"Everything Is Better When You and I are 1."
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Alex's Corner presents Camp Bisco 2015 Montage Mountain July 16-18
Wednesday July 15
Bisco
announced that campers could start arriving Wednesday July 15. The
gates opened at 6, so of course we wanted to get there early. There were
so many people, all going to Bisco from around here, that a bunch of us
decided to meet at one friend’s house and car pool 13 people in 5 cars.
My boyfriend and I drove my car.
announced that campers could start arriving Wednesday July 15. The
gates opened at 6, so of course we wanted to get there early. There were
so many people, all going to Bisco from around here, that a bunch of us
decided to meet at one friend’s house and car pool 13 people in 5 cars.
My boyfriend and I drove my car.
We
left Glens Falls around 6 pm and headed towards Scranton, PA. We hadn’t
even left Glens Falls yet and two of our cars had almost gotten in
accidents already, but everything was all good. We drove to Albany to
get on the through way and when we passed through the toll booth we lost
sight of some of the car pool and went towards Buffalo instead of New
York City. It ended up not adding much more time to our trip and it was a
lot more scenic with less traffic.
left Glens Falls around 6 pm and headed towards Scranton, PA. We hadn’t
even left Glens Falls yet and two of our cars had almost gotten in
accidents already, but everything was all good. We drove to Albany to
get on the through way and when we passed through the toll booth we lost
sight of some of the car pool and went towards Buffalo instead of New
York City. It ended up not adding much more time to our trip and it was a
lot more scenic with less traffic.
After
about a four hour drive we arrived at Montage Mountain around 10:30. As
we pulled up we could see the line to get in wrapping around the field.
We grabbed all of our stuff and immediately got in line. We knew the
line was going to be long, but we never imagined how long. After about
three hours waiting in line everyone was starting to get a little testy.
The line turned from orderly to chaos real quick. There were people
arguing and shouting about budging. About five of our friends decided to
budge right up to the gates where you get searched, the whole crowd
started shouting “asshole” repeatedly at them. A few of us stayed back
because we didn’t want to cut the line.
about a four hour drive we arrived at Montage Mountain around 10:30. As
we pulled up we could see the line to get in wrapping around the field.
We grabbed all of our stuff and immediately got in line. We knew the
line was going to be long, but we never imagined how long. After about
three hours waiting in line everyone was starting to get a little testy.
The line turned from orderly to chaos real quick. There were people
arguing and shouting about budging. About five of our friends decided to
budge right up to the gates where you get searched, the whole crowd
started shouting “asshole” repeatedly at them. A few of us stayed back
because we didn’t want to cut the line.
After
seeing the group make it without anything happening, someone from the
group decided to budge to the searching gate. As he was walking over a
man ran out from the line and punched him in the face and tackled him.
He got back in his space in line and it was over with.
seeing the group make it without anything happening, someone from the
group decided to budge to the searching gate. As he was walking over a
man ran out from the line and punched him in the face and tackled him.
He got back in his space in line and it was over with.
Because
they stopped sending as many shuttles to pick people up from the
parking lot we were at, we waited in that line until 7:00 am. After
finally getting all of our belongings searched we waited in line some
more for the shuttle. When that finally came, we took about a 10 minute
drive to the festival grounds. By the time we got there, they stopped
running the tractors that carried you and your stuff to the campsite.
Luckily we had friends already set up in an area, so all we had to do
was get there and set up our tent. We set up our tent in the woods and
finally got to sleep at 8 am.
they stopped sending as many shuttles to pick people up from the
parking lot we were at, we waited in that line until 7:00 am. After
finally getting all of our belongings searched we waited in line some
more for the shuttle. When that finally came, we took about a 10 minute
drive to the festival grounds. By the time we got there, they stopped
running the tractors that carried you and your stuff to the campsite.
Luckily we had friends already set up in an area, so all we had to do
was get there and set up our tent. We set up our tent in the woods and
finally got to sleep at 8 am.
Thursday July 16
We
woke up at 12 in the afternoon to a very hot tent. This is Camp Bisco’s
first year at Montage Mountain, also home to the Peach Music Festival.
Montage Mountain has a water park, so we decided to hit that up the
first day. There was a lazy river, slides with mats, a tornado, and
twisty slides. It was really cool to have that experience while at a
festival, especially because it was really hot.
woke up at 12 in the afternoon to a very hot tent. This is Camp Bisco’s
first year at Montage Mountain, also home to the Peach Music Festival.
Montage Mountain has a water park, so we decided to hit that up the
first day. There was a lazy river, slides with mats, a tornado, and
twisty slides. It was really cool to have that experience while at a
festival, especially because it was really hot.
After
chilling at the water park we decided to walk around the venue and
check everything out. There were food tents for almost everything,
funnel cakes, wraps, smoothies, burgers, Ben and Jerry’s, and so many
more. STS9 was the first artist we were going to see at 8:45. Five of us
went to the main stage, Electric City, a little early so we could get
close. We were walking around just trying to find a good spot and we
somehow ended up in the VIP Section without knowing, We didn’t think it
was VIP because I went to the bathroom and came back and no one said
anything to me. My boyfriend wanted to go to the bathroom before STS9
started so he went and when he came back they wouldn’t let him I because
he wasn’t VIP. So he had to jump over one of the fences to get back in.
chilling at the water park we decided to walk around the venue and
check everything out. There were food tents for almost everything,
funnel cakes, wraps, smoothies, burgers, Ben and Jerry’s, and so many
more. STS9 was the first artist we were going to see at 8:45. Five of us
went to the main stage, Electric City, a little early so we could get
close. We were walking around just trying to find a good spot and we
somehow ended up in the VIP Section without knowing, We didn’t think it
was VIP because I went to the bathroom and came back and no one said
anything to me. My boyfriend wanted to go to the bathroom before STS9
started so he went and when he came back they wouldn’t let him I because
he wasn’t VIP. So he had to jump over one of the fences to get back in.
