signal gasoline let every traffic signal remind you you do go farther with signal gasoline yes you do go farther with signal the signal oil company and your neighborhood signal dealer bring you another curious story by the whistler tonight murder is blind and the whistler and I know many things for I walk by night I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows yes I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak most people are blind yes they're blind to the shortcomings of someone close to them someone sometimes to their own that was the way with the three women who lived in the old Hopkins house on the hill three very different women but all of them blind to the characters of the others there was Lorna Hopkins mistress of the house warm sincere Lorna happy in her coming marriage to Gregory there was patsy Hopkins Lorna's cousin who's only happiness is in herself her youth her loveliness and old Froy line the old German housekeeper who has been patsy's governess and who had found happiness in serving her with years of devotion none of them really knew the others all of them were a little blind that is until it happened it started the night patsy was helping Lorna with her hair that's finished Froy line can help you with the rest now what Gregory he's waiting in the living room do keep him company like a good girl patsy really long it's a bit tiresome playing substitute besides he doesn't want to see me of course he does be an angel and try to keep him consoled till I get dressed Greg playing the phonograph Sally Sarah made lovely isn't it is it Greg once said it was a musical description of me can you imagine he can say that nice things look patsy I'm not nearly ready to run down and pay the poor man a little attention like a good girl you're pretty sure of yourself you're about what patsy don't get up Greg Lorna still dressing in the meantime I'm supposed to entertain you always have thanks you're leaving for New York yeah in a few days mother wants me to handle some of her affairs I'll be back after a while of course we expect to be married and mother's home you know after that the honeymoon some place in the north woods some place where we can be together far away from everybody what a picture how beautifully sentimental do you know my dear you're beginning to tire me dreadful suspected that before what's the matter with us patsy we used to get along together so well lately we we don't seem to understand each other at all shall we talk about something else no something's come between us ever since I became engaged to law that has nothing to do of course not but what is it pats what's going on anything nothing I tell you I I haven't stopped that thing take that sick thing record off well sure sure pats I always thought you like I want you to do something for me sure anything I want you to go back to New York but I am pats I'm leaving toward the end of the month I mean now today today yes well what's the matter patsy don't you even like me anymore like you why are you full I love you my first day we met haven't you seen it incredible you can't mean I never met anything more in my life I know I'm shameless Greg but I can't help it Craig what about Lorna Lorna will never make you happy never she's good and sweet and kind but goodness and sweetness can be tiresome yes and kindness too I know Lorna Greg and I know you in a year you'd go to hate please pats please you mustn't say these things but it's true I've got to say these things don't you see my darling I'm I'm thinking of your happiness yes and Lorna's too and you and of mine I have the right to think of mine haven't I Greg we needn't hurt Lorna too much you'd go away go back to New York and after a while of six months I'd come to you and Lorna she would have forgiven me when she saw we were happy what else could she do patsy I'm trying hard to believe that you can't mean all this but I do I do I love you Greg I love you so much that you must know it feel it then I'm sorry for you I can't tell you how sorry it's Lorna there can't be anyone else then never will but you don't love her you can't love her you love me you do I know you do oh Greg my darling do you think for a minute I'd give up Lorna for you great she doesn't deserve this kind of deal from your patsy she's taking you into our home for years she's cared for you like a sister oh it's cheap don't please put your arms around me Greg I'm right I know I'm right yes so now listen patsy you listen to me yes this is important remember it yes you'll never marry Lorna do you understand no if I can't have you she'll not have you will you please tell your cousin I'm waiting for remember that Gregory conundrums we've all played the old game in which someone describes a thing and you guess what it is for example someone says it's round it's black and it has big yellow letters on it spelling something that helps your car go farther well of course you whistler fans know that signals yellow and black circle sign which identifies the friendly signal