Sunday Post

 

Oh, dear:

At least 107 people were killed and more than 150 injured when an Indian express train derailed in northern Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, with the toll set to rise amid a scramble to locate survivors in the wreckage.

Police officials said people were still missing as authorities were trying to ascertain what caused 14 carriages of the train traveling between the northeastern city of Patna and the central city of Indore to suddenly roll off the tracks in Pukhrayan, 65 km south of Kanpur city.

Authorities said they were checking what condition the tracks had been in but added they would need to look further before concluding the cause of the derailment.

Unlike some countries, South Korea takes a very dim view of political interference:

South Korean prosecutors on Sunday said they believe President Park Geun-hye conspired in criminal activities of a secretive confidante who allegedly manipulated government affairs and exploited her presidential ties to amass an illicit fortune — a damning revelation that may convince opposition parties to push for her impeachment.

And what could replace President Park?

Next election, possibly this:

It’s not hard to see how this war of skirmishes will escalate when Kim Jong-un gains an effective nuclear monopoly on the Korean peninsula, or how a future leftist South Korean government might yield to a slow-motion surrender, as part of an extended “peace process,” to the celebration of much of the world press and a few academic dullards who will not even understand what they’re witnessing. Indeed, the greatest Korea policy challenge that most Americans do not fully grasp is how deeply anti-American and anti-anti-North Korean — and in many cases, how pro-North Korean — the South Korean left really is. Today, it looks overwhelmingly likely that the left will end up winning next year’s South Korean presidential election. It’s difficult to see how the next Secretary of State will align with the next South Korean president on defense or North Korea policy.  - See more at: http://freekorea.us/2016/11/16/trump-korea-policy-we-now-enter-the-bargaining-stage/#sthash.av1mQZUa.dpuf

It’s not hard to see how this war of skirmishes will escalate when Kim Jong-un gains an effective nuclear monopoly on the Korean peninsula, or how a future leftist South Korean government might yield to a slow-motion surrender, as part of an extended “peace process,” to the celebration of much of the world press and a few academic dullards who will not even understand what they’re witnessing. Indeed, the greatest Korea policy challenge that most Americans do not fully grasp is how deeply anti-American and anti-anti-North Korean — and in many cases, how pro-North Korean — the South Korean left really is. Today, it looks overwhelmingly likely that the left will end up winning next year’s South Korean presidential election. It’s difficult to see how the next Secretary of State will align with the next South Korean president on defense or North Korea policy. 

 
South Korean presidents have only one five-year term to serve. If this unseats President Park and a milquetoast party fills the void, it's all going to get too real when Kim Jong-Un  shells an island the way his dad did.

It's like watch PM Hair-Boy pretend to get serious about trade now that a diametrically opposite leader will assume office in a couple of short months.

If Trump is serious about re-negotiating or scrapping deals like NAFTA, countries like Mexico (which has benefited greatly from NAFTA) and China, that inserts itself into any trade deal it can dominate, might see themselves on the outside.

Canada, under the leadership of whoever pays for Trudeau, can't pretend that it defends its own interests while pushing for a carbon tax that will push industries out of the country, stalling pipelines, handing business over to the paper dragon, China, or letting in droves of unvetted migrants to stay.

Out of one's depth, is my point.

 
(Kamsahamnida)





Yeah, I would call an intolerant, murderous culture "toxic":

American civil rights organizations and faith leaders said Friday they were disturbed by Trump’s appointment of retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn to be his top national security adviser. Flynn, a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, has repeatedly referred to Islam as “a cancer,” claimed that a “fear of Muslims is rational” and warned — despite a lack of evidence — that Sharia or Islamic law is spreading throughout the United States.

(Sidebar: yes, about that...)


Case in point:

Daddo said that while some of the older IS militants could be friendly, the younger jihadists were overzealous in pressuring them to convert.

"One day, one of them came asking for money and gold. He poked his rifle into my ribs and said 'You have to give to us,'" she said, explaining that she forked over about $300, while Badriya gave up 15-carat gold to pay the jizya tax.

In an another instance, about 20 IS militants came to the house and tried to force the women to convert and recite the Islamic declaration of faith.

"I told him we had our beliefs and they had theirs," Daddo said.

"He told me to spit on a picture of the Virgin Mary and a crucifix," she continued. "I refused but he made me. The whole time I was telling God in my heart that I did not mean any of this."

Okay. When will you resign, Premier Wynne?

Premier Kathleen Wynne is calling high electricity prices her “mistake.”

In a speech to party faithful at the Ontario Liberal annual general meeting today in Ottawa, Wynne says she takes responsibility “for not paying close enough attention to some of the daily stresses in Ontarians’ lives.”

She says while she is proud of the work done to remove coal from the system and ensure adequate supply, it is unacceptable that some people have to choose between paying for food and heating.

She doesn't give a crap.


Also: how one's hydro bill breaks down:

ELECTRICITY

There is a charge for spilling water instead of running it through the turbines. There is also a fuel cost for the spilled water.

Ratepayers are even charged when wind power is not needed but could be generated by the province’s expensive wind developments. We also pay for the cost of meteorological stations used to estimate the number of kilowatt hours of electricity which those wind turbines might have produced.
You also pay for solar panels on your neighbour’s roof. Owners of solar panels are paid up to 80 cents a kWh, but only pay time-of-use rates for their consumption.

When power is sold off to other jurisdictions, you are charged for the difference between the cost of generating the power and the price at which it is sold. This means paying for places like New York and Michigan to take our surplus power. In 2015 this was enough to power two million Ontario homes.

DELIVERY

When electricity travels a long distance, a certain amount of power is lost. This can be anything from a 2% to a 9% loss. But you are still charged for that lost, unused power.

If you reduce your consumption, your local distribution company loses revenue. The OEB will grant a rate increase to cover the lost revenue which drives up the delivery cost even further.

You also pay for those $4 coupons enticing you to buy LED bulbs, and city-dwellers pay extra to subsidize delivery costs for rural and remote customers.

REGULATOR

The “regulatory” line on your bill includes operating costs of the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). The IESO contracted for wind and solar power generation. IESO’s management costs ($180 million) and development of the electricity grid ($1.5 billion) are also included. The costs to hook up your neighbour’s solar panels to the electricity grid are also included here.

(Merci)





And now, a baby elephant searches for a girl's nose: