confederate Veteran] by Mrs. L.R. Schuyler, who represented the United Daughters of the Confederacy on the occasion . . .
www.Circa1865.org   The Great American Political Divide

An Example of a Brave, Skillful, Hard-Fighting Soldier and Gentleman

Mrs. Schuyler writes:

“We were met at the station by Lieutenant-Colonel Lickman, acting as an escort from the College. At Sandhurst, we were received by Major-General Corkran, Commandant, and Mrs. Corkran; Col. J.E. Turner, Assistant Commandant, and Mrs. Turner; and the other officers and their wives . . .

It is often easier to describe than to convey to the mind of another the sensations one experiences on an occasion of this kind, but I am sure that those who were present will never forget the thrill which each must have felt when I drew aside the Confederate flag which veiled the bust of General Lee (this flag the gift of Miss Jessica Randolph Smith, of North Carolina, daughter of the designer).

Instantly the officers drew to attention, saluted, and stood at attention, as did the entire audience, during the presentation of the bust. So intense was the stillness that suddenly I seemed to have been left alone with the “spirit of Lee,” and, when the applause broke forth, it was a rude awakening which brought me back from a communion with that great soul.

General Corkran said that on behalf of the college he gratefully accepted that memorial of Gen. Robert E. Lee, and he did so for the same reasons which he believed had prompted its donors to offer it. It was to preserve the name and keep before them the example of a brave, skillful, hard-fighting soldier and gentleman.

General Corkran was deeply interested to learn that the colors of our organization were the same as those of Sandhurst . . . As at the presentation of the bust of General Lee to Saint Cyr Military School, in France (which was a gift of our Chapter), it was my privilege to toast to our respective rulers and the College.

Mr. Sterling, Councillor of the American Embassy, representing Ambassador Kellogg (whose absence in Scotland prevented his attendance), made a short address after which, escorted by General Corkran, I placed red, white and blue flowers on the altar of the memorial chapel in the name of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.”

The following inscription appears on the base:

Robert Edward Lee 1807-1870

General Commanding the Armies of the Confederate States of America 1861-1865

Presented by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, 1914

(UDC Gift to England, Confederate Veteran, November 1924, excerpts pg. 412)

Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us

 donald trump jr triggered

This is the book that the leftist elites don't want you to read -- Donald Trump, Jr., exposes all the tricks that the left uses to smear conservatives and push them out of the public square, from online "shadow banning" to rampant "political correctness."

More @ Amazon

The monuments to Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson continue to be targets

Via Susan Lee

 Image may contain: one or more people and outdoor

The damage inflicted on these nearly century-old landmarks is appalling. Since September 13, 2019 (the last day of the trial) the monuments have been damaged on three occasions.

As earlier reported, the Monument Fund’s request to install cameras in both parks was rejected by the City without explanation. The Charlottesville Police Department is supposedly investigating the damage, but have provided no status updates.

Both parks are poorly lit and we have made the Parks and Recreation Department aware that several of the lamps near the Jackson Monument are not functioning. Local activists operate under the cover of darkness, and now apparently with impunity.

It is abundantly clear that the City of Charlottesville has no interest in protecting or maintaining these monuments. Would the City be so callous and neglectful if any other Historical Landmark were so targeted? Doubtful - there would probably be lights, cameras, and increased Police patrol.

City Council has given its attorneys permission to appeal Judge Moore’s September 13 decision that both monuments are afforded protection under Virginia Statute §15.2-1812.

They are banking on a successful appeal and the possibility that the now Republican-controlled Virginia General Assembly will be Democrat-controlled after the November 5, 2019 election.
Democrats have tried to change the language of VA Statute §15.2-1812 twice in recent years; if they gain the majority, a third attempt may be successful, putting all Virginia monuments (not just Confederate) in danger of removal. If you live in Virginia, make sure you know your candidate’s (regardless of political affiliation) position on all issues important to you and VOTE on Tuesday, November 5!

While the battle seems all uphill, we are not giving up. We will continue to press for action and have a dedicated group of volunteers who are monitoring the parks. If you are local and would like to join us, please message this page. Felonies are being committed and we aim to witness, record, and report them to the authorities. If you are monitoring the parks on your own, do not engage - please only document and report. If you see the monuments being damaged, a felony is being committed and you can call 911 to report.

To that end, a reward is available through Crimestoppers to anyone providing a tip that leads to the arrest of those involved: 434-977-4000.

To all of you who continue to support our efforts, Thank You. As we are facing an appeal and are awaiting receipt of an estimate to repair the damage inflicted on the monuments, any donations received will be put to immediate good use: https://www.themonumentfund.org/donate/ or checks made payable to The Monument Fund, P.O. Box 483, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Poll: 7-in-10 Voters Believe in ‘America First’ Agenda Ahead of 2020 Election

 A veteran carries an American flag as he marches on the street May 27, 2019 during the 152nd Memorial Day Parade in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. - The Kings County Parade is one of the oldest Memorial Day Parades in the nation. (Photo by Johannes EISELE / …

Ahead of the 2020 presidential election, the overwhelming majority of likely voters say they believe in the doctrine of “America First” when it comes to national public policy, a new poll reveals.

A poll by Selzer and Company/Grinnell College finds that the vast majority of American adults say they are America First voters, while less than 20 percent identify as socialists.

Overall, about seven-in-ten — or 70 percent — of likely voters say they are believers in America First — the nationalist-populist doctrine that guides President Trump’s agenda on immigration, trade, healthcare, and foreign policy, among others.