STS9
put on a really good show, I’ve always enjoyed their music but
experiencing them live definitely made me want to listen to more of
their music. After STS9 ended at 10:15 we went to the Second Stage,
Above The Waves, to watch Flatbush Zombies. I do not listen to Flatbush
Zombies so it was very interesting. I don’t really know how to describe
their kind of music, but it’s some sort of rap. I was enjoying the show
until they screamed for everybody to start a mosh pit, and a crowd
always listens to the artist. Being 4’11”, I decided to get out of there
before I got some elbows to the face.
put on a really good show, I’ve always enjoyed their music but
experiencing them live definitely made me want to listen to more of
their music. After STS9 ended at 10:15 we went to the Second Stage,
Above The Waves, to watch Flatbush Zombies. I do not listen to Flatbush
Zombies so it was very interesting. I don’t really know how to describe
their kind of music, but it’s some sort of rap. I was enjoying the show
until they screamed for everybody to start a mosh pit, and a crowd
always listens to the artist. Being 4’11”, I decided to get out of there
before I got some elbows to the face.
After
Flatbush Zombies, I got to see one of the main reasons why I came to
Camp Bisco, Pretty Lights. We watched most of Pretty Lights from the
back but towards the end we went to the bathroom and on our way back
noticed that the VIP Section was open so we got to see the end of Pretty
Lights in the VIP Section. I loved watching Pretty Lights; they live up
to their name for sure. They ended sometime after 2 and we headed back
to camp to pass out for the night.
Flatbush Zombies, I got to see one of the main reasons why I came to
Camp Bisco, Pretty Lights. We watched most of Pretty Lights from the
back but towards the end we went to the bathroom and on our way back
noticed that the VIP Section was open so we got to see the end of Pretty
Lights in the VIP Section. I loved watching Pretty Lights; they live up
to their name for sure. They ended sometime after 2 and we headed back
to camp to pass out for the night.
Friday July 17
After
only getting 4 hours of sleep the first “night” I was not expecting to
sleep till 12 on Friday, but we slept until the tent got too hot to stay
in. We decided to go get some smoothies; they were so good and
refreshing. While we were out by all the vendors we decided to look for
some cool pins to remember Bisco by. We looked through almost every
vendor tent before we found this guy walking around selling his own pins
from a piece of cardboard. We checked them out and instantly found a
cool headliner pin that we scored, 2 pins for $25, not a bad deal.
only getting 4 hours of sleep the first “night” I was not expecting to
sleep till 12 on Friday, but we slept until the tent got too hot to stay
in. We decided to go get some smoothies; they were so good and
refreshing. While we were out by all the vendors we decided to look for
some cool pins to remember Bisco by. We looked through almost every
vendor tent before we found this guy walking around selling his own pins
from a piece of cardboard. We checked them out and instantly found a
cool headliner pin that we scored, 2 pins for $25, not a bad deal.
We
chilled at the campsite until HeRobust started at 7:15. I had never
listened to him before this and he blew me away. He had a lot of remixes
for popular songs but he put a really unique twist on them. It was
pretty heavy at some points but also wicked easy to dance to.
chilled at the campsite until HeRobust started at 7:15. I had never
listened to him before this and he blew me away. He had a lot of remixes
for popular songs but he put a really unique twist on them. It was
pretty heavy at some points but also wicked easy to dance to.
We
were really stoked to see Mr. Carmack at 10pm. They put him on the
third stage, Steamtown, not knowing how many people actually wanted to
see him. The entire field in front of the stage was packed with people.
There were people standing behind the fences, standing on tables,
everywhere. The music is playing and all of a sudden it sounds really
quiet. Carmack blew the speakers out first song, and the worst part, he
has no idea. We couldn’t hear any music and he was still on stage
slamming to his music. The crowd started chanting “we can’t hear you!”
and finally someone went up there and told him. They ended up not being
able to fix the problem for his set and it really sucked. I’ll just have
to see Mr. Carmack another time to make up for it.
were really stoked to see Mr. Carmack at 10pm. They put him on the
third stage, Steamtown, not knowing how many people actually wanted to
see him. The entire field in front of the stage was packed with people.
There were people standing behind the fences, standing on tables,
everywhere. The music is playing and all of a sudden it sounds really
quiet. Carmack blew the speakers out first song, and the worst part, he
has no idea. We couldn’t hear any music and he was still on stage
slamming to his music. The crowd started chanting “we can’t hear you!”
and finally someone went up there and told him. They ended up not being
able to fix the problem for his set and it really sucked. I’ll just have
to see Mr. Carmack another time to make up for it.
We
left early to go to the Above the Waves stage to see Snails at 11:30
and the main stage at 1:15 to see the Headliner for the night, Big
Gigantic. We met up with some friends that were there and stood in the
front and jammed to Big Gigantic. They had Snails join them on stage,
which was pretty cool. I had a good time at their show; I think they
were more into it when I saw them at Mountain Jam, but still a good
performance.
left early to go to the Above the Waves stage to see Snails at 11:30
and the main stage at 1:15 to see the Headliner for the night, Big
Gigantic. We met up with some friends that were there and stood in the
front and jammed to Big Gigantic. They had Snails join them on stage,
which was pretty cool. I had a good time at their show; I think they
were more into it when I saw them at Mountain Jam, but still a good
performance.
