From the Trenches World Report

Popular Mechanics – by Tom Bentley

Americans like things big. Big like Texas, big like the rolling Mississippi, big like the heaviest made-out-of-butter cow sculpture. They also like things with big meanings, like the Declaration of Independence, D-Day, and the driving of the golden spike to join the rails of the first transcontinental railroad, connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific lines on May 10, 1869 at Promontory, Utah.

The 150th anniversary of that unifying event recently took place, and the commemoration welcomed a merging of that metaphorical big with the literal: the return to service of one of the most heralded—and biggest—locomotives of all time.  Continue reading “Why the Big Boy 4014 is Such a Badass Train”

PJ Media – by Jeff Reynolds

I’m so old I can remember when disseminating communist propaganda in public schools was frowned upon.

Last Friday afternoon, I was sitting at my computer when I received an email from Peachjar. This is a service used by several school districts near me in the Portland area that sends home digital fliers to parents in lieu of paper fliers to advertise extracurricular activities sponsored by various groups in the community. My son’s middle school uses this service, and I receive a few emails a month from them. I’ve used the service myself to send advertisements for recruiting events for Scouts, and I’ve received other fliers such as music lessons, sports teams, and the like.  Continue reading “Church Hosts Summer Camp to Train Grade School Kids to Be Antifa Activists”

BBC News – by Zaria Gorvett

It all started with a goat. The unfortunate animal was born in the Netherlands in the spring of 1939 – and his prospects did not look good. On the left side of his body, a bare patch of fur marked the spot where his front leg should have been. On the right, his front leg was so deformed, it was more of a stump with a hoof. Walking on all fours was going to be, let’s say, problematic.  Continue reading “How modern life is transforming the human skeleton”

US Senator Ted Cruz

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the United States Senate unanimously passed U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Tim Kaine’s (D-Va.) bipartisan resolution condemning all forms of antisemitism.

“‘In the United States, Jews have suffered from systematic discrimination in the form of exclusion from home ownership in certain neighborhoods, prohibition from staying in certain hotels, restrictions upon membership in private clubs and other associations, limitations upon admission to certain educational institutions, and other barriers to equal justice under the law,'” Sen. Cruz said. “This is a shameful legacy and it makes it all the more incumbent that we as a Senate, speak in one voice and stand resolved that the United States condemns and commits to combating all forms of antisemitism.”  Continue reading “Bipartisan Cruz-Kaine Resolution Condemning Antisemitism Unanimously Passes Senate”

The Great Recession

These are not the tiny champagne bubbles Don Ho used to sing about, but those greenish-gray floats of foam that pile up against harbor docks where the churn of the waves meets the oil spittle of boat motors. They are the economic froth that has piled up around us and is now beginning to fizzle.  Continue reading “Frothy Bubbles Make Me Whine”

KCRA 3 – by Don Thompson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California appeals court says it’s legal to have small amounts of marijuana in prison – so long as inmates don’t inhale.

The 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled that California voters legalized recreational possession of less than an ounce (28 grams) of cannabis in 2016, with no exception even for those behind bars.  Continue reading “California court: Prison pot is OK — if inmates don’t inhale”

Market Watch – by Andrew Keshner

Artificial intelligence is putting new teeth on the old saw that cheaters never prosper.

New companies and new research are applying the cutting edge technology in at least three different ways to combat cheating — on homework, on the job hunt and even on one’s diet.  Continue reading “How AI is catching people who cheat on their diets, job searches and school work”

Bloomberg – by Caroline Winter

In a grainy black-and-white video shot at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, a patient sits in a hospital bed, his head wrapped in a bandage. He’s trying to recall 12 words for a memory test but can only conjure three: whale, pit, zoo. After a pause, he gives up, sinking his head into his hands.

In a second video, he recites all 12 words without hesitation. “No kidding, you got all of them!” a researcher says. This time the patient had help, a prosthetic memory aid inserted into his brain.  Continue reading “Upgrade Your Memory With a Surgically Implanted Chip”

Breitbart – by Tony Lee

A House Judiciary subcommittee will hold hearings on reparations next Wednesday, marking the first time in more than a decade that the House will discuss potentially compensating the descendants of slaves.

“The Case for Reparations” author Ta-Nehisi Coates and actor Danny Glover are reportedly set to testify before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and the hearing’s stated purpose will be “to examine, through open and constructive discourse, the legacy of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, its continuing impact on the community and the path to restorative justice,” according to a Thursday Associated Press report.  Continue reading “House to Hold Hearing on Slavery Reparations”

There will be no broadcast of The Word From the Trenches.

I have yet another non-productive dentist appointment.

Be back up tomorrow.

Anti-War – by Jason Ditz

Following Syrian reports that they’d foiled an Israeli attack near the Golan Heights, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to launch even more preemptive attacks against Syria into the future.

Netanyahu said Israel was facing “unending” tests, and that they would continue to attack in a “systematic and consistent manner” to ensure that Syria never establishes any capability to threaten Israel.  Continue reading “Netanyahu Vows More Preemptive Attacks Against Syria”

Anti-War – by Jason Ditz

For the second time in less than a month, US forces carried out airstrikes “in self defense” in Afghanistan, only to discover that they were actually attacking Afghan security forces. The Wednesday strike ended up wiping out an entire unit, though officials have yet to disclose the exact number of deaths, beyond it apparently being everyone present.

The previous attack saw US ground troops believing they were under fire, and the warplanes attacking police, killing 18. In this case, too, US officials said they believed the troops came under fire, and the airstrikes targeted the Afghan forces, who had been firing machine guns.  Continue reading “US Wipes Out Afghan Security Forces Unit in Major Friendly Fire Incident”

Activist Post – by Julian Rose

The Polish Ministry of Digitalisation has denied (June 11) that Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki signed the Global Appeal to Stop 5G on Earth and in Space.*

The refutation was put out by the Ministry of Digitalisation, the government department that deals with telecommunications. The same department put out a related statement that “The opponents of 5G are heating-up the mood, serving customers fake news – we want to give Poles a reliable source of information about 5G so that no one misleads them.”  Continue reading “Polish Ministry of Digitalisation Denies Polish Prime Minister Supported 5G Appeal”