gasoline dealers who bring you this program and friends in today's game of trying to make ration gasoline go farther remembering that signal sign is your surest way to win most miles per gas stamp you see in keeping with its 14-year tradition of quality signal oil company is still bringing you the very finest gasoline that can be marketed under wartime conditions and the famous signal formula still places the emphasis on mileage so to stretch those gas stamps cry signal in your car prove for yourself that it's not just a slogan it's a fact you do go farther with signal gasoline and now back to the whistler it would be difficult that he would reject your love did you you were sure that he would fall just as all the other men in your life had fallen but that's the way things go patsy the one you really want is always the one who doesn't respond and now as you lie in your lonely room your thoughts aren't very pleasant are they you are sleeping miss Patricia no for a line come in if you wish I've come to see what it is that's making my little girl unhappy there is something isn't there yes unhappy why do you think that for a line for a line can always tell what is it my baby nothing you're imagining things so you are so much like your mother one minute laughing at gay her eyes shining the next poof when she becomes sad was she really very pretty pretty and clever sometimes unhappy like you often she thought your papa didn't love her she only knew really knew when it was almost too late when she was dying yes then your papa almost went crazy he hadn't paid attention to her headache he thought she was pretending them to get sympathy but later on when she became blind poor mother brain tumor must be a horrible thing she didn't suffer too greatly headaches yes and her eyes became so big so staring the pupil so dilated father he went all two pieces cry just like a little boy your mama died happy for torturing she knew how much he really loved her he really did love it till the day he died I've upset you talking about your mama no for a line I'm glad I'm glad you told me what's in your mind now Patsy why do you leave your bed go to the dressing table and stare deeply searchingly into its mirror your eyes slowly widen and you shudder a little bit after a while you return to your bed in your eyes hold a curious furtive expression as though Patsy you were hiding a guilty secret and in the days that follow I've kept you waiting haven't I Greg I'm sorry really forget it anything the matter nothing serious I've been upstairs comforting Patsy Patsy poor girl she's having such a headache I know Greg that's why I called you I counted on seeing you too but Patsy has a splitting headache we'll make it tomorrow shall we Patsy again Greg I'm sorry I'll call you later with Patsy Greg I'm sure of it these pains these spells of dizziness they worry me I can see that but don't you think you're inclined to exaggerate her condition after all everybody has headaches you know I know but not like Patsy's they're doing something terrible to her she looks badly Greg her eyes seem so strange I I don't like it this is something new then her eyes yes but her headaches well she told me she's been having them for weeks she said nothing because she didn't want to worry me I see these attacks when she has one she's practically helpless so dependent on me Greg yes and always at a time when I want to take it a dinner out of the theater that's not fair Greg perhaps not but are you being fair with me I don't understand I'm leaving for New York in a day or two but that seems to make very little difference to you that's not true let's not quarrel Greg I'm not quarrelling all this nonsense is getting too much for me if anything was seriously wrong with a girl don't think there is not as bad as she pretends frankly I think she's putting on an act of some kind what's that come to me what is it boy line what's miss Patsy she can't see oh my lord no she's blind to blind to agree you're ashamed and remorseful aren't you you'd give anything to recall yesterday's words spoken so bitterly to Lorna those scornful phrases doubting the sincerity of Patsy's illness you thought Patsy's headaches were a game the sort of willful woman might play for sympathy or attention didn't you Gregory now as you look down at her white face and into her tragic unseeing eyes a deep wave of sympathy comes over you you feel helpless in the shocking tragedy before you don't you Gregory there's no fever Greg at least that's one thing to be thankful for she slept a little last night didn't you dear toward morning I did pain seemed to go away then do I look terrible great terrible oh no you could never look that bad a little pale perhaps your eyes here they paint you they seem so big the pupil so dilated tell me what did the doctor say she won't have a doctor for a line and I are almost crazy I won't have one I won't he'll operate I know it will please learn I but we must find out what this condition is to be reasonable dear is there anyone in town