Walking
back to camp from the main stage we passed the second stage and caught
the end of Kill the Noise, and they killed it. We were beat though so we
went back to camp to go to bed.
back to camp from the main stage we passed the second stage and caught
the end of Kill the Noise, and they killed it. We were beat though so we
went back to camp to go to bed.
Saturday July 18
We
woke up again at 12 getting a solid 8 hours of sleep. It was the last
day and we were pretty beat from the last 2 days. We decided to chill at
the campsite until the main acts we wanted to see were on. I met our
neighbors who were tenting next to us and hung out with them for a
little bit and took a nap in a hammock.
woke up again at 12 getting a solid 8 hours of sleep. It was the last
day and we were pretty beat from the last 2 days. We decided to chill at
the campsite until the main acts we wanted to see were on. I met our
neighbors who were tenting next to us and hung out with them for a
little bit and took a nap in a hammock.
We
were getting ready to leave to go post up at the main stage for
Bassnectar, when our friends came back and said they evacuated the venue
grounds because a storm was coming. We made sure all of our belongings
were secure and waited for the storm to come. It started down pouring
and there was thunder and lightning for about 20 minutes. Then all of a
sudden it got a little brighter out, the sun was shining and a full
double rainbow was cast over Montage Mountain. Everyone throughout the
campsite was cheering and shouting. We decided to head out at 8:30 in
case it started to rain again, we’d be under the main stage which had a
roof.
were getting ready to leave to go post up at the main stage for
Bassnectar, when our friends came back and said they evacuated the venue
grounds because a storm was coming. We made sure all of our belongings
were secure and waited for the storm to come. It started down pouring
and there was thunder and lightning for about 20 minutes. Then all of a
sudden it got a little brighter out, the sun was shining and a full
double rainbow was cast over Montage Mountain. Everyone throughout the
campsite was cheering and shouting. We decided to head out at 8:30 in
case it started to rain again, we’d be under the main stage which had a
roof.
We
watched the Disco Biscuits perform while we waited for Bassnectar. I
was happy to see Disco Biscuits at least once, I mean; it is their
festival after all. Their light show is mesmerizing. It flows so nicely
with their music and there are always new things to see. I enjoyed Disco
Biscuits was I was getting so antsy to see Bassnectar. It’s what we’ve
been waiting for all weekend, why we came.
watched the Disco Biscuits perform while we waited for Bassnectar. I
was happy to see Disco Biscuits at least once, I mean; it is their
festival after all. Their light show is mesmerizing. It flows so nicely
with their music and there are always new things to see. I enjoyed Disco
Biscuits was I was getting so antsy to see Bassnectar. It’s what we’ve
been waiting for all weekend, why we came.
Lorin
Ashton came out on stage and the entire crowd went insane. We watched
the first few songs from the front and got to rage to his new song
Speakerbox. It was really cool to be up front and experience Bassnectar
that close, but we were pretty burnt out from the rest of the weekend
and went to sit on the lawn and enjoy the show from there. While we were
watching the show from up on the lawn, looking up at the sky we noticed
an orange orb floating around. We saw the orb almost hovering at an odd
speed. The orb switched directions and it started to go away from us,
it got smaller and smaller until we could no longer see it. We looked it
up after getting back home and U.F.O. sightings were reported on that
exact date in and around Scranton, PA, 10 years ago, 6 years ago, 5
years ago and 1 year ago. Perhaps we saw a U.F.O. but I guess we’ll
never know.
Ashton came out on stage and the entire crowd went insane. We watched
the first few songs from the front and got to rage to his new song
Speakerbox. It was really cool to be up front and experience Bassnectar
that close, but we were pretty burnt out from the rest of the weekend
and went to sit on the lawn and enjoy the show from there. While we were
watching the show from up on the lawn, looking up at the sky we noticed
an orange orb floating around. We saw the orb almost hovering at an odd
speed. The orb switched directions and it started to go away from us,
it got smaller and smaller until we could no longer see it. We looked it
up after getting back home and U.F.O. sightings were reported on that
exact date in and around Scranton, PA, 10 years ago, 6 years ago, 5
years ago and 1 year ago. Perhaps we saw a U.F.O. but I guess we’ll
never know.
After
we finished watching Nectar kill it on the main stage we decided to hit
up the vendors for some fried bread dough. We looked at so many places
and could not find anywhere advertising fried bread dough, so we decided
to ask some of the people working. We asked a girl working at a stand
that sells funnel cakes if she sold or knew anywhere that we could buy
fried bread dough. She looked at us very lost and asked “fried bread
dough?” She then asked one of her co-workers if they knew and they were
just as confused, asking us “why would you want fried bread?” We gave up
on our search for some fried bread dough and settled for some French
toast with sliced banana. It was no fried bread dough, but it was quite
delicious.
we finished watching Nectar kill it on the main stage we decided to hit
up the vendors for some fried bread dough. We looked at so many places
and could not find anywhere advertising fried bread dough, so we decided
to ask some of the people working. We asked a girl working at a stand
that sells funnel cakes if she sold or knew anywhere that we could buy
fried bread dough. She looked at us very lost and asked “fried bread
dough?” She then asked one of her co-workers if they knew and they were
just as confused, asking us “why would you want fried bread?” We gave up
on our search for some fried bread dough and settled for some French
toast with sliced banana. It was no fried bread dough, but it was quite
delicious.