More @ Breitbart

Obama administration's spying on Donald Trump: Intelligence abuses could be revealed in the coming days

 The Three Stooges Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

It has taken a long time, but finally the Justice Department is training its guns on what heretofore was unthinkable, unless you are a career civil libertarian. For years the civil libertarians have been warning us that the intelligence community posed a threat to democracy, as we know it in these United States. Every so often they would point to some excess of the FBI or the CIA and tell us that the lights were going out in democratic America. Does not The Washington Post run atop its front page the maudlin line, “Democracy Dies in Darkness”?

Trump tweet, political divisions fuel rising discourse about new U.S. civil war

Via Billy

 

MIDDLETOWN, Va. (Reuters) - Sporting a Confederate flag shirt near a field clouded by cannon smoke, where blue- and gray-clad soldiers reenacted a Civil War battle from 155 years ago, Larry Caldwell Piercy, Jr. said he sees a new war looming in the United States - and a role for himself in any fighting.

More @ Reuters

There was a major discovery in Egypt this week, as researchers unearthed 30 ancient coffins -- their vibrant paintings still intact.

Via Daughter Christine

First-Ever Look Inside Epstein’s Private Island


History will not be kind to Nancy Pelosi

 Nancy Pelosi


One way or another, Nancy Pelosi will go down in history. Let’s hope she doesn’t take America with her.

The speaker’s decision to go all in on impeachment is fraught with danger and could have fateful consequences far beyond Donald Trump’s presidency. With only about a year to go until the 2020 election, Pelosi has thrown her full weight behind the effort to undo the results of 2016.

This is a historic mistake, one that could tear America apart. Based on the evidence the House has made public, impeaching Trump is a meritless, reckless assault on democracy.

Al-Baghdadi’s DIRTY UNDERWEAR, Stolen By A Kurdish Spy, Gave Him Away

 This July 5, 2014 photo shows an image grab taken from a propaganda video released by al-Furqan Media allegedly showing the leader of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, aka Caliph Ibrahim, adressing Muslim worshippers at a mosque in the militant-held northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Baghdadi, who on June 29 proclaimed a "caliphate" straddling Syria and Iraq, purportedly ordered all Muslims to obey him in the video released on social media. - In early 2014 the self-styled Islamic State entered the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, declaring it their capital and beginning a reign of terror marked by grisly public executions. Armed sharia police patrolled the streets as "enemies" of the regime were crucified or decapitated, their severed heads impaled on spikes in the city square. (Photo by - / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

The Central Intelligence Agency was able to positively pinpoint Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s location, a Syrian Democratic Forces official claimed Monday, thanks to an enterprising Kurdish spy who stole the terror leader’s soiled underwear.

Fox News reports that, in a debriefing held just days after the United States’ most wanted terrorist blew himself up in a daring raid by U.S. Special Forces, Kurdish forces revealed that they were instrumental in tracking and keeping tabs on al-Baghdadi, even though the terror leader moved frequently and was due to depart his Idlib, Syria, safehouse any day.

Joe Biden Repeatedly Asked Federal Agencies To Do What His Son’s Lobbying Clients Wanted: When do 'coincidences' become sheer corruption?

 Joe Biden Repeatedly Asked Federal Agencies To Do What His Son’s Lobbying Clients Wanted

News of Hunter Biden profiting from his father’s political activity is becoming an endless saga that has yet to genuinely interest our media who claim “democracy dies in darkness.” The latest set of coincidences, uncovered by Alana Goodman of The Washington Examiner, reveal more unseemly connections between Hunter’s business adventures and his father’s political maneuvers. Whether it be China, Ukraine, or China again, we have heard this pattern before. 

Rep. Jordan Dismantles Schiff’s Arguments In Impeachment Inquiry 1:17

Via Billy


McConnell Says Impeachment Resolution Makes Schiff ‘a de Facto Special Prosecutor’ + Schiff x2

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks to the news media in Washington in a file photograph. (Reuters/Leah Millis)

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that the impeachment process resolution slated to be voted on this week would make House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) “a de facto special prosecutor.”

The resolution gives Schiff the power to designate whether impeachment hearings should be open or closed, to allow staff members to question witnesses, to block questions from Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), to block Nunes’ requests for certain witnesses, to release transcripts of witnesses as he sees fit, and to transfer records to the House Judiciary Committee.


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House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) blocked the National Security Council staffer who testified to some members of Congress on Oct. 29 from answering some questions asked by Republican representatives, GOP members alleged.

Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman testified behind closed doors to Schiff and other members of Congress.

Schiff's Star Witness Reportedly Tried To Have Ukraine Call Transcript Edited

 Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council’s top expert on Ukraine and Tuesday’s star witness in House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry, testified that he attempted to have the reconstructed transcripts of President Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky edited, according to a report in the New York Times.

John Schneider's Christmas Cars [Official Trailer]

Via Billy


World-Renowned Forensic Pathologist Dr. Michael Baden Says Pedophile Jeffrey Epstein Was Murdered In His Manhattan Federal Prison Cell

Via Cousin John


The bombshell claim by Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner who has worked on high-profile cases during a five-decade medical career, is certain to reignite suspicions that surfaced immediately after Epstein, who was awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges involving underage girls, was discovered dead in his cell on Aug. 10. Baden, who was hired by Epstein’s brother and observed the autopsy, told Fox News its findings are more consistent with homicidal strangulation than suicidal hanging. (This was revealed previously.)

More @ NTEB