#UN Job in Damascus

[thedragonqueen1998]

So yesterday i finally finished Mirage and i'm not gonna spoil what happened because i know someone who still needs to finish it, but man. They actually managed to suprise me, didn't see the twist coming.

Had some major gameplay frustration doing some achievements(Fuck you, A Blade In The Crowd), but other than that had an absolute blast playing Mirage and my god, the music is so fucking good. Never heard of Brendan Angelides before, but he did a fantastic job. There was never a track i disliked and several pieces are gonna end up in my Assassin's Creed Spotify mix soon. :D

But yeah, very big FIY: A Blade In The Crowd is very buggy and finicky. You CANNOT wear anything other than the un-dyed starting gear, no talisman and i had my starter weapons too just to be safe and it only worked by going to the Damascus Prison courtyard and mingling with the prisoners. Whistle to attract the guards there and unless you wanna do noisemaker shenanigens to lure more guards to the courtyard, you just leave the prison and fast travel to Jarjaraya, pass time on a bench. Then go back to the prison and rinse and reapet 3-4 times. It's very important that Basim has the white outline on him, but other than frustration on my end(i lack skill), it was pretty straight forward, if not tedious. But i got it. Wish you achievement hunters good luck!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Pluralistic: 12 Mar 2020 (No health care for part-time TSA screeners, Akil Augustine on Radicalized, Wendell Potter rebuts Joe Biden, best Covid-19 explainer, Boeing's self-inflicted wounds, EU Right to Repair, virtual classrooms)

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Pluralistic: 12 Mar 2020

TSA boss doubles down on taking away health care from part-time screeners: They're touching your junk with diseased hands.

Akil Augustine on Radicalized: My book's Canada Reads champion lays out the case for Radicalized.

A former top Cigna exec rebuts Joe Biden's healthcare FUD: Wendell Potter is the prodigal corporate villain.

Ars Technica's Covid-19 explainer is the best resource on the pandemic: Beth Mole has outdone herself.

Boeing is even worse at financial engineering than they are at aircraft engineering: The $43B they incinerated through stock buybacks would sure come in handy about now.

Senate Republicans kill emergency sick leave during pandemic: Sick leave is cheaper than pandemics, but pandemics generate cost-plus contracts for the donor class.

The EU's new Right to Repair rules finally come for electronics: Snoods cocked at Apple and other US Big Tech monopolists.

How to run a virtual classroom: Masterclass from the 14-year-old Stanford Online High School.

This day in history: 2010, 2015, 2019

Colophon: Recent publications, current writing projects, upcoming appearances, current reading

TSA boss doubles down on taking away health care from part-time screeners (permalink)

TSA agents handles the personal belongings and touch the bodies of millions of fliers. Part time agents don't get health-insurance. If they think they might have Covid-19, they might not be able to afford to seek care.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/11/politics/tsa-health-care-part-time/index.html

TSA chief David Pekoske told Congress that the Trump administration's decision to take away health-care from part time TSA employees was a good one: "I have no intention of restoring health care coverage for part-time workers. I think that was a good decision."

About 100 TSA agents have been sent home after it was believed they came into contact with Covid-19. The TSA will not try to track down passengers who also might have come into contact with sick people.

Akil Augustine on Radicalized (permalink)

My book Radicalized is a finalist for the Canada Reads national book prize. Each of the five finalists is defended by a Canadian celeb: my champion is the amazing and articulate Akil Augustine.

Akil just appeared on the @CBC's Canada Reads podcast to give us a preview of his defense, which he will field during several nights of nationally televised debates next week.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1708600899815/

He did an OUTSTANDING job! Here's the MP3:

https://cbc.mc.tritondigital.com/CBC_CNDAREADS_P/media/cndareads-3NLwEPaV-20200309.mp3

A former top Cigna exec rebuts Joe Biden's healthcare FUD (permalink)

In a recent and important essay, Maria Farrell wrote about the road-to-Damascus conversions that ex-techies are having in which they recant the damaging product design work they did and begin to campaign against their former employers.

https://conversationalist.org/2020/03/05/the-prodigal-techbro/

Farrell noted that these techies had missed an important step in their transformation from venal attention mercenaries to noble attention freedom-fighters: they had yet to hit bottom, to truly repent their earlier sins.

They skipped like stones over the waters of privilege, and never sank, unlike so many of their victims.

Contrast those journeys with that of Wendell Potter, the former Cigna exec turned whistleblower, who has devoted decades of his life to revealing dirty tricks and lies. Potter campaigns tirelessly – and shrewdly – for Medicare for All, and is always at pains to point out that the anti-M4A talking points his adversaries parrots were all developed by him, when he was on the wrong side of history.

Take this thread, rebutting Joe Biden's FUD about M4A, delivered in the midst of a pandemic that has been worsened by the 77 million un- and underinsured people who can't get care or screening and disproportionately work in food-service and cleaning.

https://twitter.com/wendellpotter/status/1237438497218105344

As Potter points out, Biden's assertion that M4A costs $35T is just a lie. Once you factor in the savings of not paying for private healthcare, M4A SAVES at least $450B/year.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)33019-3/fulltext

Biden's plan to cap premiums on a public option at 8.5% of your income is more than double what M4A would cost you. The corporate plans Biden lionizes shackle good workers to bad employers, and put millions at risk of having their care arbitrarily withdrawn or limited. And, of course, private care doesn't cover much. Surprise bills, deductibles, co-pays, out-of-pockets… Our plan – a blue-chip employer's top-of-the-line Cigna plan – costs us $24K/year.

We're rationing our family's health care because in addition to the $20K/year we're paying out of pocket, Cigna refused to cover a pain procedure that my doc – the most-cited pain doc working in California, who runs a major university pain clinic – says I would benefit from. That procedure might let me get a good night's sleep for the first time in 15 years and allow me to live a more normal, pain-free life. But because Cigna won't cover it, it would cost $55K, which we do not have. So I'm foregoing it.

Ars Technica's Covid-19 explainer is the best resource on the pandemic (permalink)

I've been reading Beth Mole's outstanding science journalism for many years and I've always admired it, but even by the high standards of a Beth Mole explainer, this soup-to-nuts Covid-19 explainer is just spectacularly good work.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/03/dont-panic-the-comprehensive-ars-technica-guide-to-the-coronavirus/

Mole's calm and comprehensive coverage relies on the most reliable sources and turns the results of our best evidence-based studies into a coherent narrative, from the disease's origins to its spread to its symptoms to its resolution.

Just this symptom-by-symptom breakdown was enormously informative and filled in a huge gap that I had previously mentally signposted as "flu-like".

According to data from nearly 56,000 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients in China, the rundown of common symptoms went as follows:

88 percent had a fever

68 percent had a dry cough

38 percent had fatigue

33 percent coughed up phlegm

19 percent had shortness of breath

15 percent had joint or muscle pain

14 percent had a sore throat

14 percent headache

11 percent had chills

5 percent had nausea or vomiting

5 percent had nasal congestion

4 percent had diarrhea

Less than one percent coughed up blood or blood-stained mucus

Less than one percent had watery eyes

The sections on transmission, self-protection, and care during a social distancing lockdown or quarantine are likewise levelheaded, clear and informative.

This is a tab you should just keep open in your browser, IOW. Mole's updating frequently, too.

Boeing is even worse at financial engineering than they are at aircraft engineering (permalink)

Boeing is experiencing a potentially terminal slump. Between losses due to its 737 Max scandal (a self-inflicted injury), and the dropoff in travel during the pandemic, it has had to draw down its entire line of credit and institute a hiring freeze.

https://wolfstreet.com/2020/03/11/boeing-crashes-as-43-billion-in-past-share-buybacks-turn-into-existential-threat

Obviously, Boeing can't be blamed for the pandemic.

But you know what is absolutely the company's fault? Its financial engineering.

Since 2013, Boeing squandered $43 billion on stock buybacks, whose sole purpose was to goose its share-price.

As Wolf Richter writes, Boeing, this "master of financial engineering – instead of aircraft engineering – blew, wasted, and incinerated $43.4 billion on buying back its own shares."

The company just had to borrow $13.825B. Its shares are down 46% since March 2019.

The entire company – a jewel of American industry – might not survive, because it focused on short-term enrichment of shareholders, rather than safe aircraft or financial prudence.

Reality has a well-known anti-capitalist bias, part MMMLVII.

Senate Republicans kill emergency sick leave during pandemic (permalink)

Senate Republicans have killed emergency sick leave legislation, a move that will force millions of low-waged cleaning and food-service workers to choose between homelessness and potentially spreading Covid-19.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/coronavirus-paid-sick-leave-us-republicans-block-senate-bill-new-york-washington-a9395821.htm

The GOP says that paid sick leave will endanger the fragile bottom lines of employers and also that the feds have no money to pay for such a thing – despite finding it easy to blow $2.3 trillion on tax-cuts for the super-rich.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/28/tax-cuts-trump-gop-analysis-430781

They also found $20 BILLION in the senate's sofa cushions to give to the Pentagon, an agency whose auditor found more than a trillion dollars in off-the-books transactions in its financial records.

https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2019/12/19/pentagon-finally-gets-its-2020-budget-from-congress/

Refusing to help poor Americans stay fed and sheltered isn't just cruel, it's lethally reckless, and it demonstrates the moral hazard of oligarchic capitalism. Subsidizing sick-leave would merely afford survival to millions of Americans, after all.

Whereas the crisis that this will produce – a pandemic that is made worse and longer – will cost billions more, but that money will go to the donor-class, the Beltway Bandits whose cost-plus, no-bid contracts will transfer even more money from the poor to the wealthy.

It's disaster capitalism at its worst. The Senate GOP is dooming you and everyone you love to the risk of disease and death because preventing that risk would help millions of poor people, whereas creating the risk helps a handful of ultrarich people.