a good eye doctor would know about this kind of thing no there isn't there's no one now Patsy there is one and you know it is considered very fine I won't have him his old and see Greg what do you want us to do Patsy I don't know we must do something yes the best eye doctor specialists aren't they in the big cities I thought I I could go to one of them where Patsy isn't New York a kind of medical center New York that's impossible you couldn't leave your job here in town and I couldn't go alone what do you think Greg is that what you want Patsy job she lose it that mattered there are the job plenty of them even if there's no necessity for your taking a lot of I'm leaving for New York anyway Patsy can come right along with me with you Greg can I of course I'll put you up at mother's place then we'll have the best men in the city come to look at you I'd feel better if I went with her I don't know I had nothing you could do Lorna don't you see suppose so you could keep me in touch couldn't you Greg let me know everything by long distance every day you just sit tight and let me handle this and you get Patsy ready of course for a line will help it'll take two or three days to make the necessary arrangements haven't you both forgotten something have I you and Lorna your marriage our marriage you mustn't worry about that Patsy that'll keep to your well again we can wait for Greg natural I am a nuisance aren't I oh my eyes it's starting to hurt again I'll do get me some ice tears I'm sure there's some downstairs I shan't be long yes you did forget to forget about you and Lorna getting married did I did you know you did suppose I get well Greg of course you're going to get well after we arrive in New York everything's going to be all right do you know I think so too perhaps you're being a little blind too you've forgotten Patsy's warning haven't you and her helplessness is a rebuke to your conscience isn't it Gregory for you remember in spite of Lorna's warnings you're in difference to Patsy's repeated headings and you know that if this girl dies nothing can ever be quite the same for you and Lorna it's imperative that Patsy regain her health not only for her own sake but for the sake of your marriage as well and now after a day spent in making traveling arrangements you return to the house with Lorna we're home early Lorna yes I know it's nearly seven Patsy doesn't expect us back for a couple of hours yet must be very quiet thanks she's sleeping I hope so she promised me she tried after a while I'll go up and begin at her oh dear I would forget I'm meant to bring for a line something from the corner drug store want me to go for you no I'll go I know what she wants you stay here I'll only be a few minutes mind turning out the lights just leave that small one on over by the phonograph that'll be enough I'm going to sit over here in the dark and relax all right fine hurry back lovely isn't it that's quite true a bit late to stop now yes gullible Greg simple trusting Gregory I didn't expect you to see me of course you didn't my dear it's all very obvious shall I leave you with your serenade this record I knew where it was I know where everything is I've lived here so long of course it's not what you think Greg I I don't have to see to find my way around that's a listen to me Greg you're not blind you never were well what are you going to do that's better now will you be good enough to tell me what it was all about you flattering I made up my mind to have you Greg and it didn't make the slightest difference to me how I did not even if it smashed things up for Lorna that didn't matter nothing mattered but you and what was I to get out of all this happiness I could have made you happy great I can still make you happy you try me give me a chance let's go back a bit shall we tell me how did you expect to fool a clever eye specialist you must have known he'd find you out I didn't expect no you see I had no intention of coming under his care the important thing was to get you away from Lorna to have you by myself for a while after that anything could happen anything and now I've lost we've all lost you Lorna and I oh you're wrong Patsy Lorna and I haven't lost you see tomorrow we'll be married tomorrow if she'll have me then no you can't it's beyond your control now Patsy it's beyond anything your selfish mind can trick up is it beyond death my love for you was a selfish thing but to me it was everything don't you understand Greg nothing will be gained by shooting me Patsy if I can't have you nobody else shall remember when I told you that don't for all our sakes you did it you've killed Greg the only man you ever really loved watch fascinated and horrified as Lorna drops to the floor beside him weeping and you want to tell her it's no use but now she'll never have him you're glad glad you hate Lorna Patsy you turn all your suppressed grief for yourself it's a hate for her get up you can't bring him back it doesn't matter now you've got to help me take the gun take it and hide it you hear