We
went to the second stage at 12:40 and stayed there watching Jauz and
Tipper. Both threw out some crazy sounds and were really interesting to
watch. We left during the middle of Tipper deciding we were going to
sleep in the car to avoid the long lines the next morning. We took a
tractor to a shuttle around 3 and headed back to the parking lot. While
walking to our car we met a couple from Schenectady who have been
traveling the country in their van. This was their 10th Camp Bisco and
they were able to score some free tickets. We met their pet ferret that
travels with them and traded some Pogs for Herkimer diamonds. (If you
don’t know what Pogs and Slammer Whammers are, look them up, we also
discovered them at Bisco).
went to the second stage at 12:40 and stayed there watching Jauz and
Tipper. Both threw out some crazy sounds and were really interesting to
watch. We left during the middle of Tipper deciding we were going to
sleep in the car to avoid the long lines the next morning. We took a
tractor to a shuttle around 3 and headed back to the parking lot. While
walking to our car we met a couple from Schenectady who have been
traveling the country in their van. This was their 10th Camp Bisco and
they were able to score some free tickets. We met their pet ferret that
travels with them and traded some Pogs for Herkimer diamonds. (If you
don’t know what Pogs and Slammer Whammers are, look them up, we also
discovered them at Bisco).
We
went to sleep in my car and slept until 11 the next day. We immediately
started driving and journeyed back home. Camp Bisco was an amazing
experience and I plan on attending next year as well. Everyone there was
so welcoming and friendly; I met a lot of really cool people. Going to
festivals opens your eyes to new things and shows you that there still
are good people out there. There’s always going to be those people that
are there just to get messed up and party, but when it comes down to it a
festival family is like no other. While we were there we met people who
were willing to give us their own water, share food, help set up and
take down camp stuff, and so much more. I encourage everyone to
experience at least one festival in their life time.
went to sleep in my car and slept until 11 the next day. We immediately
started driving and journeyed back home. Camp Bisco was an amazing
experience and I plan on attending next year as well. Everyone there was
so welcoming and friendly; I met a lot of really cool people. Going to
festivals opens your eyes to new things and shows you that there still
are good people out there. There’s always going to be those people that
are there just to get messed up and party, but when it comes down to it a
festival family is like no other. While we were there we met people who
were willing to give us their own water, share food, help set up and
take down camp stuff, and so much more. I encourage everyone to
experience at least one festival in their life time.
About Alex Greene
I’mAlex Greene. I graduated from SUNY Adirondack with my associates in
Media Arts. I’m continuing my education at SUNY Oneonta for my
bachelor’s in Communications. I enjoy writing and have a passion for
music (listening to music that is). I listen to all different genres of
music, including, alternative, electronic, rap, funk and more. Attending
music events is one of my favorite things to do. For updates on current
concerts and festivals connect with me at Alex’s Corner.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Obama Broke the Middle East Alliance and Equilibrium | Denise Simon Experience
Imagine what the Obama administration is leaving as unfinished terror
business for the next president and further, imagine what more can
happen for the rest of 2016.
Shall we begin with HizBu’llah?
DailyBeast – BEIRUT —
Lebanese Hezbollah field commanders with troops fighting in Syria tell
The Daily Beast they are receiving heavy weapons directly from Russia
with no strings attached. The commanders say there is a relationship of
complete coordination between the Assad regime in Damascus, Iran,
Hezbollah, and Russia. At the same time they say the direct
interdependence between Russia and Hezbollah is increasing.The United
States and the European Union have both listed Hezbollah as a terrorist
organization with global reach and accuse it of serving Tehran’s
interests. But there is more to it than that. Organized, trained,
funded, and armed by Iran with Syrian help after the Israeli invasion of
Lebanon in 1982, it initially gained fame for suicide bombings hitting
Israeli, French, and American targets there, including the U.S. Marine
barracks in Beirut where 241 American servicemen were killed in 1983.
Hezbollah is directly receiving long-range tactical missiles, laser guided rockets, and anti-tank weapons from Russia.
Badran/FDD:
In response to the crisis in relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran,
following the latter’s assault on the Saudi consulate and embassy in
Iran, the Obama administration has taken to the media to unleash a
furious rebuke. But the administration’s condemnation was not aimed
primarily at Tehran; instead it’s been largely directed at America’s
longstanding ally: Saudi Arabia.
Administration officials have charged that, by executing radical Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr,
the Saudis have exacerbated sectarian tensions in the region and
jeopardized U.S. policy in Syria. “This is a dangerous game they are
playing,” an unnamed U.S. official told the Washington Post.
“There are larger repercussions,” including damage to “counter-ISIL
initiatives as well as the Syrian peace process.” This is a common
thread that runs through the administration’s briefings against the
Saudis, which reveals the White House’s backing of Iran’s regional
position over and against the traditional U.S. alliance system.
The claim that the Saudis were damaging the supposed Syrian “peace
process” sounds surreal on its face. But it is quite revealing, not just
about how the White House defines success, but also about its overall
policy in Syria.
The administration believes it has achieved a critical diplomatic
feat by bringing Iran into the diplomatic talks over Syria and that this
constitutes a major breakthrough in itself. “The United States has
succeeded in leading the international effort to bring all sides
together to try to bring about a political resolution inside of Syria,”
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in
a briefing after the Saudi-Iranian spat. The way the administration
sees it, for a true discussion to take place, all so-called
“stakeholders” in Syria must be gathered around the table in order to
reach a settlement.
The administration’s self-congratulation aside, it’s worth exploring
what this means in practice. By declaring Iran a legitimate
“stakeholder,” the White House is not only saying that Syria is a
recognized Iranian sphere of influence, but it also is recognizing
Iran’s “stake” as legitimate. In fact, President Obama stated explicitly
last month that the solution in Syria should be one that allows the
Iranians to ensure “that their equities are respected.”