The EU's new Right to Repair rules finally come for electronics (permalink)

The EU Commission's latest "Circular Economy Action Plan" has enormous significance for Right to Repair and electronics.

https://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/pdf/new_circular_economy_action_plan.pdf

In addition to a host of eminently sensible, long overdue measures (bans on single use items and the destruction of unsold goods), there's a renewed emphasis on electronics, through the "Circular Electronics Initiative".

https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/11/european-lawmakers-propose-a-right-to-repair-for-mobiles-and-laptops/

The initiative mandates that components be reusable, repairable, and upgradable, and requires long-term software support to keep IoT devices useful for longer. These mandates – also long overdue – show that the EU is finally willing to ignore the priorities of Apple and other US Big Tech companies in favour of Europeans' rights to the long-term enjoyment of their property and the right not to drown in e-waste).

https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/08/ghost-flights/#eurighttorepair

How to run a virtual classroom (permalink)

For 14 years, Stanford Online High School has been running fully virtual classrooms, with continuous, ongoing improvements in their tech and methods. They've just published a new guide to "the essential steps for preparing to teach online in a short period of time." They're also conducting a series of webinars on the subject.

https://ohs.stanford.edu/how

(I just realized that I've got a decade-old mail rule that autodeletes anything containing the word "webinar" that I probably need to turn off now that the term is being used by people other than hustling spammy grifters)

This day in history (permalink)

#10yrsago Leaked UK record industry memo sets out plans for breaking copyright https://craphound.com/BPDigitalEconomyBillweeklyminutes.pdf

#5yrsago Portland cops charge homeless woman with theft for charging her phone https://news.streetroots.org/2015/03/06/homeless-phone-charging-thief-wanted-security

#5yrsago How Harper's "anti-terror" bill ends privacy in Canada http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2015/03/why-the-anti-terrorism-bill-is-really-an-anti-privacy-bill-bill-c-51s-evisceration-of-government-privacy/

#5yrsago RIP, Terry Pratchett https://web.archive.org/web/20150312202353/http://www.pjsmprints.com/

#1yrago Security researcher reveals grotesque vulnerabilities in "Yelp-for-MAGA" app and its snowflake owner calls in the FBI

Colophon (permalink)

Today's top sources: Slashdot (https://slashdot.org), Naked Capitalism (https://nakedcapitalism.com/).

Hugo nominators! My story "Unauthorized Bread" is eligible in the Novella category and you can read it free on Ars Technica: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/01/unauthorized-bread-a-near-future-tale-of-refugees-and-sinister-iot-appliances/

Upcoming appearances:

Museums and the Web: March 31-April 4 2020, Los Angeles. https://mw20.museweb.net/

Currently writing: I'm rewriting a short story, "The Canadian Miracle," for MIT Tech Review. It's a story set in the world of my next novel, "The Lost Cause," a post-GND novel about truth and reconciliation. I'm also working on "Baby Twitter," a piece of design fiction also set in The Lost Cause's prehistory, for a British think-tank. I'm getting geared up to start work on the novel afterwards.

Currently reading: Just started Lauren Beukes's forthcoming Afterland: it's Y the Last Man plus plus, and two chapters in, it's amazeballs. Last month, I finished Andrea Bernstein's "American Oligarchs"; it's a magnificent history of the Kushner and Trump families, showing how they cheated, stole and lied their way into power. I'm getting really into Anna Weiner's memoir about tech, "Uncanny Valley." I just loaded Matt Stoller's "Goliath" onto my underwater MP3 player and I'm listening to it as I swim laps.

Latest podcast: A Lever Without a Fulcrum Is Just a Stick https://archive.org/download/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_330/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_330_-_A_Lever_Without_a_Fulcrum_Is_Just_a_Stick.mp3

Upcoming books: "Poesy the Monster Slayer" (Jul 2020), a picture book about monsters, bedtime, gender, and kicking ass. Pre-order here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626723627?utm_source=socialmedia&utm_medium=socialpost&utm_term=na-poesycorypreorder&utm_content=na-preorder-buynow&utm_campaign=9781626723627

(we're having a launch for it in Burbank on July 11 at Dark Delicacies and you can get me AND Poesy to sign it and Dark Del will ship it to the monster kids in your life in time for the release date).

"Attack Surface": The third Little Brother book, Oct 20, 2020.

"Little Brother/Homeland": A reissue omnibus edition with a very special, s00per s33kr1t intro.

[unjobaid]

UN Job in Damascus, Programme Analyst, Reproductive Health, NOA, 22338-PO

UN Job in Damascus, Programme Analyst, Reproductive Health, NOA, 22338-PO

UN Job Opening Programme Analyst, Reproductive Health, NOA

Duty Station: Damascus, Syria Closing date: 10 April 2019 – 5:00pm (NY time)

Job Description | APPLY

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[humans-of-amsterdam]

(2/3) "My friend told me that my youngest brother got murdered. He got into trouble with a group of criminals in Aleppo and they killed him. I immediately packed my stuff and I went back to Aleppo for the funeral. The next day, after the funeral my father and grandfather came up to me. They told me that I needed to take revenge on the men who killed my little brother. They had already arranged a gun for me. As much as I was hurt, there was no way I was going to kill anyone. I told them: ‘’If I do it, there is no difference between me and the criminals who killed my brother.’’ That night I left Aleppo and I decided to never come back. I got back to Damascus and someone had broken into my room and stolen all my money and clothes. I have never felt so lonely in my entire life. I couldn’t ask anyone for help. I went back to work and tried to survive and rebuild my financial situation. In 2011 the war started and the situation in Damascus became unstable. A few years later I got drafted in by the Army. Again I didn’t want to fight so I postponed my service and left Syria. I came to Lebanon and the first thing I did was trying to find a job. Once I found work I was tried to find shelter. I went to the UN office because someone told me that Syrians could apply for refugee status which can give you benefits. When I arrived at the UN office there was a huge line and people were treated horribly. I realized that it would take days for me to receive some sort of help. I didn’t want to risk losing my new job as a tailor. So even though I fled my country, officially I am not a refugee."  (Beirut, Lebanon) 

[en-nogame]

An Annoucment

Hello, Internet!

How have you been? I’ve been sick the past couple of days!  ...and the whole time I was stressin’ cause I was getting behind in the video schedule and between my job, house hunting (Yay!! I’m so excited!), the physical therapy I’m starting, my other freelance jobs, and basic human needs such as eating, sleeping, and socializing, I was struggling to find the time needed so that I wouldn’t fall behind once I recovered.

In addition, with Dailymotion and its staff deciding to be as un-user friendly as possible, I am once again without monetary gain of these LPs. Now, this is not the end of the world for me - because I really enjoy Let’s Playing! It’s a very fun hobby and I love interacting with fellow geeks and developers - but seeing as it is now just a hobby, it has becomE more difficult that ever before to justify prioritizing it over all other aspects of my life.

With that said, I’m afraid, to avoid complete burn-out, I am going to have to reduce my upload schedule from M/W/F to just W. This means that I will most likely be focusing on one game as oppose to alternating between three.

My thoughts thus far are that I will be finishing up Damascus Current, moving back to finish the Updated Demo for Dead Wishes, and then returning to OneShot until Dead Wishes is fully released. I’m also planing on having a full scale panic attack when Heartbound goes live cause idk whatthefuck im gonna do when that happens.

If anyone has any alternative suggestions, feel free to let me know!

Thank you for listening and thank you for your continued support!!

Until next announcement...

Bye, Internet!

[xtruss]

US Reportedly Dropped Massive Bomb on Syrian Dam Marked as 'No-Go' Target

— Tim Korso - Sputnik International | Friday January 21, 2022

Washington has never received a UN mandate or permission from Damascus to carry out military strikes on Syrian soil or deploy its troops in the nation. Nonetheless, the US has reportedly carried out offensives against both Daesh* forces and the Syrian government.

A US Special Operations drone unit carried out an airstrike targeting the 18-storey Syrian Taqba dam located on the Euphrates River, although the key infrastructure object was on a "no-strike" list, The New York Times reported, citing several anonymous sources, including from within Task Force 9 – the unit responsible for the attack.

According to one source, bombs as big as 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) were used in the March 2017 attack, while the dam was still under the control of Daesh* terrorists. The dam was on the no-go list because a US military report showed that its destruction could flood nearby areas causing enormous destruction and widespread civilian fatalities.

"The destruction would have been unimaginable. The number of casualties would have exceeded the number of Syrians who have died throughout the war", an unnamed former director of the dam told the newspaper, on the condition of anonymity.

Carnage was avoided due to a combination of extreme luck and the skill of local engineers, newspaper sources claimed. One bomb, which reportedly did not detonate, was said to have later been safely extracted by workers. What damage occurred was later repaired by local engineers, with warring sides agreeing to a temporary ceasefire to complete the job, the NY Times said.

The US Central Command has not commented on the report, although a spokesperson told the newspaper that US military strikes were limited to operating towers near the dam. The Times' sources disagreed with the assessment, claiming that the dam itself suffered significant damage. The reservoir behind the dam saw a 15-metre water level rise following the strikes, coming close to spilling over, a source told the newspaper.

American troops are still deployed within Syria, against the wishes of Damascus. The US has carried out airstrikes both against Daesh and Damascus, despite lacking a UN mandate to carry out military operations within the country's borders. The Syrian government and Russia, its chief ally in fighting local terrorist insurgents, have repeatedly condemned Washington's actions and continued military deployments within the nation's territory.

Civilian Deaths From US Strikes in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan Downplayed by Pentagon, Reports Say

©US Air Force/Senior Airman Matthew Bruch

WASHINGTON (Sputnik), January19, 2022 — Thousands of civilians in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, including children, were killed by US airstrikes that were conducted with imprecise targeting and "deeply flawed intelligence," The New York Times reports.

The newspaper has studied 1,311 documents from a hidden Pentagon archive, concluding that the civilian death toll was a lot higher than the 1,417 civilian deaths reported by the US military in Iraq and Syria and the 188 deaths reported in Afghanistan.