the gun you want me to go to jail stop to think now you must hide it it must never be found you understand I do I heard a noise Mr. Gregory he's heard what is it Lorna what happened you can tell for all I I tell for all I know what is it but I don't know I you don't know how could I I was in my room I heard Lorna and Greg downstairs and their voices sounded strange sharp as though they were calling what are you saying it frightened me I've never heard them quarrel before after a while I got up and felt my way out of the room down the stairs I could hear Lorna more plainly now she was angry she sounded as though she hated him but that's not true Patsy you're not telling the truth tone of her voice was unbearable I I couldn't stand it I opened the door it was this horrible noise like an explosion I'm frightened for a line please take care of my didn't kill him it was pastly that he did it she did it oh this is terrible you'll believe me don't you for a line but why should Patsy do this horrible thing what reason could she have I don't know she's blind Lorna we both know that she couldn't have seen to do this then why have you a gun in your hand shouldn't we call the police proline whistler will return in just a moment with a strange ending of tonight's story meantime with reconversion beginning the time is drawing closer when you'll be able to buy those new things you've been wanting that new home or new car or new radio but with what why with savings of course and there's no better way to save today than in war bonds in war bonds your money is not only drawing good interest but it's telling those brave guys who are fighting and dying out in the Pacific that you're still back of them so stay in the fight stay on the job keep supporting all the homefront activities save waste fat save paper take care of your tires and right now let's help put over the seventh war loan drive by getting another bond remember you don't buy bonds you invest in them you get every penny back with interest and each bond that does its bit to get the war over is also helping you to better enjoy the day we're all fighting and praying for the day of final peace and now back to the whistler you won haven't you not only have you killed Greg but you're having your revenge on Lorna for taking him away from you she's going to jail for murder isn't she patsy the police are here now the detective is questioning Lorna looking at the body but there's something you didn't count on patsy you were blind to someone else's character Froy line she stood by you all these years but murder is something else and suddenly you see her come back into the room and walk over to the detective and she's holding something in her hand that freezes you with horror yes miss patsy I found it I saw it hidden in your dresser a few days ago I thought it was strange then but now I know what what is it for line yeah what is it you're talking about miss this I know wait a minute I thought you couldn't see so did we all but this little bottle proves how she fooled us it's Bella Donna to make her pupil stylate to make her look blind stop come back to me stop all line what she doing running running out there of eight miss Lorna the detective is after eating my daughter she didn't even see the car next Monday at nine o'clock the whistler will bring you another strange tale the whistler is broadcast for your entertainment by the marketers of signal gasoline and motor oil and fine quality automotive accessories and by your neighborhood signal dealer this program directed by George W. Allen with tonight's story by Lewis Estes music by Wilbur hatch is transmitted to our troops overseas by the armed forces radio service this is Marvin Miller speaking and suggesting that you let every traffic signal remind you that you do go farther with signal gasoline yes you do go farther with signal this is CBS the Columbia broadcasting system KNX Columbia Square Los Angeles


Russia began a show of force near Japan. Russia said it conducted air defense exercises on the Kuril Islands in its Sakhalin Oblast region. During the training missile launches against air targets were performed. According to the results of the training the S-300V4 air defense systems successfully destroyed 100% of the targets upon entering the affected area. The eastern military district said as quoted by Russian news agency Interfax. Russia has a territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands with Japan which it has not signed a peace treaty with since World War II. At the 1945 Yalta Conference the Soviet Union agreed to start military operations on the eastern front under an agreement with its Western allies and in exchange received some Japanese territories including the Kuril Islands. After the war however Japan rejected the Soviet Union's sovereignty over the islands. Due to the dispute Russia and Japan have never signed a peace treaty and are technically still at war. As both sides claim the territories the question of Kuril's sovereignty remains uncertain.