This begs the question of what, exactly, is Iran’s “stake” or
“equities” in Syria? The answer is straightforward: Iran’s interest is
to maintain a logistical bridge to Hezbollah through which it could
supply the group with missiles and arms, thereby enabling it to continue
to threaten U.S. allies like Israel and destabilize the region. The
White House’s legitimization of Iran as a stakeholder in Syria risks licensing Iran to continue arming Hezbollah.
But this was hardly the only cost of President Obama’s policy. The
key for safeguarding Iranian interests in Syria is ensuring the
continuity of the Syrian President Bashar Assad regime. And so, in order
to obtain Iranian “buy-in,” the administration abandoned what’s
supposed to be the main objective in Syria, which is the removal of
Assad and his regime. Assad, the administration now concedes, gets to
stay on for an indefinite period as part of an indeterminate
“transitional period.” In other words, when it comes to Syria, not only
did Obama force Iran down his allies’ throat — he also fully endorsed
its position.
Now, to top it off, the administration is attacking the Saudis for
supposedly jeopardizing a process designed to safeguard Iran’s unchanged
objectives in Syria. As the White House sees it, the Saudis’ only job
is to bring the Syrian opposition to the table essentially to sign a
surrender. What’s more, as part of this process, Iran, which has
underwritten and partaken in Assad’s mass slaughter, gets a say in
determining which opposition groups are listed as terrorists.
When it comes to the case of Nimr, the radical Saudi Shiite cleric,
the administration has applied the same core premise of its Syria policy
— that Iran has legitimate “equities” in Arab countries that should be
“respected.”
Since his execution, the administration has made a point of repeatedly disclosing that
it had tried to intervene with the Saudis not to go ahead with Nimr’s
execution. The administration is now saying that the Saudis were told
that the Iranians would react negatively to Nimr’s execution. Hence, the
Saudi decision, the administration is saying, was a wanton provocation
of Iran.
The underlying premise of the administration’s position is not only
that Iran has a legitimate claim to represent Arab Shiites but also that
since it has claimed Nimr, a Saudi, as a protégé, the Saudi government
should not touch him. Therefore, the message the administration was
effectively sending the Saudis was that Iran has a say in domestic Saudi
affairs.
The truth is that the Obama administration has been aligning with
Iran’s regional position for a while now — certainly since the beginning
of the Syrian revolution. With the nuclear deal now in hand, and with a
year left in President Obama’s term, the White House is becoming
explicit about this major shift in the historic U.S. position in the
region.
The president’s position on the Saudi-Iranian row is a public
announcement that his administration is dissolving its traditional
alliance system, along with the regional order it had underwritten for
decades, and embracing Iran instead.
*** The blame actually goes deeper on the migrant crisis:
Former Obama Adviser Dennis Ross: U.S. Inaction in Syria Led to Refugee Crisis and ISIS
Amb. Ross/Tower: The
Obama administration’s failure to address the brutality of the
Iran-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria led to a “vacuum” that
allowed “a humanitarian catastrophe, a terrible refugee crisis, a
deepening proxy war and the rise of ISIL in Iraq and Syria” to occur,
Dennis Ross, a former White House adviser to President Barack Obama, wrote in Politico on Sunday.
Ross explained that the administration’s failure to act stemmed from a
reluctance to repeat the mistakes that the United States made during
the Iraq War, but added that Syria was different from Iraq, as Syria
would involve aiding “an internal uprising” against Assad rather than an
American invasion. According to Ross, Assad had turned the uprising
against him into a sectarian conflict in the hope that his Alawite sect
and other Syrian minorities would have a stake in his survival.
Soon, thereafter, it was transformed into a proxy war largely pitting
Saudi Arabia and Turkey against Iran. A vacuum was created not by our
replacing the Assad regime but by our hesitancy to do more than offer
pronouncements—by overlearning the lessons of Iraq, in effect. And, that
vacuum was filled by others: Iran, Hezbollah and Iran’s other Shia
militia proxies; Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar; Russia; and ISIL.
Unless the U.S. does more now to fill this vacuum, the situation will
spin further out of control.
Ross observed that the vacuum in Syria was part of a greater American
retreat in the Middle East, which “has helped to produce the increasing
competition between Iran and Saudi Arabia.” Without fear of American
action, he argued, Qassem Soleimani– the commander of Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps elite Qods Force– was transformed from a
“shadowy figure” to one who was present at seemingly every major battle
in Iraq and Syria. Eventually, given Iran’s continued aggressiveness and
America’s passivity, Saudi Arabia sought to push back against Tehran on
its own.
While Ross argued that the growing Iranian-Saudi tensions were not
likely turn into a hot war, he noted that the escalation hurts efforts
to address the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria. In addition, without
the U.S. taking an active role in the Middle East, Russia actively
entered and further complicated the fray. Until Moscow agrees to
pressure Assad “to respect a ceasefire, stop the barrel bombs, and
permit the creation of humanitarian corridors” to deliver food and aid
to non-ISIS opposition groups, Ross wrote, there is no hope of getting
Saudi Arabia or other Sunni nations to join the fight against ISIS.
In order to address the vacuum, Ross suggested that the U.S. take a
number of steps to regain control of the situation without getting too
deeply involved. These include putting “troops on the ground, including
deploying spotters for directing air attacks, embedding forces with
local partners perhaps to the battalion level, and using special
operations elements for hit-and-run raids.”