Reports of civilian casualties were often dismissed because surveillance footage was too brief, The New York Times said on Saturday. Interviews with surviving residents and current and former US officials revealed that the US military made little effort to identify patterns of failure and there have been no public assessments that included a finding of wrongdoing.

The newspaper said that civilian deaths were often the result of "confirmation bias" on the part of the US military, which confused civilians with terrorist fighters or failed to make sure that the targeted buildings had no ordinary people inside.

Earlier this month The New York Times reported that a secret US strike cell called Talon Anvil was responsible for civilian casualties in Syria resulting from air strikes. The unit rushed to destroy "enemies" and sidestepped safeguards, circumventing important rules that helped protect civilians. Some members of Talon Anvil even refused to participate in strikes targeting people who appeared to be innocent bystanders. The majority of the strikes were ordered by relatively low-ranking US Army Delta Force commandos in Talon Anvil, and were labeled as defensive strikes in order to limit oversight.

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

the ultimate citation list for Schneider of ODAAT, volume 1

A reference collection of quotes and details, organized chronologically, for the first 26 episodes of One Day At A Time. Used to create this character guide.

“Can you believe it's only been 10 months since you moved in? I remember 'cause I got my five year sober chip and your mom baked me that cake. I enjoyed watching you guys eat it." 1x01

"You're 40 and you look stupid." “I'll have you know, I was invited to several Pride parades." 1x01

Uses a “very expensive” Damascus steel hammer. 1x01

"I've been doing some outreach down at the rec center, talking to at-risk youth. You guys wanna start takin' bets? Actually, scratch that. I'm addicted to gambling.” 1x01

"Love isn't even real. It's just something your nanny says sometimes to your dad." 1x02

"Hey, I may have money in the bank and two living parents, and four living stepmothers but there is a hole in here. We never had family meals. I ate alone in front of the TV. Oh, don't get me wrong. It was a massive TV. Sometimes my nanny would join me, but only if I agreed to watch telenovelas. This one time, Rosa got jealous of the housekeeper 'cause she was makin' a move on her man, so she threatened to throw live scorpions on her while she slept. Rosa was my nanny. Ex-nanny. Now, stepmother." 1x03

[Lydia and Pen fighting] “It's startin' to feel kinda like home in here.” 1x03

Schneider cooks fancy hipster food. "Nutted quinoa, wilted broccolini with radish micro-greens, and venison carpaccio on a bed of nettles. Grab a cedar plank and dig in." 1x04

"Always interesting to be the sober one at a dinner party." 1x05

"I immigrated here illegally. I'm a Canadian. But yeah, born in the 'Couve, overstayed my student visa, forced to live in the shadows of Pepperdine University. Anyway, it's fine now. My lawyers made it all okay." 1x05

Uses sheet masks, knows about chauffeurs, butlers, estates. 1x06

“The kids barely touched my black olive tapenade.” “Thanks for helping out, but maybe next time pick a food a kid would wanna eat or has heard of.” “Yeah, and maybe next time, don't hand out masks with my face on them.” 1x07  

"The members of my college band have finally put aside our differences and we're reuniting to play at the fair this afternoon. My band, Full Sail, plays yacht rock. These guys were like family. I used to show up at their dorm rooms unannounced and just hang out for hours and hours and hours." 1x07

"We were setting up for the show and our keytarist threw a decorative anchor at me. This is why Full Sail broke up in the first place. Too many passionate personalities." 1x07

Has a magnifying glass in his costume trunk. 1x07

"I know nothing about my grandparents and I never will. And they live in Pasadena!" (but he goes to 'the depot' in Pasadena) 1x09

"I have never seen such un-professionalism. This is why I don't work!" 1x09

"I need to find a new place to get my eyebrows threaded." 1x10

Has a safe. 1x10

"Well, Father believed it's best to have this kinda discussion in a car because you don't have to make eye contact. Plus, you're traveling in the same direction, which fosters intimacy. So we're in the Bentley with our chauffeur, Paco. Father said it's time to have the talk. We came to the next stoplight. He hopped out, Paco told me everything." 1x10

"I didn't get the period talk till I was 12. Paco just called it 'Shark Week.'" 1x10

"When I was a kid, there was an adult section in the back of the video store. Behind the beads. I'd always chicken out and just rent a Jane Fonda workout tape. Still worked. Still works." 1x10

"You'd be surprised how many of my hookups started with 'Ugh!' ...When I was 15, I told Father I wanted to be a professional tap dancer. He laughed. It was that lack of support that contributed to my drinking and drug problem. Oh, do you find that amusing? Because 15-year-old Schneider's drinking peach schnapps out of an unused tap shoe right now." 1x11

"You have a girl over here and you were offering to have sex with me?" - "Yes, Penelope. That's the kind of friend I am." 1x11

"My dad never came to my games. All he ever did was put me through rehab six times and buy me this building." 2x01

"Maroon 5 is the best." 2x01

"Okay, I decided to take a break from dating. See, I realized that women were just another one of my addictions, like alcohol, drugs, gambling, cigarettes, snow globes. The point is, I've broken the cycle of addiction with spinning. Five hours a day, every single day. I have to do it! Plus, it's the perfect substitute for dating, 'cause it burns a lot of energy and also numbs my junk!" 2x02

“Snow globes? Is this one of our family?” 2x02

"I come over, tell him to do stuff to me, he does it, I go home. You should get one." "I think what Nikki was kinda dancing around is that you don't always have to have a relationship with a capital "R." Sometimes all you need is what the great poets of the Renaissance called a junk buddy." "Exactly. You don't even have to like them." 2x03

"See, the great thing about having a green card is you get to live here without having to do all the stuff Americans have to, like vote or serve jury duty or become obese."

"Okay, but at least you vote in Canadian elections." "Mmm. No. Even in Canada, nothing ever changes. Clean air, sensible gun control, free health care. The system's rigged." 2x04

Can picture himself “doing it” with Elizabeth Warren, was Stephen Hawking for Halloween. 2x04

"You have to pay taxes with a green card? I just texted my accountant, and he said 'cause I'm in the highest income bracket, I don't have to pay taxes." 2x04

Keeps on hand: panic room, gas mask, water purification pills, MREs, enough cash to get to Cape Verde by boat. Followed Max on Instagram. Would be honored to be Penelope's maid of honor. 2x05

"I'm very patriotic. Look in that basket. There's a bald eagle thong." 2x06

All Elena's video game equipment belongs to him. 2x06

"Penelope, tell my third stepmother I loved her! Not the second one, though. She was kind of a jerk." 2x06

"Hummer limo's downstairs. My third stepmother used to take me to the racetrack to spy on Father. For the longest time, I thought she was saying, 'Your father is with Rebecca, that horse!' It's like I'm back at the racetrack with my stepmom. What's next? Throw a mint julep in his face?” 2x07

"I love Cuba! I've been there four times. Property manager, job's just temporary. My father owns the building. I'm really a musician. Play a lot of rap-rock-ska. I'm like a male Gwen Stefani. When you're hiring a nanny, make sure she's not too hot. That's how I met my fifth mom. I had four nannies and look at the results." 2x08

Did not speak a word of Spanish when he first met them, is interested in single moms. 2x08

"If you joined an adult kickball team after saying you were too busy to join mine, you are on a long road to forgiveness." 2x09

"Your idea of stress is when your chest-waxer goes out of town." "Roberto is the only one who doesn't make it sting!" 2x09

"I shouldn't have to need these either, but I do. To see. So it's Fourth of July, 2011. I'd been sober for a while, so I thought I'd celebrate with a beer. Woke up three days later in an alley. Then the bowling ball hit me. I was in the gutter for a long time. It's really slippery without the shoes. That was the day I truly accepted that I can't have alcohol or drugs, ever. Not a beer, not a glass of wine, not even six hits of acid at a Grateful Dead show, no matter how well it makes me dance. I kinda get where you're coming from. There's something I want that I can't have for the rest of my life." 2x09

He and Pen are best friends. Also considers Max his bestie. Wants to Netflix and chill with them both, together. 2x09

"My abuelita used to put Vicodin in her coffee. And her lemonade and her sandwiches. Maybe she had a problem. As my father said to me on my ninth birthday, 'You don't need me anymore.' I use my garage for pickling and sea horse breeding." 2x10

Loves puns. "This is Elena Alvarez, my handyman mentee. Or handy-manatee." "The toilet is a cruel mistress. She is flush with complications." 2x10

"Herb and Sherb McGurb. Her real name is Sheryl, but she gets a kick out of Sherb." 2x10

"Bonsai's for dorks. This is penjing. The gentle Chinese art of tray scenery. Now that you're working for me, I finally have some leisure time." "Oh, look, there's little people. Wait, is that my family?" "Could be any Cuban family." 2x10

"I may only look two or three years older than you, but I have the wisdom of that ancient bonsai!" 2x10

"Always take the lemonade. That's Handyman 101! So you watched Jeopardy with them and then what? Well, now we know what your problem is! You fixed their toilet, but you didn't fix their souls. Elena, growing up, I had everything. But I was always alone. I don't want my tenants to feel that way, so I do more than just fix stuff. Apartment 306, macrame with Mrs. Watson. 201, lose at chess to Mr. Roth. 402, listen to all their Cuban nonsense. That's the job. That's what takes four hours. That's the difference between being a handyman and a super." 2x10

Has heard 'you're fired' a lot. 2x10

"After a grueling 30 minutes of thought, Nikki, will you be my starter wife? You're on the rebound. That's the best time to get married. You don't have time to think. So you were never thinking about me? My emotions? My feelings? You used me, Nikki, Finn's mom! And not in the way I like! And that's not all, Sister Barbara. We knew each other. Biblically. And while we were doing it, she took the Lord's name in vain. A lot!" 2x11

"Last night, I was testing the pH of the water in my seahorse ranch and, as I looked at those vomiting little guys, I realized I suck at tests. All tests. Drug, sobriety, vision, IQ, smog. You name it, I fail it!" 2x12