It's a game. This is a game to him, okay? It's a joke to him. Don't want to take it seriously, okay? That's cool This is here, Dub. I saw your little little video. It was cute. That was cute You still made your little jokes. You you didn't want to take me seriously so fine I have to take matters into my own hands so You can make your little rap this you can do all that that's fine. That's that's in your lane That's your forte rapping is your forte cool, but best believe Since you don't want to listen to me and you didn't want to heed my warnings Best believe this is on you.  Just know I'm gonna take matters into my own hands No more of these jokes no more the laughing at blondie's expense it ends And the only way it ends is to take out the ringleader of it and the ringleader of all these jokes about my dog Is you I told you in the last video one by one you all will fall and it starts with you I'll be seeing you real soon Dub Better watch it back


What if I told you that writing a successful article for the SCP Wiki was actually really easy? Let's talk about that. The first thing I should mention is I'm not actually saying that writing is easy, that's a whole other discussion. But there's this idea on the internet that the SCP Wiki has incredibly high standards and I think that's really only applicable if you compare them to other collaborative writing sites. See, most of those sites don't really care how good or bad your stuff is. Once you put it up, it's up. To draw the conclusion that the SCP Wiki standards are much higher than everything else, everywhere else, is crazy, I think. To that end, we're going to examine right now a line from an SCP that just got posted and is already at negative 14 and is probably headed directly to deletion, so one second. SCPXXX is a indescribable anomaly with a gripping compulsion. That compulsion makes people with OCD, or authors and researchers, parentheses, now referred to as SCPXXX-1, have a desire to try to fix the error, and there's actual quotation marks. When this fails, that writer is going to come away thinking that the site has really high standards, when in reality they're just basic standards. And that's the issue, because on the internet, there's so many fiction posting sites and forums and rps going on where there are no standards. Nobody cares. As long as you're writing, it's fun for everybody. And the SCP Wiki has a standard, and therefore because it has a standard, it's considered to be incredibly high. And that's the thing most people don't realize. You don't have to be a great writer to survive on the SCP Wiki. You can carve out your place with basic, bland writing with the occasional flash of greatness, that one moment of inspiration that lets you create something amazing that everyone loves, and then it goes away. So that doesn't mean it won't come back, and it doesn't mean that you shouldn't keep writing, and it doesn't mean that the mediocre stuff that you put out in the meantime isn't still worth your time, because everything you do is working towards the goal of becoming a better writer. That's why you're watching these videos. And is it depressing, maybe, to think that out of all the writers in the world you're the 16,978th best? No. Or at least it doesn't have to be, because that guy, that person, at that level of quality and skill, can still make a living out of being a writer. And if they're lucky, if they find their inspiration, if they hit on that lightning in a bottle, they can be great. And that's why I think people need to understand. Writing for the SCP Wiki is not hard. Getting an article to survive on the Wiki is not difficult. And that is why it's so important to keep trying until you hit that point where you are successful, and you're able to get your sometimes mediocre works to survive. And then you look at them, and you see what you did wrong, and what you did right, and your next one is better, and your next one is better. Instead of producing nothing but mediocre works, maybe now you're producing good stuff constantly, over and over, and then it becomes great stuff over and over and over, and then every once in a while you'll hit that legendary status. And as always, hit the subscribe button if you want to see more, and don't forget to hit the notification bell next to that to make sure that you're alerted when I upload new content. And by the way, special thanks to all the Patreon backers you see on the screen right now. Thank you very much. I wouldn't be able to make this kind of content without you. If you'd like to join my Patreon, you can go to patreon.com forward slash deesamarian. There'll be a link in the description down below, but regardless, thank you very much for watching.


Russia to renew attacks on Kiev says Ukraine's top military official. Russia is gathering personnel and weapons to renew its offensive against Ukraine in January or spring. Commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Valery Zalozhny has said. In an interview with Economist this week, Zalozhny stressed that Russia would attempt to strike the capital Kiev again and is preparing for various scenarios for this. According to our estimates, they have up to 1.5 million reservoirs. Currently, 200,000 new soldiers are being trained for war. I have no doubt that they will attempt to renew the attack on Kiev. The military official said. Zalozhny ruled out that Russians would refuse to go to war. Furthermore, history said Ukraine is running out of ammunition for its Soviet-era air defense systems and expressed its country's willingness to acquire more modern anti-missile defense systems. Speaking about Russia's military capacity in terms of weaponry, Zalozhny said that Russia is preparing new war stocks, adding that, however, this will not be enough to boost combat potential of the Russian army. Moscow will not achieve desired results in its war, even if it trusts million people to the army Zalozhny.