In 2014, Ross noted
that the administration’s growing closeness to Iran was concerning
American allies in the Middle East. For “the Arabs, the fear is that the
deal with come at their expense,” he explained. His recent suggestion
that the administration must somehow restrain Iran’s client, Assad,
before it can exert any influence in Syria demonstrates that this fear
still remains intact.
business for the next president and further, imagine what more can
happen for the rest of 2016.
Shall we begin with HizBu’llah?
Russia Is Arming Hezbollah, Say Two of the Group’s Field Commanders
Lebanese Hezbollah field commanders with troops fighting in Syria tell
The Daily Beast they are receiving heavy weapons directly from Russia
with no strings attached. The commanders say there is a relationship of
complete coordination between the Assad regime in Damascus, Iran,
Hezbollah, and Russia. At the same time they say the direct
interdependence between Russia and Hezbollah is increasing.The United
States and the European Union have both listed Hezbollah as a terrorist
organization with global reach and accuse it of serving Tehran’s
interests. But there is more to it than that. Organized, trained,
funded, and armed by Iran with Syrian help after the Israeli invasion of
Lebanon in 1982, it initially gained fame for suicide bombings hitting
Israeli, French, and American targets there, including the U.S. Marine
barracks in Beirut where 241 American servicemen were killed in 1983.
Hezbollah is directly receiving long-range tactical missiles, laser guided rockets, and anti-tank weapons from Russia.
Badran/FDD:
In response to the crisis in relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran,
following the latter’s assault on the Saudi consulate and embassy in
Iran, the Obama administration has taken to the media to unleash a
furious rebuke. But the administration’s condemnation was not aimed
primarily at Tehran; instead it’s been largely directed at America’s
longstanding ally: Saudi Arabia.
Administration officials have charged that, by executing radical Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr,
the Saudis have exacerbated sectarian tensions in the region and
jeopardized U.S. policy in Syria. “This is a dangerous game they are
playing,” an unnamed U.S. official told the Washington Post.
“There are larger repercussions,” including damage to “counter-ISIL
initiatives as well as the Syrian peace process.” This is a common
thread that runs through the administration’s briefings against the
Saudis, which reveals the White House’s backing of Iran’s regional
position over and against the traditional U.S. alliance system.
The claim that the Saudis were damaging the supposed Syrian “peace
process” sounds surreal on its face. But it is quite revealing, not just
about how the White House defines success, but also about its overall
policy in Syria.
The administration believes it has achieved a critical diplomatic
feat by bringing Iran into the diplomatic talks over Syria and that this
constitutes a major breakthrough in itself. “The United States has
succeeded in leading the international effort to bring all sides
together to try to bring about a political resolution inside of Syria,”
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in
a briefing after the Saudi-Iranian spat. The way the administration
sees it, for a true discussion to take place, all so-called
“stakeholders” in Syria must be gathered around the table in order to
reach a settlement.
The administration’s self-congratulation aside, it’s worth exploring
what this means in practice. By declaring Iran a legitimate
“stakeholder,” the White House is not only saying that Syria is a
recognized Iranian sphere of influence, but it also is recognizing
Iran’s “stake” as legitimate. In fact, President Obama stated explicitly
last month that the solution in Syria should be one that allows the
Iranians to ensure “that their equities are respected.”
This begs the question of what, exactly, is Iran’s “stake” or
“equities” in Syria? The answer is straightforward: Iran’s interest is
to maintain a logistical bridge to Hezbollah through which it could
supply the group with missiles and arms, thereby enabling it to continue
to threaten U.S. allies like Israel and destabilize the region. The
White House’s legitimization of Iran as a stakeholder in Syria risks licensing Iran to continue arming Hezbollah.
But this was hardly the only cost of President Obama’s policy. The
key for safeguarding Iranian interests in Syria is ensuring the
continuity of the Syrian President Bashar Assad regime. And so, in order
to obtain Iranian “buy-in,” the administration abandoned what’s
supposed to be the main objective in Syria, which is the removal of
Assad and his regime. Assad, the administration now concedes, gets to
stay on for an indefinite period as part of an indeterminate
“transitional period.” In other words, when it comes to Syria, not only
did Obama force Iran down his allies’ throat — he also fully endorsed
its position.
Now, to top it off, the administration is attacking the Saudis for
supposedly jeopardizing a process designed to safeguard Iran’s unchanged
objectives in Syria. As the White House sees it, the Saudis’ only job
is to bring the Syrian opposition to the table essentially to sign a
surrender. What’s more, as part of this process, Iran, which has
underwritten and partaken in Assad’s mass slaughter, gets a say in
determining which opposition groups are listed as terrorists.
When it comes to the case of Nimr, the radical Saudi Shiite cleric,
the administration has applied the same core premise of its Syria policy
— that Iran has legitimate “equities” in Arab countries that should be
“respected.”
Since his execution, the administration has made a point of repeatedly disclosing that
it had tried to intervene with the Saudis not to go ahead with Nimr’s
execution. The administration is now saying that the Saudis were told
that the Iranians would react negatively to Nimr’s execution. Hence, the
Saudi decision, the administration is saying, was a wanton provocation
of Iran.
The underlying premise of the administration’s position is not only
that Iran has a legitimate claim to represent Arab Shiites but also that
since it has claimed Nimr, a Saudi, as a protégé, the Saudi government
should not touch him. Therefore, the message the administration was
effectively sending the Saudis was that Iran has a say in domestic Saudi
affairs.