"Have you ever been arrested?” “Does public nudity at a hockey game count?” “There is, uh, no mention of a public nudity charge in your file.” “Oh, you just go to YouTube and type in 'Zam-boner.'" 2x12

"Yeah, they didn't specifically ask if I got drunk and tried to ride a moose, so after that I was golden." 2x12

"How important is having kids to you?" "Never really thought about it." 2x12

"I'll have you know I babysat my babysitter's kids while she was babysitting my dad, so, yeah, I got a little experience under my belt. Oh, it's my cousin Gordy. He still thinks I'm full-on Canadian. All right, good news is Gordo bought it. Bad news is I'm judging a poutine festival in Saskatoon next week." 2x12

"You're the single greatest mother I know." "Thank you. That means a lot coming from a guy with five moms." 2x12

"Fuzzy Afghan she likes, picture of the Pope, picture of a different Pope, picture of your dad, picture of the family, picture of me with the family, picture of me by a waterfall. I'm just gonna keep talking 'cause I'm not good in crisis situations." 2x13

"It's so crazy how we're both immigrants. I mean, I would never compare my story to yours, but the parallels are spooky. You were 18, I was 18. You left your family behind. I left four step-families, a maid, a butler, a chauffeur, and a horse groomer who really got me. But Father was expanding his business to the US and so I had to go. I remember, at the airport, I was crying. But Father put his arm around me and he said, 'Son, only losers cry.' So that was a long flight. You don't know how dirty a dirty look can get until you're crying for a whole plane ride and you're not a baby. I really didn't wanna be in America. So I drank. And I recreated the snowy plains of Canada with cocaine. I'm told I attended classes at Pepperdine University, but I will have to take that on faith. So, I'm in a detox center in El Segundo. This was my fourth rehab. My re-re-re-rehab. I thought I'd been doing a kickass job keeping my drug stuff a secret from all the tenants and then you showed up in my room at that clinic. You brought me sopa de pollo and said it's Cuban penicillin. You told me, 'You eat this, you get some sleep, and tomorrow, you try again.' And then you tucked me in and kissed me good night on my forehead. Forehead kisses are wildly underrated. Just something really comforting about 'em. Then again, it might just be you. Dad never did that. Or my horse groomer. After I got out of rehab, I started hanging around your apartment a lot more, 'cause it helped. Back then, it must have felt like you had this annoying, intrusive guy over. Not like now. 'Cause now you're my family. Don't worry. I haven't legally changed my last name to Alvarez. My lawyer said it was a whole thing, so... Anyway, Pen said no crying, so I'm not gonna. Actually, for once, I agree with Father. Only losers cry. And we're not losing anybody today. Let's hit that oath ceremony soon, okay?" 2x13

[paulbenedictblog]

%news%

New Post has been published on %http://paulbenedictsgeneralstore.com%

Bbc news Guerra en Siria: el gobierno pagará un "precio muy alto" por atacar a las tropas turcas

Bbc news

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Media captionSyria Warfare: Why is Idlib wait on in the records?

Turkey's president has warned the Syrian authorities that this might perhaps well well moreover "pay a if truth be told, very heavy impress" for assaults on Turkish troopers in north-west Syria.

5 troops had been killed in opposition-held Idlib province on Monday, because the Syrian navy endured an offensive.

Turkish forces struck dozens of targets in response, however President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated: "This is in a position to proceed."

Within the intervening time, Syrian troopers got here shut to regaining full maintain watch over of the country's vital north-south highway.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-basically based mostly monitoring team, reported on Tuesday morning they had pushed riot and jihadist opponents from the ideal share of the M5 that they held accurate west of the city of Aleppo.

Then all all over again, there was once no confirmation from the navy or roar media, and clashes had been reportedly ongoing alongside parts of the highway on Tuesday afternoon.

The authorities has no longer controlled the total M5 highway, which connects Aleppo with the capital Damascus and the border with Jordan, since 2012.

Also on Tuesday, a authorities helicopter was once reportedly shot down shut to the village of Nayrab, south-east of the opposition-held city of Idlib, killing its crew. Videos perceived to camouflage the helicopter on fire earlier than it plummeted to the bottom.

And 12 civilians, six of them teens, had been killed and 30 had been wounded in air strikes on the Sinaa and Jalaa areas of Idlib city, in accordance to the SOHR.

Turkey, a backer of the opposition, has sent troops to Idlib below agreements with the Syrian authorities's allies Russia and Iran - the 2017 Astana and 2018 Sochi accords - that sought to de-escalate hostilities.

To this level this month, Syrian navy artillery fire has killed 12 Turkish defense power personnel and one civilian contractor.

The Turkish defence ministry stated Turkish forces replied to Monday's assault by hitting 115 Syrian authorities targets and "neutralising" 101 troopers. Then all all over again, the Syrian navy didn't inform any casualties.

In a speech in Ankara on Tuesday, President Erdogan stated: "We gave the famous responses to the Syrian aspect on one of the best level. Especially in Idlib, they obtained what they deserved. However here is no longer enough. This is in a position to proceed."

"The extra they assault our troopers, the heavier impress they will pay. We are in a position to portion these steps with the overall public tomorrow," he added.

Listing copyright AFP

Listing caption Syrian authorities forces are shut to regaining maintain watch over of the strategic M5 highway

Turkey's roar files company stated a contemporary convoy of defense power vehicles and commandos had been sent to Idlib to toughen Turkish positions there, adding to the a total bunch of tanks and hundreds of troopers reportedly deployed ideal week.

The Syrian navy later stated Turkey was once "escalating acts of aggression by focusing on populated areas to wait on terrorists" and that it will most likely well acknowledge to assaults.

Within the intervening time, Russia known as for the de-escalation agreements to be implemented and warned it thought to be unacceptable "any terrorist exercise directed in opposition to the Syrian militia and Russian defense power products and providers".

Listing copyright AFP

Listing caption Almost 700,000 other folk, including 400,000 teens, occupy fled their properties since December

The Syrian navy has stated its troopers, who had been supported by Iran-backed militiamen and Russian air strikes, occupy recaptured bigger than 600 sq km (231 sq miles) of territory and "liberated" dozens of towns and villages in most up-to-date days.

No longer decrease than 373 civilians had been killed and 689,000 others occupy fled their properties since the offensive began in December, in accordance to the UN.

"Right here's, from our initial analysis, the vital selection of different folk displaced in a single interval since the Syrian disaster began nearly nine years up to now," a spokesman of the UN Location of job for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated on Tuesday.

The overwhelming majority of displaced other folk are moving north and west, in the direction of areas shut to the Turkish border which would be already overcrowded and the assign there might perhaps be a lack of enough safe haven. Many had been forced to camp on farmland and not utilizing a infrastructure in harsh winter stipulations.

Médecins Sans Frontières warned that a if truth be told critical selection of hospitals had been hit and either partly or fully destroyed in the previous few months, which contrivance that wounded other folk had been struggling to even entry health products and providers.

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[alexsmitposts]