From 9-11 to COVID-19, 19 years of permanent emergency by Ryan MacMacon, an audio-mesis wire narrated by Million Quinteros. During March and April of this year, during the early days of the COVID-19 panic, each day came to be accompanied by a general feeling of dread. As new emergency orders and decrees rained down from governors, mayors and faceless health bureaucrats, I wondered what new awful thing will governments think up today? As business and churches were closed by government edict, politicians increasingly were threatening to arrest and jail ordinary citizens for doing things that were perfectly legal mere days before. Even worse was the new orthodoxy that seemed to immediately spring up. All descend from the new regime of lockdowns and business seizures was denounced and mocked. We were now all expected to chant new slogans, we're all in this together, flatten the curve. There was no sign of any sizable opposition. The courts were silent. So-called due process was abandoned. But for those of us who were old enough to remember the dark times that followed the 9-11 attacks, the feelings of dread had a familiarity to them. The blind sloganeering, the anger toward dissent, and the obeisance toward politicians who were credited with, keeping us safe, brought back bad old memories. They were memories of the days and months and years that followed the 9-11 attacks. These were the days of so many new assaults on basic human freedoms and human rights. They were days when the public was bullied into accepting whatever new scheme politicians were dreaming up in the name of keeping us safe. In many ways, the current hysteria is even worse than that of the early years of the 21st century. It affects the everyday lives of countless Americans in ways the 9-11 panic did not. But the current crisis is nonetheless very much a continuation of the attitudes and paranoia that surged 19 years ago. Trust the experts. Then as now, the public was repeatedly instructed to trust the experts and not question government officials in any way. This manifested itself in a couple of ways. First of all, there was new legislation like the so-called Patriot Act, a smorgasbord of new freedom-destroying federal initiatives that would authorize all sorts of new spying and search powers by the federal government. Soon after, of course, came new additional powers such as the president's power to declare anyone an enemy combatant and subject to torture, imprisonment, and forfeiture of all legal rights. Those who objected were denounced as reckless and naive and unconcerned for human life. Torture we were told was absolutely necessary for public safety. The opposition was said to be unfit to comment on the matter or question federal powers because the experts, i.e. CIA personnel, etc., understood the real dangers. The trust the experts claim was trotted out again when the Bush administration and the CIA began to collaborate to prove that Saddam Hussein was somehow responsible for the 9-11 attacks and was harboring weapons of mass destruction or WMDs to use on Americans. Politicians and bureaucrats went into high gear, creating countless reports, studies, and claims from alleged witnesses, showing that the Iraqi regime was just itching to launch its WMDs at innocents around the world. The experts, of course, were wrong. Moreover, many were simply lying. There were no WMDs and Saddam had nothing to do with 9-11. But millions of Americans believe the experts and thus believe the lies. And now we see the same thing today. We're repeatedly ordered to trust the official arbiters of scientific truth. Never mind the fact, however, that many other experts have dissented on a wide variety of topics, from the lethality of COVID-19 to the wisdom of lockdowns. But they're not the real experts we're told. Then as now, it's only acceptable to believe the experts who support untrammeled growth in state power. Support the troops Any outbreak of panic, fear, and uncritical support for despotism requires its own vocabulary. Nowadays we have all sorts of new slogans. These include, we're all in this together, flatten the curve, this is the new normal, hashtag stay at home, and six feet apart. Many of the slogans are delivered in a cheerful tone, but they're really joyless commands. Issue to communicate to the hearer that obedience to these declarations is not really optional. Either you obey, or you are essentially a murderer. The world of post 9-11 hysteria was similar. We had slogans like support the troops, thank you for your service, and if you see something, say something. Other catchphrases weren't quite at the level of slogans, but they were invoked repeatedly to encourage uncritical acceptance of the official government line. Examples include, they hate us because we're free.  