The truth is that the Obama administration has been aligning with
Iran’s regional position for a while now — certainly since the beginning
of the Syrian revolution. With the nuclear deal now in hand, and with a
year left in President Obama’s term, the White House is becoming
explicit about this major shift in the historic U.S. position in the
region.
The president’s position on the Saudi-Iranian row is a public
announcement that his administration is dissolving its traditional
alliance system, along with the regional order it had underwritten for
decades, and embracing Iran instead.
*** The blame actually goes deeper on the migrant crisis:
Former Obama Adviser Dennis Ross: U.S. Inaction in Syria Led to Refugee Crisis and ISIS
Amb. Ross/Tower: The
Obama administration’s failure to address the brutality of the
Iran-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria led to a “vacuum” that
allowed “a humanitarian catastrophe, a terrible refugee crisis, a
deepening proxy war and the rise of ISIL in Iraq and Syria” to occur,
Dennis Ross, a former White House adviser to President Barack Obama, wrote in Politico on Sunday.
Ross explained that the administration’s failure to act stemmed from a
reluctance to repeat the mistakes that the United States made during
the Iraq War, but added that Syria was different from Iraq, as Syria
would involve aiding “an internal uprising” against Assad rather than an
American invasion. According to Ross, Assad had turned the uprising
against him into a sectarian conflict in the hope that his Alawite sect
and other Syrian minorities would have a stake in his survival.
Soon, thereafter, it was transformed into a proxy war largely pitting
Saudi Arabia and Turkey against Iran. A vacuum was created not by our
replacing the Assad regime but by our hesitancy to do more than offer
pronouncements—by overlearning the lessons of Iraq, in effect. And, that
vacuum was filled by others: Iran, Hezbollah and Iran’s other Shia
militia proxies; Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar; Russia; and ISIL.
Unless the U.S. does more now to fill this vacuum, the situation will
spin further out of control.
Ross observed that the vacuum in Syria was part of a greater American
retreat in the Middle East, which “has helped to produce the increasing
competition between Iran and Saudi Arabia.” Without fear of American
action, he argued, Qassem Soleimani– the commander of Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps elite Qods Force– was transformed from a
“shadowy figure” to one who was present at seemingly every major battle
in Iraq and Syria. Eventually, given Iran’s continued aggressiveness and
America’s passivity, Saudi Arabia sought to push back against Tehran on
its own.
While Ross argued that the growing Iranian-Saudi tensions were not
likely turn into a hot war, he noted that the escalation hurts efforts
to address the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria. In addition, without
the U.S. taking an active role in the Middle East, Russia actively
entered and further complicated the fray. Until Moscow agrees to
pressure Assad “to respect a ceasefire, stop the barrel bombs, and
permit the creation of humanitarian corridors” to deliver food and aid
to non-ISIS opposition groups, Ross wrote, there is no hope of getting
Saudi Arabia or other Sunni nations to join the fight against ISIS.
In order to address the vacuum, Ross suggested that the U.S. take a
number of steps to regain control of the situation without getting too
deeply involved. These include putting “troops on the ground, including
deploying spotters for directing air attacks, embedding forces with
local partners perhaps to the battalion level, and using special
operations elements for hit-and-run raids.”
In 2014, Ross noted
that the administration’s growing closeness to Iran was concerning
American allies in the Middle East. For “the Arabs, the fear is that the
deal with come at their expense,” he explained. His recent suggestion
that the administration must somehow restrain Iran’s client, Assad,
before it can exert any influence in Syria demonstrates that this fear
still remains intact.
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Obama Broke the Middle East Alliance and Equilibrium | Denise Simon Experience
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Help Blonde Has A Heart Attack - Get My VITAL SIGNS!
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Fleetwood Mac.
Vitals Signs remains a player on the Long Island music scene simply talented musicians who draw their musical inspiration from the roots of
Classic Rock and R&B. Repertoire includes material by Motown ,
Adele, Santana, Grace Potter, Alanis, Etheridge ,Joplin, Tom Petty and
Fleetwood Mac.
by word of mouth alone. Ed McCormack (bass), Kenny Loeffler (guitar),
Russell Zak (guitar), Bob Batchelor (drums), and Cyndi Hazell (lead
& backing Vocals) have transformed their blend of musical tastes
into performances which have people asking “When and where are these
guys playing next ?”
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has played numerous live music venues in the NY Metro area including,
Mulcahey’s, The Sunset Grill, The Blue Parrot, Bobbique among others.
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FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Vital-Signs-Band/624732880941629
Reverb: http://www.reverbnation.com/c./poni/273348797
ALSO FIND RUSSELL ZAK:
Reverb: http://www.reverbnation.com/russellzak
Twitter: http://www.reverbnation.com/russellzak
UNIR1 would like to thank RUSSELL ZAK for all the TWEETS and support to UNIR1
Available for Clubs, Restaurants and Private Parties.
For Bookings
Contact:
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Help Blonde Has A Heart Attack - Get My VITAL SIGNS!
Inspired by JAMES BLUNT - Get To Know Singers and Musicians | Blondiepie.com
Ok for someone who is partnered in a music business, I'm ashamed to admit that sometimes I hear music and don't even know the name of the artists I'm hearing. It doesn't help the fact that mainstream radio stations doesn't announce before and after each song the band name or the artists name. But when I hear a song, and immediately love it I need to search that artists out. I need to hear more of their music, read their bios and get to know them.
As I write this I'm listening to his new music and it is truly refreshing to hear. Music is meant to make you feel, the music being produced today needs more inspiration, instead of well to put it straight ho's and bitches, money, and drugs. Ok I'll stop on that note, as this is more about getting to know the artists, that puts his or her heart into their music.