US Coalition Boot Remains on Syria’s Neck We all have heard enough Trump flip-flops on policy to not get too excited about anything reasonable that occasionally comes out of his mouth. Such things are usually an accident, and if not, his NeoCon handlers and Netanyahu will put him back onto the unipolar path to great wealth and power. High hopes were flying in 2018 when the Syrian coalition had finally defeated ISIS militants in the major areas they held while living off the captive populations, except for the Idlib jihadi dumping ground. Add to that the Syrian-Kurdish treachery of taking over traditional Arab lands at the behest of US support, which included grabbing the western oil region in Deir Ezzor. Veterans Today followed all of this daily, including our three trips to Syria, beginning with my first as an election monitor in 2014 where I filed my first on-the-scene warzone report for NEO. Five years later I can confess we are tired of the Syria story, not out of lack of caring, but via the grind of watching the suffering continue for so long without those responsible having to pay a suitable price. That will be my subject for today. Trump’s full Syrian withdrawal announcement was a cruel tease, as the Pentagon was not even included in the decision. It was Trump winging it. The inference was that the troops would be coming home as a reward for a job well done, but the news came quickly that they would really be reassigned “nearby” to Iraq. The US footprint was remaining, and with the boot on Syria’s neck. The NeoCon White House continues to disparage the Assad regime as cruel oppressors, despite Syrians overwhelmingly re-electing him in 2014, in a real election. I know because the international monitor team’s Arabic interpreter, a Canadian Palestinian, and I did the final translation of the election certification from Arabic. I was at the morning meeting with the Syrian election commission people on June 1, and then drove to the Parliament to meet with the Speaker. Both briefed us, and were open to questions for 90 minutes each. The Election commission was new, a response to Western attacks that Syrian elections were always rigged. The most notable thing I can share from that meeting was that to defend against US claims of ballot-box stuffing, arrangements with the opposition parties had been made to have their representatives in all 5000 polling stations with “eyes on” all the ballot boxes until the last one was counted. The election was a real deal. Assad won by a huge majority, similar to the way that Roosevelt was elected to a third term. The Syrian people were not about to change leadership from those who had saved the country from the ISIS/militant slaughtering that had been orchestrated by the US coalition, which would have been followed by the carving up of Syria into a Balkanized group of states with respective special interest puppets in charge. In my many street and polling station interviews that day, I learned that the Syrian people viewed Assad and the Army as one entity, where rejecting Assad would be like rejecting the Army which the Syria people were not about to do. Too much blood had been spilled. If you compare their KIAs to a corresponding percentage of the US population, the number would have been two million. I shocked a press conference one day pointing that out, and then asked the question, what would the US population scream for if we had two million killed in a struggle to Balkanize and take over the country? I answered that it would have nuked whoever the offender was. At the Parliament meeting, the Speaker told us that Syria viewed itself as being in a world war, as it was holding jihadi terrorist PoWs from 65 countries, which most of the world was not aware of at the time. We later learned at VT that a large network had been constructed by the US coalition logistics people to keep a steady stream of jihadis flowing into Syria as cannon fodder for the nasty work to be done there, most all of it fully at the level of “crimes against humanity”. It is still going on. After Trump’s spontaneous claim to pull the US troops out was reversed, we watched a new stain on America’s honor in the continued horrible treatment of the displaced internal Syrians in overcrowded refugee camps, where they were being held as virtual prisoners. When many Syrian refugees were beginning to make plans to return to their homes and help rebuild their country, we could see that the US coalition had decided to disrupt that process. Sure, some began to return, but we found the US wanted to try to make them unhappy with Assad by assuring the sanctions remained to block getting the country back on its feet by blocking the essentials needed to live, much less to rebuild. The US excuse was to claim that the “political process” had to be well on its way before sanctions would be removed, but of course Washington knew it was in a position to block that process via its control over some of the participants. And in one of the cruelest acts of all, the tens of thousands remaining in the huge al-Tanf US stronghold on the Jordan border were blocked from leaving the camp by US officials. There have been some busloads removed in the last two weeks, but people, including children continue to die there, due to the US virtually holding them prisoner. A worse situation exists in northeast Syrian in the Kurdish SDF territory, where a large refugee camp is located near the town of al-Hawl in the eastern al-Hasakah countryside. It was designed for 20,000, but now holds 74,000, including Iraqi refugees that fled fighting from Anbar province in Iraq last year. They are living under appalling conditions, exacerbated by the influx of ISIS family survivors of the ISIS jihadis that held out to the end in Deir Ezzor. Instead of arranging for the care of these families in Deir Ezzor with proper logistics, they have been trucked all the way to northeast Syria, with many dying along the way from wounds suffering from the final month of fighting. Maj. Gen. Kupchishin, Head of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria, said that Damascus is offering settlement schemes along with security guarantees to displaced Syrians. However, Kurdish forces and the US-led coalition are not cooperating. Imagine that. Why do so few in the West know about these refugee horrors? It is because the US Coalition has had a complete blackout on all independent reporting on its activities inside Syria. When is the last time any of us have seen a Western news crew interview the victims of this cruel treatment? All we generally see are short clips of people being loaded onto trucks, but no personal interviews on what they have been through and who do they blame for their suffering. The continued silence about these crimes only encourages their continuance. Even the new Democrats in Congress have remained quiet about it, as punishing Syrians is an important topic to the Israelis along with the US, who are hoping the Syrian people will eventually blame Assad for it all. But the Syrians are not that stupid. Can they form a Coalition in the Region? The only silver lining is that finally Syria, Iraq and Iran are openly talking about forming a coalition to oppose the divide-and-conquer machinations of the US coalition, which has continued the chaotic conditions of the region and blamed it on Iran, an assertion which no one with half a brain believes. Syria and Iraq have announced plans to open the Qa’im border crossing just south of al-Bakumal in Deir Ezzor province. The US wants to block that opening if possible, as commercial goods, including oil can be trucked into the eastern areas of Syria, while Damascus works on pushing the SDF Kurds out of Deir Ezzor. Assad needs the region’s oil production to help rebuild Syria. I have written NEO articles several times over the last few years about the necessity of Syria, Iraq and Iran forming their own mini-NATO, with a consolidated defense from foreign interference, and have been greatly disappointed to see no progress. Maybe 2019 could be the year to see full independence for Syria and Iraq from their long suffering at the hands of the international criminals that run some of the respective governments, who did their dirty work under cover of immunity from prosecution. If the UN statutes concerning crimes against humanity are not to become a big joke, then the perpetrators of such during the Iraq and Syrian wars will have to be charged in a court, and not just the cannon fodder jihadis, but all those that supported them logistically. There is enough evidence. VT alone has tons of it and is ready to testify, and the sooner the better.

[ebenpink]

World News Briefs -- April 16, 2019 (Evening Edition) http://bit.ly/2IneWa5

Near disaster: An aerial view shows the vast extent of the damage to the Gothic cathedral's roof, where the fire took hold and raged throughout Monday night

Daily Mail: Bloodied but unbowed, Our Lady of Paris: Stunning aerial image shows scale of destruction to Notre Dame as ROBERT HARDMAN, the first reporter inside the cathedral, reveals sense of 'divine intervention' now uniting an angry France * France, along with much of the world, has been deeply shocked at the near-demise of ‘Our Lady of Paris’ * Yesterday evening, fresh images of the wreckage were released showing the aisle piled high with timbers * It could have been much worse. The 850-year-old towers which stand guard over entrance are in one piece Beneath the light rain that greeted a sleepless Parisian dawn yesterday, there was one over-riding emotion: That some sort of miracle had occurred in the early hours as it transpired one of the world’s greatest medieval buildings had survived wholesale destruction. The near-cataclysmic fire which had raged through the Cathedral of Notre Dame for eight hours during the night had finally been brought under control and smothered by first light. Notre Dame has, without doubt, been horribly damaged. France, along with much of the world, has been deeply shocked at the near-demise of ‘Our Lady of Paris’. Yesterday evening, fresh images of the wreckage were released showing the aisle piled high with charred and twisted timbers. Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Turkey eyes US sanctions waivers on Iran oil, Russia arms. Erdogan's AK Party appeals for rerun of Istanbul's mayoral poll. Christianity grows in Syrian town once besieged by Islamic State. Syria fuel shortages, worsened by US sanctions, spark anger. Iran's top diplomat in Damascus ahead of Syria talks. Iran ratifies bill designating US CENTCOM as terrorist group - reports. Bahrain strips over 100 of nationality on 'terror' charges. Israeli lawmakers back Netanyahu to form government. Saudi king hosts Abu Dhabi crown prince amid Sudan turmoil.

ASIA

New Zealand's revises national security threat level to medium. Satellite images may show reprocessing activity at North Korea nuclear site: think tank. Indonesians choose president, parliament in world's biggest one-day vote. Pakistan forces destroy 3-storey building in militant battle. Kabul announces list of 250 Afghans for talks with Taliban. Philippines to take legal action against China for clams harvest. North Korea's stockpile of cryptocurrency worth $700M, analysts say. ‘Pompeo lost his mind’: Chinese diplomat hits back at US attacks on Beijing’s investments in Chile.

AFRICA

Congo’s leader sets Ebola outbreak end date after 800 deaths. Western allies add fuel to Libya's fire with alleged military shipments to warlord. Late night shelling in Tripoli as Europe, Gulf divided over Haftar's push. Libya's UN-backed govt appeals to Europe against Haftar. UN Libya envoy: Haftar offensive on Tripoli 'sounded like a coup'. Fear of army action as Sudan protesters toughen stand. African Union gives Sudan military 15 days to establish civil rule. Algerian military considering all options to end crisis. Army chief says 'time running out' to resolve Algeria crisis. Nigerian Army destroys major oil smuggling hub. New UN envoy to work with African Union on Sudan crisis. Egyptian parliament vote could keep Sisi in power until 2030.

EUROPE

The Latest: Macron wants Notre Dame rebuilt within 5 years. Notre Dame assessed for structural damage after fire extinguished. French authorities rule out arson in Notre Dame Cathedral blaze. France's Macron pledges to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral. Mutual friends and borrowed cars: how Ukraine's would-be leader is linked to tycoon. Tory deregulation agenda stalling Brexit talks, says Corbyn. UK police arrest more than 200 in climate change protests. Russia's parliament votes to unplug internet from world. Russia jails Norwegian Frode Berg for spying on submarines.

AMERICAS

Oil workers reveal a Venezuelan region crumbling despite its resources. Trump expresses Notre Dame 'condolences' to Macron: White House. Trump says he's not concerned about Mueller report's release. Trump says Russia probe ‘con job,’ as fuller report looms. US to allow lawsuits over Cuba property confiscation. US hands Argentina declassified documents on 'Dirty War'. Museum cancels event honouring Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro. Support strong for Guaidó in devastated Venezuelan oil city. US health officials seek to stem measles outbreaks traced to Israel, Ukraine. Hundreds of prisoners released in Nicaragua ahead of protests anniversary. Canada court orders fresh look into Trudeau visit to Aga Khan's island.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

US says Sudan new regime can exit terror list if progress. US military says it killed ISIS-Somalia deputy in drone strike. Instagram accounts of Iran Guards commanders blocked. Iran names U.S. Central Command as terrorist group. Al Qaeda linked Kashmiri terror chief denounces Pakistan, calls for renewed jihad.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Stocks rise after solid economic data, earnings. F1 in talks over second China GP, road race on cards. Billions at stake as Apple vs Qualcomm trial begins. Jack Ma defends the 'blessing' of a 12-hour working day. from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2DjEAbw via IFTTT

[unchannelorg]

Programme Support Officer, Syria, Damascus

New Job!Syria Monday, 19 November 2018 UN Office Crisis Prevention & Recovery Damascus Under the direct supervision of the Human Settlements Officer – Programmes, and in coordination with relevant units at the Headquarters (HQs), the Regional Office (ROAS), and UN Coordination Support Office (CSO) the Programme Support Officer – Coordination (PSO) supports the coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of UN Habitat Syria Office (CO) programming.  The PSO will also contribute to the monitoring and evaluation of the UN Habitat Country Programme Document, SDGs, and relevant national strategies with particular emphasis on coordination with external stakeholders.  The PSO will support government and donor liaison and programme reporting for UN Habitat Syria Country Programme. The PSO is required to work in close cooperation with all UN Habitat Syria departments and Hubs as well as programme staff in other UN Agencies, Government official, technical advisors and experts, implementing partners, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Habitat programme implementation. Ensures effective support to the UN Habitat Senior Management Team in the preparation and implementation of the UN Habitat County Programme Document (HCPD) and related workplans focusing on achievement of the following results: Coordinate the analysis and research of the political, social.... http://dlvr.it/QqdqjC

[unjobaid]

UNFPA Job in Damascus, Programme Analyst, Reproductive Health, NOA, 22338-PO

UNFPA Job in Damascus, Programme Analyst, Reproductive Health, NOA, 22338-PO

UN Job Opening Programme Analyst, Reproductive Health, NOA

Duty Station: DAMASCUS, SYRIA Closing date: 10 April 2019 – 5:00pm (NY time)

Job Description | APPLY

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[azmatzahra]

On Syria: What to Read & Watch

Over the last few days, some friends have asked for quality sources to get informed about the war in Syria. I wanted to recommend a few works I've found especially powerful. These aren't newsy pieces; they're films, books, and magazine pieces rich in substance, context, and history.