And we're fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them here. Due to the lack of social media back then, we didn't have quite the proliferation of slogans we have now. When we had hashtags in 2003, it's likely we would have regularly encountered ones like hashtag global war on terror, hashtag WMDs, and hashtag support the troops. The use of these phrases also functioned as a means to virtue signal. In 2002, putting a yellow ribbon magnet on one's car or supporting an American flag lapel pin were ways to publicly show one's loyalty to the cause and show opposition to one's less enthusiastic neighbors and relatives who hate America. The real message behind these phrases and signals, of course, was that we are required to support the regime and its new normal, whatever it may be. In 2001, that meant supporting new wars while ignoring the Bill of Rights and turning a blind eye to abuses like CIA torture programs. Today, it means calling the cops on your neighbor for not social distancing. It means screaming at people for not wearing a mask. It means blindly trusting the experts so long as those experts support unlimited government power. Be always afraid. The if you see something say something slogan was part of a larger effort to remind the public that it should live in a state of constant fear.  It's better to be safe than sorry. Spy on your neighbors for the FBI. Many people now forget that in the days immediately following 9-11, Americans were buying gas masks and planning backyard bunkers. The then new Department of Homeland Security in February 2003 advised Americans to prepare for a chemical attack from terrorists. Stash away duct tape and pre-measured plastic sheeting for future use. Experts tell us that a safe room inside your house or apartment can help protect you from airborne contaminants for approximately five hours. That could be just enough time for a chemical agent to blow away. For those who wanted all the best new information on how to prepare, the federal government created the website ready.gov complete with a section for children called Ready Kids where kids could learn in the spirit of the old duck and cover videos from the Cold War how to prepare for an attack from terrorists. And there was the color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System. This was a visual aid which allowed the federal government to let us know just how much we should fear terrorism on any given day. Of course, the government always kept the warning level at elevated or high. It never dropped down to low of course, lest some form of terrorism take place on that day, and the experts looked like they were asleep at the switch. Today, of course, we have countless websites, models, and news stories devoted to reminding the public that it must constantly fear COVID-19 infection. We're there a color-coded alert system for the current crisis. We can be quite confident it would be set each day to high or severe. As with the 9-11 panic, this all serves to encourage unquestioning obedience to government authorities, and to send the message there is no time for political debate, dissent, or even due process. Our leaders keep us safe and we must defer to their judgment completely. The media itself remains an accomplice in this. Then, as now, media pundits and journalists side reflexively with officials promoting fear and obedience to the state. Living with the aftermath It takes many years for a society to recover from fits of panic and paranoia such as these. 19 years after 9-11, the federal government still has the power to spy on law-abiding Americans with impunity. It still has the power to simply assassinate American citizens, including children, without any due process. American police have been militarized with surplus military hardware, from various failed and failing wars. The taxpayers will still be paying interest on the trillions of dollars spent on disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan decades from now. Thousands of American troops died for nothing, in conflicts that have done nothing to make any American safer. Hundreds of thousands of innocent foreigners have died in those same conflicts. Thanks to the reaction to 9-11, governments in the US are now far larger, far more expensive, and far less limited by laws and constitutions than in the past. This is what happens when a country believes itself to be in a constant state of emergency. Due process is out the window. Governments get away with far more than would have been the case otherwise. This process, which was so greatly accelerated after 9-11, has now been supercharged by the current panic of COVID-19. Government officials issue laws and decrees without any debate and without any due process. Americans are ruined, arrested, destroyed, and humiliated in the name of safety. Those who dissent and seek to limit the regime's powers are silenced, threatened, arrested, shouted down, and ignored. This is America in a state of permanent emergency. The justification for the regime's ever-growing power changes over time, but the results are the same. For more content like this, visit Mises.org.