I am now an instant fan of His of his music and his Twitter feed, and hope he never changes what he sings about.
To show how much of a fan I am now selling his music here: BLONDIEPIE FULLY ENDORSES THE SALE OF JAMES BLUNT! Oh and Check out his twitter feed, its a riot. I'm glad he has the attitude he does. Some people are just rude, But he twists it to almost make fun of himself and them without causing pain to the person, not a bit of hate back. He truly is amazing.
As I write this I'm listening to his new music and it is truly refreshing to hear. Music is meant to make you feel, the music being produced today needs more inspiration, instead of well to put it straight ho's and bitches, money, and drugs. Ok I'll stop on that note, as this is more about getting to know the artists, that puts his or her heart into their music.
I am now an instant fan of His of his music and his Twitter feed, and hope he never changes what he sings about.
To show how much of a fan I am now selling his music here: BLONDIEPIE FULLY ENDORSES THE SALE OF JAMES BLUNT! Oh and Check out his twitter feed, its a riot. I'm glad he has the attitude he does. Some people are just rude, But he twists it to almost make fun of himself and them without causing pain to the person, not a bit of hate back. He truly is amazing.
Oh and I know I'm not the best blog writer so excuse if grammar or spelling is off. Just like passing the love, Baby. 
Going Deeper on the Latest Release of Hillary’s Emails | Denise Simon
to see a sample email thread on Libya and the internal threat level,
note the names, note USAID and further that even a Blackberry was used
to participate in the email chain. There is significant reference to the
WFP which is was the corrupt World Food Program.
Early
August – HRC works to construct a $1.5 billion assets package to be
approved by the Security Council and sent to the TNC. That package is
working through its last hurdles. We cannot even begin to estimate the real long term cost to the United States over the Libya debacle.
Latest batch of Clinton emails contains 66 more classified messages
FNC:The latest batch of emails released from Hillary Clinton’s personal
account from her tenure as secretary of state includes 66 messages
deemed classified at some level, the State Department said early Friday.
In one email, Clinton even seemed to coach a top adviser on how to send secure information outside secure channels.
All
but one of the 66 messages have been labeled “confidential”, the lowest
level of classification. The remaining email has been labeled as
“secret.” The total number of classified emails found on Clinton’s
personal server has risen to 1,340 with the latest release. Seven of
those emails have been labeled “secret.”
In all, the
State Department released 1,262 messages in the early hours of Friday,
making up almost 2,900 pages of emails. Unlike in previous releases,
none of the messages were searchable in the department’s online reading room by subject, sender or recipient.
Clinton,
the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, has
repeatedly maintained that she did not send or receive classified
material on her personal account. The State Department claims none of
the emails now marked classified were labled as such at the time they
were sent.
However, one email thread from June 2011
appears to include Clinton telling her top adviser Jake Sullivan to send
secure information through insecure means.
In response
to Clinton’s request for a set of since-redacted talking points,
Sullivan writes, “They say they’ve had issues sending secure fax.
They’re working on it.” Clinton responds “If they can’t, turn into
nonpaper [with] no identifying heading and send nonsecure.”
Ironically,
an email thread from four months earlier shows Clinton saying she was
“surprised” that a diplomatic oficer named John Godfrey used a personal
email account to send a memo on Libya policy after the fall of Muammar
Qaddafi.
Another message includes a condolence email from
the father of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl following the 2012 attack on
the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi.
The note from Bob
Bergdahl, which was forwarded to Clinton by Sullivan, reads in part,
“Our Nation is stumbling through a very volatile world. The ‘Crusade’
paradigm will never be forgotten in this part of the world and we force
our Diplomats to carry a lot of baggage around while walking on
eggshells.”
After seeing the email, Clinton directed her
assistant Robert Russo to “pls [sic] prepare [a] response.” Bowe
Bergdahl was freed from Taliban capitivity in May 2014 as part of a
prisoner swap. He faces a court-martial for desertion in August.
*** The how about getting a name wrong?
FNC:
In a scene that could have been taken straight from the HBO show
“Veep,” Hillary Clinton blasted her staff after addressing the Tunisian
foreign minister by the wrong name in a call two days after the 2012
Benghazi attacks.
The embarrassing exchange was contained in the tranche of emails released by the State Department overnight.
In
the initial email, Clinton aide Monica Hanley told Clinton ahead of her
call with her Tunisian counterpart that the official’s first name is,
“Rasik [raseek].”
But four minutes later, Hanley corrected herself:
“Its Rafik, not Rasik.”
Too late. The damage had already been done.
“That’s
too bad since I just used the wrong name. I MUST only be [given]
correct information,” Clinton wrote back, five minutes after receiving
the update.
This entry was posted in Citizens Duty, Clinton Fraud, Department of Defense, DOJ, DC and inside the Beltway, Failed foreign policy, government fraud spending collusion, Hillary Clinton email, Human Rights Violations United Nations, Insurgency, ISIS ISIL Islamic State Caliphate, Libya Benghazi Muslim Brotherhood murder, Middle East, Military, Terror, The Denise Simon Experience, UN United Nations Fraud Corruption, Whistleblower. Bookmark the permalink.
About The Author:
DENISESIMON is the Senior Research/Intelligence Analyst for Foreign and
Domestic Policy for Stand Up America US as well as the aide de camp for
MAJOR GENERAL PAUL E. VALLELY, US ARMY (ret).
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Flag Officers, DEA, CIA, NSA, etc… You name it…
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Going Deeper on the Latest Release of Hillary’s Emails | Denise Simon
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