FOR A HISTORICAL PRIMER ON SYRIA AND BASHAR AL ASSAD: 

"The Regime Responds"

Why does what happens in Syria matter so much? If you're looking for a very basic history, of both the Assad regime and the roots of the rebellion, this 23-minute film from FRONTLINE'S Marcela Gaviria is a great place to start.

ON THE REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVISTS THE WORLD HAS FORGOTTEN: 

"Burning Country"

To quote a friend: "These days, when politicians bring up the Middle East, they collapse a decade’s worth of occupation, civil war and revolution into a single, ineffable horror: the Islamic State. The idea is that we���ve never seen a group so horrific, so threatening to global stability — which is fueling calls for world powers to ally with, or acquiesce to, Syria’s Bashar al-Assad as a lesser evil in the war against ISIS. But look beyond this narrow counterterrorism prism and you see the devastating truth: a regime that is willing to rape, torture, starve and gas as many of its citizens as necessary to secure its rule — and in the process, sow such apocalyptic chaos as to help spawn a global refugee crisis and the rise of ISIS." This book by reporter Robin Yassin-Kassab and Syrian activist Leila Al Shami returns the focus to the people the world has so easily forgotten, the Syrian people who risked and often lost it all.

FOR AN INTIMATE CHRONICLE OF THE DEVOLUTION OF SYRIA THROUGH A FAMILY OVER GENERATIONS: 

"The Home That Was Our Country"

In this book, Alia Malek takes you inside a Damascus apartment building, weaving the history of family and the country, and in doing so, capturing cultures and characters—Syrian Muslims, Christians, Jews, Armenians, and Kurds who lived and worked together— social and economic context, and events that led to today.

TO SEE BOTH SIDES OF THIS WAR: 

"Syria Behind the Lines"

This film is from three years ago, but it is probably the last time anyone was able to traverse between both sides of Syria's war like this. Olly Lambert did more than embed with rebels or get the official government narrative with minders left & right, he lived with civilians on both sides— in strongholds loyal to Assad, and rebel-held areas where Islamist groups were gaining ground. If you want to know why many Syrians still support Bashar Al Assad, watch this.

FOR AN UNVARNISHED LOOK AT WHAT ASSAD'S AIR FORCE HAS BEEN DOING ALMOST EVERY SINGLE DAY: 

"The Bombing Of Al Bara"

What does it look like when Assad bombs his own people? It's taken allegations of chemical weapons attacks for many Americans to turn their focus to Syria, but since August 2012, the Syrian Air Force has been bombing its own people almost daily. This immersive film (full disclosure: I produced it), illustrates like nothing else the raw chaos, horror, fear and anger on the ground when bombs fall on civilians.

AND THE IMPACT IT'S HAVING ON CHILDREN, IN THEIR OWN WORDS: 

"Children of Syria"

"When they threw a missile on that house over there, I died one big death. I died and then lived again." No 5-year-old in the world should talk like this. The words of Sara, and the other children from Aleppo profiled in this film, will haunt you. These aren't children who are being exploited to support a cause; they're kids, in their own words, telling you what they see, feel, and think.

ON THE FAMILIES FORCED TO FLEE: 

"Exodus"

"Sometimes I envy the dead because they’ve finally found somewhere to settle down"

TO UNDERSTAND THE RISE OF ISIS...: 

"The Rise of ISIS"

When people talk about how ISIS took over territory, they often overlook the local discontent the organization so expertly exploited. Martin Smith does an incredible job of going beyond the traditionally cited ideological underpinnings to show how so much of this group's rise is deeply rooted in local context.

AND WOMEN WHO JOINED IT: 

"ISIS Women and Enforcers in Syria Recount Collaboration, Anguish and Escape"

For many who joined ISIS in Raqqa, the decision wasn't borne out of ideological support; it was a gamble to change their lot in life. By chronicling the stories of three women from Raqaa who chose to align themselves with ISIS, and then chose to escape, Azadeh Moaveni captures the survival-based logic, the money, power, and status that is the basis for so many decisions in Syria.

TO UNDERSTAND THE GEOPOLITICS OF THE FIGHT AGAINST ISIS: 

"Confronting ISIS"

Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, Shia militias, the Kurdistan Workers Party, the YPG — the list of players in Syria goes on and on, and if you're looking for a basic primer to make sense of it, this film is extraordinarily helpful.

AND LASTLY, FOR A SENSE OF HOW THE MEDIA CAN SOMETIMES GET THE STORY WRONG:

"The Incredible Story Behind The Syrian Protest Singer Everyone Thought Was Dead"

For years now, it's been next to impossible for journalists to operate un-embedded inside the country safely, and so there are inaccuracies that can proliferate. Here is one that I found especially arresting. I'd long heard the story of Ibrahim Qashoosh, a man many Syrians believed had been executed because of a protest anthem he wrote about Bashar Al Assad. James Harkin sets out to find the truth, and the tale is as incredible as it is cautionary.

[nichtaufgewacht]

In a burning room, chapter 2.

They had arrived at the military base, that was about fifty kilometers away from the Syrian city of Damascus. It was one of the truce days that had been agreed on, so that the people would have enough peace to reorganize, and the various humanitarian missions would have had a chance to do what they could. It was a hot and windy day. Joakim was walking behind his friend, and military superior, Sergeant Pär Sundström. To him, he was just his long time friend, Pär.

Joakim had a pair of sunglasses on, very useful to shield his eyes from the dust rising from the ground. The blue helmet with the UN logo on it, the thick uniform of the Swedish army sticking to his body. All of them were armed, for praxis. They were a small group, walking behind the commander in chief of the camp. They went inside the biggest container of the camp, that served as a hall and as a reunion place for every military man camp. Once inside, Joakim took off his helmet, with a sigh. Still standing, he went to sit next to Pär, in the first row of chairs, in front of a tall, American man.

“You alright?” Pär got closer to Joakim’s ear. He had very deep blue eyes, as clear as his soul. Long hair, for the occasion pulled up in a low tail behind his head. He was the closest thing Joakim had to a brother, being the only son of a divorced mother.

“All good.” Joakim lifted up his thumb at him, after he had placed the AK 5 - verificare arma in dotazione ad esercito svedese ed Onu - next to his chair. The weapon stood there, menacing, it’s cane leaning onto Joakim’s right leg. “A bit nauseated by the flight, but I got a tough stomach.” Pär jokingly patted Joakim’s thigh. In a moment, the entire room was quiet. The tall American man friendly smiled at them.

“Colonel Rogers, head of UN operations here at Camp Damascus.” he introduced himself. He was in his forties, with strong facial features and a well groomed red beard framing his face. “I’d like to welcome back Sergeant Sündström, and an heartfelt welcome to those who are here for the first time. I see a few new faces, and that really gives me joy.” Rogers looked at Joakim, who sustained his gaze. “Within the month you’ll be staying with us, we honestly hope that we’ll manage to accomplish a lot.” Rogers continued speaking. He had the marines uniform, a metal tag hanging from his neck.

“I’ll keep this short and sweet. While you’ll be here, me and Sergeant Sündström will be your guide, teacher and commander. You’ll be assigned to various tasks, and you’ll join other members of the coalization.” Joakim listened, taking off his sunglasses. He felt dust in each of his pores. “There’s so much to do here, like bringing resources such as medicins and basic life supplies to the UN refugees camps in this areas. Looking after young children and new borns, for those of you who are familiar with it, so that mothers and fathers can work on the documents they need to ask for political asylum.” The wind outside the container kept on raging.

“The most difficult task, to which you’ll get assigned if you specifically ask for it, is the reason why this truce is so important. Small groups of us leave the camp everyday to visit the destroyed parts of Damascus, and  even go up to Aleppo, to seek for alive citizens that might still be hiding in the buildings.” Joakim glanced at Pär: that was what he had signed up for. The aim to which he hoped to dedicate himself to. “Seeking for dead citizens, will be a priority as well. So that we can take them back to the camp, and help their families to find them. It won’t be easy, remember this is a peace mission in a country that is living a civil war. And war is war, no matter how big or small it may be.”

Every soldier in the room lent their ears to the Colonel’s words. He had spoken as frankly as he could have done, to make things very clear. Being a very honest person himself, Joakim instantly felt a connection to the man. Still, an unpleasant shiver crossed his back, sweaty under the Swedish Army M90 desert uniform that was sticking to his skin. "Tonight you’ll be free to get to know the camp. Rest well, and tomorrow morning you’ll be assigned to the different teams. Hope I have been clear enough.” The colonel looked at all their faces. “If the sergeant has something to say?” Pär immediately stood up. There was a patch saying ‘fänrik’, on his arm. And the UN and Swedish Armed Forces patches were right under it. He shook hands with the colonel, that was taller than him of about fifteen centimeters. Pär didn’t seem to mind that at all.

“You already know everything you need to know.” Pär said, serious. “Listen, be careful, and when it’s possible try to think that you’re here because our country has decided to contribute to world peace.” Joakim watched his friend being the military officer he had chosen to become. That wasn’t like being in the security battalion; no stations or crowded streets, no part time jobs. For that month, things would have been definitely real. “Stockholm and Dalarna will be a far thought. When you’ll come back, you’ll be richer in the mind and in the heart. And as the Belgians say…” he opened his arms at his men, and waited for their answer.