Alabama the beautiful is our tagline and so we pride ourselves off the natural environmental treasures that are found here in Alabama. Hello, I'm Joy Travis and I'm the chapter chair for Sierra Club Alabama. We are in the south probably most the south most region here but all of our neighbors are dealing with different types of environmental injustice concerns that range from air pollution to water issues to cold ash. I am fueled by hearing about the different health issues and health concerns that are directly related to environmental issues. I am fueled by the injustices that I see and I hear about that occur specifically only in our black and brown communities. I'm most proud to have a seat at the table to be able to stand up and represent a culture of people who have not historically been included in decisions and conversations about how to fight the environmental justice movement.


welcome members to the 15th meeting in 2014 of the Belegating Powers and Law Reform Committee, asked members to switch off any mobile phones, we have apologies from Richard Baker. Agender Item 1 is a decision on taking business in private, it's proposed the committee takes Item 6 in private, this is to allow us to consider the further the delegated powers provisions in the Food Scotland bill, does the committee agree to take Item 6 in private please? Mae'r Cymru yn ddif closing i bod yn gweithio bod yn y cyfanyddiaeth yma i'r awr ond o'r byd inni. Yn ymgyrch yn ymgyrch i'r cyfrwyngau ysgol, a mae o'r gweithio am y ddweud o'r ardal a'u cyfnodau yn gweithio yn llai sylwg cyfleol, ac yn ymgyrch yn y cyfrwyngau am y Cymru, yn 1993, yn y partyniol, ysgol, ysgol, ysgol, ysgol, ysgol, ysgol, ysgol, ysgol, yn y cyfrwyngau cyfrwyngau cyfnodau, Is the committee content with this instrument, please? Agender item three is instrument subject to a negative procedure. No points have been raised by our legal advisers on the additional support for learning sources of information. Scotland amendment order 2014, SSI 2014-103. However, in relation to this instrument, the committee may wish to note that the Scottish Government intends to bring forward a further amending instrument at the next available opportunity. Such an instrument would make provision to correct the error in SSI 2011-102, as the undertaking given previously in relation to that instrument has unfortunately been overlooked. Is the committee otherwise content with this instrument? No points have been raised by our legal advisers on the marketing of vegetable plant, material amendment Scotland regulations 2014, SSI 2014-111, nor on the adoption and Children's Scotland Act 2007 compulsory supervision, order reports and applications for permanent orders. Regulations 2014, SSI 2014-113. Is the committee content with these instruments, please? Agender item four's instrument's not subject to any parliamentary procedure. The National Health Service functions the Common Services Agency Scotland amendment order 2014, SSI 2014-100. The meaning of article 2e of the order, which inserts article 2ia into the National Health Service functions of the Common Services Agency's Scotland order 2008, could be clearer. This is in respect that the provision specifies as a further function of the Common Service agencies the exercise of the power of the Scottish Ministers under section 47 of the National Health Service Scotland Act 1978. This could be clearer so far as this is intended to confer on the CSA both the power of the Ministers to act in accordance with the duty specified in section 2047-1, but not to confer the duty itself, which is exercised by each health board on behalf of the Ministers in accordance with the functions of Health Board Scotland order 1991, and the power of Ministers specified in section 47-2. Does the committee therefore agree to draw the order to the attention of the Parliament on the reporting ground H, as the meaning of article 2e could be clearer? Thank you. Agenda item 5 is the Procurement Reform Scotland Bill. This item of business is consideration of the delegated powers provisions in this bill after stage 2. Members will have noted that the Scottish Government has provided a supplementary delegated powers memorandum and will have seen the briefing paper. Stage 3 consideration of the bill is due to take place on Tuesday 13 May. The acknowledging amendments is 4.30 p.m. tomorrow, 7 May. The committee may therefore wish to agree on its conclusions today. The committee may wish to note that the amendments which have been made to the powers in sections 7, 16, 21 and 24 implement recommendations in the committee's report at stage 1. Does the committee agree to report that it is content with the revisions in the bill which have been amended at stage 2 to insert or substantially alter provisions to make subordinate legislation and other delegated powers? I would welcome the thought of the produced amendments following our recommendations. Thank you, Jim. Do you members have any other comments? There being none, that is agenda item 5 and I move this meeting into private.