“Resiste et mords!” the eight men under his command replied, in a single choir. Colonel Rogers felt like applauding, slightly amused. Joakim, with a smile, shook his head at his friend and commander.

“Resist and bite.” Pär explained to Rogers. “I am kind of an history nerd, colonel.” Rogers chuckled, and nodded.

“Dismiss, everyone.” The colonel said, after Pär had finished speaking.

A couple of hours later, after eating together with the others, Joakim was on his bed. He had taken off his combat boots, and was laying with a foot on the other, tapping on his smartphone. The bed wasn’t that bad at all, and the long room in which all of the members of his division would have lived had enough air for everybody. There was a small window between Joakim’s bed and the one next to is; it was open, and some air was desperately trying to get inside.

Pär had entered the room, and everyone had saluted him. He quickly dismissed them with a lazy hand gesture, and went sitting on the bed near the door, the one next to Joakim’s. The sergeant untied his hair, that for the best part of the day had been put up in a pony tail. He scratched the back of his head, satisfied; then, he sat down with a loud sigh.

“Long day?” Joakim asked to his friend. Pär nodded, his lips under the beard curling in a smile. “Long day.” he replied. Then, he adjusted himself to sit on the bed, to remove his boots. “Have you called her already?” Joakim felt surprised at the perfect timing. He had been caught in the exact moment in which he was about to push the “call” button.

“Right on time.” Joakim smiled, showing the phone to Pär. Pär chuckled, taking off his tags and his shirt, remaining only with a white tank. He wasn’t as big as Joakim, but his body was still defined.

“I still can’t believe how you went up to a girl just like that.” Pär said. “You’ve changed, after all.”

“Indeed.” Joakim took a deep breath. His long fingers slid down the contacts, until he found her. Claire. He glanced at Pär one last time, seeing how he let down his head on the pillow and closed his eyes, humming a song. Then, Joakim tapped on the small icon of a videocamera. He closed his eyes as he heard the phone ring.

 Claire was standing in front of the kitchen table, a knife in her hand as she chopped down carrots and other vegetables to make a salad. She had just arrived home after a tiring day of studying and researching at the University, and she just wanted to sit down to have a homemade meal.

On the other side of the open space kitchen, sitting on the couch, was her older brother, Chris. He was a medium height young man, with long brown hair that tended to be curly to its ends. He had brown eyes, just like Claire, and he had a dark beard framing his round face. His hands moved on the guitar frets of the classic Fender he was playing on, improvising.

The sound of him playing was filling the room. It wasn’t loud as usual; this time he had chosen to stay clean, almost as if he wanted to create an atmosphere.

“How come you’re playing on a Fender? You hate them.” Claire had noticed how her brother wasn’t using his more modern, habitual guitar. Chris’ fingers kept playing, as he shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t even know.” he replied. “Guess I just want to give this a chance. It’s not that bad, but it’s not my cup of tea.” Claire chuckled, taking a bamboo bowl from above the kitchen counter to place the salad in. Then, Chris stopped playing. He stood up, and walked barefoot towards Claire, holding something in his hand. Her phone, and it was ringing. The girl noticed, and furrowed her brows at him, looking up at this face.

“How did you hear it?” she asked, taking the smartphone in her small hand. Chris pointed to his ears.

“I’m a superhero. Never forget that.” he said, as he grabbed a couple of plates to lay the table.

Claire looked at her phone. A number she didn’t know, that was video calling her. She turned pale, and then her cheeks turned red. Holding her breath for a second, she accepted the call. She wouldn’t believe her eyes as Joakim’s face appeared on the screen. He was waving at her, with a joyful smile. Then, he burst out in a laugh, visibly amused.

“I’m glad that my face is so ridiculous to you.” Claire replied, brushing a hand through her hair. She couldn’t help but smile back at him. His laugh was contagious.

“It’s just…you should look at you. Your expression is priceless.” he said, speaking English in his familiar accent.

“Well, I see that you’re enjoying the taste of victory.” she said, one of her brows lifting up. In the meantime, Chris glanced at that scene. It hadn’t been a while since he had seen her sister be so shy with someone. Silently, he went on preparing dinner from where Claire had left it, pushing a tuft of hair behind his ear.

“Victory.” Joakim repeated, mocking her British accent. “I love how you say it. But yes, I am enjoying it very much.” Joakim tried to grasp every glance of her that he could. How she licked her lips from time to time, how her index finger played with one of her earrings.

“Then, how long until our first date, private Joakim?” Claire said, playfully. She took a look at his thick neck, at the curve of his deltoids covered by a white t-shirt.

“Thirty-two days.” he said, nodding. “Don’t hide it, I know you can’t wait.” Claire chuckled.

“Time will tell, I guess.” she said.

“I will call you every day.” Joakim said. Claire was surprised, and felt her cheeks blushing. “So that I can remind you how many days until that glorious evening.” he smirked, with a sweet expression on his features. He was taking courage in his hands once again, and felt like he could take on the world.

“You can, if you want to.” Claire agreed. She looked down at her feet for a moment, shyly. Joakim took the chance to eye her up, and to print her features in his mind. In the dimmed light of her kitchen, even through the screen, she seemed adorable to him.

“I think it’s time for me to go to sleep. I’ve had a full day.” Joakim said, definitely feeling sad about the call ending. “How was your day, by the way?” Claire looked at him again. She could see his eyes, again. They were green. Then they were hazel.

“Long.” she replied. “Thank you for asking, anyway.” Claire watched as Joakim slightly bowed his head.

“I’ll leave you to your civilian life then.” he said, after he had let out a yawn. “Have a good night, Claire.” Joakim smiled. Claire waved at him.

“Have a good night, private.” she replied, bringing her hand to her forehead to make the military salute. Joakim replied to it, making a serious face for a moment; then, he winked at her.

Claire closed the video call, tapping on her smartphone. She stared at it, for a second of trance. Then, she finally sat down at the table, where Chris was already eating, as he watched the news on the tv.

“Who was that?” he asked. He had tried to hold it in, but he was too curious.

“No one.” she replied. “Just a guy.” Chris nodded, understanding. He knew her too well, and was curious about it. Yet, he decided to let it go for the moment. He observed her features and noticed the content smile that had started to appear on her pink lips.

[globaltotal]

The Astana process may represent a moment of new Russian seriousness.

This week’s Russian-sponsored Syria peace talks in Astana were meant to demonstrate Moscow’s centrality to resolving the Syria crisis. Gathering together the key regional actors – Turkey and Iran, as well as the Syrian government and a delegation of armed rebels – Moscow hoped to finally break the log-jam.

Yet, in the end, the talks proved unable to deliver any meaningful breakthrough. There are no concrete details on how a current Russian-Turkey brokered ceasefire will be solidified, no steps to end the deliberate obstruction of humanitarian assistance, nor any meaningful political progress. In many ways Astana mirrored previous US-Russian summits – promising future cooperation, namely the establishment of a joint ceasefire monitoring mechanism, rather than delivering immediate action. It is no surprise that new UN-sponsored intra-Syrian talks scheduled for February have now been delayed.

But the failure of the Astana talks to deliver immediate results may not entirely be due to the Russian intransigence that has hung over repeated rounds of international negotiations. While scepticism that this may just be another ruse to buy the regime more time to finish the job has some value, there’s no getting away from the sense that the Astana process represents a moment of new Russian seriousness.

Moscow has invested considerable energy in this process in an apparent bid to consolidate the regime’s military gains. In so doing Moscow has reached an unprecedented accord with Turkey, the opposition’s key external backer. This agreement has already delivered important results, including a ceasefire that has held fast across significant areas of the country. Ankara has considerably softened its stance that Assad must go, reflecting both the post-Aleppo reality and its prioritisation of preventing further Syrian-Kurdish advances. Russia has, in turn, sent signals that it is willing to support a Turkish zone of influence in northern Syria as part of an approach that accepts a degree of decentralisation across non-regime areas. Moscow and Ankara even went as far as conducting joint anti-ISIS air strikes around the northern city of al-Bab this week.

Meanwhile, Russia has opened the door to a wider array of key rebel armed groups, a development that points to a new Russian pragmatism that  recognises  the necessity of a more inclusive approach.

Meanwhile, Russia has opened the door to a wider array of key rebel armed groups, including the Turkish backed Ahrar al-Sham and the Damascus-based Jaish al-Islam, both of which it formerly labeled as extremist. It is a development that points to a new Russian pragmatism that recognises the necessity of a more inclusive approach.

Taken together these represent notable shifts. But they remain insufficient for locking in the ceasefire yet alone moving forward a meaningful political process.

In the end, Moscow appears to fallen short of securing full Iranian buy-in, without which it remains unable to deliver a recalcitrant Assad set on total victory. Tehran continues to believe that control must, at minimum, be re-established over rebel-held districts in Damascus, the strategic importance of which is self-evident. Ongoing fighting around Wadi Barada and East Ghouta has been a key obstacle to cementing the ceasefire and broader peace process. The continued military operations of Russia’s allies in these regions drew unprecedented criticism from Moscow, laying bear some of the divisions at play.

Until the regime re-establishes control over these areas, which appears increasingly inevitable - there is little reason to believe that Russia will do much to shift Iran’s calculations. The delay in the creation of a ceasefire monitoring mechanism and the postponement of new intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, likely reflects this reality.

But if Moscow has any hope of this process meaningfully moving forward, Iran’s support will be paramount. In many ways Tehran faces a coming moment of truth – a choice between the more minimalist interpretation of victory, apparently now pursued by Moscow, and the maximalist ambitions of the regime that would involve taking the fight to Idlib, Daraa, and beyond. The choice it makes will have a significant bearing on the next phase of the conflict.

On the one hand it is clear why Iran might – and is perhaps likely – to continue the fight. Not only has the regime long been clear that it wants to regain control over every inch of Syrian territory, but recent dynamics have put the wind in its sails. With armed opposition increasingly neutralised due to a lack of external support, the strategic logic in trying to confront the last meaningful stronghold of significant opposition capability in Idlib is clear. The recent outbreak of intra-rebel fighting across the province as the rebranded al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat Fateh al-Sham advances against other groups, some of whom were represented in Astana, will make the task both easier and more palatable internationally.

Meanwhile, Iran is also acutely aware of the tide of anti-Iran sentiment sweeping through Washington DC following the election of President Donald Trump. Rather than fold, as some might hope, Tehran may choose to double down on its regional position, employing the forward defence approach that has long defined its regional strategy. Trump’s recent messaging on the need for safe zones in Syria could push Iran to take action now before these can materialise, even if Trump’s aversion to putting US troops on the ground or arming the opposition make the likelihood of US-led safe zones somewhat questionable.

But this strategy could prove risky for Iran, and there are reasons it might choose to hold fire. Tehran could have a more minimalist view of victory, one that nonetheless assures the Assad regime’s strategic dominance and which in time could also come to include ISIS-held and energy rich territories in the east of country, as a means of extricating itself from a longer term fight. Iranian manpower and resources are, in the end, likely to bear the greater burden of any ongoing conflict given the Assad regime’s clear capacity constraints. Iran’s response may, in part, depend on the extent of alignment with Ankara and its belief that a Turkish northern zone of influence could actually serve to contain ongoing rebel ambitions, thereby limiting the possible impact of an ongoing insurgency.

The possibility of a shift in international acceptance of Assad’s hold over core Syria (UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson suggested this week that Assad could stand in future elections, demonstrating a potential shift in position) might persuade Tehran of the wisdom of consolidating its position through the ceasefire and a carefully managed political process.

The truth is that no one knows the precise nature of current Iranian calculations, or how far Moscow is willing to go to try and deliver a result. Having initiated and in some sense tied its credibility to the process, Moscow will be intent on delivering some progress, and it is Moscow’s track that today probably holds out the best hope of securing a more meaningful ceasefire and wider de-escalation. It may well deploy some leverage by refraining from providing ongoing air cover to new regime advances. But it remains more uncertain whether it would ever be willing to try and force compliance from Iran, perhaps as part of a wider agreement with Trump that some are now betting on.

The optimistic view is that this is the moment Russia begins to shift position. The realistic view is probably that in the end Russia will have no choice but to bend to Iran’s will or risk losing the entirety of its Syria investment.

[giftofshewbread]

New World Order Coming !

: By Daymond Duck   Published on: April 26, 2020

The most important advice that anyone can give a person is to tell them to focus on their relationship with God by putting their faith in Jesus, repenting of their sins and drawing near to Him.

The prophet Amos said, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

Some prophecy teachers believe that God has allowed the current Coronavirus Crisis to reveal that the Tribulation Period and New World Order (World Government, World Religion, Mark of the Beast, Rev. 13:7-8, etc.) are close (and by implication the Rapture is closer) and the need to draw near to God is urgent.

Notice how the following current events fit God’s end-of-the-age revelations.

One, according to the prophet John, the top religious leader in the Tribulation Period (the False Prophet) will merge religion with politics (He will pretend to be a holy man but support the antichristian government of the Antichrist; Rev. 13:11-12).

On Apr. 12, 2020 (Easter Sunday), a day to focus on the resurrection of Jesus, Pope Francis released a letter supporting Universal Basic Income (UBI).

UBI is the globalist (world government) idea that everyone on earth should receive a basic income package (free money; free checks; wealth re-distribution).

UBI has been supported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Elon Musk (head of SpaceX and Tesla), Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook), Democrat Presidential candidates Andrew Yang, Bernie Sanders, and others of note.

This is the problem: If everyone receives a check from their government (and they want to keep getting it), what will happen if their government decides to require them to take the Mark, or the name, or the number of the Antichrist?

Will people take the Mark of the Beast to keep receiving a government check and have the right to buy and sell or will they refuse the check and perish?

This is not far-fetched because people will be denied the right to buy and sell (Rev. 13:16-17), and multitudes will be put to death during the Tribulation Period for refusing to take the Mark (Rev. 20:4).

Anyway, what possessed Pope Francis to talk about UBI on Resurrection Day instead of the resurrection of Jesus?

Two, in Sept. 2015, the UN adopted a document called “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

The Preamble of the document called it a “New Universal Agenda.”

The document calls for the establishment of a one-world government, a one-world religion and a one-world economic system by 2030.

On Feb. 4, 2019, Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, perhaps the most important Imam in Sunni Islam, met in Abu Dhabi to sign an Interfaith Document in the presence of leaders from all of the religions of the world.

The document encourages peace between all religions and says all religions are the will of God and all religions are acceptable to God.

On Feb. 6, 2019, Pope Francis was back at the Vatican where he said the Islamic world and the Christian world will work together to promote common values.

He said, “We commit ourselves to spreading authentic values and peace throughout the world.”

If Jesus is the only way to be saved (and He said He is; John 14:6), how can Pope Francis believe that all religions are acceptable to God when they don’t believe Jesus died for the sins of the world?

If the Bible is the Word of God (and it is), how can Pope Francis say that Christians and Muslims should work together to promote common values?

Christian values come from the Bible, and they cannot be compromised with the teachings of Islam.

A one-world government and a one-world religion will exist at the same time during the Tribulation Period.

If (I say “If” because God is in control and He can speed it up, slow it down or whatever) world leaders succeed with the establishment of a world government by 2030, there will be a world religion by 2030 (and a Rapture before 2030).

If there is a gap of a few years between the Rapture and the beginning of world government (and I believe there will be one), time is short indeed.

It is important to understand that the “New Universal Agenda” (global ethic, common values, world religion) really means forcing everyone on earth to believe what the UN wants them to believe, that internationalism, globalism, abortion, gay marriage, Chrislam, open borders, etc., are good, but nationalism, patriotism, the teaching that there is only one way to be saved, closed borders, etc., are bad – and that the global ethic must be strengthened and Christianity must be weakened.

If globalists think they need to shut the doors of the Church, and ignore the resurrection of Jesus to achieve this, they will (Pope Francis did both).

Three, new believers will be persecuted during the Tribulation Period (Rev. 13:7).

On Apr. 11. 2020, the Chinese government stopped all online services of churches that do not have a government-approved license.

Activities banned by China include worship, prayer, baptisms and Scripture reading.

Several Chinese Christians were arrested for participating in worship services from their homes over the Internet using the Zoom App.

But China is not alone.

In the U.S., the Coronavirus lockdown has caused many churches to close their doors and turn to Facebook and the Internet to get the Word out.

Some U.S. Churches have been censored and blocked.

Some pastors have been told that worship services are illegal (a few have been arrested).

Four, there will be a way to track everyone on earth during the Tribulation Period (Rev. 13:16-17).

Much has been written about Bill Gates’ desire to force everyone on earth to be vaccinated and tattooed with a global ID immunization tracking system.

On Apr. 13, 2020, Roger Stone, former advisor to Pres. Trump, suggested that Gates may have had a part in the creation of the Coronavirus to create a need for a global tracking system.

Now, it is being reported that the FBI, Apple, Google and others are involved in the creation of tracking systems.

Something to remember about taking tattoos is that those that take them find that they are next to impossible to get rid of.

Five, there will be a global economic collapse during the Tribulation Period (Rev. 6:5-6).

On Apr. 15, 2020, the International Monetary Fund reported that all the signs are pointing to a global economic crisis unlike anything that has been seen in decades.

Others are saying that the world is going into a deep recession, and some oil traders are willing to pay people to take their excess oil off their hands.

Six, the Tribulation Period and one-world government will begin when the Antichrist confirms a covenant with many for peace in the Middle East (Dan. 9:27).

Concerning Pres. Trump’s Middle East peace proposal, Prime Min. Netanyahu wants Israel to act very soon because there is no guarantee that Mr. Trump will be re-elected.

On Apr. 20, 2020, Israel’s two main political parties agreed to create a national unity government and start implementing part of Pres. Trump’s peace proposal as soon as July 1, 2020.

This could speed up some of the prophesied wars and rumors of wars.

Seven, the one-world government will be a satanic Antichrist-led government (Rev. 13:5).

On Apr. 14, 2020, Pres. Trump announced the suspension of U.S. contributions to the WHO for 60-90 days for failing to do its job.

The UN (United Nothing as some see it) global organizations are often staffed with political appointees that have impure motives.

They definitely are not the kind of people that leaders should choose to rule the world.

Eight, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog: the war in Syria, U.S. sanctions, low oil prices and a spreading Coronavirus Crisis in Russia is straining Russia’s economy.

Russia’s economic future is looking bleak, and some are predicting that Russia has one year at the most to act before her economy collapses.

The collapse of oil prices could speed this up.

Nine, Israel and Syria will get into a war, and Damascus, Syria, will be destroyed in one night (Isa. 17).

Concerning the destruction of Damascus in one night, Syria is allowing the terrorist group Hezbollah to establish bases on the Golan Heights, and an Israeli official said, “Israel will not allow this.”

Ten, God said, “I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come” (Before the Tribulation Period comes; Joel 2:30-31).

The Apostle Peter referred to this in his famous sermon on the first Pentecost (fire and pillars of smoke before the Tribulation Period; Acts. 2:19-20).

In addition to all the other signs that are shaping up, volcanic eruptions appear to be increasing around the world, and God is the only One that could know that would happen more than 2,000 years before it started happening.

Eleven, Jesus warned everyone about deception at least three times in the Olivet Discourse (Matt. chapter 24-25), so notice the reality of what is taking place and how every jot and tittle of Bible prophecy is literally being fulfilled.

Do not be deceived by the false teachings of Preterists that say all prophecy was fulfilled by 70 A.D. (it wasn’t) and the Replacement Theologians that say Israel has been replaced by the Church (it hasn’t).

The New World Order is coming, ready or not.